this is bbc news with the latest headlines. the team behind the oxford coronavirus vaccine says trials have shown a promising immune response in people aged over 60, increasing hopes it can protect those most at risk from the virus. £4 billion a year for the next four years — the government announces the biggest investment in the military in 30 years. prince william has tentatively welcomed an independent investigation by the bbc into how martin bashir secured an interview with his mother, princess diana in 1995. the number of coronavirus deaths in the united states passes 250,000, as many states struggle to contain the spread of the virus.

and the careers being stopped before they've even begun — the number of apprentices made redundant during the pandemic was two thirds higher than in 2019. hello and welcome to bbc news, i'm annita mcveigh. we begin today with further promising news this morning about a third vaccine. the oxford coronavirus vaccine shows a strong immune response in adults in their 60s and 70s, raising hopes that it can protect age groups most at risk of illness from the virus. researchers say the phase two findings, based on 560 healthy adult volunteers, are encouraging. the outcome of trials into whether the vaccine actually stops people developing covid—19

in larger, phase three trials is expected in the coming weeks. the uk has already ordered 100 million doses of the oxford vaccine, a0 million doses of the pfizer—biontech vaccine and five million of the moderna vaccine. if successful, the oxford vaccine is expected to be easier to manufacture on a worldwide scale than the other two, and oxford and astrazeneca say they are committed to making hundreds of millions of doses available to the developing world. with more detail on what today's findings mean for the development of the oxford vaccine, here's our medical editor, fergus walsh. it was detailed information published in a medicaljournal the la ncet published in a medicaljournal the lancet about the immune response among 560 volunteers who had received two doses of the oxford astrazeneca jab and what that showed was it produced a robust immune response across all ages, among all

the volunteers, they produced what we call neutralising antibodies that can block infection and they produce good t cell responses. but it doesn't tell you, and it didn't tell you whether the vaccine actually works, whether it protects against the disease, and for that we are going to have to wait may be a few more weeks for oxford and astrazeneca to release the results of their much bigger trial, what we call their efficacy phase three trial, which will tell us whether the vaccine, like moderna's and like pfizer's actually works. joining me now is drjennifer rohn, a cell biologist at university college london. great to see you today. last time we spoke we didn't have news on any of these vaccines and now we have a third, adding to hopes, of course, of everyone worldwide for a solution to this virus. how encouraged are you by these results of the oxford vaccine at this stage of development? well, it is officially

very encouraging news. the virus is still out there, it is gaining traction in the winter and we really need solutions faster so it is brilliant that the horse that the uk banks, 100 million doses, is recording safety and good immune response in people, notjust young people but in all ages, that's great news “— people but in all ages, that's great news —— that the uk backs. people but in all ages, that's great news -- that the uk backs. talk to us news -- that the uk backs. talk to us about the significance of the findings so far that this older age group, more susceptible to covid—19, because we are getting suggestions that the oxford vaccine produces a similar immune response in older and younger adults, but is better tolerated by older adults. yes, when you get side effects from vaccines they are often from robust immune response generally and older people are known to have a weaker immune response, so the fact that it is better tolerated is probably down to this but the good news is there a specific response we are looking for is definitely there and this is going along with some other good news that has recently been shown

that the immune response to covid in general is much longer than we thought it would be originally. we are seeing evidence of robust immune response of people who have had covid, so that means any vaccine that works, that immunity will last a bit longer than we had expected as well. i want to talk about what will happen in phase three of the oxford vaccine trials. before that, perhaps it would be useful to compare this maxim to what we know about the pfizer biontech and moderna vaccines. i think the headline news is that it is much easier to store. it is stable at refrigerator temperatures, much more than the other two vaccines. and also it is a more established way of making vaccines, the oxford version. the moderna and pfizer vaccines are brand—new strategies based on nucleic acid and it is a bit fiddly and might be more difficult to scale up. absolutely people are thinking the oxford vaccine will be easier to make in large quantities. when you say it is a more established way of

making a vaccine, just explain a bit more about what you mean about that. the moderna and pfizer vaccines are based on the genetic blueprint being directly injected into the person's muscle and this has never been done before, there has never been done before, there has never been a marketed vaccine that does this. whereas the oxford vaccine is a bit more of an established technique where you create an artificial virus, so you take a cold virus, a common cold virus, and you stick in the covid—19 bits, so you are basically replicating a little bit of a more natural kind of vaccine, it looks more like a real virus, but it is easier to produce because we have done this kind of things before. 0k. tell us what we can expect, this is the result of the phase two 0xford vaccine trials. what can we expect in phase three and what are the timescales we are looking at here in terms of potentially bringing this to the point where we can all get these injections, the manufacturing capabilities, and so on. so the phase three is already under way and the difference between that and

phase two is the sheer number of people. we are now looking at tens of thousands of people instead of just 500 or so. it is actually a really good time to test a vaccine now because we are in the winter season and more people have it, whereas in the summer there were hardly any people around getting covid. we will know in a few weeks, i think we will have interim results reported in phase three, which would be brilliant, and the good news is the production has already begun. so i think that most people believe that the oxford vaccine will be ready to receive much quicker than the others, the other two you mentioned. so it could be as early as the end of winter. it really depends on the logistics and everything. but it is looking very positive indeed for swifter access for this particular vaccine and we have 100 million doses of it, which is good news. great to begin this morning with such positive news. great to get your assessment of it, drjennifer rohn, cell biologist at university college london.

the largest military investment in 30 years will be announced by the prime minister later this morning. the defence budget will increase by £4 billion annually, over the next four years, and will partly be used to fund space and cyber defence projects. 0ur defence correspondent, jonathan beale, reports. the defence secretary has been fighting hard for more money to modernise the armed forces and to break the cycle of the past over—ambitious but underfunded defence reviews. last month ben wallace visited troops on salisbury plain to see some of the new equipment already being tested by the army — robots, drones and autonomous systems, the future of warfare. the army has already set up a new unit to counter disinformation, an increase in the defence budget of £165 billion over the next four years which will also help to meet the new threats in the domains of cyber and space.

it's a 10% rise in the annual mod budget of £40 billion. with public finances tight, there's been a battle with treasury, but ben wallace has found an ally in the prime minister, who believes extra defence spending will bolster britain's place in the world and revive the economy. at bae systems factory of the future in lancashire has already begun work on tempest, the next fighter jet, which will be flown with or without a pilot in the cockpit. borisjohnson says projects like this could help create up to 10,000 jobs a year. the mod still has to make difficult decisions to cut some older equipment to fund the new, but the defence secretary says the extra cash will now provide certainty for the armed forces, even though it might mean savings elsewhere. there's already been speculation that the aid budget could be cut. jonathan beale, bbc news. let's get

some reaction from our political correspondent leila nathoo in westminster. good morning. with everything going on, a new president, us president—elect, a trade deal still to be done on brexit, possibly. and of course, all the internal politics in downing street last week, clearly the prime minister is keen to present something that is forward—looking, that shows an assertive face in no 10. absolutely, this is all part of the week the prime minister wanted to use as a chance to have a bit of a fresh start after all that turmoil in no 10. we had the announcement on greenjobs in no 10. we had the announcement on green jobs yesterday and today we have this big news of military spending over the next four years. that timescale is significant because it means the mod has managed to secure that longer term deal, unlike other departments because we know that next week the chancellor rishi sunak is going to be setting out the comprehensive spending review but that is only going to be dealing with a one year horizon because of all the uncertainty

around the coronavirus pandemic. i think it is significant that defence and the military has been singled out for spending, as you heard in jonathan's report, the military thinks it will give them that certainty that they say they need. but i think as to why defence is being prioritised, here is what the defence secretary ben wallace had to say about it earlier. when i looked across at the armed forces today i saw them with equipment that was out of date, i saw our adversaries across the world having better equipment, or the ability to attack us and harm us getting wider and wider from our capabilities, and when that happens, you know, time runs out and you need to modernise your forces, you need to sometimes let go of some older capabilities and that takes money. the prime minister recognised without the head room, what would simply happen is bit by bit capability by capability would become less and less effective and we would no longer really be

able to shape our own destiny in the world of defence and security and would start to be left behind. as well as giving the military the chance to adapt to new threats, the prime minister is also stressing this will create jobs across the country and also boost britain's standing in the world, giving britain enhanced role perhaps after brexit on the world stage. it is worth saying that labour is welcoming this investment, saying it is long overdue and that the military has been in decline for the last ten years. but definitely a broad welcome for this money for the military. but of course, money for the military means difficult choices elsewhere. and perhaps money not being forthcoming, or money being taken away from other departments. speculation as jonathan taken away from other departments. speculation asjonathan mentioned in his report about the foreign aid budget. i think there will be difficult decisions for the chancellor rishi sunak in the coming weeks given the economic backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic. 0k, leila

nathoo, thank you very much. i can discuss this more with the former conservative mp tobias ellwood, who's currently the chair of the defence select committee. great to get your thoughts on this this morning. thank you forjoining us. what does this mean for the uk plasma defence capabilities? this is a great announcement we are hearing today, the hard power and soft power defines who we are on the international stage and as you have heard over the last decade, while we are very proud of our armed forces, they have been overstretched, undermanned and they are using dated equipment so i think this is a bold statement of intent to upgrade our defence posture, and coming at a very difficult time financially, so i'm very, very pleased that we are doing this to our hard power.m this really £16 billion overfour yea rs, this really £16 billion overfour years, though? by that i'm referring to the national audit office report which highlighted a black hole the department carrying the legacy of a £13 billion black hole in spending on equipment. so is this money

really what it seems? well, it is. it is new money it will go to fill those holes and as you heard the defence secretary saying there as well, the character of conflicts is changing and we need to adapt to that, we need to make sure we have the cyber security skills and we are able to defend our satellites as to where the arena of conflict is going into. we will not hear those details until february because any integrated review is notjust about how much you spend on defence, it is also about the uk's ambition, our role on the international stage, our long term strategic aims. it also has to confirm the threat we face, what will we do about china, for example? we will not hear that until february. but the message i take away from this is a powerful one, meant for the white house, i think. we stand with the white house, with joe biden, wants to reboot western resolve, ready to confront ever powerful, hostile competitors who i think for too long have been allowed to pursue their own destabilising agendas. the defence secretary ben

wallace in interviews this morning also highlighting the role of british defence diplomacy come to quote the phrase he used. but if 16 billion for the defence department over the next four years means, for example, that money is taken away from the international aid budget, is there a cancelling out effect there? you are right will stop i will raise that with the prime minister. you are right to flag that up. on the one side it is a bold statement we are doing investing in our hard power but ultimately if we wa nt to our hard power but ultimately if we want to re—establish our post brexit global credentials than absolutely we need to protect that aid budget. i would also say willing to bury the myth that we are deliberately breaching international law, we have grazed across that one, and also we need to secure a trade deal with the eu because if we don't that will be seen as a retrograde step. i think 2021 is going to be an interesting yearfor 2021 is going to be an interesting year for the 2021 is going to be an interesting yearforthe uk, a real 2021 is going to be an interesting yearfor the uk, a real opportunity for us in leading the g7 in its presidency and hosting cop 26. with

this budget increase, a chance to re—engage on the international stage. 0k, tobias ellwood, great to get your thoughts. tobias ellwood mp, chairof the get your thoughts. tobias ellwood mp, chair of the defence select committee. the duke of cambridge has tentatively welcomed a new investigation into how the bbc secured an interview with his mother princess diana in 1995. in a statement released last night, he said, "the independent investigation is a step in the right direction. it should help establish the truth behind the actions that led to the panorama interview and subsequent decisions taken by those in the bbc at the time." the bbc has promised to get to the truth about the events surrounding the panorama interview. lord dyson, one of the country's most senior retired judges, has been appointed to lead the inquiry. let's speak to our royal correspondent, jonny dymond. good morning, jonny. how unusual is it to get this sort of statement

from the duke of cambridge?m it to get this sort of statement from the duke of cambridge? in a word, very, very unusual. i can't think of another time that a senior member of the royal family has offered commentary or criticism, or whatever you want to call it, about media coverage. it'sjust not whatever you want to call it, about media coverage. it's just not what they do. instead, i think quite words i had with senior executives. instead we have had this very public statement addressing a very hot and controversial issue. so it is surprising, it is rare, i think it is pretty much unprecedented. it is also worded in a very careful way. you highlighted that his office described this as a tentative welcome. he himself, the prince, described it as a step in the right direction. this isn't a kind of slap on the back and a well done boys. this is, i've got my eye on you, i'm interested in this, i'm keeping watch over what happens here. so it is very interesting, it is pretty

much unprecedented and it is very heavily qualified. so what is the bbc saying about the investigation? what more are they saying about when martin bashir himself might be available to answer questions? because of course he has been ill. the investigation pretty much started yesterday with the announcement of lord dyson, this senior legal figure, announcement of lord dyson, this senior legalfigure, going announcement of lord dyson, this senior legal figure, going to announcement of lord dyson, this senior legalfigure, going to lead it, and the announcement that a senior legal firm it, and the announcement that a senior legalfirm would it, and the announcement that a senior legal firm would be it, and the announcement that a senior legalfirm would be doing it, and the announcement that a senior legal firm would be doing a lot of the grunt work through the documents. and now to some extent the bbc takes a back foot. it provides the documents that it has two the investigation. but it has sort of handed it over our responsibility has now been handed over. we will have to wait and see what the format and the duration of the investigation is, whether it is going tojust be the investigation is, whether it is going to just be a browse through documents, whether witnesses will be called, whether they will be called in public, we simply don't know anything about that yet. as to martin bashir, it is a slightly more complicated story. the bbc for some

months now, has been saying martin bashir, who is the bbc‘s religion editor, is a seriously unwell. he had a brush with covid—19 and a serious operation following that. but twice now he has been pictured in various newspapers up and about outside his home. it's going to be up outside his home. it's going to be up to him obviously when he decides he is well enough to speak to the inquiry, presuming he is going to speak to the inquiry. but various newspapers are clearly having something of a field day and casting doubt as to quite how unwell he is. 0k, jonny, jonny dymond, our royal correspondent, thank you very much. thousands of people across the uk rely on vital support from home care services, but many of these services are at risk of closure, partly because of the extra financial cost of the pandemic. the sector as a whole reportedly has more than £100 million of debt, with more than a quarter at risk of going out of business. sam fenwick reports.

when i wake up of the morning, you do wonder what's going to happen today. there has never been an easy day since lockdown. every day is a battle. katie has a long day ahead of her, she will visit more than 12 people. morning, john. helping them to dress, organising theirfood, and making sure they have all had their medication. we gave her a camera so that she can film her visits. is that comfy? john is nearly 90. a year ago he fell and now struggles to work. katie helps him with everyday chores. forjohn, these carers allow him to stay at home in the house he's lived in for 70 years. it's all very relaxing and very family treatment, so you don't feel uncomfortable, and in your own house, that is where your memories and happiness are. this is a good lady her, she is like one of the family to me. after 20 minutes withjohn,

katie is on her next visit. now we're off to see mr mannian who lives in the wiston area. he is very ill, terminally ill, and it's very important for him and his family particularly to keep him at home as long as possible. all the people katie cares for have different needs. there is end—of—life care, and there's people like phil. phil will not see anyone other than his carers today. without them i probably would feel lonely. the girls make sure i've got everything i need and they come back in the afternoon to give me my lunch. more than 500,000 people in the uk receive care at home. 80% of this is funded by local authorities, and each authority pays a different amount for care. exclusive research for the bbc suggests more than a quarter of uk home care providers are now at risk

of going out of business. they say it is because they don't get enough money from councils and now there are additional costs because of covid. each operator has on average £38,000 worth of debt. knowsley council pays one of the lowest rates. you are constantly working on a knife edge to ensure that not only can you provide that quality service which is paramount but also that you have that financial support to keep the business running. where are main costs for you of this pandemic? at the moment within this second wave we are seeing a lot higher rate of absence. knowsley council says the price they pay for care increased by 7% in april. they say it is costing them more than £400,000 a year. they are also helping businesses cover the cost of staff who are off sick or having to isolate because of covid. at seven o'clock, katie starts her evening calls.

she'll work right through until 10:30pm. harry's just celebrated his 20th birthday. he lives in widnes with his mum and dad and younger brother and sister. we can't go under it... he isn't in palliative care or anything like that. harry needs it for his mental well—being. that. harry needs it for his mental well— being. when they that. harry needs it for his mental well—being. when they don't come it is very hard keeping harry's spirits lifted. they are like his friends, they are notjust his carers. as the evening progresses, katie's calls start to slip and by 9pm she is already running half an hour behind. you don't really get travel time so trying to get here on time sometimes isa trying to get here on time sometimes is a problem. the government in england says it is committed to finding a long—term solution for social care that puts the sector on a sustainable footing for the future. in the meantime, it has made £4.5 billion available to local authorities to help deal with the pandemic. i'm absolutely shattered, i'm done in. back again at it

tomorrow, 7am, so i had better go in and get some sleep. we can now speak to colin angel, policy director of the uk home care association, and rob gready, from eclipse homecare. thank you forjoining us. rob, i will begin with you. tell us about your business, how many people you employ and the sort of services you provide. good morning. yes, we employ about 300 staff, we care for something like over 400 people out in the community, we are providing the sort of home care services that your clip was just showing. and these are the most vulnerable people in our society. most of our clients are elderly, so they are in their

80s, 90s, and many of them simply cannot manage without the care and support that we are able to offer them on a daily basis. it has been extremely challenging. we have a fantastic team of staff who have gone over and beyond and really done a fantasticjob out there. but of course, everybody is anxious. i heard someone saying at high levels, yes, we had high levels of absence in the first wave and i'm extremely worried that we will also have high levels of absence again now, as people are required to shield from covid and so on. so really, really challenging because of covid. challenges before them but exacerbated because of covid? exactly. i was just exacerbated because of covid? exactly. i wasjust going to ask: if this is a familiar story. it is a

regrettably extremely familiar story. living life on a knife edge, as paul described in the video is exactly how organisations describe it. really we need care providers focusing on delivering fantastic her during a pandemic, not worrying about money and the accessibility of personal protective equipment, which has been one of the biggest exacerbating factors to an already weak financial system in social care. the bbc research suggests that a quarter of home care providers could go out of business. how close are these providers to that point in your estimation? some of them are extremely close and are looking at their finances very carefully. i think what we need to be clear on is that organisations which may exit the sector will likely do so in an

organised way, so this won't be organisationsjust organised way, so this won't be organisations just disappearing overnight. but actually what that means is they will be fewer care providers available to deliver care, and all the people that are looking for care and support will probably end up waiting longer before that ca re can end up waiting longer before that care can start, and where that will really hit is in the nhs. fewer people able to get out of hospital quickly, and that has a backlog on the nhs as well. that's really concerning for the people who need that care. you are saying, yes, if ca re rs that care. you are saying, yes, if carers go out of business, if home ca re carers go out of business, if home care providers go out of business it will be in an organised fashion, but that creates huge worries for the elderly people who depend on them. rob, just coming back to the fact that home care providers were already in difficulties before the pandemic hit, talk to us about what was going on financially there. i know that in your instance it was

not exactly, well, i think it was loss—making to provide care for every council client, these council clients were effectively being subsidised by private work. is that right? that's absolutely right. in our case, prior to the pandemic, we reckon, well, we knew we were losing about 72p an hour for every state funded local authority funded client. i can tell you that that has increased to something approaching £1.40 now with all of the extra costs coming through. and you are absolutely right, in our case we have only been able to survive because we have a very healthy self funded market. so there is cost subsidisation. and that is absolutely commonplace across the sector and it is absolutely wrong because it does put us under a tremendous financial pressure. if

you add to that the fact that there has been actually a decrease in demand as some people who actually do need care have been, understandably, saying, look, we really don't want you just at the moment. they are frightened, obviously, of having people coming into their homes, which is a terrible position to be in. just picking up on that, throughout this pandemic we have heard calls for home care workers to be paid higher wages, and if you add that in to the financial demands, the financial pressures that rob is talking about there, you can see that the sector asa there, you can see that the sector as a whole really needs to be examined carefully, how it is funded, how it is working. there was talk of a green paper on sustainability for social care, before the last election, wasn't

there? what is happening with that? well, who knows what has happened to that green paper, it certainly hasn't appeared and i have little confidence there is a genuinely worked up a plan. but i think as well as thinking about that green paper, government has already legislated for the way that councils should behave in england. that's in the care act 2014, and actually what government has not done is really keepa government has not done is really keep a handle on whether councils are actually complying with the law thatis are actually complying with the law that is already there and that is something i think it's really important. 0k, well, we could talk more and more about this but we are out of time. thank you for giving us some detail on what the situation is in the home care sector, colin angel, policy director the uk care her association and rob gready, from eclipse homes. thank you very much. you can hear more on this story on radio 4's you and

yours today at 12:20pm. anybody who has stepped outside today will know it is much colder compared to yesterday, 5—10 colder, but after early showers, brightening up but after early showers, brightening up with sunshine. the last of the shower is pushing away southwards. many will have a dry one sunny afternoon. showers on north sea coast, risk of coastal flooding, wintry showers for the northern isles. most of us having a fine albeit chilly afternoon. cloud increasing in the west overnight bringing outbreaks of rain, clear skies initially to the east allowing a patchy frost to develop. many places will also see temperatures heading up later in the night as cloud increases. such a different day tomorrow. 0utbreaks cloud increases. such a different day tomorrow. outbreaks of rain pushing east across the uk with

cloudy skies, the breeze picking up once again. even though it will be cloudy and wet, temperatures heading back up into double figures, reasonably mild weekend on the way, windy at times, further rain occasionally. hello, this is bbc news. the headlines: the team behind the oxford coronavirus vaccine says trials have shown a promising immune response in people aged over 60, increasing hopes it can protect those most at risk from the virus. £4 billion a year for the next four years — the government announces the biggest investment in the military in 30 years. prince william has tentatively welcomed an independent investigation by the bbc into how martin bashir secured an interview with his mother princess diana in 1995. the number of coronavirus deaths in the united states passes a quarter of a million,

as many states struggle to contain the spread of the virus. and the careers being stopped before they've even begun — the number of apprentices made redundant during the pandemic was two thirds higher than in 2019. sport and a full round up from the bbc sport centre. good morning. how are you? very good. reflecting on a big night of international football. wales made history. it also boosts their chances of securing aplace in the 2022 world cup qualifing play—offs. the same prize was on offer for scotland, but they lost, and there was disappointment for northern ireland, while england beat iceland in a dead rubber. andy swiss rounds up the action. a big night for wales' biggest star.

gareth bale's team were facing finland and they were soon in control. finland'sjere uronen sent off and wales took advantage. bale setting up harry wilson to put the hosts ahead at half—time. and after it, danieljames extended their lead in some style. finland did pull one back, but kieffer moore sealed wales'3—1win. it means they finish top of their nations league group, and it could mean a play—off spot for the next world cup. not a bad night's work. for scotland, though, there was disappointment. they also had a chance to top their group, but a superb finish from manor solomon gave israel the lead. despite some chances, scotland were beaten 1—0. after qualifying for the euros last week, no celebrations this time. in belfast, meanwhile, around 1,000 fans watched northern ireland against romania. the hosts were already relegated from the group, but they took the lead through liam boyce. they couldn't hang on, though. a late goalfrom romania's eric bicfalvi secured a 1—1 draw.

as for england, well, they also only had pride at stake against iceland. they soon found plenty of it. declan rice putting them ahead before mason mount doubled their lead before the interval. it was all very straight forward. two second—half goals from phil foden sealed a 4—0 win. england ending their autumn campaign on a high. andy swiss, bbc news. rugby league and union, plus horse racing, will all benefit from a rescue package of emergency funding, to be announced by the government today to help them cope with the effects of the pandemic and loss of crowds. wigan warriors, one of the teams to lift a trophy in an empty stadium. several hundred million pounds will be made available to help these sports through grants or loans. the premier league and english football league won't benefit, however. the government insisting the sport is wealthy enough to support itself. cricket will also miss out. it's another huge day of tennis at the atp finals in london with rafael nadalfacing defending champion stefanos tsitsipas later. the winner goes into the semis, while the loser is out.

meanwhile, world number one novak djokovic suffered just his fourth defeat of the year, losing in straight sets to daniil medvedev who's into the semis. djokovic plays alexander zverev, tomorrow, with the winner guaranteed to make the last four. world number seven zverev, meanwhile, came through his match against diego schwartzman, winning in three sets, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3. now, last weekend lewis hamilton made history by equalling michael schumacher‘s record of seven formula 1 world titles. although he's yet to sign a new contract at mercedes for next season, in an exclusive interview with the bbc, he's hinted he'll remain with the team as he bids to surpass that record. but his journey to the top hasn't been easy. he's been speaking to my colleague sally nugent. i remember as a kid adults, teachers, parents of other drivers, youngsters, telling me i would not

make it, not good enough, there is no way you are going to make it, go back to your country. all of these horrible things. really, i think, the message was for all of the kids who may be fearing they don't have a voice, dreaming something or wanting to dream big. what is next? i would love to stay, i still feel young, i still feel energised, hungry. it is crazy, yes, i have won the seventh title, but we have another big fight and that is for racial equality across the board. and diversity within my sport, which i thought i would have helped shiftjust by being here but i realise that is not the case. it's that moment of the year when the top basketball stars are picked by the teams in the nba and it was an emotional moment, when anthony edwards paid tribute to his late mother and grandmother, as he was named the number—one draft pick,

with a move to minnesota timberwolves. you can see the celebrations. both family members died, of cancer, keen to pay tribute. the georgia guard, 19, sat next to paintings of the pair as the announcement was made. that's all the sport for now. full details on our website. thank you very much. as the unemployment rate rises, it appears to be young people who are being hit hardest by the job losses taking place. today, new figures seen by the bbc suggest apprentices are also losing out. between march and july, more than a thousand people in england were withdrawn from apprenticeship programmes because they had been made redundant. — nearly double the number in 2019. bbc business presenter sima kotecha has more.

when a business is struggling, it sometimes will get rid of the apprentice first. that is what the data we are seeing today is showing us, that has happened in the pandemic. 0ne survey suggest 12% of apprentices were made redundant in 0ctober alone. going forward, we know fewer businesses are operating at the moment because of lockdown, and we know the businesses operating, a lot are struggling financially. what does this mean for young people who are adamant they wa nt to young people who are adamant they want to be train, they want to get new skills so they are more attractive to the job market? to help me talk about this and answer the questions is tracy mattis, assistant principal of apprenticeships milton keynes colleges, how grim does it look for young people today?” colleges, how grim does it look for young people today? i think it is particularly difficult for young people. exactly as you say, you have

apprentices partway through their apprenticeship who are losing their jobs. you also have a whole swathe of young people who thought they we re of young people who thought they were heading towards an apprenticeship at the beginning of this academic year and there are not the vacancies for them to apply for. what advice do you have for people who are going through this at the moment? is there anything they can do to improve their chances of getting an apprenticeship if they have lost the one they are on?|j think it is important they keep up communication with the training provider. certainly, for us, we are putting background care in for our apprentices who are at risk of redundancy or have been made redundant, seeing if we can match the employers who have job opportunities with those who are at risk. for those being opportunities with those who are at risk. forthose being made redundant, please keep in contact with your training provider and work

with your training provider and work with than to help them to secure a place for you. for those who have not got an apprenticeship yet, the importance is to seek careers advice, with training providers, with colleges, and also to look at training they can do at the moment that will help to kick—start them, so that will help to kick—start them, so when the opportunities come up, they will be able to demonstrate to employers their interest in that particular industry, that particular job, and they will already have some knowledge that will help the employer and could be credited towards darren apprenticeship and shorten the apprenticeship duration —— towards the apprenticeship. shorten the apprenticeship duration -- towards the apprenticeship. some good advice. the government says it has the kick—start scheme, the furlough scheme which has been extended until the end of march, is there anything else you would like to say today that ministers should consider doing? yes, thank you.

whilst there are financial incentives, many of the employers we speak to tell us the financial incentives are not sufficient for them to make the plunge to take on an apprentice. nor would them to make the plunge to take on an apprentice. norwould it them to make the plunge to take on an apprentice. nor would it make the difference to keep an apprentice. my real request is for them to look at the contractual requirements around taking on an apprentice and see if those could be relaxed, so that apprentices might be able to work for employers under a work experience opportunity, so they continue to develop skills and knowledge, but it does not have that contractual implication for employers. and the second thing is, we know that there has been a large amount of levy that has been underspent and at the moment it can only be used for apprenticeship training. ithink only be used for apprenticeship training. i think this is an opportunity for the government to

look at how the levy might be able to be used to protect particularly young apprentices in employment to see how that might support financially to keep them retained in employment. tracey mattis, thank you very much for your time. some top tips from tracy, keep in touch with your training provider, she says, if your training provider, she says, if you have lost your apprenticeship. another thing is, morale moving forward , another thing is, morale moving forward, many young people have been feeling down as we go through this very challenging time. people i have spoken to certainly have told me that. there is more than one challenge going ahead, your mental health, your morale, and also finding a job. absolutely right, great to get some tips from your guest. as the number of coronavirus deaths in the united states reaches a quarter of a million,

the us department of health says two vaccines may be authorised and ready for distribution within weeks. but health experts are concerned current restrictions are causing covid fatigue amongst americans, alongside president trump's apparent lack of urgency in tackling the virus. mark lobel takes a closer look. how bad is the situation in america? daily cases have climbed from under 50,000 in late august to over 150,000, a total of almost 11.5 million, with more testing available. the saddest part, 2000 people were dying a day in april, now 1700 deaths a day, over a quarter of a million people have died in america over all, the most of any country. although some other nations have been proportionately harder hit. worryingly, the number of americans in hospital with covid—19 is higher than at any other time in the pandemic as we approach winter. what is next? as we get deeper into the cooler months of the

late fall and winter, very serious. there are lagging indicators. for example, when you see cases and a couple of weeks later hospitalisations and a few weeks later you see deaths. we hundred thousand schoolchildren in new york will be remotely on thursday —— 300,000. from president trump, there has been nothing on the issue, even on twitter, adding to the frustration of health experts. at what point do you say, enough? yeah. well, what i am doing and some of my collea g u es well, what i am doing and some of my colleagues are, as much as we possibly can, being the voice of what needs to be done. that is why i am here with you and that is why i have been doing this all day, to get that message out. the doctor is

urging americans to stomach the restrictions a little longer and avoid what he calls covid fatigue with the prospect of a vaccine on the horizon. but getting to that stage may take a little longer as president—electjoe biden complains he is currently unable to find out from donald trump's administration about the depths of the vaccine stockpiles and distribution plan. u nless stockpiles and distribution plan. unless it is made available soon, we will be behind by weeks, months, being able to put together the whole initiative relating to the biggest promise we have with two drug companies coming along and finding 95% effectiveness, efficiency, in the vaccine, which is an enormous promise. how can we stop thanksgiving and christmas becoming super spread of events? just ask yourself, at this time, is it really worth having an accumulation of people coming from different parts

of the country going through crowded airports, on aeroplanes, coming into your home? to end on a sobering note, remember, at the moment, these restrictions are for life notjust for christmas. the headlines on bbc news... the team behind the oxford coronavirus vaccine says trials have shown a promising immune response in people aged over 60, increasing hopes it can protect those most at risk from the virus. £4 billion a year for the next four years — the government announces the biggest investment in the military in 30 years. prince william has tentatively welcomed an independent investigation by the bbc into how martin bashir secured an interview with his mother princess diana in 1995. life in lockdown has led to isolation for many people and the bbc has been looking

at its impact on people of all ages. 0ur reporter elaine dunkley has been to visit a community of older people in walsall in the midlands, which is trying to tackle the problem. loneliness is a killer. when i lost doreen after 63 years of marriage, like a doreen after 63 years of marriage, likea curtain doreen after 63 years of marriage, like a curtain came down, i thought, what am i going to do now? i never said goodbye to her. ron is 86, he lost his wife, a daughter and the grandson. a life of love and laughter replaced with loneliness and heartbreak. you think to yourself, what else can happen to me? ican yourself, what else can happen to me? i can talk about it now. when they say, she is at peace now, that doesn't excuse the fact she is not there with you. how can you not miss someone who has been there every day of your life, 63 years? that

loneliness, it is a killer, no doubt about it, it is a killer to people. i have experienced this and it will overta ke you i have experienced this and it will overtake you if you let it. clock watching all the while. you shut the door, close the curtains, you were thinking, wishing your life away, i wish it was tomorrow, i wish it was next week. ron is not alone, millions of people are feeling increasing levels of loneliness in lockdown. social distancing has broken social bonds. in warsaw, a group of volunteers are reaching out to the most vulnerable. it is called neighbourhood country matters. she is visiting with some shopping and a chat. lovely to see her, made my day. i feel very proud and thankful for the things they are doing for me. i think it is lovely. is it

quite upsetting when you get back in the car? sometimes like nowl quite upsetting when you get back in the car? sometimes like now i feel full, you get in the car can you feel like it plucks at your heartstrings, there have been people who are worse, you don't want to leave, you want to put them in the carand take leave, you want to put them in the car and take them home. neighbourhood natters has changed ron's life and now he is a volunteer phoning people everyday. you all right? you sound a bit better, is everything 0k? right? you sound a bit better, is everything ok? i have 16 people now. ten o'clock in the morning, iphone reg. i phoned brian at the home in the afternoon. i never thought i would do this but i am thankful i have done it now. you can talk forever. you have just have done it now. you can talk forever. you havejust met have done it now. you can talk forever. you have just met them. they say, that time has gone quick.

we are not strangers now, we are all friends. it is all right, love, it is ron, my mate, when you get on the phone. it is a wonderful feeling, no doubt about it, and i hope it lasts a lot longer. that really does tug at the heartstrings. also really heart—warming to see how people are helping each other. let's talk about it some more. joining me now is alex smith, ceo of the cares family, a group which finds connection and community for the elderly. and sarah marshall, takes part in phone a friend initiative for north london cares. first of all, i love the name, the ca res first of all, i love the name, the cares family, running for a little

while, pre—pandemic, what gave you the idea to start this initiative?” was a younger person living a life in london ostensibly a glamorous life, commuting to myjob with my iphone headphones on, i was a council candidate in the area and i metan council candidate in the area and i met an 84—year—old man on election day in 2010 who had not been out of his house for three months, he had not spoken to anyone apart from his carer who brought him food in the morning and evening, and i was drumming up votes for myself so i suggested if he was happy to i would wheel him down the road so he could perform the democratic duty, that he wa nted perform the democratic duty, that he wanted to perform, and while we were out, he became animated, waving at his neighbours, and in time, fred andi his neighbours, and in time, fred and i became friends. i realised i must be lots of other people who find it difficult to get out of the house, whose relationships are frayed because people pass on,

people are retired, and people like me in their 20s and 30s living that busy life but always behind screens, and they must be so much in common between these two generations that for some reason have become estranged. how many people do you help? you started off getting younger and older people together in social settings. but now we are in the pandemic, that cannot happen, tell us about you how you have risen to the challenges of that. in regular times, we bring people together to enjoy social clubs, dance parties, new technology workshops which have come in handy on the last nine months, building relationships through shared experiences, and also one—to—one friendships between older and younger people. since march, we suspended face—to—face activities but we have reinvented them so older and younger people can enjoy virtual social clubs, discussion groups, history nights, dance parties, all

over online technology, phone clubs for people who don't have access to online video calls, and one—to—one friendships that have sustained not just older people but younger people too, mostly on the fans but also over the summer at a social distance. —— mostly on the phone. tell us about the phone a friend initiative and what did the conversations mean for you undone? everything. i have been involved in the social for three years and one things changed, right, i am there for phone a friend. i phoned one lady each week and it has made a massive difference to me. i knew her vaguely in the social clubs before but then by phone a riend, the first conversation, i thought, but then by phone a riend, the first conversation, ithought, what but then by phone a riend, the first conversation, i thought, what will we talk about? we were on the phone foran hourandl we talk about? we were on the phone for an hour and i was laughing, she was telling me wonderful stories. she has meant everything this

pandemic. so special.” she has meant everything this pandemic. so special. i bet you cannot wait until you can chat to herface to face cannot wait until you can chat to her face to face and notjust over the phone, as good as actors. we have met when we were able to over the summer —— as good as that is. i call it my marian day, we can go out for a walk, we have our own bench in the local park. we can at a social distance meet up in the summer, so that was great. just wonderful. and how many people are taking part in this initiative in north london?” don't personally know that i think it is quite a lot. there were so many people who used to meet at the social clubs who we could not see any more. it is a lot of people. and they are always volunteers. lots of marian day is going on, i love that idea. alex, you mentioned how it benefits the younger people involved

as well and it was interesting yesterday we saw in the survey from the ons yesterday we saw in the survey from the 0ns that yesterday we saw in the survey from the ons that it yesterday we saw in the survey from the 0ns that it was the 16—29 —year—olds reporting much stronger feelings of loneliness, actually, than older adults. this is overcoming stereotypes about what young people think and do, their attitudes, and older people's attitudes, and older people's attitudes as well. the younger volu nteers attitudes as well. the younger volunteers might be getting just as much out of the size of the people they are talking to. absolutely. we use the word neighbours to describe the people because at the cares family, this is a community of mutual relationships between people. 0ver mutual relationships between people. over the last nine months, we know younger people have experienced increased anxiety, increased loneliness, increase depression. they have not been able to go to the pub to see friends, work with collea g u es pub to see friends, work with colleagues up close, that is exhausting. it feels lonely. what we have experienced is older people

giving younger people a sense of patience, perspective, that everything will work out, we will work this through. to see the relationships blossom, just like sarah and marion, wonderful.m anyone wants to get involved, how can they do that? they can visit the ca res can they do that? they can visit the cares family website and we are a lwa ys cares family website and we are always looking for people to get involved, younger and older. brilliant, thank you so much, both of you, for talking to us today. alex from the cares family and sarah from north london cares. if you are affected by any of the issues in that report, you can go online to bbc.co.uk/actionline where you'll find details of organisations which offer advice and support. and the bbc has a special programme

that's now on iplayer called beating loneliness together — let's talk about it — where a panel shares some ways for people to cope. to get in touch with us about any of the stories today, the vaccine, loneliness, defence spending, you can do that on twitter. let's take a look at the weather. it is colder today but with brighter skies, but it will not be long before the cloud comes back and temperatures go up again. showers spreading south in the first part of today. in the afternoon, left with plenty of sunshine, the odd shower around, showers down across north—east scotland, wintry in nature, feeling colder with brisk north—westerly winds. they are easing a bit in the afternoon. from setting and eastern parts of the uk in the night. —— frost setting in. temperatures going up frost setting in. temperatures going

up as the night goes on in the west with outbreaks of rain moving on, particularly north wales, western england and northern ireland, wet and to the night and first part of tomorrow. rain spreading east through friday, we will all see that at some stage. even when you get rid of the persistent rain, keeping a good deal of cloud and patchy and light rain and drizzle, quite windy, especially north—east scotland.

this is bbc news with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. the team behind the oxford coronavirus vaccine says trials have shown a ‘promising immune response' in people aged over 60 — increasing hopes it can protect those most at risk from the virus. £4 billion a year for the next four years — the uk government announces the biggest investment in the military in 30 years. an investigation into the conduct of australian special forces in afghanistan has revealed evidence of dozens of unlawful killings. australia's chief of the defence staff said some patrols took the law into their own hands. the number of coronavirus deaths in the united states passes 250,000 — as many states struggle to contain