this is bbc news with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. the health secretary says there are early signs coronavirus cases are falling — but he doesn't know when restrictions could lift in england — despite the speed of the uk vaccine rollout. we don't yet know how the vaccine impacts on how much you transmit the virus. that's why it's so important that people continue to stay at home after they've had the vaccine. a warning from england's deputy chief medical officer that you could still pass on the virus, even if you're fully vaccinated. anger in europe over vaccine delays — italy accuses pfizer and astrazeneca of serious contract violations.

a dramatic rescue in china, as 11 gold miners who'd been trapped underground for two weeks are brought out alive. new zealand confirms its first coronaviurs case in months, which appears to have slipped through the country's rigorous quarantine system. and borisjohnson becomes the first european leader to speak to the new us presidentjoe biden since he entered the white house. hello and welcome if you're watching in the uk or around the world. here in the uk, health secretary matt hancock says there are early signs the number of coronavirus cases are starting to decrease, but that he doesn't know when the current lockdown

restrictions will ease. mr hancock also praised the speed of the vaccine rollout, with three quarters of the over—80s receiving their first dose. he was speaking to the andrew marr show. the good news is there are early signs that certainly the rise in the number of cases has been halted. and in many parts of the country, that cases are starting to come down. it isn't just about the government, it's about each and every one of us, as we have discussed many times. and as you say, the vaccine roll—out programme is going really rapidly. we've vaccinated as of this morning three quarters of all the over—80s in the country and a similar number of care homes, and i'm so proud of the nhs team delivering on that. i have been talking to your opposite number in israel, mr edelstein. he says that before restrictions can properly be lifted,

they have to vaccinate 80% of their population. is that the kind of figure you are looking at here? it's far, far too early to say. the reason it's too early is because we know with a high degree of confidence that the vaccine protects people from serious disease and of course from dying, which is the whole purpose of it, but we don't yet know the impact on how much the vaccine impacts on how much you transmit the virus. that is why it's so important that people continue to stay at home after they have had the vaccine, and professorjonathan van tam is explaining that this morning. that means those sorts of calculations, far too early to know. mr hancock also gave an update on the variants discovered in brazil and south africa. there are 77 known cases of the south african variant.

they are under very close observation and we have enhanced contact—tracing to do everything we possibly can to stop them from spreading. the majority of those have had contact with, or come from south africa and that's why we've got such stringent border measures in place against movement from south africa. sorry to interrupt, but that suggests some people with the south african variant have caught it from people inside the uk and therefore it is already spreading inside the community of britain? there is not what we call community transmission which is when you find a case but you cannot find the link back to travel. at the moment it is all linked to people who travel, and travel is restricted at the moment to returning brits. if you are not a british citizen or resident here, you cannot come here if you have been to south africa or southern

africa recently. the shadow foreign secretary lisa nandy told andrew marr that the emergence of different variants meant the government should be taking border security far more seriously. scientists tell us that there are a number of countries where these strains are emerging that simply do not have the capacity to map what is happening. it is notjust countries that have identified the strains of the virus we ought to be careful about. what we are likely to be seeing, even if we have not identified it, is strains emerging all over the world. there is no question we need to take border security far more seriously, we have been pushing the government to take tougher measures at the border since last spring. on monday, we have the delayed announcement, yet again delayed, we would fully expect the government to bring in tougher quarantine measures, we would expect them to roll out a proper testing

strategy and to start checking up on people quarantining. only three out of every 100 people asked to quarantine when they arrive in the uk faces any checks at all, it's not sufficient. four coronavirus vaccination centres in south wales have been shut as the country braces for more snowy weather. anyone due to get theirjab at one of the sites today, will have their appointment rescheduled. a yellow weather warning is in place for the whole of wales — apart from anglesey. 11 gold miners trapped underground in china for two weeks have been rescued. a total of 22 workers were trapped 600 metres below ground at the mine in shandong province following an explosion. it's not clear if others are still alive underground. our correspondent steve mcdonell has more. the first miner came to the surface

after two weeks trapped underground. gretzky cheered but he was barely conscious. he had been found by himself caught in another part of the mine. wearing a blindfold after being in the dark for so long, he was taken straight to an ambulance and then rushed to hospital for treatment. soon, others were emerging. there were injuries, but many could walk with the assistance of rescuers who had been battling night after night to reach them. the miners have been told it would take 40 miners have been told it would take a0 more days to dig a rescue tunnel, penetrating 600 metres of top granite. however somehow larger ventilation shafts were cleared which led all the way to the main group of ten. suddenly the rescue was happening in hours rather than weeks. translation: ,. ,. translation: the rescuers checked the miner flew _ translation: the rescuers checked the miner flew back _ translation: the rescuers checked the miner flew back to _ translation: the rescuers checked the miner flew back to see _ translation: the rescuers checked the miner flew back to see if - translation: the rescuers checked the miner flew back to see if they - the miner flew back to see if they had injuries and covered their eyes for protection. after lifting up the trapped miners, we will search for

the missing ones. fin trapped miners, we will search for the missing ones.— the missing ones. on january the tent, a blast _ the missing ones. on january the tent, a blast caught _ the missing ones. on january the tent, a blast caught 22 _ the missing ones. on january the tent, a blast caught 22 workers i tent, a blast caught 22 workers underground. the accident wasn't reported for 30 hours, costing precious time. the local communist party secretary and mayor have both been sacked because of the delay and are likely to face strict punishment. one of those trapped had beenin punishment. one of those trapped had been in a coma following head injuries has died. others are missing. hopes are great for the survival of those already taken to hospital. with a quarter of its population vaccinated, israel is leading the global immunisation race against the coronavirus. the israeli government bought large stocks of the jab in exchange for acting as the world's guinea pig, and scientists are watching data shared by the country keenly. the israeli health minister yuli edelstein spoke to my colleague andrew marr about their findings so far. we are just in the beginning of the campaign.

unfortunately, we do see cases after getting the first dose, people get sick, get the coronavirus. at the same time, there are some encouraging signs of less severe diseases, less people hospitalised after the first dose. so at this stage, it's very difficult to say. it's not a clinical trial yet. it's just our empiric data, and we sincerely hope we will have better information very soon. we still have a very small number of those who we consider fully vaccinated, meaning a week after the second dose, according to pfizer instructions. so we still can't boast accurate data on that. we are collecting every piece of information. we hope to be able very soon to say the number of those hospitalised goes down. and one thing we are closely following, there's always been the situation where you have a rise in people who are infected, you have an immediate rise

in hospitalised and severe cases. we hope that this graphic, this slide will change a little bit, and then we'll be able to talk about the influence of the vaccine. mr edelstein also responded to criticism that israel has excluded palestinians from its vaccine rollout. as far as the vaccination is concerned, i think israeli obligations, they pay taxes, don't they? having said that, it is in our interest, not our legal obligation, but it is in our interest to make sure palestinians get the vaccine, that they will stop covid—i9 spreading. that they will stop covid-19 spreading-— that they will stop covid-19 sureadin. ., , ., , ., that they will stop covid-19 sreadin. ., , ., , ., spreading. palestinians have asked for vaccines — spreading. palestinians have asked for vaccines and _ spreading. palestinians have asked for vaccines and you _ spreading. palestinians have asked for vaccines and you haven't - spreading. palestinians have asked for vaccines and you haven't given | for vaccines and you haven't given them, and under the geneva convention, israel is required to do

so. to corporate to six says israel must adopt and supply prophylactic and preventative measures necessary to contact the spread of contagious diseases and epidemics in co—operation with local authorities. so why aren't you giving them the vaccine? i so why aren't you giving them the vaccine? ., _ so why aren't you giving them the vaccine? ., my , so why aren't you giving them the vaccine? ., _ , ., ., vaccine? i would say first of all we can look into _ vaccine? i would say first of all we can look into the _ vaccine? i would say first of all we can look into the so-called - vaccine? i would say first of all we can look into the so-called oslo . can look into the so—called oslo agreements, which says palestinians have to take care of their own health. �* h, , have to take care of their own health. �* ,., , ., ., have to take care of their own health. �* , ., ., , , health. i'm sorry to into up, but the united _ health. i'm sorry to into up, but the united nations— health. i'm sorry to into up, but the united nations says - the united nations says international law should supersede the oslo agreement on this. it is the oslo agreement on this. it 3 the responsibility of the israeli health minister of the health of the palestinians, what is the responsibility of the palestinian health minister? they turn to us in terms of health and their medical teams... i authorised vaccines to those medical teams who directly work with coronavirus patients mac

and the palestinian authority, and as you can hear... inaudible. they are doctors and nurses and they don't get the vaccine at this stage. italy has accused the pharmaceutical firms pfizer and astrazeneca of serious contract violations, after the companies announced they would not be able to deliver their coronavirus vaccines as agreed. prime minister giuseppe conte said the delays were unacceptable. the two companies have said production problems have forced them to cut the amount of vaccine doses they can deliver. tim allman reports. salvation in a syringe. the covid vaccination programme is being rolled out across the world, millions of people have already had theirfirstjab. billions more awaiting their turn. but are enough doses being provided? in italy, the answer to that question is apparently no.

the country's prime minister insists that is unacceptable. giuseppe conte said: and it's notjust italy. belgium's vaccine task force says it will receive fewer than half the number of covid—i9 vaccines it had expected in the first three months of the year. pfizer and astrazeneca have warned they won't be able to deliver the amounts promised due to production problems. and in a new twist, the new york times is reporting that pfizer plans to provide fewer vials because they discovered they could extract an extra dose from each vial which was only supposed to contain five. at the end of the day it's

important to recognise that pfizer and other large pharmaceutical companies are for—profit companies, and they have a responsibility to their shareholders to try to extract as much profit as they can. the company insists it is fair as the contract is based on doses, not vials, and the lucky discovery means it can stretch the vaccine even further, meaning more doses reach more people. but until the majority are vaccinated, the fight against the virus will have to take other forms. in the netherlands, a night—time curfew has been introduced, the first nationwide curfew there since the second world war. the wait for a vaccine may mean more lives are being lost. the authorities in new zealand have confirmed the first case of community transmission of the coronavirus in months. a woman, who had returned from europe and completed a compulsory two—week period of managed isolation, tested positive ten days later. contact tracing is under way after she and her husband travelled

around the north of the country. the health minister said it was too soon to speculate on the origin or strain of the infection. the case is a 56—year—old woman who has recently been through isolation at the pullman hotel in auckland, after returning from europe. she tested negative twice during her stay, and was released following that. we don't yet know the origin or the strain of the infection. it's important not to speculate on that until we have that information. it's also too early to speculate on what our possible response options may be, including things like alert levels. we are working on the assumption that this is a positive case and that it is a more transmissible variant — either the one identified first in south africa, or the uk, or potentially brazil, or another more transmissible variant. given where we are in this global pandemic, the variants that are becoming more common

are the ones that are more transmissible. the headlines on bbc news. the uk health secretary says there are early signs coronavirus cases are falling — but he doesn't know when restrictions could lift in england, despite the speed of the vaccine rollout. a warning from england's deputy chief medical officer that you could still pass on the virus, even if you're fully vaccinated. anger in europe over vaccine delays — italy accuses pfizer and astrazeneca of serious contract violations. a year ago, the world saw its first coronavirus lockdown come into force in wuhan, the chinese city where the pandemic is believed to have started. earlier i spoke to drjonathan quick.

at the rockefeller foundation it ends when you have strong consistent leadership at all levels to mobilise, i hate to use the word, but lockdowns. when you listen to scientists and adopt safe living habits, the masking, the ventilation, the distance. and it ends when you get the majority of the planet vaccinated. ends when you get the ma'ority of the planet vaccinated._ ends when you get the ma'ority of the planet vaccinated. referring to what the authorities _ the planet vaccinated. referring to what the authorities did _ the planet vaccinated. referring to what the authorities did in - the planet vaccinated. referring to what the authorities did in wuhan l what the authorities did in wuhan with the really tough lockdown at the beginning, we have seen different countries responding in a slightly different ways. what would you say about the differences in national strategies and their relative success or failures that we have seen around the world? it’s have seen around the world? it's been have seen around the world? it�*s been absolutely stunning, the differences. countries with earlier coronaviruses like singapore and

korea, the new they had to move quickly. they have the testing already. —— they knew they had to move quickly. they had a fraction of the deaths per population that we have seen in europe. countries next door to each other, germany has half the death rate of france, decisive leadership and tough action. canada has half the death rate of the us per population. the leadership here was chaotic. it's like fighting a war, except instead of thousands of troops, it's thousands of viruses. you need an army, a battle and a battle leader. that is where there was a lot of variation in the response. if was a lot of variation in the resnonse-_ was a lot of variation in the resonse. , ~' was a lot of variation in the resonse. , ~ . response. if it is like fighting a war, it response. if it is like fighting a war. it is _ response. if it is like fighting a war, it is the _ response. if it is like fighting a war, it is the case _ response. if it is like fighting a war, it is the case that - response. if it is like fighting a war, it is the case that some l war, it is the case that some leaders are not prepared because they haven't had to deal with this kind of thing before? you mentioned asian countries have had something similar in the past? if

asian countries have had something similar in the past?— similar in the past? if you haven't dealt with it _ similar in the past? if you haven't dealt with it before, _ similar in the past? if you haven't dealt with it before, it's _ similar in the past? if you haven't dealt with it before, it's listening | dealt with it before, it's listening to the scientists. norway and sweden are right next door to each other. norway listened to the scientists, they made tough decisions early on. sweden said, well, against scientific advice we will try to let it run wild and natural immunity. sweden now has almost three times the death rate of norway. so even if you haven't been there before, a good leader goes to the experts, get their advice, good leader goes to the experts, get theiradvice, understanding good leader goes to the experts, get their advice, understanding a pandemic. that advice is going to change as we get more information, but that is critical. leaders everywhere know that their job but that is critical. leaders everywhere know that theirjob is to unify, mobilise, encourage. if they are not doing that, they are not fighting the pandemic. you speak about leaders, _ fighting the pandemic. you speak about leaders, and _ fighting the pandemic. you speak about leaders, and the _ fighting the pandemic. you speak about leaders, and the united - fighting the pandemic. you speak . about leaders, and the united states has a new leader. donald trump ferociously criticised for his handling of coronavirus. how much

difference do you thinkjoe biden and his new covid strategy will make? i and his new covid strategy will make? ., and his new covid strategy will make? . ., and his new covid strategy will make? . . ._ ., make? i mean, night and day. you have a leader _ make? i mean, night and day. you have a leader that _ make? i mean, night and day. you have a leader that wants _ make? i mean, night and day. you have a leader that wants to - make? i mean, night and day. you have a leader that wants to unify i have a leader that wants to unify people, get a single message, who has an expert team in charge. he is listening to the scientists. we have started a 100 days ramp up of the masking, putting the resources in place. one of several reasons why the different states have had trouble responding is because they haven't had the resources. we have had gridlock with congressmen. so with new leadership, we expect the public health measures which we know work will be put into place faster and more effectively. here in the uk, the snp will today present its national assembly with what it's calling a roadmap to a new referendum on scottish independence. the 11—point plan sets up the possibility of a showdown in the courts with the westminster government over the legality of any attempts

to seek a fresh poll. borisjohnson has repeatedly said he opposes another referendum — even if the snp wins a majority in this year's scottish parliament elections. well in the past half hour, the first minister of scotland nicola sturgeon, has been speaking to my colleague andrew marr who asked her about the prime minister's objections to another independence vote. it's robert burns' birthday tomorrow, ourannual burns day, and when i hear boris johnson about this, i bring to mind a poem. cow'rin, tim'rous beastie, 0, what a panic�*s in thy breastie! he's frightened of democracy. the polls show a majority of people in scotland want independence if the snp win the scottish election in a few months�* time on a proposition of giving the people that choice, then what democrat could rightly stand in the way of that? boris johnson clearly just fears the verdict and the will of the scottish people. you say in a few months�* time — therefore you are not going to delay the elections because of the coronavirus pandemic? i see no reason why the election should be delayed but rightly and properly in a democracy, it shouldn't simply be a decision

for government — that would be a cross—party decision. we have legislation recently that had passed to put contingency arrangements in place — we might have to do the election differently — more postal voting, for example — but i see no reason why it shouldn't go ahead at this stage. many countries have had elections over the course of the pandemic. borisjohnson has become the first european leader to speak to the new us presidentjoe biden since he came into the white house. the prime minister said he looked forward to deepening the "long—standing alliance" between the two countries. thumbs up if you've got through to the president. the prime minister on the phone to president biden last night, the first european leader to receive a call from him since inauguration day. i'm told the conversation lasted about 35 minutes, with borisjohnson describing the new administration's early announcements as "fantastic" and saying they represented "a moment of hope in a dark time." a statement from downing street after the call said...

the focus on climate change matters because it's an issue where both leaders agree, but it matters particularly to the uk because the government here is hosting an international summit on climate change known as cop26 in glasgow in november. the order in which the us president calls international leaders is always something of a political spectator sport. it's a crude measure of relative importance, but a measure nonetheless. remember this? holding hands at the white house, almost exactly four years ago. the then prime minister theresa may rolling up within a week of president trump's inauguration, the first international leader to arrive. not quite so straightforward

in a pandemic. downing street said the leaders looked forward to meeting in person as soon as circumstances allowed. chris mason, bbc news. now to the decline of the honey bee. in bolivia, a vet and his wife are doing their best to save several colonies threatened by deforestation in the andes. gail maclellan reports. it's humid, it's subtropical, and high on the eastern andean slopes of the cordillera real, it's also vulnerable. as in many areas in bolivia, deforestation has become an issue. in this case, the trees are cut down to grow coca — in its most innocent form used to alleviate the symptoms of high altitude, but also

used to produce cocaine. this deforestation is a huge blow, particularly for one of the littlest creatures dependent on the vegetation. vet eric paredes says the number of bees in the area has been halved, and this endangers food production. translation: bees are incredibly important - for our planet. it's been shown that bees are responsible for 70% of food production around the world, so, from that point of view, we give greater importance to the work we do. and that work is looking for beehives to save, and creating safe habitats for the bees. wooden beehives keep the bees safe, and the vet and his wife have saved ten native species. you'll be relieved to know the species doesn't sting — as well. convincing local farmers to assist with the conservation has been difficult. if their crops are not fruits, farmers see bees as a nuisance, not an aid to agricultural production. eric paredes is not going to give up. translation: the ob'ective of this place is for it h to become a bee research institution for all native,

stingless bees, and we want to be able to transmit this knowledge to different regions so they're valued more. our mission is simply to save the bees. and at the same time to support a delicate ecosystem. gail maclellan, bbc news. now it's time for a look at the weather. hello, there. heavy snow is moving its way across northern ireland, england and wales, bringing with it a risk of some transport disruption with snow covering roads here in lampeter in ceredigion during the early hours. you can see this band of snow continuing to push its way in. i have to say, there have been times this morning that stretches of the ma and the m5 have been completely snow—covered. and it's not a comment on the gritting. you just need a bit of traffic to actually mix the grit into the falling snow. and at the moment we're only meant to be doing essentialjourneys, so obviously traffic volumes

are quite low at the moment and that's allowing snow to settle on those motorways and the a—roads as well. sojust bear that in mind. travel disruption is quite likely in places as this band of snow becomes particularly slow—moving across parts of wales and the midlands as we go through the day. the snow tends to clear away for northern ireland, scotland and northern england, sunshine and a few snow showers. but bear this in mind. we are likely to see some transport disruption for a time across wales, parts of the midlands and parts of southern england on account of the snow and the ice. overnight tonight, the snow will finally peter out and pull away southwards, and with skies clearing behind that, it's going to be a cold night, one of the colder nights we've seen recently across parts of western england and wales with a really sharp frost, minus five or so in birmingham. just about nationwide, there's a risk of some icy stretches, then, to take us into monday. but monday promises to be a much sunnier day across england and wales. a lot of dry weather here, although there will be showers in north—west england, again some of these will be falling

as snow and a few showers as well for northern ireland and scotland. again, there's more than likely going to be some snow. temperatures on the cold side — five, maybe six degrees celsius. but there are signs of a change towards the middle part of the week as this atlantic weather system moves in. now, this eventually will bring milder air, but it's moving into colder air as we head towards tuesday. so something of a battle zone set up across the country. now, we may well see a little bit of snow on the forward edge of this band of precipitation. if we do see any snow across wales and southern england, it will turn back to rain as that milder air works in. but with a reservoir of colder air across the northeast, well, the snow could last longer here, bringing some significant accumulations, but ultimately it will turn milder for just about everyone as the week goes by. the cold air, though, still loitering across the north and east. that's your weather.

good afternoon. the health secretary, matt hancock, says 77 cases of the south african variant of covid have been found here in the uk. but all have links to international travel and there is no evidence

to date that it is spreading in the community unchecked. matt hancock has also said we are a "long way" from restrictions being eased — as scientists warn people can still pass on the virus even if they've been vaccinated. our health reporter jim reed has more. the vaccination roll—out in the uk continues. hundreds of thousands of those most at risk are receiving theirjabs this weekend, but as we try and navigate our way out of this pandemic, scientists think new variants of coronavirus are real concern. a mutation first found in cases from south africa is thought to spread faster. some worry it could also make a vaccine less effective, though that is not yet certain. speaking on the adama programme, the health secretary said the government is monitoring it closely. the government is monitoring it closel . ., the government is monitoring it closel . . ~ ., the government is monitoring it closel. . ~ ., , ., closely. there are 77 known cases of the south african _ closely. there are 77 known cases of the south african variant _ closely. there are 77 known cases of the south african variant in - closely. there are 77 known cases of the south african variant in the - closely. there are 77 known cases of the south african variant in the uk. |

the south african variant in the uk. they are very close observation and we have enhanced contact tracing to do everything we possibly can to stop them from spinning. the majority of those have had contact with or come from south africa, and that's why we've got such stringent border measures in place. the government — border measures in place. the government has _ border measures in place. the government has said all international travellers will need to show a negative covid test before arrival, but the opposition is calling on ministers to go further. on monday, we got this delayed announcement yet again delayed, we would _ announcement yet again delayed, we would fully expect the government to brin- would fully expect the government to bring in _ would fully expect the government to bring in tougher quarantine measures, we would expect them to roll out— measures, we would expect them to roll out a _ measures, we would expect them to roll out a proper testing strategy and we _ roll out a proper testing strategy and we would expect them to start checking _ and we would expect them to start checking up on people who are quarantined and only three out of every— quarantined and only three out of every 100 — quarantined and only three out of every 100 people who are asked to quarantine — every 100 people who are asked to quarantine when they arrive in the uk are _ quarantine when they arrive in the uk are actually facing any checks at all. i: i: i: i: , ., uk are actually facing any checks at all. :: ijijij ,., all. 470,000 doses of the vaccine were given _ all. 470,000 doses of the vaccine were given over— all. 470,000 doses of the vaccine were given over the _ all. 470,000 doses of the vaccine were given over the last _ all. 470,000 doses of the vaccine were given over the last day - all. 470,000 doses of the vaccine were given over the last day for i all. 470,000 doses of the vaccine l were given over the last day for the ministers said three quarters of

those over 80 have now had their first dose. the government scientists are warning those who have received theirjabs so far will not be fully protected and may still spread the disease. the message, then,is spread the disease. the message, then, is still for everyone to follow social distancing rules, probably four months to come. jim reed, bbc news. as high risk groups continue to be immunised, there are growing concerns that people with learning disabilities have been missed out. despite a recent public health england report warning they are six times more likely to die from coronavirus, as a group, they have not been prioritised for a vaccine. nikki fox reports. you know, you can't smell it, you can't see it. you can't hear it. it's like a silent killer. everyone here has a learning disability. they meet up regularly to talk about and understand death and bereavement. it is scary at times. these chats have never been more important. all i keep thinking is, am i going to be next? you know. am i going to be the next one to die?

i would hate to be in hospital, in lockdown on my own. people with learning disabilities are up to six times more likely to die from coronavirus. that's according to analysis by public health england, which looked at the number of deaths during the first wave of the pandemic. however, only those with down's syndrome and severe learning disabilities are being prioritised for the vaccine. tilly is one of those being prioritised. and it can't come soon enough. i get so fearful for her. historic inequalities in health care and the knowledge that even before covid people with learning disabilities have such a low life expectancy means many families, any visit to hospital is a worry. we have had too many incidences where she's been refused treatment, because they can't work out how to treat somebody with a learning disability. for me to think about that happening, if she had the virus and she had to go into hospital, it's terrifying, absolutely terrifying. deciding who is eligible for priority access is not an easy task.

the initial priority programme was based on the risk of hospitalisation and death. the committee which advises government examine a different set of data to public health england. it believes those with milder learning disabilities are not at such an increased risk. individuals with learning disability, we recognise as a very disadvantaged group, so that's why we decided to make a clinical decision to prioritise those with profound and severe learning disabilities within our first six categories. with such conflicting figures, experts fear that by not immunising everyone with a learning disability as a priority... we need to protect this population. ..there will be many who will not get the vaccine in time. lots of people with learning disabilities have things like diabetes or heart problems, or lung problems. even before covid, more than four in ten people with a learning disability died of a lung

condition like pneumonia. it is clear that as a group of people, they really are at risk, and they should be prioritised. we are just as important as everybody else that should have a chance of having the vaccine. but we need it now, rather than later. death after death and crisis i after crisis, ijust can't cope... legal action on the grounds of discrimination is being taken against the government. however, the department of health and social care says it is working hard to vaccinate all those at risk. they should be on top of the list. but with learning disabilities being such a complex, often misunderstood condition, campaigners believe that once again, this group of people are being forgotten. nikki fox, bbc news. well, this morning, four vaccination centres have been shut, as wales awoke to snow. and it wasn't the only place to be affected. this was the scene in sutton coldfield this morning. south west england and the midlands saw some early snowfall,

before it moved east to london and surrounding areas. the snow has been welcomed with delight from many on social media, but there are weather warnings in place for much of the midlands and south of england, as well as wales, scotland and northern ireland, until the end of the day. the snp will present its national assembly with what it's calling a road map to a new referendum on scottish independence. the plan sets up the possibility of a showdown in the courts with the westminster government over the legality of a fresh poll. borisjohnson opposes another referendum — even if the snp wins a majority in this year's scottish parliament elections. speaking on the andrew marr show, the snp leader said they would push ahead with the plans, even if the prime minister is against them. he is frightened of democracy. the polls now show a majority of people in scotland want independence. if the snp win the scottish election in a few months�* time on a proposition of giving

the people that choice, then what democrat could rightly stand in the way of that? boris johnson clearly just fears the verdict and the will of the scottish people. cricket — and there�*s been another outstanding performance from england captainjoe root, who�*s keeping his side in the second test against sri lanka in galle. a short time ago, root�*s innings had narrowed sri lanka�*s lead to just a8. here�*s our sports correspondentjoe wilson. here�*s one face of english cricket�*s winter so far — joe root�*s, with a smile. here is how the captain managed to make another 100 against sri lanka. there were lots of shots like that. you see his perfect timing when you slow it down. root had support from jos buttler. and for a while, the ball was travelling — sri lanka could have used an extra fielder. well, decent turn of pace, not built to catch. sri lanka grabbed this chance

to get rid of buttler. replays revealed the ball bouncing from bat to boot. it didn�*t hit the ground, so he was out for 55. england were six down when curran fell. five wickets for embuldeniya. here is anotherface of the series, his, happy. england depended on their captain, butjoe root was feeling the wear and tear after hours in the middle. who would help? fourfor dom bess as england gradually neared sri lanka�*s score. progress was cautious, careful. butjoe root knew the way. with this shot, another celebration — his score to 150. playing in sri lanka on another level. joe wilson, bbc news. and some good news before we go. rescuers in china have freed 11 miners who were trapped 600 metres, for two weeks, underground. tv footage showed the miners, who were blindfolded to protect their eyes

from the light, being lifted out as emergency workers cheered. the entrance tunnel to the gold mine in shandong province collapsed after an explosion. a total of 22 miners were trapped in the blast, the cause of which is unknown. the next news on bbc one is at a.05pm, bye for now. good morning. for some of us, we are having ourfirst good morning. for some of us, we are having our first significant snow of the winter. it is settling on many of the major motorway networks now across southern and eastern parts of the uk. this was clapjust across southern and eastern parts of the uk. this was clap just an across southern and eastern parts of the uk. this was clapjust an hour orso the uk. this was clapjust an hour or so ago. reading will have 6 centimetres or so. you can see on the radar picture, the snow. is

ita it a why do people get sick with corbett while others are fine? the answer be in _ corbett while others are fine? the answer be in our blood? for months, researchers at cambridge university have been comparing the blood of hundreds of cova patients. this young child she grew. to be in a beautiful young woman and a star and just has had ups and downsjust like the rest of us. she grew up in a goldfish bowl and it is kind of hard to do sometime. symptom onset. inflammation happens when your body sends in the troops to attack invaders like a virus. but if the immune system overreacts, sending in too many troops, the excess

inflammation and make you very ill. so the people who get very sick, and i right in thinking, it�*s not the virus that is making a very sick, it�*s the value�*s response. the bodies attacking itself that�*s factually true the infection kicks thing whole thing off. what caused the damage that results from admission to intensive care as an uncontrolled activism probe response initiated by the virus seems to be sustained in people. the virus might have gone and your immune system is still attacking the body. it appears the virus is cleared for most patients by the time they�*re doing badly. in intensive care for example. a key question is how can you use this information? can you develop a test that people take so that they will know the date we get sick or not?— sick or not? probably not based on the evidence _ sick or not? probably not based on the evidence we _ sick or not? probably not based on the evidence we have _ sick or not? probably not based on the evidence we have got. - sick or not? probably not based on the evidence we have got. that - sick or not? probably not based on the evidence we have got. that isl the evidence we have got. that is because by the time we seek people after they had developed symptoms who get sick, there are already under way to getting very sick. what

i think tells us is that if we are going to try and prevent the development of inflammation early, we have to be treating people much, much earlier than we thought. it�*s much earlier than we thought. it's still early days, but these findings could help us improve treatments and understand the long—term effects of this disease. the understand the long-term effects of this disease-— this disease. the key thing for us is to keep following _ this disease. the key thing for us is to keep following this - this disease. the key thing for us is to keep following this group i this disease. the key thing for us is to keep following this group of| is to keep following this group of patients that we recruited back a year ago. we need to study the recovery of their immune responses and immune systems and we certainly know that by three to four months, there are still profound advantage in the immune system by patients who got well and got home. the question is, do those abnormalities recover without doubt persistent and what does that mean the context of lung covid. bbc news cambridge. it was a 500 ears covid. bbc news cambridge. it was a 500 years ago _ covid. bbc news cambridge. it was a 500 years ago that — covid. bbc news cambridge. it was a 500 years ago that cistercian - covid. bbc news cambridge. it was a 500 years ago that cistercian monks| 500 years ago that cistercian monks were cut out of the land in lancashire and since then, the building they worked and lived in has fallen into ruin, but later this

year, modern day monks are going to return to the abbey for the first time since the reign of henry viii. hundreds of years of history course through the site. home to cistercian monks for over 200 years. there were about 30 requirements at the height of this abbey history. in the building the size of ripon cathedral and this is the spot where they would gather to say their prayers seven times a day. over here, we can see the cloister. you seven times a day. over here, we can see the cloister.— see the cloister. you can also see in those alcohols, _ see the cloister. you can also see in those alcohols, they _ see the cloister. you can also see in those alcohols, they are - see the cloister. you can also see in those alcohols, they are not. in those alcohols, they are not fireplaces, they are book shelves, where the monks kept their books, because the abbey was a place of study and learning. the medieval abbey was also a place of healing, with an infirmary for 2a months and

we believe that the need for healing is going to be more powerful today than ever. 50. is going to be more powerful today than ever. . , . , than ever. so, nearly five centuries since the monks _ than ever. so, nearly five centuries since the monks disappeared, - than ever. so, nearly five centuries since the monks disappeared, the l since the monks disappeared, the abbey�*s new director is establishing a modern day monastic order. people picture monks as men wearing big robes, it�*s not that, is it? trio. picture monks as men wearing big robes, it's not that, is it?- robes, it's not that, is it? no, it can be any— robes, it's not that, is it? no, it can be any man _ robes, it's not that, is it? no, it can be any man or— robes, it's not that, is it? no, it can be any man or woman - robes, it's not that, is it? no, it can be any man or woman of. robes, it's not that, is it? no, it| can be any man or woman of any robes, it's not that, is it? no, it- can be any man or woman of any age. front _ can be any man or woman of any age. front line _ can be any man or woman of any age. front line health workers and care workers _ front line health workers and care workers say the new some way that we can go— workers say the new some way that we can go and _ workers say the new some way that we can go and we will be looked after, where _ can go and we will be looked after, where people will accept as for who we are _ where people will accept as for who we are and — where people will accept as for who we are and where we can talk openly. there _ we are and where we can talk openly. there is_ we are and where we can talk openly. there is something about being surrounded by prayer and even if vou're _ surrounded by prayer and even if vou're not— surrounded by prayer and even if you're not religious. this surrounded by prayer and even if you're not religious.— surrounded by prayer and even if you're not religious. this abbey was a wealthy abbey _ you're not religious. this abbey was a wealthy abbey with _ you're not religious. this abbey was a wealthy abbey with considerable l a wealthy abbey with considerable resources, iron, coal, stone, sheep and cattle pastures, but its riches would make it a target for king henry viii and would ultimately be its downfall. it

henry viii and would ultimately be its downfall-— its downfall. it was that wealth that made _ its downfall. it was that wealth that made them _ its downfall. it was that wealth that made them vulnerable, i its downfall. it was that wealth - that made them vulnerable, because henry— that made them vulnerable, because henry vi" _ that made them vulnerable, because henry viii always was desperate for