today at six: the pressure on hospitals, with covid admissions on the rise and difficult choices for the nhs. we get access to a busy hospital in newcastle, where doctors say they've learned valuable lessons, but the virus is still a major threat. it continues to make people critically ill. people's organs fail. it continues to cause death. and while the pressure intensifies, hospitals seem to be managing tojuggle their demands more effectively. doctors now know so much more about covid and about how best to treat the disease, and that means many more patients are surviving intensive care. we'll have the latest as nottingham and other parts of nottinghamshire are set to become the latest to enter tier 3, the highest alert level in england.

also today: following the high—profile campaign to extend free school meals in england, the prime minister is still resisting calls to rethink his approach. we don't want to see children going hungry this winter, this christmas. certainly not as a result of any inattention by this government. you're not going to see that. tracking the wall — a report from arizona on the place of immigration in the us presidential campaign. and why patches of hidden water could boost plans to build a permanent base on the moon. and coming up on bbc news: head coach eddiejones names nine uncapped players for england's resumption of the six nations, after the postponement of their warm—up match against the barbarians.

good evening. within the past hour, it's been announced that the city of nottingham and other parts of nottinghamshire are moving into tier 3, the highest level of covid restrictions in england. the decision follows discussions between local leaders and the government. the measure will come into force on thursday. the rise in cases is piling yet more pressure on hospitals throughout the uk, where nhs staff are having tojuggle competing demands. although hospital admissions are nowhere near the peak in april, they have been rising over the past week. our medical editor fergus walsh, cameraman adam walker, and producer nicki stiastny were given extensive access to the royal victoria infirmary in newcastle, and this is what they found.

the royal victoria infirmary is part of the fabric of life in newcastle. 15,000 staff work at the trust, they are always busier as winter approaches, but this will be the first with coronavirus. we've got a very tired workforce. we know the beast that is covid pneumonia. it's devastating if you get a setback. for a couple of months in summer, there were no covid patients in intensive care, now staff are back in full ppe. covid continues to make people critically ill. it continues to make people's organs fail. it continues to cause death. that is still a frightening prospect for many people out there. but patient numbers are half that compared to the first wave, and very few are on ventilators. to me, this feels very different from the peak in april.

doctors now know so much more about covid and how best to treat the disease. that means many more patients are surviving intensive care. we feel we can offer every patient the best possible opportunity to get through it — based on some much firmer science that we can draw on now compared with april. half the patients, like brian, are on clinical trials. the 62—year—old is usually behind the bar at a local social club, then he got covid. terrified. absolutely terrified. the amount of trauma you feel, you just have to build your strength up, get better. they will get us better. i know that. covid patients in intensive care are given remdesivir, an antiviral drug, plus medications to stop potentially fatal blood clots.

they also get dexamethasone, a steroid. trials in the uk showed it reduces the risk of dying by up to a third. mohammed came to england from pakistan in the ‘50s, a former bus driver, he's 87 and suffers confusion. so his daughter, who has also had covid, is allowed to stay with him. very close to dying, he was, honestly. it was very, very scary. he lives with his son and grandchildren, his daughter is on the next street. covid has swept through the extended family. thank god. he's going to thank god. he is going to thank everybody that's helped him get home as well. the hospital is confident it can cope with coronavirus this winter and could expand its intensive care fivefold if needed.

but the more covid there is, the greater the impact on other nonemergency care, the hip replacements, eye operations and myriad of other conditions, and like everywhere else, patients are waiting longer. we've got a really significant backlog. cataracts and eye operations are a good example. small, relatively simple procedures, but if you are an elderly frail person isolating, fearful in covid times, then, you know, we're pushing those patients into deeper anxiety. we've got 73 covid itu beds. ——we've got seven free covid itu beds. i think they are a bit tight on non—covid itu beds. for now, they have some spare capacity, but it's finely balanced, and social distancing means the hospital can't admit as many patients as before.

a handful of theatres have had to be closed to free up nurses for intensive care. but surgery that was suspended in the first wave is taking place. waiting around, wondering if you are going to get the operation. kathleen should've had her thyroid operation in march. she feels fortunate it's now happened. it's been a little bit intense waiting around, you know, i'm thinking, "am i going to get the operation, am i not?" but now it's happened. i'm absolutely elated, it's great. around 1 million women in the uk missed out on breast screening in the first wave of coronavirus. the trust is determined to keep it going this time. well done. the hospital is very much open for business, and staff want to continue all services this winter. but so much depends on whether coronavirus can be kept under control.

we will talk to fergus in a few minutes, but let's look at the official government figures before we do that. there were 20,890 new coronavirus infection recorded in the latest 24—hour period. 102 deaths were reported, people who died within 28 days of a positive covid—19 test. that takes the total number of deaths so far across the uk to 44,998, and as i said, fergus walsh is with me. some talk in recent days, fergus, of progress towards a vaccine. some people say maybe even by christmas. how excited should people be quizzed back there are positive signs. 20,000 volu nteers are positive signs. 20,000 volunteers have received the oxford university astrazeneca vaccine. we should know before too long if it is safe and effective. the oxford team said it produces a good immune response in adults of all ages,

including the over 70s, the biggest at risk group, and they say this is at risk group, and they say this is a key milestone but this data hasn't been published. many experimental vaccines produce good antibodies and then end up failing in the real world. some parts of the nhs are even planning the howl and the where they will immunise staff before christmas, but that is working simply on the assumption that the 0xford vaccine or one of the other front runners that the uk government is bought will work. i was in the 0xford labs at the end of last week and the teen there do not know whether it works. they are keeping their fingers crossed, whether it works. they are keeping theirfingers crossed, but whether it works. they are keeping their fingers crossed, but the data hasn't been unblinded, but even when a vaccine does get authorisation we shouldn't expect it to give complete protection like childhood vaccines do. more likely, it would stop people getting seriously ill and needing hospital treatment. as you've seen from my report, that would be a major breakthrough.

fergus, many thanks. as we mentioned, the city of nottingham and three other local authority areas in nottinghamshire are being moving into tier 3, the highest covid alert level in england, from thursday. the higher restrictions will affect up to 700,000 people. it's not yet been revealed how much government financial support the areas will get, as our midlands correspondent sian lloyd reports. tilly is a victim of the rising number of covid cases in nottingham. she doesn't have the virus but a planned operation to remove her tonsils has been cancelled because the local nhs is under so much strain. i packed all my stuff and my favourite teddies to go to the hospital with mummy, and, then, when i heard it, i felt like literally sad. i completely understand that the hospitals at the moment are at this capacity, but, for my situation and for tilly, who is seven years old, you know,

it's really important for her to have her tonsils and adenoids taken out. tilly was due to have surgery at the queen's medical centre. the trust said today that the number of patients being treated for covid—19 across its two main hospital site is now higher than in april, when cases were at their peak. it's why they've had to postpone some surgery. and there is a key reason why nottingham has been moved into the tier 3 very high risk group tonight. two weeks ago, this city had the highest coronavirus rate in england. it has now dropped out of the list of top 20 hot spots, but that hasn't been enough to prevent further restrictions being imposed. if you drive by any pub here, there's lots of people not social distancing, so it's their fault. it's our own fault. we need tojust do it, buckle down and let's get into a decent position for christmas so we can actually spend it with our family.

tier 3 isjust worse. it doesn't really give us anything. it feels like you are being locked up. after days of talks, the decision isn't a surprise but it will be questioned by some, given the drop in cases. however, at one minute past midnight on thursday, this city will see a change of course. sian lloyd, bbc news, nottingham. and warrington is moving into tier 3 from tomorrow. the council will receive a financial package of almost £6 million to support businesses that have to close. these will include pubs without a food offering, betting shops and soft play centres. warrington lies between manchester and liverpool, both of which have already moved to tier 3. the welsh government says it will ensure retailers understand what can and cannot be sold during the 17—day temporary firebreak, following an apology

from tesco in cardiff where a customer was mistakenly prevented from buying sanitary products. under the latest guidance for the period of extra restrictions, all shops in wales which are allowed to remain open are not able to sell goods classed as non—essential. the welsh health minister said the incident at tesco had happened because of a misunderstanding. i was very saddened to see this particular exchange on social media this morning, from a supermarket telling a woman she could not buy period products. this is simply wrong. it's an incorrect reading of both the regulations and guidance. as half—term starts for many pupils this week, borisjohnson has refused to extend the free school meals scheme, but

has hinted at extra support in the ongoing controversy over provision of free school meals in england. many councils are already providing meal vouchers, while hundreds of businesses are offering parcels to those in need. the latest available data indicates more than 1.4 million children in england are eligible for free school meals, although campaigners say the current need means that figure is much higher. the estimated cost per week is more than £21 million. the prime minister has promised to do "everything in the government's power" to tackle hunger during schools holidays, as our political correspondent alex forsyth reports. i'm just collecting some apples for stewed apples in the morning for breakfast. this family's been finding alternative ways to stay fed. it might seem like a rural idyll, but it can be a real struggle. their mum can't find work in the pandemic. she relies on universal credit and says free school meals are a lifeline that she's missing this half term. it's embarrassing to not be able to do the most basic cooking and things and provide your children and then have to go and ask for that help, and have that help debated, have that help discussed

and have my decisions on my choices as a mother discussed. if it happened to me, it can happen to anybody. 0key—cokey. the prime minister, despite growing pressure to offer food vouchers during the holidays, is holding firm on that front. but, in berkshire today, promoting better hospital food, he didn't rule out more support. the way to deal with it, we think, is by increasing the funds available for universal credit. we put up by about a thousand a year. but, also, to put more into local councils. so we don't want to see children going hungry this winter, this christmas, certainly not as a result of any inattention by this government. you're not going to see that. but, without extra help this half term, some councils and businesses are stepping in. wolverhampton‘s labour leader was delivering food parcels today. the government points to £63 million it gave england's local authorities this summer to help families facing hardship, but many say

that's already been spent orfalls far short. there's been no promise of further funding or any detail, just a suggestion there might be more support than the line, perhaps to avoid another damaging row before christmas. of course, not everyone thinks the government should fund food during the holidays, but this campaign has got real traction and plenty here, including some tory mps, think that the government has just handled it badly. there is huge passion, desire, to actually see this system continue. let's recognise that if the national picture is such that they want to support this, that it would be churlish not to recognise that this is an avenue worth pursuing. in scotland, the government has introduced a scheme to fund meals during the holidays. it's the same in wales and northern ireland. in england, the campaigning continues, with coldplay the latest to weigh in. and with marcus rashford, the premier league player who kick—started this issue, determined to keep it prominent, the political pressure

doesn't seem to be easing. alex forsyth, bbc news. the time is 6:16pm. our top story this evening... parts of england face an even higher level of restrictions ministers have announced earlier today. and coming up — the former army paratrooper who carried out this record—breaking jump. coming up on sportsday on bbc news: ben stokes speaks exclusively to the bbc about the ipl century he dedicated to his father, who has been seriously ill in new zealand. with just over a week to go before the us presidential election, more than 60 million americans have already taken advantage of early voting — breaking all records. this week, in a series of special

reports from the key state of arizona, my colleague clive myrie will be looking at some of the issues preoccupying the voters as they make their choices. he starts this evening with illegal immigration and president trump's signature promise to build a wall along the border with mexico. the heavens were no barrier to american idealism. but, on earth, how best to protect what it means to be american? is an impregnable barrier a good option? i think it says you can tear down the statue of liberty. i think it says we should close shop. a nation of settlers that, for some, is turning on outsiders. as america votes, immigration is high on the ballot. we talked to those who see donald trump's border wall as a betrayal of american ideals. ijust see this on a daily basis. it sometimes just hits you.

and those for whom there is no price too high to pay to protect all they hold dear. are you prepared to use that? oh, yeah, if it comes down to it, i'm coming home. chanting: build the wall! build the wall! the biggest beneficiary may be happens to be arizona. the biggest beneficiary maybe happens to be arizona. that wall, how good is the wall? it is the iconic idea of trump's america. and this... cowboys and big skies, part of the iconography of america. all right, all right, guys, 0k. bill mcdonald's ranch in arizona is just a few miles from the border with mexico. illegal immigration and drug trafficking are live issues here, yet, for him, a republican, billions spent on a border wall is a waste of money. people think, well, you build a wall, you've solved a problem. they've already got saws that

cut through that wall. you can do it with technology and do it just as well. politically, he made a promise, he was determined to keep it. he thought, if he kept it, he'd get re—elected. it's the only reason he does anything. i'm not crazy about everybody that crosses the border but i'm not crazy about everybody that already lives here, either. i mean, there are good people and bad people in all stripes. it takes a few hours to sort the calves for sale, headed for oklahoma. they'll never see their mothers again, but that's business. activists say over 500 children remain separated from theirfamilies... building a big wall was any part of the plan. was only part of the plan. critics in congress and human rights groups claim migrants were being treated like cattle under donald trump's zero tolerance child separation policy to deter illegal migration. eventually, his administration was forced to change course. but secure borders are a necessity. we saw drug cartel spotters across the wall in mexico,

checking if the coast is clear, to send over human mules. these ones went that way, so, yesterday, i followed these guys... tim foley often spots them, too, videoing the mules camouflaged with their backpacks of drugs. from his remote base in southern arizona, he leads a group of armed volunteers that patrols the border. is the wall making america great again? it's making it safer. tim represents a strain of american patriotism donald trump tapped into, giving up everything he knew in san francisco to come to arizona. why are you involved? what is it about this situation that get you angry? situation that gets you angry? i didn't trust the government or the media to tell the actual truth of what was going on. some apple sauce... but what is the truth? there's another group of volunteers on the border.

they are from a charity that leaves water and food supplies for people crossing overfrom mexico. asylum seekers fleeing persecution in migrant families with children and migrant families with children reaching for a better life. it must be difficult... they also help families find relatives who have gone missing crossing the border. so what are the kinds of things that you come across the trails? many times, we find remains, skeletal remains of border crosses. skeletal remains of border crossers. you know, evidence of a person's life. so you see wedding rings, love letters, a lot of rosaries, a lot of bibles. in this one area, the remains of 181 people have been found this year. you see young... young people, old people, you see everybody. and you see their families. the families just reach out to us, desperately looking for their loved ones. it's an unimaginable

pain and anguish. 0ften, gia and tim's worlds collide and there is one thing they both agree on. what is the tattoo? one of the horsemen of the apocalypse. it's what i see is coming. it's... it's my view of the border. there is death all around. donald trump's wall speaks to us all. we project on the barrier our own values. this election sees millions of americans casting their votes, in line with who they believe they really are. clive myrie, bbc news, in southern arizona. clive's reports will be shown throughout this week as we approach that us election. a security steward has

told the inquiry into the manchester arena bombing that he did not "fob off" a member of the public who raised concerns about the attacker. mohammed agha was warned about salman abedi's conduct minutes before he detonated a suicide bomb, killing 22 people. 0ur north of england correspondent judith moritz reports. terrorists, like all criminals, look at the world a little differently from you and me... this video is designed to teach security staff to spot possible terrorists. where we see an iconic building or part of our history, they see a target to attack. it was part of the training for stewards at manchester arena. i do solemnly, sincerely... mohammed agha was one of those stewards, but he doesn't remember watching the video. he does remember noticing salman abedi on the night of the bombing and admiring his trainers, but he wasn't suspicious of his rucksack. a member of the public who saw abedi was worried, though.

this cctv shows the moment christopher wild went to raise the alarm. he spoke to the 19—year—old steward but says mohammed agha "fobbed him off". what do you recall he said to you? he said there is a suspicious person sat behind you, he's got a backpack. what did you say to christopher wild when he drew his concern to your attention? i said to mr wild that i'll have a look into it, you know, i'll see what... i'll see what the situation is, basically. did you fob christopher wild off? no. mohammed agha said he had to man the fire doors and thought his job would be injeopardy if he left his post. he said he waved at his supervisor three times, but, when he couldn't get his attention, he spoke to a colleague with a radio, thinking he'd contact the control room. a few moments later, though, he said he saw salman abedi smiling as he walked into the crowd to detonate his bomb.

the stewards at manchester arena are required to complete a training programme, but mohammed agha is said to have spent an average ofjust one minute and 20 seconds on each online module. many people looking at what we have just explored together, they formed the view that what you did was just cheat on your training and i'm going to ask you a straight question. did you cheat? no. 22 people were murdered in the explosion. theirfamilies have been watching the inquiry unfold and have been visibly upset at some of the detail they are hearing. judith moritz, bbc news, manchester. nasa has announced that there could be even more water on the surface of the moon than previously thought. hidden pockets of ice might cover the surface — patches that may have gone without any sunlight for billions of years. the discovery could be a boost for plans to build a permanent base on the moon, as our science correspondent

victoria gill explains. we're right where we wanted to be for a station two. it looks like a great place. half a century since humans set foot on its surface, we've mapped every boulder and crater. but a series of discoveries that nasa revealed today have shown that the moon's surface has been hiding an abundant supply of water. one of the discoveries comes from a telescope onboard a modified boeing 747. by flying above 99% of the earth's atmosphere, it has a clearer view of the solar system. it picked up the telltale signature of water molecules on the lunar surface. in another simultaneously published discovery, researchers mapped shadowed areas called cold traps, where frozen water might be stored permanently. what these papers are telling us is that, actually, that the water could be trapped in slightly more easier to access areas, that aren't so hazardous,

and this is really important, especially if we want to send crude missions to the moon. especially if we want to send crewed missions to the moon. and it gives us slightly more options in terms of where we can go and making sure that it's safe for all those involved. to go farther, we must be able to sustain missions of greater distance and duration. these discoveries will be a boost for nasa's plan to send the first woman and the next man to the moon by 2024. because, while the apollo missions already took humans there and back, future missions will aim to establish a base there as a gateway to explore the rest of the solar system. the next generation of crewed missions to the moon are going to have to be far more sustainable, so that means finding and learning to use natural resources, particularly water, that's already there. plans to return to the moon are already in progress. but these discoveries raise the tantalizing possibility that our natural satellite isn't just somewhere to visit, but a place to stay. victoria gill, bbc news.

a former army paratrooper has set a new world record forjumping from an aircraft, into water, without a parachute. john bream — who's nicknamed the flying fish — dived around 40 metres from a helicopter into the english channel to raise money for charity. 0ur correspondent duncan kennedy has the story. a smile and a wave from the man about tojump into the record books. this isjohn bream, and he's heading to the english channel to do this... now, watch again from below. john is at least 40 metres up, equivalent to a ten story building. john made thejump to raise money for paratroop veterans and to boost morale for a nation under covid. yeah, it's the hughes 500. making people smile, helping veterans, it's just awesome.

so, yeah, it'sjust lifting morale, making people smile. in high spirits, john had trained for months. this is what it looked like with his own camera. he's backed by a huge safety team, and although not yet confirmed... ..he now knows he's gone into the record books. how did it go? wonderfully! swimmingly! you're now a record breaker! yay! john was somewhat bruised by the jump, but says he's glad he's leapt for his colleagues and his country. duncan kennedy, bbc news, in the english channel. time for a look at the weather. here's matt taylor. thank you very much, i don't think he would be wanting to do that later this week across the seas around the uk, some rough conditions on the way and a real auto mix as the breeze picks up at times, bringing spells of heavy rain, something milder on the way later but out there tonight,

turning quite