i wish that we did not have to take this step. but, as your prime minister, i must do what is necessary to stop the spread of the virus and to save lives. anyone going out to eat or drink in england will now be forced to give their contact details and there'll be new covid marshals on the streets to enforce social distancing. it all comes as the coronavirus testing system comes under huge pressure — the prime minister tells people to only get a test if they have symptoms in other news — borisjohnson calls on mps to support new legislation — which would alter the brexit withdrawal deal — even though the government admits it breaks international law. the inquiry into the manchester arena bombing hears that fire engines didn't arrive until 2 hours after the suicide bomb — amid confusion over

whether it was an ongoing incident. and back at the races — but for one day only — as a pilot scheme at doncaster racecourse is told to shut its doors early. borisjohnson has set out increased covid restrictions in england with new measures to enforce them — to control a rapid increase in the number of infections. from monday, social gatherings of more than six people will be illegal. from westminster our political editor laura kuenssberg reports. glimpses of something like normal life. but the threat of another surge of the disease has been hiding in plain sight, reminders to take care have been all around us but replaced today by new instructions with the threat is on the rise. i know that over time the rules have

become quite complicated and confusing. we are simplifying and strengthening the rules making them easier for everyone to understand and for the police to enforce. in england from monday, we are introducing the rule of six. you must not meet socially in groups of more than six and if you do, you will be breaking the law. and anyone breaking the rules risks being dispersed, fined and possibly arrested. it does not include school or workplaces and some team sports, wedding and funerals can go ahead, but this is a big change after weeks of the rules being relaxed. i'm sorry about that and i wish that we did not have to take this step. but, as your prime minister, i must do what is necessary

to stop the spread of the virus and save lives. as we head into autumn and winter we may be in it for the long haul. we may, collectively as a nation, we will have to look at where things are and work out what are the right things to do so people should not see this as a short—term thing but see it over the next period and i think to put an exact time on it is very difficult. from monday, police in england would have the power to break up nights like this. a party in bristol on saturday night. cases have risen most dramatically amongst the young but their power to pass on the virus is where the bigger danger lies. you've admitted today that the advice has been confusing, so why should the public listen to you to date when you have been telling people to go back to work and eat out and now you are putting limits on people again? we are dealing with a pandemic that has evolved over many months and in that period we've been responding to the disease in its various phases. this is not the start of another nationwide lockdown

but for many like marion who wanted to bring everyone together at next month to celebrate her 90th birthday, for families and friends it means plans on hold again. people that i have not seen for a long time were all going to come and they are asking if it will be postponed because of covid and i kept saying it will be ok by october but unfortunately it is not going to happen. while families must grapple with the new rules, labour backs the tightening. i think the government has acknowledged that poor communication was a large part of the problem and that has to be fixed, but they also need to recognise that the testing regime is all over the place and needs fixing as well. but, we support the principle of the measures and we ask everyone to follow those rules. tighter rules will apply in places with the west tighter rules will apply in places with the worst outbreaks such as bolton

in the north west of england and in wales, up to four households can get together but the bulls are lining up to eight people from three different families in scotland to meet could change. we are carefully reviewing existing guidance and regulations as well as considering what new steps could be necessary to keep covid under control. and while race day fashion was masked today in doncaster with my six tomorrow horses and riders will run in front of empty stands, the government ready to put more limits on our lives rather than take a gamble. joining me now to talk about how these new rules might be enforced is paddy tipping, chair of the association of police and crime commissioners, himself the labour pcc for nottinghamshire. we are the prime minister say that these rules of simplified and have been strengthened and they are now easierfor people to been strengthened and they are now easier for people to understand and for the police to enforce. do you agree? the police have been saying that the government, the rules in

the past have been complicated, people do not understand them, and there's been a lot of discussions between chief constables in the home officers and the new rules are pretty straightforward, you cannot beatin pretty straightforward, you cannot beat in groups either indoors or outdoors of more than six. so, eve ryo ne outdoors of more than six. so, everyone can understand that and i think the vast majority of people will respond to that plea. when there is a gathering of seven or more people, how much of a priority will it be for police officers to approach the group to find out what is going on? the police during the lockdown have seen a reduction in crime and crime is beginning to pick up crime and crime is beginning to pick up again and getting back to normal levels. so, the police are making decisions every day about priorities and they will judge decisions every day about priorities and they willjudge the control room

against other priorities. so, it is not an easy matter, but it is within all of our interest to ensure that we can keep each other safe and secure into the future and having a set of rules that are straightforward, i think, set of rules that are straightforward, ithink, helps both the public and the police. do the police of the time to enforce this? well, it would depend on the demand and there is some occasions where the police will respond very rapidly and people have been very concerned about raves, house parties, street parties, that we have seen of her recent weeks and months. the police intervening in those situations and i think the essential thing is to get the message across and that is with the chief constable has been saying to the government, let us have a simple set of rules, most people will follow those rules

because it is within all of our interests in the police will engage with people and encourage them, but if necessary, though he's the enforcement powers, which will lead to fines. talking to those enforcement powers, the first offence fine is about £100. the enforcement powers, talk us through how they will look like on the streets. people are running a street party and the police are called. the organisers will face a fine of £100. if that is repeated, it would double up if that is repeated, it would double up and double up again and ultimately to a maximum figure of £3200. so, the kind of constraints, the threat is there, but the important thing is this. the

discussion with the government is brought forward a new message and thatis brought forward a new message and that is the message that everyone can understand, they may not like it, but everyone understands that in your homes and outside, you shouldn't have company of more than six people in the history of the lockdown has now gone on for more than six months and it shows the vast majority of people ostensibly, if they understand the rules, will obey the rules. the covid-19 marshall, how they work in relation to regular police officers. this would be a local authority and responsibility. several of the real issues, where the ways of keeping ourselves safe is to comply with social distancing, two metres where

it is possible and this is not in legislation, but again this matter of engaging with people who are encouraging people, reminding people and reminding people most of all that if you follow the rules, we can together come through the pandemic safely. thank you so much for talking this through that. following the latest changes to coronavirus rules announced by the government, we here on the bbc news channel want to help get your questioned answered. you may be confused about how the six person rule could affect you or maybe you run a hospitality business and have a question about managing contacts. whatever the query you can get in touch with us by emailing yourquestions@bbc.co.uk or by using the hashtag #bbcyourquestions on twitter. we'll be answering many of your questions here on bbc news tomorrow

at 9.30 in the morning — and again at 4.30 in the afternoon. the prime minister has called on mps to support new legislation, which would alter the brexit withdrawal deal —— even though his government has admitted that it will breach international law. the bill would allow minsters to over ride parts of the brexit deal agreed by boris johnson with the eu last year. the former prime minister, sirjohn major, says the country risks losing its reputation for honouring promises. several senior european officials have also expressed their objections. here's our chief political correspondent vicki young. do you still trust the british government, mr barnier? here to talk about a future trade deal, but the eu's chief negotiator arrived in london today with a huge row raging over an agreement that he thought was done and dusted. are you happy to break the law, prime minister? yesterday, the government shocked mps, admitting it was ready to break international law and override parts

of the brexit treaty it signed with the eu in january. the prime minister denied that he was tearing it up. myjob is to uphold the integrity of the uk, but also to protect the northern irish peace process and the good friday agreement. the snp accused the government of creating a rogue state. why does the prime minister think that he and his friends are above the law? this uk internal market bill is about protecting jobs, protecting growth, ensuring the fluidity and safety of our uk internal market and prosperity throughout the united kingdom. and the former conservative prime minister sirjohn major had a stark warning...

the withdrawal agreement included unique arrangements for northern ireland trade — to avoid a hard border with ireland, which is in the eu. but goods going back and forth between northern ireland and the rest of the uk will need extra checks and tariffs, so that this trade doesn't interfere with the eu's single market. but now, the uk government has published the internal market bill which gives british ministers the power to decide for themselves how it will work. the european commission president tweeted that she was very concerned and said the move would break international law and undermine trust. they are demanding an emergency meeting and the irish prime minister suggested this could all derail trade talks. unilateral actions which seek to change the operation of measures already agreed included in an international treaty and incorporated into domestic law do not build trust. so, why has the government taken this incredibly provocative action? well, it thinks the eu will have too much say over trade, notjust in northern ireland,

but the rest of the uk too. it wants to put pressure on the eu to compromise, and even if the trade talks all collapse in acrimony, well, there are plenty in the conservative party perfectly happy with no—deal. even conservative mps are unsure whether this is all a negotiating strategy. not for the first time, downing street is keeping everyone guessing. the headlines on bbc news. the inquiry into the manchester arena bombing has heard that the first fire engines didn't arrive at the scene until two hours after the blast — because of confusion over whether there was an ongoing threat there. twenty—two people were killed when salman abedi detonated a suicide bomb as fans left the arena following a concert in may 2017. many more were injured. today the inquiry heard about the last moments before the explosion, as our north of england correspondentjudith moritz reports. all in the same moment, a husband and wife stood

with their arms around each other. a schoolgirl told her friend she loved her. a teenager was asked what her favourite song was. but before she could answer, a bomb exploded and took these and 18 other lives away. men, women and children, their futures wiped out in a moment. the detail of their deaths heartbreaking to hear. but the manchester arena inquiry is examining every aspect of the 2017 attack. it is important in the highest degree that we understand what went well on the night of the bombing, but also, what did not. we need to know whether a different and better response by the emergency services would have saved more lives, or even a single life. a life likejohn atkinson's. he had a leg injury and was initially conscious and able to speak, but he had no professional medical help for over

an hour and was dragged out of the arena on a billboard. he died two hours later. no firefighters were on hand with specialist equipment to help lift people likejohn atkinson out of the foyer. there's been serious criticism of the fire service from the moment that the control room contacted the officer responsible for taking the first decisions. but then, the officer changed his mind and suggested keeping firefighters three miles away.

today, new details also emerged about what the authorities may have known about the bomber, salman abedi, before the attack. in february 2017, a phone was seized in prison from this terrorist organiser, abdalfaouf abdallah, who's known to have previously discussed martyrdom with abedi. when analysed, this telephone was found to have been used to make calls and attempted calls to salman abedi's number. and as will be obvious, this was just months before the attack. next week, the bereaved families will begin the emotional process of reading tributes to their loved ones. a man who faced five trials over four years for shooting a woman and her nephew has been found guilty of murder. 53 year old annie ek—ofo and 21 year old bervil ek—ofo were killed in their home in north london in 2016. 0bina eze—oke first went on trial

in 2017 but it collapsed and juries in two more trials failed to reach verdicts while a 11th was halted by coronavirus. but today the 28 year old was found guilty of two counts of murder. a man accused of murder and seven counts of attempted murder after a series of knife attacks in birmingham has been remanded in custody. zephaniah mcleod who's 27 and from selly oak, appeared before the city's magistrate's court via video link. a 23—year—old died from a stab wound to the neck. a teenage boy has appeared before magistrates in norwich, charged with attempted murder and firearms offences, after another boy was shot on his way to school. the 15—year—old remains in a critical condition in hospital after the incident in kesgrave, near ipswich, on monday. the defendant cannot be named for legal reasons.

a man with serious breathing issues says he was "ambushed" into wearing a face covering on a plane. easyjet has apologised after one of its pilots was filmed threatening to remove the passenger from the flight, from jersey in the channel islands to london's gatwick airport. mobile phone footage captured the moment the man was told to leave the plane. anna collinson reports. i have explained the legal position. i have provided you with a document from a government website... this is the moment a passenger is trying to convince an easyjet crew that he doesn't need to wear a face covering. i have shown you proof of my medication. you have given me a piece of paper with something... the fact that you don't know the government website is not my fault. after half an hour, and with the flight already delayed, the pilot and many of the passengers have had enough. last chance. you get two seconds to grab this and put it on, otherwise you are off. no, i defend the legal position. right, you're off. cheering and applause. this is that passenger.

nick struggles to wear a mask because he has chronic asthma. shocked by the abuse he says he received from other people on the plane, he's asked for his face not to be shown. insulted. shouted at. laughed at. i've gone past exasperation. i'm getting worried. is everybody against me? i've just run out of things to say. looking at you now, you look upset talking about it. well, it's not that pleasant, being ambushed by about a hundred passengers. research suggests face coverings can help to reduce the spread of coronavirus, but some people are exempt from wearing them because of age, health or disability reasons. now, it's not essential, but the government in england says people can carry a badge or a card. nick had one of those cards.

it was accepted on his outward flight, but not back. he eventually agreed to wear a mask, but says it caused him to hyperventilate. the government are really clear that there are exemptions from having to wear a mask, and that includes if you have a serious lung condition or serious breathing problems which make it impossible for you to wear one. that is something that should be upheld and should be respected by companies, and it is something that the general public should be aware of. in a statement, easyjet says it had recently updated its policy to accept the government's exemption documents, and has apologised this was not recognised on nick's flight. there will be people watching who say, "well, i have to wear a mask, why can't he? " ijust find it increasingly difficult to breathe. it's notjust a wheeze. asthmatics would describe it like having a steel belt put around your chest. it's from a government website. that is the legal position... with masks now part of all of our lives,

the challenges striking a balance between safety procedures and protecting the vulnerable. now it's time for a look at the weather with helen the biggest glacier in west antarctica is melting at an alarming rate — releasing billions of tonnes of water in the ocean every year — and pushing up sea—levels round the world. now scientists have discovered one of the reasons why. they say deep channels under the ice appear to be letting in warmer water, causing it to melt faster. if the glacier disappears completely, it could flood cities around the globe. the bbc 5 chief environment correspondent, justin rowlatt, has been to see it. we are whiskey 35. our next call will be 17:40... this one antarctic glacier is the size of the uk, and is already responsible for 5% of world sea level rise. and the rate the thwaites glacier

is melting has accelerated fivefold in the last 30 years. last year, a team of british and american scientists set up camp on the glacier. it is one of the most remote places on earth. by measuring the gravitational pull of the sea bed under the ice, they discovered a network of deep channels, a key step in understanding why the glacier is changing so rapidly. so these channels are really, really important because they are the pathway that links the deep ocean to the grounded ice sheet. and although the surface waters around antarctica are really, really cold, the deep ocean waters are actually somewhat warmer. and it is if these warmer ocean waters can get in to the ice, that you can actually start to see quite rapid changes in ice sheet behaviour.

this is what they think is happening. a series of huge channels, some almost a kilometre below the ice, allow the warmer, deep ocean water to flow up to the front of the glacier. melting it increasingly rapidly. another team of scientists work from an icebreaker ship at the front of the glacier. exceptional sea ice break—up last year meant they could survey over 2000 square kilometres of the sea floor in front of the thwaites ice shelf. it is so important to understand what is going on in antarctica today, particularly these big glaciers like thwaites, because they are changing really quickly as the climate warms and as they melt, they are feeding more and more water to our global oceans which is increasing the rate of sea—level rise. there is up to 3.5 metres of sea—level rise locked up in the ice here in west antarctica. that is enough to reshape the map of the earth, flooding many of the world's greatest cities. understanding why this remote

area is changing and how quickly it will do so, is essential if the world is to prepare for the rising waters to come. now it's time for a look at the weather with helen good evening. the cloud and the odd spot of drizzle that we have had over our southern parts through today is clearing away, that is a weak weather front and it is weak because we have got a ridge of high pressure building across the uk at the moment and that is also reducing the amount of showers that we are seeing in the north, they are becoming confined to the north—east of scotland. and actually, the cloud will tend to melt away as we go through the evening and overnight notjust the cloud either melting away but the winds will fall light. so, ingredients are there for a chilly night. it was quite muggy in the south in particular last night. it will be distinctly chilly overnight. the glens of scotland are expected

to fall to freezing in a few spots. and further south through the countryside areas, into low single figures. the towns and cities as you can see here are low enough. so, a distinctly chilly start to our thursday morning. there could be a little mist around, even a little shallow fog and some of the river valleys. but that should clear and we should have plenty of sunshine, an abundance of sunshine first thing. the cloud will tend to build up through the day. it mightjust produce the odd shower for northern ireland but more so for western and northern scotland. further south and east, mostly dry and staying mostly dry for england and wales but notably, the temperatures are several degrees down on recent days. i still think it will feel pleasant enough because of the light winds and the sunshine. it's still early september but it's a notable change. and so a chilly night will follow in the south tomorrow night but by that time, we have got low pressure establishing itself. so, showers merge into longer spells of rain, and quite heavy and substantial rain across the scottish mountains and also for northern ireland. northern england will also see some rains before it brightens

into showers in the north but again, further south and east, largely settled and dry on friday, just a bit more cloud around. that weather front just about fizzles away, then, through friday night as it crosses into southern england but again to the north, we are watching that next pulse of rain come in on our next area of low pressure. so, initially starting as showers end of saturday. by the end of the day, it looks like we will see heavy rains spilling back into probably northern ireland, more so scotland. whilst elsewhere, parts of eastern scotland, much of england and wales largely dry, feeling warm with the light winds. and then as we change our up our wind direction into a more southerly for sunday, we will see it warm up again and our first pulse of rain clears away saturday night, so quite a wet night and potentially some more rain for the far north—west than into sunday. but by that stage 2a in the south.

this is bbc news. the uk wants to change its brexit deal with the eu. the trouble is its already signed it so the prime minister urges his party to back some tweaks. the eu doesn't like it. the us congress doesn't like it. but mrjohnson says its a necessary safety net. nobody wants to see a barrier down the irish sea, so what we are doing, which i think will be very enduring, is putting a safety net beneath which things cannot go wrong. a bad news day on the pandemic — new restrictions in england and a road bump in the search for a vaccine. also in the programme. there are close to 100 wildfires, burning across the american west, with huge fires now out of control