at 6pm... the uk's most widespread miscarriage ofjustice — dozens of former postmasters convicted of fraud and theft have their convictions quashed by the court of appeal. cheering celebrations as their names are finally cleared — the 39 men and women had been found guilty because of flaws in the computer system installed in post office branches. i am not a thief. i am not a fraudster. i'm an honest person, and that... that's it. that's everything i want. the post office has apologised. now there are calls for a public inquiry. also tonight: the whole country is running out of oxygen, 0k 7 the city is, we are, everybody is. india's covid crisis — we report from a hospital in delhi as some patients die because of a lack of oxygen.

the prime minister's former chief adviser, dominic cummings, hits back — he denies being involved in leaked text messages between borisjohnson and the businessman sirjames dyson. the wales manager and former manchester united player ryan giggs is charged with assaulting two women. the long strain of the pandemic on care workers, who've spent the past year trying to save patients and protect their own families. and coming up on the bbc news channel: england face france in the final of the women's six nations — who'll take the title? and what's next for the future of the tournament? good evening and welcome to the bbc news at six. it's the most widespread miscarriage

ofjustice ever seen in the uk — 39 former postmasters and mistresses wrongly convicted of theft, fraud and false accounting have been cleared by the court of appeal. they were prosecuted after a faulty computer system installed by the post office showed large amounts of money disappearing from their branches. some went to prison — many sawjobs, marriages and reputations ruined. the post office has apologised for the impact the scandal has had on the lives of the postmasters and their families. our consumer affairs correspondent, colletta smith, reports. cheering. today was everything they had dared to hope for. we are very happy. we were not mad. it was a long time coming. branded as criminals, pursued by their employer, bankrupted, forced to defend themselves in court, and within their own communities. and none of it was their fault. i've been to prison. prison doesn't do anybody any good. today is pure emotion.

after decades of fighting, these sub—postmasters have not only had their convictions quashed, they've been exonerated by the court of appeal. it will have plenty of ramifications, legal implications down the line, but for those today whojust received the news, it's overwhelming. here's what janet skinner told me earlier this week. we was all telling the truth, but nobody wanted to listen. today, their voices were heard, and they were exonerated by the judge as characters of the highest repute. i'm relieved, absolutely relieved. ijust started shaking as soon as they started reading out all the names. to have to wait 14 years and to have to actually bring an army against them. karen wilson had been fighting to clear the name of her husband, julian, who passed away five years ago, and today, her strength won through. honestly, i can't quite believe it. it's going to take a long time to sink in, isn't it? yeah, it is. it's been worth all the trauma

and the pain and the agony and the tears. we've got there. that's the main thing. basically, we did the government'sjob. they didn't do anything. whole families have been impacted. emma had to step in to help her dad financially when he couldn't get work. as long as he's looking down, feeling proud, feeling, you know, we did it, i told you so, i think... i think that's what we'll take away from it. the lawyer representing most of today's group says this victory throws open the gates for hundreds more appeals. the words that have been uttered many times over recent years about doing the right thing by these people, the time is now to translate those words into deeds. the boss in charge from 2012 was paula vennells. under her leadership, prosecutions continued and a report into the issue was shelved. when she resigned, she was given a cbe for services to the post office. i've contacted her a number of times over recent weeks, but she hasn't

responded to my questions. the current boss of the post office also refused to be interviewed today, but in a statement, said... but those words can never remove the pain of lost decades. and colletta joins me now. a huge relief as their names are cleared but still a lot of unanswered questions, including about compensation. yes. unanswered questions, including about compensation.— unanswered questions, including about compensation. yes, and the 'udument about compensation. yes, and the judgment doesn't _ about compensation. yes, and the judgment doesn't hold _ about compensation. yes, and the judgment doesn't hold back - about compensation. yes, and the judgment doesn't hold back in - about compensation. yes, and the l judgment doesn't hold back in terms of who the finger is pointed towards, particularly the language it uses about the post office. they said, despite knowing about computer problems, the post office continued to prosecute based on the computer evidence. thejudges to prosecute based on the computer evidence. the judges said they protected their own interests at the expense of those individuals, and the terminology used in this judgment is that they effectively

steam—rolled over any sub—postmasters who sought to challenge its accuracy. the convictions, crucially here, the legal language is the convictions were an affront to the public conscience. that opens the floodgates for potentially hundreds more people to come forward. 736 people were prosecuted by the post office and they could nowjump straight to the court of appeal and try and get their convictions overturned, and there is the question of some kind of financial compensation and redress for those individuals as well. a public enquiry has begun into this scandal. it's already been criticised for not having enough teeth. a number of the former sub—postmasters have refused to take part because the judge heading the enquiry can't compel people to give evidence, so real questions around that, political, public no legal pressure to take action against the post office here. thank you. india has recorded more than 330,000 new coronavirus cases in the past 2a hours, setting a world record

for the second day in a row. over 2,000 more people have died. india's hospitals are buckling under the strain, with oxygen running short and beds in many hospitals completely full. from delhi, here's our india correspondent, yogita limaye. the front line — an emergency room in a covid hospital, just about standing under the weight of an unfolding disaster. a patient who is hardly breathing is brought in. as nurses tried to get him to respond, there's another person, even more critical. they couldn't revive him. to get past the shortage of beds, they've packed in stretchers, wheelchairs, as many as they can. but the first line of treatment against covid—19 is oxygen. and they've almost run out.

at this point, there was just one hour of supply left. the staff knows how many lives hang in the balance. people are being turned away, but they don't know where they'll find oxygen or a bed. manura bibi was taken in for a short while to stabilise her. we've already been to five hospitals. where will poor people like us go, her nephew asks. but this hospital is so on the brink, they have to leave. the intensive care unit is full, too. there are next to no icu beds in a city of 20 million. these are patients in a critical condition. it's unthinkable, unimaginable that one would think of them is better

off in any way, but it's the reality of what we are seeing in india. people in an icu have won the first battle — to be here. between seeing his patients, the doctor, constantly on calls. back—up, another couple of hours. so we are struggling, we are struggling. he's desperately trying to get more oxygen. we are running out of oxygen. the whole country is running out of oxygen, ok? the city is, we are, everybody is, ok? so, please focus on that, please. you are doing a fantastic job otherwise, 0k? please. ok, all of you remember that. if oxygen runs out, there is no leeway for many patients. there is no leeway — they will die. some oxygen arrived a bit later, but it can only last a few hours. then the struggle begins again. yogita limaye, bbc news, delhi. here, many people who have family and friends living in india have been watching with great concern

as the situation worsens. some who travelled out to look after relatives now can't find flights home. with india now on the red list, those who do return have to quarantine in a hotel. sima kotecha reports. from bad to worse, more deaths, more cases, more chaos. india is suffering. many here have family there, and it's causing alarm. this woman in guildford has recently lost severalfamily woman in guildford has recently lost several family members to covid in india. �* , , several family members to covid in india. 3 , several family members to covid in india. �*, , ., , india. it's very saddening and very, like, a heavy _ india. it's very saddening and very, like, a heavy burden, _ india. it's very saddening and very, like, a heavy burden, you - india. it's very saddening and very, like, a heavy burden, you know, i india. it's very saddening and very, j like, a heavy burden, you know, on your heart. it's not easy to smile without any reason, because it keeps on coming back to you that... you

don't know who is the next one to go. don't know who is the next one to co. ., , don't know who is the next one to .o_ ., , ., don't know who is the next one to co. ., , ., ., don't know who is the next one to a 0. ., , ., ., ., ., ., go. people arriving at heathrow on the last plane _ go. people arriving at heathrow on the last plane from _ go. people arriving at heathrow on the last plane from delhi _ go. people arriving at heathrow on the last plane from delhi to - go. people arriving at heathrow on the last plane from delhi to avoid i the last plane from delhi to avoid quarantine. some managed to make it backin quarantine. some managed to make it back in the nick of time stop india means a lot _ back in the nick of time stop india means a lot to _ back in the nick of time stop india means a lot to a _ back in the nick of time stop india means a lot to a lot _ back in the nick of time stop india means a lot to a lot of _ back in the nick of time stop i�*ic —. means a lot to a lot of people here, and the connection is very strong. most people would not consider it to be somewhere they would, say, go and live in, but they will still have strong legs. live in, but they will still have strong lega— live in, but they will still have strong legs-— live in, but they will still have stron: lens. ., , ., , strong legs. there are still many brits stuck _ strong legs. there are still many brits stuck over _ strong legs. there are still many brits stuck over there, _ strong legs. there are still many brits stuck over there, unable i strong legs. there are still many brits stuck over there, unable to j brits stuck over there, unable to afford a flight home because of a hike in prices. or to afford a lengthy stay in a hotel once they arrive. this is one of them. stranded in india with an autistic son. i have a child with special needs, and he is only 12. he is adhd

and autism. keeping him in quarantine for ia days would be a catastrophe for him, because he wouldn't do it. hejust catastrophe for him, because he wouldn't do it. he just wouldn't do it. is wouldn't do it. he 'ust wouldn't do it. , ., , .., wouldn't do it. he 'ust wouldn't do it. , ., , _, ., it. is funeral tires continue to burn and _ it. is funeral tires continue to burn and those _ it. is funeral tires continue to burn and those with - it. is funeral tires continue to burn and those with deep - it. is funeral tires continue to - burn and those with deep affection for their motherland continue to watch from afar, they hope for better days. here, the latest coronavirus figures show there were 2,678 new infections recorded in the latest 2a—hour period. 2,a83 new cases were reported on average per day in the last week. just over 1,879 people are in hospital. a0 deaths were reported — that's people who died within 28 days of a positive covid—i9 test. on average in the past week, 23 deaths were announced every day. the total number of deaths is now 127,385. as for vaccinations,

just under 130,986 people have had their first dose in the latest 2a—hour period, meaning well over 33 million have now had theirfirst dose. the take—up for the second jab remains high, withjust over a31,000 in the latest 2a—hour period, meaning just over 11.6 million are now fully vaccinated. india is not alone in having to deal with another major surge of coronavirus. japan today issued a state of emergency in some parts of the country, including tokyo, just three months before the olympics. the virus, which has already killed more than three million people worldwide, is putting a huge strain on healthcare systems. with no end in sight, the availability of vaccines is crucial, as our health correspondent, catherine burns, reports. getting ready for the weekend, the uk is slowly opening up

and coming out of lockdown, but this is a global pandemic, and our new normal doesn't reflect the story around the world. at the other end of the scale, india is being called a devastating reminder of what the virus can do. they are burning bodies in mass cremations. volunteers are helping with funeral ceremonies. even at night, we will try to finish the last burial for the day, because no mortuaries will keep the body. it has been another day of record cases. the spike in numbers recently has been dramatic. there are almost 20 times more cases now than at the start of march, but around the world, across that time, numbers have been rising. in turkey, it's six times more. in argentina, cases have gone up four times. for iran, it's three times bigger. and in germany, they are about to start another lockdown because numbers there have more than doubled.

it's not good enough to say that inequity is just the way the world is. it's not ok that people just like you and me die when we have the tools that could save them. this map shows how vaccines have been rolled out around the world. it starts off white before any doses are given. as you can see, the united kingdom is one of the first countries to change colour, to light blue. now, the darker the colour, the more people have been vaccinated. so, the united states and other countries follow as almost 1 billion doses are given out globally, but not everywhere. the lightest bits of the map, like huge chunks of africa, are either countries where they haven't recorded any data or have vaccinated less than 0.2% of the population. and let's just take the darkest blue bits. the places where more than 20% of people have been vaccinated. you can see how

uneven the spread is. science is only good if you get it to society, and that society, i'm afraid, with a global pandemic, is the global society, and we need to get those diagnostics, those treatments, those vaccines critically to countries around the world. it's enlightened self interest. that's notjust because it's the ethical thing to do as we enjoy new freedoms. when virus levels are high, the more likely it is to mutate, and the worry is that new variants could make vaccines less effective. catherine burns, bbc news. the prime minister's former chief adviser, dominic cummings, has launched a blistering attack on borisjohnson, after reports that he had played a part in leaking text messages between the prime minister and the businessman sirjames dyson. our political correspondent, vicki young, is in westminster. dominic cummings strongly denies leaking any messages and he has a lot more to say than just that. he certainly does, and let's start

with why this outburst now. the front pages of some newspapers today had an anonymous downing street source blaming mr cummings for some recent lea ks. source blaming mr cummings for some recent leaks. now mr cummings is having his say. firstly, he denies leaking the text messages between borisjohnson and the businessman sirjames dyson, reported by the bbc earlier this week. he said he is happy to hand his phone over to a senior civil servant to prove he didn't have access to them. now, let's go back to november. there was a leak of the decision to put england into a second lockdown. again, mr cummings denies that was him. he says the prime minister knows it wasn't him, and he accuses the prime minister of wanting to stop the enquiry into that leak because it would cause him personal personal difficulties. and then there is the issue of the renovation of the flat at number 11 downing st where the prime minister lives with his fiancee. for months there were rumours that this involved a very expensive designer and there was

speculation about who would pick up the bill. mr cummings said today he told the prime minister that plans told the prime minister that plans to have conservative donors secretly pay for the renovation were unethical, foolish, possibly illegal, and almost certainly broke the rules. today, the government said that the cost of the wider refurbishment has been met by the prime minister personally. how damaging is this? it is a huge problem. dominic cummings was beside the prime ministerfor a very long time and he knows a lot of secrets, and he is clearly willing to put them into the public domain. our top story this evening: celebrations as their names are finally cleared — the 39 men and women who had been found guilty because of flows in the computer system installed in post office branches. i'm at wembley where after a tumultuous week in football, fans finally got some clarity on what the euros will look like.

coming up in sportsday on the bbc news channel: european bronze for britain'sjessica gadirova. we'll have the latest from gymnastics�* european championships, with the men's all—around medals to come this evening. for the past year people working in residential care and nursing homes have been under extraordinary pressure. not only have they been trying to keep their patients safe, but they've had try to protect their families as well. for many it has taken a huge toll on their mental health. more than 1200 care staff across the uk took part in research for the gmb union. three quarters of them said their experiences during the pandemic have had a serious negative effect on their mental health. here's our social affairs correspondent, alison holt. masks, aprons, gloves — they've become a uniform for care workers in their battle against covid, but one that can't protect them against the trauma and loss felt by so many. there's just empty rooms. five empty rooms out

of 12 is massive. they actually said to say goodbye to my husband and i actually thought that's the last time i'm going to see him. because we're caring for people, i think you automatically - assume that people are doing 0k, and i think nobody ever wants - to admit that they're struggling. that's the last time i'm going to see him. because we're caring for people, i think you automatically - assume that people are doing 0k, and i think nobody ever wants - to admit that they're struggling. more than 1200 care home and home care staff responded to research by the gmb union. of those, three quarters say the last year has had a serious effect on their mental health. georgina's worked with people with dementia at the same home for 30 years. in december, covid claimed the lives of nearly half the people she looked after. now even entering their rooms is traumatic. itjust triggers such emotions. it did make me stop and think, can i carry on looking after — sorry — people with dementia... because i... i know now i can because i've... i've asked for help.

of those, three quarters say the last year has had a serious most staff questioned say their biggest fear has been that they might take the virus home to family. joanna runs a rehabilitation unit and developed covid soon after an outbreak at work. so did her husband. on her wedding anniversary, she was so ill, an ambulance was called. the fact that i was being taken off to hospital, blue lights and everything... i know my husband came to say goodbye, but it really felt like i needed to look at him for as long as i could just to get that image in my head. it really felt like this is it, this is the last time i'm seeing him. in terms of your mental health, do you feel stronger or worn out? worn down in terms of i've had enough, can we be over covid now?

and on the other hand, again, there's still that determination. let'sjust plough on, let's get through. but in a sector that struggles to recruit, nearly a fifth of care staff questioned expect to leave theirjobs within 12 months. mark was the manager of a home for people with learning disabilities. his wife had to shield, so she and their young children moved out in case he brought the virus home. he's now quit his job so that they can be back together safely. there was a lot of tears. we didn't want to be apart. and i think despite long hours working in social care, | we've never been apart since i was 18 years old. i think there's a lot of care staff that are either burnt out - or very close to burning out. i think we are going to see a lot of staff eventually off sick - with stress at work. you can't keep that up forever. although mark's no longer working on the front line... ..joanna is relieved to be back at work

after a year that has changed so many lives. thank you! alison holt, bbc news. the wales football manager ryan giggs has been charged with assaulting two women in salford last november. the former manchester united player has also been charged with one count of coercive and controlling behaviour. our correspondent andy swiss is outside greater manchester police headquarters and can tell us more. greater manchester police say ryan giggs has been charged with causing actual bodily harm to a woman in her 30s, and with the common assault of a woman in her 20s. both charges relate to an incident in november last year when police were called to reports of a disturbance at an address here in manchester. he has also been charged with one count of coercive and controlling behaviour, and he will appear at magistrates�*

court here in manchester next week. now, ryan giggs has issued a statement. he says: i understand the seriousness of the allegations. i will plead not guilty in court and look forward to clearing my name. ryan giggs, of course, is a former manchester united player. most recently, though, he has been manager of the wales national team, but he has not been involved since he was first arrested last november, and the football association of wales say that robert page will now take charge of the wales national team when they compete at this summer�*s european championships. andy swiss, thank you. government borrowing hit £303 billion between march 2020 and march this year — the highest level since the end of world war two. the record number is a result of extra spending on furlough and business support packages. a sharp drop in tax receipts also hit the treasury�*s finances. however, the final number isn�*t as bad as the £a00 billion that some experts had forecast.

the french national anti—terrorist prosecutor has taken charge of an inquiry into the fatal stabbing of a female police administrative worker near paris. other police officers shot dead her tunisian attacker after he stabbed her in the throat at the entrance of a police station. researchers in britain say early trials of a new malaria vaccine suggest it�*s 77% effective at stopping infection. the jab could be a major breakthrough against the disease, which kills more than a00,000 people a year. elections take place in england, scotland and wales in just under two weeks�* time. in wales, all 60 seats in the senedd are up for grabs. the pandemic has seen devolved administrations often take quite different approaches to tackling covid and its consequences. our wales correspondent, hywel griffith, has travelled to rhondda, an area badly hit by the virus, to speak to voters. high above the valley,

handwritten reminders of lives lost to the pandemic. the rhondda has suffered one of the worst death rates in the uk, a legacy of the community he has to live with. bev lost her mother, sheila, injanuary. the hut was her idea. as she looks to the future, what she wants is lasting help and support. definitely more money is needed for mental health in the rhondda. you ask any person here, they all know somebody who passed away with coronavirus, or you know, somebody in the family, so it�*s definitely more help needed here, because so many people have been affected. helping places like the rhondda recover is the challenge for whoever governs wales after next month�*s election. the post—pandemic years have to address deep—rooted problems. bev�*s son—in—law, brendan, says there has to be more hope and more opportunity. unfortunately, the majority of the young people coming through are going to have to move out of the rhondda, unless they are an entrepreneur who want to set

up their own business, to go and or “ earn —— earn those city salaries. as i say, i got two children — a 14—year—old daughter and an 11—year—old son — and, at the moment, i don't really want to encourage them to stay within the rhondda, because i think they're going to have a lot more opportunities outside. over the last year, it�*s places like the rhondda, with high levels of poverty and chronic diseases, which have suffered the most in this pandemic. generational problems that politicians have always struggled to solve. traditionally a labour heartland, the ground has shifted here in recent years. in the last welsh election, plaid cymru took this seat. this time around, the dynamic could be different again. having a voice in this country is quite a big thing. for the first time, 16 and 17—year—olds get to vote. the pandemic frames lloyd and ruby�*s thinking, too. we are missing vital and crucial education. they are the ground work and pathways of our future, and because i haven't had a full year of education, i don't know if i'm going to have the ability or skills to be able

to do my a—levels comfortably. being from the rhondda, you have this sort of- doubt in your mind i that you can't make it as big as people wouldj in more city like areas. having more education and more help and more opportunities _ will help push those _ people then to go and aim higher. the pandemic may have overshadowed this election, but it�*s also shone a light on how much needs to change. hywel griffith, bbc news, in the rhondda. and for more information on all the parties that are standing for election to the welsh parliament on the 6th may, you can go to bbc.co.uk. it�*s a year late because of covid, but euro 2020 finally kicks off injune, with matches being played at both wembley and hampden park. wembley will also now take on one of the matches, originally due to be played in dublin. natalie pirks is at wembley for us now. will fans be allowed in to watch?

well, after a hugely divisive week in european football we�*ve finally had some productive news forfans — we now know the dream uefa had of a cross continent tournament is still on. 2a teams will play across 11 host cities, starting in rome onjune11th. the key criteria for uefa is that grounds had to guarantee they could host 25% capacity. all hosts, bar two, managed to do that, so that means hampden in glasgow will still host four matches. bilbao s matches are now being moved to seville. and dublin s three group matches are being moved to st petersburg. its last—16 match is being moved here, to wembley — that will feature the winner of england and scotland s group. it means london is now hosting eight matches, including the semis and the final. more than any other city. the aim is for there to be 22,500 fans here for each of the group matches, but the fa today has said it thinks

double that is realistic for matches afterjune 21st. there is cautious optimism in government that this could be a summer to rememberforfans of england, scotland and wales. there was another first today from the us space agency nasa — and the company spacex, run by entrepeneur elon musk. and lift off. four astronauts lifted off from cape canaveral in florida — the first crew ever propelled into space by a rocket booster recycled from a previous flight. they�*re on their way to the international space station, and are due to arrive tomorrow. it�*s the third flight of nasa�*s public—private partnership with spacex. time for a look at the weather. here�*s helen willetts. a chilly start this morning, but suchis a chilly start this morning, but such is the strength of the april sunshine — 21 celsius in porthmadog.

however, it will turn chilly again