this is bbc news — these are the latest headlines in the uk and around the world. as plans to ease the lockdown in england are revealed. residents in care homes will be allowed indoor visits by a member of their family or a friend from next month. the russian opposition activist alexei navalny appears in court in moscow, where his prison sentence is upheld. president biden is set to declare a major disaster in texas as he unlocks federal funds for a state paralysed by a severe freeze and a huge powerfailure. the duke of edinburgh is expected to stay in hospital over the weekend and into next week for observation and rest. and reality star, kim kardashian files for divorce from her husband ka nye west after seven years of marriage.

hello and welcome if you're watching in the uk or around the world. downing street has given details of prime minister borisjohnson�*s strategy for easing the lockdown in england, ahead of his long—awaited announcement on monday. number ten says a key ambition will be to reunite families and last night, the government announced that, from next month, residents in care homes will be allowed indoor visits by a member of their family or a friend — and to hold hands. our health correspondent laura foster reports. when england went back into lockdown at the beginning ofjanuary, the doors to care homes were closed to visitors unless circumstances were exceptional. the way of protecting residents from the rising number of cases

and the added threat of the new variant. but now nearly 17 million people have had their first covid jab, including 95% of people living in care homes in england. from the eighth of march, they will each get to choose one person who can visit them indoors. but there are some rules. it has to be the same visitor every time. they can hold hands but they cannot get too close to each other. the visitor must test negative before entering the home and they must wear ppe while inside. i think it is a step forward. it's something we need to proceed with caution, and ensure that they make this happen safely for the people coming into our services to visit their loved ones, and also for the loved ones in our services and our staff. so there's detail to be worked out, but definitely a step in the right direction. the government says it will provide the lateral flow tests and ppe,

so it won't cost residents or visitors any money. more details of the prime minister's plant is lockdown restrictions in england will be announced on monday. it's been announced that care home residents in scotland will be able to choose two people to visit them regularly from early march. the scottish government says the visitors will be able to go to the care home once a week, wearing ppe including face coverings. in northern ireland and wales, the advice varies between individual homes. our political correspondent jessica parker says we're starting to get a sense of what borisjohnson is likely to announce on monday. we were obviously heard for quite some time that the aim is to get schools back in march the 8th, but we heard overnight, as laura was just reporting, on a limited allowance what visiting homes, coming off the back of the vast majority of care home residents having had the first dose of the

vaccine. beyond that, what do we know? well, there are reports we have been seeing overnight and some papers that up to two households could be allowed to mix outdoors by easter. we haven't had official confirmation of that, but we understand that downing street is focused, we are told, and trying to look at ways of seeing families reunited in a safe way, and of course, we know that mixing outdoors is regarded as much safer than mixing indoors. not hugely surprising they are looking at this, because we are on part of the road map would be looking at schools and then expanding outdoor recreation, which could fall into that category, the nonessential retail, then at some point also trying to open up hospitality. we will learn more on monday. hospitality. we will learn more on monda . , , monday. one suggested in the guardian newspaper, - monday. one suggested in the guardian newspaper, that - monday. one suggested in the guardian newspaper, that one | monday. one suggested in the l guardian newspaper, that one of monday. one suggested in the - guardian newspaper, that one of the government has micro—key scientific advisers, chris whitty, is very unhappy with the idea of all schools going back on the same day, march the 8th. has there been a reaction to that from downing street? there has been some _

to that from downing street? there has been some quite _ to that from downing street? there has been some quite strong - to that from downing street? ti” has been some quite strong reaction from a department of health spokesman. they say that story is categorically untrue and the reported disagreement is a fantasy. so quite a strong push back. but yesterday, of course, we had a number of teachers' unions voicing concerns about the idea of all schools coming back all at once, so you would have millions, potentially, of teachers, students, or going back to school at one point in march. again, we will find out more details on monday of what the government thinks the return to school would look like. it is something they have made clear over a number of weeks, that getting schools back is a huge priority. but of course, there is concern about children's lost learning and the huge strain it is putting up families up and down the country. i families up and down the country. i suppose the political backdrop of this over the year of the pandemic is that borisjohnson has often been accused of locking down too late coming out of lockdown too early, overpromising, being too optimistic, and he has said this time he wants

to be cautious and when we come out of lockdown, he wants that to be irreversible.— of lockdown, he wants that to be irreversible. . , , irreversible. that is something they really seem — irreversible. that is something they really seem to _ irreversible. that is something they really seem to be _ irreversible. that is something they really seem to be prioritising. - irreversible. that is something they really seem to be prioritising. it - really seem to be prioritising. it seems the last thing they want to do is lift a restriction, only to then have to reimpose it, partly because it would be very disruptive, and we have seen examples before, but also the damage it can do to public trust and potentially to the government, or when they are saying we are going to lift these restrictions and reimposing them, i think they want to avoid that at all costs. that is one reason they are being incredibly cautious, that political reason. i think they are genuinely as well always looking at the data. we are seeing falling case rates. the vaccine is having quite a dramatic effect, notjust in case rates, but they hope, clearly, on the transmissibility of the virus. but i think caution will continue to be the watchword, and the backdrop of the watchword, and the backdrop of the prime minister having been seen or accused of overpromising in the past. jessica parker. russia's leading opposition figure alexei navalny has appeared

in court in moscow — where his prison sentence was upheld, but shortened by six weeks. mr navalny�*s arrest — on returning to moscow injanuary after recovering from poisoning with a nerve agent — sparked mass protests across russia, and many thousands of people were arrested. a little earlier, the kremlin critic's lawyer told reporters that he considers the decision to reject the appeal unlawful. translation: today's verdict was ex - ected translation: today's verdict was exnected for _ translation: today's verdict was expected for us. _ translation: today's verdict was expected for us. we _ translation: today's verdict was expected for us. we consider - translation: today's verdict was expected for us. we consider it - expected for us. we consider it unlawful. nothing has changed. all the arguments made in the court to begin with got rejected then, and they got rejected now. the only thing is that the court has now taken into account a month and a half of house arrest. that's it. i'm joined now by our moscow correspondent, sarah rainsford. so, the sentence upheld, though shortened slightly. any big surprise in that? hat

shortened slightly. any big surprise in that? ., . ., ~ shortened slightly. any big surprise inthat? ., . ., ~ , in that? not at all. a tiny softening _ in that? not at all. a tiny softening of _ in that? not at all. a tiny softening of the - in that? not at all. a tiny | softening of the sentence, in that? not at all. a tiny - softening of the sentence, some in that? not at all. a tiny _ softening of the sentence, some six weeks knocked off the time that alexey navalny will spend in a prison colony, but essentially, the judge only took about 20 minutes to reach a conclusion, her verdict, and come back with a ruling that alexei navalny, she says, did violate the terms of his previous suspended sentence, therefore his sentence will become a custodial one. so, no surprises, no surprise in the fact alexei navalny use the chance to make a strong, passionate speech, notjust make a strong, passionate speech, not just to the make a strong, passionate speech, notjust to the court, really, through the court to the country, talking about his innocence, calling this an absurd and concocted case against him which is purely, he says, about his opposition politics. he talked about a future russia which he said would only be free, as one of his slogans, free russia of the future, but also, he said, a happy country. if you look at the literature about russia for years,

it has all been about suffering. he said, we should change our slogan, not to have a free russia, but to have a happy russia in the future. president biden will sign a major disaster declaration for texas, where millions of people are facing unusually cold conditions. power and water supplies have been seriously disrupted. the declaration would clear the way for more us federal funds to be spent on relief efforts. lane luckie is a reporter for a local tv station in texas and has been updating the bbc on conditions in the state. they are quickly improving, if you can believe that. the temperatures are much warmer than the last week. i am in a city of about 10,000 people, and this kind of weather event is very unusual for this part of the country. we have been below freezing for more than a week, and right now, we are just about three below zero, the celsius, that is.

this city is about 350 kilometres to the east of dallas, to give you some perspective. we have had a chance to thaw, and that is what we are looking forward to over the next couple of days, but really, the situation is just beginning. couple of days, but really, the situation isjust beginning. people without power across the state of texas. that situation is improving a little, but right now, it is water which is everything. so many people across the state are without some of the basic essentials, likejust something to drink or able to cook with. there've been more demonstrations in myanmar against this month's military coup. police in mandalay opened fire and used tear gas to break up a pro—democracy protest. it's not clear if police fired live ammunition or rubber bullets but it's understood that one person was wounded. there have also been large rallies in yangon, where people mourned the death of a young woman who was shot in the head last week as police dispersed a crowd in the capital. ambulance delays in england over christmas led to "secondary covid victims", according to the royal college of emergency medicine.

bbc news has uncovered cases where patients died having waited hours for help because there were no free crews to help. freedom of information requests show that the number of hours ambulances spent waiting to offload patients rose by 63% in london and 48% in the west midlands, compared to the year before. the nhs says capacity had been freed up despite increasing covid—19 infections. all eyes will be on borisjohnson on monday as he announces the first steps out of england's lockdown. businesses are hoping for more details of when they can begin to reopen. our business correspondent katy austin has been speaking to those in the hospitality trade about their hopes and needs for the future. right now, takeaway and delivery are the only options for pubs like this one in berkshire, providing only a fraction of pre—pandemic trade. we have invested heavily in outdoor spaces.

the boss is waiting with baited breath for monday's announcement. it has been very stressful, we are racking up costs all the time. we would like certainty, like a date. at least two weeks, really, for pubs to open correctly. but our suppliers need longer. i mean, beer, for example, takes three weeks to brew. for many pubs, restaurants and cafes, being prepared for full dine—in service to resume depends on the supply chain being ready. the next link in that is wholesalers. bid foods' customers range from high street eateries to care homes. nearly half the staff here are furloughed, and after a stop—start year, the man in charge also wants to know what's next for hospitality. it's notjust a case of turning on a switch and providing the product. the customers have to plan what menus they want to offer. we then have to plan from our 40,000 customers how much stock we want. we then have to order that stock from the suppliers. long—life ambient foods, but also fresh produce, fresh meat, fresh fish. all of those things take a bit more time to get into the supply chain.

some production has stopped, of large catering packs and speciality catering products. that brings us to mademoiselle desserts, whose cakes and puddings bid foods sells on. it's stopped making some things like round cakes, which are mostly eaten in coffee shops and restaurants. activity is only at 10—15% of pre—covid levels. there's only a certain amount of customers ordering at the moment. the manager here too says he cannot ramp things up again overnight. the ingredients is the thing that will delay us. most of them are uk. there are a number of ingredients that we do get from abroad, you know, chocolate in particular, but some of those are a four—week lead time at the moment. and then cream cheese for us is three weeks, and that's a key ingredient for our business. a tumultuous year has squeezed cash flow hard, while multiple closures and restarts have led to food waste. these firms say the government needs to help them so that when dining out can happen again, the products

customers want are on the menu. there's been mixed reaction on both sides of the atlantic to the news that the duke and duchess of sussex will not return to their roles as working members of the royal family. the decision, which has been confirmed by buckingham palace, means that harry and meghan will handback their honourary military appointments and royal patronages. keith doyle reports. the point of no return. that is what the duke and duchess of sussex have passed, with the headlines on both sides of the atlantic highlighting their final break from royal life. it was a year ago that harry and meghan formally stepped back as senior royals, saying they wanted to become financially independent. it was to be reviewed in 12 months. that review has clearly closed down any chance of them holding onto or returning to royal life. the statement from buckingham palace said:

the couple, who have a new life in california, issued their own statement — some may see it as a rebuke. it said: carrying out royal work from sunny california was clearly not going to work out. 0rganisations they were patrons of have already started to move on. friends of harry's say he will particularly feel the loss of the military titles he held.

i know he'll be personally gutted, just as i was, that he was not allowed to put a military uniform on any more. regardless, that doesn't change his commitment to the individuals who serve in it and those who require care beyond it. harry and meghan will keep their sussex titles and harry remains a prince. but the split with former duties was final. now, with a second child due, their focus will be on their lives in the united states. they're due to give an in—depth interview to oprah winfrey next month, a clear sign of the break from the constraints of royal life and the new life they have embraced. the duke of edinburgh is expected to stay in hospital over the weekend and into next week for observation and rest. prince philip, who turns 100 injune, was admitted to king edward the seventh hospital on tuesday evening after feeling unwell and walked unaided into the medical centre.

the duke is said to be "in good spirits". the government will create a second headquarters in wolverhampton with at least 500 ministry of housing, communities and local government roles set to be based across the west midlands by 2025 — with further increases planned by 2030. the move signals a culture change in civil service "to give a stronger voice to communities in our mission "to level up opportunity and prosperity across the regions". let's get more on this and speak to the communities secretary, robertjenrick. thank you very much for being with us. so, removing part of the government to wolverhampton. some will say it is a bit of a gimmick. well, i hope not. we want to move government departments beyond whitehall so that more civil servants are based in the regions of the country, making decisions and living amongst people they are actually seeking to serve, and my department will be the first to do

that. we have chosen wolverhampton to be our dual headquarters, and by the end of this parliament, there will be at least 500 civil servants based in the west midlands, 800 by 2030. importantly, as well, ministers, myself included, will be working part of the week from those offices, and so we will be bringing the people making those decisions about people's lives much closer to the places they are serving. can i 'ust ask the places they are serving. can i just ask you _ the places they are serving. can i just ask you about _ the places they are serving. can i just ask you about the _ the places they are serving. can i just ask you about the latest - the places they are serving. can i just ask you about the latest on easing lockdown restrictions in england? we now understand that loved ones will be able to see family members in care homes from early march. what is the thinking behind that?— behind that? well i'm afraid you will have to _ behind that? well i'm afraid you will have to wait _ behind that? well i'm afraid you will have to wait till _ behind that? well i'm afraid you will have to wait till the - behind that? well i'm afraid you will have to wait till the prime . will have to wait till the prime minister sets out the road map on monday. we have received the data. he is working that through. the cabinet will be meeting in the next day or two to review the proposals, and then the prime minister will make a statement to parliament on monday. we will be taking a cautious

approach, unlocking as fast as we can, but not too quickly, so that we make sure that the lockdown we have been experiencing right now is the last one, and then we can move forward with life in the country. i'm afraid to say we are getting if few alerts from your computer, i think, which is the sound the viewer may be hearing. —— the viewers. never mind. we will press on. can i ask you also, the guardian are reporting today that professor chris whitty is very unhappy with the idea of reopening schools in march the 8th. we know that is something that will happen. is that the right decision? �* . will happen. is that the right decision?— will happen. is that the right decision? �* ., , ., ., will happen. is that the right decision? �* ., ., ., decision? again, you will have to wait from the _ decision? again, you will have to wait from the confirmation - decision? again, you will have to wait from the confirmation on - decision? again, you will have to - wait from the confirmation on monday from the prime minister, but he has been clear in the past that we want to see schools reopening. that remains the government's priority, and march the 8th is the earliest date when that could happen, but if we will tell it can, we will be opening schools on that date. we are working closely with our scientific and medical advisers, working closely with our scientific and medicaladvisers, including, of course, chris whitty, who has been superb throughout the pandemic. we

take his views very carefully into account. i don't think there's any truth in the suggestion he is at odds with either the prime minister or other advisors, odds with either the prime minister or otheradvisors, but odds with either the prime minister or other advisors, but the road map will be set out on monday, so i'm afraid you will have to wait till then. �* , , ., afraid you will have to wait till then. a ., afraid you will have to wait till then. �* , ., ., then. as you say, we will have to wait, but — then. as you say, we will have to wait, but do _ then. as you say, we will have to wait, but do you _ then. as you say, we will have to wait, but do you have _ then. as you say, we will have to wait, but do you have to - then. as you say, we will have to wait, but do you have to wait? i then. as you say, we will have to i wait, but do you have to wait? have you seen the road map? 0ne wait, but do you have to wait? have you seen the road map? one of the papers today suggested only a handful of cabinet ministers have actually seen the details. yes. handful of cabinet ministers have actually seen the details. yes, my department. _ actually seen the details. yes, my department. as — actually seen the details. yes, my department, as the _ actually seen the details. yes, my department, as the departments l actually seen the details. yes, my. department, as the departments of communities and local government is quite heavily involved in the preparations, so we have been involved in the discussions and there will be further meetings with ministers and the cabinet in the coming days before the publication on monday, but understandably, there is a desire to ensure that this is kept to a relatively small number of people so that the prime minister can announce this to the country, to parliament, on monday, which is the right way to handle an important announcement like this. the prime minister has _ announcement like this. the prime minister has said _ announcement like this. the prime minister has said he _ announcement like this. the prime minister has said he wants - announcement like this. the prime minister has said he wants to - announcement like this. the prime minister has said he wants to be i minister has said he wants to be cautious but he wants this to be irreversible when he announces it on

monday. does that mean you can guarantee this lockdown, lockdown three, will be the last?— three, will be the last? well, there are no guarantees. _ three, will be the last? well, there are no guarantees. this _ three, will be the last? well, there are no guarantees. this is - three, will be the last? well, there are no guarantees. this is a - three, will be the last? well, there are no guarantees. this is a fast. are no guarantees. this is a fast moving and obviously unprecedented situation, but we have worked very hard to prepare a plan which we hope means that there won't be the need for a further lockdown. that is why the approach will be one based on caution and a gradual reopening of different aspects of people's lives, rather than doing it all at once. full details will be available on monday. full details will be available on monda. �* , full details will be available on monda. , full details will be available on monda.�* , full details will be available on monda. , ., full details will be available on monda.�* , ., ., monday. because as a government, you have been accused _ monday. because as a government, you have been accused throughout - monday. because as a government, you have been accused throughout the - have been accused throughout the pandemic of locking down too late, coming out of lockdown too early, overpromising, being consistently too optimistic. have you learnt from that experience?— that experience? well, i don't acce -t that experience? well, i don't accept that — that experience? well, i don't accept that analysis. - that experience? well, i don't accept that analysis. we - that experience? well, i don't accept that analysis. we have | that experience? well, i don't - accept that analysis. we have always taken the right decisions at the right time. of course, medical and scientific understanding has evolved over time, and there are things we

would have done differently with the benefit of hindsight, as you would expect in such a situation. but we have always taken expect in such a situation. but we have always ta ken steps expect in such a situation. but we have always taken steps required to protect people as well as striking the right balance, as far as one can, with ensuring that the economy and people's livelihoods can continue to operate. that again is the kind of balanced judgment we are taking this weekend, and the prime minister will set out the way forward on monday.- minister will set out the way forward on monday. minister will set out the way forward on monda . ., , g a forward on monday. robert jen rick, thank ou, forward on monday. robert jen rick, thank you. and _ forward on monday. robert jen rick, thank you, and apologies _ forward on monday. robert jen rick, thank you, and apologies to - forward on monday. robert jen rick, thank you, and apologies to the - thank you, and apologies to the viewers again, because there is alert noises are annoying, but we got the just alert noises are annoying, but we got thejust do alert noises are annoying, but we got the just do what you are saying. they're one of the most recognisable couples in the world but it seems the seven year marriage of kim kardashian and kanye west is over. the reality tv star is reported to have filed for divorce from her rapper husband. david willis reports from los angeles — his report contains some flashing images. it was a made—for—tv marriage, the rapper and the reality star. the union of two people uniquely gifted in the art of self—promotion.

kim kardashian west! both destined to strike an improbable alliance with another star of reality television, although politics was, it's thought, just one source of disagreement. she a democrat... i love this guy right here! he, an increasingly vocal conservative, seen here sporting a "make america great again" hat in the oval office before going on to announce an ill—fated run for president. that led in july last year to a barrage of worrisome tweets, including one in which kanye west likened his mother—in—law to the north korean dictator kimjong—un, and even accused herfamily of trying to lock him up. it is being reported - that kim had been over the marriage for a long time, but she felt that last year- was not the right time to file for divorce, - because kanye, in her mind and in that of a lot -

of the public, was struggling. both are said to be worth more than $1 billion — he through music and fashion lines, she as a tv star and entrepreneur. it is thought the couple has a prenuptial agreement which neither side plans to contest. neither side has commented on the divorce, but kim kardashian is expected to discuss it later this year, where else than on her own reality tv show? the head of the united nations nuclear watchdog, the iaea, is due to travel to iran today, as efforts continue to persuade the country to rejoin an international nuclear agreement. since the us pulled out of the iran nuclear deal under the trump administration, tehran has gradually restarted enriching uranium. nasa has released new images from mars taken by its rover perseverance, which landed on the red planet on thursday. it's hoped the craft will find microscopic signs of ancient life

dating back billions of years. 0ur science correspondent rebecca morelle has the latest. nasa's perseverance rover, being lowered to the surface of mars, an image taken from above, two metres away from touchdown. that image, and the details therein, really pull us humans here on earth into the result of all that hard work. you are brought into the surface of mars. you are sitting there, on the upper left and the lower right of the image you can see these little dust plumes on the surface of mars, kicked up by the engines. here is one of the landing sites. the shadow of perseverance is clearly visible. this close—up of its wheel is intriguing the team. we will be looking forward in the coming weeks and months as our instruments get checked out, to look closer at these rocks by the edge of the wheel is a rock,

and one of the first things we noticed is that it has a lot of holes, or bugs in it. so the science team is now thinking about what this might mean. you are watching bbc news. now let's get the latest weather forecast. hello. very big contrast today between the east and west of the uk. in the west, it has been poring overnight. strong winds as well, and more rain to come through the course of this afternoon, whereas eastern areas are in full sunshine and mild weather. this is the satellite picture. it shows the cloud streaming almost out of the subtropics, moving northwards, and when they hit land, we see a lot of rainfall. these are heavy, rain bearing clouds, particularly wet in the south of england, but also wales, especially the south brecon beacons here. in fact, there is an amber warning for

the met office valid for the whole afternoon, and by then, we will have seenin afternoon, and by then, we will have seen in some spots possibly even 100-200 seen in some spots possibly even 100—200 millimetres of rain. you can see those southerly winds, very moist air is spreading across western parts of the uk, into the north west of england, into scotland, northern ireland getting showers too, missing the east of the country, and some bright and sunny weather. temperatures in london and norwich could get up to 15—17. not a bad day in hull as well. this weather will continue towards the west for a time into this evening, and finally, the rain willjog a bit towards the east, so central southern england, london and norwich, is in force and rain. thankfully, in wales, that weather front will move away, and we will see clearing skies. i really mild night. the mail there is with us on sunday. this is the temperature of the atmosphere, which we call air mass. the mild air across the

south—east. this is where we will see highest temperatures on sunday. sunday might start cloudy with spots of rain here, but the chances are that it will brighten up. 0ut towards the west, clearer skies and showers around too. cooler weather, around 11 in belfast and east anglia and the south—east, closer to 15—16. into next week, the weather will remain pretty unsettled in the north—west of the country, where is the south—east will be closer to this high pressure to cross the alps, so that means fine weather expected in places like london, and temperatures could even nudge up to 15-17, temperatures could even nudge up to 15—17, whereas in the north—west of the uk, it will always be a little more unsettled. goodbye.

hello. i'm shaun ley, and this is the programme which brings together leading commentators, bbc specialists and the foreign correspondents who film and report for audiences back home from the dateline: london. this week: how patient will people be as the number of covid patients declines? peaceful but persistent in myanmar, but what will make the generals listen? and the not so splendid isolation of north korea. the dateline panel this week: the italian journalist and documentary film maker annalisa piras, jeff mcallister, a former white house and diplomatic correspondent and ex—london bureau chief for time. he's also a lawyer, so i'll be minding my ps and 0s. and with me in the studio, celia hatton, the bbc�*s asia pacific editor.