i weighed nearly 21 stone, struggled to walk a mile, let alone do anything else. covid probably made the decision for me, a, because of the health implications and b, because we were due to have a baby injune. and in buckinghamshire, ian's fundraising doesn't just depend on his running performance. if i double my target, the beard that has grown during lockdown will disappear. it might not be the experience everyone had hoped for, but they are going to give it their all. i will miss the crowds, because there's nothing like actually being at the great north run, and it's making me want to go back again. really good luck on sunday, and well done on all your fundraising as well. yeah, good luck everyone. great, i love these stories. alison freeman, bbc news. time for a look at the weather— here's darren bett.

we have more cloud running into england and wales today, the sunshine is a little hazy. i want to show you the big picture, take you to canada, right the way over the atla ntic we to canada, right the way over the atlantic we have a stream of clouds making a beeline towards scotland and northern ireland, where we had seen wet weather this morning. as the rain moved southwards we are getting sunshine but also blustery showers in inverness. the main wayne barnes heading further into northern england the north wales, generally dry ahead of that, sunshine at times, probably best in the south—east, we will get some sunshine but also these rather blustery showers. the main wayne barnes think southwards this evening and overnight, lots of the ryan peters out as it moves further into england and wales, clearing skies further north, showers into scotland and northern ireland. —— lots of the ryan peters out. double figures for much of england and wales. much of

the cloud will feed into scotland and northern ireland, the weather will improve fosun day. it might be a right weekend for england and wales, some sunshine, temperatures rising on sunday. this is the bigger picture. today, a bunch of clothes, —— not much rain for southern england and lots of sunshine following that. sunshine and a few showers before the crowd increases later and the wind picked up. temperatures on saturday not far off today, 15 in the central belt, 21 in the south—east of england. rain on saturday night, perhaps the northern ireland uncertainly in scotland, threatening some flooding. heading towards a highland, there could be a month's towards a highland, there could be a months worth of rain over the next couple of days —— heading the highlands. temperatures will be given a boost from all sunshine, perhaps making 20s on sunday for

eastern england. temperatures will rise even higher early next week, we are tapping into heat leaving from spain and france into england and wales. there will be more cloud threatening rain in the north—west of scotla nd threatening rain in the north—west of scotland and perhaps northern ireland, not quite as warm here, but still very warm across england and wales, temperatures widely into the mid 20s across east anglia and the south—east and we could be close to 30 on monday, which is quite unusual for september. thank you, darren. tougher lockdown restrictions are expected to be announced in birmingham because of a jump in coronavirus cases. in the last three minutes we have learned that the reproduction or letter a re learned that the reproduction or letter are number of coronavirus transmission across the uk has risen above one. it is goodbye from me, we 110w above one. it is goodbye from me, we nowjoin the new schemes where you are.

the latest sports news. england have taken an early wicket in the first one dayer against australia at old trafford. having been put into bat — the aussies, who are without steve smith because he took a knock to the head in training yesterday have lost david warner, bowled by jofra archer. australia currently 31—1 in the eighth over. this is the first in a three match series. serena williams says she'll definitely play at the rescheduled french open later this month, after her latest bid for a record equalling 24th grand slam was ended by victoria azarenka in the semi finals of the us open. the belarussian nearly retired from the sport before the pandemic, in part due to a custody battle over her son but she's been

in fantastic form over the past few weeks — and she might have lost the opening set but she battled back to win the next two to get her first ever win over serena at a grand slam, having lost the previous ten encounters. i mean it is obviously disappointing but at the same time i did what i could today, i feel like at other times i have been close and i could have done better and today i felt like i gave a lot and, yeah, i'm definitely going to be going to paris. it feels more, more fun this year, more fulfilling, more... pleasant for me. yeah, it feels nice, nicer. and azarenka will play the 2018 champion and fourth seed, naomi osaka, in the final tomorrow.

osaka beat americanjennifer brady in three sets earlier. there were big statements surrounding the black lives matter movement, at the start of the new american football season. 0ne team, the houston texans, stayed in the dressing room during the national anthem, whilst the kansas city chiefs, who went on to win the match, did line up, with one player taking the knee. as you can see, once both teams had taken to the field, she all the players did gather together, as phrases such as "we must end rascism" and "we believe black lives matter" were shown on the big screen. it's really not about the flag, it's about making sure that people understand that black lives do matter, and that there is a systemic racism problem in this country, and so racism problem in this country, and so that's what our players decided to do asa so that's what our players decided to do as a team. that was something we spoke about twice, and as a team they decided to do it. i think the

quys they decided to do it. i think the guys wanted to be very respectful of each other. fans have returned to formula one for the first time since march as valtteri bottas topped the timesheets in first practice for this weekend's tuscan grand prix. the ferrari owned mujello circuit is hosting a formula one race for the first time. almost 3000 fans have been allowed into the circuit in italy. bottas was just four hundredths of a second quicker than red bull's max verstappen. second practice isjust under way. with england number one charley hull missing the second women's major of the year due to a positive corona virus test, it's down to georgia hall and mel reid, leading the charge, and they're tied 9th, at the ana inspiration tournament at mission hills in califiornia. this is canadian brooke henderson, who's one of the main contenders on a—under, two shots off the leader, america's nelly korda. both are aiming to win a second career major, and will have to do it in temperatures which are expected to soar to 45 degrees

celsius this weekend. white like you can keep up—to—date with the cricket. australia are on 34-1 at with the cricket. australia are on 34—1 at the moment. follow that on the bbc sport website. in the past few minutes — data released by the government's scientific advisory group has confirmed that the reproduction number, or r value, of coronavirus transmission across the uk has risen above one. meanwhile — a new report has shown covid infections in england are steadily increasing, and the virus is doubling every seven to eight days. with me now is health correspondent james gallagher. can we start with a r number and remind people what it is? the important thing is that the five

different datasets we can look at, four of them tell us that cases are going up. the r number is the number of people each infected person on average parses the virus on to, so it is this crucial threshold. if it is below one, the epidemic is shrinking, and if it is above, cases are increasing. probably for the first time since late march, we are back above one in the uk as a whole, somewhere between one and 1.2. we don't know exactly. we also know that the cases are doubling every seven 01’ that the cases are doubling every seven or eight days. is that another way of measuring the same thing? the two are closely related. it is not just the r number that affects the doubling timing. that figure comes from a different study, a team at imperial college london and they have randomly selected 150,000 people and sent them swaps in the post, and they have posted them back to get a sense of how much

coronavirus is out there. they have shown it is increasing in their estimate of the r number is higher than the official one, and they come up than the official one, and they come up with a doubling time of around a week. it is important to stress that this is not the same is where we we re this is not the same is where we were in march. then, the doubling time was three or four days. we are at half that pace at the moment, according to the studies. although the r number, you are saying, is back to where we were in march, in terms of the... back to where we were in march, in terms of the. .. you have to be so careful about this, don't you? at the very beginning, the r number was around three, so each infected person was passing it to three other people on average. that was the recipe for the explosive outbreak. what happened in march, even before lockdown, we started changing our behaviour, working from home, stop going to the pub, and that started bringing down the r number before

lockdown, and lockdown dropped it completely. some scientific advisers we re completely. some scientific advisers were saying today that it was in march that we were last at this kind of level. we have to remember that just because we are seeing this new phase in the pandemic in the uk, back into growth after months of shrinking cases, this doesn't mean we are entering disaster territory. cases are at a far lower level than they were in march, and the growth rate is far lower than it was in march as well, so you have to remember that we are not about to get a massive peak that will need another lockdown in a couple of weeks. that is not where we are, nowhere near it. and we are in a unique position in comparison to before, because we are seeing this happen really early. we are getting the data and the amount of testing going on means we are seeing quite subtle, early changes in the amount of coronavirus, whereas we didn't have a clue what was happening in the moment before. this is why we

had the rule of six just the other day. those interventions are happening now to try to prevent what could be a second spike at some point in the future. really useful context. thank you very much, james. six months ago today the world health organization declared covid—19 to be a global pandemic. no continent has been spared, hundreds of thousands of people have lost their lives and the economic impact has been devastating. many countries are struggling with rising infection rates alongside public fatigue with keeping to restrictions. we can bring you our reporters' views now from the three worst—hit countries — the us, india and brazil, starting with nada tawfik in new york. six months in, and the united states is still struggling to keep infection rates down in certain places. the mid west has been the hardest hit recently, with iowa, north dakota and south dakota the latest hotspots. here in new york, the state once

most affected, the infection rate has stayed below 1% for more than a month. it has allowed for an easing of restrictions. still, the city is one of the few places in the nation with a complete ban on indoordining. after weeks of back—and—forth discussions between officials and restaurant owners, it is set to resume on september 30, with just a 25% capacity. now, health officials are warning americans not to become complacent as a second potential wave looms, and there has been increased scrutiny over the president's handling of the crisis. president trump admitted that he downplayed the threat to the public as early as february, to avoid panic. india now has consistently the highest number of new coronavirus cases and deaths in the world, every day. back in march, it was one of the countries that had imposed quite a stringent lockdown relatively early, and in those initial months it had seemed as though this had at least slowed

the spread of the virus. but health experts say not enough was done then to aggressively track and test, and that's why the country has not been able to curb the spread of covid—19. its graph remains on an upward trend, and it is growing steeper as the economy opens up further. earlier this week metrorail systems were opened up in cities across the country. later this month gatherings of up to 100 people will be allowed. schools and universities remain closed and international travel still has not been allowed. here in brazil the transmission rate has started to slow and the death toll has started to fall but it has been a long time coming because, for months, more than 1,000 people were dying each day, and much of the criticism has been pinned on presidentjair bolsonaro, who from the very beginning has tried to downplay the virus. meanwhile, regional governments have imposed quarantine and closed

public spaces and schools. but the mixed messaging has been criticised. people not knowing which guidelines to follow. now restaurants and bars have started to reopen, but scientists have cautioned against saying that the worst is over here in brazil. now, the headlines have been very much focused on brazil. this is the largest country in the region. but other countries are suffering also. in argentina, they are seeing cases rise and, in peru, they have registered the highest per capita death toll of almost any other country in the world. that was katie watson reporting. ceremonies are getting under way in the united states to mark the 19th anniversary of the september the 11th attacks on new york city and washington. in new york, vice president pence and the democratic presidential candidate joe biden

are at st paul's chapel at ground zero where a bell will toll and there will be a moment of silence to mark the moment 19 years after the two planes crashed into the twin towers. bell tolls

let us pray together. lord, make us instruments of your piece. where there is hatred, let us so love. where there is injury, pardon. where there is discord, union. where there is doubt, faith. where there is despair, hope. where there is

darkness, light. where there is sadness, joy. grant that we may not so sadness, joy. grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love, for it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. amen. into your hands, loving god, we commend all those we loved but see no longer. receive them into the arms of your mercy, into the blistered rest of everlasting peace, and into the glorious company of the saints in light. may the lord bless you and

keep you, may the lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious u nto to shine upon you and be gracious unto you. may the lord lift up his countenance upon you and grant you peace. amen. go in peace, everyone, to love and serve the lord. trudy and ella jarrow. .. to love and serve the lord. trudy and ella jarrow... margaret to love and serve the lord. trudy and ella jarrow. .. margaret and alaa rio. gary l barrow. john leslie albert. peter craig alderman. jacqueline delaine aldridge frederick. david d alger. ernest alec alcoves. edward l a greta. eric

allen. joseph ryan alan. richard dennis alan. richard l allen. christopher e bellingham. anna s w alison. janet marie alonzo. anthony alvarado. antonio alvarez. victoria alvarez brito. cesar arm around her rvr. angelo and moran toe. you are listening to family members of people killed in the 9/11 attacks,

who are reading out the names of their loved ones. this is a ceremony to mark the 19th anniversary of the september 11 attacks in new york city and in washington. and you can see there the democratic presidential candidate, joe biden, who is at this ceremony at ground zero. vice president mike pence is there too, and the anniversary will be marked in an hour's time in a second ceremony in pennsylvania, where another of the four plains which was attacked crashed, and that ceremony is going to be attended by president trump. we will, of course, bring you that when it happens, here on bbc news. joseph angelini senior. josjohn angelini on bbc news. joseph angelini senior. jos john angelini junior. david lawrence angel. you are watching bbc

news. earlier this year, spain was one of the hardest hit countries in europe by the covid outbreak. the country brought in strict lockdown measures, and for a while they seemed to be working. cases were down, and life started going back to normal. a bit. but there's been a resurgence of new infections in recent weeks, even as children have started going back to school. guy hedgecoe reports from madrid. for this seven—year—old this is a big day. a national knock—down followed by the long summer holiday have meant she is going to school for the first time in six months. over eight million spanish children are going back to the classroom this month. they want to come back to school because they miss their friends, their teachers. it is a nice moment for them. the return to school is being staggered according to age groups as part of efforts to prevent

the spread of coronavirus. it is just one of many new measures. children aged six and over must now wear face masks at this primary school, and in all schools across spain. i think what is going to happen is we are going to open the schools this week and probably start closing, opening, closing, opening, like that, an intermittent model. this second wave of the virus is affecting younger people more than the first wave. although infections have been rising steadily, the death rate has remained relatively low and hospitalisation rates are still well below the levels of march and april. the response to the recent resurgence of coronavirus in spain has been for local authorities to reintroduce restrictions in those areas affected. for example in madrid a few days ago

a local government announced new limits on social contact in public spaces such as bars and restaurants. my worry is we reach autumn and winter and then our behaviour changes. we become more indoors, we meet with friends, family, go to pubs and restaurants indoors. a perfect place for transmission. after a tragic spring and a difficult summer, spain is desperately hoping for something like a normal autumn. guy hedgecoe, bbc news. the home of britain's war time leader, sir winston churchill, will reopen to the public on monday after a multi—million pound restoration of some of the national trust property. the work was only possible thanks to those who knew churchill and the house — and matt taylor has been to meet one of them. this wall over here is exactly as i remember it. nonie chapman's relationship with chartwell spans six decades.

the old—fashioned typewriter and the switchboard which is exactly as it was. the office here was a hive of industry. and all the sounds you remember at the time. absolutely, you can hear the typing going on in the background. after starting work at chartwell in the early 1960s, nonie went on to play an important role supporting the family working alongside his wife after sir winston died. winston used to love to feed the golden orfe in the pools. and i used to have to collect the live bait he fed them with. and one of myjobs once a week, i used to take these big tin boxes of films, big film reels, with me to the station. i think it was on a friday. and i would collect the new films which would be shown at the weekend. her experiences helped the national trust unlock some of the secrets and stories behind hundreds of items acquired

and soon to be on show here. so this is winston churchill's study. it is one of the most important rooms in the house and this is where he would spend hours of his time. amongst others, a beautiful painting of blenheim palace where he was born. a speech box which housed the notes that would inform the words that would inspire a nation. this is one of the most important objects in our whole collection. it charts visitors to chartwell between 192a and 1964. with over 700 signatures it is a who's who of the early 20th century. among the signatories are charlie chaplin, and my favourite is a lesser—known figure, a gentleman called fabian von schlabrendorff. he was a member of the german resistance who was informing churchill in the lead—up to the second world war and visited chartwell afterwards. and he was actually involved in an assassination attempt on hitler. so, a really interesting individual.

volunteers have given up 6,000 hours of their time to help with the project. their research, as well as new items to the house have really put the essence of churchill back into chartwell, but what better resource did the national trust have than the people who knew him best? lady churchill was, i adored her, she was a wonderful character, a very strong character. and i often used to think, it amazed me, how two such strong characters must have lived together in such harmony. the atmosphere was fantastic. it was such a happy atmosphere. lady churchill loved flowers. there were always flowers everywhere, log fires burning, you could just go where you wanted to. everybody was happy here. now it's time for a look at the weather with darren bett. hello there.

we have seen a bit more cloud streaming into the rain will be lighter by evening and continuing to peter out as it heads south overnight. to the north, blustery showers blown into scotland and northern ireland. four northern parts, cooler than it was last night, further south, still on the mild side. not much rain left on that band of cloud as we head into saturday morning, soon moving away, then sunshine following for england and wales. some sunshine and cloud for scotland and northern ireland before cloud increases later in the wind picks up. temperatures make 15 celsius in the central belt, 21, 22 in the south—east of england. rain overnight for scotland and northern ireland heads towards the highlands on sunday, threatening flooding. elsewhere, more sunshine arriving on sunday, giving temperatures a boost,

particularly in england and wales. the mid 20s in the east.

this is bbc news. i'm reeta chakrabarti. the headlines... the reproduction number of coronavirus transmission across the uk has risen above 1. indicating a faster spread of the disease. tougher lockdown restrictions are expected in more areas of england — because of a jump in coronavirus cases. one of the top areas on the list is expected to be birmingham. people in the city are braced. it's strange, because we've already got lost they make are used to the lockdown, come out of the lockdown, and now it feels like you're probably going to go back into it as well. at least we are prepared this time. the government announces that a new covid—19 contact—tracing app will be launched in england and wales later this month. the uk economy grew by 6.6% injuly, say official figures, but it remains