made by harry and meghan on us television. the duke of cambridge says he hasn't spoken to his brother since the interview with oprah winfrey was broadcast. reporter: have you spoken - to your brother since the interview? no, i haven't spoken to him yet, but i will do. and can you just let me know is the royal family a racist family, sir? we're very much not a racist family. we'll have the latest from our royal correspondent. also this lunchtime. detectives investigating the disappearance of sarah everard in south london are continuing to question a serving police officer on suspicion of kidnap and murder. the number of patients waiting to start hospital treatment in england hits a new high — four and a half million people injanuary, with cancer services

among the worst hit. no chemotherapy, die of the cancer or die of the pandemic, you know, i don't really have much of a choice. you're removing my lifeline. john lewis has warned of further store closures after it made a record annual loss of more than £500 million. and coming up on bbc news, max malins will make his first start for england in saturday's six nations match against france at twickenham. one of three changes to the side beaten by wales. good afternoon and welcome to the bbc news at one. prince william has insisted the royal family is not racist, in his first comments since the duke

and duchess of sussex told us television that a member of the family had questioned what colour their child's skin would be. william also revealed he hasn't spoken to his brother since harry and meghan gave the interview to oprah winfrey, but said he would do. the duke and duchess of cambridge were visiting a school in east london when they were asked by a reporter about the controversy. reporter: have you spoken - to your brother since the interview? no, i haven't spoken to him yet, but i will do. and can you just let me know is the royal family a racist family, sir? we're very much not a racist family. our royal correspondent, nicholas witchell, is here. it is the first time we have heard on camera from a member of the royal family practice. it on camera from a member of the royal family practice-— family practice. it is, now, normally _ family practice. it is, now, normally when _ family practice. it is, now, normally when one - family practice. it is, now, normally when one of - family practice. it is, now, normally when one of us l family practice. it is, now, - normally when one of us shout the question of one of the royal family they pretend not to hear and they move sharply on, that's what we saw the prince of wales do on tuesday when he was asked whether he had seen interview. prince william has a

different style, he is more accessible, and clearly, this is a message that they really do want to get out there. how would it have not if you'd ignored the question? it is one of the most damaging accusations that can be made against the family, that can be made against the family, that you are racist. it threatens to undermine years of, decades really, careful work on by someone such as the prince of wales, so william responded to that question and said we are very much not a racist family. they are stung and hurt by all of this, as would be any family. it's clearly not the moment to push back too hard, recollections may vary as the palace statement said, but they do want to push back gently, particularly of course against this very damaging accusation of racism.- against this very damaging accusation of racism. and, beyond that, given — accusation of racism. and, beyond that. given the — accusation of racism. and, beyond that, given the palace _ accusation of racism. and, beyond that, given the palace said - accusation of racism. and, beyond that, given the palace said this - that, given the palace said this would be dealt with privately, will be no any more about what goes on? i be no any more about what goes on? i suspect probably not, but it is

entirely logical, given the emphasis that the palace is placed on this being a family matter, that the next steps will be taken by the head of the family, and that of course is the family, and that of course is the cream, and she is emotionally slightly distance from this because she wasn't impugned, as it were, by harry and meghan, we learned of strains between father and son, brother and brother, so it seems entirely logical that the person who will first pick up the phone and start to broach all of this with harry should be his grandmother, the queen. . ~' ,. , . detectives investigating the disappearance of sarah everard in south london are continuing to question a serving metropolitan police officer on suspicion of kidnap and murder. it follows the discovery of human remains in woods near ashford in kent yesterday. the 33—year—old marketing executive went missing as she walked home from a friend's house last week. the home secretary, priti patel, said this morning she is deeply saddened by developments. jon donnison reports.

the discovery of human remains comes amidst prominent newspaper coverage of sarah's disappearance with many identifying the main suspect, a serving officer with the metropolitan police's diplomatic protection service. officers are continuing to search a house in deal in kent where the man was arrested on tuesday along with a woman in her 30s. she's suspected of assisting an offender. and a large police operation is ongoing in woodland near ashford, where the remains were found. and officers have also sealed off several garages in dover. in a tweet, the prime minister said... and the home secretary, priti patel, said she too was deeply saddened, adding every woman should feel safe to walk on our streets without fear of harassment or violence.

and the labour leader has also commented. this is awful news and it has shaken all of us. i'd like to say these incidents are rare. but the truth is that violence against women and girls is far too common. sarah disappeared after walking home from a friend's house in clapham in south london last wednesday evening. the met has described news that one of their own is the primary suspect as a shocking and deeply disturbing. with the investigation now shifted to kent, officers there are warning it could take time to formally identify the remains that have been found, but sarah's family and friends must now fear the worst. john donnison, bbc news. our correspondent simonjones is near ashford in kent. bring us the latest from there,

simon. ~ ~ , ., , simon. well, the prime minister has soken of simon. well, the prime minister has spoken of his _ simon. well, the prime minister has spoken of his shock— simon. well, the prime minister has spoken of his shock and _ simon. well, the prime minister has spoken of his shock and that - simon. well, the prime minister has spoken of his shock and that is - simon. well, the prime minister has spoken of his shock and that is very| spoken of his shock and that is very much the view of the metropolitan police, who say it's every families worst nightmare what has happened to sarah everard and so the has been continuing at pace. the police determined to find answers for the family. throughout the davis in a large number of police vehicles coming and going and from the site remains were found in woodland behind me. we have seen forensic officers, we've also seen sniffer dogs and diving units are also about to be taken onto the site, suggesting that this investigation is getting bigger in scale. now, in terms of the police, a short while ago we saw them bring down some flowers to the scene from members of the public expressing their sympathy. and the public do need reassurance because this case has raised questions aboutjust how safe people are walking home at night on the streets, particularly women. now, the police team to point out

that what here, a woman being taken from the streets, is incredibly rare. nevertheless, in south london they are going to increase patrols for reassurance and that may also be needed here in kent too, because there is also a site at the suspects's site in deal. i've been speaking to neighbours there who tell me they too are shocked and worried by today's developments so certainly a task for the metropolitan police to reassure people, certainly the investigation here continuing at pace.— here continuing at pace. simon jones, in here continuing at pace. simon jones. in kent. _ here continuing at pace. simon jones, in kent, thank- here continuing at pace. simon jones, in kent, thank you. - the disappearance of sarah everard has prompted calls for more action to be taken to tackle intimidation and violence against women. the labour mpjess phillips said society and the justice system had to wake up to the threat that women face every day. thousands of people have gone online to express their anger at feeling unsafe in public places, as helena wilkinson reports.

what happened to sarah everard is shocking. how can something so simple as walking home from a friend's house end like this? apparently snatched off the street, her family now dealing with the unthinkable. this type of crime is uncommon. it is thankfully incredibly rare for a woman to be abducted from our streets, but i completely understand that despite that, women in london and the wider public, perhaps particularly those in the area where sarah went missing, will be worried and may be feeling scared. cressida dick is right to be say that it's rare to be snatched in what may be a random attack off the streets, and it's the kind of thing we were raised as women to be frightened of, and it is quite rare. it is not rare for women to suffer violence in their homes,

at work, on the streets. that is not rare. sarah everard's case has started a national conversation about women's safety. many have been sharing their experiences of feeling unsafe in public and what they do to protect themselves. women are constantly making decisions about where they go and changing their routes and avoiding certain places, doing things like carrying their keys in their hand, picking particular seats to sit on public transport. we are really aware of our surroundings and tuned into that risk. it's been called the invisible safety work of women. but many believe that a change of attitude has to come from men, a task that may prove difficult. i tried to organise a million man march in 2016 and 52 men signed up. i try, every time i do keynote speeches on the issue of male violence, someone will walk out of the room because he just can't take me challenging them.

more generally women have also spoken of their fears of sexual harassment. the extent of how often it happens has been revealed in a survey from un women uk. 97% of women between 18 and 2a said they'd been sexually harassed, while 80% of women of all ages said they'd experienced sexual harassment in public spaces. later today, the labour mpjess phillips will read the names of all the women killed by men in the last year during a debate to mark international women's day. what happened to sarah everard has laid bare the everyday fears many women have of something happening to them. helena wilkinson, bbc news. the number of people waiting to start hospital treatment in england has risen to a new high. more than four and a half million people were waiting at the end of january, the largest figure

since records began in 2007. cancer treatment and routine operations are among the services particularly affected. more details from our health correspondent sophie hutchinson. a year since the who declared a pandemic, few could have guessed the magnitude of the strain the would place on the on the nhs. the latest figures laid bare the vast number of non—covid—i9 patients who have missed out on treatment. nhs england says an unprecedented 4.6 million patients are now waiting for treatment. more than 300,000 have waited over a year. compared to just 1600 before the pandemic. and the number of operations has more than halved. another concern is the 8% reduction in the number of patients starting cancer treatment compared with january 2020. the

starting cancer treatment compared with january 2020.— with january 2020. the nurses have no time to do _ with january 2020. the nurses have no time to do this. _ with january 2020. the nurses have no time to do this. patients - with january 2020. the nurses have no time to do this. patients like - no time to do this. patients like gene robinson, _ no time to do this. patients like gene robinson, who _ no time to do this. patients like gene robinson, who had - no time to do this. patients like | gene robinson, who had started chemotherapy and then had it stopped, because of the virus. i was reall , stopped, because of the virus. i was really. really — stopped, because of the virus. i was really, really shocked _ stopped, because of the virus. i was really, really shocked and _ stopped, because of the virus. i —" really, really shocked and upset, obviously started crying and i said it was my lifeline, so what you're saying to me a fiver chemotherapy, you know, die of cancer or die of a pandemic? i don't really have much of a choice, you are my lifeline. the figures for the backlog include a second wave injanuary, which brought some parts of the nhs perilously close to breaking point. despite that, nhs england says it managed to treat almost double the number of non—macro—covid patients as it had in the first wave but no one is in any doubt about the challenge ahead. i one is in any doubt about the challenge ahead.— one is in any doubt about the challenge ahead. one is in any doubt about the challenae ahead. ~ . ., challenge ahead. i think what we are seeinu , challenge ahead. i think what we are seeing. though. _ challenge ahead. i think what we are seeing, though, is _ challenge ahead. i think what we are seeing, though, is evidence - challenge ahead. i think what we are seeing, though, is evidence of - challenge ahead. i think what we are seeing, though, is evidence of the l seeing, though, is evidence of the nhs responding to that challenge in terms _ nhs responding to that challenge in terms of— nhs responding to that challenge in terms of carrying out more operations, more consultations, diagnostic— operations, more consultations, diagnostic tests than it was possible during the first wave of

the pandemic. it's clear the possible during the first wave of the pandemic. it's clearthe nhs possible during the first wave of the pandemic. it's clear the nhs is raising _ the pandemic. it's clear the nhs is raising its— the pandemic. it's clear the nhs is raising its game but no one underestimates the scale of the challenges. underestimates the scale of the challenges-— underestimates the scale of the challenues. �* ,, ., challenges. and while the nhs works on reducin: challenges. and while the nhs works on reducing the _ challenges. and while the nhs works on reducing the backlog, _ challenges. and while the nhs works on reducing the backlog, another- challenges. and while the nhs works on reducing the backlog, another big| on reducing the backlog, another big challenge is the vaccination programme. today there were calls for the 12 week wait for a second dose of the vaccine to be reviewed for cancer patients after an early small—scale study suggested the long gap could leave patients vulnerable. this data needs to be reviewed by experts and policymakers in terms of whether we need to think about bringing that second dose forward for those patients.— for those patients. those are comlex for those patients. those are complex decisions. - for those patients. those are complex decisions. the - for those patients. those are - complex decisions. the scientists say for cancer patients social distancing and other infection prevention measures remain key until more research is carried out. so if bbc news. our health editor, hugh pym, is here. that is a considerable backlog, so how do they deal with it? it’s that is a considerable backlog, so how do they deal with it? it's going to be very difficult _ how do they deal with it? it's going to be very difficult because - how do they deal with it? it's going to be very difficult because you've. to be very difficult because you've got the normal demand for routine

operations, procedures and appointments each month coming back on stream but you've got all the backlog as well. i think this is the really big challenge facing the nhs in all parts of the uk. covid is easing off a bit, but there's all this other work which needs to be done and if you have been waiting more than a year for a hip replacement, a knee replacement, cataract operation, you are in quite a lot of pain and inconvenience with regard to work and leisure and all that sort of thing, so this is a big issue for policymakers around the uk. and we should say these stats were from england. in scotland there are more than 15,000, there were in the summer, who had waited more than a yearfor this routine the summer, who had waited more than a year for this routine treatment, a big increase, big increases in northern ireland as well. wales has a slightly different statistics. so all four governments have to come up with solutions here and i think the pressure from the nhs and from

patients will continue to work to have a plan worked out for dealing with all this. yes, the nhs has made clear in england more than a million non—macro—covid patients were treated in january as we non—macro—covid patients were treated injanuary as we heard from sophie there, that's a lot more than during the first peak of the covid pandemic but it remains a really big health problem going forward but of course covid are still around, as well. �* . ~ course covid are still around, as well. �* ., ,, ., ., thejohn lewis partnership has warned that not all its stores will reopen after lockdown, as it posted its first ever annual loss. the chain, which includes waitrose supermarkets, says the coronovirus pandemic resulted in a loss of £517 million for the year to january. here's our business correspondent emma simpson. john lewis, a cornerstone of so many high streets in town centres, in hibernation for now, put how many of these stores will reopen, and where? eight closed last year. could

another eight follow? no numbers or locations today. the chairman told me a final decision will be made by the end of the month. indie me a final decision will be made by the end of the month.— the end of the month. we are reshaping _ the end of the month. we are reshaping the _ the end of the month. we are reshaping the story _ the end of the month. we are reshaping the story estate --| the end of the month. we are . reshaping the story estate -- the reshaping the story estate —— the store estate to be fit for the future and any store closures are always difficult. if you look at the last year we've had a decade of changes in shopping habits in one year and it's also the case there are some areas of the country which, you know, sad as it is, we can't any longer profitably sustain the size of store we've got today. making money from _ of store we've got today. making money from these _ of store we've got today. making money from these big _ of store we've got today. making | money from these big department stores was a challenge long before the pandemic, but despite all the lockdowns and restrictions what's striking is thatjohn lewis has managed to transfer all its lost sales from its stores to its website. that will have focused minds on how much space it really

needs, and where. expect to see more of this. john lewis concessions in waitrose supermarkets, a trial for now, and it's planning a smaller format forjohn lewis on the high street. 50 format forjohn lewis on the high street. �* ., ., , ., ., , street. so we've got lots of ideas about what _ street. so we've got lots of ideas about what we'll _ street. so we've got lots of ideas about what we'll call _ street. so we've got lots of ideas i about what we'll call neighbourhood stores. that might be a minijohn lewis on your local high street. we will continue to be confident about the future but the high street is changing. the way we are shopping is changing. the way we are shopping is changing and we are changing with it. . �* , . ., ., changing and we are changing with it. that's coming at a cost. the business _ it. that's coming at a cost. the business plunging _ it. that's coming at a cost. the business plunging into - it. that's coming at a cost. the business plunging into the - it. that's coming at a cost. the business plunging into the red | business plunging into the red today, thanks to some huge one off charges, and staff won't be doing this. forthe charges, and staff won't be doing this. for the first time in decades, no bonus, so, as the business —— is the business on the right back? there is an appetite for more shopping actually and that bricks and mortar touchy—feely getting good advice, speaking to people, so they've got to be very careful they don't switch away, when you see that

some of the pure online players such as amazon for example aren't looking to open their bricks and mortar sites. ., , ., ., ., . sites. tough times for traditional hi . h sites. tough times for traditional high street _ sites. tough times for traditional high street retailers _ sites. tough times for traditional high street retailers though - sites. tough times for traditional high street retailers though with| high street retailers though with some disappearing altogether. our town centres could look very different when this pandemic finally ends. our top story this lunchtime. prince william has insisted the royal family is not racist, in his first comments since the duke and duchess of sussex told us television that a member of the family had questioned what colour their child's skin would be. and coming up — life beyond the pitch. the fa launches guidance to make it easierfor top players in the women's game to combine football with study. coming up on bbc news — marcus rashford is among the key names missing for manchester united as they prepare to face ac milan in the europa league. rangers, arsenal and tottenham all play this evening too.

japan is marking the tenth anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami that devastated its north—east coast and caused a nuclear meltdown at the fukushima power station. more than 18,000 people were killed. at a memorial ceremony in tokyo, emperor naruhito expressed his condolences for those who had died, and praised people who had overcome hardship by helping one another. the japanese government has spent more than £200 billion on reconstruction. but a decade on, many communities in the region are still struggling. rupert wingfield—hayes reports. a major earthquake hitjapan on friday afternoon... march 11th 2011. on the north—east coast of japan a huge earthquake has triggered a giant tsunami. live pictures are broadcast around the world as the wave sweeps through the little fishing port of yuriage, destroying everything in its path.

by the end of the day, one in ten of yuriage's residents are missing. among them are this man's whole family, including his wife and 14—year—old daughter. ten years on, he takes me to the place his house once stood. clutched in his arms, his most precious possession, his daughter's school uniform — all that he has to remember her by. translation: in the beginning i was drinking heavily. - i really don't remember much of the first three years after the quake. after four years i started to tell my story. i had a fight with my wife that morning before the quake struck. so now i tell people, what would you do if tomorrow never comes? i tell them to live every single day as if you don't have tomorrow. down the coast, the tsunami triggered a second disaster at the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant.

explosions ripped through the reactor buildings, releasing a huge radioactive cloud. today, the two towns closest to the fukushima plant remain deserted, frozen in time. the plant itself is now circled by vast waste dumps. underneath these green sheets are millions of tonnes of contaminated topsoil. unlike with chernobyl, the japanese government has set out to decontaminate the land here around the fukushima plant. vast areas of topsoil have been removed, creating millions and millions of tonnes of waste. and here behind me you can see new towns being built for the nuclear evacuees. in large part it has been a success. the radiation levels here are very low. it is safe for people to return to live here. unfortunately, that is no guarantee that they will. this man is struggling to open the door to his deserted and badly damaged workshop.

after ten years, the roof is falling in. this is where his family made pottery for 300 years. but he now has no desire to see this place decontaminated. translation: this place may look like a mess, - but i want it to be left alone. this is my home. i have so many memories here. i don't want others to come in and trample on everything. on the spot where his house once stood, this man has planted three pine trees to commemorate those he lost. nearby, a huge new sea wall has been built to protect yuriage from future tsunamis. but he too has no desire to return to live here,

next to the ocean that took his family from him ten years ago. rupert wingfield—hayes, bbc news, in yuriage, northern japan. sir keir starmer has launched labour's campaign for england's local and mayoral elections in may. in a speech this morning, he emphasised his support for nhs workers — and called for people on the nhs front line to receive a pay rise above the rate of inflation. a vote for labour is a vote to support our nurses, our doctors, our nhs staff. and to reward our key workers. my mum was a nurse. my sister was a nurse. my wife works for the nhs. i know what it means to work in the nhs. when i clapped for our carers i meant it. the prime minister clapped for our carers, then he slammed the door on them.

sir keir starmer. the foreign secretary, dominic raab, has criticised china for approving new laws, paving the way for hong kong's electoral system to be overhauled. the move will reduce democratic representation and allow a pro—beijing panel to vet candidates. mr raab said it was the latest step by the mainland to "hollow out the space for democratic debate" in hong kong. myanmar�*s military rulers have accused the ousted civilian leader, aung san suu kyi, of accepting illegal payments worth the equivalent of £430,000 as well as gold. since last month's coup, ms suu kyi has been held in an undisclosed location, and there have been widespread protests calling for a return to democracy. there's been a fall in the amount of sugar consumed through fizzy drinks in the uk, after the government imposed a sugar tax. the drop in the last year is thought to be about 10%, but as our health correspondent anna collinson reports,

that's not because we're drinking fewer soft drinks. obesity is seen as one of the biggest health crises facing the uk. to try and tackle the problem, three years ago, the government brought in a tax to discourage customers, particularly children, from buying the most sugary drinks. if a beverage contains more than five grams of sugar per 100 millilitres, companies have to pay a levy. if it's below that, they don't. now, a study suggests that in the year since this was introduced, there was no change in the total volume of soft drinks bought, but there was a reduction in the amount of sugar consumed — an estimated three teaspoons per person, perweek. i don't want to think about the amount of calories i was probably consuming before i could make a switch to a fizzy drink that tasted similar but be sugar—free. the fact the option is there, it's the availability, actually, like,

sugar—free options were probably still an option before the sugar tax, it'sjust still an option before the sugar tax, it's just that they weren't readily available everywhere. researchers believe it's because manufacturers have increased healthier options by changing the formulas for their products, reducing sugar content. it's notjust helping people to have healthier diets to consume less sugar, but the fact that we found no change in the total volume of drinks purchased suggests to us that this is good news for industry as well, that they're selling the same volume of product, but that it's perhaps better for us. experts say cutting out even the smallest amount of sugar will have an impact on the number of people who have obesity and type two diabetes, two groups who are particularly at risk of coronavirus. anna collinson, bbc news. the fa wants more young players to think about life after football. it's launched guidance today to try to make it easier for the top players in the women's game to combine football and education. it's hoped it could stem the flow of young english talent moving to america to play — and study —

through the us college system. katie gornall reports. as a player, beth england has a laser focus. it's england from long range! but the chelsea and england striker has goals off the pitch too. she's studying for a law degree. why choose law? law is just something i've always been interested in. growing up, i used to watch csi, criminal minds, law & order with my mum. i never thought this would be a full—time job, so i always knew that education would have to come into it. afterfootball, you need to make sure that you've got something set up ready for that transition. the fa want to make it easier for the top female players to combine football and education. the new plan is for every women's super league and championship club to be linked with a university or college. we know that whilst the women's game is growing enormously and you can earn a decent living, you're certainly not earning the kind of money

that men are earning, and when you get to the end of your career, we want you to have an alternative and we want you to have the best possible chance to do well in life, not just well in football. until now, the usa has always been a big draw when it comes to mixing sport and study. lucy bronze, demi stokes and rachel daly are just some of the current england squad that came through the us college system on soccer scholarships. many players will still go for the experience, but can the english system now make them think twice? england goalkeeper karen bardsley was born in the us and went to college there, but while playing for manchester city, she also studied for a masters in sports directorship. well, i think what's really interesting is, like, - the rate of accelerated growth and improvement of the wsl.| i you know, i think if you would havel asked some of these girls maybe four or five years ago whether they felt lthey would miss out on anything i if they went to the states, they'd probably say no. i however, if you ask people now, j they'd definitely say yes, i think. for many, just being paid to play

is a dream come true. england's shot — brilliant! now it's about being ready for whatever the future holds. katie gornall, bbc news. time for a look at the weather. here's sarah keith—lucas. well, the weather has been causing a bit of disruption out there due to the strength of the winds, quite a few sleepless nights, the wind was really rattling some windows last night and today, we've had some disruption to travel, some big waves around the coast too. this picture was taken in hastings earlier today. through the rest of today, the winds won't be quite as strong, they are easing a bit but blustery conditions out there and a mix of some sunshine but also some heavy showers and some thunderstorms in the forecast too. this area of cloud here was a weather front that swept its way eastwards, but it's followed by this speckled cloud, so this is the

shower cloud moving its way from