who are weary also a lot of people who are weary of lockdown and i think looking for hope and optimism. his hope about defeating the virus, it may not be that simple but i can see it being somewhat compelling. that's why i think we are quite right to not write him out of the race too eagerly. which brings us onto the daily mail. worlds top scientists rage against lockdown. a debate that's been had right around the uk. i think right around the world about what the balance is between lives and the economy. and those people who really are at risk. just talk us through this report. do you remember all those statements from the government right at the start of all this? were following the science, we are following the science. it's rather like my early economics classes which is to say well, let's ta ke classes which is to say well, let's take the economic advice. the problem is, there are a lot of scientific views. they are lots of

economist views. and balancing those views is a real problem for any government. in here we are told that some top scientists from not just oxford but harvard and stanford and the great and the good in the medical profession are saying life should be allowed to return to normal for all but the elderly. that's gotta be defined. and vulnerable. and that's what the top scientists are saying. more than 40,000 doctors and medical experts have signed a global declaration. wealthy public declaration reveals there is now quite wide split in the medical community. one wonders what mr doctor woody thinks about all this. professor whitty. it's interesting is in it because when they were brought in just before borisjohnson, joined just they were brought in just before boris johnson, joined just to they were brought in just before borisjohnson, joined just to warn about the danger of the second wave.

it's pretty well admitted now that the figures they were alluding to which they said was in a projection, they were way out in terms of the number of cases and deaths. that was pretty much demolished within the few hours of with them coming out with the figures. i thought that was a really cynical and actually quite dangerous move that they perform. as david rightly said, these are political decisions because there are competing scooped scores of thought within medicine and science. you are making a choice. i think ultimately, some politicians, our politicians to be frank, to quick to ta ke politicians to be frank, to quick to take behind the scientist in order to ta ke take behind the scientist in order to take away or accountable a lady on their decisions. there are competing scores of thought here. there are competing opinions all of which need to be listened to. and the problem with the use of those graphs isi the problem with the use of those graphs is i think it was an attempt to try to nudge the public into

behaving differently. because it was so behaving differently. because it was so easily shredded and despite the disclaimer this is an illustration other prediction. i think they knew quite full well that a lot of people would read it as a prediction. for example ian blackford repeated it's a prediction when in fact it's an illustration. i think they must have known that that would happen. this is the kind of thing that when those figures are torn apart i think it really has the potential to undermine the social contract with up undermine the social contract with up because people won't simply not believe the things they've been told by the experts and authorities. david, you are nodding what madeline was saying. especially the elderly people that i know if it totally would say you know what, i would rather see my garage and two grandchildren, i would rather see my garage and two grandchildren, iwould rather see the my friends on the last few years of my life than spend another six months in lockdown in a cottage on the countryside somewhere. of course it's balance. the problem is there aren't necessarily right answers to

very many of these... aren't necessarily right answers to very many of these. .. its risks is in a? people taking personal risk and personal choices for what happens to them. yes but also in the government will rightly argue this, taking risks themselves but also increasing the risk of others. for example, how many weeks ago, months ago we were told all sorts of pendants let alone the experts, mask, well, not really very useful and now masks are obligatory. it's quite a radical change, you know. yes but no use when they're wet, apparently. let's move on. your former role of assistant deputy director of the fa butjust for the start, dominic raab says uk could boycott china's winter olympics over human rights abuses and the weaker detention camps. i hadn't realised

that britain has never before boycotted olympic games. that britain has never before boycotted olympic gameslj that britain has never before boycotted olympic games. i didn't know that either. i know america boycott of the moscow olympics in 1980 and then the soviets responded by boycotting la for that but i think margaret thatcher was quite keen to do so in 1980 but she wasn't able to go ahead with it. that's because it is a really quite drastic measure. i suppose there romantic in me, ido measure. i suppose there romantic in me, i do love the idea of sport being above politics and way of bringing people but the atrocities ofa bringing people but the atrocities of a million muslims detained in the education camps and a litany of other human rights abuses. an cyber terrorism... could i get a quick response from david. it is sport about politics or not? well, i like to talk at length about it. next time. in1980l was

to talk at length about it. next time. in 1980i was the person who was the standby presenter in london just in case the russians pulled the plugs on the uk... we've all been standby presenters, david. but for me sport and politics have to mix in this generation. okay. interesting about dominic brad's position on this. you could do it symbolically couldn't you ? you this. you could do it symbolically couldn't you? you don't send the duke or duchess of cambridge to show your dissatisfaction was up there indeed a better way you could do with margaret thatcher did was effectively to allow teams and individuals to decide for themselves i seem to remember the athletes, most of the athletes went to the equestrian team for example did not. thank you very much indeed for that first look at the papers. we will have much more time to discuss that story and i hope the others as well. thank you for that

first look at the papers here on bbc news. good evening.... england manager gareth southgate has told his players they must behave after three of his squad breached social distancing rules. tammy abraham, jadon sancho and ben chilwell have apologised for being at a surprise birthday party for abraham. but it could mean they miss the friendly with wales on thursday. had a meeting yesterday and he just kinda reminded us what he means on the expectations of playing for england. you have to be extra, extra careful and follow the rules and they've apologized. and that's first and foremost what they needed to do but we all obviously understand what it means to play for the country and

you have to remember that at all times. you know it's a tough situation but like i say, they've apologised so you have to move on. nottingham forest have appointed chris hughton as their new manager after sabri lamouchi was sacked this evening. it's hughton's first job since leaving brighton last year. forest have had a dismal start to the season, having lost all four of their opening league games, after missing out on the play offs at the end of last season. the scottish league cup is underway. hearts started with a win. they beat inverness caledonian thistle one nil in the first of their group games thanks to a jamie walker penalty. here's the rest of the results. falkirk and dundee were awarded 3—nil wins after kilmarnock and forfar forfeited their games because of the need for players to self—isolate. a petition backed by the english football league to get the government to reconsider letting football fans back into stadiums has gathered more than 100,000 signatures.

plans for more test events were abandoned last month as stricter social distancing measures were brought back. now that the petition on the official parliament website has passed the hundred thousand signature mark the government will have to make time to debate the issue in parliament. they said that it was a positive side of progress that major arts had been able to invite socially distanced audiences back into indoor and outdoor venues. but they say now football should do the same. so clearly, yes they are happy to see other areas in society able to open up other areas in society able to open up again but they are asking to be treated in the same way. they said that they will now intensify efforts to pioneer new approaches. that's both in the stadium and on the approach to the ground as well. essentially they are saying that they are working on behalf of the fa ncy they are working on behalf of the fancy try and get them back in as $0011 fancy try and get them back in as soon as possible. fancy try and get them back in as soon as possible.

french prosecutors have opened an investigation into alleged spot—fixing in a women's doubles match at the french open. it involves a match in the first round. meanwhile, on the court rafa nadal is trying to make the semi—finals. he's just took the first set against 19—year—old jannick sinner. the reason they're on court so late in paris is because of the marathon match before them. the third seeded dominic thiem was knocked out in his quarterfinal. the austrian, who won his first grand slam at the us open last month, was beaten by argentina's diego schwartzman. it went all the way to five sets and was over five hours long. schwartzmann eventually winning the final set 6—2. really was a day of upsets. earlier third seed elina svitolina, the highest ranked player left in the competition, was knocked out by qualifier nadia podoroksa. the world number 131 won in straight sets 6—2, 6—4 in their quarterfinal. the argentine becomes the first female qualifier ever to reach the last four of roland garros, and the first in 21 years to reach such a point in any grand slam.

she will play iga wiatek next as the 19—year—old pole beat martina trevisan in straight sets. british duo jamie murray and neal skupski missed out on a place in the semi—finals. the 13th seeds were beaten 6—4, 6—4 by defending champions germany's andreas mies and kevin krawietz. a tribunal has heard that a former british cycling and team sky chief doctor used "a screwdriver or blunt instrument" to destroy a laptop which may have contained medical data, crucial to a doping investigation. richard freeman is accused of ordering testosterone to the sport's headquarters at the national velodrome "knowing or believing" it was intended to boost an athlete's performance. he's admitted 18 of 22 charges against him. britain's geraint thomas has been forced to pull out of the giro d'italia, after suffering a fracture to his pelvis in a crash before the start of yesterday's third stage. a sprint at the end of today's fourth stage required a photo finish to decide who won. eventually arnaud demare on the right of the picture

was given the victory ahead of peter sagan and davide ballerini. portugal'sjoao almeida retains the overall lead. italy's luca wackermann was taken to hospital after a helicopter "flying too low" caused a crash near the end of the stage when barriers were moved by the wind. wackermann and etienne van empel were both injured in the incident. the dutch rider tweeted that he was able to get up but there was bad news for his team—mate. his vini zabu ktm team later confirmed that wackermann had abandoned the race with a broken nose and has a suspected broken back, along with multiple cuts and bruises. yesterday we told you about the fate of gunnarsaurus, arsenal's much loved team mascot who was sadly one of 55 redundancies announced at the club after 27 years of service. well, today arsenal midfielder mesut 0zil has offered to pay the salary ofjerry kwuy, the man behind gunnarsaurus. he posted this message on social media earlier —

"i'm offering to reimburse arsenal with the full salary of our big green guy as long as i will be an arsenal player sojerry can continue hisjob that he loves so much." and that's all the sport for now. hello there. many of us saw rain at some point during the day on tuesday but it was particularly wet across northwest england particularly around greater manchester and rochdale with 42 mm of rain recorded. the wettest place in the country for the more rain to come across a northwest of scotland over the next few hours with up a few showers in the northwest of england but generally around cumbria and lancashire. otherwise many of the showers will tend to fade away over the next few hours. for many of us it should be a fine start to the day with sunshine spreading across northern island and across wales and across england. rain continues for northwest gotland and as we go into the latter part

of wednesday afternoon, the next low pressure system will be moving in off the atlantic bringing rain back to northern ireland. wales and southwest england. as the rain arrive it's gonna start to get quite windy again. gust of around 45 miles an hour or so around the coast in the hills. rain extends northwards and eastward through wednesday night perhaps reaching southern scotland, strip rain soon to clear the east on thursday.

this is bbc news with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. pulling the plug — president trump walks away from negotiations over a multi—trillion—dollar covid relief deal to support the us economy. with coronavirus keeping trump off the campaign trail, his rivalfor the presidency — joe biden — tells voters that the country is in a dangerous place. a sharp rise of new cases of coronavirus in some of the biggest cities in the north of england amid warnings the current covid restrictions are not working. against all odds — how one of the world's most densely populated places has managed to control the spread