this is bbc news. the headlines... the diplomatic row between russia and the us intensifies. moscow orders ten us diplomats to pack up and leave. china's leader calls for global cooperation in fighting climate change. appeals for calm in chicago, after police release film of the moment an officer shot dead a 13—year—old boy. final preparations for the funeral of the duke of edinburgh. a very personal ceremony planned by the duke himself. hello and welcome if you're

watching on pbs in the us, or around the world, and stay with us for the latest news and analysis from here and across the globe. russia is expelling ten us diplomats and blacklisting eight top american officials, in a reciprocal response to sanctions imposed by washington on thursday. russia's foreign minister sergei lavrov said moscow was also tightening restrictions on us diplomats travelling within russia. here's mr lavrov speaking earlier on the latest us sanctions. translation: we will respond to this measure in a tit-for-tat manner. - we will ask 10 us diplomats in russia to leave the country. earlier on friday, a kremlin spokesman denounced what he called washington's addiction to sanctions, but said president putin wanted to avoid escalation. for more on this latest rise in tensions between moscow and washington, here's a former british ambassador to russia, sir tony brenton. there's obviously lots of sound and fury going on at the moment, but both sides are, to some extent,

being quite careful. the americans will already have factored in that the russians are going to throw out ten of their diplomats in response to the expulsions a couple of days ago. and it's not clear what more the russians are going to do, although they have asked the us ambassador to leave, which raises the temperature. all this has taken place in the background of biden prior to the sanctions, having suggested a summit later in the year. and even today after the announcement of the sanctions, the russians were still looking genuinely at that. so there is a way out of this, in the sense that, if the summit takes place, then there's a thing for people to aim at where they can begin to get tensions down. but i have to say, this is as noisy and destructive as i've ever seen it. there are 80,000 russian troops on the borders of ukraine at the moment. and the temptation, if things really do slide out of control, will be for russia to organise some sort of demonstration in relation to ukraine, which could turn things very nasty, very quickly. 0n the american side,

the expulsions are anticipated, but if the russians go beyond that and therefore force biden to take further steps himself, step up the sanctions again, for example, then you are back on the downward slide. this has been the story of us—russian relations for the last seven years. russian provocations, us sanctions. more of the same. the question is whether biden can reverse that slide. there have been 20 or so sanctions, actions, of one sort of another by the us against russia in the last seven years. russia's policy has not been changed by one jot. i don't believe the americans expect this latest package to affect russian policy. the main point of it is to respond to a congress which is very angry with russia, probably to conceal, to some extent, us embarrassment at their announced withdrawal from afghanistan. and the hope i suspect was to get russia off the us agenda,

so that biden could focus on things which in a sense matter a great deal more to him, ie china and his domestic agenda. if the two sides can restrain themselves enough to keep the possibility of that summit alive, then there's lots that they can do. they've got an ongoing negotiation on strategic nuclear weapons control, they are working together to revive the iran denuclearisation agreement, they are both important players on global climate change. there's a whole bunch of business, and the mere fact of sitting down and beginning to do that sort of business again, then creates opportunities to lower the temperature in other ways. china has said it is willing to co—operate more with some european countries over the challenges of climate change, as the argument continues over which of the major economies is the biggest polluter. president xijinping made the pledge during a video summit with the leaders of germany and france. and there's movement

from the us too. president biden�*s climate change envoy has been in china this week, trying to kick—start talks. 0ur science editor david shukman reports. china is the world's greatest factory and its biggest polluter, and america is the second largest. together they account for nearly half of global emissions, and there is now a us president determined to change that. we can't wait any longer. we see it with our own eyes, we feel it, we know it in our bones. it is time to act. so he is pushing for a lot more green energy and he is reversing the trump years by sending his envoy john kerry worldwide. secretary kerry, can we avert climate catastrophe? - including the uk last month and crucially china just now. we cannot solve the climate issue without china beginning to reduce their emissions. this is the key to the global puzzle. biden has to figure out a way to compel beijing to begin to cut their emissions or all the efforts we are making domestically

are going to be ineffectual. one of the big arguments is over which of these two giant polluters should do more. the us points out that it produces about 14% of the global total of emissions while china releases about twice that. but for its part, china says look instead at the accumulation of greenhouse gases since 1750 — america has omitted about a quarter of those while china, which only industrialised relatively recently, has produced far fewer. another dispute is over coal. beijing is encouraging others to burn more of it. i filmed these chinese workers at a coal—fired power station in serbia, one of dozens of projects around the world. and this comes as pressure over human rights leads to worsening international relations, which may mean china sticks with coal. it's got big reserves which it can rely on.

if you are looking to a greater tension across the world and particularly a greater confrontation with the united states, you probably want to hedge your bets and keep a hold of coal because there is so much uncertainty in the world. today, chinese television reported on president xi having virtual talks with the leaders of france and germany. climate change was the key topic, the pace of diplomacy on this is accelerating. david shukman, bbc news. the mayor of chicago has appealed for calm, after the release of footage showing an unarmed 13—year—old boy adam toledo shot dead by a policeman last month. the teenager's death comes at a time of continuing high tension in the us about police killings. barbara plett—usher reports from chicago. stop! the policeman chases the boy down an alleyway. "raise your hands," he shouts, then a shot is fired. stop! gunshot.

police had said the boy, adam toledo, was carrying a gun, but the video shows him raising empty hands before he falls to the ground. 19 seconds from start to finish. shots fired, shots fired. get an ambulance over here now. a distraught 0fficer stillman calls for medical back—up, but they can't save adam. it seems he had dropped his weapon before turning round. those videos speak for themselves. adam, during his last second of life, did not have a gun in his hand. the officer screamed at him, "show me your hands," adam complied, turned around, his hands were empty when he was shot in the chest at the hands of the officer. say his name! daunte white! another shooting this week in minneapolis triggered nights of protests against police. the killing of a young black man at a traffic stop has been one more

flashpoint in a year of demonstrations for racialjustice. and now they have also started shouting adam toledo's name here. the anger has added to tensions over the george floyd murder trial which is winding down. nojustice, no peace! the city is fortifying itself for possible violence after the verdict. chicago has its own volatile history of police misconduct. city officials had demanded the release of the body cam footage after a public outcry. even as our understanding of this incident continues to evolve, this remains a complicated and nuanced story and we all must proceed with deep empathy and calm. and, importantly, peace. adam toledo died in the alleyway right behind me. he was one of the youngest people to be killed by police in the us in recent years, and his death has stirred up familiar tensions in chicago.

there were a lot of protests here last year demanding police reform after george floyd was killed — and in fact, the city had been prepared for a reaction in the verdict in that trial even before this happened. the mayor and the family have appealed for calm. president biden has condemned the latest us mass shooting in indiana, describing gun violence as a stain on the character of the nation. he again urged congress to take measures to prevent weapons falling into the wrong hands. police in indianapolis have confirmed that 8 people were killed in the shooting at a fedex facility. the gunman then took his own life, leaving local hospitals dealing with many more people with gunshot wounds. police are yet to determine the reason for this latest incident. this suspect came to the facility, and when he came there, he got out of his car and pretty quickly started some random shooting, outside the facility. there was no confrontation with anyone that was there, there was no disturbance, there was no argument.

he just appeared to randomly start shooting and that began in the parking lot and then he did go into the building, into the facility for a brief period of time, before he took his own life. let's look at some of the day's other news. the united nations refugee agency says that as many as 65,000 people are fleeing from a city in north—eastern nigeria, after a series of attacks by islamist militants. fighters claiming to be loyal to the self styled islamic state have conducted a series of hit and run attacks on damasak in borno province at least 12 people were killed. cuba's ruling communist party is holding a historic congress that's expected to end six decades of domination by the castro brothers. raul castro, who succeeded his brother fidel in power in 2006 has indicated that he will resign as the party's first secretary. the world health organisation says that coronavirus cases globally are approaching the previous highest total on record. the number of new cases each week has nearly doubled since february, and the who says the rate

of increase is worrying. a weekend curfew has come into force in the indian capital, delhi, as coronavirus cases in the country continue to rise. hospitals are reporting severe shortages of beds and oxygen and there are fears a dangerous new variant could be on the rise. sima kotecha reports. this is india over the last 2a hours. another wave of coronavirus seeping through its veins. from delhi to mumbai to kolkata, its spread is vast and, for seven days now, a record daily increase in cases. in the western state of gujarat, it is particularly bad. hospitals struggling to cope and essential equipment said to be in short supply. rakesh and his mum both have covid. every state, every district,

every city, you can find each and every household, at least one or two positive cases of coronavirus. and this new strain is attacking like anything. the new strain is attacking straight to the lungs. the person feels like he or she is asymptomatic but, after four or five days, they have a storm inside the lungs. can i speak to your mum? sure, one minute, let me go to her. india's official death toll has surpassed 170,000. experts say the pace at which new cases are increasing

is concerning, with more than 200,000 reported yesterday, the highest daily number so far. more than 1,000 died from the virus in 2a hours for the second day running. this couldn't come at a worse time. the hindu festival kumbh mela is attracting millions of people to the banks of the river ganges. some states have imposed night curfews. but many indians are still not changing their behaviour. election campaigning continues. large weddings are taking place, and shops remain open. doctors fear the addition of a new strain could be catastrophic. in the first wave, most of the patients were above 30. hardly we had seen any young patients. however in this wave, we have seen fairly young patients getting

admitted with covid. sirens wail the crematoriums and burial grounds are reported to be working overtime to cope with the high surge of deaths. people we've spoken to believe official figures don't depict the true horror. more than a billion people, and india is facing what some are calling a covid tsunami. sima kotecha, bbc news. stay with us on bbc news, still to come... letting the fans back in. as the uk prepares to allow the return of spectators, how has limited attendance gone down in the us?

pol pot, one of the century's greatest mass murderers, is reported to have died of natural causes. he and the khmer rouge movement he led were responsible for the deaths of an estimated 1.7 million cambodians. there have been violent protests in indonesia, where playboy has gone on sale for the first time. traditionalist muslim leaders have expressed disgust. the magazines officers have been attacked, and its editorial staff have gone into hiding. it was clear that paula's only contest was with the clock. and as for a sporting legacy, paula radcliffe's competitors will be chasing her new world best time for years to come. quite quietly but quicker. and quicker, she assumed to just slide away under i the surface and disappear. this is bbc news, the latest headlines...

russia says it will ask ten us diplomats to leave moscow and has advised the ambassador to return home for consultations. china's leader xi jinping calls for global cooperation in fighting climate change after an international conference. after months of empty stadiums, fans in the uk will return to watching major sports events this weekend with both the world snooker championships and the fa cup semi—finals admitting limited, socially distanced crowds. all spectators will have to meet government requirements to prove they're free of coronavirus. but having spectators at events during the covid—era is not completely new. the national basketball association has allowed limited numbers are most venues and major league baseball started its season this month with fans at the games. i'm joined now by allen hershkowitz, co—chair of the international well building institute advisory for sports and entertainment venues, who also is an adviser for the nba and major league baseball's new york yankees. and major league baseball's new york thanks and major league baseball's new york forjoining l

back thanks forjoining us. some fans get backin thanks forjoining us. some fans get back in texas, it looks like they are all back in. how's it going in america? , ., ., ., ~ are all back in. how's it going in america?— are all back in. how's it going in america? , ., ., ., ., america? first of all, thank you for havin: america? first of all, thank you for having me — america? first of all, thank you for having me and _ america? first of all, thank you for having me and having _ america? first of all, thank you for having me and having this - america? first of all, thank you for i having me and having this discussion and i hope you are well and safe and all your viewers are healthy and safe as well. we have all been challenged in the past but nothing like this. 0bviously, challenged in the past but nothing like this. obviously, we are facing in the sports industry right now, the worst financial crisis in its history and that is due to the human health crisis. we are very clearly aware now that economic health is dependent on human health. in the united states, as you know, we have 50 different states and there are different politicaljurisdictions and the covid—19 has spread differently in different parts of the country. so state and local government as well as the federal government as well as the federal government have implemented guidelines that allow for attendance to be pegged to specific regional

circumstances. in some cases, like texas, you have a political circumstance. that is oriented in one way and in new york you have a political circumstance oriented in another but what's interesting about new york and texas is that the new york yankees and the dallas cowboys have both come together to embrace the international well building institutes health and safety rating. in fact, half of the nba arenas, dozens of sports venues throughout the united states, have gotten third—party independent verification of their protocols for covid management. some of these venues right now are literally biologically clean, we have situations where the venues are clean as hospitals. in some cases, even cleaner than

certain hospitals. just some cases, even cleaner than certain hospitals.— some cases, even cleaner than certain hospitals. just “umping in, of course people h certain hospitals. justjumping in, of course people understand - certain hospitals. justjumping in, i of course people understand venues have to be clean, that's important and also legal. but then again, no fan once a hospital experience when they go to a game. the entire fun was being crammed next to other people hoping they did not spill their beer on you. it is asset out experience fun as a fan? you are absolutely _ experience fun as a fan? you are absolutely right. _ experience fun as a fan? you are absolutely right. there's - experience fun as a fan? you are absolutely right. there's nothing| absolutely right. there's nothing like, in fact, absolutely right. there's nothing like, infact, we absolutely right. there's nothing like, in fact, we know that players perform better when there are fans in stadiums. we all want the fans back. there is no question about it. interestingly, i recently did a walk—through with the new york state department of health of the major stadium and we went from the bowels to the roof of the stadium and this venue, venues are especially those that get the health and safety rating, it's really critical we are there to be third—party independent verification, not attached to any vendor or industry, sort of what the

international well building institute has been providing an invite, there is huge financial benefits to the venues that do that. people who buy sweets, corporations, fans are more likely to come back, but you are at absolutely right. even though the venues are actually quite safe, or safer than they have ever been, that's for sure, fans are concerned about other fans. 0ur concerned about other fans. our other fans going to comply with wearing a mask? 0rare other fans going to comply with wearing a mask? or are they vaccinated? the idea, i hope that the united states, more and more folks, i very substantial percentage of us residents are now vaccinated, that makes a big difference. just “uminu that makes a big difference. just jumping in. _ that makes a big difference. just jumping in, fora year or so, the jumping in, fora year orso, the players did not get cheered in person, but on the other side, they did not get booed, they did not get jeers by opposing fans. 0n did not get booed, they did not get jeers by opposing fans. on balance,

do the athletes prefer to play with or without fans?— or without fans? there's no questions _ or without fans? there's no questions they _ or without fans? there's no questions they prefer - or without fans? there's no | questions they prefer having or without fans? there's no - questions they prefer having fans. in fact, the athletes, whether it was roger federer or rafa nadal, they are very explicit about the benefits of playing with fans. look, in the united states, 16% of americans follow science, 81% follow sports. that gives you an indication of the popularity of what we're talking about. it of the popularity of what we're talking about.— of the popularity of what we're talking about. it does. we could talking about. it does. we could talk for ages _ talking about. it does. we could talk for ages but _ talking about. it does. we could talk for ages but thank - talking about. it does. we could talk for ages but thank you - talking about. it does. we could talk for ages but thank you so . talking about. it does. we could - talk for ages but thank you so much joining us. as final preparations are made for the funeral of the duke of edinburgh on saturday at windsor castle, the archbishop from windsor, our royal correspondent nicholas witchell reports. 0utside st george's chapel within windsor castle, some of the flowers left by members

of the public have been laid out on the lawns. close by, a wreath from the prime minister with a card paying tribute to a man to whom the nation owed more than words can say. there were wreaths too from commonwealth nations, from canada and new zealand — countries which the duke had often visited. the earl and countess of wessex and their daughter came to inspect the flowers and some of the cards and other tributes which have been left. and this, as the final touches for tomorrow's funeral were being put into place. all the military contingents who are involved in the short ceremonial procession have completed their main preparations. at the centre of the procession will be the land rover hearse, which the duke helped to design. it will be in the castle's central quadrangle that the proceedings will begin. the service detachments

will be drawn up. a few moments after 2.40pm tomorrow, the duke's coffin will be born from the state entrance to be placed on the land rover. at 2.45pm, the small procession will step off for the eight—minute journey through the castle. some members of the royal family will walk behind the coffin. the queen will follow in a limousine. the route will be lined by the military. at 2.53pm, the coffin will arrive at the west steps of saint george's chapel. it will be borne to the top of the steps, where it will pause. at 3pm, a one—minute silence will be observed before the coffin enters the chapel for the funeral service. inside the chapel, the queen will sit by herself. like all the 30 members of the congregation, she will wear a mask. at one point, the chapel will echo to the bugle call for action stations — a reminder of the duke's service as an officer in the royal navy in the second world war. in the town of windsor, many of the residents have their own stories of the duke.

you would see him out on his carriage, and he would always acknowledge you. he would always say hello to the group of us as we were walking. it will be very strange, because we have only ever known prince philip in my life, he has always been here. so a castle which has witnessed many moments in britain's long royal history is ready for another. the weather forecast for tomorrow is good, but both the palace and police are hoping that that won't tempt people to come to windsor. they have reiterated the point that no part of the funeral will be visible to spectators. the only way to follow it is to watch it on television. audiences around the world will watch and listen as the queen bids farewell to the man she described as her beloved husband. nicholas witchell, bbc news, windsor. the duke of edinburgh's funeral takes place at windsor on saturday.

we will have special coverage of the events, starting at 11.30 gmt. do try to join us for that. the weekend is upon us, and the weather is looking pretty good across most of the uk. here's the good news, the temperatures are going to rise a little bit, just a bit. the mornings will still be fairly chilly. a frosty night tonight, but i think by day, it will at least improve by around 2—3 degrees compared to what we've had in the last few. here is the weather map, from high—pressure close to uk, keeping weather fronts at bay. here's the recent satellite picture. you can see a weather frontjust brushing the outer hebrides there, scotland and also the north of northern ireland. 0ver us, just a scattering of fairweather cloud here and there. so this evening and overnight, it's a case of clear skies, again, a touch of frost, particularly across central and eastern areas of the uk.

but where we have the breeze, just lifting out of the south here, i think it'll keep things just about frost free, certainly in belfast and also western parts of scotland. but central and eastern areas, as i say, will be pretty nippy. so, here's the weather map for saturday, daytime itself, and you can see that high pressure there. the weather front�*s trying to move in, again, brushing the very far northwest of the uk. so, here, i think at times, a little on the cloudy side, but generally speaking, it's a case of sunny skies for most of us. in fact, out of the two days, i'd certainly say that saturday is going to be the sunnier day. best temperatures around 111—15 celsius towards the west of the uk. now on sunday, the weather fronts are moving a little bit closer, in fact, they are encroaching into northern ireland and also parts of scotland, which means we are going to see increasing amounts of cloud, also the possibility of some light rain or drizzle in places like belfast, also western scotland, maybe even glasgow there.

but, generally speaking, i think it's going to be more of a cloudy day for england and wales. the best of the sunshine in the far east of the uk. temperatures not bad, around 15 celsius. now, into monday, next week, so, still some mild air around on monday, but tuesday, wednesday, thursday, we'll pick up a northerly again, blowing out of the arctic. so that means that eventually next week, after this brief recovery that we're going to see in the temperatures up to around 15—16 celsius, they're going to go back down again. but let's enjoy the warmth this weekend if you can. bye— bye.

this is bbc world news, the headlines russia is expelling ten us diplomats and blacklisting eight top american officials, in response to sanctions imposed by washington on thursday. russia's foreign minister sergei lavrov said moscow was also tightening restrictions on us diplomats travelling within russia. china has said it is willing to co—operate more with some european countries over the challenges of climate change. president xijinping made the pledge during a video summit with the leaders of germany and france. newly released body camera footage appears to show a 13 year—old boy was not armed when he was shot dead by chicago police. the footage shows adam toledo apparently dropping a gun before being shot. and there are severe shortages of beds and oxygen in parts of india, as the country reports another record number of daily coronavirus infections. more than 200—thousand cases were reported in the latest 24—hour period. you are watching bbc news.

let's return now to tomorrow's funeral of the duke of edinburgh. the archbishop of canterburyjustin welby, who will give the blessing at the funeral service, has been speaking to the bbc�*s reeta chakrabarti. she began by asking him if he felt nervous ahead of occasions like this. oh yes, absolutely. a few weeks ago, i took the funeral of a relative. and i'll be no more nervous than i was then. the nerves are not about the number of people. the nerves are about contributing to this in a way that helps the family see that it's about hope and resurrection. we know that the queen is going to sit alone because of covid restrictions, and she will be doing what tens of thousands of people had to do in this last year. what will be the emotional strain on her, do you think?

she's the queen. she will behave with the extraordinary dignity and extraordinary courage that she always does. and, at the same time, she is saying farewell to someone to whom she was married for 73 years. i think that must be a very, very profound thing in anybody�*s life, and i hope that the whole nation — if they believe in that, they'll pray for her, and if they don't, they sympathise in their hearts, offer their condolences to her and the hope for her to find strength in what must be an anguished moment. because she is both the monarch and a grieving wife? she is a grieving widow. and over the last year,

there's literally millions of people around the world who have been in her position. and they will identify, especially in one sense. part of the burden that her majesty carries is that burden of representing everybody in her person. and that's a heavy burden. so this funeral will be a national event, but also one that resonates very personally for a lot of people? i think it will resonate very deeply for a lot of people. i think there will be tears in many homes, because other names will be on their minds. faces they've lost that they won't see again, funerals that they couldn't go to — as many haven't been able to go to this one. that will break many a heart. there's been a hope from other senior clerics that some of the reported rifts within the family might be healed over this funeral. do you share that hope? i think this funeral is absolutely

about the duke of edinburgh. and, in the hundreds of funerals which i've taken, they have different impacts on people in different ways at the time and later. and this funeral is about looking at the duke's life, being proud of that life. it's about the fact that, whatever is going on in the family, that each one will be feeling a sense of loss. this is clearly a big moment in the nation's life. how do you hope that we will emerge from it? i suspect that what the duke would say is, "now get on with it. " and i hope that we will see this moment as something we share in in the grief of this very, very hard year that we've all gone through. and then, we'll say the best thing we can do is to do

what he did in all his life — just get on with it. labour have written to the head of the civil service to ask him to investigate whether the health secretary matt hancock breached the ministerial code, after it emerged he has shares in a company that can bid for nhs contracts in england. mr hancock declared in the latest register of mps' interests that he acquired more than fifteen percent of topwood limited, which specialises in the secure storage and shredding of documents. the government says mr hancock has acted "entirely properly" and has no active role in running the company. let's get the latest daily figures form the department of health concerning covid 19. in the past 2a hours 2,596 people have tested positive for covid 19, a drop of 8.5% in the past 7 days 3a deaths were recorded, that's the total number of deaths within 28 days of a positive test. just over 32 and a half

million people have now received a first dose of a vaccine, 8 million 931 thousand and 5117 have received their second dose according to the latest figures. moderna will deliver fewer covid—19 vaccines to the uk due to a shortfall in doses in its european supply chain. the us drugmaker says the supply issue will also delay deliveries to canada. it comes shortly after the rollout of the moderna jab in the uk. the department of health says it is still hoping to hit its target of offering every adult in the uk a vaccine by the end ofjuly. pregnant women should be offered a covid—19 jab at the same time as the rest of the population based on their age and clinical risk group, according to new official advice. thejoint committee on vaccination and immunisation said there were "no specific safety concerns" identified with "any brand of covid—19 vaccines" in relation to pregnancy. professor adam finn is a member of thejcvi. we've now got some safety information from the united states

programme, where both the moderna and pfizer vaccine are being used extensively over the last few weeks and given to very large number of pregnant women. this finally means we've got a decent safety database for at least two of the three vaccines that are now being used in the uk, and that enables us to recommend those for pregnant women who will be called forward now in larger numbers as the programme moves down through the age ranges. women through the age ranges. who are trying to go it dr. can women who are trying to go it dragon can go forward and receive any of the vaccine. we are reallyjust focused on women who know they are pregnant and at any point in pregnancy if they wish they all this leave will discuss this with their clinician, obstetrician but we are clear that they should be immunised alongside the rest of the population. alongside the rest of the population. a woman who was arrested in connection with sarah everard's abduction and death, has had her bail extended. ms everard went missing while walking

home after visiting a friend in clapham, in south london. her body was found hidden in an area of woodland near ashford in kent, a week later. metropolitan police officer, wayne couzens has been charged with her kidnap and murder. the woman who was arrested at the same time on suspicion of assisting an offender, is now bailed to visit a police station in earlyjune. after months of empty stadiums, fans will return to watching major sports events this weekend with both the world snooker championships and the fa cup semi—finals admitting limited, socially distanced crowds. all spectators will have to meet government requirements to prove they're free of coronavirus, as laura scott reports. remember when sporting moments were celebrated like this? they may soon be again. snooker is leading the way in trying to get fans back. ronnie 0'sullivan begins his world championship title defence tomorrow in similar circumstances to how he won the tournament last year — playing to a crowd of 300 at the crucible. that number will climb to a full house come the finals.

it is important that we are successful, and because we're sending out a message to all other indoor sports, cinemas, theatres, the data that comes from this is going to be vital to getting to the land of milk and honey. also under the government's events research programme, wembley will open its doors to 4,000 local residents and key workers for the fa cup semi final between leicester and southampton. it may seem hard to believe now, but this summer should be a bumper one for sports — with wimbley at the very heart of the action for the euros. the government's road map leaves open the chance of large crowds at the semi finals and final injuly. but with not long to go, this weekend marks an important first step in getting the turnstiles here turning again. anna is one of the lucky few to have got her hands on a ticket. ijust wanted to get back in the stadium just to experience. ..although it's limited, it's only 4,000 of us, just to get back and expends the aura of the stadium, experience

the emotions, the atmosphere. so i'm really looking forward to it. on arrival, ticket holders will need to show proof of a negative lateral flow test done recently at an official sight. they've also have been asked to have pcr tests before and after the events. so—called covid passports aren't being used. in order to reduce risk, the government says no one who is clinically extremely vulnerable, under 18 or pregnant is allowed to attend. it really is a bit insulting to people who are undergoing cancer treatment or have a particular diagnosis to assume that they can't make those judgments for themselves. if the pilots goes smoothly and safely, the prize is greater than just helping iconic sporting venues have a chance of being full this summer. the whole live event industry is watching for no mised cues. laura scott, bbc news. the stage and tv actress helen mccrory —

who also appeared in the harry potter films has died from cancer at the age of 52. the man you can't went to the police. and we dealt with it. in recent years she's played the matriach polly grey — in the hit bbc series peaky blinders. her colleagues and friends have been paying tribute on social media. the author of harry potteij rowling said she was devastated by the news — calling helen mccrory an extraordinary actress and a wonderful woman. the actor michael sheen who's starred alongside her, said she was �*so funny, so passionate, so smart and one of the greatest actors of our time. from the first moment i met her when we were just kids it was obvious she was very special. it was an honour to work with her and know her". the comedian matt lucas, who set up a campaign with helen mccrory to get food directly to frontline health staff in the uk during the pandemic, said she "will be remembered not just for her remarkable stage and screen performances, but also for her selflessness and generosity". earlier our arts correspondent david sillito reflected on helen mccrory�*s career with my

colleague, samantha simmonds. award—winning stage actress, a long history with the national theatre, the deep blue sea, they said today they were devastated, devastated by the news. movies, of course the harry potter films. she had a number of political roles, she was sharee blair twice in the queen and also sky fall, and the director, sam mendes, said she was astonishing talent and a fabulous person. and in britain especially, she is best known to tv audiences for playing the slightly terrifying aunt polly, the person who is the brains with herfingers on the purse string of the shelby clan. she also appeared on tvjust a few months ago with that campaign that matt lucas was talking about,

raising money, providing food for nhs workers in the middle of the pandemic. by her side with her husband, damian lewis. he broke the news today, and i'll redo his statement. he said, "i'm heartbroken to announce after a heroic battle with cancer, the beautiful and mighty woman that was helen mccrory died peacefully at home, surrounded by a wave of love from family and friends she died and she lived, fearlessly. god we love her, and we know how lucky we were to have her in our lives. " he adds, "she plays so brightly. go now, little one, into the air. " she had appeared on television and interviews just in the past few weeks, hadn't she? i think that has been what was such a shock to people. they didn't know she was ill, so seriously ill.

she was in the tv programme roadkill not long ago, just last year. so she seemed a vibrant, so young, just 52. an utter shock to everyone to hear that terrible news today, broken today by her husband, damian lewis. we don't know much else about how she died, other than she'd had cancer. no, the only statements and what we've heard from damian lewis, as he said, she died peacefully at home surrounded by her family and friends. now on bbc news its time for newswatch. hello and welcome to newswatch with me samira ahmed. has bbc news got the balance right in reporting the potential risk

of rare blood clots after taking a covid vaccine? the bbc�*s medical editor fergus walsh who spent most of the past year covering the pandemic tells us how he approaches that challenge. we are back after our planned return to the airwaves last week was delayed by the special programming put in place following the death of the duke of edinburgh. as this weekend is prince phillips funeral we are going to discuss the audience reaction to the coverage on the programme next week. on this edition the subject is covid—19. here's the bbc medical editor fergus walsh around the time he last came on newswatch in march 2020. it's increasingly likely that we will see outbreaks of the new coronavirus centred here in the uk. france and germany have seen their cases suddenly doubled. both have warned of impending epidemics. if that happens here, expect more school closures,

the postponing of sporting events and other mass gatherings.