in the uk could be living with undiagnosed hepatitis—c after being given a transfusion containing contaminated blood. as many as 27,000 people were exposed to the virus the 1970s, �*80s and �*90s — but official documents suggest that efforts by the government and the nhs to trace those who were most at risk, were inadequate. our health editor, hugh pym has this report. in the 20 years before 1990, up to 27,000 people had transfusions with blood that was contaminated with the virus hepatitis c. a quick diagnosis and treatment can save lives, but transfusion cases are still coming forward. the hep c trust says two newly diagnosed people call their helpline every month.

there are people still out there that have the virus that haven't been picked up, up until now. and that's really quite shocking that there's people walking around, having had blood transfusions many years ago that have never actually had any treatment for the hep c and had they had treatment for the hep c, their prognosis would be hugely different. maureen passed away in february with liver cancer five months after she was diagnosed with hep c and 47 years after she had the blood transfusion that infected her. even though her medical records show she needed many blood transfusions in 1976 and had hep c symptoms since 2008, she wasn't tested for the virus. her daughter victoria is furious. why was there not a campaign on the tv? posters in the doctors? you know, why was mum not tested? because if mum would have been tested many, many years earlier, the outcome would have been very, very different and my mum would still have been with us. in 1995, the government announced a look back exercise but restricted funding for the process and didn't publicise it.

despite saying they wanted to find victims in the mid �*90s, new evidence seen by the bbc shows that the government instead actively tried to limit public awareness of the hepatitis c virus, deciding not to speed up detection to avoid embarrassing bottlenecks in liver clinics. this internal note written by a government official says "raising awareness poses undoubted difficulties for the nhs." ahead of the inquiry�*s report the government says it will listen carefully to the community as this dreadful scandal is addressed. the failings for patients with infected blood transfusions will certainly form a large part of that report. hugh pym, bbc news. earlier, i spoke to karisa jones. her husband geraint was infected with hepatitis c in 1990 after an operation after a work accident.

we knew nothing about hepatitis will the contaminated blood. we had we knew nothing about hepatitis will the contaminated blood. we had heard about it, we just thought it would not happen to us. and in april 2012, he got out of bed and just started vomiting blood. he was taken into hospital, and that is when we were told that he had hepatitis c, through the contaminated blood in 1990. it's through the contaminated blood in 1990. �* , ., through the contaminated blood in 1990. �*, ., , . through the contaminated blood in 1990. �*, ., ' . ., 1990. it's a difficult thing to process. — 1990. it's a difficult thing to process, isn't _ 1990. it's a difficult thing to process, isn't it? _ 1990. it's a difficult thing to process, isn't it? how- 1990. it's a difficult thing to process, isn't it? how do i 1990. it's a difficult thing to | process, isn't it? how do you 1990. it's a difficult thing to - process, isn't it? how do you feel about the news now that there were so many other people who also were infected in their blood, in the same way as your husband? i infected in their blood, in the same way as your husband?— way as your husband? i feel so better. i feel— way as your husband? i feel so better. i feel so _ way as your husband? i feel so better. i feel so angry. - way as your husband? i feel so better. i feel so angry. this . way as your husband? i feel so i better. i feel so angry. this could have been prevented years and years ago. but it was just overlooked, it was pushed to one side and, you know, no one had a chance, really.

it was too late. he couldn't even have the treatment. and obviously he passed hepatitis c onto me, but i was lucky that i was able to go on the treatment. fluid was lucky that i was able to go on the treatment.— was lucky that i was able to go on the treatment. and you are ok now, are ou? the treatment. and you are ok now, are you? yes. _ the treatment. and you are ok now, are you? yes, but _ the treatment. and you are ok now, are you? yes, but you _ the treatment. and you are ok now, are you? yes, but you live _ the treatment. and you are ok now, are you? yes, but you live in - the treatment. and you are ok now, are you? yes, but you live in fear i are you? yes, but you live in fear every day. _ are you? yes, but you live in fear every day, whether— are you? yes, but you live in fear every day, whether it _ are you? yes, but you live in fear every day, whether it will - every day, whether it will reactivate. and whether i would have to go back only horrendous treatment that i was on for six months. i was auoin to that i was on for six months. i was going to say. _ that i was on for six months. i was going to say. i _ that i was on for six months. i was going to say, i think— that i was on for six months. i was going to say, i think that - that i was on for six months. i was going to say, i think that is - going to say, i think that is something people washing may be don't realise as much, that it's not just the victims like geraint and others, but the family members that are living with the impact? find others, but the family members that are living with the impact?— are living with the impact? and my children and _ are living with the impact? and my children and grandchildren. - are living with the impact? and my children and grandchildren. you i children and grandchildren. you know, most of my grandchildren will never know their grandfather. my children have had... it has had a great impact on them. find

children have had... it has had a great impact on them.— children have had... it has had a great impact on them. and we really a- reciate great impact on them. and we really appreciate you _ great impact on them. and we really appreciate you speaking _ great impact on them. and we really appreciate you speaking to _ great impact on them. and we really appreciate you speaking to us i great impact on them. and we really appreciate you speaking to us here, | appreciate you speaking to us here, the inquiry is ongoing. if you get a chance to speak in front of it, i'm not sure if you well or not, what would you like to say to those in charge? i would you like to say to those in charae? ., would you like to say to those in charae? . ., ., charge? i want them to hold their hands u -. charge? i want them to hold their hands no i _ charge? i want them to hold their hands up. i want _ charge? i want them to hold their hands up. i want them _ charge? i want them to hold their hands up. i want them to - charge? i want them to hold their hands up. i want them to say, i charge? i want them to hold their. hands up. i want them to say, yes, what we did was wrong. it's not about money, because no amount of money you could put on someone's life, it is all about recognising what they have done to us and what i keep on doing. i'm living with this everyday, every moment of day, every single day. i can't put closure on it. i can't lay my husband to rest, because there is no closure of the moment. and that is all i want a closure. and for him to rest in peace at last. knowing that they have actually admitted to what

they've done. well hugh pym, our health editor, joins me now. the bbc health team found it was just geraint about 1700 people could be living with undiagnosed hepatitis c as a result of the infected blood. tell us more about how you make those findings?— tell us more about how you make those findings? yes, a very moving interview, those findings? yes, a very moving interview. and _ those findings? yes, a very moving interview, and tragically _ those findings? yes, a very moving interview, and tragically it - those findings? yes, a very moving interview, and tragically it is i those findings? yes, a very moving interview, and tragically it is a i interview, and tragically it is a story we have heard from quite a few others, as part of our investigation. if you look back to this scandal of infected blood, 30,000, it is estimated, were infected with hepatitis c, some with hiv. there were two strands to the investigation. firstly, looking at documents that have been uncovered by members of the team, and they suggested that in the 1990s, once it

was clear that hep c was a risk, they started screening blood in 1991, got what officials did a look—back exercise due track people who had transfusions in the 70s or 80s, and get them tested. but the documents we have seen suggest that was done in a very half—hearted way, and that, actually, there was a focus on cost, and officials more or less saying that there are a applications in this. so that was not done, as far as we can see, in a really concerted manner. there have been various look—back exercise since. the second aspect of our investigation is that, based on calculations from freedom of information requests and evidence to the inquiry, there are around 1700 people out there who have hep c and don't realise it, because the symptoms are very hard to detect. there has been a new appeal to those who had transfusions to come forward. the hep c test is readily available, you can order it online. i should mention this investigation,

chloe hayward and jim reed i should mention this investigation, chloe hayward andjim reed have been very involved in coming up with these findings.— very involved in coming up with these findings. very involved in coming up with these findinus. , ., these findings. listening to you, we are talkin: these findings. listening to you, we are talking about _ these findings. listening to you, we are talking about three _ these findings. listening to you, we are talking about three decades. i l are talking about three decades. i mean, this was extensive. it is shocking every time i hear about this story. you hear individual accounts like that, what is being done to help people like her? {litter done to help people like her? over the ears, done to help people like her? over the years. there — done to help people like her? over the years, there have _ done to help people like her? or the years, there have been various support schemes set up, there were payments, sometimesjust support schemes set up, there were payments, sometimes just subsistence payments, sometimes just subsistence payments, but what campaigners have really been fighting for is compensation. you heard a bit of clarice's point, just compensation for loss of life, loss of earnings. interim compensation was paid out in the uk, back in 2022. but the general opinion is it is going to be much more than that in total. we have to wait now for the full findings of the inquiry, which started in 2018. we will get that on may the 20th. there will be huge

interest from campaigners and families, and others, in what they see as their drive for the truth. they want to know what went wrong, how was this allowed to happen? and the government will have to give its response on behalf of the nation, the uk, based on decisions made many years ago by officials, doctors and others in the nhs.— years ago by officials, doctors and others in the nhs. briefly, what is the government _ others in the nhs. briefly, what is the government position - others in the nhs. briefly, what is the government position at - others in the nhs. briefly, what is the government position at the i the government position at the moment? , ., the government position at the moment? , . ,_ the government position at the moment? , . _ , the government position at the moment? , . ,, , ., , the government position at the moment? , . , ., , ., moment? they are saying this was an a- allin: moment? they are saying this was an appalling scandal _ moment? they are saying this was an appalling scandal and _ moment? they are saying this was an appalling scandal and they _ moment? they are saying this was an appalling scandal and they are - appalling scandal and they are listening very much to the communities involved, and they will come up with a compensation plan quickly, after that report on may the 20th. but there is still a little of scepticism out there amongst the infected and the affected. they have waited a long time, they have been promised compensation in the past, they suspected ministers were dragging their feet. suspected ministers were dragging theirfeet. they suspected ministers were dragging their feet. they will be looking very closely to see what ministers actually deliver. acknowledgements to jim reed and _ actually deliver. acknowledgements to jim reed and chloe _ actually deliver. acknowledgements to jim reed and chloe hayward i actually deliver. acknowledgements to jim reed and chloe hayward for i tojim reed and chloe hayward for their work on that investigation. a man who was injured in a sword

attack in london last week has been describing how he felt after being attacked inside his home in hainault. henry de los rios polania has now left hospital after an operation to repair his right hand. he's been speaking to our special correspondent, lucy manning. i thought i was going to die, to be honest, i thought i was going to die leaving my wife and my child. um... we thought we were going to die that morning. it was only to, i believe a miracle happened in the room. ifeel so helpless, seeing my hand cut and looking around how to protect myself. all i see was pillows and teddy bears. there was nothing that i could use to stop him from attacking us. but i do believe that it was a miracle, what happened in that room. yeah, it was, it's a nightmare, i can't... me and my family, i don't think we will be able to go back. we get flashbacks.

i get flashbacks. you don't think you'll be able to go back to live there? i don't think so, i don't think so. it will feel unsafe for me and my family. if it's ok to ask, how is your daughter doing? she's just four, is she? i hope she doesn't remember anything, ijust hope so. but she did saw, the guy with the sword, and... and ijust pray and hope she doesn't get any memory from it. 0bviously, on that awful morning, daniel anjorin was killed as well. what are your thoughts for his family today? i feel so sorry for them. isaw him.

when i got close to the ambulance, i saw him on the floor. yeah, it shouldn't happen. it shouldn't have happened. ifeel so sorry for their family and for everyone. who do you want to thank for the help that you received on that day? to this, i would say to everyone that came forward, starting with the paramedics to the police and to the medics, to the doctors and the nhs that they've done, they do a good job, a greatjob. and i want to thank god for keeping me alive. your sister said afterwards that she thought you were a hero. i do believe i'm a hero because i protected my family.

i put my body to stop the blades and... and, yeah, i would do everything for my family. especially for my little one, she's my angel, she's my angel. here in the uk, the bank of england will make its monthly announcement about interest rates at mid—day. they've been unchanged for nine months — currently standing at 5.25%. that's the highest they've been for 16 years — having been put up as a means of trying to slow inflation. let's get more from sally mitchell, who's a senior mortgage broker at the mortgage mum.

i know it's very borning because this will be the sixth consecutive meeting where there has been no change. but certainly it is not going to go up. let's take some good news from it. but i don't see it being reduced yet. i think the markets are now factoring in a reduction, may be september or october time. but certainly, what i was expecting, early spring, early this year, that reduction has not happened. which is very disappointing for those who are waiting for rates to fall. sally, i don't know how much forecasting you do, but when do you think they might come down? well, up until a few days ago i was thinking really september, which would be wonderful for the government, the current government, because then they could quite happily go to the polls in november with a bit of a golden ticket. in the last few days, analysts are saying, and they are far more qualified than me, let me add, they are waiting to hear the tone of the delivery from andrew bailey after the announcement today, because they think that there might just be a smidgen of a chance

that we will get one next month. so, injune. but whatever happens, june or september, these several reductions that were forecast at the beginning of this year, you know, the markets are not expecting that, they are expecting a maximum of two, and it will probably be 0.25% each. given this is your area of specialism, what about house prices? because that is what a lot of people will be watching as well. yes, halifax and nationwide released their house price indexes very regularly. 0verall, obviously there are some geographical spots but have bucked the trend, but overall, we have seen an increase, not a huge increase, but it is travelling upwards. it certainly feels that property prices have not come down. i think there is stagnation in the top end of the market. i'm told anything over £1 million is proving very sticky to move.

but our market, our property market, is fundamentally really resilient. and i don't see... you know, the crash was foretold, it's all going to go to hell in a handcart, that happened. i feel confident that we'll continue to be the case. the interest rate decision comes at noon — and we'll bring it to you here live on the bbc news channel — with analysis from our economic editor, faisal islam. around the world and across the uk, this is bbc news.

efforts to clean up england's rivers, lakes and seas have been called �*poor�* by a key watchdog. the office for environmental protection — a statutory public body — says government targets to improve water quality will be missed by a "large margin." here's our environment correspondent, jonah fisher. the government has through the water framework directive, committed itself to improving the health of england's damaged

rivers, lakes and coastal waters. at the moment, only 16% of them have a good ecological status and the target for 2027 of 77% looks a long way away. so what's going on? the office for environmental protection, the official watchdog, has been taking a closer look and has delivered a scathing verdict on the government's efforts to improve water quality. we found the legal framework to be basically sound, thankfully, but it's the way that it's being interpreted and implemented that is the issue. it is really being done poorly and that means that government is very unlikely to achieve its ambitions for our waters.

in fact, it's very likely to miss by a large margin the targets it set for the quality of waters which were to be met by 2027. so there's some really serious issues here. the 0ep says the government's plans lack detail, commitment and adequate funding and that plans for polluted river basins are too generic. what we've seen over the last 25 years since the water framework directive was launched is that our rivers have really flatlined. we haven't made any strategic improvement to the condition of our rivers despite lots of new initiatives and small packages of funding. what we need to do is to take a much more fundamental approach and really change course if we want to deliver the kind of improvements that's going to give us resilience to climate change and restore biodiversity to our precious rivers and lakes. a government spokesperson said... jonah fisher, bbc news. a 97—year—old veteran from lincolnshire has finally been recognised for the role she played

during world war ii in the women's auxiliary air force. evelyn hillier always thought she hadn't served for long enough to get a medal. but, almost eight decades later, her family decided to investigate whether she was entitled to one. 0ur reporterjake zuckerman has the story. well, it's a bit late! it is indeed, nearly 80 years late, to be exact. this is the war medal that 97 year old evelyn hillier never knew she was entitled to. evelyn volunteered for the women's auxiliary air force as a 17 year old in191tlt. why did you choose the air force? because i liked the uniform! she served for three years working in the officer's mess where she got to know the fighter ace douglas bader, who famously flew spitfires despite having lost both his legs in a crash. he was very kind.

they had the dances in the officer's mess. but he always sent the steward in to to the kitchen to buy us a drink. it wasn't until her family started looking into evelyn's past that they realised she'd missed out on a medal. the family thought it would be something nice for mum at her age if we could do some investigations as to whether she could get a medal. and my sister contacted the mod, and they they awarded her the 1939—45 war medal, which we then arranged for somebody very special to come and give it to her, which is the wing commander, nicola duncan from raf wittering. and this was the moment they surprised evelyn at her care home near stamford. where have you all come from? when i got demobbed, i didn't think i'd been in long enough to get a medal.

so i never applied for it. it's important to have because people then know that i was in the air force. it may have been a long time coming, but now evelyn's wartime service has finally been properly recognised. jake zuckerman, bbc news. the second semifinal of the eurovision song contest is taking place tonight amidst a big increase in security. officers from denmark and norway have been drafted in to help sweden police the event. 0rganisers are expecting protests about israel's participation in the event — at a time when many are critical of its actions in the conflict in gaza. david sillito reports. malmo, eurovision 2024 and the fans are here in force, but there's also a very visible police presence. it's a bit of a mixed vibe because obviously it's a high security presence. you're aware that there's sometimes more police than people in sequins. and with israel taking

to the stage tonight, organisers are being extra vigilant. booing. this was the reaction to eden golan's rehearsalfrom parts of the eurovision audience. there's also been pressure on performers to boycott the event and police are expecting protests. we're expecting some demonstrations, of course, and voicing of opinions and the right to demonstrate is highly protected in the swedish constitution. so it's been a part of our planning work since the beginning. but on stage all efforts are being made to keep the event free of politics. ireland's bambie thug was told to remove some body writing with the word ceasefire and outside the venue, there's not quite the same atmosphere of previous years. there's definitely

a wariness this year. last year in liverpool you'd see performers out and about amongst the crowds mingling, not this year. they're staying indoors as much as possible. and when they do go into the arena, it's under police escort. there is still plenty of the eurovision spirit, that open celebratory mix of daft, moving and joyful. but for an event that tries to avoid politics, this is a testing moment. david sillito, bbc news, malmo. now it's time for a look at the weather with stav danaos another fine, warm and sunny day to come for most of us. we started off with a little bit of mist and fog, thatis with a little bit of mist and fog, that is mostly cleared away during the mourning period. into the afternoon it looks fine for many. we still have the weather front

affecting northern scotland, so it stays rather cloudy here, further spots of rain at times. you can see that front is very slow to clear northwards. eventually it will do, it will be dry, bright and warm across northern scotland into tomorrow. for most of the country it is going to be dry for the rest of the afternoon. a little bit of cloud at times, affecting all sea coasts, particularly the east and north—east england. the thickest of the cloud, northern scotland, if few spots of rain, particularly for the outer hebrides and into the northern isles. temperatures, low to mid—teens. elsewhere, warm pretty widely into the low 20s. as we headed into this evening and overnight, it stays dry for many. still some spots of rain across northern scotland. the weather front continues to move northwards. we will see mist and fog developing once again, low cloud on the north sea coasts. temperatures, nine up to 11 or 12 degrees. head into friday, we eventually lose the weather front. it pushes northwards. the rain is slowest to clear from the northern isles. even here, it will be dry during the course of the

afternoon. a brighter, warmer day for northern scotland. elsewhere, plenty of sunshine around. cloud tending to build into the midlands, eastern england and may some low cloud into east anglia later in the day. 0therwise, most places dry and sunny. 2a degrees will be the high, even the low 20s across southern and central scotland. saturday promises to be another fine day, plenty of sunshine around. we could see some grey misty weather for east anglia the south—east for a while. the transom if you heavy or maybe thundery showers developing later in the day for northern england and southern scotland, mainly over higher ground. most places will be dry. another very warm day to come. humidity may be a little bit higher, low to mid 20s. all change as we head into sunday. most places having a fine day on sunday, the low pressure starts to move in later sunday, and into monday and next week we are dominated by low pressure. back to being unsettled. could be very warm, and quite humid across the south of the country on sunday, up to 26 degrees. an

increasing chance of showers. much more unsettled into monday.

k66 live from london, this is bbc news. president biden once the us that... president biden warns israel the us will stop supplying some weapons if it launches a major ground invasion in rafah. 0pposition leader sir keir starmer faces criticism from some of his own backbenchers — for allowing a conservative mp tojoin his labour party. vladimir putin has used russia's victory day celebrations to justify its war with ukraine — saying russia is living through a difficult period. hello. welcome to this hour. we begin with the war in gaza —

president biden has said the us will not supply heavy weapons to israel which could be used in a major assault on rafah in southern gaza. the president says munitions will be sent that allow israel to defend itself, but that the country would not keep washington's support if it carried out operations in densely populated areas. israel's envoy to the united nations said mr biden's remarks were "disappointing" and that a pause in the transfer of weapons will significantly impair israel's ability to achieve military objectives. more on that in a moment, but first here's more of what president biden said. civilians have been killed in gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centres. i made it clear that if they go into rafah — they have not gone into rafah yet — if they go into rafah, i am not going to supply their weapons that have been used historically to deal with rafah. to deal with the cities, to deal with the problem. we are going to continue to make sure that israel is secure in terms of the iron dome and their ability to

respond to attacks like came out of the middle east recently.