welcome to bbc news. i'm mike embley. our top stories. the sights and sounds of a land farfar away — the moment perversance touches down on mars. the intrepid rover sends back unprecedented video, and the first sound from the red planet. bells toll washington cathedral bells toll and president biden holds a candle—lit ceremony at the white house to honour the half a million american lives lost to covid—19. new data shows a single dose of pfizer's covid jab cuts deaths and serious illness in the uk by more than 75% among over 80s. and donald trump loses the latest stage of the battle to withhold his tax returns as the supreme court rules against him.

welcome to our viewers on pbs in america and around the globe. nasa has released remarkable images of its space rover landing on mars, the first of their kind from the planet. it shows the final minutes of last week's tense descent with clouds of dust and grit being blown around as the vehicle is lowered to the floor of the crater. the rover, perseverance, has been sent to an ancient crater lake to search for signs of past life. our global science correspondent rebecca morelle has the story. the parachute has deployed... from the release of a supersonic parachute, to the shedding of a heat shield... first look at the surface. an out—of—this—world view — mars as never seen before. as the rover nears the surface, the dust is kicked up, then a change of camera as perseverance is lowered on ropes before touchdown... touchdown confirmed.

perseverance safely on the surface of mars! ..and the landing system is jettisoned away. we can't test it on the earth, so this is the first time we've had a chance as engineers to actually see what we designed and ijust can't... it's hard for me to express just how emotional it was and how exciting it was. there are new still images too — a selfie of the rover. and a vista of the alien world it now sits in, providing a glimpse of the terrain it's about to explore. now has radar locked on the ground. this footage is already providing crucial information to scientists and they'll continue to study it as perseverance gets to work. it's just a taste of what's to come. rebecca morelle, bbc news. nasa has also released the first audio from mars, a faint wind sound captured by a microphone on the rover. let's have a listen. (tx sot)

deep billow and that was the sound of martian wind. keith cowing is an astrobiologist and the editor of the us space programme blog nasa watch iam sure i am sure you've seen a lot of space craft and pictures from space craft and pictures from space but what are you thinking of the ones you've seen now? i am thinking i'm old enough to think back 50 years but when i saw the first image of the surface of mars from the viking landing, like neil armstrong landing on the moon, this is one of those moments you will remember and it is astonishing stuff. ~ , remember and it is astonishing stuff. . ., ., stuff. why particularly? how does it compare? _ stuff. why particularly? how does it compare? the - stuff. why particularly? how does it compare? the last i stuff. why particularly? how i does it compare? the last time we landed on paas —— mars, they were pretty pictures. but this time it is all in colour and this time we have seen them bringing down the data from

mars. figs bringing down the data from mars. �* , . . ., bringing down the data from mars. ., ., mars. as a matter of fact we were making _ mars. as a matter of fact we were making a _ mars. as a matter of fact we were making a joke - mars. as a matter of fact we were making a joke that - mars. as a matter of fact we were making a joke that it i were making a joke that it looks more real than the animations, these videos are mori or that the animation which is how startlingly clear it is. ~ ,, ., it is. we were saying that the sound of the _ it is. we were saying that the sound of the martian - it is. we were saying that the sound of the martian wind . it is. we were saying that the sound of the martian wind is | sound of the martian wind is underwhelming until you think, hang on, this is coming from mars. , ., ., , , hang on, this is coming from mars. , . ., , , does mars. yes. in a word, yes. does that tell you — mars. yes. in a word, yes. does that tell you anything _ mars. yes. in a word, yes. does that tell you anything at - mars. yes. in a word, yes. does that tell you anything at all? - that tell you anything at all? a lot of this is not surprising that there is wind on mars, but there is something about sending ms areas as they often call to other worlds by being able to see things and hear things and it does bring a sort of vicarious connection between all of us here on earth and mars, sojust a simple all of us here on earth and mars, so just a simple thing like that can mean a lot to a lot of people and it was brought up that a lot of blind people have found it interesting because that is

their way of understanding what it is like to experience another world.- it is like to experience another world. �* , ., ., , another world. it's going to be uuite a another world. it's going to be quite a while _ another world. it's going to be quite a while before _ another world. it's going to be quite a while before any - quite a while before any samples get back to earth, so what do you hope to get from those? it what do you hope to get from those? , , ., those? it depends on whether they send _ those? it depends on whether they send a — those? it depends on whether they send a follow-up - those? it depends on whetherj they send a follow-up mission they send a follow—up mission sooner or later but within six orseven sooner or later but within six or seven years, but when we get these back and if it hasn't made some discoveries on mars, which i'm sure it will we have a chance to see if the martian rocks in our hands and came from a place where we know what history happen there over the course of billions of years, we will be able to look once and for all and get an idea if there is life there or was life and we were more likely see it back on it in the lavatories. great to talk to you. thank you so much. —— laboratories. the number of covid—nineteen deaths in the united states has passed half a million. it's the first country to do so. the bells on the national cathedral in washington tolled 500 times to honour the victims.

500,000 lives are more than were lost by the us in both world wars and the vietnam war — combined. the pandemic is still claiming two thousand americans every day, and there has been widespread economic hardship. president biden has ordered flags on federal buildings to be flown at half mast for five days as a mark of respect to those who have lost their lives. just before he and the vice president led a moment's silence, he had these words for americans. as we all remember, i also ask us to act to remain vigilant, to stay socially distanced, to mask up, get vaccinated when it is your turn. we must end the politics of misinformation that has divided families, communities and the country and has cost too many lives already. it is not democrats and republicans who are dying from the virus, it's our fellow americans, our neighbours, our friends, our mothers, ourfathers, oursons, our daughters. husbands, wives.

we have to fight this together, as one people, as the united states of america. 0ur correspondent, david willis, is in los angeles. whatever your politics, president biden is famously a man with empathy because he has seen so much tragedy in his own life, of course. he seen so much tragedy in his own life, of course.— life, of course. he has indeed and this was _ life, of course. he has indeed and this was classic _ life, of course. he has indeed and this was classic joe - life, of course. he has indeed and this was classic joe bidenj and this was classicjoe biden today, expressing empathy, sympathy and also holding out a note of hope for people here. he said that this nation will smile again, this nation will know sunny days again and this nation will nojoy know sunny days again and this nation will no joy again and we will get through this, i promise. the signs are better than they were a few weeks ago, in actualfact, and than they were a few weeks ago, in actual fact, and the signs are that there are fewer cases of coronavirus here, quite dramatically fewer than they were at the start of the year

and that is put down largely to the vaccination effort and, of course, to the fact that people seem to be adhering to the message to wear a mask and socially distance. joe biden has said that by the end of july he hopes that everybody who needs to be vaccinated in this country will have received the vaccine but at the moment, about 5% of the population have received two doses and this remains an uphill challenge for his administration. it’s remains an uphill challenge for his administration.— his administration. it's an uhill his administration. it's an uphill challenge - his administration. it's an uphill challenge and - his administration. it's an uphill challenge and a - his administration. it's an uphill challenge and a big his administration. it's an - uphill challenge and a big ask. how much division is there still and do you have a sense about that about the vaccine as well? ~ , ., ., ,., well? we will see more about that later _ well? we will see more about that later in _ well? we will see more about that later in the _ well? we will see more about that later in the week- well? we will see more about| that later in the week because the house of representatives is due to vote onjoe biden's massive, nearto due to vote onjoe biden's massive, near to trillion dollar coronavirus relief package and there has been some negotiation over this and president biden has said that

he is open to compromise as far as the figures are concerned that he remains convinced that a lot of people are suffering and a lot of the money that that measure seeks to pass out, very badly needed in this country particular by those who have been thrown out of work because of the coronavirus at pandemic but we will see how much bipartisan unity there is later this week when the house of representatives comes to vote on the 1.9 trillion dollar covert relief package. david, thank you — covert relief package. david, thank you for _ covert relief package. david, thank you for that. _ italy's ambassador in the democratic republic of congo has been killed in an attack in the east of the country. luca attanasio died along with an italian military policeman and one other person — they travelling near the city of goma as part of a un convoy when they were attacked and shot. presidentjoe biden's nominee to lead thejustice department has said that

fighting domestic extremism would be his �*first priority�* if confirmed as attorney general. judge merrick garland said that far—right extremism today was worse than when he investigated the 1995 oklahoma city bombing that left 168 dead. mr garland also pledged to keep the department free of politics. the wife ofjailed mexican drug lord joaquin "el chapo" guzman has been arrested at dulles international airport. emma coronel aispuro, who is thirty—one, is expected to appear in a federal court in washington. she's been charged with drug trafficking. stay with us on bbc news, still to come... we look at why the former president trump has been ordered to hand over his tax returns for scrutiny. prince charles has chosen his bride and proposed to lady diana spencer three weeks ago and she accepted, without hesitation. as revolutions go, this had its fair share of

bullets, bullets outside the sanctuary and the name itself symbolising one of the cruisers regime of modern asia. the world's first clone has been produced of an adult mammal and scientists in scotland have produced a sheep called dolly that came from a cell from another sheep. warren beatty and faye| dunaway announced the world that the winner of best| film was la la land, the only trouble was it wasn't. the only time the - mistake was put right was between gushing speeches from the model is, stop not for so many years have modern locus been seen in this part of- africa and some of the swarms have been ten miles long. - this is the last time the public will see this pope, and very soon for the sake of credibility authority of the next pope, benedict xvi will be, in his own words, hidden from the world for the rest of his life. this is bbc news, the latest headlines

nasa releases remarkable images of its space rover perseverence landing on mars, the first ever of their kind from the red planet. president biden holds a candle—lit ceremony at the white house to honour the half a million american lives lost to covid—19. the first analysis in the uk of how effective the coronavirus vaccines are shows that a single jab of the pfizer vaccine cuts the chance of hospital admission, and death by more than 75 percent among the over 80s. that study was by public health england. a separate study in scotland looking at both the pfizer and 0xford/ astra zenica vaccines showed similarly positive results as our medical editor fergus walsh explains. put your faith in this — a few millilitres of vaccine. one in three adults here already has, and that trust is being repaid. the first real—world data from the uk shows the vaccines offer strong protection for the elderly, as well as younger adults.

and that's you done, you've had your first vaccine. right, thank you. we went from having no vaccine for human coronavirus disease at all — ever — to having very effective vaccines in a period of a year. that has never been done before for any other disease. those vaccines, as we now know from the real—world data coming out in the uk and also from israel, are very effective in practice. early results from england suggest that after three weeks, one dose of pfizer vaccine reduced the risk of hospitalisation and death by at least 75% among the over—80s. a separate study in scotland, looking at the first dose of either the pfizer or astrazeneca vaccines, was similarly impressive. it found four weeks post—immunisation, the risk of hospitalisation among the over—80s was cut by a combined figure of 81%. a separate study of hospital workers in england found that

a single dose of the pfizerjab cut the risk of being infected with coronavirus by more than 70%, rising to 85% after the second shot. this shows vaccines may also reduce transmission, as you cannot spread the virus if you're not infected. the vaccines being rolled out now will give a good level of protection, particularly against severe disease. we think that's in the 75 to 85% ballpark in the short term. and as we get second doses and then new vaccines, that protection will only increase. the evidence on vaccine effectiveness is quite simply stunning. what matters most is keeping people out of hospital, and both the pfizer and astrazeneca vaccines offer strong protection. it'll be even better after two shots. so it's vital that if people are offered the jab, they turn up for both appointments.

hello, take a seat... take—up of the vaccine has been lower among black, asian and minority ethnic communities, and a drive is under way to encourage adults of all backgrounds to come forward. france, like several other european countries, does not currently recommend the oxford—astrazeneca vaccine for the over—65s, citing lack of evidence of effectiveness. the data today clearly shows, for the first time, that the jab does provide strong protection for adults of all ages. fergus walsh, bbc news. borisjohnson has unveiled his so—called �*roadmap' for the gradual lifting of the lockdown in england, a process that starts on march the 8th. wales, scotland and northern ireland have their own separate arrangements. in england — if all conditions are met — the restrictions will all disappear by the 21st ofjune. the british prime minister said

there could be no such thing as a covid—free future, but the end of the restrictions was finally in sight. more from our politicial editor laura kuenssberg. instructions from downing street have, for months, made life a vague reflection of what it used to be. going out replaced with staying in, high streets closed, classrooms, for millions, makeshift ones at home. but the kitchen table will soon stop being the school desk, too. six—year—old aidan and his mum and dad won't have to juggle theirjobs with times tables and he can wear his new uniform at last. lovely new trousers, which you have not had the opportunity to wear. it will be really good for him to go back. what do you reckon? i actually wanted to be a teacher. i thank god i didn't pick that profession, because i don't think i would be any good at it. getting children back to school

was the prime minister's priority but a fast return to freedom is not. with every day that goes by, this programme of vaccination is creating a shield around the entire population. which means we are now travelling on a one—way road to freedom. whenever we ease the lockdown, whether it is today or in six or nine months, we have got to be realistic and accept there will be more infections, more hospitalisations and therefore, sadly debts, just as there are every year with flu. and thanks to the vaccinations, that there is light ahead. leading us to a spring and summer, which i think will be seasons of hope and from which, we will not go back. there will be some rules in place for another four months, when do you really hope to be able to say to the public, it is over? laura, this isn't the end today, but it is a road map that takes us to the end

and takes us on a one—way journey. we will be guided by the data and by the progress that we make and that is why it is important also to be cautious. there had been muted support of when, after weeks, he presented the plan to mps. we have to tread very carefully. so i am glad the prime minister spoke today of caution and this being irreversible, assessing the data and following the evidence. those are the right, guiding principles and it is a welcome change. but some conservatives want to know if the most vulnerable have been vaccinated, why not go faster? for what reason when they have been vaccinated and protected i from covid by the end of april at the latest, _ is there any need for- restrictions to continue? we believe the protection is very substantial, but there will be a large minority who will not have sufficient protection. in six weeks, it will be

easier to meet friends and family outdoors, accompanied by pints orfood served from the middle of april, shops will open their doors, too. but rules of one kind or another will be with us until at leastjune. there is nothing hard and fast about going back to the office, abroad or travelling between the four corners of the country. clearly we will make our own judgments about the particular order and the particular timing of that. because the data is not identical in each of the four nations. today's plans are the beginning and many businesses worried they will not make it until the end. the famous hippodrome casino has been forced to close for 200 days out of the last year. the boss has made 250 people redundant to try to hang on but will not be able to open for at least another two months. 0ur balance sheet is in tatters with a lot of debt and we have spent a lot of time with our staff trying to help them with the emotional challenges of not knowing when they can go back to work, or knowing

if there is work to go back to. all the stuff that has been done in the name of covid has a consequence and a cost. it is business owners like those that are suffering. for several months, the many costs of coronavirus continue to mount, but the world will start soon to look more like the one we knew. donald trump has been ordered by the us supreme court to hand over his tax returns and other financial records to prosecutors in new york. the former us president has been refusing to release the documents for several years, despite a precedent that presidential candidates should do so. let's speak to our correspondent, paul hawkins. this is a blow for the president, now a private citizen. fit. president, now a private citizen. �* , president, now a private citizen. ~ , , ., president, now a private citizen. ~ , ., president, now a private citizen. ~ , , ., ., ., citizen. a big blow, and for ears citizen. a big blow, and for years and _ citizen. a big blow, and for years and every _ citizen. a big blow, and for years and every time - citizen. a big blow, and for years and every time he i citizen. a big blow, and for. years and every time he was asked byjournalist to release his tax records he said they were under audit or that doesn't stop presidential

candidates in the past. last year the new york state prosecutors started an open investigation into allegations of hush money payments to women who allegedly had sexual relationships with donald trump before the 2016 presidential election and those new york prosecutors asked the supreme court to force donald trump to release his tax records and his lawyers, i should say, the supreme court, upheld the decision and asked donald trump to release the records. he called it a fishing expedition and a witchhunt, used those words in the past. actually, i paid tax, and you will see that as soon as my tax returns, it's under audit and they have been under audit for a long time in the irs does not treat me well. this is a continuation of the most

disgusting witchhunt in the history of our country. i am always under audit, it seems, but i've been under audit for many years. i have a responsibility to pay no more tax than is legally required, like anybody else. anyone hoping to see the tax records in the near future will be disappointed because this is a grand jury investigation so it will be held in secret and they will look at donald trump's tax records without revealing them to the public but if charges are brought by the grand jury then those allegations and tax records could be revealed in court but in terms of the scope of the investigation he has been widened to not only include the allegations of hush money payments but also tax fraud, insurance fraud, banking fraud within a donald trump's organisation, allegedly, so a lot of scope for the investigation to look at by the grand jury and investigation to look at by the grandjury and in investigation to look at by the grand jury and in terms of when the tax records will be released, we expect that in the next couple of days, according to us media reports.—

to us media reports. paul, thank you- _ a study of the coronavirus outbreak in nigeria suggests that infection rates are vastly higher than officialfigures. researchers say as many as four million people could have been infected in the city of lagos, where the official total is currently fifty— four thousand. more than eighteen hundred people have died in the country from covid—19 meanwhile in portugal, the devastating third wave of coronavirus is subsiding and the country now has one of europe's lowest transmission rates. the government is aiming to have 70 percent of its population vaccinated by some point over summer. just weeks ago, it was one of the world's worst—hit countries and fellow eu members were despatching emergency medical teams to help portuguese doctors. britain has always prided itself on being a country that punches above its weight when it comes to culture. this is of course the home of the beatles, james bond and the spice girls. now — an auction is taking place — celebrating seventy years of so—called cool britannia. the bbc�*s tim allman reports.

these boots were made for selling. several pairs, designed by damien hirst, on display and soon to be on sale. part of a major auction highlighting what a cultural powerhouse the uk was and still is. ,., powerhouse the uk was and still is. ., ., , ., is. the sale, overall, is a celebration _ is. the sale, overall, is a celebration of _ is. the sale, overall, is a celebration of british - celebration of british creativity from 1950 until now and the idea is we are celebrating all aspects of creativity, so notjust the fine arts, photography, fashion, memorabilia and also prints and multiples.— prints and multiples. some of those prints _ prints and multiples. some of those prints are _ prints and multiples. some of those prints are by _ prints and multiples. some of those prints are by the - prints and multiples. some of those prints are by the note l those prints are by the note aureus street artist banksy and include this one, girl with balloon, expected to sell up to anything up to £150,000. hopefully won't share the same fate as the original which was famously shredded moments after selling at auction in 2018. and you will hardly have a display celebrating call britannia

without celebrating the coolest of it girls. without celebrating the coolest of it tirls. , without celebrating the coolest ofitairls. , . . of it girls. this fantastic -iece of it girls. this fantastic piece titled _ of it girls. this fantastic piece titled kate - of it girls. this fantastic piece titled kate moss, | of it girls. this fantastic - piece titled kate moss, she is light, pure, has been donated to the sale by chris levine and the supermodel kate moss, very generously, and the estimate on the work is between 20 and £30,000 and all proceeds from the sale will go to 0xfam gb for the fight against poverty. also up for grabs dresses by vivienne westwood and alexander mcqueen and iconic photos of iconic british rock groups. proof that this country's cultural legacy is timeless. tim allman. bbc news. and before we go,we've seen a lot of pictures of freezing scenes across the united states, but take a look at this. this is what weeks of freezing temperatures has done to niagara falls. mounds of snow and ice have formed all along the banks and people visiting the new york side also caught a glimpse of this rainbow while snapping photos. and though looks like parts of the waterfall have frozen completely, the water actually

never stops running beneath the surface. much more any time for you on the bbc website and also on our twitter feed. hello, northern and western parts of the uk saw some of the best of the sunshine on monday. have a look at this picture from one of our weather watchers in cumbria. beautiful blue skies overhead but i think on tuesday it will look very different because this slice of sunshine is being replaced by a bank of cloud pushing in from the west and the cloud is going to bring a lot of rain across parts of northern ireland, wales, north—west england, some rain maybe into the far south—west of england but the wettest weather is likely to be found across scotland where there is a met office and the warning in force across parts of the southern uplands and the southern grampians. we could see up to 120 millimetres of rain in the wettest places falling on already sodden

ground, so a risk of flooding and disruption and it will be a windy day where ever you are, particularly gusty for western areas with gusts up to 50 or 70 mph for exposed parts of northern ireland or scotland. very mild, ten or 1a degrees, maybe 15 in the south—east but we should say dry with a bit of sunshine. through tuesday night and into wednesday, the stripe of cloud and rain keeps coming, moving very slowly south—east and it is going to be a very, very mild night indeed and those are the minimum temperatures with cardiff and plymouth maybe no lower than 12 degrees. we head on into wednesday and the winds are a little bit lighter, still fairly blustery out there and the frontal system will still be bringing rain across and western areas but to the south—east of the weather front we will be tapping into some very mild air indeed and given any lengthy spells of sunshine temperatures will shoot up to around 16 or 17 degrees across parts of east anglia and the south—east.

the band of cloud and rain still affecting south—west, into wales, southern scotland with sunshine and showers to the north—west of that but as i mentioned, the temperature is 17 degrees possible in london but it is another mild day where ever you are. as we move out of wednesday into thursday, the frontal system will clear east and high pressure will start to build in from the south and we may see weather fronts grazing the far north—west bringing a little bit of rain but for most of us it will be dry to end the week and there will be some sales of sunshine and still mild by day, but rather chilly at night.

this is bbc news. the headlines: nasa has released remarkable images of its space rover perseverence landing on mars. it shows the final minutes of last week's tense descent with clouds of dust and grit being blown around, as the vehicle is lowered carefully on to the floor of one of the red planets craters. president biden has held a candle—lit ceremony at the white house to honour the half a million american lives lost to covid—19. the pandemic is still claiming 2000 americans every day and there has been widespread economic hardship. flags on federal buildings are to be flown at half mast as a mark of respect. donald trump has been ordered by the us supreme court to hand over his tax returns and other financial records to prosecutors in new york. the former us president has been refusing to release the documents for several years, despite a precedent that presidential candidates should do so.