welcome to bbc news. i'm mike embley. our top stories: reporter: sir, can i ask what you thought of the interview? | as prince charles makes his first public appearance following the explosive interview by his son and the duchess of sussex, there's a response to the allegations from buckingham palace. the firstjurors are chosen in the trial of a policeman accused of killing george floyd. violent clashes escalate again in myanmar. we'll look at how unarmed protesters manage to take on the security forces. and, a week after a meteor lit up skies over the uk, meet the family who woke up to find a priceless chunk of it sitting in their driveway.

hello and welcome. buckingham palace has responded to the allegations made by prince harry and his wife meghan in their interview with oprah winfrey, saying the royal family is saddened to learn how challenging the last few years have been for the couple. the statement says that some issues, particularly that of race, are concerning, but it doesn't admit any wrongdoing and says it will address the claims privately. our royal correspondent, nicholas witchell, reports. the revelations in their interview have been heard. there has been hurt on both sides. tonight, buckingham palace issued a statement from her majesty the queen. it read:

it amounted to just 61 words. the palace made it clear it would not be commenting further. earlier, while the palace was pondering its response the daily business of the british royal family continued. the prince of wales was at a vaccination centre in northwest london. a normal visit, apart from the inevitable question: sir, can i ask, what did you think of the interview? millions around the world have now heard meghan�*s claim to have been suicidal but ignored, and her assertion of a racial slur by a member of the royalfamily about her then unborn baby. in those months when i was pregnant, all around this same time, so we have in tandem

the conversation of, "he won't be given security, he's not going to be given a title", and also concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he's born. what? meghan�*s estranged father thomas markle watched the interview on us television. what did he make of his daughter's claims? i don't think the british royal family are racist. the thing about what colour will the baby be or how dark will the baby be, i'm guessing and hoping it's just a dumb question. closely linked to the question of racial prejudice in the couple's view, is the role of the british tabloid media. this is what meghan said in the interview: there's a reason that these tabloids have holiday parties at the palace. they're hosted by the palace. the tabloids are.

you know, there is a construct that is at play there, and because from the beginning of our relationship they were so attacking and inciting so much racism, really, it changed the risk level, because it wasn't just catty gossip. it was bringing out a part of people that was racist in how it was charged. and here, amid the blanket coverage, some voices are saying, yes, there was a double standard in the way that meghan was reported. you have to draw conclusions from the way meghan was systematically criticised and attacked for things which other, white, members of the royal family could get away with. and so a sharply divided debate continues. was meghan the naive american who never understood the nature of being a british royal, or a huge potential asset who was wasted and wronged by an inflexible institution?

of sociology at the university of alabama in huntsville. she joins us from there now. i know you have a phd and specialise in the subject of race and ethnicity and you have also lived in the uk for a while. why do you think this is gained traction? the while. why do you think this is gained traction?— gained traction? the reason i think it is _ gained traction? the reason i think it is gained _ gained traction? the reason i think it is gained traction - gained traction? the reason i think it is gained traction is i think it is gained traction is because as meghan set at the beginning, to her as an american, the british royal family was another set of celebrities, and other rich family like one you may encounter in los angeles where she grew up. but as she got into the family she relies the british monarchy is an institution, there is an hr department and few americans understand the depths of the institutionalisation of the monarchy and setting interview really revealed not simply

family statistics or celebrity gossip but revealed the anti— blackness that is within the british monarchy. when meghan markle managed saying she went to hr, there are many american black women going to hr noting concerns and experience within their own firms and have brushed aside just like she was so i believe this is resonating with many americans and particularly women of colour because while we do not have the tiara, we have walked in her shoes. the tiara, we have walked in her shoes-— her shoes. and given how william and _ her shoes. and given how william and harry's - her shoes. and given how. william and harry's mother her shoes. and given how - william and harry's mother was treated, the whole fairytale princess idea has bitten the dust, hasn't it?— princess idea has bitten the| dust, hasn't it?_ it dust, hasn't it? yes, yes. it sends an — dust, hasn't it? yes, yes. it sends an encouraging - dust, hasn't it? yes, yes. it. sends an encouraging message that people with so different backgrounds can talk about experiences, mental health issues and even talks of suicide but as they say, they went to hr and got no help. they go public, they get some support but then many people

are attacking them. that sends a very different, rather troubling message, doesn't it? yes, yes it does and it shows that notjust racism and anti— blackness is personal and being mean to one another but that it is also an institutional form of oppression that exists within many aspects of society, within many aspects of society, within family, within media, within family, within media, within the work environment, it is really quite ubiquitous. the ro al is really quite ubiquitous. the royal family _ is really quite ubiquitous. the royal family said _ is really quite ubiquitous. the royal family said there are things here that are concerning, will be taken very seriously but will be addressed privately. do you think this firestorm just blows over or what? firestorm 'ust blows over or what? ., �* firestorm 'ust blows over or what? . �* ., , . what? that, i'm not sure about. we see those — what? that, i'm not sure about. we see those same _ what? that, i'm not sure about. we see those same thoughts i what? that, i'm not sure about. | we see those same thoughts and sentiments expressed by universities and areas of academia, there will be accusations, there will be coming out into the media, such as meghan and harry did and then a university president put out a similar statement to the queen saying it is taken

seriously and handled internally. often that means let itjust blow over and locate the complainant or party, listen to their concerns and they do absolutely nothing to structural change for what is going on. for the sake of meghan, harry and archie's that, i hope that the crown does take these allegations seriously and make reforms and changes, ratherthan seriously and make reforms and changes, rather than just sweeping it under the rug. professor, thank you very much. one unexpected consequence of the reaction to harry and meghan�*s interview has been the celebrity tv presenter, piers morgan, losing his job as a breakfast anchor. he had said he did not believe a word the duchess had said when speaking with oprah winfrey. that led to 41,000 complaints being made to british broadcasting regulators. mr morgan also had an on—screen row with a co—presenter, who accused him of continuing to trash meghan. his employer, itv, said he was leaving the good morning britain show with immediate effect. mr morgan hasn't commented but did post this gif

on twitter, showing a ticking clock. jury selection has been underway in the trial of former police officer derek chauvin, who faces charges of murder and manslaughter. chauvin killed an unarmed black man, george floyd, in may 2020 in minneapolis. video of chauvin kneeling on george floyd's neck triggered weeks of protests across the us and around the world. he would face up to forty years in prison if convicted on the most serious charge. plett—usher, sent this report. chanting: we are unstoppable, another world is possible! - after months of protests, a moment of reckoning for policing and racism in america. activists demanding justice for the black man george floyd are facing their most important test — the trial of the white police officer charged in his killing, derek chauvin. you have been summoned as potential jurors in the case of the state of minnesota vs derek chauvin. jury selection is the first step. in an unprecedented move,

the trial is being broadcast live because covid is keeping the public out of court. so, americans are getting a good look at mr chauvin. it's the first time he's been seen on camera since a bystander i cannot breathe... kneeling on george floyd's neck for more than nine minutes, as mr floyd gasped for air and then fell silent. check his pulse! check his pulse, chile! police restrained him this way after complaints that he'd used a fake $20 bill. the video will be the prosecution's main evidence and the main challenge to seating a jury. i think it'll be extremely difficult virtually everybody in the country — and practically the world — has seen the video, or at least read articles about the video and its contents. we think the best that we can hope for is that those who have seen it or read articles about it will commit to keeping an open mind and to being impartial as the trial goes on, and different kinds of evidence come in. nothing is certain with a jury

trial, and the graphic footage doesn't necessarily mean a conviction. the city is afraid that protests will turn violent if mr chauvin is acquitted — so it's put up these fences and called in the national guard. the intersection where mr floyd was pinned to the ground has grown into a memorial — a permanent refusal to accept his death as the end of the story. here, they've been counting down the days to the trial. because it's notjust derek chauvin on trial, it's the value of a black life on trial. we've been here before as a country. this is not the first trial that we, as black people in this country, have had to wait and watch to see if the assailant would actually be convicted of their actions. there are difficult weeks ahead for this divided nation. but, for healing to begin, the country will need to feel thatjustice has been done. barbara plett usher, bbc news, minneapolis.

let's get some of the day's other news. this is currently unconfirmed. japan's top news agency, kyodo, is reporting that the government has concluded that foreign spectators will not be able to attend this year's olympic games. kyodo said overseas fans would not be welcome because of concerns over coronavirus. the government says a final decision will be made by the end of the month. britain has hit back after the european union accused the country of imposing a vaccine export ban. the claim was made by european council chief charles michel. but the uk foreign secretary has said the allegation is completely false. here in london, detectives investigating the disappearance of a 33—year—old woman who went missing last week have arrested a serving officer within their force. sarah everard was last seen while walking home from a friend's house. the metropolitan police also arrested a second person, a woman, on suspicion of aiding an offender. in myanmar, an official from aung san suu kyi's

political party has died in custody after he was arrested on tuesday. the police have intensified night—time raids, on monday night, around 200 activists were trapped for hours in yangon, when police sealed off a district in the city. the bbc�*sjonathan head has more and — a warning — some viewers may find elements of this report distressing. with their homemade shields, they practice defensive manoeuvres. more reminiscent of ancient rome than modern myanmar. but this is all they have against bullets and tear gas. throughout the day, these young activists play a dangerous game of cat—and—mouse with the security forces. advancing, then retreating down sidestreets, hoping they don't get caught. everywhere, you see breathtaking courage against a military government with little regard for human life. in this extraordinary

shot taken this was a sister pleading that they stop shooting and she asked them to take her life, not theirs, to no avail. in this extraordinary shot taken from a nearby building, the protesters surge forward — but are met with volleys of gunfire. two died, some were horribly injured. five weeks after the coup, this has all the hallmarks of a civil war — but a war where only one side is armed. at night, the soldiers roam around rebellious neighbourhoods, terrorising with wild gunfire, hunting down dissidents. they captured 50 last night after besieging this district. much of myanmar is once again bracing itself for another frightening few

hours until daybreak. jonathan head, bbc news. stay with us on bbc news, still to come: which relies on foreign travel for its ecomony — takes a unique approach to who gets the covid—i9 vaccine first. the numbers of dead and wounded defied belief. this, the worst terrorist atrocity on european soil in modern times. in less than 2a hours, then, the soviet union lost an elderly sick leader and replaced him with a dynamic figure 20 years his junior. then he came out through a fire exit and started firing at our huts. god, we were all petrified. james earl ray, aged 41, sentenced to 99 years i and due for parole

when he's 90, - travelled from memphis jail to nashville state prison. in an eight—car convoy. paul, what's it feel like to be married at last? it feels fine, thank you. what are you going to do now? is it going to change your life much, do you think? i don't know, really — i've never been married before! this is bbc news, the latest headlines: buckingham palace responds to allegations made by the duke and duchess of sussex in their explosive interview, saying they are "concerning" and "taken very seriously" the firstjurors are chosen in the trial of a policeman accused of killing george floyd. so while some in america are calling for priority vaccines for workers in certain professions, that is the route being taken in singapore, as karishma vaswani sent us

this report on the strategy. the crowds are back at singapore's airport, but they are not here to fly. this terminal�*s now transformed into a vaccination centre for front line workers. but in singapore, that doesn't mean only nurses and doctors. everyone here today is from the aviation sector. that includes yanti, who works in customer service. she's considered a front—line worker here — it's why she's among the first in line. it's very sad to look at the situation now, because it's very quiet. if everybody plays their part to actually get vaccinated and, you know, it'll be safe for everyone to travel, and then we can start going back to how the normal is. aviation workers aren't the only ones of the top of the list. along with the elderly and healthcare workers, singapore is also putting maritime and transport workers

of the queue. it may look like business as usual, but it's not. there's something missing — tourists. this isn't enough to get singapore's economy back on track. it's got to open borders and the economy to survive. borders have been closed for over a year because of the pandemic. jobs have been lost and businesses have shut for good. that's why the government's spent close to us$80 billion to support workers — a huge amount for a population of six million people. in our case, our society infection rates are very low. but we're at risk from our borders, from the front—line workers at the port, at the airport, at the land borders. so for us, that was our first priority — to take care of them. the hope is that strategy could help fill these empty planes with travellers once more, so singapore's economy can take off. but it needs the rest of the world to open their doors too. karishma vaswani,

bbc news, singapore. ten years ago, a series of anti—government protests known as the arab spring reached syria and tens of thousands took to the streets. when the government used deadly force to crack down on dissent protests spread, and the country descended into civil war. the un believes more than 250,000 people were killed, and more than 6 million displaced. our correspondent lina sinjab, herself a syrian living in exile, has been speaking to women she met in the early days of the uprising. i want to draw a woman and a man coming back to syria. it's like a gift from me to the syrian revolution. a decade of devastating conflict in syria. women are at the heart of the story. like millions of syrians who fled the war, azza got to lebanon four years ago, determined to carry on with her art. what she had witnessed.

azza was a peaceful activist. she drew graffiti on the walls of the city homs as a message of resistance. starving people into surrender. going out from homs from their homes and i decide to draw on the wall, it's like "we will be back". she was arrested and put in prison. after i was released from the prison, i stayed at my home for ten months, without going out. i received the call that, "you have to leave the country." you know, they don't want people like us to stay in syria. ayat was only 19

when she first went to prison for her views — before the uprising began. the syrian war forced more than 6 million people outside the country. some made it to europe, others only as far as neighbouring countries. a million refugees live here in camps in lebanon but many syrians still live in fear inside syria. like sima, who is in damascus

so we've used an actor to voice her words. i keep myself working day and night so i don't think, and run from the daily pain that we are living. in today's syria, nearly 90% of the population live in poverty. the economy has collapsed and many cannot afford basic needs. there is nothing more humiliating than having to wait six or seven hours a day to get some bread. this is a form of enslavement. back in lebanon, azza feels responsible for keeping the stories alive, while still dreaming of going back home. while assad is still ruling in damascus over a destroyed country, it may be generations before the likes of azza,

ayat and sima see the syria they dream of. lina sinjab, bbc news, beirut. roger mudd — the long time cbs and nbc correspondent and anchor — has died at the age of 93. he was best known for his televised interview with edward kennedy in 1979 which is credited with helping derail the democratic senator's presidential campaign. mudd won the peabody award and also picked up five emmys while serving as the host of "meet the press," "nbc a meteor that lit up the sky over the uk last week has found it's way onto a family's driveway in the west of england. the first thing the wilcock family knew about it was when they heard a dull thud outside their house. our science correspondent victoria gill takes up the story. from nuneaton to somerset to wigan, the night sky was lit up by a fireball of space rock just over a week ago.

the display was accidentally captured on security footage, but the uk fireball alliance, with an array of special cameras, managed to pinpoint where the debris was likely to have landed. meteorite trackers honed in on an area of gloucestershire, and a small charred patch on a driveway, and a very vigilant resident in winscombe provided the final clue about where it landed. after millions of years hurtling through space, the rock sat on a driveway for less than a day, before being collected and handed into the care of scientists at the natural history museum in london. ashley, why is this space rock in particular so special? so this is 4.6 billion years old, so it's older than any rock we have on the earth, so it's like a time capsule — it takes us all the way back to the birth of our solar system. this is a carbonaceous chondrite type meteorite, so it contains all the building blocks for our solar system. so potentially, this meteorite contains things like simple organics and amino

acids that can tell us about how life got started on our earth. and contains water—bearing minerals, explaining the formation of oceans. mission control: and liftoff of osiris-rex! i while this discovery weighs in at almost half a kilo, nasa and the japanese space agency both previously sent probes to asteroids, at huge cost, to return just a few grams of pristine space rock. some 65,000 meteorites have fallen to earth and been collected around the world, but only 1200 had eyewitnesses to their fall. and, of these, only 51 are rare carbonaceous chondrites like this one. researchers say there may yet be more fragments of the meteorite in the winchcombe area, so they're asking residents to keep an eye out for unusual jet black rocks, in case any more space debris ended a journey across the solar system in their driveway. victoria gill, bbc news. and you can get in touch with me and most of the team on twitter — i'm @embleymike.

hello there. the transition from winter into spring can often be peppered with some pretty turbulent weather, and that's going to be the story over the next few days. notjust heavy rain, but gale—force gusts of winds which have the potential to cause some disruption, particularly across england and wales. the heaviest of the rain and the strongest of the winds over the last few hours have been through scotland, but as we move into wednesday, you can see the next low pressure waiting out in the wings, to arrive later on in the day. so, a spell of heavy rain and pretty much an unsettled day across england and wales. we might get a drier interlude briefly through the afternoon, but there'll be more wet weather to come. heavy rain gradually pushing

into western scotland as well. sunny spells and scattered showers developing into northern ireland, with highest values peaking between 8—12 degrees. into the evening, that next low moves in. and it's here to the southern flank of that low where we're going to see the strongest of the winds gathering. so, particularly across england and wales, we could see widespread gusts in excess of 60—70 mph. so the met office has issued a warning. it'll still be windy further north, but the strongest of the winds, the emphasis really, across england and wales. and quite widespread through wednesday night into thursday. so, there'll also be some rain across parts of western scotland, north west england and wales, gradually drifting its way eastwards. sunny spells and scattered showers will gradually develop as we go through the day into thursday, but it's going to be a windy afternoon and temperatures, well, they should peak generally between 8—11 degrees. there's little change in the trend of the weather as we head towards the weekend. friday, still that significant low to the north. plenty of isobars

on the charts, driving in weather fronts from the atlantic. so, it stays pretty unsettled. sunny spells and scattered showers the order of the day through friday. another blustery afternoon to come for many. dodge the showers, get some sunshine. we may again see temperatures peaking into double figures with highs of 11 degrees. little change as we head into the weekend. it's still going to stay windy. you'll still need to dodge those showers, i'm afraid, and there will be some sunshine from time to time. that's it. take care.

this is bbc news, the headlines: prince charles has made his first public appearance since that explosive interview by his son and the duchess of sussex. and buckingham palace has responded to the couple's allegations. a statement says the issues raised, particularly on the subject of race, are concerning and taken very seriously but will be addressed privately. ajudge in the us city of minneapolis has selected the first three members of the jury for the trial of derek chauvin, the former policeman charged with murdering possible jurors are being questioned to try to ensure their impartiality there's been another day of mass protests across myanmar despite violent efforts by the military to crush opposition to their seizure of power. an official from the deposed national league for democracy died in custody after he was arrested in the early hours of tuesday morning. now on bbc news, global questions.

while the west bought billions of vaccines quickly and cheaply,