this is bbc news. the headlines: more than 50 conservative mps representing the north of england write to the prime minister — calling for a "clear road map" out of tough restrictions. think catching coronavirus once means you can't catch it again? the latest research suggests you may need to think again. as the presidential election campaign enters its final days — the focus turns to the key swing states set to determine who wins the race. a special report from the syrian city of idlib — where doctors warn of a "covid catastrophe," as the number of positive cases rises tenfold. this winter will be very bad, very dark, very hard. we don't have many places for people. we don't have many midi kits for them.

from lockdown in this one—bedroom flat — to this. the two boys given a break on the beach thanks to a bbc viewer. with around eight million people now under or about to enter tier 3 lockdown restrictions in england and no sign of figures for covid falling — there's increasing pressure on the government to outline how areas can get those restrictions lifted. more than 50 conservative mps have written a letter to borisjohnson, pressing him for a "clear road map" out of tier 3. the mps — many of whom won labour's so—called red wall seats at the last election — warn that the pandemic threatens the prime minister's pledge to "level up" northern communities. jonathan blake reports. new parts of england coming under

the tightest restrictions. nottingham moves into the very high covid alert level this week, warrington nowjoins other norhtern areas in tier 3. for how long, no one can't be sure. if it's necessary, and everybody abides by the rules, the sooner we'll be out of it and get back to normal. maybe within, what is it, 28 days, we'll be back to tier 2. i think it's needed to happen vecause to happen because the numbers of people with coronavirus are growing. mps are demanding details, though, on when and how the measures may be lifted. we are asking people to give up huge civil liberties, businesses to close, people to live on two thirds of their normal wages. i don't think it's unreasonable to say that the other side of that coin should be, show us the way out. more than 50 conservative mps have written to the prime minister, calling for a clear road map out of local lockdown. in their letter, they warn coronavirus threatens to continue

to increase the disparity between north and south. they say their constituents have been some of the worst affected by covid, with many losing jobs and businesses, and they asked boris johnson to reflect carefully on the conservatives' promise to people living in the north during the last election, with the levelling upagenda with the levelling up agenda and to make the region central to the country's economic recovery. it's almost a year since boris johnson's landslide election victory. we did it, we did it. tories who took seats from labour, then, are warning their areas risk being left behind now. ministers insist the promised investment has begun. seven towns getting £180 million as part of the £3.6 billion twons fund, 45 of them towns fund, 45 of them are in the northern powerhouse, 14 of the hospitals in our hospital building programme is in the northern powerhouse. the mps who wrote this letter insist they're not trying to make trouble for the government, some say they weren't expecting it

to be made public, but reminding the prime minister about promises he made at the last election reflects a nervousness among some tory backbenchers that those who voted last time round won't necessarily do so again. the response to coronavirus may have consumed the government for months, but downing street says its ambition for the country is unchanged. some mps are clearly impatient to see the evidence. jonathan blake, bbc news. let's talk to nick eardley, who's at westminster for us. these mps say that this isn't a revolt, but it looks like one? yes, i think that is right. they are trying to say that they don't want to challenge the government. as you head out in that report there, i think there is no be a nervousness about some of the promises being kept. basically, what these mps are saying is that as the economic

impact of covid becomes clear, they are worried that some of the big pledges made in the election in december it just won't pledges made in the election in december itjust won't be met, that the money or political will or will not be there. this comes after a pretty bruising period, when we have had mayors in greater manchester, other leaders in the north of england, say that the government is short—changing the north. there is the a nervousness that might be starting to become part of the conversation. adding to the the things that some of those tory mps are slightly worried that some of those promises want to be made. it sets a bit of a challenge for the government for them to keep their promises and put their money where the their mouth is when it comes to infrastructure spending in the north. we have heard from the chancellor is saying that the government is absolutely committed to this and are going to keep their promises. i suspect many of those mps who signed that letter will want

to see evidence. a lot of these mps know that those votes in their constituencies were very much borrowed. i think that is absolutely right. there are two things that conservatives seem to think one those seats, one was brexit, the second was the levelling up agenda. we have heard borisjohnson returned to that, it was a big thing he talked about when he got power after the general election. he has spoken about it during the pandemic, but the nature of coronavirus means that the nature of coronavirus means that the attention of the government in many ways is on other things. this is an attempt to try and force of the agenda back to the conversation about levelling up, but it also has to be seen in that context, of conservatives are worried, those attacks we have seen from the labour

party and people like andy burnham over the last few weeks might be starting to make some hay in the north, and wanting to remind the comic it has made some pretty big pledges that it has to stick to it. borisjohnson pledges that it has to stick to it. boris johnson and his pledges that it has to stick to it. borisjohnson and his ministers are saying that the money is there, they are not treating the north any differently. the figures speak for themselves. that is true, but at the same time since we have entered this new tiered phase of coronavirus, it is the north of england that is seeing those harshest restrictions brought in. and i think that has caused discomfort in government is that the argument you heard coming from northern leaders that there was not a new scheme brought in to help people who may be did not have to close but has seen a massive reduction in their business, that scheme was brought in last week and it happened at the same time that the south of england was going into

theatre. there is an argument that those should come in earlierfor places like liverpool and manchester which were seen a lot of spice. that support mechanism should have been gotten a lot sooner. i think you are going to see the government having to come up with some concrete plans for the north of england, because over the last few weeks we have seen a lot of criticism, on the economic and the health front, that decisions being made are being made primarily by people in london. these mps are saying do not fall into that trap, don't forget about the north, don't forget about those big promises you made, orfrankly forget about those big promises you made, or frankly we will pay for it. well, nottingham is headed for tier three restrictions also. our correspondent, danjohnson, sent this update. people have been expecting this because for quite a while, nottingham was at the top of the transmission rate right across the country.

those numbers did come down last week, the numbers here and now more than half of what they were last week but local leaders have been talking about moving the city and surrounding boroughs into tier 3 and that will happen from one minute past midnight on thursday, meaning nottingham city on the side of the trent and rushcliffe on the other side along with other boroughs, closest to the city centre, the suggestion from some people is that that is down to students, the number of them coming back to the city in september causing numbers to surge and it is the inner boroughs they tend to live in. there will be tighter restrictions, what we don't have is the precise detail of what will stay open and what will close but local leaders say they expect it to be in line with what other areas have faced as they have gone into the very high level alert restrictions. we don't know what the financial package will be yet in terms of support for businesses but it is expected to be in line although the local city council leader here says he does not think

it is enough. across nottinghamshire, to the north of the county, places like mansfield and worksop will remain in tier 2 with the rest of nottinghamshire, for people here around nottingham, the tighter restrictions will be in place from thursday morning. we will go to manchester, where the mare man andy burning is launching a group which is hoping to do with the social and economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. let's hear from him now. spelling out some of the specifics that we aim to do. just a 21 gm. it's going to have three elements to it. the support we are going to get from the government. you're going to hear shortly about an effort from our business community, led by chris ogilvy, to provide some extra help and added value to support businesses. there will also be an effort to support the voluntary sector in greater manchester and

also the individuals that they will wa nt to also the individuals that they will want to help. just to take you through where our thinking is up to with regard to the support that we hope to receive from the government. because of the decision to backdate the tear to support, we are hopeful that we will have at least £65 million, hopefully more, to support people in greater manchester. what i wa nted people in greater manchester. what i wanted to say today is that it is oui’ wanted to say today is that it is our intention to put in place a business support package, but also to do what we were saying over the last weeks, that is to ensure that people on the lowest wages whose workplaces have closed will get the support which we think they are entitled to. together with determiners of greater manchester, we are working on a support package.

also helping people who perhaps haven't had the support they need so far, people who are self—employed, people working in the taxi industry is, people working in the arts, the cultural sector, freelancers. that's what today is all about. i'm going to introduce to you some amazing speakers, some people who will represent the different walks of life in greater manchester who are coming together under the one gm banner. i will start by turning first to our much loved bishop of manchester, the right reverend david walker. andy, thank you for convening less and being at the heart of making onegm happen. we are moving on now from some of the

arguments we have had the last week or two. the value of those arguments is that we are concerned and greater manchester about pupils and their livelihoods. how we can as a community enable people to protect themselves, their families and communities. but we cannot do that if you cannot survive, cannot thrive, don't have a safe has come across efficient income coming in and week by week to sustain you. i am grateful that we have got so many people together who are concerned about the well— being of everybody across greater manchester. only if we can protect livelihoods, we have people acting safely and protect lives. we have seen over the last few days, thanks to marcus rashford, and his amazing feat, both spellings of the word, we are seeing it as possible to bring people together, across business, charity, faith, local communities, to see that there is not the holiday hunger that we

are fearing for our kids over this half term break. that will need to go on beyond christmas because we are a long way of coming out of covid yet. i think we can harvest that's —— harness that spirit to apply for the way we care for one another more widely across greater manchester. i convened the faith leaders group, some of whom are on this call this afternoon. i hope they do not mind me speaking on their behalf. we will continue to do a heck of a lot volunteering. we will use our buildings, our professional paid staff, our volunteers, to continue to serve the need of the people of greater manchester through this coming winter. we know for many people being able to attend a local mosque, synagogue, temple or church is really important for that own morale, the sense of well—being, their sense of safety. so we will do what we can to keep this place is out what we can to keep this place is our opinion, keep them operating in

a covid secure fashion, so at that people can celebrate the importing festivals in a manner that is befitting their spiritual lives as well as their physical and mental lives. i'm grateful to a wide range of people who are part of this call this afternoon, we in the faith community will be playing our part. it is wonderful to have your support, david, representing the wider faith community in greater manchester. we know we are going to have to rely on you again, it's wonderful that you are with us today. you mentioned our very own marcus rashford and the focus that he has brought to young people, particularly those young people who face the greatest challenges. i'm very grateful to another one of our own who's been leading a young

persons task force,. i think understanding how difficult this time is for young people and the support they need is a really important and the task force has been doing that. that is going to be a focal point for donations we will be asking forfrom a focal point for donations we will be asking for from the greater manchester public, to support our volu nta ry manchester public, to support our voluntary organisations and threw them the individuals who need help at this challenging time. if i may, die and, if i could ask you to take the floor next? thank you for the opportunity to be on the call and to talk about the work of the young person is guaranteed. i think more re ce ntly person is guaranteed. i think more recently coronavirus has magnified the deep inequalities that exist across greater manchester. way back injune, iwas across greater manchester. way back injune, i was asked to chair out that young person is a guarantee,

everybody on the call woke now and get a sense that the mayor is relentlessly positive about young people's futures. the young persons guarantee is a simple set of commitments that focuses on improving the lives of young people across greater manchester with a real focus on the impact that coronavirus has had on them. during the consultation period, what was very clear in listening to that where four key themes that were coming through. it was about keeping connected, digitally but also being able to move around safely and affordably across greater manchester. staying well it was the second theme that emerged. preparing for transitions back into or out of the world of work and education. the four fairy out that the guarantee focuses on is reducing economic inequalities. that is key, really.

what young people have been saying to us is that they want equal opportunities, tojobs to us is that they want equal opportunities, to jobs and to pathways that enable them to thrive and to grow and fulfil their potential. so it's a really positive that we can come together under this one manchester banner to continue to put young people at the forefront of this crisis and make sure that they are still heard. we have had a numberof are still heard. we have had a number of commitments from businesses that will speak to the needs of young people, but we need more. we need more in terms of being able to support those hopes and aspirations, and hopefully the one in manchester at launch an opportunity will enable more businesses, partners and stakeholders to get involved. the second area that i like to share the view briefly is one that andy has already mentioned. i am a trustee of the greater manchester mayors charity, and i know there are a couple of other trustees on the call

a result of the most recent funds that have gone on, we have launched a campaign underthe that have gone on, we have launched a campaign under the one manchester banner that enables individuals to support the work of greater manchester mayors charity, which is to end homelessness and rough sleeping. lots of people have already been brilliantly volunteering and donating to the charity and we want to encourage that to continue. the message here is that if you are unsure how you can help, this is a great way of being able to donate to the charity. the money goes straight to the front line, to the voluntary sector, and we want to encourage donations to come through. we have launched a website which is not live, please do go and have a look about that if you wa nt go and have a look about that if you want to hear more about how you can help across the sector that has been hardest hit. thank you, andy, i hope

that gives a sense of what we're doing in terms of young people but also for the greater manchester mayors charity. thank you to all the trustees for stepping forward. that is the appeal under the onegm banner, led by the charities. we are basking individuals who want to support others to do so. there is a recognition that whatever we get from public funds, we are going to have to do more, we are going to have to do more, we are going to have to do more, we are going to have to add value. charity stepping forward to help us do that, but also our businesses have agreed to step forward. it was great last week that it immediately was a suggestion from the business community that there was more that could be done and they we re was more that could be done and they were willing to help too. i will turn out to chris ogilvy. it was fantastic. studio: we will pull away from that. we are expecting to hear from gary

neville, and also from julie his mintel, the coronation street actress, all the talking at the launch of onegm. we will keep an eye on that launch and return to you. we will certainly be listening to what they have to save. it's a common belief that if you catch coronavirus once, you can't catch it again — but new research casts doubt on that. scientists say the proportion of people with coronavirus antibodies has been falling, suggesting immunity may it's a common belief that if you catch coronavirus once, researchers at imperial college london found the number of people testing positive for antibodies dropped by around a quarter betweenjune and september. naomi grimley reports. antibodies are a key part of our immune defences and stop the virus from getting inside the body's cells. but a study of 350,000 people who have had antibody tests shows they do not last forever. at the end ofjune, 6% had antibodies, but by september it was only 4%. immunity is likely to wane over time

after you have been infected, even if you have, you know that you have had, coronavirus, you have had covid, then you cannot be sure you will not get it again. and therefore we advise everybody to follow recommendations about hand hygiene, mask wearing and keeping distance from people. that is the first thing. and secondly, yes, of course it means that we are really in need of a vaccine which will, hopefully, produce a more long—lived immunity. the tailing off of antibodies may not be the whole story. there is another arm of the immune system called t—cells, and the science on that is still evolving. they are white blood cells that patrol the body, they inspect every cell in the body and they can see cells that have viruses growing in them. if cells show the signs, t—cells are equipped with missiles that they can basically fire into those cells and destroy them. meanwhile, new data from the office for national statistics

shows that uk covid—i9 deaths have risen by 60% in the last week, shown here in red. it is only a fraction of the peak seen in april, but it is still a reminder that the situation is worsening. indeed, the world health organization is worried about a similar trend across europe. right now we are well behind this virus in europe, so getting ahead of it is going to take some serious acceleration in what we do and maybe a much more comprehensive nature of measures that are going to be needed to catch up with and get ahead of this virus. we have still got a lot to learn about how covid—i9 affects our bodies. this latest research on immunity is another piece of the jigsaw. it will shape the government's scientific advice, which in turn shapes our lives. naomi grimley, bbc news. footballer marcus rashford's high—profile campaign for free meals

during school holidays is keeping up the pressure as he receives the support of more and more businesses. he's asked them for details ofjust how many free meals they are distributing. frankie mccamley reports. 45 packed lunches in skipton. 150 pasta pots in bradford. and almost 100 butties heading out for delivery in dewsbury. the local businesses have all come together following marcus rashford's call to help feed the country's hungry children over half term. in just one day, thousands of meals were sent out. it's a lifeline for many families, including leah hill, who receives food parcels to help feed her children. it is helpful for when you have run out of cash. like, i get paid fortnightly but it is still very hard with the bills you pay. when they are at school it's a lot better because they don't eat as much because they get dinners at school. and at this restaurant, in stevenage, it is clear how much the meals matter. in some ways, i felt embarrassed

about having to do this, but it is about ensuring my son is eating properly. i know i try my best normally, but during half terms, or even any holidays, it is always difficult. following a pilot across 17 local authorities providing free school meals over the holidays, the head of the government's national food strategy, henry dimbleby, says the government needs to continue with this support. this problem is real, it should go without saying it is serious, it is immediate and it is going to get worse as employment gets worse. and that the government is not doing enough. in—kind support — so in the form of food, education — actually has shown to have a better impact than putting the same small amount of money into universal credit. the government is reported to be considering extra funds for councils to set up holiday clubs, but some say time is of the essence. these children are frightened and they are suffering serious ill health as a result of this.

and when you combine that with poor nutrition, what you end up is with poor cognition and poor development. as the row rumbles on and ministers face growing public pressure to help struggling families, businesses and communities continue to prepare, pack and deliver their support. frankie mccamley, bbc news. covid—i9 has "thrived" among black, asian and ethnic minority communities because of race discrimination. that's according to a report comissioned by the labour party. last week, a government adviser said "structural racism" is not in itself a " reasonable expla nation" for differing infection rates. but the report's author, baroness doreen lawrence, said ethnic minority groups were "over—exposed to the virus" and faced barriers to healthcare. she spoke to public transport workers and other front—line staff — including one nurse who said she was afraid to go to work. when she said, you know, i didn't go to work to die, that was such a telling thing from me and that's what choked me

because, you know, it's the fear of nurses and doctors that they have that fear, even though they want to do the best they can for their patients, that hasn't changed. but the mere fact is the impact of not having the right protective equipment that they feel they need or they've been given it and it doesn't fit. one size does not fit all. there are just seven days to go before election day in the united states. although donald trump is trailing in the national polls — the key state races that will decide the presidency are much tighter. our washington correspondent, gary o'donoghue, told me that there are six or seven of them that will be crucial in the final reckoning. in terms of the upper midwest, we're talking pennsylvania, michigan, wisconsin, those were the states that really won it for donald trump last time round. he is falling behind quite significantly, particularly in michigan, there's a sort of six, seven point difference there. in wisconsin, slightly less, by about a point. even in pennsylvania, which is going to be

the pivot state we think, he is between four and five points ahead, and has been pretty consistently there, joe biden. other states, too. he ‘s ahead in florida with a one to two point gap. arizona about the same, and north carolina. that's why you're seeing the president doing a blitz of the upper midwest. today the vice president is in north carolina for three separate rallies today. the other thing worth noting, 65 million have already cast their ballot this time around. that is just shy of 50% of the total of votes cast in the last election. last time, the total early vote was 47 million, so we're already 18 million votes above that with week to go. that tells me this is going to be a huge turnout election. and later on, we'll be speaking to a pollster about what they think will happen next week on november 3. now it's time for a look at the weather with matt.

the band of rain which started across the south and west of the country early this morning finishes the do not and at the east. elsewhere, a bit of a late afternoon sunshine, clear skies and showers into the evening and overnight. most frequent across western areas, some quite heavy, no bees also picking up. the lettuce of the winds to the eastern counties of england and scotland, where temperatures will drop the furthest into single figures. a plus there is start to wednesday, rain linger into shetland, sunshine and showers elsewhere. sunshine in between, the rest of the sunshine, the truth of the shelduck through eastern areas. a blustery day for all and fairly cool a blustery day for all and fairly cool. staying blustery into wednesday evening, but to go with those winds tomorrow will be pretty

rough seas. bye for now. hello this is bbc news. the headlines. more than 50 conservative mps representing the north of england write to the prime minister, calling for a "clear road map" out of tough restrictions. we are asking people to give up huge civil liberties, businesses to close, people to live on two thirds of their normal wages. i do not think it is unreasonable that the other side of that coin should be, so as of the way out. think catching coronavirus once means you can't catch it again? the latest research suggests you may need to think again. as the presidential election campaign enters its final days the focus turns to the key swing states set to determine who wins the race.

a special report from the syrian city of idlib where doctors warn of a covid catastrophe — as the number of positive cases rises tenfold. from lockdown in this one—bedroom flat — to this. the two boys given a break on the beach thanks to a bbc viewer sport now and a full round up from the bbc sport centre. the fa has launched its football leadership diversity code as they look to tackle racial imbalance in the game. it won't be mandatory for clubs, but a0 have already signed up. they have been set diversity targets of 15% in recruitment of new executive positions and 25% in coaching positions. i think we have come up with a code which fundamentally does what it says on the turn. it holds clubs to account. it makes clubs think. it is good for governance. i think it is a step in the right direction. it is a solid foundation. i have seen the

last 30 years and i have seen that has been a lot of well intentioned positive action programmes but none of them holds football to account the way this does. by way of the targets and the accountability. southampton are one of the clubs that haven't signed up for it, they say that they have already achieved the premier league's own equality standard. the premier league say that they will embed the principles of the fa code within its ongoing work. lots more european football this week. manchester city are at marseille in the champions league this evening and liverpool host danish champions fc midtjylland. it's been billed as something of a david and goliath meeting, liverpool the reigning premier league champions and last year's european champions against the danish side that was only formed in 1999 but using the moneyball appraoch with an emphasis on data

and statistics to build their team. it is not driven by the basement, it is driven from the top, by the owner. it makes a big difference. manchester city have got no out—and—out striker for their game at marseille. sergio aguero picked up an injury at the weekend and will be out for a month. gabrieljesus was already out. it is not just it is notjust about city, it is about everywhere. now we have to

protect the players. the strongest ones will survive. the other ones, we will find out. there's been a covid outbreak at league 2 scunthorpe. their next three games have been postponed. eight players have tested positive with a further ten having to self—isolate. they'd been due to face salford at home tonight. the remaining players and staff will stop training for the next week as a precaution. england will be without their captain sarah hunter for the match against italy on sunday in the women's six nations. she has a hamstring injury. the red roses have already won the title but will complete back to back grand slams if they beat the italians. emily scarratt has been given the captaincy. that's all the sport for now. you can find more on all those stories on the bbc sport website.

more on the us election now, and who wins will in part be decided by who can persuade america's growing latino population in crucial swing states like florida and arizona to turn out and vote for them. since donald trump was elected in 2016 nearly four million latinos have come of voting age. many have watched as their communities were ripped apart by tough immigration laws and devastated by the pandemic. butjoe biden has so far failed to connect with latino voters in the way democratic candidates before him have. our west coast correspondent sophie long reports from arizona. this is the level of some latinos' dedication to their president. latinos love trump. aww, that's great. restaurateurs jorge and betty rivas certainly do. he is the right person to keep leading this country. we need someone tough, we need

someone with the right ideas. we think that donald trump is the perfect person for another four years. but the threats to their business that followed their endorsement shows that not all latinos feel the same way. latinos have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic that shut down this state, and while the president's macho image may have impressed latino men, here in the heart of phoenix's latinx community, it has caused deep offence among those who lost loved ones to the virus. i think that his brazen disregard was really clear. but i think that for latino voters in particular, especially folks who know somebody that has been impacted, they felt the way that i felt — this man does not care about us. he doesn't care about us. we will be protected by the great men and women of our military and law enforcement. with the election now

just days away, campaign ads fill the airwaves, but so too does misinformation that feeds people's fear. and fear is a very real thing in neighbourhoods like this one, where some will have fled countries where people die because there is no law and order, yet they become increasingly fearful of law enforcement here too. just as the past four years have deepened divisions across this vast country, they have exposed divisions in latino communities too. i saw 902, but i haven't seen 833... around four million latinos have come of age in the last four years. they're determined to use their new political power and spend their evenings encouraging others to do the same. we all remember 2016. we remember the feeling. i remember that feeling. i literally have goosebumps thinking about that day. i wasn't able to vote, so people were, like, "well, "you didn't show up to vote". i couldn't. i couldn't then. now, in 2020, they can, and if enough latinos across arizona do the same,

this time their voice could really count. i'm joined by patrick murray, the director of the monmouth university polling institute. are you ready to call it? all i can see it's where we are right now. it isa see it's where we are right now. it is a stable release. because we elect our president through this electoral college system, we look at those few key states that will determine the outcome, and the race there is still close enough that it could go in either direction. that electoral college system would seem to be favouring donald trump?|j electoral college system would seem to be favouring donald trump? i am not sure that it favours donald trump right now but it favours him more than if we just had a straight vote because of the strength of

republicans in some of these key states. while joe biden republicans in some of these key states. whilejoe biden is still a favourite in those key states he is not favoured by a lot, that means we arejust a normal not favoured by a lot, that means we are just a normal polling error away, a different error than four yea rs away, a different error than four years ago, an error of five points in these four or five states, donald trump could thread the needle again and when. one of the stranger aspects of this election is the huge number of people who already seem to have voted, maybe because of the pandemic, but you would that on the face of it fever? because of the pandemic we opened up, most states have opened up, they are voting early so people could mail—in ballots. so far that vote has been largely democrat. the republicans are starting to catch up as we get closer to election day. you would think that would help democrats in the because they already have the vote ba n k the because they already have the vote bank and they can spend more of

the resources chasing down voters who have a lower propensity to vote but they know will support them with republicans still have to get most of their base out to vote. but it could end up helping republicans because too much of the vote is already in for democrats and republicans have a chance to sway some folks. we can see where the pressures are by the visits that the candidates are making at the moment. right. pennsylvania is top of the list. that is the state we have been looking at almost since 2016 as the state that was probably going to determine the outcome one way or another in this election. you look at those states like arizona, florida, about the latino vote, those are important states. joe biden is doing well among older voters. the states also have larger number of older voters than other states. those will be key as well. it will be those sunbelt states and

the midwest that we are seeing a lot of activity that will determine the outcome. the key group as younger voters. what are the issues thatjoe biden should be concentrating on that he has not so far? for younger voters theissueisif has not so far? for younger voters the issue is if they come out and vote they will support joe the issue is if they come out and vote they will supportjoe biden but the question is, the enthusiasm they have. that is why if he can chase down more of those voters. that number one issue for them is climate change. their mistake that he made, the supported mistake that he made in the debate last week, where he said he would get rid of the oil industry, may actually help him with younger voters, it gives a signal to them that this is an issue at the top of his list and he may be able top of his list and he may be able to get some of those voters out as well. melania trump is set to make her first public visit since recovering from covid. art woman said that influential when we are so close in terms of time and potential votes at

the moment? —— are moments like that. it is turning out your base, turning out the voters that you know will support you. in a normal presidential election in the us one third of eligible voters do not show up. a huge number. they are out there to get. they would vote one way or another, you know which way they would vote, if you could get them to cast their ballots. that is what these visits are about now, getting this enthusiasm, trying to getting this enthusiasm, trying to get some of these extra voters out. thank you for your time. as the brutal civil war continues in syria there are fears that the humanitarian disaster will be made even worse by coronavirus. the healthcare system has already been decimated by years of fighting — and cramped makeshift accomodation makes it likely outbreaks of the virus would quickly take hold. bbc cameraman darren conway has been

to the rebel—held province of idlib and sent this report. the road to idlib has been a journey of misery for so many. this is one of the last remaining parts of syria that hasn't been retaken by the regime. millions of civilians have funnelled into this little corner of north—west syria in an attempt to escape the fighting. but the people that live here are about to face yet another battle — covid—19. dr kaddour is head of the two largest hospitals in idlib. he's one of only 600 doctors for a population ofjust over 4 million people. very few covid tests are being done. while we were here, an average of 400 were carried out a day. up to 40% of those tested positive. aeroplanes, rockets, corona, angry, poor, security, it's the same. all of them, all of these terms mean for us death. life is already tough enough here. it's a daily fight for survival. a free food hand—out quickly turns into a mob. but there are no masks to be seen. at times like this, prayer is about the only support the people here can rely on. but at this mosque, there is no social distancing. and if you thought that it was tough living in idlib city, just take a look

at the refugee camps — up to 1.5 million people living in filthy, ground conditions. this is atma camp. it's one of the largest. people live on top of each other, sharing everything from tents to bathrooms, food and water. this seems like the perfect breeding ground for the virus, yet the official statistics show that only a handful of people have tested positive here. one of the reasons for this is that only people who are showing symptoms and are willing to come forward are being tested. but there's a stigma that comes along with being a covid carrier here. little zane has the virus. he caught it from his father. translation: people have treated me as if i'm disgraced. if they see me in the streets, they walk away from me. a couple of days ago, i went to get some groceries from the store and people moved away from me as if i am the virus, as if i will kill them. so, unlike zane and his father, most people would prefer to suffer through the illness in silence which, in camps like this, means that they are super spreaders. would you say that the virus is out of control in the camps? it's out of control, yes, absolutely. this winter will be very bad, very dark, very hard. we do not have many places for people in the camp, we do not have many medi kits for these, we do not have

many fuel to make children and babies and women more warm in the camp. we do not have food enough for them. no one really knows just how bad the outbreak is in the camps. this is a population who have already endured the worst of humanity. it's hard to imagine, but if the outbreak in the camps is as bad as predicted, life here is about to become even harder. take would you say that the virus is out of control in the camps? it's out of control, yes, absolutely. this winter will be very bad,

very dark, very hard. we do not have many places for people in the camp, we do not have many medi kits for these, we do not have many fuel to make children and babies and women more warm in the camp. we do not have food enough for them. no one really knows just how bad the outbreak is in the camps. this is a population who have already endured the worst of humanity. it's hard to imagine, but if the outbreak in the camps is as bad as predicted, life here is about to become even harder. the headlines on bbc news. more than 50 conservative mps representing the north of england write to the prime minister, calling for a "clear roadmap" out

of tough restrictions. the latest research suggests you may need to think again. as the presidential election campaign enters its final days —— the focus turns to the key swing states set to determine who wins the race. europe's biggest bank — hsbc — has announced a 35% fall in third quarter profits. pre—tax profits for the bank came in at £2.3 billion for the quarter. hsbc has been looking to reduce costs and injune resumed plans to cut around 35,000 jobs globally. it sounds like a lot of money, 2.3 billion, it is more than the expected, but they are having to reduce expected, but they are having to red u ce costs expected, but they are having to reduce costs dramatically. they said they will accelerate that and that could mean the loss of 35,000 jobs around the world. one of the things that came out which was interesting in the report is that they said in some countries they would stop basic banking services. they would start

charging for basic banking services. when we spoke to hsbc they said they would still provide a basic bank account in the uk. all of this is down to the fact interest rates are so low, the chance of them going negative, would have a massive impact on that possibility. that is the point, isn't it? interest rates here and across the world are so low, these banks are struggling to make the profits that they used to? definitely. a lot of these banks are profitability depends on that interest rate margin, if the interest rate margin, if the interest rate margin, if the interest rate is so low you do not make much lending to consumers or corporations, as a result we are seeing, particularly in europe, banks are not really profitable. especially for hsbc, they are suffering because they have large deposit ratio, they are suffering

more disproportionately from this interest rate problem. barclays came out last friday, they were positive. these results, even thought 35% lower than before, they are still a lot better than expected. why are these banks doing so well in the middle of a pandemic, or seem so positive in the middle of a pandemic? it is expectation versus reality. when the covid—19 started, the knee jerk reaction reality. when the covid—19 started, the kneejerk reaction is reality. when the covid—19 started, the knee jerk reaction is to set aside a large sum. that is the knee jerk reaction. as the covid—19 situation develops, things are better than expected. it does not necessarily mean that they are doing much better it is just because they had already set a very low

expectation, worst case scenario already. as things gradually improve they have better revision in expectation, it does not actually mean they are doing better, they are still facing headwinds in terms of covid. and job losses, they are still going to cut 35,000 jobs across the world. this is a familiar tale in the banking sector, jobs are going. yes. as we already talked about, suffering from this profitability issue. it is notjust a covid—19 problem. it exacerbates the headwinds. but the low interest rate environment is here to stay for the next couple of years. that creates pressure for the banks. there is no way but to cut costs especially for banks like hsbc. they

have a very large staff base. not only are they cutting people. the strategy of cost—cutting is closing branches, more people working from home, saving on staff travel costs. that would beat the cost—cutting strategy for the moment for hsbc and other banks. thank you. earlier this year we covered the story of single dad samuel and his two sons — who spent lockdown in their small one bedroomed flat in bristol with nowhere to play outside. and it was tough. two viewers were so moved by samuel's story, they offered the family a free stay at their holiday park in devon. fiona lamdin reports. it is like rabbits in a hatch. we are cooped up. there is not much we can do.

it was six months ago when the country was in full lockdown. they turned into graffiti artists. some good, some bad. samuel and his two boys share this one bedroom flat on the 15th floor. with nearby parks closed and the left often broken this family would spend 23 hours in here. after months of being inside, today they are out. 100 miles away, to north devon. two breakfast viewers wanted to give these boys a break. they offered them their home in devon. we sought them their home in devon. we sought the piece that you did on samuel, on

him living on the 15th floor of a block of flats, trying to get the children not to attach the inside of the lift in case of coronavirus, and it was that that really made me think stop i thought if we could get him down here to north devon, we have got the best beaches, we have got countryside, lots of space to run around here. and for the next week it will be all there is to explore. it is lovely. ijust cannot find the words. it is overwhelming. just to see them doing what they are doing now. 12 steps from one side of the room to the other. eight or ten widthwise. here, they can run wild. loving it. as we head towards a

winter full of unknowns this family —— for this family, this space and freedom feels all the more precious. new york's metropolitan museum of art is marking its one—hundred—and—fiftieth anniversary. as part of the celebrations it's putting on an exhibition about the changing nature of fashion. about time: fashion and duration explores the idea that design can be both linear and cyclical. the bbc‘s tim allman explains. in the world of fashion, everything is new and everything stays the same. look at these dresses. some of them are more than 100 years old. some are much more recent. this giant pendulum represents the passage of time and the evolution of design. instead of staging a masterworks show, we wanted to, in a way, i suppose have a show

that is a meditation on temporality and fashion, in a way. archive: what could be smarter than this dress with diamante effect on collar and cuffs and a pleated skirt? artistically designed, it costs only £3, 17 and six. fashion is and always has been a hugely important and lucrative business. it has fascinated men and women throughout the decades. almost all the dresses here are in black to emphasise the change in silhouette, paying tribute to the famous and not so famous. part of the show is also looking at designers, well—known designers like galliano and issey miyake, but less designers who have been sort of written out of fashion history because they're not so well—known and they didn't maintain their business. who else do you invite to a show like this than anna wintour, editor in chief at vogue? the exhibition runs until early next year, showcasing the spectacular,

the unusual and the timeless. now it's time for a look at the weather with matt. there is some lively weather in the north atlantic at the moment. some phenomenal seas and winds gusting to 100 mph. that is staying to the north—west of as that it will have an influence on our weather. a band of rain confined to the north—east and mainland scotland in the evening. if you show is pushing in to the south and the west. this evening be on the cool side once again. overnight, more persistent rain in the north—east of scotland, edging towards shetland. clear skies and showers elsewhere. readers of skies and coldest conditions the further east you are com further west quite as chilly. it sets us up

for a day of sunshine and blustery showers. some showers heavy with hailand showers. some showers heavy with hail and thunder. when is quite gusty and because of what is going on in the atlantic, we will see rough seas around the atlantic coasts of britain and western ireland, in ireland, there could be waves of more than ten metres in height. longer spells of rain across southern counties of england and wales in the middle part of the day. some of the east will be fairly dry. a blustery day and a fairly cool one. showers most frequent across western scotland into wednesday night. that will be replaced by more persistent rain on thursday. low pressure remains in the north atlantic. it will bring rain across western areas during the day. driest for the longest in the north—east of scotland, brightening up towards the

south—west later. a fairly cloudy day. winds coming into the south—west could detach gale force at times around the coast. it will be eight mile today. a mild will follow. risk of flooding in north—west wales. brighter day on friday for scotland and northern ireland. blustery across the south—east. and the remnants of another hurricane could bring us more wet and windy weather.

this is bbc news — i'm simon mccoy. the headlines at 3: more than 50 conservative mps representing the north of england write to the prime minister — calling for a "clear road map" out of tough restrictions. are asking people to give up huge civil liberties, businesses to close, people to live on two thirds of the normal wages. i don't think it's unreasonable to say that the other side of that coin should be a show was the way out. think catching coronavirus once means you can't catch it again? the latest research suggests you may need to think again. as the presidential election campaign enters its final days — the focus turns to the key swing states set to determine who wins the race. a special report from the syrian city of idlib — where doctors warn of a "covid catastrophe" as the number of positive cases rises tenfold. this winter will be very bad, very dark, very hard.

we don't have many places for people. medikits for them. from lockdown in this one—bedroom flat — to this. the two boys given a break on the beach thanks to a bbc viewer. good afternoon, and welcome to bbc news. with around eight million people now under or about to enter tier 3 lockdown restrictions in england and no sign of figures for covid falling — there's increasing pressure on the government to outline how areas can get those restrictions lifted. more than 50 conservative mps have written a letter to borisjohnson, pressing him for a "clear road map" out of tier 3. the mps — many of whom won labour's so—called red wall seats at the last election —

warn that the pandemic threatens the prime minister's pledge to "level up" northern communities. jonathan blake reports. new parts of england coming under the tightest restrictions. nottingham moves into the very high covid alert level this week, warrington nowjoins other norhtern areas in tier 3. for how long, no one can't be sure. if it's necessary, and everybody abides by the rules, the sooner we'll be out of it and get back to normal. maybe within, what is it, 28 days, we'll be back to tier 2. i think it's needed to happen because the numbers of people with coronavirus are growing. mps are demanding detail, though, on when and how the measures may be lifted. we are asking people to give up huge civil liberties, businesses to close, people to live on two thirds of their normal wages. i don't think it's unreasonable to say that the other side of that coin should be,

show us the way out. more than 50 conservative mps have written to the prime minister, calling for a clear road map out of local lockdown. in their letter, they warn coronavirus threatens to continue to increase the disparity between north and south. they say their constituents have been some of the worst affected by covid, with many losing jobs and businesses, and they asked boris johnson to reflect carefully on the conservatives' promise to people living in the north during the last election, with the levelling up agenda and to make the region central to the country's economic recovery. it's almost a year since boris johnson's landslide election victory. we did it, we did it. tories who took seats from labour, then, are warning their areas risk being left behind now. ministers insist the promised investment has begun. seven towns getting £180 million as part of the £3.6 billion towns fund, 45 of them are in the northern powerhouse,

14 of the hospitals in our hospital building programme is in the northern powerhouse. the mps who wrote this letter insist they're not trying to make trouble for the government, some say they weren't expecting it to be made public, but reminding the prime minister about promises he made at the last election reflects a nervousness among some tory backbenchers that those who voted conservative last time round won't necessarily do so again. the response to coronavirus may have consumed the government for months, but downing street says its ambition for the country is unchanged. some mps are clearly impatient to see the evidence. jonathan blake, bbc news. let's talk to nick eardley — who's at westminster for us. how who's at westminster for us. worried villa borisjoi by how worried villa borisjohnson be by this letter? i think there will bea by this letter? i think there will be a bit ofa by this letter? i think there will be a bit of a jittery feeling today inside number 10. the last few weeks has been pretty bruising for the

government when it comes to its relationship for with the north of england. we have seen labour leader sent no enough brandishing letter saying that the government is short—changing them when it comes to coronavirus support, that certainly did some damage. although the mps who wrote this letter insist they're not how to make things difficult for the prime minister, it's worth noting that 50 tory mps think it's worth reminding the prime minister of the promises he made during the general election campaign, to say to him, look, we get it, coronavirus is taking upa him, look, we get it, coronavirus is taking up a lot of your time. but at the same time, you can't forget about those promises that you made. we now have a new group, the northern research group, as it's called, which will contain to put that pressure on. it essentially means that boris johnson that pressure on. it essentially means that borisjohnson will have another faction of his party prepare to twist his arm a bit to try to persuade him to do the things that they want. number 10 says that

levelling up a gender that talked about during the general election campaign has not gone away, they are still completely committed to it, and we will see more of it in the coming weeks and months. but i think it is significant that a group of mps have felt the need to write this letter and to form a group to make sure that he does so. you wouldn't wa nt to sure that he does so. you wouldn't want to be in number 10 given this and the pressure over the school is real? there was a bunch of people who had never voted conservative seats in the general election who voted tory for the first time. some of that was about brexit, some of it was also about that levelling up agenda, that promise to give a big boost to different parts of the economy. the fracture embroiled in a row with northern leaders from the labour party but also some more than mps with their nervousness about your doing, that is significant. it isa

your doing, that is significant. it is a significant of those communities who voted conservative for the first time are some of those being impacted by things like free school meals, job support schemes— all of which are coming under pressure for potentially not doing enough. that free schools mill campaign, although the government is saying that they are putting loads of money into different welfare programmes, giving councils money to help the most vulnerable — it's definitely been damaging for the government. there are a number of tory mps basically pulling their hair out that the government has not sold their plan better on that. it's a common belief that if you catch coronavirus once, you can't catch it again — but new research casts doubt on that. scientists say the proportion of people with coronavirus antibodies has been falling, suggesting immunity may only last a few months. researchers at imperial college london found the number of people testing positive for antibodies dropped by around a quarter betweenjune and september. naomi grimley reports. antibodies are a key part of our immune defences and stop

the virus from getting inside the body's cells. but a study of 350,000 people who have had antibody tests shows they do not last forever. at the end ofjune, 6% had antibodies, but by september it was only 4%. immunity is likely to wane over time after you have been infected, even if you have, you know that you have had, coronavirus, you have had covid, then you cannot be sure you will not get it again. and therefore we advise everybody to follow recommendations about hand hygiene, mask wearing and keeping distance from people. that is the first thing. and secondly, yes, of course it means that we are really in need of a vaccine which will, hopefully, produce a more long—lived immunity. the tailing off of antibodies may not be the whole story. there is another arm of the immune system called t—cells, and the science on that is still evolving. they are white blood cells

that patrol the body, they inspect every cell in the body and they can see cells that have viruses growing in them. if cells show the signs, t—cells are equipped with missiles that they can basically fire into those cells and destroy them. meanwhile, new data from the office for national statistics shows that uk covid—19 deaths have risen by 60% in the last week, shown here in red. it is only a fraction of the peak seen in april, but it is still a reminder that the situation is worsening. indeed, the world health organization is worried about a similar trend across europe. right now we are well behind this virus in europe, so getting ahead of it is going to take some serious acceleration in what we do and maybe a much more comprehensive nature of measures that are going to be needed to catch up with and get ahead of this virus. we have still got a lot to learn about how covid—19 affects our bodies.

this latest research on immunity is another piece of the jigsaw. it will shape the government's scientific advice, which in turn shapes our lives. naomi grimley, bbc news. professor graham cooke is a co—author of the latest report from the react—2 study, and is with me now. thank you for your time. in these reinfection is that we are looking at would suggest that things could be worse than we thought, that this virus could be endemic until there isa virus could be endemic until there is a vaccine, and perhaps even after that? can you hear me, professors? i think we have a problem with our line, let's pull away from that for a moment. such a long question, i think we probably was the line

during that period, but i will rethink my question and we will re—establish our line with him. people have been expecting this because for quite a while, nottingham was at the top of the transmission rate right across the country. those numbers did come down last week, the numbers here and now more than half of what they were last week but local leaders have been talking about moving the city and surrounding boroughs into tier 3 and that will happen from one minute past midnight on thursday, people have been expecting this because for quite a while, nottingham was at the top of the transmission rate meaning nottingham city on the side of the trent and rushcliffe on the other side along with other boroughs, closest to the city centre, the suggestion from some people is that that is down to students, the number of them coming back to the city in september causing numbers to surge and it is the inner boroughs they tend to live in. there will be tighter restrictions, what we don't have is the precise detail of what will stay open and what will close but local

leaders say they expect it to be in line with what other areas have faced as they have gone into the very high level alert restrictions. we don't know what the financial package will be yet in terms of support for businesses but it is expected to be in line although the local city council leader here says he does not think it is enough. across nottinghamshire, to the north of the county, places like mansfield and worksop will remain in tier 2 with the rest of nottinghamshire, for people here around nottingham, the tighter restrictions will be in place from thursday morning. that was dan johnson, that was danjohnson, this is professor graham cooke. we are talking about antibodies, and the fa ct talking about antibodies, and the fact they would be expected to decline over time but the latest research suggests it is happening much quicker than some people perhaps thought? that's right. we have seen in three rounds of surveys that we have done at the end of june, july and august, when we looked at groups of over 100,000

people, the proportion of people with a positive test fell from 6% at the end ofjune to 4.4% at the end of september, so that you seem like quite a significant change in a relatively short period of time. quite a significant change in a relatively short period of timem a huge pressure on a vaccine which everybody thought would solve less, but this suggests that even with a vaccine it might not be enough?” don't think we had to worry too much about it, it doesn't change the overall need for a vaccine. we know at the end of april, even after that, the great majority of the country has not had immunity and remain susceptible. there are lots of different vaccines in production, which all work in different ways. it may well be that a vaccine can generate a better immune response in the natural infection, settling that will be the hope, how long that will

that will last for we don't know. like other vaccines, we need to get blisters and repeat those things, so that may also be true for covid vaccines and that is what going on around that. i think it is a change in the vaccine going forward. what is the say to those who are pushing herd immunity still is a way out of this? i think even before this data, the arguments supporting head immunity asa the arguments supporting head immunity as a strategy are pretty thin. as of april, we knew that a large proportion of the population did not have evidence of protective immunity at one point. i think the idea of trying to isolate one part of the population while others get the infection is, in theory, something that might be more attractive there can in reality. if it is the case that immunity is waning, that becomes even harder to sustain. it is important to say that we don't know for sure that what we're seeing in terms of the

reduction in people testing positive does mean that they are vulnerable to reinfection, we still do we have to reinfection, we still do we have to understand what it is in the immune system that protects people from reinfection. that is work that is going on in many parts of the world at the moment. the moment we understand that we will be able to understand that we will be able to understand the implications more clearly. for those of us who don't have professor in front of that name, what does it mean in terms of the future of this virus? will it be with us a bit like flu is now, not something we will get totally rid of? or is there still hope that this can be put away? we know it's possible to put the virus away. certainly, some countries have achieved that with the measures they have undertaken. i think you have to bear that in have undertaken. i think you have to bearthat in mind. have undertaken. i think you have to bear that in mind. at the same time, we also know there are some legacies of the same family that have evolved so that they can survive. they do that by preventing the immune

system, creating a long—lasting effect. clearly, the coronavirus is still with us and we still know where it will end up. it is entirely possible that this virus will be something we will have to live with longer term. you are cu offer of this new report. is there a moment when you see the raw data when you sort of go, wow, i wasn't expecting that. was this one of those moments? we were certainly hoping that we would see anna, which coagulation people with positive test, that was set on the more encouraging in the sense of more antibody detection emerging in the population. from other viruses, we know that we have seen this pattern, so it is not entirely surprising. i think seeing it so clearly was something that we we re it so clearly was something that we were not quite expecting. good to talk to you, professor graham cooke.

thank you for persevering with us. the headlines on bbc news: more than 50 conservative mps representing the north of england write to the prime minister, calling for a "clear roadmap" out of tough restrictions. think catching coronavirus once means you can't catch it again? the latest research suggests you may need to think again. as the presidential election campaign enters its final days — the focus turns to the key swing states set to determine who wins the race footballer marcus rashford's high—profile campaign for free meals during school holidays is keeping up the pressure as he receives the support of more and more businesses. he's asked them for details ofjust how many free meals they are distributing. frankie mccamley reports. 45 packed lunches in skipton, 150 pasta pots in bradford, and almost 100 butties heading out for delivery in dewsbury. the local businesses have all come together following marcus rashford's call to help feed the country's

hungry children over half term. in just one day, thousands of meals were sent out. it's a lifeline for many families, including leah hill, who receives food parcels to help feed her children. it is helpful for when you've run out of cash. like, i get paid fortnightly but it's still very hard with the bills you pay. when they're at school it's a lot better because they don't eat as much because they get dinners at school. and at this restaurant, in stevenage, it is clear how much the meals matter. in some ways, i felt embarrassed about having to do this, but it's about ensuring my son's eating properly. i know i try my best normally, but during half terms, or even any holidays, it's always difficult. following a pilot across 17 local authorities providing free school meals over the holidays, the head of the government's national food strategy, henry dimbleby, says the government needs to continue with this support. this problem is real,

it should go without saying it is serious, it is immediate and it is going to get worse as employment gets worse. and that the government is not doing enough. in—kind support — so in the form of food, education — actually has shown to have a better impact than putting the same small amount of money into universal credit. the government is reported to be considering extra funds for councils to set up holiday clubs, but some say time is of the essence. these children are frightened and they are suffering serious ill health as a result of this. and when you combine that with poor nutrition, what you end up is with poor cognition and poor development. as the row rumbles on and ministers face growing public pressure to help struggling families, businesses and communities continue to prepare, pack and deliver their support. frankie mccamley, bbc news.

a new initiative involving the public, private, and voluntary sectors to try to deal with the social and economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic across the manchester city region is being set up. it's being co—ordinated by the greater manchester mayor, andy burnham. the former england assistant football manager, gary neville, said local people and businesses had been confused by inconsistent direction from government about tackling the pandemic, and called on regional leaders to come up with a sustainable way forward. we area we are a little confused. i think the people of greater manchester in the people of greater manchester in the last few weeks have felt very proud by its leaders, in terms of demonstrating that resilience and robustness, and the fact we are just not going to accept what is occurring at this moment in time. we feel hard done to. i think businesses, we will always work together in greater manchester to try and gain a better outcome. we don't want a better outcome than other places in the country but we wa nt to other places in the country but we want to be treated fairly. when i look at what's happening at this

moment in time, particularly in sports, where we see in the albert hall in london you can have a tendency is for events but you can't have football fa ns tendency is for events but you can't have football fans in the stadiums when a events have been carried out. when we think out his place in hospitality at ten o'clock in the evening, randomly. istill don't know what the differences between m, 10pm on 1am. from our point of view, this inconsistency in direct information is draining the confidence of us all, it is confusing us all. we have to find a sustainable way forward. we have to put health first, we have to follow the guidelines, we have to make sure that we are gap to the protocols that we are gap to the protocols that we are gap to the protocols that we all have had two over the last few months. we have to remember that the defence of the football tea m that the defence of the football team and the situation is that we have to put health first. however, it is causing a great deal of stress at home not moving the economy

forward. we are losing jobs, people are uncertain, they are getting anxious, and it is having a great deal of impact on pupils lives away from the pandemic situation. i hope this next couple of months, the pressure that the leaders within greater manchester, the business community, the people of greater manchester, can come up with some solutions which would create short to medium—term sustainable ways of going forward. missing is not going away, we will not be out of this in ten minutes, we will be out of it in ten minutes, we will be out of it in ten months, maybe 12 months, maybe 15 months. we don't know. so we can't stand still, standing still is not an option. we have to make sure that the people that this virus and patch the mouse are economically protected, but the rest of us have to find a way to move things forward and a shift forward. if we stand still, the impact of us will be

devastating, no be for the next 12 yea rs, devastating, no be for the next 12 years, because the longer term impacts will be devastating. i hope that we can continue to work with the council leaders within greater manchester to fight for our cause. we will support you in whichever way we can. we know there is a shortfall, which i'm sure that the council of greater manchester will work to make sure that the support required for our communities is there. a man has died and another person is missing after a small fishing boat carrying migrants capsized in the english channel this morning. french officials confirmed that three of the remaining 17 people onboard had gone into cardiac arrest, including two children. others are being treated in hospitals in dunkirk and calais. the boat was trying to reach the south coast of england after departing france earlier today. there are just seven days to go before election day in the united states. although donald trump is trailing in the national polls, the key state races that will decide

the presidency are much tighter. our washington correspondent, gary o'donoghue, told me that there are six or seven of them that will be crucial in the final reckoning. in terms of the upper midwest, we're talking pennsylvania, michigan, wisconsin, those were the states that really won it for donald trump last time round. he is falling behind quite significantly, particularly in michigan, there's a sort of six, seven point difference there. in wisconsin, slightly less, by about a point. even in pennsylvania, which is going to be the pivot state we think, he is between four and five points ahead, and has been pretty consistently there, joe biden. other states, too. he's ahead in florida with a one to two point gap. arizona about the same, and north carolina. that's why you're seeing the president doing a blitz of the upper midwest. today the vice president is in north carolina for three separate rallies today. the other thing worth noting, 65 million people have already cast their ballot this time around. that is just shy of 50% of the total

of votes cast in the last election. last time, the total early vote was 47 million, so we're already 18 million votes above that with week to go. that tells me this is going to be a huge turnout election. the metropolitan police are investigating a traffic collision involving labour leader sir keir starmer and a cyclist in north london on sunday. the cyclist — who reportedly has minor injuries following a collision with a car — was taken to hospital as a precaution. sir keir is not thought to have been injured and reported the incident to the police later that day. mobile phone companies have been ordered to stop selling phones locked to one network. the regulator ofcom says the move should result in better deals and less inconvenience for consumers. the firms have said they'll work with ofcom to comply with its guidelines. earlier this year, we covered the story of single dad samuel and his two sons — who spent lockdown in their small

one—bedroom flat in bristol with nowhere to play outside. and it was tough. two viewers were so moved by samuel's story, they offered the family a free stay at their holiday park in devon. fiona lamdin reports. it's like rabbits in a hutch — we're all cooped up. there's not that much we can do — cos we're just in a one—bedroom. when we first met single dad samuel... when we go in the lifts, what do we do? we spray. ..it was six months ago, when the country was in full lockdown. if you could pan around and see the walls, they've turned into graffiti artists! some good, some bad. samuel and his two boys — six—year—old lysander and three—year—old zenduel — share this one—bedroom flat on the 15th floor. with nearby parks closed and the lifts often broken, this family would spend 23 hours in here.

but after months of being inside, today, they're off. holiday! go on, then. 100 miles away to north devon. at last! ken and sheila — bbc breakfast viewers — wanted to give samuel and his boys a break, so they offered them their home in devon. we saw your piece that you did on samuel, about him living on the 15th floor of a block of flats and trying to, you know, get the children not to touch the inside of the lifts in case they picked up the virus. and it was that that really made me think. took you back to when you were little. yeah, i lived in east london in a block of flats. i thought, if we could get him down here to north devon, you know, they've got the best beaches. we got all countryside, lots of space. so you can run round here, there's room. and for the next week, it'll be all theirs to explore. oh, it's lovely!

the boys are enjoying themselves. i don't know, i can't find the words. it's just. . . overwhelming. just to see them doing what they're doing now. twelve steps from one side of the room to the other and probably eight or ten width wise, but here — look. just run wild! beautiful. look at them — loving it. as we head towards a winter full of unknowns, for this family, this space and this freedom feels all the more precious. fiona lamdin, bbc news. now it's time for a look at the weather with matt. the band of rain which started across the south and west of the country early this morning finishes the day to the north and east. elsewhere, a bit of a late afternoon sunshine, clear skies and showers

into the evening and overnight, most frequent across western areas, some quite heavy, the breeze also picking up. the lightest of the winds to the eastern counties of england and scotland, where temperatures will drop the furthest into single figures. a chilly start to wednesday, reina lingers around a shetland, sunshine and showers elsewhere. a blustery day for all and fairly cool. staying blustery into wednesday evening, but to go with those winds tomorrow will be pretty rough seas. bye for now.

hello, this is bbc news. the headlines.

more than 50 conservative mps representing the north of england write to the prime minister, calling for a "clear road map" out of tough restrictions. we are asking people to give up single liberties, business is to close, people to live on two thirds of normal wages, it is not unreasonable to say that the other side of that coin should be, shall as their way out. think catching coronavirus once means you can't catch it again? the latest research suggests you may need to think again. as the presidential election campaign enters its final days the focus turns to the key swing states set to determine who wins the race. a special report from the syrian city of idlib where doctors warn of a covid catastrophe — as the number of positive cases rises tenfold. from lockdown in this one—bedroom flat — to this. the two boys given a break on the beach thanks to a bbc viewer. as the brutal civil war continues in syria there are fears that the humanitarian disaster

will be made even worse by coronavirus. the healthcare system has already been decimated by years of fighting — and cramped makeshift accomodation makes it likely outbreaks of the virus would quickly take hold. darren conway reports from the rebel—held province of idlib. the road to idlib has been a journey of misery for so many. this is one of the last remaining parts of syria that hasn't been retaken by the regime. millions of civilians have funnelled into this little corner of north—west syria in an attempt to escape the fighting. but the people that live here are about to face yet another battle — covid—19. dr kaddour is head of the two largest hospitals in idlib. he's one of only 600 doctors for a population ofjust over 4 million people. very few covid tests are being done.

while we were here, an average of 400 were carried out a day. up to 40% of those tested positive. aeroplanes, rockets, corona, angry, poor, security, it's the same. all of them, all of these terms mean for us death. life is already tough enough here. it's a daily fight for survival. a free food hand—out quickly turns into a mob. but there are no masks to be seen. at times like this, prayer is about the only support the people here can rely on. but at this mosque, there is no social distancing. and if you thought that it was tough living in idlib city, just take a look at the refugee camps —

up to 1.5 million people living in filthy, cramped conditions. this is atma camp. it's one of the largest. people live on top of each other, sharing everything from tents to bathrooms, food and water. this seems like the perfect breeding ground for the virus, yet the official statistics show that only a handful of people have tested positive here. one of the reasons for this is that only people who are showing symptoms and are willing to come forward are being tested. but there's a stigma that comes along with being a covid carrier here. little zane has the virus. he caught it from his father. translation: people have treated me as if i'm disgraced. if they see me in the streets, they walk away from me. a couple of days ago, i went to get some groceries from the store and people moved away from me as if i am the virus, as if i will kill them. so, unlike zane and his father, most people would prefer to suffer through the illness in silence which, in camps like

this, means that they are super spreaders. would you say that the virus is out of control in the camps? it's out of control, yes, absolutely. this winter will be very bad, very dark, very hard. we do not have many places for people in the camp, we do not have many medi kits for these, we do not have many fuel to make children and babies and women more warm in the camp. we do not have food enough for them. no one really knows just how bad the outbreak is in the camps. this is a population who have already endured the worst of humanity. it's hard to imagine, but if the outbreak in the camps is as bad as predicted, life here

is about to become even harder. covid—19 has "thrived" among black, asian and ethnic minority communities in the uk because of race discrimination, the labour party has found in a report. last week, a government adviser said "structural racism" is not in itself a " reasonable expla nation" for differing infection rates. but the report's author, baroness doreen lawrence, said ethnic minority groups were "over—exposed to the virus" and faced barriers to healthcare. she spoke to public transport workers and other front—line staff — including one nurse who said she was afraid to go to work. when she said, you know, "i didn't go to work to die," that was such a telling thing for me and that's what choked me because, you know, it's the fear of nurses and doctors that they have that fear, even though they want to do the best they can for their patients, that hasn't changed. but the mere fact is the impact of not having the right protective equipment that they feel they need,

or they've been given and it doesn't fit. one size does not fit all. the world health organisation has called for europe to "seriously accelerate" its fight against coronavirus. a string of countries have reported record increases in cases, led by france, which a day after topping 50,000 new infections, has recorded its largest number of people in hospital since april. the czech republic has followed spain in introducing a nationwide night time curfew, and dining has been banned in italy's restaurants after 6pm. mark lobel reports. an initially peaceful protest at anti—coronavirus measures in italy again spills over into violence. here in turin, the closure of dining in restaurants at 6pm is too much to stomach for those complaining the economic repercussions are simply indigestible. but according to the world health organization, even europe's most recent measures may not quell

the virus enough. sometimes in a race, you can use certain tactics at a certain time. right now, we are well behind this virus in europe, so getting ahead of it is going to take some serious acceleration in what we do. for the czech government, with 7300 new cases just recorded, that means implementing a night—time curfew from wednesday for at least a week. and incredibly, in the belgian city of liege, doctors there have been asked to keep working even if they have coronavirus to prevent the health system collapsing. there are similarfears in spain with around 17,000 new covid cases reported a day. according to spain's emergency

health chief, if cases continue to rise over the next two weeks, it is possible by the middle or third week of november that intensive care units may be close to collapse and certainly in a critical condition. and now in norway, new measures are being introduced after 1200 cases were reported last week. limits are being introduced to keep private gatherings and business meetings to under 50 people and a new ten day quarantine role for foreign workers entering from some of the worst hit countries, including france where hospitals registered over 1300 new coronavirus patients on monday in the highest one—day increase since april. in this hospital in newcastle in the uk, a sobering reminder from one covid patient why european governments feel the need to act. i remember getting up at about three o'clock in the morning to use the bathroom. the next thing i remember, i was on my hands and knees, on all fours on the landing,

gasping for breath. i didn't think i was going to come out of it. i was very frightened. as coronavirus cases rise, hospitals are facing more pressure throughout the uk and nhs staff are having to cope with competing demands. more than a thousand people have been admitted to hospital on average every day in the week up to last monday. so how prepared are they? our medical editor fergus walsh has been given access to the royal victoria infirmary in newcastle. intensive care, the sharp end of the covid—19 pandemic. the disease hasn't changed, but now doctors know much more about how best to treat it, such as only using ventilators for the very sickest patients. the experiences we had the beginning of the year, they've certainly made it easier for

us to have a feel for which patients we need to admit to critical care urgently, which patients we can maybe send to a respiratory ward. really, right at the beginning, we didn't really know how long people would need to be on a ventilatorfor, and who would get better. and i think we've got a much better understanding of that. it means many patients are getting better sooner, and spending less time in hospital. the most frightening thing that ever happened to me. albert, who's 67, collapsed at home in the middle of the night, but is now out of intensive care. he thinks many don't take coronavirus seriously enough. it can attack anybody. it doesn't pick and choose, but it's certainly not a joke, that's the last thing it is. the royal victoria infirmary has far fewer covid patients than in april. the staff feel better prepared this time, but know they face a long winter. i think it took a lot of courage first time round for our staff to come and face up and front up to this, to a disease

we were unfamiliar with. i also think the familiarity we have with it now means that processes are smoother, we feel that days are shorter. it's still a challenge, there's no doubt about that. the hospital is expanding its intensive care facilities. this ward is being revamped, ready to deal with any surge. the rvi treated the very first confirmed covid patients in the uk in late january. back then, the disease was a complete unknown. now, half the patients here, like gordon, are taking part in clinical trials, looking for new treatments. i just want to help. if you... you know, if you don't do anything in life to help others, you don't feel so good. so it's just important to say yes, weigh up the consequences and the side effects,

which are all clearly printed, and it's a no—brainer. in march, nonurgent surgery was postponed to make way for covid. this winter the rv! says it's determined to keep other services going, such as hip replacements and cataract operations — things that can make a big difference to people's lives. but so much depends on coronavirus. there is only one set of staff. the more covid there is in the city, the more other patients could lose out. fergus walsh, bbc news, newcastle. earlier in the house of lords they we re earlier in the house of lords they were debating the proposal to bring ina were debating the proposal to bring in a free school meals during the school holidays.

this is labour's lord griffiths speaking earlier. my mother, a single woman, her only income was contributions of national assistance. we lived in one room. i remember very clearly, i can still taste and smell it, that mounting panic ahead of the school holidays, because the income we had would not stretch to a feeding to boys and a mother in that the. marcus rashford andi mother in that the. marcus rashford and i have this and probably only this in common. we remember, not in our heads, but in our whole bodies. an old atoning cannot be expected to have had the same experience. some local councils will draw money in the way that the government is suggesting from allocations they

have received. other local authorities will not. some communities will rise to the challenge. other communities will not. some children will get through. most will not. can the noble lady, the minister, give us some rear students, not hide behind global figures, and understand that the postcode lottery is not a formula thatis postcode lottery is not a formula that is distant to help the well—being of our children? that is distant to help the well-being of our children? that was lord griffiths in the lord earlier. now we will go to holyrood, the first minister has beginning and at eight on coronavirus restrictions in scotland. 82 people are in intensive care, eat fewer than yesterday. in the past 24 hours i am sorry to report that 25 additional deaths have been registered, which takes the total number of deaths under that daily measurement to 2726. i want to send

again my condolences to all those who are grieving. that rise in cases we are seeing in scotland as part of an international patent. it is reflected elsewhere in the uk, europe and across the world. many countries across europe in particular face countries across europe in particularface a much more countries across europe in particular face a much more severe situation than we do currently. however it is to dry to avoid that kind of deterioration and to dry to avoid mounting pressure on our national health service that we are acting firmly at this stage. it is when we acted back in september to stop household gatherings and then took further actions earlier this month to restrict hospitality. the positive news is that we believe the restriction on household gatherings may already be having an effect. that number of new cases is growing more slowly than at the start of the month. we have not seen the nine—day doubling of cases that was predicted earlier this month. we hope that the effect of the difficult and i know and welcome restrictions on hospitality which have been enforced now for just over two weeks will

soon start to be seen as well. our hope is that the rate of increase in new cases will soar even further and that we will then see a decline in the number of new cases. if we do see that progress it is important to stress that that will be down to a reduction in our interactions with each other as a result of the restrictions in place. it is important to bear in mind that as i run through some of the detail of the new levels, because while this is difficult for all of as, and it is difficult for all of as, and it is difficult for businesses, it is by reducing our interactions with people in other households and in environments with higher risks of transmission, that we will continue to make progress. all of that said, our positionjust to make progress. all of that said, our position just now is still fragile and it is too early to draw firm conclusions. cases are still rising. that is not a stable position to bn. given that are entering winter, covid is likely to present a continued significant challenge for us with higher numbers of cases that we want to see for

some time to come. in addition, given that lag effect associated with the incubation period of the virus and how it affects people over time, wheels we are also likely to see hospital and i see you admissions, and unfortunately death, rise for some time yet, even as we hope the rate of increase in cases continues to slow. all of this means that we must continue to be very cautious and we must take the action is necessary to suppress the virus to the lowest possible levels. given that we are likely to be living with this virus for a while it also means that we must try to be proportionate and as targeted as possible in the actions that we take. this virus... lam keen actions that we take. this virus... i am keen to understand where we are with asymptomatic testing. does the government now accept that self isolation of the 80% who have the virus but are not showing symptoms isa virus but are not showing symptoms

is a benefit that outweighs any of disadvantages? we think it is important and valuable to extend asymptomatic testing. we have done that already. the clinical advice was published in a paper last week from our advisers, the priority for that should be to protect the most vulnerable, i will come to this in more detail later on. the priority in terms of testing is for people with symptoms but we will notjust extend asymptomatic testing for those who can help us protect the vulnerable groups, but you will extend that further as capacity allows, as part of our increased surveillance and managing outbreaks. i agree with willie rennie in principle it is important that we have to bounce the capacities we have to bounce the capacities we have with the clinical priorities that have been set. as i was seeing, the virus does direct harm to human life and health and we must minimise

that. we also know that the actions that. we also know that the actions that retake to do this because harm as well, to the economy and living standards, and to wider health and well—being. the difficult task all countries have is to balance all of that minimise the... the strategic five levels are designed to do that. having five levels does not prevent us from applying restrictions consistently across the country if thatis consistently across the country if that is deemed necessary but it means we can avoid a one size fits all approach, a country with... such an approach is more proportionate but the downside is that techniques the messages we communicate more complex. to help with that we will be launching a new postcode checker to allow people to know what restrictions are in place in their area at any given time. the detail within each level is intended to give people greater certainty what to expect at different rates of

transmission but it is important that we retain some flexibility. i wa nt to that we retain some flexibility. i want to be clear that we will keep the detail of each level under review at the situation develops and that may be particularly important for the hospitality industry. just on that point, i wonder if that first minister would advise parliament whether or not scrutiny will be given of the new framework in terms of an opportunity to scrutinise the connected regulations before they are actually implemented? yes, we will be having, andi implemented? yes, we will be having, and i hope these discussions will be fruitful, with other opposition parties. we will suggest perhaps there is a dual approach to this. relatively minor changes to regulations go through the committee, more substantial changes would require plenary input from parliament. we are open—minded to that, it is important to recognise

that, it is important to recognise that levels will be implemented by effectively template regulations which the committee will be able to scrutinise in the normal way. any changes to areas going in and out of levels but also trigger changes to the regulations which the committee will be able to scrutinise. if they are more substantial changes i suspect there will be a desire for the parliament to be involved in that. we will continue to try to seek... i will take one more inventing —— more intervention. these are extremely difficult times for everybody. for no one more than the first minister, i am sure. but scrutiny is absolutely essential. we have been given a number of documents at 12 o'clock today to try and work our way through. this is very complex stuff. we have had no opportunity to consult with businesses in our area, local authorities in our area, and constituents, who are writing to us in theirdroves on constituents, who are writing to us in their droves on a number of issues. can i make a plea to the

first minister. during the brexit legislation we were able to do things in this parliament quickly that allowed proper scrutiny of emergency legislation. we cannot go on as we are at the moment having things imposed without scrutiny. it is absolutely essential we do that. my plea to the first minister is to open this up to far more scrutiny than we have had to date. in principle i actually agree with neil finlay, the one caveat i would inject a year, unlike brexit, we are dealing with an infectious virus, there is importance for the government to be able to act quickly for that is necessary. i agree, the further we go into this we need to balance that with the legitimate demands for parliaments, notjust to be consulted and have the ability to

scrutinise, but to do that in early and before changes are made, wherever that is possible. i have a commitment today to try to facilitate that as much as possible. we have a debate and vote on the overall free today. when we announce the application of that framework, that will trigger scrutiny of the legislation is and will give effect to that. then there will be changes to that. then there will be changes to the regulations that will affect changes to that level is framework. there will be scrutiny in the ordinary course of events and we wa nt to ordinary course of events and we want to try to build greater scrutiny into that as well. i appreciate that parliament is getting information sometimes at short notice. we will try to provide as much notice as possible. i spent last week, i find as much notice as possible. i spent last week, ifind it as much notice as possible. i spent last week, i find it useful, as much notice as possible. i spent last week, ifind it useful, three hours with other party leaders, developing understanding of what we we re developing understanding of what we were bringing parliament today. i give a commitment that i will try within the context of what we are dealing with right now to involve

parliament and as much scrutiny as possible. let me try to make some progress. i want to summarise for parliament today the levels that we are proposing. levels one, two, three, are intended to be broadly comparable, not identical, to the three levels deployed in england. i explained on friday that the baseline level, zero, the lowest level of restrictions, it is similar to the state of affairs that applied in august when we had to suppress the virus to low levels. we consider this to be the closest to normality we can get to it without better treatment or a vaccine for covid and we remain hopeful about the prospects of both of these scientific develops over the next few months. level one are similar to restrictions we had in mid—september as cases started to rise again but prevalence remained low. our objective is to get all parts of the country to level zero or a level one and remain there if we can. the

restrictions we propose for level two are similarto restrictions we propose for level two are similar to those currently apply across scotland outside the central belt. level three resembles the tougher restrictions we currently apply in the central belt. level four, which we hope not to have to use, envisages something closer to a full lockdown, for example nonessential shops would be closed at that level. even at level four, up to six people from two households could still meet outdoors and the manufacturing and construction businesses would remain open. levels two and three and intended to apply for short periods of time and level four or be deployed only if absently necessary asa deployed only if absently necessary as a short, sharp intervention to address extremely high transmission rates. under all five levels we want schools and childcare to remain open if at all possible. since publishing the proposed levels on friday we have consulted with stakeholders, and consultations have included discussions with opposition leaders.

it is not possible to accommodate all the asks of different sectors and still suppress the virus but i confirm can that we have decided to some changes that will hopefully be welcomed. these relate to childcare, child parenting, retail, bingo, numbers allowed at weddings. full details are on the revised table circulated earlier and will be made available on the scottish government website. before turning to hospitality any bit of detail, because that is one of the sectors bearing the biggest impact of current restrictions, let me mention one other hopefully temporary change. the table published on friday envisaged at level one we would be able to meet with six people from two households in our own homes but it also made clear that this might change in some circumstances. public health advice to ministers is that if a decision is taken this week to remove any area to level one, cant prohibition on meeting anyone from other households in our own should remain in place for a period as an extra

precaution. we intend to accept this advice but that position will be reviewed weekly. i will take one more intervention. will she recognise that in rural and small island areas the option of meeting in venues or outside practically is moved into the winter months is going to be problematic and therefore at the restrictions in place is likely to reduce public confidence and possibly compliance with the restrictions.” confidence and possibly compliance with the restrictions. i will come on island committees and more detail ina on island committees and more detail in a second. i do recognise that. that is why i hope this will be a short—term temporary change. it is advice about how we transition to this new system with precautions still in place. i want to turn to hospitality and describe the restrictions that will apply in each level and outline any changes to the current situation. i hope the changes will be welcome but i know the sectoral had wanted to see fewer

restrictions especially at level three. i will explain why we do not consider that possible at this stage but i want to be clear that we will continue dialogue with the sector on the proposals it has put forward. we also intend to establish an expert advisory group on reintroducing safe low—level music and background noise. level zero hospitality will operate almost normally, subject to rules and physical distance and, then it's on numbers, and other mitigation such as table service only. level one will be similar but with a curfew closing time. that would be have passed ten rather than ten p m. level two is broadly comparable to the restrictions currently in place outside the central belt. currently in these areas hospitality can operate normally outdoors with an early closing time to stop i know this gets more difficult in winter. i'm going to make progress if that is ok and if! going to make progress if that is ok and if i have time i will come back to you. that will continue to be the case under level two but the closing time will be extended to 1030.

premises can open indoors for services of food and nonalcoholic drinks only until 6pm, at level two that would be extended to 8pm and alcohol would be permitted with meal. in the central belt tougher restrictions, only catholics can open until 6pm for food and nonalcoholic drinks —— only cathy —— only cafes can open until six game forfood only cafes can open until six game for food and nonalcoholic drinks. i must stress that areas at level three are currently the editor of the highest levels of infection to stop ourjudgment the highest levels of infection to stop our judgment is the highest levels of infection to stop ourjudgment is that to is up any more at this stage, particularly as our progress remain so fragile, could have risked tipping these levels closer to level four, rather

than have them make the progress we wa nt to than have them make the progress we want to see towards a level two. assuming parliament agrees the overall framework today, i will confirm on thursday what they will each local authority will replace into initially, and this will be with effect from monday and will be reviewed on a weekly basis. these decisions will be based on advice from the government's advisors and a national incident management team, we are also concerned him with local authorities. while we will initially apply measures to hold local authority areas, we will look at any situation in the future when it might make more sense to be more targeted. for example, a different approach for the argyle islands lying to the rest of the argyll and bute area. we are publishing a detailed paper that will guide these decisions. we will look at actual and projected cases per 100,000 population and projections for hospital and i see you capacity. different facials for these will apply a different levels. it is

important to stress that these will not involve the application of a single statistic or even a basket of this to stress that these will not involve the application of a single statistic or even a basket of statistics. as we migrate initially to this new system, we will be deliberately cautious. as i said earlier, we are seeing signs of progress but the situation is fragile and it could go in the wrong direction is fragile and it could go in the wrong directions so we must ta ke in the wrong directions so we must take care. i hope you have in the next couple of weeks, if progress in local authorities dropping down a level. but initially, most are likely to stay broadly in at the same category as it now. final decisions have not been taken but i wa nted decisions have not been taken but i wanted a parliament broad indication today of what that means. they sent about area currently under the toughest restrictions are likely to be at level three initially, and most of the rest of the country is likely to start at level two. there are some exceptions under consideration. it is hoped that the

highlands, orkney, shetland, the western isles and moray might go to level one. less positively, we believe the escalating situation in dundee city makes it possible it might go to level three. we are considering whether the very high rate of transmission and hospital admissions in north and south lanarkshire may admissions in north and south la narkshire may necessitate admissions in north and south lanarkshire may necessitate a move to level four. these are the only areas being considered for a move to level four. there have been encouraging signs of the last few days that the situation in lanarkshire may days that the situation in la narkshire may have days that the situation in lanarkshire may have stabilised and it so we won't take their decisions if we cannot avoid it. for all of scotland, our aim is to get to level one and then to level zero of the framework as quickly as it is possible to do. we know it is possible to do. we know it is possible because over the summer we got to the very low levels of transmission that would be needed for that. if we can do that once, we

can do it again, but it will not be easy. it will take action from the government to support the wider efforts, that is why our strategic approach does not simply set up restrictions, it also spans how we will expand testing and the steps will expand testing and the steps will take to better support people to comply with the rules, especially on self isolation. we set out details of our test expansion in the paper published last week. finally, we know that while government has the responsibility to lead success. success against levi douglas will depend on all of us. it is difficult, frustrating, and getting more so by the day, especially as we head towards christmas— but if we dig in and out and get covid on that more control we perhaps opened the door to more normality than we have right now. we all want to see that. please, i am asking people to stick with it. as of monday, check what restrictions apply in your area.

please stay outside of pupils houses exit from the exceptions allowed. two metres distance and, washing their hands, self—isolating and getting a test if you have symptoms. all of us must try to be as possible, we have to make hard sacrifices but they will help protect you and your loved ones, the nhs and they will help to save lives. right now, that's what we must all pull together to seek to do. i call on ruth davidson, followed by richard leonard. we are where we did not want to be, in a mess of a second wave, hospital wards filling up, shops and businesses forced to close, many worried they will never reopen. we have no date for a vaccine and there is an increasing realisation that a start stop approach to shutting down society may buy us time and space

but it is not a solution. governments across the silence adopting a tiered system approach to see you through the winter and into the new unit with national, regional and local variation stop the idea is to suppress the virus, cut infection and reduce pressure on our nhs services. i want tojoin and reduce pressure on our nhs services. i want to join the and reduce pressure on our nhs services. i want tojoin the first minister in thanking those doctors, nurses, clinicians and staff who are now steeling themselves for the weeks and months ahead. today's position is a chastening one, but we do have a number of elements in our favour— i publicly wants to help and will do its bit if these ructions are clear and the reasoning is sound. we have more information and data to inform our decision—making. i believe there is also a political will that transcends party colours to see you through this challenge. on launching the framework, the first minister said that she sought suggestion for errors that could be between two and three, questions to between two and three, questions to be considered and consents to be raised. the conservative amendment todayis raised. the conservative amendment today is designed to build and improve on the proposes on the

table. let's start with where we are in full agreement and alignment with the scottish government. they need to recognise the importance of local health authorities and health boards in this process to make sure that the people delivering on the ground have the eldest possible input on what they have been asked to enact. also on keeping the school is open asa also on keeping the school is open as a priority. the first minister knows we have been unwavering in our recreation on the importance of the physical opening an attendance of skills. where plans for blended learning would be no refunds for half days and half weeks, we were clear that i our young people had been damaging nothing at this pandemic and keeping it learning, structure and contact of school was essential. the framework recognises this. last week, we read a that inform our child care allowed at tier level is zero and one will be allowed at levels two and three, thatis allowed at levels two and three, that is also welcome. where we are

disappointed as the light change to today's mission to take a swipe at the uk government, making no recognition of the 7.2 billion of additional funding for scotland during the pandemic, including £700 million of support and i was at the start of october. that notwithstanding the scottish conservatives will give their start to this mission and are asking for support for our amendment because we believe it tackles the vital areas as we move through the next age of managing this pandemic. alongside protecting public health, the most crucial issue is the protection of pupilsjobs, livelihoods crucial issue is the protection of pupils jobs, livelihoods and standards of living. the past six months have been horrendous for small businesses across scotland, probably the hottest they have ever faced, including the use following the financial crash of 2008. we are not talking here about big multinationals, but families who are fighting to maintain localjobs in their areas. contending with what might be necessary rejections by

having no part in the process of drawing them up. no need to be on the inside, helping them to a framework of regulation that supports firms and jobs, rather than being on the recipient of restrictions handed down by ministers. so will the scottish government consider forming and formal business council... there may -- it formal business council... there may —— it may be the case that we cannot support all amendments in the vote on it because they remain part of our motion that we think are important, but that does not mean that. there are important suggestions in the amendment, we will take all of these suggestions from all of the amendments and try to ta ke from all of the amendments and try to take them forward as much and as far as we possibly can. that is a commitment that i want to put on the

record in relation to a specific point, but more generally as well. studio: that was nicola sturgeon, first minister of scotland just announcing an spelling out the five different levels of restrictions that are going to be enforced in scotland. while we were listening to that, we got in the latest coronavirus number of cases in the uk. the figures show another rise, i'm afraid, 22,885 cases, that's compared to a a big jump in at the number of deaths, as well, from 102 yesterday to 367 deaths. that's the latest d es k yesterday to 367 deaths. that's the latest desk figure in the uk within 28 days of a positive covid—19 test.

367 deaths recorded. more analysis on that as we get it. also, just another sign of how bad things are getting in leeds, only essential operations are going to go ahead at hospitals in leeds after the number of covid—19 patients being treated rose to levels that are higher than in the first wave of the virus. this isa in the first wave of the virus. this is a statement from leeds teaching hospitals trust. it says, leeds general infirmary and stjames hospital have 263 patients in our beds who have tested positive, including 22 in intensive care. this means we have more covid—19 patients and in the hospital now than at the peak of the pandemic in mid april. only essential operations going ahead now at those hospitals in leeds. more on that as it comes into us.

there is increasing pressure on the government on outlining how parts of england under two theoreticians can be lifted. more than 50 conservative mps have written a letter to borisjohnson, pressing him for a "clear road—map" out of the highest level of restrictions. the mps — many of whom won labour's so—called ‘red wall‘ seats at the last election — warn that the pandemic threatens the prime minister's promise to "level up" northern communities. jonathan blake reports. new parts of england coming under the tightest restrictions. nottingham moves into the very high covid alert level this week, warrington nowjoins other norhtern areas in tier 3. for how long, no one can't be sure. warrington nowjoins other northern areas in tier 3. for how long, no one can't be sure. if it's necessary, and everybody abides by the rules, the sooner we'll be out of it and get back to normal. maybe within, what is it, 28 days, we'll be back to tier 2. i think it's needed to happen because the numbers of people with coronavirus are growing. mps are demanding detail, though, on when and how the measures may be lifted.

we are asking people to give up huge civil liberties, businesses to close, people to live on two thirds of their normal wages. i don't think it's unreasonable to say that the other side of that coin should be, show us the way out. more than 50 conservative mps have written to the prime minister, calling for a clear road map out of local lockdown. in their letter, they warn coronavirus threatens to continue to increase the disparity between north and south. they say their constituents have been some of the worst affected by covid, with many losing jobs and businesses, and they asked boris johnson to reflect carefully on the conservatives' promise to people living in the north during the last election, with the levelling up agenda and to make the region central to the country's economic recovery. it's almost a year since boris johnson's landslide election victory. we did it, we did it. tories who took seats from labour, then, are warning their areas risk being left behind now.

ministers insist the promised investment has begun. seven towns getting £180 million as part of the £3.6 billion towns fund, 45 of them are in the northern powerhouse, 14 of the hospitals in our hospital building programme is in the northern powerhouse. the mps who wrote this letter insist they're not trying to make trouble for the government, some say they weren't expecting it to be made public, but reminding the prime minister about promises he made at the last election reflects a nervousness among some tory backbenchers that those who voted conservative last time round won't necessarily do so again. the response to coronavirus may have consumed the government for months, but downing street says its ambition for the country is unchanged. some mps are clearly impatient to see the evidence. jonathan blake, bbc news. sara britcliffe, the conservative mp for hyndburn and haslingden in lancashire — part of the so called red wall seats — joins me now.

she also signed the letter. you say you want a road map out of the restrictions first stop pretty give to —— pretty how to give a road map when we really don't know what the virus is going to be doing.” think that something that has been taken into account, we have to look at the criteria in different areas across the country, but we have to remember that areas like mine, it is like hyndburn and haslingden, have stricter instruction resections since at the end ofjuly and it's been so difficult for businesses first up so i want to give my constituency out that there is hope to see restrictions are removed. so what exactly would you like the prime minister to say to your constituents? that we are working on a road map of the local authorities, we are looking at the area, we are looking at the different aspects of this and we are trying to come up

with a road map out of this and we'll give you a clear map on theirs. but if talk about a map that implies a kind of timetable, wejust don't know the trajectory of the virus. the latest figures, i have just reported fewer than 67 deaths today from covid—19 across the uk, so very hard to give any sort of specific road map. —— 367. i agree it is very hard to give specific dates, but i think they need to set the criteria, what the r rate needs to be, positivity rates, and then work from there. then at least my residents can work from that. they have been some reports in the immediate that this is critical of the government, that is absolutely not the case. we support the prime minister and the government in their ambitions to level up the north, and this is one of the reasons we are

speaking up. do you surely perception we have heard from some mps that actually at the north is going to suffer more than other parts of england, nearing the whole levelling agenda is, frankly, in the bin? —— do you surely perception. i think we have seen that the not have suffered differently due to the pandemic. we need that commitment to the infrastructure now, that's one of the things that we have seen from the town fund that has been an ounce, but we need to make sure that that levelling up agenda has not been put to one side due to the pandemic and it is on the government's agenda. have you had a response from the prime minister, do you expect a response?” response from the prime minister, do you expect a response? i do expect a response but i do not believe we have had one yet.

a search and rescue operation is under way in the channel after a boat capsized earlier today. 18 people were pulled out of the water and getting treatment in hospitals in dunkirk and calais. french officials say one man has drowned and one is missing. we will bring you more on that as it comes into us. members of the scottish parliament are debating and will later vote on scotland's new five—level system of local covid—19 restrictions. the first minister announced which areas of scotland would be under which tiers in the new system. the central belt areas currently under the toughest restrictions are likely to be in level three initially and most of the rest of the country it is likely to start in at level two. there are however some exceptions under consideration. firstly, it is hope that the highlands, orkney, shetland, the

western isles and more to a level one. less positively, we believe that the escalating situation in dundee city makes it possible that it will go to a level three. as has been reported, we are considering whether the very high rate of transmission and hospital admissions in north and south lang shire main a move for them to them to move to level four. these are the only areas being as a move for them to move to level four. these are the only areas being considered for of the couple of days that the situation in lanarkshire may of days that the situation in la narkshire may have of days that the situation in lanarkshire may have stabilised, so we won't take that decision if it is deemed absolutely necessary and i hope we can avoid it. willie macleod is head of uk hospitality scotland. we now have these new five to use in scotland, how do you think that is going to affect the hospitality sector there? i'm not sure it is going to improve the situation of hospitality in scotland at all. unfortunately, i'm not able to

listen to the full parliamentary debate this afternoon, which is ongoing, i have caught very little of what the first minister and then ruth davidson said earlier. we have been having a dialogue with scottish government since friday over the proposed five levels. we have great concern about these coming forward on top of the previous restrictions. we have put forward some counterproposals to government, but as recently as lunchtime today we doubt if our collective hospitality industry suggestions have had much influence on policy. give us an idea of the price that the hospitality sector in scotland is paying for these coronavirus restrictions. in direct cost, for example, the hospitality sector in scotland has probably spent getting on for about

90 million in protective measures. there has been a huge loss of cash flow, businesses have drained their reserves during very restrictive period of trading. one example i would quote is the average hotel in scotland during the lockdown theory was incurring costs of £16,000 a week in terms of fixed costs while there was no revenue coming in. so there was no revenue coming in. so the cost on businesses has been huge. a cash flow is severely eroded, reserves have been eroded, additional borrowing has been incurred. unless we get some concessions to allow businesses to trade at a viable level, then the inevitable consequence, we are already seeing it, is that businesses are going to close. the

tragic knock—on effect of that is that people are going to lose their jobs. our business is closing all the time, every day, every week? they are indeed. when i heard today of one hotel that is closing, others have close, others are trading on a very restricted bases. even others when they were unable to reopen back in the summer had decided that they would but ijust cutting their losses and remaining closed and no hope of better times to come in the spring of next year. very good of you to talk to others, thank you very much. just a week to go to the presidential election in the us. there is barack obama campaigning on behalf ofjoe biden. let's have a quick lesson. who can't pay the rent

right now, can't put food on the table right now. got no plan to reopen schools that need reopened, or protecting teachers in the process. you now, i don't understand how it is that he cannot organise republicans in congress to do the right thing. it's not like it's his money they're asking him to pay, because he doesn't pay taxes. barely pays income taxes. we know he's got a secret chinese bank account, so he may be paying taxes to the chinese but he's not taxes here. first year in the white house, only paid $750 in federal income taxes. $750, can you imagine that? i mean, teachers pay more than that. social workers

pay more than that. social workers pay more than that. social workers pay more than that in taxes. folks in uniform pay more in taxes than that. so how are you living it large and you are not willing to do the right thing, to make sure that we are able to pay for quality schools for our kids? to provide veterans benefits for those who have earned them? joe biden has a plan to create 10 million good clean energyjobs right here in america. it is part of his plan to put out for a florida from climate change and secure environmentaljustice. he is going to pay for it by rolling back those tax cuts to millionaires. the thing is, joe does not want to get back to where we were, he wants to make some long overdue changes so that our

economy actually makes life a little bit easierfor economy actually makes life a little bit easier for everybody. the waitress trying to raise a kid on her own. the student trying to figure out how to pay for next mess‘s classes. the chef worker who is worried about maybe being laid off. the cancer survivor who is worried that her pre—existing conditions might prevent her from being able to get coverage. speaking of health care, by the way, you may have noticed that republicans love saying right before an election how they are going to protect people who have pre—existing conditions. have you noticed that? well, joe and i actually protected them ten years ago with the affordable care act. those same republicans who say they are going to protect them, somehow, they have tried to repeal or undermine the affordable care act more than 60 times. each time they tried to repeal it, they say,, we

had a great replacement, coming. you quys had a great replacement, coming. you guys remember popeye? that guy who a lwa ys guys remember popeye? that guy who always needs to borrow some money for a hamburger, he always needs to borrow some money fora hamburger, he said, don't worry, i'm going to be paying about sometime soon. that's like republicans with health care. they a lwa ys republicans with health care. they always say it's coming soon, we are going to be paying you back with a great replacement plan. that two weeks has been ten years coming now. for the last ten years, every two weeks, they say, " we are going to have a great health care plan speech stop do you know when it is? because i don't. the reason they don't have a plan is because a plan does not exist. they have never had one. they instead have attacked the affordable ca re instead have attacked the affordable care act at every turn, driving up costs, driving up the insurance. now they're trying to get the supreme

court to take away your health care as quickly as they can in the middle ofa as quickly as they can in the middle of a pandemic. with nothing but empty promises to take its place. think about what that was due to families right here in florida. florida has the highest enrolment under the affordable care act of any state in america. last week, trump flat out said that he hoped the supreme court takes your health insurance away. he said out loud. don't boo, vote. last night, he stoutly supreme court justice don't boo, vote. last night, he stoutly supreme courtjustice who he hopes will help him do it. don't boo, vote. florida, this is serious. joe and kamala harris will protect your health care, they will expand medicare, they will make insurance more affordable for everybody.

because joe now more affordable for everybody. becausejoe now is that a president's firstjob is to keep us safe from all threats— a foreign, domestic and microscopic. when the daily intelligence briefings flash a warning light is about a virus, the president can't ignore it, can't be too lazy to read debriefing. when russia puts a bounty is on at the heads of our soldiers in afghanistan, the commander—in—chief cannot be mia, missing in action. joe biden would never call the men and women of our military suckers and women of our military suckers and losers because they are willing to sacrifice their lives on behalf of the american people. studio: we will leave barack obama deadin studio: we will leave barack obama dead in florida with his message to voters, don't boo, the doubt. singing the praises ofjoe biden and denouncing donald trump, as you might expect, from barack obama who

is on the campaign trail now working flat out to backjoe biden. let's recap those figures we have been getting on the number of coronavirus cases in the uk and the number of deaths in the last 24—hour period in the uk is 367, that is compared to 102 the day before. the number of cases today, 22,885, compared to 20,890 the day before. so a couple of sharp rises in the number of cases and a number of deaths. yvonne doyle, the medical director of public health england, has said that we continue to see the trend in debt arising, it is likely this will continue for some time. each day, hospital admissions increase, being seriously ill enough from the infection to need hospital admission, and sadly leads to more crudeness, coronavirus test. that is

the latest set of figures on coronavirus cases and deaths in the uk. more on that in the coming hours. let's take a look at weather forecast. the band of rain finishes the day towards the north and the east. elsewhere, clear skies and showers into the evening. showers most frequent across western areas. clea rest frequent across western areas. clearest conditions through eastern counties. in scotland's temperatures will drop the furthest. a chilly and plaster the start. southern and western counties, showers will be the heaviest. fewest showers through

eastern areas. staying blustery as we head into wednesday evening. towards the atlantic coast there will be some rough seas as well.

hello, this is bbc news. the headlines. more than 50 conservative mps representing the north of england write to the prime minister, calling for a "clear roadmap" out of tough restrictions. we are asking people to give up huge civil liberties, businesses to close, people to live on two thirds of their normal wages. i do not think it is unreasonable that the other side of that coin should be, show us the way out. as the presidential election campaign enters its final days

the focus turns to the key swing states set to determine who wins the race. a special report from the syrian city of idlib where doctors warn of a covid catastrophe — as the number of positive cases rises tenfold. this winter will be very bad, very dark, very hard. we don't have many places for people. medi kits for them. sport and a full round up from the bbc sport centre. we have got some live football. there are some important qualifying matches taking place for next years women's european championships. scotland, wales and northern ireland all in action.

scotla nd scotland will go top of the group if they can win. there are some fans end. the match has been on for about 15 minutes. they have three wins out of three so far. this match is on bbc alba or the bbc sport website. wales are playing norway, you can follow that on the bbc sport website. norway will win their group if they get three points. you can follow this one on the bbc sport website. strong favourites, the norwegians. the fa has launched its football leadership diversity code as they look to tackle racial imbalance in the game. it won't be mandatory for clubs, but 40 have already signed up.

they have been set diversity targets of 15% in recruitment of new executive positions and 25% in coaching positions. i think we have come up with a code which fundamentally does what it says on the tin. it holds football to account. it makes clubs think. it is good for governance. i think it is a step in the right direction. it is a solid foundation. i have seen the last 30 years and i have seen that has been a lot of well intentioned positive action programmes but none of them holds football to account the way this does. by way of the targets and the accountability. southampton are one of the clubs that haven't signed up for it, they say that they have already achieved the premier league's advanced equality standard. the premier league say that they will embed

the principles of the fa code within its ongoing work. lots more european football this week. manchester city are at marseille in the champions league this evening and liverpool host danish champions fc midtjylland. it's been billed as something of a david and goliath meeting, liverpool the reigning premier league champions and last year's european champions against the danish side that was only formed in 1999. manchester city have got no out—and—out strikers for their game at marseille. sergio aguero picked up an injury at the weekend and will be out for a month. gabrieljesus was already out. teams that lose in the first round of the fa cup next month will receive a share of prize money to lessen the financial impact of ties being played behind closed doors. losing teams previously got no prize money but will now receive just over £5,500 with £16,000 going to the winners.

covid—19 continues to impact clubs, with an outbreak at league 2 scunthorpe. their next three games have been postponed. 8 players have tested positive with a further 10 having to self—isolate. they'd been due to face salford at home tonight. the remaining players and staff will stop training for the next week as a precaution. today was the launch of the extreme e series. lewis hamilton is behind the x44 team and we got a glimpse of his electric off road car that will be racing when the championship starts next year. hamilton's former teamate nico rosberg is also running a team. the five races will be staged in areas of the world such as the amazon and greenland, to highlight enviromental issues. i was so excited to hear about extreme e, largely due to the focus

on the environment and their mission to raise awareness about climate change. that is something that is close to my heart and something i am passionate about. it gives an opportunity for me to be able to merge my love for motor racing together with my love for the planet. bringing those two together will have a positive impact. that's all the sport for now. you can find more on all those stories on the bbc sport website. still goalless in their matches with scotla nd still goalless in their matches with scotland and wales. and i have heard that spurs are 7-21. i will have a flutter on that.

footballer marcus rashford's high—profile campaign for free meals during school holidays is keeping up the pressure as he receives the support of more and more businesses. he's asked them for details ofjust how many free meals they are distributing. 45 packed lunches in skipton, 150 pasta pots in bradford, and almost 100 butties heading out for delivery in dewsbury. the local businesses have all come together following marcus rashford's call to help feed the country's hungry children over half term. in just one day, thousands of meals were sent out. it's a lifeline for many families, including leah hill, who receives food parcels to help feed her children. it is helpful for when you've run out of cash. like, i get paid fortnightly but it's still very hard with the bills you pay. when they're at school it's a lot better because they don't eat as much because they get dinners at school. and at this restaurant, in stevenage, it is clear how much the meals matter. in some ways, i felt embarrassed about having to do this, but it's about ensuring my son's eating properly.

i know i try my best normally, but during half terms, or even any holidays, it's always difficult. following a pilot across 17 local authorities providing free school meals over the holidays, the head of the government's national food strategy, henry dimbleby, says the government needs to continue with this support. this problem is real, it should go without saying it is serious, it is immediate and it is going to get worse as employment gets worse. and that the government is not doing enough. in—kind support — so in the form of food, education — actually has shown to have a better impact than putting the same small amount of money into universal credit. the government is reported to be considering extra funds for councils to set up holiday clubs, but some say time is of the essence. these children are frightened and they are suffering serious ill health as a result of this. and when you combine that with poor nutrition,

what you end up is with poor cognition and poor development. as the row rumbles on and ministers face growing public pressure to help struggling families, businesses and communities continue to prepare, pack and deliver their support. frankie mccamley, bbc news. let's speak now to sue sibany—king, manager of the slough foodbank. thank you for being with as. how are you helping people in your area? during the pandemic we have seen a 4296 during the pandemic we have seen a 42% increase in numbers. we are regularly feeding more than 100 food parcels per week which is quite something. a huge increase on last year. we are on target to do over 6000 food parcels this year. that there is an increase on the 4700 that we did last year. and of course bearing in mind the school meals as we are discussing, where families are struggling, they will come to

food banks. we are glad that we are able to help. but it is not the job of charities to be doing this. we do need to see something throughout government, something that is put in place for the long term. we have been doing this, it is not new. it is wonderful that marcus rashford has shown this torch on this issue but we have been doing this for many yea rs. we but we have been doing this for many years. we arejust but we have been doing this for many years. we are just putting a sticking plaster on the problem. we need something that is put in place that will present poverty, prevent food poverty, and help these people to ta ke food poverty, and help these people to take their lives back, to take control. charity is no replacement for being able to run your own life the way you would choose to do so. you will be familiar with what the government is seeing which is that they want to do this through the benefit system, through money to local councils and so on. do you not by that? as long as it is a long—term approach and it is not just going to be something

short—term and it is not going to be capped and made difficult for people to reach. we must make sure that the most vulnerable in our society get what they need. let's face it, as human beings we all need food and water, shelter and security. and in the sixth richest country in the world we are feeling our most vulnerable, our children, are elderly, those with health issues, and mental health issues. and the pandemic is making mental health so much worse. add that to the stress of already worrying about how you are going to feed your family, of already worrying about how you are going to feed yourfamily, it is not good news all round. something needs to be done to put a complete end to this and to start redistributing the wealth in this country so that everybody has a fair share. you have talked about the increasing level of demand, of need, in yourarea, as increasing level of demand, of need, in your area, as there are also an increasing number of donations to help you food bank, so you have got enough food to supply to the people who need it? absolutely. it is

absolutely phenomenal. people are so generous. we are so grateful for that. slough has always been a particularly generous area. we have known that. through the pandemic it has been coming in thick and fast. we have certainly got enough food to do it. but i would reiterate, it is not our role to do that. we are here to pick up the crisis. there will a lwa ys to pick up the crisis. there will always be a crisis. somebody‘s life will not always go smoothly. we have a saying at the slough food bank that every person has a story, and anyone of us could have a story at anyone of us could have a story at any time. we need to be here to pick up any time. we need to be here to pick up those pieces, but is not 100 food parcels per week. we should not be doing what the welfare state to set up doing what the welfare state to set up to do. we should be just supporting the few in between that fall through the cracks. i suppose it is not surprising, businesses are going under, jobs being lost every single day, and people have got less money to feed their children? exactly. and in slough we are seeing the impact of heathrow, and the job losses at

heathrow, and the job losses at heathrow, because lots of slough residents would have worked at heathrow, that is having an impact as well. whilst we haven't seen a huge increase this week, throughout the month, children being off school in this particular month, it will have an impact and we will see more families. in fact we are seeing more families, and large families. i think the benefits caps are hitting largerfamilies even think the benefits caps are hitting larger families even more. good to talk to you. good luck with all the work you are doing. we have heard from our colleagues at bbc south that there is a possibility that people living in the bournemouth, christchurch, and pool area could face tougher coronavirus restrictions because of the area's increasing infection rate. the director of public health nurses a decision on whether the area m oves nurses a decision on whether the area moves up into tier 2 of the coronavirus levels will be made over

the next few days, with the government having a final say. it is looking like bournemouth, christchurch and poole could be moved up to level two restrictions, it would be the first council area in the southern area to go from medium alert level to high alert level. not done and dusted by any means. that is just an level. not done and dusted by any means. that isjust an indication. we're guessing that is a possibility that bournemouth, christchurch and poole could go up to two restrictions. it's a common belief that if you catch coronavirus once — you can't catch it again. but new research casts doubt on that. scientists say the proportion of people with coronavirus antibodies has been falling — suggesting immunity may only last a few months. researchers at imperial college london found the number of people testing positive for antibodies dropped by around a quarter naomi grimley reports. antibodies are a key part

of our immune defences and stop the virus from getting inside the body's cells. but a study of 350,000 people who have had antibody tests shows they do not last forever. at the end ofjune, 6% had antibodies, but by september it was only 4%. immunity is likely to wane over time after you have been infected, even if you have, you know that you have had, coronavirus, you have had covid, then you cannot be sure you will not get it again. and therefore we advise everybody to follow recommendations about hand hygiene, mask wearing and keeping distance from people. that is the first thing. and secondly, yes, of course it means that we are really in need of a vaccine which will, hopefully, produce a more long—lived immunity. the tailing off of antibodies may not be the whole story. there is another arm of the immune system called t—cells, and the science on that is still evolving.

they are white blood cells that patrol the body, they inspect every cell in the body and they can see cells that have viruses growing in them. if cells show the signs, t—cells are equipped with missiles that they can basically fire into those cells and destroy them. meanwhile, new data from the office for national statistics shows that uk covid—19 deaths have risen by 60% in the last week, shown here in red. it is only a fraction of the peak seen in april, but it is still a reminder that the situation is worsening. indeed, the world health organization is worried about a similar trend across europe. right now we are well behind this virus in europe, so getting ahead of it is going to take some serious acceleration in what we do and maybe a much more comprehensive nature of measures that are going to be needed to catch up with and get ahead of this virus. we have still got a lot to learn about how covid—19 affects our bodies.

this latest research on immunity is another piece of the jigsaw. it will shape the government's scientific advice, which in turn shapes our lives. naomi grimley, bbc news. breaking news about migrants crossing the channel trying to get into england. this has been confirmed from only one source, french officials say four migrants are dead after they are bought capsized in the channel. the french news agency c four migrants have died after their boat capsized in the channel. we will try to get more detail on that and confirmation on the french authorities from that. more on that to come. as coronavirus cases rise,

hospitals are facing more pressure throughout the uk and nhs staff are having to cope with competing demands. more than a thousand people have been admitted to hospital on average every day in the week up to last monday. so how prepared are they? our medical editor fergus walsh has been given access to the royal victoria infirmary in newcastle. intensive care, the sharp end of the covid—19 pandemic. the disease hasn't changed, but now doctors know much more about how best to treat it, such as only using ventilators for the very sickest patients. the experiences we had the beginning of the year, they've certainly made it easier for us to have a feel for which patients we need to admit to critical care urgently, which patients we can maybe send to a respiratory ward. really, right at the beginning, we didn't really know how long people would need to be on a ventilatorfor, and who would get better. and i think we've got a much better understanding of that. it means many patients are getting better sooner, and spending less time in hospital.

the most frightening thing that ever happened to me. albert, who's 67, collapsed at home in the middle of the night, but is now out of intensive care. he thinks many don't take coronavirus seriously enough. it can attack anybody. it doesn't pick and choose, but it's certainly not a joke, that's the last thing it is. the royal victoria infirmary has far fewer covid patients than in april. the staff feel better prepared this time, but know they face a long winter. i think it took a lot of courage first time round for our staff to come and face up and front up to this, to a disease we were unfamiliar with. i also think the familiarity we have with it now means that processes are smoother, we feel that days are shorter. it's still a challenge, there's no doubt about that. the hospital is expanding its intensive care facilities. this ward is being revamped, ready to deal with any surge.

the rvi treated the very first confirmed covid patients in the uk in late january. back then, the disease was a complete unknown. now, half the patients here, like gordon, are taking part in clinical trials, looking for new treatments. i just want to help. if you... you know, if you don't do anything in life to help others, you don't feel so good. so it's just important to say yes, weigh up the consequences and the side effects, which are all clearly printed, and it's a no—brainer. in march, nonurgent surgery was postponed to make way for covid. this winter the rv! says it's determined to keep other services going, such as hip replacements and cataract operations — things that can make a big

difference to people's lives. but so much depends on coronavirus. there is only one set of staff. the more covid there is in the city, the more other patients could lose out. fergus walsh, bbc news, newcastle. you might think the peacock would not be the source of many arguments but in one village people have become divided. there are four or five peacocks roaming around but when most people like them, if you have complained to the police about the noise and the mess that the peacocks make. now sussex police have said they want the peacock to be put into a sanctuary. a paste story pleasure? in one west sussex village peacocks are at the centre of an almighty avian

argument. save the peacocks. i think they are a beautiful bird but if you have got to put up with their noise day after day at three o'clock in the morning i can see the point of view that they ought to be corralled somewhere. there are thought to be four or five peacocks roaming somewhere. there are thought to be four orfive peacocks roaming around this village. that has created a right royal ruffling of feathers. you might think that in a village where the conversation is currently dominated by their word peacocks, they would be easy to find. but they are not. if you could see one, they would sound like this. a screech to some but sublime to others. although they only make this noise at certain times of the year some complaints have been made to

police. what do people think here? surely they are not doing anything bad. let them live. if they are missing, shall we say, on your porch, regular, as happens with my brother, it was unbelievable. sussex police say the peacocks have been causing some damage and distress but this posse of peacock protectors have launched a social media campaign to save them. and has nearly 600 supporters. they are quite peaceful. they are at rest. you normally do not see peacocks wandering around. to have them in our village at a special. police say the birds should be put ina police say the birds should be put in a secure sanctuary. many local say they ought to be left alone. purge or protect? to say peacock sized puzzle. where do you stand on the great peacock debate? send us your views.

now it's time for a look at the weather with matt taylor. hello there. there's some pretty lively weather out in the north atlantic at the moment. a deep area of low pressure containing the remnants of hurricane epsilon whipping up some phenomenal seas, and winds gusting 100 miles an hour. the good news is, that is staying to the north—west of us, but it will have an influence on our weather. today, it's pushed a band of rain from the south—west up towards the north—east, becoming confined across the north east of mainland scotland by the evening. after a bit of late afternoon sunshine elsewhere, there will be a few showers pushing into the south and the west. this evening, it will be a bit on the cool side once again, temperatures dipping back into single figures. overnight, the more persistent rain remains across the north—east of scotland, edging towards shetland. clear skies and showers elsewhere. the clearest skies and coldest conditions the further east you are, temperatures down into mid single figures. the west, not quite as chilly because of the breeze here, and the showers will be fairly frequent into tomorrow. it sets us up for a day of sunshine and blustery showers. some of those showers heavy with hail and thunder. the winds quite gusty, and of course, because of what's going on in the atlantic,

we are going to see some pretty rough seas around these atlantic coasts of great britain and western ireland, to the west of ireland in particular, we could see the waves top 10 metres in height. that's over 35 feet. showers always most frequent across western and southern most areas as we go through wednesday. we could see them gathering some longer spells of rain across southern counties of england and wales during the middle part of the day. some in the east, though, will stay largely dry. a blustery day for all and a fairly cool one too, which leads us into quite a cool start to wednesday night. showers most frequent across western scotland as we go into answer night. that will be replaced by more persistent rain through into thursday. here it comes on our pressure chart here, running around that area of low pressure which remains in the north atlantic. it's going to bring persistent rain across western areas during the day. driest for the longest in the north—east of scotland, much like we've seen today. brightening up towards the south—west later to sunshine and one or two showers. but overall, a fairly cloudy day. but the winds coming in from the south—west, which could touch gale force at times around the coast. it will be a mild one

and a mild night will follow, some of the night—time temperatures higher than we normally see by day this time of year. but with persistent rain in north west england, north and west wales, the risk of flooding. a brighter day on friday for scotland and northern ireland. some sunshine to the south and east. 18 or 19 celsius is possible. still quite blustery across the southeast, but as we go into the weekend, the remnants of another hurricane could bring us some more wet and at times windy weather.

this is bbc news, i'm ben brown. the headlines... more than 50 conservative mps representing the north of england have written to the prime minister calling for a clear road map out of tough coronavirus restrictions. we are asking people to give up huge civil liberties. businesses to close. people to live on two thirds of their normal wages. i don't think it's unreasonable to say that the other side of that coin should be show was the way out. levels of antibodies in people who have had covid—19 fold quite rapidly according to new research. we have a special report from the syrian city of england, where doctors are warning of a covid catastrophe is the number of positive cases rises and falls —— syrian city of idlib.