this is bbc news. the headlines at five. more than 30 million people in the uk have now received their first covid vaccine dose, according to the latest government figures. ahead of england's restrictions easing, the nhs warns not to "squander" the progress made against covid — as the culture secretary says plans to lift lockdown are on target. at the moment we are on track so thanks to the work of the british people and they are excellent vaccine roll we are confident in going ahead with easing from tomorrow and the next stages. the prime minister is urged to "swiftly clarify" how many covid vaccine doses the uk is prepared to donate to poorer countries. the un demands international action to stop a shocking wave of brutality against civilians in myanmar.

the latest attempts to dislodge the ship that's stuck in the suez canal have failed — officials say efforts will continue around the clock. and coming up, stroud in gloucestershire is named as the most desirable location to live in the uk. ~ ., , welcome to bbc news. a new milestone has been reached in the uk's battle against coronavirus. more than 30 million people have now received the first dose of a vaccine. the health secretary matt hancock has said reaching the 30 million threshold was "a phenomenal achievement". it comes as the government says it's on track to ease the lockdown in england.

the culture secretary 0liver dowden says he's confident a further lockdown can be avoided as long as people don't treat the easing of restrictions as a �*complete free for all�*. meanwhile, the first minister of wales, mark drakeford, revealed there had been high—level talks across the four nations about the idea of so—called vaccine passports. here's our political correspondentjessica parker. teeing off the next phase — outdoor sports facilities can open in england tomorrow. up to six people, or two households, can meet outdoors. morning. this minister speaking of caution, but also confidence, that another lockdown can be avoided. ahead of each easing, we'll of course analyse the situation. we've set out these four key tests... so, they could be delayed. these things could be delayed. well, of course they could be delayed if the situation deteriorates but, at the moment, we are on track. so, thanks to the work of the british people and the excellent vaccine roll—out,

we are confident both in going ahead with the easings from tomorrow and the next stages. shops that have been shut, it's hoped, can open from april 12th. pubs could welcome customers indoors from may 17th. all legal limits on social contact could be lifted afterjune 21st. just some of the hoped—for steps ahead, but an expectation cases may rise as rules are relaxed. the question is whether or not those increasing cases will translate into a large number of hospitalisations and deaths. now, i'm pretty optimistic about this. i think the readout on the performance of the vaccines is excellent and very encouraging, but we have to be careful. there's no question that some of the more pessimistic scenarios out there do allow for a significant third wave, so that's something we have to continue to guard against. could getting these taps flowing again also include so—called vaccine passports? certification proving someone's had, say, a test or vaccine.

as a review looks at the idea, high—level talks involving all four nations have been taking place. i think there are definitely prizes to be won through domestic vaccine certification, but there are some very big practical and ethical challenges to face as well. some further freedom in wales yesterday, as travel restrictions within its borders were lifted. but with concerns over rising cases in parts of the continent, that's one reason that the outlook is still, to some extent, uncertain. jessica parker, bbc news. the latest government data shows a further 3,862 cases of covid—19 have been reported in the uk in the past 2a hours. — the lowest reported daily case numberfor six months. it takes the seven—day average to 5,355. you can see from the graph on your screen that although cases are on a downward trend, the fall has slowed.

a further 19 deaths have been reported in the past 2a hours — the seven day average stands at 62. and again, from the graph you can see the steep decline in deaths — but unlike cases, deaths continue to fall steadily. a group of influential charities is calling on borisjohnson to start sharing the uk's coronavirus vaccine doses with poorer countries. save the children and the wellcome trust are among the organisations to warn that britain is in danger of "hoarding supplies" while health workers in the developing world go unvaccinated. alex harris is the associate director of government relations at the wellcome trust. we're not going to beat the virus unless we think and act globally. the uk has made really impressive progress with its own vaccine roll—out, with half of all adults here receiving at least one dose. many countries around the world have yet to receive any vaccine doses. nearly 80% of all vaccine doses that have been distributed around

the world so far have gone to just ten countries. and why this is concerning and ought to be something that we are all concerned about it this allows the virus to continue spreading, which risks it mutating to an extent where our vaccines and treatments are no longer working and we are back to square one. we've also been getting reaction from dr ifeanyi nsofor, who's the director of policy and advocacy at nigeria health watch in abuja. as long as there is threat of infection anywhere in the world, no matter where you are, that... and that is why i think that, when the vaccines were still in development, a lot more global effort, coalition, you know, having different leaders — both from the developing and from the developed world — coming together and having discussions as to the best way to ensure that everybody everywhere at least has a fair chance of being vaccinated

at the same time. the transport secretary grant shapps has confirmed that from the 6th of april, lorries visiting england from outside the uk for more than two days will need to take a covid test. drivers will have to take a test within 48 hours of arrival and then one every 72 hours after. mr shapps says this is to make sure the uk can keep track of any future variants of the virus of concern. earlier i spoke to elizabeth de jong, policy director at logistics uk, which represents the freight and logistics industry. i asked her if the new measures would create problems at ports. such as we had seen last december when france insisted on tests for british drivers crossing the channel. �* , ., ., channel. because of the lack of notice and _ channel. because of the lack of notice and the _ channel. because of the lack of notice and the big _ channel. because of the lack of notice and the big issues - channel. because of the lack of notice and the big issues that l channel. because of the lack of. notice and the big issues that we had just before christmas when 100%

of vehicles travelling to france had to be tested, we have infrastructure in place for testing, we have that nationwide information and advice centres which are around the main arteries to our ports, so those can be used again for the inbound testing so we won't be seeing the scenes we saw before christmas, we are very happy to say. 50 scenes we saw before christmas, we are very happy to say-— are very happy to say. so you welcome _ are very happy to say. so you welcome this _ are very happy to say. so you welcome this as _ are very happy to say. so you welcome this as a _ are very happy to say. so you welcome this as a way - are very happy to say. so you welcome this as a way of - are very happy to say. so you - welcome this as a way of preserving the uk's integrity when it comes to other variants coming in? for hours, whatever testing _ other variants coming in? for hours, whatever testing regime _ other variants coming in? for hours, whatever testing regime is _ other variants coming in? for hours, whatever testing regime is in - other variants coming in? for hours, whatever testing regime is in place | whatever testing regime is in place and safeguards with the business practices for covid, it is really important to us that it is proportionate to the risk, and our worst scenario would be quarantine for hauliers. we have been able to keep the country with all that needs during the crisis because there has not been quarantine for hauliers and

other transport, drivers coming in between borders, so it is really important to us that quarantine is not part of the answer, and we think therefore that this is an acceptable set of measures, balancing the business impact and also the covid risk. b. business impact and also the covid risk. �* ., ., , ., business impact and also the covid risk. ., ., , ., ., risk. a lot of people would say also that hauliers _ risk. a lot of people would say also that hauliers don't _ risk. a lot of people would say also that hauliers don't actually - risk. a lot of people would say also that hauliers don't actually mix - that hauliers don't actually mix that hauliers don't actually mix that much when they are travelling. they pick up stuff at the depot, might not speak to that many people there either and stay in the cabin. yes, so it is quite a solitary type of work in any case but also during the covid crisis different working arrangements were put in place so that the drivers would be in the cab even more, and there is some guidance which has become mandatory as of sixth april, so therefore if you are not in your camp, there is a fine of £1000, so people will definitely be staying in their cabs

and it was 0.1% of drivers that tested positive when the tests were in place at dover going into france, so we know it is a low—risk occupation. so we know it is a low-risk °ccupati°"-_ so we know it is a low-risk occupation. these are drivers outside the — occupation. these are drivers outside the uk, _ occupation. these are drivers outside the uk, and - occupation. these are driversj outside the uk, and northern ireland, and the majority of those will be european drivers, presumably. 0ne will be european drivers, presumably. one wonders how many will be coming through bearing in mind we have the huge cargo ship at the moment stuck in the middle of the moment stuck in the middle of the suez canal. 50 the moment stuck in the middle of the suez canal.— the moment stuck in the middle of the suez canal. so it is for anybody cominu the suez canal. so it is for anybody coming from _ the suez canal. so it is for anybody coming from continental _ the suez canal. so it is for anybody coming from continental europe, . the suez canal. so it is for anybody | coming from continental europe, so it will mainly be road transport drivers but also aircrew and maritime will have a testing regime for them as well. there's been widespread international condemnation of myanmar after the military there shot and killed more than 100 of its own civilians. defence chiefs from 12 countries, including the us, britain and japan, have issued a joint statement saying armed forces should protect, rather than harm, the people they serve. yesterday was the deadliest

since the military coup in myanmar eight weeks ago. 0ur correspondent laura bicker has been monitoring the situation from thailand and sent this report. the protests may be smaller in number, but the pro—democracy chants were just as defiant. chanting a few dozen people braved the march through this city in the south of myanmar — a remarkably peaceful demonstration, after a brutal 2a hours. chanting 0ver100 people lost their lives yesterday. trained security forces across the country turned their guns on unarmed civilians. some protesters appear to have constructed their own home—made weapons to retaliate. throughout the day, the death toll mounted, along with international condemnation.

the us secretary of state said he was "horrified", and that "the courageous people of burma" rejected "the military�*s reign of terror". but the general who seized power last month, min aung hlaing, did not respond. his regime has already been hit by some sanctions, but now, there are calls for more coordinated action. so, just, you know, $1 billion alone each year go into the pockets of the generals from the oil and gas industry. if we were to stop that flow of oil and gas revenue into their pockets, that would make a big difference. un security council sanctions would require russia's signature, and here is moscow's deputy defence minister, with a front—row seat at yesterday's armed forces day parade. russia is an important source of their weapons. diplomats from eight other countries also attended, including from china. the general still has friends...

but not amongst the vast majority of its people, who are determined to defy their military rulers. laura bicker, bbc news, bangkok. a second mp has defected from the snp to join the new pro—independence party launched by the former scottish first minister, alex salmond. neale hanvey, who represents kirkcaldy and cowdenbeath at westminster, follows the former justice secretary kenny macaskill, who announced yesterday he would stand as a candidate for the alba party. police in manchester have arrested 18 people who blocked tramlines as part of a protest against the government's police and crime bill. greater manchester police said the event was largely peaceful, but �*significant disruption�* was caused by demonstrators sitting on the metrolink line. protests were also held in bath, falmouth, nottingham, sheffield, brighton and cambridge.

another attempt is being made later today to refloat the cargo ship which is still blocking the suez canal. with hundreds of vessels stuck either side of the ship, the egyptian president has ordered preparations for cargo be lifted off the ever given. here�*s helena wilkinson. it is still stuck. this huge container vessel remains stubborn, refusing to move. 1a tug boats have been used to pull and push this 400 metre long ship. they have managed a small victory — moving it 30 degrees. sand has also been dredged to try to dislodge it and water has now started running underneath it. but at some point, probably soon, they may have to bring in specialist equipment, including cranes, to start removing containers. the ever given got stuck on tuesday. this satellite image shows the wedged container ship and, around it, more than 300 cargo

ships left waiting. 0ne boat�*s refusal to budge has crippled global supply chains, 12% of which pass through this canal. there is billions of trade held up every single day, so it is a huge effect on the global economy and it is affecting a lot of different supply chains. so we do have fuel tankers there, a lot of oil going through the suez every single day. and we also have a lot of container vessels and we have bulk cargo, so that will be grain and coal and these sort of things. so it does affect us very, very widely. the worry now is that if tug boats and dredging don�*t manage to shift this ship, the complex operation to remove containers may be needed, an operation that could last weeks. helen wilkinson, bbc news. the headlines on bbc news. more than 30 million people in the uk have now received their first covid vaccine dose, according to the latest government figures.

ahead of restrictions easing in england, the nhs warns not to "squander" the progress made against covid — as the culture secretary says plans to lift lockdown are on track. the prime minister is urged to "swiftly clarify" how many covid vaccine doses the uk is prepared to donate to poorer countries. there�*s been an explosion outside a catholic cathedral in the indonesian city of makassar, on the island of sulawesi. a priest from the church said ten people were wounded after security guards tackled people he described as suicide bombers. he said the attackers arrived by motorbike and tried to enter the church. a number of drivers for meal delivery company deliveroo are planning to go on strike — to protest against the way they are employed. it comes as the company prepares to float on the london stock exchange. our business correspondent katie prescott reports.

a business cooked up in the uk, making takeaway meals accessible around the world. deliveroo is a home—grown success story. its launch on the london stock market is a huge event, but this is being overshadowed by criticism of how the company employs its delivery drivers as independent contractors, not entitled to benefits or the minimum wage. some investors say that�*s putting them off. deliveroo has contractors rather than employees. and as with the uber ruling, there is a significant chance that in due course people who bicycle for deliveroo as contractors will be given the rights of employees and therefore this will impact the long—term profitability of deliveroo. so pressure on the company about this employment model is mounting, as others such as uber make their drivers officially workers, entitled to benefits. deliveroo drivers from one union plan to go on strike over the issue. you�*d think business is booming, you�*d think these guys would be getting more money as people

are starting to rely more and more on deliveries to their homes. but what they�*re actually seeing for the couriers working out there, is over hiring, money going down, conditions getting worse. but these strikers make up a tiny fraction of the workforce and deliveroo says... "deliveroo riders have the complete freedom to choose when and where to work. 50,000 riders choose to work with deliveroo and thousands more people apply to work with us every week. 0ur way of working is designed around what riders tell us what matters to them most — flexibility." as deliveroo gears up for its share sale, it�*s not yet clear whether this issue will affect demand. katie prescott, bbc news. lockdowns in each of the four uk nations has meant that leisure travel has been illegal for a number of months. that remains the case in scotland and northern ireland for now, but the stay local rule has been lifted in wales already — and in england, the stay at home

restriction will end tomorrow. most of us have probably seen more than enough of our local parks — so we may be tempted to head to one of our national parks instead — but that is causing some concern for local residents. abbiejones reports from the peak district, where they�*re preparing for a surge in visitor numbers. surrounded by rolling hills, hayfield has been the gateway to the peak district since the 1900s, then an escape for thousands of workers from northern industrial towns and cities, now popular with cyclists and ramblers. lockdown has meant the set valley cafe has been serving locals only. they understand the safety measures ownerjoe has put end. ,, , ., , ., ., end. she is nervous about an influx of visitors- — end. she is nervous about an influx of visitors. when _ end. she is nervous about an influx of visitors. when you _ end. she is nervous about an influx of visitors. when you get _ end. she is nervous about an influx of visitors. when you get crowds i end. she is nervous about an influx of visitors. when you get crowds of people it is very difficult for people it is very difficult for people to read the signs and to stay

safe, essentially, and it worries me because the visitors then put off our local regulars. fine because the visitors then put off our local regulars.— because the visitors then put off our local regulars. one mile away in picturesque — our local regulars. one mile away in picturesque hayfield _ our local regulars. one mile away in picturesque hayfield itself— our local regulars. one mile away in picturesque hayfield itself they - our local regulars. one mile away in picturesque hayfield itself they are l picturesque hayfield itself they are gearing up for business. many businesses here especially those forced to close during lockdown rely on tourist income to supplement local trade, on tourist income to supplement localtrade, but on tourist income to supplement local trade, but they want manageable numbers, not a deluge. tim runs the village newsagent and is looking forward to serving new faces. . , ._ , faces. there have been days when i am tapping — faces. there have been days when i am tapping my _ faces. there have been days when i am tapping my fingers _ faces. there have been days when i am tapping my fingers on _ faces. there have been days when i am tapping my fingers on the - am tapping my fingers on the counten _ am tapping my fingers on the counten i_ am tapping my fingers on the counter. i think it would be good to see folks _ counter. i think it would be good to see folks back and we would like to .ear see folks back and we would like to gear up _ see folks back and we would like to gear up for— see folks back and we would like to gear up for that. but see folks back and we would like to gear up for that-— gear up for that. but you have had some problems — gear up for that. but you have had some problems in _ gear up for that. but you have had some problems in the _ gear up for that. but you have had some problems in the village - gear up for that. but you have had some problems in the village with | some problems in the village with tourists? ., , some problems in the village with tourists? . , , ., tourists? there have been some significant _ tourists? there have been some significant problems, _ tourists? there have been some significant problems, i— tourists? there have been some significant problems, i have - tourists? there have been some i significant problems, i have friends who had _ significant problems, i have friends who had to — significant problems, i have friends who had to people parking across their— who had to people parking across their driveways and at one point we had gridlock last summer so we don't really— had gridlock last summer so we don't really want _ had gridlock last summer so we don't really want to repeat that again. this trail— really want to repeat that again. this trail in the peak district saw visitor numbers double in the three

months following the first lockdown of 2020 compared to the same period in 2019, but beauty spots have suffered with miles of cars, rubbish and anti—social behaviour. peak district national park authority is urging businesses to act responsibly. i urging businesses to act responsibly.— urging businesses to act resonsibl . ~ , responsibly. i think this time i would hope — responsibly. i think this time i would hope that _ responsibly. i think this time i would hope that perhaps - responsibly. i think this time i would hope that perhaps as i responsibly. i think this time i would hope that perhaps as a | responsibly. i think this time i - would hope that perhaps as a nation we remember a would hope that perhaps as a nation we remembera bit more would hope that perhaps as a nation we remember a bit more about how we should _ we remember a bit more about how we should act— we remember a bit more about how we should act in_ we remember a bit more about how we should act in respect our national parks _ should act in respect our national parks we — should act in respect our national parks. we really welcome people back and they— parks. we really welcome people back and they are so important to us and as long _ and they are so important to us and as long as— and they are so important to us and as long as we protect and respect and enjoy— as long as we protect and respect and enjoy national parks by following things such as the countryside code we will be in a better— countryside code we will be in a better place this time. for countryside code we will be in a better place this time.- countryside code we will be in a better place this time. forjoe and her staff of — better place this time. forjoe and her staff of the _ better place this time. forjoe and her staff of the message - better place this time. forjoe and her staff of the message is - better place this time. forjoe and | her staff of the message is simple. we definitely do want to welcome visitors back but we want people to be respectful and kind. theyjust need to be kind. a power plant in germany was demolished this morning. 420 kilos of explosives were detonated to raise the coal—fired power plant�*s cooling

tower, chimney and boiler house. the 80—year—old power plant in lunen was shut down in 2018. i think if we are in those pictures again there might be slightly more sound. and the winner is stroud! stroud in gloucestershire is the uk�*s most desirable location to live according to the annual sunday times "best places to live" guide. stroud has topped a list of 78 locations across the country. earlier i spoke with one of thejudges, tim palmer. stroud is fantastic. it�*s got all the basics covered in impeccable style. brilliant schools, amazing transport links, but beyond that it also got this fantastic countryside all around it. it�*s got these lovely commons where you can go and you can walk the dog and gaze at endless views

across the severn estuary into wales. and the other thing we like is the fantastic independent spirit. it is not a town that you would mistake that any other town. it�*s got brilliant local food, lots of interesting little shops and cafes, and then best of all, the thing that brings it all together is the farmer�*s market which is just a wonder. on a saturday morning, 50 stalls which attracts everyone from town and the country and surrounding villages to queue up and enjoy the local atmosphere. how do you do this? are there a team of you, a pack of you, going out every day trying out farmer�*s markets, chatting to locals on park benches? as much as we can, it has been difficult this year because visiting has been hard. we have had to do a bit more on the phone, but there is a small group of us in the office, sunday times journalists mostly and education experts and property experts, and then we also

consult very widely. we talk to people in the property industry, people all over the country, and then the most important people we talk to are the people who live in the places themselves because it is theirjudgment that counts best. they know what it is really like to live in a place. was stroud the soaraway winner or some other close contenders? i am only asking because we have got pictures of berwick. north berwick. north berwick is fantastic, it is always on our list, it has got the most amazing combination of seaside and a brilliant high street with some of the best croissants in the country and all of that within half an hour train ride of edinburgh, so it has got absolutely everything. that is always close, where else will be looking at? we were looking very hard at usk in wales, which nearly took the list largely because of its community spirit which is one of the best i have ever come across anywhere.

just full of fantastic people. can i just stop you, because when i looked at these, all pretty towns, quite a chocolate box. quite traditional, quite white, not diverse, quite expensive, quite middle—class. is it reallyjust like the good schools guide for the middle class? i wouldn�*t say that is entirely fair. this year has been particularly difficult because it has not been a yearfor cities. normally, we get very excited about the diversity and cultural offerings you get in their big cities but that really hasn�*t been there in the last 12 months, and what we have shown this year is that the places that have really come to the fore have been those small towns, largely because they are big enough so that you can get everything you want, and then small enough so that everyone feels connected to each other. it is funny, because i know the reading quite well

and i was brought up there as a child many years ago. stroud was quite down at heel 40, 50 years ago now. do you need to be rich to live in all these places because property places are quite high? not all of them and in fact what you won�*t find on this list is a lot of the really expensive places, because we think that they suddenly get so much less appealing when security gates go up and normal people can�*t live a normal life there. and the lights, we are looking for places where the lights are on all year, where it is not all second homes. hello. spring can throw all sorts of weather at us from one moment to the next, and it is going to be one of those weeks. we start off with some warmth building across the country, feels like early summer, though it will be very wet in north—west scotland. we see the week out, though, with you needing to dig your winter wardrobe back out because it will be much colder as we head towards easter, and one or two may

even see a little bit of snow. 0ut there at the moment, though, well, two things to consider. we have got these weather fronts which continue to bring rain across the north and west of the country. to the south of it, drawing in tropical air and south—westerly winds, blustery south—westerly winds. but it is that which kept temperatures up in the teens for many through today. and we will keep things on the mild side tonight. a little bit cooler with some clearer skies towards the south and east. some outbreaks of rain in northern england, north wales, the isle of man, but the wettest weather to the north and northern ireland and across the western highlands of scotland. but just look at the temperatures, just to the south of our weather front, 12s and 13s, well above where they should be by day, never mind by night. so we go into monday on a mild note. still a bit blustery, particularly further north you are. rain in the highlands pushing its way northwards. could see some flooding here over the next few days as around a month�*s rain, if not more, falls. brightening up in northern ireland, southern scotland later in the day, as well northern england, north wales. but lots of sunshine in the midlands, south wales, southern england and here, temperatures 20 degrees, fern effect, maybe 17 or 18 in eastern parts of scotland. now, as we go into the evening, the rain stays there

in the north—west of scotland, as it will do into tuesday. but with high pressure across the near continent, we are going to see a little shift in wind direction, coming in more of a southerly direction, which brings clearer skies after a bit of a misty start for some — england and wales, lots of sunshine. a bit more sunshine to southern scotland and northern ireland, too. but still raining in the north—west highlands and islands. here temperatures only around 9 or 10 degrees. but some early summer warmth almost for england and wales. widely into the 20s, maybe 23 or 2a the high in south—east england. start to see some changes, then, mid week. high pressure builds in between us and iceland and that helps to push the weather front back southwards again. so, brightening up across the north of scotland, rain and cloud elsewhere, even a bit of hill snow, but not too much in the way of rain. a bit more cloud to northern england and north wales later, and temperatures drop here through the afternoon. but further south, 23 still the high compared to just seven or eight in the northern half of the country. and then, as we head in towards the end of the weekend, towards easter, the colder air is back for all. temperatures down on where we should be for the time of year. many start easter weekend dry, but there could be an increasing chance of wintry showers later.

see you soon.

police are to investigate allegations of sexual harassment, abuse and rape in schools and universities, setting up a dedicated helpline. thousands of mainly anonymous testimonies were posted online. police ask victims to come forward. we challenge the culture within education, where misogyny, sexual harassment, sexual assaults, are not condoned, but i suspect on occasions are being tolerated. we�*ll be looking at why police believe the allegations could be the tip of the iceberg. also on the programme... a green light for the greens — outdoor sports resume in england tomorrow as lockdown is eased. more anti—coup protests in myanmar, as 12 countries condemn its military for the deaths of more than 100 people yesterday.

hopes that an evening high tide might help to re—float the container ship blocking the suez canal. good afternoon. police are to investigate thousands of allegations of sexual harrassment, abuse, and, in some cases, rape, made by young women and school pupils through an online campaign. many of the accounts concern leading private schools and have been posted on the website everyone�*s invited. a senior police officer has told the bbc today that a dedicated helpline is being set up, with the aim both of investigating allegations of criminal behaviour and challenging any culture within educational settings which has tolerated misogyny and abuse. 0ur correspondent

sarah campbell reports. a walk—out at a north london private school after more than 200 former and current pupils anonymously made allegations of abuse, misogyny and even rape. highgate school has set “p even rape. highgate school has set up an external review and it is clear many more educational establishments are going to have to tackle difficult issues. in just three weeks, a website set up to allow people to share their experiences of what�*s being called a rape culture has received more than 6000 testimonies. initially flooded with accounts from pupils from leading private schools, the founder of everyone�*s invited told me that�*s no longer the case.

in the past week we�*ve seen a very significant increase and widening of the demographic, in the increase of state schools and universities being mentioned as well as a wider variety of ages as well. 0lder, much older people, younger people, boys and girls, and it really shows this is a universal problem. in girls, and it really shows this is a universal problem.— girls, and it really shows this is a universal problem. in recent years, the sporting _ universal problem. in recent years, the sporting world _ universal problem. in recent years, the sporting world has _ universal problem. in recent years, the sporting world has been - universal problem. in recent years, the sporting world has been rocked j the sporting world has been rocked by the stories which emerged of young boys who were abused by football coaches. the chief constable involved in that operation is now helping to coordinate the response to these latest allegations. i response to these latest allegations.— response to these latest allegations. response to these latest alleuations. , ,, . . �*, allegations. i suspect that it's -robabl allegations. i suspect that it's probably going _ allegations. i suspect that it's probably going to _ allegations. i suspect that it's probably going to be - allegations. i suspect that it's probably going to be the - allegations. i suspect that it's probably going to be the next| allegations. i suspect that it's - probably going to be the next child sexual abuse scandal that engulfed the nation in the way the football association revelations did. we have a huge challenge, and ultimately this is down to parents and guardians making sure that their children understand what healthy relationships look like, what a healthy sexual relationships look

like, and it�*s so important that schools reinforce that message consistently. aha, schools reinforce that message consistently.— schools reinforce that message consistentl . �* , , ., consistently. a helpline is due to be launched _ consistently. a helpline is due to be launched by— consistently. a helpline is due to be launched by the _ consistently. a helpline is due to be launched by the department i consistently. a helpline is due to l be launched by the department for education in the next week for those wishing to get support and potentially report those believe to have abused them. and sarah campbell�*s here now. sarah, clearly this is being taken very seriously. i think it�*s absolutely right. what started as one person, soma sara, wanting to start a conversation about what happened to her, is clearly resonated with thousands of people, and i think it�*s the speed and volume of those responses which has led the authorities to think, we have got to act and do something about this, hence a joint initiative between the government and police forces. it�*s striking when you hear someone like the chief constable, the national police chief�*s council lead on child protection, when he says he thinks it will be the next big child sexual abuse scandal that the country will have to come to terms with. there are already a few

police under way into allegations and undoubtedly i think there will be more. ., ., ,, and undoubtedly i think there will be more. . . ,, . ~ and undoubtedly i think there will be more, . . ,, . ~' vaccination targets and lockdown easing in england are on track, ministers said today, ahead of a significant moment for the easing of restrictions tomorrow. meanwhile, the first minister for wales, mark drakeford, revealed there had been high—level talks across the four nations about the idea of so—called "vaccine passports". here�*s our political correspondent chris mason. the green of windy west yorkshire in spring. the strides towards liberty are long, putting the preparations in place for the return of golf in england tomorrow. it�*s been a good three months now. we�*ve had members at home on facebook, posting things about what they are doing, chipping in the garden, putting in the garden, they are putting duvets over the washing line and hitting into it. they are just wanting to get up here and start playing golf. they want to get out. as well as outdoor sport returning, from tomorrow in england, six people or two households can

meet outside, including in private gardens. it�*ll be another fortnight at least before a haircut can be done by a professional. but... well of course they could be delayed if the situation deteriorates, but at the moment we are on track, so thanks to the work of the british people and the excellent vaccine roll—out, we are confident both in going ahead with the easings from tomorrow and the next stages. there is then the cautious prospect of the streets of hebden bridge and elsewhere slowly looking a little less empty. the hope too of normality, or near normality, by the summer. but alongside hope, jitters from some. i have to say i�*m a little bit nervous about a full relaxation in june. obviously we all want to relax as far as it is safe to do so, and it will be important that the government continues to be guided by the data in that respect to see, and this is the particularly

important thing, exactly how well are the vaccines performing? if they go on at this rate, i think we can get quite close to a full release. and huge questions spring forth about the tools to help normality return, as governments around the uk ponder whether it is possible, whether it is practical, to have some sort of passport that says we�*ve been vaccinated, tested or had covid. i think there are definitely prizes to be won through domestic vaccine certification, but there are some very big practical and ethical challenges to face as well. the speed and specifics of unlocking vary around the uk. the stay local rule was scrapped here in wales yesterday. from friday, the instruction to stay local will begin in scotland, replacing the edict to stay at home. in northern ireland, six people from two households will be able to meet in private gardens from thursday. chris mason, bbc news.

so what exactly will be permitted from tomorrow in england as lockdown restrictions are eased? 0ur correspondent katie prescott has been looking at what changes — including the key "stay at home" message — and what�*s still to come. spring has sprung and the uk is opening up once again. from tomorrow in england it will be easier to catch up with friends and family, just like in wales this weekend, when we are allowed to get together in groups of six outside, or two households. and there will be more to do locally as outdoor sports kick off again, something to keep us entertained perhaps until the next key date. the 12th of april in england, and a week earlier in scotland, shops will hear their tills ringing once again as they are allowed to reopen. we can go out for dinner or a allowed to reopen. we can go out for dinner ora drink, but allowed to reopen. we can go out for dinner or a drink, but a cold one, as its alfresco only, and that rule of six, or two households, still applies. haircuts and manicures will

be allowed, and there will be more ways to spend our free time as gyms and theme parks reopen. may the 17th, the next big date. we will be able to go to the cinema again and forget patio heaters, we can eat inside in bars and restaurants in groups of up to six, and outside restrictions are mainly lifted. you will be able to meet in groups of up to 30 people. and if you�*re dreaming ofjetting away, foreign travel was likely pencilled in from the 17th of may, but that�*s still very much under review. by the 21st ofjune, nights out in clubs will start again if all goes to plan. and things may be back to some kind of normal as restrictions on social contact are scrapped. we may even have seen the last of elbow bumping. katie prescott, bbc news. there are of course different rules for different parts of the uk. you can find more information about restrictions in wales,

scotland and northern ireland on the bbc website, bbc.co.uk/news let�*s take a look at the latest government figures. there were 3,862 new coronavirus infections recorded in the latest 24—hour period. on average, 5,355 new cases were reported per day in the last week. the latest figures show 4,560 people were in hospital across the uk. 19 deaths were reported in the latest 2a hour period — that�*s people who died within 28 days of a positive covid—19 test. on average in the past week, 62 deaths were announced every day. the total number is now 126,592. as for vaccinations, more than 423,000 people have had their first dose of a covid vaccine in the latest 24—hour period, bringing the total to over 30 million.

and over 3.5 million people, have had both doses of the vaccine. and as the number of first vaccinations passes the 30 million point, all those aged over 50 who�*ve not yet had their firstjab are being urged to book appointments. our health correspondent naomi grimley is here. vaccination rates for the over 60s are phenomenal with 95% of people having taken up their offer and had a firstjab. when it comes to the over 50s, the government knows it needs to do a bit more to reach them. for example, it still needs to reach 25% of those aged 50—54. the reason it wants to focus minds is because there is going to be this disruption in vaccine supply over the next month. it is in part because there has been a consignment of doses delayed coming over from india. that will then have an impact on the younger age groups, on the

under 50s, on the younger age groups, on the under50s, but on the younger age groups, on the under 50s, but there is some good news for them today, and the government confirmed the moderna vaccine will come on stream at the end of next month. that would be a third arrow, if you like, in the government�*s with her. third arrow, if you like, in the government's with her. naomi grimle , government's with her. naomi grimley, thank _ government's with her. naomi grimley, thank you. _ government's with her. naomi grimley, thank you. -- - government's with her. naomi grimley, thank you. -- the - grimley, thank you. —— the government�*s quiver. there�*s been widespread international condemnation of the military in myanmar after more than a hundred demonstrators were killed yesterday. defence chiefs from 12 countries, including the us, britain and japan, have issued a joint statement saying armed forces should protect, rather than harm, the people they serve. yesterday was the deadliest day for protestors since myanmar�*s military coup eight weeks ago. 0ur correspondent laura bicker has been monitoring the situation from thailand and sent this report. "my son, my son, why can�*t you hear me," she cries. the 13—year—old was playing in the street when he was shot and killed.

witnesses say troops opened fire, even though no protests were nearby. his family are now adding their voices to a chorus calling for revolution. children, these children, in this time of crisis, they are kept in the safest place, by their family. these children are not on the street, not on the front, not even in the living rooms. they are hiding. even children are not safe, so that means no one is safe in burma. over 400 people have now died in myanmar since the military seized power last month. some protesters have started to fight back using home—made weapons. but they are no match against trained fighters and live rounds. the us has accused general min aung hlaing of presiding over a reign of terror.

his regime has already been hit by some sanctions, but he still has powerful friends. russia�*s deputy defence minister was given a front row seat for yesterday�*s armed forces day. 0ther diplomats were also in the crowd, including from china. but 12 military leaders from around the world issued a rare joint statement reminding the general that an army is supposed to protect its people. gunshot. not turn their guns on them. and yet the protests continue undeterred. the will of a defiant people determined to restore democracy has so far refused to bend, even under relentless fire. laura bicker, bbc news, bangkok. here, parents at batley grammar school in west yorkshire have called for calm to allow an incident where a teacher showed pupils

a cartoon of the prophet muhammad to be properly investigated. there were angry protests outside the school on thursday and a further protest on friday. the school has suspended the teacher and started an investigation, but parents including some of muslim pupils say the protests and threats against the school are unhelpful. any and all such threats to the school and staff involved undermine our efforts and are completely contrary to our values as concerned parents, citizens and muslims. we therefore call for calm, to allow further fruitful dialogue and a space for a transparent investigation to be undertaken. salvage teams trying to free the cargo ship still blocking the suez canal are hoping this evening�*s high tide as well as more tugs and dredging will dislodge it. with hundreds of vessels stuck either side of the ship, egypt�*s president says they should prepare to lift containers off to lighten the load. 0ur correspondent helena wilkinson has this report.

it�*s still stuck. this huge container vessel remains stubborn, refusing to move. 14 tug boats have been used to pull and push this 400—metre—long ship. they�*ve managed a small victory, moving it 30 degrees. sand has also been dredged to try to dislodge it, and water has now started running underneath it. but at some point, probably soon, they may have to bring in specialist equipment, including cranes, to start removing containers. the ever given got stuck on tuesday. this satellite image shows the wedged container ship and, around it, more than 300 cargo ships left waiting. 0ne boat�*s refusal to budge has crippled global supply chains, 12% of which pass through this canal. it�*s billions of trade held up every single day, so it�*s a huge effect on the global economy, and it�*s affecting a lot

of different supply chains. so, we do have fuel tankers there, a lot of oil going through the suez every single day, and we also have a lot of container vessels. and we have bulk cargo, so that will be grains or coal, or these sort of things. so, it does affect us very, very widely. the worry now is that if tug boats and dredging don�*t manage to shift this ship, the complex operation to remove containers may be needed — an operation that could last weeks. helena wilkinson, bbc news. england�*s cricketers are ending their tour of india with a tense, very tight match that will decide the one—day series. after a poor start to their innings chasing 330 runs to win, they battled to the very end. drew savage reports. england backs themselves to match whatever india�*s batsmen could throw at them, but to begin with the home side dominated, reaching 100 easily. so england turned to spin. adil

rashid made the breakthrough, and then moeen ali. india�*s captain virat kohli gone on seven. but a partnership between hardik pandya and rishabh pant swung the match back towards the host. rishabh pant had 78 and was looking set for more whenjos had 78 and was looking set for more when jos buttler took a had 78 and was looking set for more whenjos buttler took a captain�*s catch. india eventually bowled out on 329. but england�*s hopes of repeating friday�*s run chase faded quickly. roy and bairstow both out cheaply and when ben stokes holed out for 25, that victory target looked a long way off. england�*s middle order provided some resistance. a first one day 54 dawid malan, but he was out soon after and england more or less on the way home. sam curran and adil rashid battled on but when adil rashid was out it looked all over. drew savage, bbc news. in the last few minutes, england have lost by seven runs. there�*s more throughout the evening on the bbc news channel. we�*re back with the late

news at 10:00pm. now on bbc one it�*s time for the news where you are. goodbye. hello. this is bbc news. the government says it�*s "on track" to ease the lockdown in england and deliver on its vaccination targets. the culture secretary 0liver dowden says he�*s "confident" a further lockdown can be avoided as long as people don�*t treat

the easing of restrictions as a �*complete free for all�*. sir richard skyes is the chairman of the royal institution — an independent charity dedicated to connecting people with the world of science. my colleague tim willcox asked him where he thought we are now in terms of dealing with covid in the uk. i think first of all we�*ve done a brilliantjob and we have got ——gone at pace and we put ourselves in a very strong position. to talk about third waves is i think just scaremongering. we may see a couple of ripples but we certainly in my opinion will not see anything like a third wave. we have vaccinated almost 50% of the population. lots and lots of people have had the virus, there is a lot of immunity within the population. how can you be so sure, bearing in mind that 60% in france of new cases are new variants, some of which we do not believe

that vaccines will be as efficient in combating, is it not right to err on the side of caution? it depends how much caution you want. there is no question of doubt that the vaccine work against these strains. will it be 95% effective? will it prevent people having the infection at all, will it prevent transmission and prevent them going into hospital? i suspect worse case scenario is it will stop them oing into hospital but you might get ill as you do with influenza but having had the vaccine and the previous covid, you are not going to be naive to any new virus strain that comes along of this family. so we are being too cautious, that is yourfirm opinion? if we keep people locked up for the next three months, we are being absolutely too cautious. we have to come to a realisation that the vaccine was the way out of this problem. we have vaccinated all the vulnerable people that

want to be vaccinated. we vaccinated a hell of a lot more. we continue to vaccinate 400,000 people a day. what more can we do? regarding astrazeneca, we know the moderna vaccine is coming on in a few weeks so that gives us another one to vaccinate the remaining people but astrazeneca, what has gone wrong as far as the role of the vaccine, particularly in europe and the scepticism about what the accuracy was? well, i think if it wasn�*t a dangerous situation — the whole case would be laughable. it has just been a ludicrous situation where we have a vaccine that obviously works extremely effectively. it�*s extremely safe and yet people are crying out to be vaccinated and the vaccine has been put on hold or people have been warned off taking the vaccine. what is the reason for that? is it politics, is that the only

reason why european leaders... macron said it was quasi ineffective. that is purely politics. but because the european union in their quest for getting access to vaccines made a complete mess of it, whereas we set a team in place that went after the vaccine programme in a very clear way. that did not happen in europe, too much bureaucracy got on the way and now because of that. we get the blame for it but the vaccine works extremely well. we had another problem or ripple better described in the states when anthony fauci came out and had to talk about the fact that the data wasn�*t as up—to—date as it could have been. how did that happen? well, there is an issue here and that is a communication strategy. the communication strategy

for the oxford astrazeneca vaccine has not been the best, i must admit but that was a bit silly because the results were not very different from what astrazeneca had already put out there. again, you have to question why anthony fauci wanted to make that statement. i don�*t know. just to conclude, are you saying that people should be able to travel abroad, go to europe, to travel internationally much more quickly than the structure would apply at the moment? i think you have got to be selective, as we have been in the past, we have to be cautious but we have a testing regime now. we can test people, we can test them easily and find out if they are carrying the virus or not. if that is true, we can isolate them and we can do so immediately. if you remember, the prime minister had a strategy — whack a mole —

but he could not use that strategy because he did not know where the mole was. there was too many of them. now, if there are some moles around, go and whack them and make sure you keep any variant which we can identify under control. when i mean under control, i mean total quarantine, lock people up until that virus has gone away so it is now having a policy of keeping this thing under control. you can�*t keep people locked up forever so for example if there are some countries that have low virus numbers, then why would you not allow people to travel there because you can test test them if you wish to and if they carry the virus, quarantine them. would you do that imminently so you would allow people to go to france for example? france is beingn put on the red list. i would not allow them to go to france because as you said, they have what we call the second wave and they are having that which we had in november

and january and february. they are having that now so you would not go to france but you might go to spain or israel or you might go to the caribbean if those numbers are low. you just have to be selective but you cannotjust have a ban on anyone travelling for another three months. it is ludicrous. you would like the uk to show more confidence? yes, we have to show confidence. we have vaccinated so many people. so many people had the infection, we have a test and trace system that works now, what else can we do? hello. spring can throw all sorts of weather at us from one moment to the next, and it is going to be one of those weeks. we start off with some warmth building across the country, feels like early summer, though it will be very wet in north—west scotland. we see the week out, though, with you needing to dig your winter wardrobe back out because it will be much colder as we head towards easter, and one or two may

even see a little bit of snow. 0ut there at the moment, though, well, two things to consider. we have got these weather fronts which continue to bring rain across the north and west of the country. to the south of it, drawing in tropical air and south—westerly winds, blustery south—westerly winds. but it is that which kept temperatures up in the teens for many through today. and we will keep things on the mild side tonight. a little bit cooler with some clearer skies towards the south and east. some outbreaks of rain in northern england, north wales, the isle of man, but the wettest weather to the north and northern ireland and across the western highlands of scotland. but just look at the temperatures, just to the south of our weather front, 12s and 13s, well above where they should be by day, never mind by night. so we go into monday on a mild note. still a bit blustery, particularly further north you are. rain in the highlands pushing its way northwards. could see some flooding here over the next few days as around a month�*s rain, if not more, falls. brightening up in northern ireland, southern scotland later in the day, as well northern england, north wales. but lots of sunshine in the midlands, south wales, southern england and here, temperatures 20 degrees, fern effect, maybe 17 or 18 in eastern parts of scotland. now, as we go into the evening, the rain stays there

in the north—west of scotland, as it will do into tuesday. but with high pressure across the near continent, we are going to see a little shift in wind direction, coming in more of a southerly direction, which brings clearer skies after a bit of a misty start for some — england and wales, lots of sunshine. a bit more sunshine to southern scotland and northern ireland, too. but still raining in the north—west highlands and islands. here temperatures only around 9 or 10 degrees. but some early summer warmth almost for england and wales. widely into the 20s, maybe 23 or 24 the high in south—east england. start to see some changes, then, mid week. high pressure builds in between us and iceland and that helps to push the weather front back southwards again. so, brightening up across the north of scotland, rain and cloud elsewhere, even a bit of hill snow, but not too much in the way of rain. a bit more cloud to northern england and north wales later, and temperatures drop here through the afternoon. but further south, 23 still the high compared to just seven or eight in the northern half of the country. and then, as we head in towards the end of the weekend, towards easter, the colder air is back for all. temperatures down on where we should be for the time of year. many start easter weekend dry, but there could be an increasing chance of wintry showers later.

see you soon. this is bbc news, the headlines at six. more than 30 million people in the uk have now received their first covid vaccine dose, according to the latest government figures. ahead of restrictions easing in england, the nhs warns not to "squander" the progress made against covid — as the culture secretary says plans to lift lockdown are on target. at the moment we are on track so thanks to the work of the british people and the excellent vaccine roll—out we are confident in going ahead with easing from tomorrow and the next stages. police are to investigate allegations of sexual harassment, abuse and rape in schools and universities — setting up a dedicated helpline. the latest attempts to dislodge the ship that�*s stuck in the suez canal have failed — officials say efforts

will continue around the clock.