today at six, the new vaccine should be for people who need it, not those who can pay for it, so says england's medical adviser. from the research lab to a gp surgery near you, it could be ready in weeks but is the new vaccine safe? i think is very important. 78, she will be 79 shortly, and i have already said, mum, make sure that when you are cold, you are ready. the vaccine can't come soon enough, the total number of covid deaths hits 50,000 today. also tonight... getting students home for christmas — plans for a covid testing programme before they leave their universities. the man who killed these three men in a frenzied attack in reading

lastjune pleads guilty to their murder. caught in the middle of the cladding scandal — we hear from the tenants facing financial ruin. remembering the fallen — armistice day, a century after the burial of the unknown warrior. and coming up on sportsday later in the hour on bbc news... seven months later than scheduled, the augusta national is ready for the final major of the year, the masters starts tomorrow.

good evening and welcome to the bbc news at six. with the new coronavirus vaccine potentially just weeks away, medical experts have been making a concerted effort to reassure us about its safety. the head of the uk's medicines regulator said there was "absolutely no chance" it would compromise on standards. and england's deputy chief medical officer, professor jonathan van tam, said he wanted the vaccination made available to those who need it most, and not to those who can afford to pay for it privately. here's our medical editor fergus walsh. this is the life we are not living because of coronavirus, a world without social distancing or facemasks, the freedom to meet, travel and celebrate together. 0nly a safe and effective covid vaccine can guarantee an eventual return to this and an end to the pandemic.

early results suggest fighter‘s vaccine is 90% effective at preventing covid. there is hope it could be given emergency authorisation by early december, but the medicine's regulator says no corners will be cut. although we have adapted our processes to undertake our rigorous review of effectiveness and safety in a rolling way, there is absolutely no chance that we will compromise on standards of safety or effectiveness. creating a completely new vaccine usually takes at least ten yea rs new vaccine usually takes at least ten years from design and development and animal studies, to clinical trials, regulatory review and production. this has been compressed to just ten months. the clinical trial faces have compressed to just ten months. the clinical trialfaces have been done in parallel and manufacturers have already begun la rge—scale in parallel and manufacturers have already begun large—scale production even before they know it works, so that a covid vaccine will be available as soon as regulators give

the green light. pfizer vaccine requires two doses three weeks apart. no major adverse events have been reported from the trials involving more than 40,000 volunteers, but detailed safety and effectiveness data has not been published yet. the government's health advisor is no public support for the vaccine will be vital. do you think it might be a good idea if the prime minister and people like yourself were first in the queue for a covid vaccine that might be a mark of confidence in a covid vaccine?m i could morally and rightly be at the front of the queue, then i would do so, because i absolutely trust thejudgment on do so, because i absolutely trust the judgment on safety and efficacy. he said priority must be given to the elderly. i think the mother test is very important. my mum is 78, she

will be 79 shortly, and i have already said to her, mum, make sure that when you are cold you are ready. gps have been asked to be ready. gps have been asked to be ready to mass vaccinate the elderly from next month, though most of the doses destined for the uk, enough for 20 million adults, will not arrive until next year. one of the hurdles with the pfizer vaccine is that it needs to be stored in an ultralow temperature freezer like this one at imperial college london. you can see the temperature is —76 celsius. this is where imperial stores at some doses of its experimental covid jab. vaccines like these can be transported to immunisation centres in boxes of dry ice to maintain the cold chain. pfizer says its vaccine can then be transferred to a normal fridge and will remain usable for up to five days. even if several covid vaccines

prove successful, we should not expect a return to normal life this winter. but at least a future beyond coronavirus now looks possible. fergus walsh, bbc news. the number of people who have died in the uk due to covid—i9 is now over 50,000. in the latest 24—hour period 595 deaths were reported. that's people who died within 28 days of a positive covid—i9 test. it means on average in the past week 375 deaths were announced every day. it takes the total number of deaths so far across the uk to 50,365. 0ur health correspondent catherine burns has been speaking to some of those who have lost loved ones in the second wave of the pandemic. peter davies and steve forceful lived less than 40 miles from each other and died 11 days apart, both

in the second wave of coronavirus. that has been the hardest thing, not being able to hug people. my dad was 79 but i believe he had a lot of years left. peter was a family man, he died the week before his 52nd wedding anniversary. he was a brilliant dad who doted on his grandchildren. he was healthy until he went into hospital with a water infection. it was not an ill man, he was not a frail man, he died purely of covid. if covid didn't exist, he would still be here. steed was a teacher but that barely summed him up. he was in a rock tribute band, photographer and a biker. wherever he went on his bike he would take ice cream selfie. he had asthma and diabetes but did not think he would get covid. at the end of september he and his wife became sick at same time. it was awful because we were both so pale. his oxygen levels were

quite low, enough to make us realise he needed medical attention. the la st he needed medical attention. the last mission i have of my dad before his last day it was him in the back ofan ambulance his last day it was him in the back of an ambulance in a wheelchair... sorry. that is the last vision i had of him, really. as with so many otherfamilies of him, really. as with so many other families they were not allowed to visit their loved ones in hospital. when beth's dad was in intensive care nurses after video call him. it was quite comforting in a strange way. my dad was in an oxygen mask he could not speak back to us back his eyes were opened he could see us as a doctor was lovely and. the last message we got was on thursday lunchtime and it was just a kiss, kiss. where are you scared at that stage? i still thought he might get better. i got a call on the

early hours of the friday morning to say that he had developed a complication and that his heart had stopped and the reason why his heart had stopped was... a clot on his lung. i knew they did everything they possibly could... beverley and her mum were able to see her dad last time hospital full ppe. her mum were able to see her dad last time hospitalfull ppe. he her mum were able to see her dad last time hospital full ppe. he was talking when we first went into the room and he said, where have you been? and then he started with very laboured breathing which was just... i can't... just laboured breathing which was just... i can't. .. just horrific laboured breathing which was just... i can't... just horrific to listen to that. my big, strong dad as i saw him. these people are not numbers, they are not statistics, they are people who are loved. he used to say you only live once and he always used to turn round and say you only

die once. but you live live every day and he says you have got to make the best of every day. sue horsfall ending our report there, with health correspondent catherine burns. the latest government figures also show there were 22,950 new coronavirus infections recorded in the latest 24—hour period. that means that the average number of new cases reported per day in the last week is now 22,524. and 1,510 people have been admitted to hospital on average each day over the week to last saturday. 0ur health editor hugh pym joins me now. a lot of numbers, that sobering figure, the number of dead, over 50,000. can you put it into some sort of context? it is a very stark

figure, 50,000 the death toll. back in marcha figure, 50,000 the death toll. back in march a senior government adviser said anything less than 20,000 would bea said anything less than 20,000 would be a good outcome. that figure of just over 50,000 is that those who have died within 28 days of having a positive test. there is a broader definition of others who may not have had a test at all and the covid is listed on their death certificate. that is now above 61,000. what is the international comparison relative to population? the uk is pretty high amongst leading economies. belgium, spain and brazil have a higher death toll, but the uk is ahead of the us, france and well ahead of germany. each country measures at these things in slightly different ways, so we things in slightly different ways, so we will have to wait a bit longer for excess deaths, everything over and above the long—term average. case numbers and new hospital admissions, if we look at the

charts, they appear to be flattening a little bit. deaths are a lagging indicator, reflected in infections picked up a couple of weeks ago. health officials say this figure could rise for a couple more weeks from now. thank you very much. thank you very much. ever since we saw that spike in cornavirus cases when students went back to their universities there's been a concern about what would happen when they all returned home for christmas. would they take the virus with them? now there's a plan across the country to get students home for the holidays, with rapid—result tests before they travel home. 0ur education editor branwen jeffreys has the story. being wiped down for the next student — this is rapid testing in action. lottie, a first year at de montfort, doesn't have symptoms. she'll get a result within hours. but will students turn up to be tested before christmas? i know a lot of the people that i have been able to make friends with, not that i've been able to make many, cos you can't go out and socialise,

i know that a lot of them would come and get tested just to know that they they can go home, whether it meant they had to isolate or not. being able to go home would be the best christmas present. and there should be a bin there that you can pop it in. this pilot scheme is to be copied on other campuses — especially where cases are high. once this testing centre is up and running, it will be able to process more than 1000 tests a day, getting students results within a couple of hours. but testing is only one part of getting students safely home for christmas. so what is the student christmas travel advice for england ? you should travel home between the 3rd and 9th of december. universities may suggest a day. voluntary rapid tests will be available at some universities. a positive test means you self—isolate for ten days at university. wherever you study, the local rules apply. in scotland, students asked to minimise contact.

similar messages from belfast to swansea. across the uk, there are plans for students to travel home early. universities are planning to move all learning online, but at de montfort, libraries will be open until the end of term. at the end of the day, the students are adults, we can advise and guide them, they will do what they feel they need to do, but when i look across the couple of million students in this country, i do not see students doing crazy, out—of—control things. i see students behaving very responsibly. 0livia had coronavirus in her second week at nottingham. she hasn't been home all term. when i spoke to them, mum paula can't wait to have her back. it would be just really nice to see her. there's grandparents who missed her, who she's not been able to see. you know, they're caring people, and theyjust need to come home and have some recuperation time and a cuddle. everybody would want to do whatever they could in order to go home, and i think, at the moment, there is nothing open,

there is nothing to do anyway, so people wouldn't feel like they were missing out. already, public health officials are looking at transport — part of the push to help students make safe decisions. branwen jeffreys, bbc news, leicester. a man who launched a knife attack in a park in reading has admitted the murders of three men. khairi saadallah killed james furlong, david wails, and joseph ritchie—bennett during the two—minute rampage in june. our home affairs correspondent daniel sandford is at the old bailey now. daniel. yes, with less than three weeks to go before his trial was due to start, the reading attacker, khairi saadallah, in a late afternoon court hearing has now pleaded guilty to all three murders and all three attempted murders. khairi saadallah had onlyjust been released from prison, where he was serving a

sentence for three assaults and for possessing a knife when he carried out what the prosecution says was a terrorist attack. it was a warm june evening as the first covid lockdown was starting to ease when khairi saadallah launched his extremely rapid and deadly attack. forbury gardens was full of people. the pubs, including the nearby blagrave arms, popular with reading's gay community, were still shut. three friends from the pub — a schoolteacher called james furlong, an american customer service manager called joseph richie—bennett, and a scientist called david wails — was sitting together when they were all stabbed from behind. james furlong and joseph richie—bennett were killed with single stab wounds to the backs of their necks. david wails died from two stab wounds. minutes later, khairi saadallah was arrested. he'd apparently deliberately cut himself to make it look like he was a victim. the 26—year—old pleaded guilty to three counts of murder and three counts of the attempted murder of stephen young, patrick edwards and nishit nisudan. at a hearing at the old bailey

next month, the prosecution will argue that he should be given a whole—life tariff, that he should never be released from prison. they say that this was an ideologically motivated terrorist attack and it was substantially premeditated. the defence will argue that the sentence should be reduced because of khairi saadallah's poor mental health. daniel sandford, bbc news, at the old bailey. our top story this evening: from the research lab to a gp surgery near you — the government's medical advisers say the new covid—19 vaccine will be safe. and the competition heats up as the pandemic gives the gaming industry a huge boost. coming up on sportsday in the next 15 minutes on bbc news, a blow for egland and liverpool as defenderjoe gomez is injured on international duty on the eve of their friendly

today, at 11am, the uk fell silent to remember those who have fallen in the line of duty. prince charles and the duchess of cornwall joined figures from government and the armed forces for a special armistice day service at westminster abbey. 0ur royal correspondent nicholas witchell was following the scaled back events there and around the country. it occupies a place of honour just inside the main entrance to westminster abbey. it is the grave of the unknown warrior, and for 100 years it has symbolised a nation's loss. it was on this armistice day anniversary in 1920 that the body of an unidentified serviceman was brought from the first world war battlefields of northern france. it was carried through london

on a gun carriage and borne into the abbey for burial among the kings, watched by a congregation of a thousand bereaved wives and mothers. 100 years later, social distancing had limited the abbey congregation to just 80. everyone wore a mask. led by the prince of wales and the duchess of cornwall, they gathered to honour the one grave which represents every husband, son or daughter lost in war. big ben chimes the hour. at 11 o'clock, silence was observed.

music: last post. as a bugler sounded the last post at the cenotaph, the prince of wales placed a wreath of laurel leaves at the grave. choir sing. the poet laureate read from his tribute to the unknown warrior. all this for a soul without name or rank or age or home. because you are the son we lost and your rest is ours. in his sermon, the archbishop of canterbury spoke about comradeship and shared sacrifice, whether in a world war or a global pandemic. when, as we have this year, we've faced deep uncertainties and difficulties, we do not just look after ourselves. we make a stand for our families, for our friends and neighbours.

we look out for our loved ones, close and far, because we know that none of us are safe... ..until all are safe. the union flag which had covered the warrior‘s coffin was borne to the abbey's altar, and a prayer was said for all those who've served others during the pandemic. from the aftermath of a world war and the grave of an unknown warrior, a reminder of individual sacrifice and a nation's resilience. nicholas witchell, bbc news. all of hong kong's pro—democracy lawmakers have resigned from the territory's legislative council — that's its parliament — after four of their colleagues were dismissed. it comes after the the government in mainland china passed a resolution allowing politicians to be removed if they were deemed to be a threat to national security. the move has been condemned by the uk.

this act of resignation is notjust in protest against beijing's rule of... rule by decree. it's no longer rule of law. it's not even rule by law. it's rule by decree. hundreds of thousands of people living in flats built with flammable cladding and other fire safety issues say delays in rectifying the problems are leaving them thousands of pounds out of pocket, with many fearing bankruptcy. leaseholders are facing massive increases in service charges and buildings insurance, with some bills rising by up to 900%. the insurance industry denies it's cashing in. it says three years after the grenfell tower fire, thousands of buildings still represent a substantial risk. 0ur consumer affairs correspondent sarah corker has been meeting residents struggling to meet their bills. young families, first—time buyers, pensioners —

every generation is caught up in britain's growing cladding crisis. my money is being squeezed, food—wise i've had to live off cheese toasties and pasta. it's basically ruined my life. i feel insecure in my own home. these towers on the river thames were built with material now classed as flammable. repairs could exceed £13 million, but who should pay? flat owners says service charges have soared to up to £6,000 a year each. adeline is in her 70s and is struggling to pay. they might...take my flat away if i can't pay, because already we have been threatened by bailiffs coming here. so i'm really, really at my wit's end what to do. i can't raise money. the developer, barratt homes, has agreed to pay over £1 million to fix some of the internal safety

issues but says it isn't responsible for problems with the external wall insulation, which it says met regulations when it was fitted. from london to here in lancashire, hundreds of thousands of leaseholders are living in unsafe buildings with flammable cladding and are now facing a financial crisis. tina's family own an apartment here. the cladding needs removing. to help pay for those repairs, their maintenance charges have risen from just over £1000 a year to 15 times that amount. how will you find the money to pay that bill? we can't, the simple answer is we can't. i mean, who hasjust £15,000, especially going through times like this? you know, you can't sell, you can't move, people are worried that they may lose their home because of it. the building owners have applied to the government for help to cover cladding repair costs.

here in central london, it's insurance costs worring residents like mariam. at this development, building insurance has increased by more than 400% in a year — the £670,000 bill is because of the fire risk. that's despite the fact that work has started to remove flammable cladding. not only do we have to find out that we live in an unsafe building and that i can't provide a proper standard of safety for my daughter on top of that i'm paying to fix this. it's just... i mean, itjust brings tears of rage to my eyes. how can you justify that huge, huge increase in premiums, and a cost that is being passed on to leaseholders which theyjust cannot afford to pay? it is taking too long to decide who is going to pay for the remediation of these buildings, and it's ultimately the leaseholders who are caught

in the middle here. but as each day goes by without anyone willing to take responsibility for this fire safety crisis, the financial and mental toll on those living in flammable flats only grows. sarah corker, bbc news. sales of video games have soared during the pandemic, as more people have found themselves stuck at home. sony's playstation 4 is the most popular games console in the world, and the gaming giant is hoping its new playstation 5 will be just as successful. but it looks like it could face stiff competition from rival microsoft with its new xbox. bbc click‘s marc cieslak has more. you wait years for a new console to arrive, then two come along at once. these new consoles arrive at a time when video games

are more popular than ever. 0nline play has allowed people to feel connected with other human beings, even when they can't physically meet. a survey conducted since the start of the covid—19 pandemic revealed that video games had had a positive effect on the people that play them, with 39% of people saying games made them feel less anxious or less isolated. 50% of players polled in the uk said that playing games made them feel happier. first up, the playstation 5, launching in the us tomorrow and the rest of the world a week later. it's a more powerful machine which will load games much faster, and it's capable of high—resolution 4k graphics and ray tracing, a method of creating realistic lighting effects. whoa! sony's arch microsoft launched two new xboxes globally yesterday — the xbox series x and the cheaper, less powerful series s. on paper, the new xbox nudges the ps5 on power, and microsoft hopes it has an ace up its sleeve in the form of its netflix—style service game pass, which allows gamers access

to a library of hundreds of titles for a monthly subscription. we think the xbox game pass is a critically important part of our platform. we are trying to make gaming more seamless, easier to try new games, easier to experiment with new games. it's reallyjust offering a tonne of choice to players right now. so two new games consoles, playstation 5 and the xbox series x. both faster and more powerful than the machines they replace, with better graphics and much faster loading times, both costing exactly the same price — £449. but while we are in the midst of a global pandemic, is this the right time to launch new games consoles? i think now is a very difficult time to launch a console, actually, it's really ha rd to nail down any stock, and now that we're in lockdown, you can'tjust go out to your local retailer and pick one up on the off chance that they might have one. while getting hold of a new console might be difficult, one thing is for sure — while the covid—19 pandemic continues, video games have found a new role, helping us feel more

connected to one another. marc cieslak, bbc news. time for a look at the weather here's sarah keith—lucas. it has been a mild november day, cloudy, pretty windy, outbreaks of rain in the north and west, particularly heavy for western parts of scotland. this is the picture near sheffield a little bit earlier today, so a lot of cloud around. through the course of the night, it will still be windy with cloud, and rain will move eastwards, so everywhere are seeing a bit of wet weather through the course of the night, all courtesy of this active weather front moving in from the atlantic. lots of isobars, so some squally winds associated with these heavy downpours. in fact, gusts reaching 40—50 mph around exposed irish sea coast and other higher ground. as the rain swings eastward later on tonight, the winds won't be quite a strong, but still blustery

conditions overnight. rain gradually clearing towards the east in the early hours, then all in the slightly dry and clearer spell, still a few showers around, but tomorrow will be quieter than today, because we have this bump of high pressure starting to squeeze away most of the showers, and it won't be quite as windy as it has been. shower dying away, quite a bit of dry weather tomorrow, the cloud increasing from the west and later in the day, more rain heading in as well, particularly for northern ireland and western scotland later in the day. cooler than recent days, 10-13 in the day. cooler than recent days, 10—13 degrees but still above par for this time of year. thursday into friday, the next weatherfront working eastwards, heavy showers, squally winds, rain clearing the south—east on friday, leaving some sunshine for most of us, heavy showers in the north—west, 9—13 degrees. very unsettled into the weekend, more heavy downpours at times, some strong winds,