tonight at ten, the family of sarah everard pay tribute, saying she brought "joy to their lives". the 33—year—old, who went missing more than a week ago, was described as someone who always put others first. police are continuing to search woodland in kent, where human remains have been found. a serving police officer remains in custody. he's been arrested on suspicion of murder. also tonight... prince william breaks his silence after the interview with the duke and duchess of sussex. reporter: have you spoken - to your brother since the interview? no, i haven't spoken to him yet, but i will do. can you just let me know, is the royal family a racist family, sir? we're very much not a racist family. millions are waiting for hospital treatment in england. doctors say the situation is "dire".

china's communist party rules only pro—beijing candidates will be able to stand for hong kong's parliament. and £50 million at auction for a digital artwork that doesn't physically exist. and coming up in sport on bbc news, amad diallo scores his first manchester united goal, but a late equaliser for ac milan leaves the round of 16 europa league tie evenly poised. good evening. the family of sarah everard has tonight paid tribute to her, saying she brought "so muchjoy" to their lives, and that she was a "strong and principled" person who was a shining example to all. the 33—year—old was last seen over a week ago, walking home from a friend's house in clapham in south london. today, police continued searching woodland in ashford in kent,

where human remains have been found. a serving officer in the metropolitan police, arrested on suspicion of ms everard's murder, remains in custody. earlier today he was taken to hospital, after suffering from head injuries. our special correspondent lucy manning is at scotland yard for us tonight. welcome of the metropolitan police is facing serious questions and facing a number of investigations by the police watchdog over this missing person investigation, because it was revealed tonight that the suspect, the serving police officer, had been accused of an indecent exposure at a fast—food restaurant in south london just three days before sarah everard disappeared. two other metropolitan police officers are now being investigated about their response to that accusation and the met police also facing a watchdog investigation after the suspect sustained a

serious head injury in custody, and that will have to be investigated. it was taken to hospital, how that happened. all this on the day that the family of sarah everard tried to explain just how the family of sarah everard tried to explainjust how much the family of sarah everard tried to explain just how much they had lost. how do you encapsulate 33 years? sarah everard's family tried. bright and beautiful, a wonderful daughter and sister taken from us, they said. in a statement, they added... they pleaded for the public to help with more information about what happened to sarah after she disappeared last week, walking to her house in south london. in kent, police officers brought flowers to the gates,

as another policeman sits in custody still being questioned about kidnap and murder. the flowers from the public, an attempt to give some comfort to sarah's family. how could the simple act of a woman walking home bring a massive police investigation to the remote countryside of kent, where human remains were discovered yesterday? this quiet rural road in ashford now the scene of intense police activity. forensic teams spread out across a wider area. divers and their equipment were brought in in this truck to help the search, and portable offices brought in, suggesting a lengthy investigation. the suspect lived 30 miles away from where police are searching. a police diplomatic protection officer in his 405, an arrest that has sent shock waves through the force. we now knowjust three days before sarah disappeared police received a report alleging he had exposed

himself in a restaurant. 0fficers today also searched an old garage in dover, where he used to work, and that his family used to own. the police are determined to do everything they can to find out what happened to sarah everard from the moment she went missing, notjust for her family's sake, but for all the women who feel unsafe walking alone at night. it is a disappearance that has touched many. the prime minister said he was shocked and deeply saddened and that all the answers must be found. the question for many was why they still feel so unsafe. a private ambulance came onto the search site. removing their caps, the officers gave their utmost respect. for sarah's parents, sister, brother and partner, it is, as the head of the metropolitan police said, every family's worst nightmare.

as many people over the last week have hoped for sarah everard's return, they got to learn a little bit about her, that she was from york, a durham university graduate, a marketing executive, but it's clear that to her family she was so much more. we are very proud of her, they said. she brought so muchjoy to our lives. lucy manning, thank you, at scotland yard. the disappearance of sarah everard highlights the issue of women's safety, and has prompted many to share their anxieties about being out alone. 0ur correspondentjudith moritz has been talking to some women about their experiences. alison and adele are two of a group of women who run together in south manchester. last week, their friend was sexually assaulted here. it shocked them, but they say the police have been supportive, and it hasn't put them off running.

women shouldn't change their behaviour. men need to change their behaviour. people like that need to change their behaviour, but women absolutely need to be out there. we shouldn't have to think about where we're going, who we're going with. we should be allowed to run by ourselves, on the canal, anywhere we choose, any time of the day or night. i'm not going to be put off and i'm not going to be intimidated by this person. hopefully he will be caught very soon and get the justice that he deserves. a big discussion has opened up about the precautions some women feel they have to take when they go out on their own. being constantly aware that somebody could hurt you when you are on your own. i've had men groping me on crowded tubes. sometimes you are so vulnerable that you don't know what to do. _ barrister harrietjohnson had a huge response after posting on social media that every woman has walked home scared. the tweet came about because i was walking home myself from work. it was only about 6.30 at night, but it was already dark

and because of everything that had been in the news, i became very aware of my own surroundings and it really struck me for the first time how common it is for me to be aware of my own surroundings when i'm out by myself. the latest homicide figures show that 695 people were killed in england and wales in the year to last march. almost three quarters of victims were male, whilstjust over a quarter were female. the statistics also show that whilst it's likely for men to have been killed by an acquaintance or somebody they don't know, it's rare for women to be killed by a stranger and more common for a partner, ex—partner orfamily member to have been responsible. but some criminologists argue that the homicide figures are only part of the bigger picture. murder statistics do not include missing people or people who have died in suspicious circumstances that are not categorised as murder. but also, the rape statistics are absolutely horrendous.

the stalking statistics are absolutely horrendous too. so women's fears are very real. aya hachem. melissa belshaw. in the house of commons this afternoon, mps listened in silence as labour'sjess phillips listed all the names of women killed in the uk over the last year where a man has been convicted or charged. gwendoline bound. ruth williams. victoria woodhall. kelly fitzgibbons, killed alongside her two daughters. the home secretary said that every woman should feel safe to walk our streets without fear of harassment or violence. alison and adele say they'll be out running again tomorrow. judith moritz, bbc news, manchester. prince william has made his first public comments since the interview with the duke and duchess of sussex was broadcast four days ago. he says the royals are "very much not a racist family".

the duke of cambridge also revealed he hasn't spoken to his brother this week, but said he will be doing so. in the interview, meghan and prince harry said a member of the royal family had expressed concern over "how dark" their son archie's skin might be. here's our royal correspondent, nicholas witchell. it is an allegation which strikes at the very core of an institution the purpose of which is to unify. bringing out a part of people... the suggestion by the sussexes in the oprah winfrey interview of a racist attitude within the royal family has stung, deeply. concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he's born. and so, on a visit by the cambridges to a school in east london, prince william took the opportunity, gently, to push back. sir, have you spoken to your brother since the interview? 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. like the queen's statement

on tuesday, william's comments were short and to the point. "we are not a racist family" — that is the message the family wants, and needs, to be heard. and the evidence across decades of work by the queen in the context of the commonwealth and by, in particular, the prince of wales here in britain supports the proposition that equality and diversity are important to the royal family. even those with reservations about their recent performance accept that good work has been done. in terms of the prince of wales's previous work, that can't be denied. we absolutely, you know, we acknowledge that he's done some excellent work with communities. but how damaging for the family is the loss of the duchess of sussex? i think it's a hugely, hugely missed opportunity. i know from my own personal perspective as a mixed—race woman, when meghan markle joined the royal family, i was so happy, so pleased. there was an opportunity for diverse communities to see themselves reflected in the royal family.

the queen believes this is a matter for the family to sort out. logically, she will take the lead to try to heal the family rifts. but there is another big challenge for them — to underline to the watching world that, as william said today, "this is not a racist family". the fact that william has yet to speak to his brother about the interview is perhaps a measure of the hurt that is felt with the family here. restoring family equilibrium is one priority, repairing the reputational damage is another. nicholas witchell, bbc news, at buckingham palace. more than 4.5 million people were waiting to begin hospital treatment in england at the end january, that's the highest number since records began in 2007. the royal college of surgeons has called the situation "dire", and says it will take a long time to turn things around. here's our health editor, hugh pym. hospital wards devoted to covid.

the surge in numbers over the last two months led to widespread cancellations of less urgent types of care, and there's still a backlog from last year's first covid peak. today's figures highlight again the scale of the problem. charmaine has severe arthritis, and last year was hoping to have a knee replacement. she was told in november she'd have to wait another 12 months. she's currently out of work and the task of finding a newjob keeps getting harder. devastated. i hate not being able to work. how do i say to a new employer, "thanks for thejob, but maybe in a couple of months, i might need three months off for a knee replacement." patient waits for non—urgent care have increased around the uk. in england, more than 304,000 had waited over a year in january for hospital treatment, including outpatients. as of december, in scotland over 39,000 patients were waiting more than a year. in wales, which measures waits of over 36 weeks,

it was over 226,000. in northern ireland, there were over 56,000 waiting more than a year, though this wasjust for hospital surgery. the total waiting list in england is nearly 4.6 million, but health leaders believe there are millions more who will need treatment. we know that there are other people who have not yet been referred, so they've not yet entered the waiting list. but that could be for all sorts of different reasons relating to the pandemic, and they may well surface over the coming months into the waiting list, thus growing it even further. some cancer checks have been affected. kate's routine mammogram was postponed because of the pandemic, but nearly two months later, she found a lump in her breast and then got referred for treatment. she thinks she was lucky. if time had passed and i hadn't had a mammogram for, say, six months, i might have been in a worse situation. it could have spread further. there are people i've talked to who that's happened to.

they've been diagnosed late last year, six months after the start of the pandemic, and they've already got spread round the body. so i was very fortunate. i found the lump and reported it to my gp. kate is a supporter of the charity breast cancer now, which estimates almost 11,000 are living with undiagnosed breast cancer due to covid—i9 disruption. nhs england said there were more than double the number of cancer referrals in january than in the first wave last april, and more routine operations carried out. but the latest figures show there's a lot of ground to make up, as well as coping with the continuing covid challenge. hugh pym, bbc news. the latest coronavirus figures show 6,753 new infections were recorded in the latest 24—hour period, which means that on average, the number of new cases reported per day in the last week is 5,760. across the uk, the number

of patients in hospital with coronavirus is 8,977. there were 181 deaths reported, that's of people who died within 28 days of a positive covid—19 test. on average, 163 people have died every day in the last week from coronavirus, taking the total across the uk to 125,168. almost 244,000 people have had their first dose of a covid vaccine in the latest 24—hour period, which meansjust over 23 million people have had theirfirstjab. 1.35 million have had both doses of the vaccine. norway, denmark and iceland have all temporarily suspended the use of the 0xford—astrazeneca coronavirus vaccine. it comes after reports of blood clots among some who've had the jab. 0ur medical editor, fergus walsh, is here. should we be alarmed about this? the suspensions are purely precautionary

and regulators say there is no evidence the 0xford—astrazeneca vaccine triggers blood clots. there have been 30 blood clot incidents among 5 million eu citizens who have received the jab, that is no higher rate than you would expect in the general population. in any mass immunisation campaign, you will have people who suddenly fall ill around the time they receive a jab and they need to be investigated. there have been two blood clot deaths, a woman in denmark and another in austria, both received doses from a single batch of astrazeneca vaccine that went to eu countries, none of the doses came here. some eu countries including italy have suspended use of individual batches of vaccine even though the medical regulator said that is not necessary and stressed the benefits of the vaccine far outweigh any potential risk. and the vaccination programme here is unaffected. . ~' , .,

the vaccination programme here is unaffected-— the vaccination programme here is unaffected. ., ~ , . ., , unaffected. thank you. fergus walsh, our medical editor. _ the chinese communist party has approved a resolution to overhaul hong kong's electoral system, the latest move tightening its control of the city. it was passed at the national people's congress, and will allow a pro—beijing panel to vet and elect candidates for hong kong's parliament. the british government says the change will "hollow out the space for democratic debate" in the city. 0ur china correspondent, john sudworth, reports. the electronic buttons were pressed and the unanimity said it all. just one abstention, as china's compliant parliament voted to remake hong kong's political system in its own image. the decision is clear. the country's premier, li keqiang, told the assembled media afterwards, "we should always have patriots ruling hong kong." after british rule ended in 1997,

china promised hong kong's freedoms would be preserved by a one country, two systems formula. some believe that's now been broken. if they are going to impose a system on hong kong whereby my party — or other pro—democracy people — will not be free to take part in elections, and to be elected, and to carry out their duties with dignity, independently and freely, then, i mean, that one country, two systems is over. but the harder hong kong's pro—democracy movement has fought, the more china has tightened its grip. under a new national security law, dozens of politicians and activists were rounded up in dawn raids in january and now face sentences of up to life in prison. the latest measures attempt to tame hong kong's sometimes unruly parliament.

already stacked heavily in favour of beijing, in future, a committee will be able to disqualify any cabinet deemed not patriotic enough. there's been plenty of moments in recent years when observers have proclaimed the death of hong kong, but few can doubt the symbolism of what's just happened here in beijing, with delegates dutifully rubber—stamping a decision to insist that hong kong's politicians show the same loyalty — and not just to flag or country, but some senior officials have suggested to the communist party too. in the end, it's the massive popular backing for democratic reform that's probably spooked beijing more than any violence. even hong kongers supportive of china appear to admit the ideal of democracy has now been dropped. the democratic system has no intrinsic value unless it can deliver good outcomes, and we have had 23 years

of experiments with democracy. the outcomes are far from satisfactory. we are underperforming. with the voting over, china's parliament drew to a close. short on dissent, long on applause, it offers a vision of hong kong's politicalfuture. john sudworth, bbc news, beijing. let's take a look at some of the day's other top stories. the government's announced an inquiry into an application for a controversial new coal mine in cumbria. ministers had faced a backlash from environmental campaigners because of their reluctance to intervene. the uk is due to hold a major climate conference in november. sir keir starmer has launched labour's campaign for england's local and mayoral elections in may. in a speech, the labour leader emphasised his support for nhs workers, and called for those on the frontline to receive a payrise 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. when i clapped for our carers, i meant it. the prime minister clapped for our carers, then he slammed the door on them. the british—iranian woman nazanin zaghari—ratcliffe is in urgent need of psychiatric treatment, after her prison ordeal in iran — that's according to a medical report shared with the bbc and sent to the foreign office. commissioned by the legal charity redress, it finds she's suffering from serious and chronic post—traumatic stress disorder. ms zaghari—ratcliffe was jailed for five years, on spying charges. she was released from house arrest earlier this week, but is due back in court on sunday. caroline hawley reports. show your nice hair. love your hair! what a beautiful... my favourite part is when you brush your hair.

a facetime call with tehran, a precious morning ritual. nazanin longs to be able to brush gabriella's hair herself. the last five years have been a psychological torment, but with her daughter especially, she puts on a brave face. there she is! there she is. last weekend, her ankle tag was removed, at the end of her sentence. but relief is now turning to nerves, as sunday's court hearing approaches. her biggest terror is returning to solitary confinement. it's a really horrific experience, and it's cumulative and it builds up. and, of course, most of it has been hidden away. she didn't talk about it when she came out. i don't talk to the media about some other stuff. she didn't talk about it with her mum and dad. we all have that instinct to protect our families from the things we've been through. the report contains distressing new details of interrogations that lasted eight or nine hours, of threats, of pressure

to cooperate, and claims she'd been abandoned by her husband and would lose access to her daughter. it says she's suffering from serious and chronic post—traumatic stress disorder, major depression and obsessive—compulsive disorder. the continuous uncertainty about her fate contributed to this, and that without reunification with herfamily in the uk and effective treatment, her symptoms and disorders won't resolve, and will become chronic and potentially worsen. in order to recover, it says, she needs to be in a safe environment. the examination was carried out online, over several hours, while nazanin was under house arrest. psychological torture is even more difficult to heal and more long—lasting than physical torture, and it leaves invisible scars. worrying about richard and gabriella is a source of great guilt for nazanin. she knows how much richard is carrying on his shoulders, as he campaigns ceaselessly to get her home. nazanin used to love

coming to this exact spot when gabriella was a baby but, at six, she's not so interested in feeding ducks any more. she's growing up fast, and her mother is missing it. all the time, time is passing. and all the time, her baby's getting bigger and she's not there. she's not there to protect her, she's not there to enjoy the good bits, not there for any of it. and even when she is back with them, this report makes clear that for the whole family, it's likely to be a long path to recovery. caroline hawley, bbc news. president biden has signed a $1.9 trillion covid relief bill for the united states. it will provide direct payments to most americans, and allocates billions of dollars to covid research, testing and vaccine distribution. jon sopel is at the white house for us. given the state of the us economy, it is a huge moment. it is

given the state of the us economy, it is a huge moment.— it is a huge moment. it is a huge moment and _ it is a huge moment. it is a huge moment and legislative - it is a huge moment. it is a huge moment and legislative victory l it is a huge moment. it is a huge i moment and legislative victory and elite victory forjoe biden. the signing process that took place a few months ago was low—key, in keeping with joe few months ago was low—key, in keeping withjoe biden�*s style, but the help it will give americans is huge and therefore, in polling terms, it is getting massive support. 70% of americans back the measure and that is whatjoe biden wants to see. all the republicans voted against it. joe biden won't mind about that because he is much more concerned about what people in the country pink. joe biden has faced criticism that he has not yet held a news conference and that he has not had a joint address to congress, he has not met any foreign leaders in the congress and he has not travelled abroad, butjoe biden is being rewarded by very significant approval ratings and thatis significant approval ratings and that is just what he wants to see. —— foreign leaders in the white house. jon sopel in the white house, our north america editor.

a major study is under way to determine what the long—term health effects of covid—19 might be. the genetic details of half a million people were already stored in the biobank uk database before the pandemic struck, and now researchers are carrying out detailed scans of thousands of covid patients, to see how their organs might have been affected by the virus. rebecca morelle has the story. searching for the after—effects of covid. these scans are part of the world's biggest imaging study, shedding light on the long—term impact of infection. this is brian shepherd, who is taking part in the research. the 71 year old lives in gateshead with his wife, jean. in november, he was taken to hospital with covid. when i got in the ambulance, my wife was standing on the pavement and you think, "when will i see her again?" after five days of treatment, he was allowed home. but months later, he is still feeling the effects, and hopes the scans could explain why. we're all very proud

to have taken part in it and feel that our little bit can help somewhere along the line for the rest of the world. the scans are being carried out by biobank uk. it's a huge study that holds medical images, genetic data and health information on half a million people. now it's imaging 1,500 of these participants who've had coronavirus. they range from asymptomatic cases to those with long—covid, who still feel ill months after infection. having these standardised scans both before and after infection, researchers will be able to investigate the direct effects of coronavirus infection on changes in both the structure and function of organs, which is obviously what we all want to know. these scans can provide vital clues about the impact of covid on different organs. the virus infects the respiratory system and damages cells in the lungs, so scientists will be searching for any scarring. they'll examine the heart for inflammation or muscle damage and see if this is worse

after a severe infection. the virus also affects the brain, and this study could pinpoint where in the nervous system these changes are happening. the brain scans can tell us whether there's evidence for inflammation in the brain that may be persisting, and whether there has been damage enough to actually kill nerve cells in the brain that may cause some shrinkage. these scans will be repeated over the coming years and made available to researchers all around the world. our understanding of the pandemic�*s health legacy is just beginning. rebecca morelle, bbc news. a digital artwork by a relatively unknown american artist known as beeple has sold at christie's for nearly $70 million — that's £50 million — and become the first ever sale by a major auction house of a work that doesn't physically exist. entitled everydays — the first 5000 days, its starting price wasjust $100,

but a record 22 million people watched online as it reached its astonishing price, making beeple one of the top—three most valuable living artists. will gompertz has more. so, here it is, the $69 million artwork, which doesn't actually exist in the real world. it lives virtually, online. authenticated as unique by a digital certificate known as a nft. the ownership of which caused a bidding frenzy to acquire this collage by mike winkelmann, otherwise known as beeple, who is now a very rich man. i think it will do a lot of good and i think it will do a lot of good and i will do a lot of good for the world with this too.- i will do a lot of good for the world with this too. how would you describe the _ world with this too. how would you describe the aesthetic _ world with this too. how would you describe the aesthetic and - world with this too. how would you describe the aesthetic and the - world with this too. how would you describe the aesthetic and the like | describe the aesthetic and the like and the style?— and the style? now it is like weird sci-fi, and the style? now it is like weird sci-fi. some _ and the style? now it is like weird sci-fi, some of _ and the style? now it is like weird sci-fi, some of them _ and the style? now it is like weird sci-fi, some of them are - and the style? now it is like weird sci-fi, some of them are kind - and the style? now it is like weird sci-fi, some of them are kind of l and the style? now it is like weird sci-fi, some of them are kind of a j sci—fi, some of them are kind of a bit nasty if i am being honest. haw bit nasty ifi am being honest. how eas is it bit nasty ifi am being honest. how easy is it to —

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