cardiff and swansea have gone into local lockdown tonight, the government has defended its decision to allow hundreds of thousands of students in england to return to university for the new term despite several outbreaks of coronavirus on campuses. thousands of students have had to be confined to their rooms, but the culture secretary, oliver dowden, says it's important their studies aren't sacrificed because of the virus. but a member of the government's advisory body modelling the spread of the pandemic says the consequences of allowing students back have been ‘entirely predictable‘. dan johnson reports now, from manchester.

for now, from manchester. the student in need there i emergency for the student in need there is one emergency service that always delivers. parents stepped in when supermarket slots ran out. we are not getting the right education. people are struggling, especially those with anxiety and depression, it's hard for them to calm themselves down because they are being locked up and it's claustrophobic and you feel like you cannot get out of here. max got a family drop off on the third day of a fortnight in isolation here. do you think there might come a time when you need to take him back? potentially. if it was an option and he wanted to, and felt uncomfortable here, yes.

while case numbers are so farlimited... if enough of you come out, we're not going to do anything. the voices of concern are getting louder. students have been done over on their a—levels, they've been done over on freshers' week. the government is now threatening to lock them up at university. and, very worrying for them, when they graduate we may be looking at long—term youth unemployment. it's no surprise that students living on top of each other will share the virus. and scientific advisers did predict university spikes. they showed quite clearly that the risk areas were particularly first year students in halls of residence, as well as face—to—face teaching. it was very predictable and it was modelled. while some may be questioning this situation, universities say it's all about keeping them and communities safe. we are doing that in order to reduce the spread of the disease and enable them to go back at all. it's important for students not to have to give up a year of their life by not going to university. and they are going to university and paying fees accordingly. of course, this is no start to the new term for these students, and there are likely to be others

who suffer similar disruption. what is the alternative? there are no good options if everyone is to get the university experience. in newcastle, these are the latest arrivals. i am still excited, even with everything going on. arrivals. i am still excited, even with everything going onli arrivals. i am still excited, even with everything going on. i am excited. tess has the virus and is one of a thousand students isolating. the reason it is spreading is because people do not even go to university were coming to murano for a night out. there are calls for testing to get in place so that students can return home for christmas. the conservative mp, george freeman told us the current situation saw universities behaving unfairly to their students at three levels. firstly, students i think should have been given a choice. you can either come back to campus

and i think frankly we ought to be looking much more, given the epidemiology of the disease, creating covid campuses where any member of staff who is at risk, who feels they do not want to expose themselves, should be 100% compensated and not required to work but students, young people, and not suffering from this disease in anything like the same way. they should be given the choice. either come to a campus or be able to work from home and have significant discounts. students are paying for this now, they're paying for education so firstly the lack of choice. secondly, i don't think they are getting the education previous generations got and they should not be paying the same amount. thirdly, there is a point about generational unfairness. this is a group who have had very difficult times

in terms of a—levels. they are now having a very compromised university experience. will come out into the world of work reeling from the covid recession and i think we all then one. —— owe them one. we require universities i think to be fair and not to charge people for something that is not the normal product. —— owe them one. the two biggest cities in wales have gone into lockdown tonight. the new measures have just come into force in swansea and cardiff. neath port talbot, torfaen and vale of glamorgan will also have tighter restrictions imposed from 6pm tomorrow. (ani)it it follows the first localised lockdown in wales, in the town of llanelli in carmarthenshire, which came into force on saturday evening. it means almost two million people in wales — or two—thirds of the population — will be under local lockdown rules by 6pm tomorrow. from cardiff, here's tomos morgan. as another autumn begins, so does another lockdown in another part of wales. cardiff will become the first uk

nation capital to go back under lockdown measures this evening. as a capital, yes, there is a particular focus. you know, i'm particularly conscious that we are the economic dynamo of the city region. indeed, probably all of wales. so there is an impact and i am disappointed, in that regard. as the economy came to a standstill earlier this year, several industries have been struggling, regardless of the furlough scheme, with many being made redundant as restrictions persist. the younger generation though, starting their careers, have been particularly affected and have had to use the pandemic as an opportunity to create their own job security. i started a newjob and then i got put on furlough straightaway. so, it was in the back of the mind, oh, am i going to be kept on at thejob, or am i going to need to be let go because i'm new? so that was at the back of my mind, to be fair. along with cardiff, from tonight extended households, or bubbles,

must also end in swansea as local restrictions come into force there. nobody will be able to leave either city area without a valid reason, such as work or childcare. the first minister, mark drakeford, has pursued with local lockdown measures for now. however, the welsh government has made the unexpected announcement this sunday afternoon that another three local authorities will be placed under instructions from tomorrow evening. figures have continued to deteriorate in those three areas over the weekend. we signalled on friday that we were keeping them under very close scrutiny, and the advice we have had is that now is the moment. we need to act and local restrictions will apply in those three areas, torfaen, the vale of glamorgan, and neath port talbot county borough councils, from 6pm tomorrow evening. that will mean by tuesday that almost 2 million people, two thirds of the population

in wales, will be under local lockdown. with cases continuing to rise and the first minister refusing to rule it out, the prospect of another wales—wide lockdown becomes even more of a realistic possibility. tomos morgan, bbc news, cardiff. the latest government figures show there were 5,693 new coronavirus infections recorded in the latest 24—hour period. that means the average number of new cases reported per day in the last week, is 5,816. 17 deaths were reported of people who died within 28 days of a positive covid—i9 test, so on average in the last week, 30 deaths were announced every day. that takes the total number across the uk to 41,988. the health secretary matt hancock has taken to twitter to praise what he calls a "fantastic response" to the government's track and trace phone app.

in his tweet, mr hancock said that over ten million people have downloaded the nhs covid—i9 app in just three days. the suspect in the killing of police sergeant matt rata na is being named as louis de zoysa, who's 23 and from norbury in south london. he remains critically ill in hospital following the shooting. our home affairs correspondent tom symonds has the very latest. police memorial day commemorates all of those who've died while serving but the killing of an officer is a particularly traumatic event. the home secretary and the mayor of london laid wreaths, but the metropolitan police commissioner, dame cressida dick, was remembering an officer she had personally served alongside. matt ratana was extraordinary she said, firm but supportive of those needing help. if some good can come out of this terrible incident, it would be that more people

understand a little bit about the challenges of police work and see us police for who we are. you know, human beings who go to work to help people, to support people and to protect people. and matt was the epitome of that. matt ratana was killed when shots were fired by a handcuffed suspect inside a secure police custody facility. the bbc has been told louis de zoysa, whose 23, is the man of murdering him. this morning, searchers continued at his family home in south london. police were also at a rural property in surrey, where early yesterday morning local residents heard what was later described to them by police on the ground as a controlled explosion. as the investigation gathers pace, a man has been arrested in norfolk on suspicion of supplying a gun. matt ratana was as dedicated to rugby as he was to policing.

and today, several clubs were remembering him, including east grinstead, where he was head coach. two families, rugby and police, will never forget their loss. tom symons, bbc news. in belarus more than 100 people have been detained after riot police tried unsuccessfully to disrupt demonstrations against president lukashenko. tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets across the country, demanding he steps down. belarus has seen daily protests, since a disputed election in early august. from the capital, minsk, jonah fisher reports. seven weeks after the disputed election, belarus's protests now have a certain rhythm. sundays are the big ones, and there was once again tens of thousands on the streets of the capital, minsk. over the weeks, the protesters' outfits have evolved, as have the jokes and the insults.

why have you got a rat on a cross? it's our president! president lukashenko is widely thought to have lost august's vote to sviatla na tsikhanouskaya. they chant for her, but a crackdown has all but destroyed the opposition leadership. sergei dylevsky, a tractorfactory worker and trade unionist, is pretty much the only leader who is neither injail or in exile. and he's worried. while we are with him, his wife calls twice to make sure he hasn't been picked up. at the moment, there is no organised opposition inside belarus, he tells me. but if you call the people of belarus the opposition, then the opposition is stronger than ever. while the police and military remain

loyal, and willing to use force, it's hard to see president lukashenko going. so, this is what we have seen repeatedly here. excuse me, sir. basically, these masked guys, nothing on them which says who they are, disrupting demonstrations. detaining people, taking them into vans. where are you taking these people? this was a women's march yesterday. what is happening to you? she says she was just standing next to a cafe. what is your name? we showed you our name. no name. no name? why not? no name, no face? why don't you show your face? on europe's eastern flank, the men in masks are still

very much in charge. jonah fisher, bbc news, minsk. the democratic presidential candidatejoe biden has accused donald trump of rushing to install a new supreme courtjustice to eliminate the entire affordable care act, known as obamaca re. president trump nominated justice amy coney barrett on the supreme court on saturday giving conservatives a 6—3 majority if the senate approves. the move has drawn criticism because the nomination is so close to november's presidential election. never before in our nation's history has a supreme court justice been nominated and installed while a presidential election is already under way. it defies every precedent, every expectation of a nation where the

people, the people are sovereign and rule of law reigns. but yesterday, before justice ginsburg could be laid to rest and after 100,000 americans had already cast their ballots, the president nominated successor to her seat. it is no mystery about what is happening here. president trump is trying to throw out the affordable care act. he has been trying to do it for the last four years. the republican party has been trying to eliminate it for a decade, twice already the supreme court has upheld that law, the affordable care act. and the congress, expressing the popular will of the american people, has rejected president trump's efforts as well. now, all of a sudden, this administration believes they have

found a loophole, in the tragedy ofjustice ginsburg's death. the headlines on bbc news: the government defends its decision to allow students to return to university — despite several outbreaks of coronavirus, leaving many confined to their rooms. cardiff and swansea have gone into local lockdown tonight with another three areas of wales facing new restrictions from tomorrow. louis de zoysa is named as the suspect in the killing of police seargeant matt ratana. the 23—year—old remains critical in hospital. there are fears that the 10pm curfew placed on pubs and restaurants in england and wales could place the future of many venues into jeopardy. the pub chain, greene king, has said trade has dipped significantly since the restrictions came into force. katy austin reports. the new saturday night.

at 10pm, the doors of pubs, restaurants, bars and casinos had to close. fresh restrictions, including mandatory table service, applied in england since thursday, and in scotland since friday. when the rules were announced, trade association uk hospitality said the forced closing time would be bad for business and damage customers' confidence. a group representing bars and other night—time economy venues said there had been a huge drop in trade. they're in a very precarious position. they've had a lot of their revenue sort of taken away from them by the reduction of these hours, and all they've tried to do is practically work with government to get to a point where they can open, and now what's happening is they're reducing that position by taking hours away and making it more challenging. pub chain greene king said the impact on food sales had been bigger than expected. it wants the government to provide further targeted support. it also said customers were leaving all at once,

making managing people's safety when they left a challenge. this week the government announced a new scheme aimed at protecting viable jobs after the furlough scheme ends, by subsidising the wages of people working reduced hours. there will be extensions and changes to coronavirus loan schemes for businesses also, and a vat cut to hospitality will continue for longer. but many in this industry feel unfairly targeted by the new restrictions, which the prime minister has warned could be in place for six months, and they worried support on offer will not prevent furtherjob losses. katy austin, bbc news. the australian city of melbourne is preparing to lift a night—time curfew imposed to curb the spread of the coronavirus following a drop in the number of infections. it's one of a number of restrictions that are to be eased — primary schools will be allowed to reopen in two weeks' time and staff in a number of industries will be able to return to work. melbourne was placed into a second lockdown injuly.

the state's premier says other restrictions may be eased sooner than expected. this is a strategy that is designed to get us to a covid—normal christmas. we are well on track. in fact, we are ahead of time when it comes to achieving that outcome. that is a credit to every single victorian who is staying the course, working hard, making sacrifices. we have to get this done. we have to complete this task. there are no short cuts. there is no easy way to defeat this wicked virus. in colombia there are hopes that its epidemic is levelling off, with the health ministry recording around 7000 new infections a day. that's despite the government all but reopening the country's economy, as janey mitchell reports: relief for many at being able to return to work after months

of lockdown, which has taken a heavy toll on colombia's economy. since the pandemic began, an estimated one in ten colombians has lost theirjobs, with little government support here for the small and medium—size businesses which generate much of the country's employment. translation: it is good for the economy that people have the opportunity to keep their businesses up and running. but it does not mean we are out of danger. we run the risk of cases speaking again and we have to be responsible. that is up to individuals. that personal responsibility is being taken seriously by many colombians as a price worth paying to avoid new restrictions. translation: lockdown brought with it many things — anxiety, depression, poor diet, a lack of rest and no training or exercise. colombia's long lockdown debt ease the strain on the country's overloaded health care system and enabled

hospitals to expand their intensive care capacity. but with total covid—i9 deaths above 25,000, there is caution. the health minister here speaking at a media briefing. translation: we still have a long road ahead. we could have a spike in infections, we do not know what size, but we hope it is not as bad as it could be and we remain optimistic about that. however religiously colombia sticks to the rules, the country now faces a balancing act. janey mitchell, bbc news. voters in switzerland have rejected a move to end the free movement of people with the european union. the proposal to end the agreement came from the right wing swiss people's party, who argued that immigration from europe was to blame for a rising population, and placed an unsustainable burden on public services, and the environment.

nearly 62 percent of people voted against the proposal. scientists at cambridge university have developed a faster way of testing drugs to fight covid. it involves putting parts of human cells onto microchips, which allows them to watch the virus as it attacks. richard westcott reports. starting with human cells in a petri dish. this cambridge team has developed a new, quicker way of finding drugs to tackle covid. first they separate the outer layer or membrane of the cells because that is the bit the virus attacks first. then a unique device comes in. normally when you test drugs on cells, you have to wait for the results to come back. you look at the aftermath of what has happened. by putting them on this microchip here, this team is able to see what is going on in real time, as it is happening.

the chip monitors electrical activity. wait for it. this spike tells us when the cell gets attacked by the virus. the spikes mean the virus has successfully breached the cell's defences and got inside. by putting different drugs on the cells they can see which ones keep the virus out. you can also watch these attacks happening under the microscope. when you see these flashes of light, you are seeing the virus fusing with the cell membrane. that has an electrical field around it and when the virus is as it disrupts the membrane and we are able to measure that electrically endorses it optically. every pinprick of light is a virus attacking a cell. yes, exactly. this video shows flu attacking kidney cells but the technique works just as well with coronavirus and they can use a form of the virus that is not infectious. this technology allows us to quickly test drugs against covid —

may be some that are already developed or some new ones. the good thing about this new technology is we are using human membranes, so we don't have to maybe do some irrelevant experiments on animals and it is much more relevant to our systems if we develop a drug that works on us. the real goal is to find promising drugs are easily available and that we already know are safe for humans to use. sir david attenborough has visited kensington palace for a private viewing of his new documentary with the duke of cambridge. prince william and the broadcaster sat together to watch the programme a life on our planet. sir david has been speaking to bbc breakfast. i've been making television programmes, and certainly for the last 20 or 30 years i've ended each of them by saying, "look, the world is in peril, look, we're damaging it, and it's all our, humanity's, fault. "

and very little has happened. and yet suddenly within the last five years, maybe, suddenly it's as though people have woken up. and it's young people, really, young people who have shaken our consciences, and not before time. in switzerland a polar blast has brought early snowfall to the alpine nation as well as parts of neighbouring austria. tanya dendrinos has more. it is only september but already the swiss alps are looking like a winter wonderland. more than just a dusting of snow, trees and chalets were picture perfect. cold snap is thanks to a low pressure system dragging polar air masses with it and resulting in the unseasonably early snowfalls, 25 centimetres

fell in montana. a new september record. elsewhere, conditions saw roads closed. as you would expect with scenes like this, temperatures across the swiss plains and alps plummeted far below—average for this time of year so there is only one thing to do. dodge snowballs, launch toboggans and build a snowman. there was plenty to play in in austria as well, heavy flakes making for a brief walk while the snow groomers had their work cut out. translation: last night about 60 centimetres of fresh snow came down, strong winds causing snowdrifts but they made the glacier surface smooth and clean. we are optimistic we will be able to prepare an amazing ski slope. a taste of what is to come and a welcome distraction from the mountains still to climb in the midst of the pandemic.

slightly warmer in the uk. darren has details. hello there, it has been a cold weekend, not so bad if you have the sunshine. we had this ice cloud around which should lead to a spectacular sunset. it has been cold and cloudy in the east of england, the winds have dropped in bridlington. thickest of the cloud affecting east anglia in the south. a much drier day than it was yesterday. those winds in the south—east are easing and will continue to fall lighter overnight tonight. we have this cloud advancing in from the atlantic, especially into west scotland and northern ireland. last night it was the coldest september night on record and tonight will be much milder. the cloud from east scotland all the way down to the west country, there is the risk of a touch of frost and some mist and fog patches.

early next week we should see higher temperatures but it will be turning more unsettled. we have this band of rain in the morning across northern ireland and west scotland, the rain becoming lighter as it heads eastwards into western parts of england and wales. ahead of it, some sunshine. because of this atlantic influence on monday, it will be warmer, 15 and 16 degrees in scotland, as high as 19 celsius in england, quite a change from recently. that weather front is moving across the uk bringing that band of cloud and patchy rain. it will stop through much of tuesday across east anglia. away from this, generally dry and more sunshine with light winds as well. pleasant enough for the time of year, temperatures up to 17 or 18 degrees. by the middle of the week, the weather will be different,

another weather front from the atlantic, that is where all the weather is coming from. this one is more active, there will be stronger winds, nudging 50 mph gusts across the irish sea. a wet start to the west of the uk, some of the rainbow push eastwards during the day. cloud, rain for a while, temperatures near normal for this