this is bbc news. i'm kasia madera. the headlines at eight... buckingham palace says the duke of edinburgh is in "good spirits" after being taken to hospital last night. officials say he was admitted as a "precautionary" step after feeling unwell for a few days. as he prepares to lay out a road map for easing restrictions in england, the prime minister says it's right to focus on data, not dates. par cautious and prudent approach to coming out of lockdown. we want to be going one way from now on. the healthy young people volunteering to be deliberately infected with coronavirus in the uk for the world's first human trials. the united nations says it will raise the detention

of princess latifa, daughter of the ruler of dubai, with the united arab emirates. the uk says it, too, is concerned. at least 21 people have died and millions are without power as a huge winter storms sweeps across southern us. you have no authority here, jackie weaven _ you have no authority here, jackie weaven no — you have no authority here, jackie weaver. no authority at all! and coming up, handforth parish council meets again for the first time since it went viral. good evening and welcome to bbc news. the duke of edinburgh has been taken to hospital in london after feeling unwell at windsor castle for the past few days. prince philip, who will be 100 injune, was driven to the king edward

the seventh hospital last night. buckingham palace says his admission is not related to coronavirus and he is in hospital on the advice of his doctors as a precautionary measure. here's our royal correspondent nicholas witchell, and a warning, his report contains flashing images. fanfare plays. he's been retired for more than three years now, and he's remained largely out of public sight during the lockdown. this was an exception. july last year, when he took his leave from the rifles, one of the regiments of which he'd been honorary colonel in chief for many years. the most recent image of him is this, at windsor castle with the queen, a photograph released by the palace last november to mark their 73rd wedding anniversary. prior to that, there was a photograph of the couple together lastjune, on the occasion of the duke's 99th birthday. and, for the royal doctors, it will no doubt have been his age as much as anything which will have

persuaded them to err on the side of caution. the duke has apparently been feeling unwell for several days so, last night, at windsor castle, his doctors decided to admit him to hospital. at 2pm this afternoon, the palace issued a statement. the duke's admission is a precautionary measure, it said, on the advice of his royal highness's doctor, after feeling unwell. the duke is expected to remain in hospital for a few days of observation and rest. the duke is in the private king edward vii hospital in london. it's understood he was driven there by car. it was not an emergency admission. it is not covid—related, says the palace, and the duke is said to be in good spirits. i think he would want no fuss. he is a very robust character, and he doesn't like... he is a no—nonsense sort of man. i think he would be embarrassed by there being fuss, and would not want it. i'm sure he is in good spirits. he is always in good spirits.

this is the first time the duke has been in hospital since december 2019. on that occasion, he was admitted, again, to the king edward vii hospital, for what was described as observation. he spent four nights in hospital before leaving tojoin the queen and other members of the royal family at sandringham. anxiety, on top of everything else. today, the royal family has been carrying on without any outward evidence of concern. this was prince charles and the duchess of cornwall this morning at a hospital in birmingham, before the news of the duke's hospital admission was made public. the queen has remained at windsor castle. she too is carrying on with her duties but, inevitably, in everyone's mind will be the fact that the duke is nowjust four months short of his 100th birthday. nicholas witchell, bbc news. in a moment, we'll talk

to our royal correspondent, sarah campbell, at windsor. first to aruna iyengar, who is outside the king edward the seventh hospital in central london. any updates? yes, prince philip is said to be in _ any updates? yes, prince philip is said to be in good _ any updates? yes, prince philip is said to be in good spirits. - any updates? yes, prince philip is said to be in good spirits. as - any updates? yes, prince philip is said to be in good spirits. as you i said to be in good spirits. as you know, he arrived here yesterday. he walked in the hospital himself. it was after he had a short illness, a short period of illness, and on his own doctor's advice, he came to hospital. it's to deal with a pre—existing condition and he's here for observation and some treatment. considering the duke is about to celebrate his 100th birthday, it's possibly not surprising that he's had a few interventions before and had a few interventions before and had to go to hospital. previously, backin had to go to hospital. previously, back in 2019, he was in this hospitalfor back in 2019, he was in this hospital for precautionary measures to deal with pre—existing conditions before in 2018, he had hip surgery. in 2017, he had an infection. back

in 2013, he had abdominal surgery. the reason for his admission today is nothing to do with coronavirus. both the prince and the queen had their coronavirus jabs back and january at windsor castle, so they have been vaccinated against the virus and that is not a particular problem. all seems to be well at the moment and the palace seems to be playing down this bout of illness. aruna, thanks so much for the time. let's cross over to sarah at windsor where that her majesty the queen is. good evening. as you say, the queen is here at the moment. windsor castle has become the permanent home of the queen and prince philip over the last year or so during the pandemic. both have been shielding here. looked after by a small number of staff. as you say, as you heard

in the piece, the queen has been carrying on in, as usual. the royal family tweeted that she had taken a phone call with the first sea lord. they discussed the navy according to the sea will erode —— dc lord. you also saw prince charles and camilla, the duchess of cornwall. they were at the queen elizabeth hospital in birmingham talking to people due to be taking part in vaccine trials. the message very much has been that the duke is in good spirits. we heard that he walked into the hospital unaided. he was driven from winter their castle yesterday by car, so it wasn't an emergency —— from windsor cashel. when you're talking about someone who is going to be 100 years old injune, there will be some concern. there will be a concern from medical staff, but he will be very well looked after. he will be very well looked after. he will be very well looked after. he will be carefully monitored and no doubt the queen here at windsor castle will be kept fully up—to—date with the condition of her husband of

73 years. with the condition of her husband of 73 ears. .. . with the condition of her husband of 73 ears. ., ., ,., with the condition of her husband of 73 ears. ., ., . with the condition of her husband of 73 ears, ., ., . ., 73 years. sarah, thanks so much for keein: 73 years. sarah, thanks so much for keeping us — 73 years. sarah, thanks so much for keeping us up-to-date. _ thank you both so much. and we'll find out how this story and many others are covered in tomorrow's front pages atjust after 10:30 and 11:30 this evening in the papers. 0ur guestsjoining me tonight are the broadcaster henry bonsu and the former trade minister, digbyjones. ido i do hope you canjoin us too. one of the government's scientific advisors has told mps that the coronavirus data is now looking so good, it could point to an earlier lifting of restrictions in england. the prime minister is due to set out a road map on monday for how lockdown will be lifted. borisjohnson warned that measures would be eased cautiously. here's our health editor hugh pym. it'll be one of the most difficult decisions he has to make — at what speed to start easing the lockdown in england.

the prime minister's hoping the rapid roll—out of vaccinations will help for his plan to be unveiled on monday. it'll be based firmly on a cautious and prudent approach to coming out of lockdown, in such a way as to be irreversible. so, what do experts think about when restrictions will ease? schools in england are set to start reopening from march the 8th, but families and businesses want to know what else might open up and when. today, one expert was optimistic based on vaccine numbers and falling cases. my conclusion from that is if you're driven by the data and not by dates, right now, you should be looking at earlier unlocking because the data are so good. and speaking to the same commons committee, another scientist was also upbeat. i think if we're cautious, we should get... - it won't be completely normal, . but things will start to look much more normal by spring. mps were also told scenes like this on some british beaches last summer

were not the problem some people thought. there was an outcry about this. there were no outbreaks linked to crowded beaches. there's never been a covid—19 outbreak linked to a beach ever anywhere in the world. the number of daily reported cases was very low last summer. then it picked up in the autumn and really surged injanuary to reach a peak, before falling back sharply. but there's still a lot of pressure on the nhs. the number of patients in hospitals on ventilators is still onlyjust below the peak last april, and that's even with doctors less inclined to use ventilators for patients this time. so, how much can vaccinations help? there's agreement that the programme has gone very well so far, but there was a warning there was a lot more work to do to ensure sufficient community protection. don't unlock too fast, because if you unlock a lot whilst a lot of the most vulnerable are still unvaccinated, genuinely we risk disaster, frankly.

and what role is there for mass testing? there's been talk of lateral flow kits giving rapid results being sent out to households and workplaces as lockdown is eased, but there was a note of caution about their use. where we've used them most successfully, i have to say, i is where they've been self—tests, but in a i semi—supervised environment. so, there's somebody there to take the results, you log the result, - you know who's had what test. the scottish government is moving cautiously. the first minister said today it was likely people would be advised against booking easter breaks, though holidays in scotland might be possible in the summer. hugh pym, bbc news. the latest government figures show 12,718 new infections were recorded in the latest 24—hour period — that's almost the same number as last wednesday. an average of 12,289 new cases were recorded per day in the last week.

just under 21,000 people are in hospital with coronavirus across the uk. in the last 2a hours, 738 deaths have been recorded — that's people who died within 28 days of a positive covid test. that number is almost a third lower than this time last week. on average, 583 deaths were announced every day in the past week. the total number of people who've died is 118,933. almost 365,000 people had their first dose of one of the three approved covid—19 vaccines in the latest 24—hour period. just under 16 million people have now had theirfirstjab. british scientists have been given the green light to run the world's first covid—19 trial, in which people will be deliberately infected. 90 healthy volunteers between the ages of 18 and 30

will be exposed to the virus to understand its effects. the study will be carried out in a safe and controlled environment, with medics monitoring participants' health. our medical editor, fergus walsh, reports. this is where trial volunteers will spend just over two weeks, in en suite rooms at the top of the royal free hospital in north london. there's quite a view and all meals provided, but the stay includes being deliberately infected with coronavirus. the aim is to find the smallest possible dose that will trigger an infection. we believe the risk on this trial is incredibly small because they are young, healthy adults. most of them will even be asymptomatic, but we're doing every thing we can to make sure we're monitoring it and mitigating it. future trials will be used for head—to—head comparisons between different vaccines and how well they work, but this initial study should also yield important

information about covid. in no other kind of study can you understand what's happening right at the beginning of the infection, how much virus comes out of people's noses, and most importantly amongst asymptomatic people, who we think are an important contributor to transmission in the community. the volunteers who do spend 17 days here at the royal free hospital and attend their follow—up blood tests over the course of a year will be compensated to the tune of £11,500, but it's altruism rather than money that seems to be the main motivation. alastair is 18 and has already signed up. he's been campaigning for the trials to take place as a means of speeding up research into vaccines and the virus. i think it's a challenge for us. really they are going - to shorten the pandemic. anything we can do shorten

the pandemic is certainly. really worth doing. so, i guess it's that- which is really driving it. challenge trials have a long history. in this study in oxford, volunteers drank a solution laced with typhoid bacteria to test whether a vaccine they'd had protected them. it's an approach that should help find new covid vaccines and treatments in years to come. fergus walsh, bbc news. jacob hopkins has applied to take part in the programme and joins me now. thank you so much forjoining us. when it comes to this programme, what stage are you?— what stage are you? looking at takin: what stage are you? looking at taking part--- _ what stage are you? looking at taking part... you're _ what stage are you? looking at taking part... you're looking i what stage are you? looking at taking part... you're looking atj taking part... you're looking at takin: taking part... you're looking at taking part. — taking part... you're looking at taking part, does _ taking part... you're looking at taking part, does that - taking part... you're looking at taking part, does that mean i taking part... you're looking at - taking part, does that mean you've been accepted onto the programme?

are there criteria you need to meet? yeah, i'm 23 years old. i haven't been accepted yet. i very interested in these trials and what they can achieve. ~ . , ,., . ., achieve. what is the particular interest for _ achieve. what is the particular interest for you? _ achieve. what is the particular interest for you? because - achieve. what is the particular interest for you? because we | achieve. what is the particular - interest for you? because we heard there from our editor that you are paid for it potentially if you get accepted. but there is a sense of all truism, that you want to help. what was it for you that motivated you to get involved? i what was it for you that motivated you to get involved?— what was it for you that motivated you to get involved? i was going to sa , the you to get involved? i was going to say. the fun _ you to get involved? i was going to say, the fun side _ you to get involved? i was going to say, the fun side of— you to get involved? i was going to say, the fun side of it _ you to get involved? i was going to say, the fun side of it wasn't - say, the fun side of it wasn't affected. it was mainly what could be achieved. human trials compared to the traditional trials in normal vaccine development, people get the same results within weeks that could take months. in a time like this,

where lives are being lost daily, it seems shorter things are better. how do ou feel seems shorter things are better. how do you feel about potentially being deliberately infected with this virus? we've seen the jury instruction it's created over the past year or so, are you not worried —— the destruction? past year or so, are you not worried -- the destruction?— -- the destruction? yeah, but i think the _ -- the destruction? yeah, but i think the bigger _ -- the destruction? yeah, but i think the bigger picture - -- the destruction? yeah, but i think the bigger picture is - -- the destruction? yeah, but i | think the bigger picture is these sort of trials help achieve the end of this pandemic sooner. that is the main drive of course behind everyone getting involved in this.— getting involved in this. what's our getting involved in this. what's your understanding _ getting involved in this. what's your understanding of- getting involved in this. what's your understanding of what - getting involved in this. what's your understanding of what the process is if and when you do a get accepted? what's the next procedure? you will have to spend time in hospital. you will have to spend time in hosital. . �* , you will have to spend time in hosital. . �*, . , , hospital. that's correct, yes. so, if i do hospital. that's correct, yes. so, if i do get _ hospital. that's correct, yes. so,

if i do get accepted _ hospital. that's correct, yes. so, if i do get accepted to _ hospital. that's correct, yes. so, if i do get accepted to the - hospital. that's correct, yes. so, if i do get accepted to the trial, i if i do get accepted to the trial, the process involves... a 17 day stay in a quarantined unit. so you don't go out and affect other people in the population. bud don't go out and affect other people in the population.— don't go out and affect other people in the population. and when it comes to what your — in the population. and when it comes to what your family _ in the population. and when it comes to what your family and _ in the population. and when it comes to what your family and friends - to what your family and friends think about you getting involved, have you had those discussions? yeah, they've definitely been discussed. still the choice i'm still thinking about myself. they're obviously concerned. the idea of somebody getting covid is not good at all, but i mostly in the right age group for it. the risks for me are very, very slim. the benefits are very, very slim. the benefits are so much greater, really. {lin

are very, very slim. the benefits are so much greater, really. on that uliftin: are so much greater, really. on that uplifting note. _ are so much greater, really. on that uplifting note, let's— are so much greater, really. on that uplifting note, let's leave _ are so much greater, really. on that uplifting note, let's leave it - uplifting note, let's leave it there. jacob, wishing you all the best. jacob hawkins, who has applied to take part in this programme. as of luck. . ~ to take part in this programme. as of luck. ., ~ , ., to take part in this programme. as of luck. . ~' , ., , to take part in this programme. as of luck. ., ~ , ., , . to take part in this programme. as| of luck-_ let's of luck. thank you very much. let's brina you all the support. here's tolsen tullett. let's start with the premier league, because manchester city can go ten points clear at the top if they beat everton tonight. they've just kicked off at goodison park. earlier this evening, burnley and fulham drew 1—all at turf moor. fulham took the lead through 0la aina's rather unorthadox finish just after halftime. it didn't last long, though. ashley barnes equalised for the hosts just three minutes later. it's a result that suits burley more than fulham, who remain 18th in the table. in scotland, celtic had a david turnbull goal to thank for their 1—0 win over fourth placed aberdeen, which closes the gap on rangers but still leaves them 15 points adrift of their glasgow rivals, while st mirren and hamilton academical

played out a 1—1 draw. darren drysdale, the referee that appeared to square up to an ipswich town player during their match against northampton in league one last night, has been charged by the fa with improper conduct. they had been investigating the incident that involved the midfielder alan judge. drysdale apologised today saying he should have maintained his composure. paul lambert is the ipswich town manager. he says he confronted the official at the final whistle. i asked him, did you iasked him, did you put i asked him, did you put your hand on my player? he told me... i think you're in trouble. i think it's unacceptable what happened. there would be an absolute mayhem. now to tennis, where rafael nadal says he isn't looking

for any excuses after the 20—time grand slam champion lost an epic five set quarter—final against stefanos tsitsipas at the australian open. the spaniard, who has reached five finals in melbourne, winning it once back in 2009, looked to be cruising after taking the first two sets easily. but the greek fifth seed turned it around for only his second career win against nadal. the match lasting over four hours and finishing just before midnight local time. tsitsipas is into a third grand slam semi—final, where he'll play russia's daniil medvedev. there was a big shock in the women's draw. world number one ashleigh barty said it was "heartbreaking" to be knocked out in the quarterfinals. she was looking to be the first home winner in 43 years, and raced through the first set of her quarterfinal in 2a minutes against karolina muchova. her czech opponent complained of dizziness and called for a medical timeout and that was the turning point for the 25th seed. when she returned, she dominated the rest of the match taking the next two sets.

the england cricket coach chris silverwood has apologised for the way that moeen ali's departure from the test squad for the remainder of the series against india was handled. captainjoe root says he didn't express himself clearly when telling the media yesterday that moeen had "chosen" to return home. the plan had always been to stand moeen down for the last two tests as part of their rotation policy but because he had played so little cricket, missing the sri lanka series with coronavirus and also the first test against india, he was given the option to stay on. two of snooker�*s greatest players went up against each other at the welsh 0pen today. ronnie 0'sullivan played jimmy white in the second round. sadly, it was a one sided affair between two very good friends. the six—time world champion 0'sullivan going through four frames to nil and is yet to drop a frame at celtic manor. and the action continues right now.

world number 0nejudd trump playing chinese 18—year—old si ji—hie it's currently 2—1. you can watch it on the bbc sport website and app. and before we go, just a reminder that there's a couple of champions league matchs tonight too. porto againstjuventus and sevilla against borussia dortmund. you can follow both matches live via the bbc sport website and app. that's all the sport for now. lots of options there. always many thanks. the united nations has said it will raise the detention of princess latifa, the daughter of dubai's ruler, with the united arab emirates. the princess has accused herfather of holding her hostage in dubai since she tried to flee the city in 2018. in secretly recorded videos shared with the bbc, princess latifa said she feared for her life. 0ur diplomatic correspondent, james landale, reports. i'm a hostage, and this villa has been converted into a jail. this is sheikha latifa,

an emirati princess, but also a prisoner, held, she says, in solitary confinement in dubai, guarded by police, with no access to fresh air. she says she is a hostage of this man, herfather, the ruler of dubai, sheikh mohammed bin rashid al maktoum, one of the most powerful men in the middle east, who happens to share a passion for horses with the queen and owns huge swathes of land across britain. friends campaigning for latifa have released videos of her plight to the bbc to try to rouse international support. the foreign secretary said the case was deeply troubling and people would want to see if she was alive and well. well, we don't really have a direct locus in this case, there is not a british national, there is not a particular british link. i think the right mechanism is via the un, which is already underway, and we obviously support that and watch what they find and what we see further in the developments on that very closely.

that un process will be led by the office of the high commissionerfor human rights. its spokesman, rupert colville, said... forfriends of latifa, this is a moment of hope. i was incredibly happy to wake up this morning with this news, knowing that finally, the international community is listening, and that the likes of dominic raab is getting involved. it makes me feel more reassured that we made the right decision. i don't want just pictures to show us a sign of life or, you know... it just seems that everything they are doing is to keep us quiet in some ways orjust to keep us happy. but we need to see her free, we need to see her well, we need to see her looked after.

but if latifa is not freed soon, then some supporters believe britain and other countries should go further. the uk government and other- governments should look to impose sanctions on the uae authorities i if they don't uphold human rights. we have the laws in our country. and in other countries to do that, to impose sanctions, - to prevent people from moving around, to ensure that- their assets are not misused. so, those measures should be taken. the un has, however, raised the case of princess latifa before, to no avail. and the foreign secretary played down the prospect of sanctions, saying they needed a very strict legal threshold. james landale, bbc news. ..and i'll never see the sun again. let's talk to the director of the london—based alqst human rights group, alaa al—sidiq. good of you to join us. good of you tojoin us. we heard james landau saying the un has

already raised this to know if avail. what are you hoping for this time? �* , , avail. what are you hoping for this time? �*, , ., time? it's very good call for the authority and — time? it's very good call for the authority and it's _ time? it's very good call for the authority and it's very _ time? it's very good call for the | authority and it's very important for us to ask them for the fate of latifah and her safety inside the uae. we are now asking the organisations inside the uae who usually claims to support women and human rights to do something and raise her case and put authorities under all accountability.— under all accountability. when it comes to your— under all accountability. when it comes to your organisation. - under all accountability. when it. comes to your organisation. have under all accountability. when it - comes to your organisation. have you been able to gather what is happening to the princess? we are 'ust happening to the princess? we are just hearing _ happening to the princess? we are just hearing from _

happening to the princess? we are just hearing from our _ happening to the princess? we are just hearing from our friends, - happening to the princess? we are just hearing from our friends, the l just hearing from our friends, the human rights defenders, who are also raising the case of latifah. so, we are taking information from them and also from the media. and we use to support her case before, and we will continue to do that.— continue to do that. princess latifah is _ continue to do that. princess latifah is one _ continue to do that. princess latifah is one of— continue to do that. princess latifah is one of a _ continue to do that. princess latifah is one of a number. continue to do that. princess latifah is one of a number ofj continue to do that. princess - latifah is one of a number of women who undergo difficult situations in this region. what is your ultimate hope for what is happening in the area? �* . . , hope for what is happening in the area? ~ . . , ., hope for what is happening in the area? �* . . , ., , area? actually, we need to dig deep in these cases. _ area? actually, we need to dig deep in these cases, that _ area? actually, we need to dig deep in these cases, that we _ area? actually, we need to dig deep in these cases, that we have - area? actually, we need to dig deep in these cases, that we have a - area? actually, we need to dig deep in these cases, that we have a veryl in these cases, that we have a very shiny subject and it's just on the surface. we need a real way to use it, a real mechanism to practice it and a real support from this society to use it in a proper way.— to use it in a proper way. when it comes to — to use it in a proper way. when it comes to this _

to use it in a proper way. when it comes to this particular - to use it in a proper way. when it comes to this particular case, - to use it in a proper way. when it comes to this particular case, of| comes to this particular case, of course, we're talking about the daughter of the ruler of the uae. we know... how difficult doesn't make this case and many others? it’s know... how difficult doesn't make this case and many others? it's very difficult because _ this case and many others? it's very difficult because there's _ this case and many others? it's very difficult because there's more - this case and many others? it's very difficult because there's more than l difficult because there's more than one layer of authority in this case, so the pressure should be stronger. also, it should be very important to just gain solidarity from all countries because the ruler of the ijy countries because the ruler of the by himself said he went above the law —— the ruler of dubai. by himself said he went above the law -- the ruler of dubai.- law -- the ruler of dubai. nobody above the — law -- the ruler of dubai. nobody above the law. — law -- the ruler of dubai. nobody above the law, but _ law -- the ruler of dubai. nobody above the law, but is _ law -- the ruler of dubai. nobody above the law, but is that - law -- the ruler of dubai. nobody above the law, but is that what i law -- the ruler of dubai. nobody. above the law, but is that what you are genuinely sensing? are you sensing a change in attitude when it comes to this kind of scenario? sure. basically if we just look at

it through the history of uae for human rights situation and women's rights situation, they try to polish their reputation in a way they think is ok from outside, but from inside, there is a very big question mark about it. i there is a very big question mark about it. , , . ., there is a very big question mark about it. ,, .., . ~ ., about it. i guess we come back to the situation _ about it. i guess we come back to the situation with _ about it. i guess we come back to the situation with the _ about it. i guess we come back to the situation with the united i the situation with the united nations. we heard the uk foreign minister dominic raab saying this is the platform which needs to be raise. is that you're also... are you in accord with that or do you hope individual governments will get more involved? i hope individual governments will get more involved?— more involved? i hope... to be a career investigation. _ more involved? i hope... to be a career investigation. not - more involved? i hope... to be a career investigation. not what i career investigation. not what happened before. she used to be a un envoy, which is a very high—profile place in the un. so, we have to

question this act not to be corrupted, but to be real investigation without condition, without restrictions, without intervening from more than one party, to be sure that it's not used by the government or any kind of friends inside the government. and the idea that the videos that have been released in theory from princess latifah, an investigation is to be launched by the working group on arbitrary detention, do you know any more about where we are with due process? that know any more about where we are with due process?— know any more about where we are with due process? that process will take time for— with due process? that process will take time for sure _ with due process? that process will take time for sure but _ with due process? that process will take time for sure but we _ with due process? that process will take time for sure but we have i with due process? that process will take time for sure but we have to i with due process? that process will| take time for sure but we have to be sure to do it quickly in a way that we don't know about her life, about

her fight, we don't know about her life, about herfight, about her we don't know about her life, about her fight, about her destiny now, we don't know about her life, about herfight, about her destiny now, is she alive? that is a big question considering this footage is taken from 2019 and it wasn't eight straight wait to get it, it was very hard to get it, so these kinds of calls that she was desperate to get any kind of help and we need to help her in a proper way.— her in a proper way. director of the human rights _ her in a proper way. director of the human rights group, _ her in a proper way. director of the human rights group, thank- her in a proper way. director of the human rights group, thank you i her in a proper way. director of the human rights group, thank you for| human rights group, thank you for expressing your concerns and sharing them with us. lots more on our website but we will bring you up with all the weather from louise lear. hello, there. you might have to time your walk right if you want to get out in some dry weather as we go through tomorrow. there will be some rain around. it's pushing its way overnight in from the west, and it's going to move its way

up through scotland. that means it'll be a relatively dry start in eastern areas and a mild one, with overnight lows between 6—9 degrees. now, that rain is going to push its way west to east, so a few isolated showers and then a brief window of fine weather before we see an hour or two of heavier rain moving its way across eastern england to the south east. behind it, brighter with a few scattered showers along west—facing coasts, accompanied by some pretty strong gusty winds in excess of a0 mph as well. that's going to make it feel a little bit cooler on the whole. those temperatures struggling to climb into double digits quite widely across the country on thursday. for friday, there's more rain in the forecast, the heaviest of which will always be out to the west. top temperatures of 11 degrees. hello, this is bbc news with kasia madera. the headlines: the duke of edinburgh has been admitted to hospital after feeling unwell for a few days. buckingham palace says

the move is a precaution and isn't covid—related. the world's first human trials where people will be deliberately infected with covid 19 — are given the go—ahead in the uk. because they directly inoculate human volunteers they are able to establish whether the vaccine is working extremely rapidly. cautious and prudent — the prime minister says he won't be pushed into lifting lockdown restrictions in england too early. the united nations says it will raise the detention of princess latifa, daughter of the ruler of dubai, with the united arab emirates. the uk says it, too, is concerned. across the uk, the covid crisis has put immense and relentless pressure on hospital staff. doctors, nurses and other medics have been very much on the front line, but the pandemic has demanded so much from everyone working in hospitals. in his second report

from glan clwyd hospital in north wales, jeremy cooke has been filming in the "green" non—covid areas and talking to those behind the scenes who've played a crucial role throughout. a hospital at the heart of a rural community, at the centre of the covid crisis. every part of glan clwyd hospital... take you to a ward when we've got some space. ..is stretched by the pandemic. doctors and nurses can only do their life—saving work... can you give me your arm to do your blood pressure? ..if the behind—the—scenes support staff do theirs. and tonight, we are meeting them, every one essential. if you're looking for a hero, how about gary? 0n duty at the entrance to a&e. covid rules mean it's a toughjob. i was assaulted here boxing day. i ended up with a fracture of my face here, a big elbow and he stamped on my back. have you ever wondered

if it's all worth it? i've done this job for 43 years! you do it because you've got something to give. ward 7 are still escalated... in the hub, an update on patient numbers, beds, waiting times. quite a challenge today, we've got 32 patients waiting for beds. - paul is briefing emma, the medical director. ward nine hasjust closed so unfortunately we've i lost another bed there. his job is never easy. ward three, i've got the itu patient... with covid, it has never been harder. how are you doing with it? i think we are all tired. you're dealing with ward staff, ward nurses, you can see that| from time to time they are tired i and frustrated with the relentless pressure that is on the system. to ease the pressure, there is this. deeside leisure centre, now the rainbow hospital. how are you? are you feeling 0k? good. a year ago, it was a skate park, gym, squash courts. i might not be clinical- but as an operational person,

i do want to consider, i would i want my family to be treated in there? this is laura's baby. she is the project manager who converted this... starting to take the medication. ..into a 420—bed hospital. my grandmother became a patient here back in december. actually within five days she did pass away. she wasn't on her own, she was in a lovely environment, she was cared for with lots of dignity and respect and i couldn't have asked for more, to be honest. she'll be going on. infusion in a minute. back at the district hospital, medical staff are crucial but so are the cleaners, kitchen staff, the workshop guys who fix the beds, mend the kit. the specialist equipment... just testing one of our itu ventilators. ..that saves lives. lives like david... very proud to work for the nhs, i love myjob. ..one of the hospital's own. a porter and now a survivor of covid—19. i was on the life—support machine for four or five days,

spent 18 days in hospital. did you think you might die? yes, i did, i honestly thought, am i going to get through this? i'm passionate about myjob, i'm passionate about what i do and i would like to do my bit to help other people come through this horrible, nasty disease. as medical director, emma'sjob is to keep life—saving services on track. this ward is now being used temporarily for patients who need surgery. and she knows now more than ever the crucial role of her hospital support staff. medicine will never be the same again, hospitals will never be the same again. as human beings, we'll never be the same again. and i for one think that, as a hospital, we are closer to each other than we were before, and that we have a sense of common purpose. are you proud of what is being achieved here? i'm incredibly proud, i'm incredibly proud.

the pandemic has led to a record backlog in court cases in england and wales. more temporary courts are now being set up amid warnings that the number of trials that have had to be delayed could damage the criminal justice system for years. 0ur correspondent dominic casciani has been talking to one woman who is devastated after being told that the trial of the person accused of sexually assaulting her could be delayed for more than two years. there's a legal principle that justice delayed is justice denied, and that has never felt truer than it does right now to "jenny", a victim of sexual violence. she reported historical abuse in 2018. prosecutors asked her to delay therapy because it could affect her trial evidence. then, last autumn, she learnt that was still two years away. and i said, "you do mean 2021, don't you? "you don't mean 2022?" and they said, "no, we mean 2022."

and i got really angry. i'm resilient, i've got support. what about individuals that have got no family, no friends? how many of those have walked away — not because a crime didn't happen but because the system hasn't enabled their voice to come out? jenny's wait forjustice is not unusual. the pandemic closed courts, often too small to hold judges, juries, lawyers and defendants safely. today, there is a record 56,000 cases waiting to be heard in england and wales. many new cases are now being timetabled for trial in 2023. but criminaljustice experts blame cuts rather than covid. court sitting days fell 20% over the last decade, and lawyers say that was a political decision to lock court rooms that could have been used. we ended up using somewhere in the region of 220 court rooms out of an existing estate of 491 rooms, and that was simply a cost—saving exercise.

there were judges ready, available and willing to deal with trials but simply prevented from so doing. the available court rooms now have social distancing in place. these screens separating jurors in liverpool, and 60 extra temporary courts also aim to ease the pressure. robert buckland, the minister responsible for courts, has pledged £40 million to support the vulnerable. i don't want to see victims i and witnesses having to wait inordinate lengths of time... he's promising swifter justice, but not overnight. i accept what you say about the huge frustrations and the anxiety- and the concern that is out there, but i'm doing everything i can- to mitigate those problems i and to make sure that the courts system is working as quickly as possible, i even in these covid times. jenny, what's your view of the system and how it's treating victims? it's not broken because of covid, it was well broken before that. and you might put your bloody nightingale courts up and running,

but you need to go back to what do the victims need. let's turn to the united states. at least 11 people have lost their lives as the freezing winter weather there continues to bear down on the southern states. more than 150 million americans are now under winter storm warnings, and officials have declared a state of emergency in texas. angelica casas sent this from san antonio. the winter weather in texas started out as fun. power went out in the height, so i'm freezing my off might as well be out in the snow. but this dreamy scene soon turned into a nightmare with the richards dropping to 0 fahrenheit across the state. that's —17 celsius. power supplies have failed, leaving over 4 million people

without electricity. this man's house froze up, forcing him to drive 30 miles to houston to find a hotel for him and his family. we've got a newborn. just try to find a hotel, try to find a place to stay. we called several hotels. everybody wasjust booked up. many had been left to fend for themselves. rolling blackouts have been put in some areas of the state to keep power for hospitals, police and fire stations. texas is not used to the fury of a cold winter. i've been seeing people put food outside to freeze instead of in the freezer, charging their phones in their vehicles and even spending the night in their turned on cars just to stay warm. but the state is the biggest energy producer, so many families are telling me that they are upset that texas did not prepare in advance for the freezing temperatures that we are seeing now. local officials say they are doing their best to get back on track. especially during this pandemic. | the harris county public health| department building lost power. at that location, we had|

8430 moderna vaccines. so we got to work under the mission to avoid losing those vaccines - with the loss of power. there have been hundreds of road crashes in texas and in other states, too. the national weather service says this abnormal weather is down to a cold outbreak that's come through from the arctic. it says nearly 70% of the united states is covered in snow right now and the cold snap will stay for another week. the headlines on bbc news... the duke of edinburgh has been admitted to hospital after feeling unwell for a few days. buckingham palace says the move is a precaution and isn't covid related. the world's first human trials where people will be deliberately infected with covid 19 are given the go—ahead in the uk. cautious and prudent — the prime minister says he won't be

pushed into lifting lockdown restrictions in england too early. university students are waiting to find out when they can return to campus — after months of online learning. the time away from college has meant little or no practical experience, or face—to—face learning, and some want a refund on theirfees. but universities insist they have delivered their courses online, and can't afford to give students any money back. here's our education editor, branwen jeffreys. usually, robbie would drive to uni, but he's barely been in this year. he's studying biomedical sciences, but has had just two hours in the lab. not what he needs to get a job afterwards. if i was to apply for a job and then they asked me maybe certain questions or my understanding of certain machinery which we would use in a normal clinical environment, i probably won't be that confident on what it is that i need to do and what machinery i sort of use.

he knows students aren't the only ones struggling, but says they'll be paying loans for years to come. i think universities currently have got off quite lightly. people have still paid their tuition fees, they're still getting the whole amount of the tuition fees, and they're not providing the level of service that they should, to be allowed to keep that amount of money. a few hundred miles away, sam is due to graduate this year. he says students feel forgotten and isolated, afraid they won't get the degree they had hoped for. we are worried that if our degrees are deemed to be less valuable, or we get a grade that, if we were to be knocked down a whole grade from a first to a 2:1, or a 2:1 to a 2:2, that our degree would have an inherent lack of value. but also, looking into the job market as it is currently, we have fears over whether we will get jobs. across england students feel they've missed out. economists say unis can't afford to give back tuition fees — even a one—off payment to students would cost hundreds of millions.

if somebody says, right, you know, all of a sudden, here's a big bill, and all of a sudden you have to refund all students £1000 each, you know, this will drive many into overdraft and they have nothing to back it up. empty campuses mean money lost from catering and conferences. at reading, staff were asked to consider a pay cut. the uni says there isn't extra cash to give to students. i recognise that students want some of that money back they have loaned or paid. but from a university perspective i would say it really can't come from us. we have delivered the teaching. but i do recognise that there are different ways of thinking about how can we recognise the students', yeah, diminished experience, particularly the extracurricular experience? in england, students can get help from hardship funds — £70 million of extra government cash.

but northern ireland has put £500 straight into students' pockets, a gesture to recognise what they've lost. 0ur working lives have been turned upside down during the pandemic. for many it's been been almost a year now of working from home, while others have had to deal with being on furlough. emma simpson has been talking to three people from around the country about their workplace experiences and what may lie head. for so many in this pandemic, where we live has become where we work. not easy if you're home—schooling as well. tori is a single mum in hull. i wished to have more flexibility to work from home but i didn't wish it in this way! get your foot off the wire! get your foot off the wire, please. yeah, all right. she is a project manager for a heating business, working until 10:30pm to keep up.

i've been quite emotional today, i've had a cry. um... it's just really overwhelming, balancing everything. counting the days until the kids are back in school. would you like to go back to the office five days a week? no! i'd like the flexibility of being able to choose, you know, when i can work from home and when i can be in the office. my industry didn't necessarily promote home—working orflexible working in the way that we are doing now so i hope that there will be some sort of change. she's not the only one. right now, more than 40% of working adults are thought to be doing theirjobs from home. it's incredible, really, and shows what can be done. for many, this pandemic is likely to change the way we work for good. millions of workers, though, have stayed in their workplace throughout. a big part of service starts with a smile —

that's impossible to do with a mask on... stephen manages this supermarket in livingston, the biggest asda in scotland. the role of the store manager is completely different. in fact, i've also had to be a psychologist, i've also had to be a counsellor, i've had to be a health and safety expert, a crowd manager. you know, there's many, many different strings to the bow that i've had to pick up very, very quickly. have you felt you've been on the front line? definitely, and in actual fact, i've felt a bit of pride. and, in this pandemic, there have been plenty of workers forced to changejobs, like mark, a comedian who is now tiling walls and floors. i used to hate leaving a room flat — now i love it! _ get it? when the venues closed, mark went on a course to brush up his skills and is now doing good business. the change of direction, - it was almost forced upon me. just needed some sort of income coming in. i in a strange way, i think i might carry on doing a dual life, -

comedy works in the evenings i but going out and doing tiling jobs, it's like, actually that's nice, it's something different. i when the dust eventually settles, many of us will want to work in a different way than we did before this pandemic. earlier this month, we all learnt more than we ever thought we'd know about the ins and outs of handforth parish council in cheshire — after that rather chaotic zoom meeting went viral. now, a vote of no confidence is being heard this evening in mayor barry burkhill, who was involved in that meeting, because of claims that he brought the council into disrepute for not intervening in the bullying. during the meeting, the host jackie weaver — who'd been brought in to try and help resolve problems on the council — removed several members for disruptive behaviour, let's remind ourselves. it's only the chairman who can remove people from a meeting.

you have no authority here, jackie weaver, no authority at all. she'sjust kicked him out. no, she kicked him out. don't. she's kicked him out. don't. this is a meeting called by two councillors... illegally. you may now elect a chairman. no, they can't, because the vice—chair's here. i take charge. read the standing orders! read them and understand them! gasps of shock and horror. the second meeting is under way right now. jackie weaver isn't attending tonight's meeting — but she says she'll probably log on to watch proceedings. along with just over 900 other people. earlier she told my colleague jane hill that many of the councillors are hoping things will soon get back to normal. one of the things i'm looking forward to, although perhaps not everybody else is looking forward

to, is getting on with the business of handforth parish council, which they've really not have the opportunity to be able to do for some time and i don't just mean from december, i mean for some time before then. will you be watching from the comfort of your sofa? i have another meeting this evening but as soon as that's finished i hope to tune in because i do wish them the best. it's interesting that actually, as you say parish councils are very parochial and they aren't terribly interesting to people outside the parish but they are of enormous interest to people who are within the parish. and that's it, isn't it, that's been one of the little things that has come out of this? i hope you agree, and phil was reflecting it too, the fact that perhaps it has awoken an interest or knowledge or sparked something in people that they think this affects my area, this affects where i live and it is important. yeah, i think that is undoubtedly

true, phil is correct. one of the things i'm getting told is that parish council websites generally are getting more hits, notjust handforth's, and also people are asking about the next meeting, how to get involved. somebody made the point earlier in the day that they had often walked past the parish notice boards and seen x parish council, the minutes and never really stopped to understand what it was that the parish council was, even if it was in their own community, and i think it is making people say what is a parish council and should i get involved? yeah, and that's fantastic. i have to ask you on a personal level, what have the last few weeks been like? the fact everyone knows your name, people must come up to you when you are out in the supermarket, what's it been like for you? it is very strange.

it takes me back to when covid first started and we all thought this can't last longer than the end of the week and then we said it can't last longer than the end of the month and there we were a year later — i felt the same way about this. i thought it would all be over in a day, it would all be over in the weekend and my diary is still packed full for the next two weeks. jackie weaver there, speaking to jane hill. she is not taking part in tonight's meeting but over 1000 people are watching proceedings live now, that full council meeting taking place online. thanks for joining me, now it's time for a look at the weather. hello there. the rest of the week may well be dominated by cloud, wind and rain, but we've had a little midweek window of sunny spells for many of us today. just take a look at this amazing weather watcher picture in alloa earlier on today. and you can see where the window has been of the brighter weather,

sunny spells for many. more persistent rain now starting to drift its way steadily northwards, and that's going to be the story as we close out wednesday. in fact, that rain will push its way across the scottish borders into central scotland through the night. some heavier pulses into northern ireland and southern scotland for a time. quite a lot of cloud around, and still with the southerly wind, it's going to be a relatively mild start to thursday, with temperatures around 6—9 degrees. but there will be some wet weather to follow on, and that rain is coming from this weather front here. it's a cold front, so once it's cleared through, it will actually produce slightly cooler air than of late. so there'll be some heavier pulses moving out of devon and cornwall, pushing towards the bristol channel and up through wales into north west england. a few isolated showers ahead of it across east anglia and the south east. that weather front sitting through scotland as well, and the hook of the front will bring more persistent rain to the north—west of the great glen and a few scattered showers as that low pressure sits out to the west through the rest of the afternoon. but there should be

a window of finer weather through the middle part of the day, but still noticeably windy out there. gusts of winds in excess of 40 mph quite widely. top temperaratures, as i say, not quite as mild as recent days, 7—9 degrees the high. the milder air is set to return, but unfortunately that moisture will bring quite a lot of rain and some of it really quite persistent. a significant low arrives. gale—force gusts of winds expected along west—facing coasts, and some of that rain really could be quite persistent for a time as it moves its way steadily northwards on friday. sheltered eastern areas should escape the worst. it may well stay dry for much of the day. top temperatures of 8—11 degrees. now, this feed of wet weather is going to continue to be the story as we move into the weekend. the heaviest of the rain will always be the further west you go, but it will continue to push up some southerly warm air across the country. so, as you can see, quite an unsettled start to the weekend, but in the south east on sunday, it may be drier and warmer.

this is bbc news. millions without power, and more bad weather looming. texas, the oil state, is struggling with deadly winter storms. mother natures does not recognize state borders. the power company in the lone star state was hopelessly ill prepared. nearly three million people in texas are without power or heat in sub—zero temperatures. the power grid has been crippled in america's number one energy—producing state. the duke of edinburgh is in hospital — a precautionary measure, says buckingham palace. the 99—year—old duke was feeling unwell. also in the programme.... president biden takes questions from the public in his first outing since taking office. he has promised there will be enough vaccine for every american byjuly.

and 3,000 sticks of dynamite bring down donald trump's long—doomed