no let up for the prime minister, after claims he said he'd rather see "bodies pile high" than have another lockdown. he strongly denies the allegation. and there are more questions over his downing street flat, for this, and he's made that very clear. boris johnson has to offer a full and frank explanation. he has to be transparent. if he's got nothing to hide, he has nothing to fear. we'll have the very latest from westminster. also this lunchtime... the first shipment of uk medical aid arrives in india, as coronavirus infections and deaths reach record highs. the trauma of miscarriage. new research suggests black women are at higher risk,

and all women could have longer term health problems. researchers say lockdowns and other covid measures adversely affect the speech development of young children. you have now, a total of 28 points. and a 24—year—old student from glasgow survives the black chair, becoming the youngest ever winner of mastermind. and coming up on the bbc news channel, champions league semi—finalists for the first time in seven years — chelsea are in spain for theirfirst leg against 13—time european champions real madrid. good afternoon and welcome to the bbc news at one. the prime minister is coming under

increasing pressure, after several allegations over his personal conduct in office. there are renewed questions over who paid for the redecoration of his downing street flat. today, he chaired a cabinet meeting, as he attempts to shift the focus, away from personal controversies. here's our political correspondent, helen catt. the government is keen to dismiss a number of rows, including how borisjohnson funded a revamp of his home in downing street, asjust a bit of westminster curtain twitching that doesn't interest the world outside. this morning, he urged cabinet ministers to focus on jabs and jobs. the only information i have is that of the prime minister has paid for this. and he's made that very clear in his own words. so it's a case of, there's a lot of discussion, perhaps, that really interests people particularly in the westminster and the media, about aspects of redecoration, whether it's wallpaper or armchairs, or whatever it is, but i think

the vast majority of people in this country are very keen about what it is we are doing in order to protect livelihoods. most prime ministers do up the downing street flat to suit their tastes, but this isn't a row about soft furnishings or wallpaper. it's about having a clear public record of who is interacting with the people who run the country. the suggestion is that a donation or a loan was made to borisjohnson to help him pay for his redecoration costs. now that itself wouldn't be likely to break the rules, as long as it is properly declared. so far, no declaration has been made. labour says if there is nothing to hide borisjohnson should just be clear. there's a reason why we have rules around donations and loans to government ministers, why they have to be declared, because ministers have to be beyond — they have to be above reproach, and we don't know the situation here. so again, borisjohnson has to offer a full and frank explanation. he has to be transparent. if he's got nothing to hide, he's got nothing to fear. but so far, his behaviour suggests

something fishy is going on. that's not good enough. downing street says if a loan or donation was made, it will be declared in due course, probably in the register of ministers�* interests. the cabinet secretary is reviewing how the flat refurbishment was funded. the reason why we have these rules around transparency is so that the public know who the decision—makers are, up to and including the prime minister,, what their interests are, and to be clear they are acting on behalf of the people, on behalf of citizens, on behalf of taxpayers, and that they're not overly influenced by donations or loans or private interest from anybody else. reporter: has the prime minister broken the rules, mr raab? - no, says the foreign secretary. but all the time there remain answers that are unclear, the question is will keep on coming. helen catt, bbc news. let's talk to our political correspondent, chris mason. chris, with more revelations are

seemingly every day, how damaging is this becoming for the prime minister?— this becoming for the prime minister? ., , minister? good afternoon, clyde. it is not going — minister? good afternoon, clyde. it is not going away- _ minister? good afternoon, clyde. it is not going away. the _ minister? good afternoon, clyde. it is not going away. the questions i is not going away. the questions keep coming and frankly, the answers, don't. this matters in and of itself for its own stake because it's about probity within government. what we are getting at the moment is a sense of being able to login and see and hear what goes on in government when perhaps those they are behind closed doors aren't expecting people to be listening or hearing what might be going on. so expect those questions to continue. the government is absolutely insistent it has behaved properly and that in the fullness of time the necessary declarations will be made. there is a second thought worth pondering this lunchtime. we are just a week and a bit away from crucial elections all over great britain, devolved, local, my oral, police and crime commissioner elections. the big thought is to what extent does all of these have

any impact for voters contemplating any impact for voters contemplating a trip to the polling station? how much of borisjohnson�*s behaviour, if you like, is priced in, given that he has always been an unconventional politician? labour hope to use the westminsterjargon that it hope to use the westminsterjargon thatitis hope to use the westminsterjargon that it is beginning to cut through to people. but even they acknowledge perhaps not quite to the extent that they might hope. chris, thank you. chris mason. the first medical supplies from the uk have arrived in india, which is struggling with an unprecedented surge in coronavirus infections and deaths. britain has airlifted ventilators and oxygen equipment, but much more is needed. there have been more than 320,000 new infections today, and the world health organization says three variants of the virus have contributed to the spread, along with a failure to stop recent large gatherings. but there are fears the true scale of the current epidemic, is being under—reported. here's rajini vaidyanathan.

the collective loss that is hard to process as the powers keep burning. there is a tragic inevitability in india, because tomorrow these scenes will be the same. round the clock volunteers have been helping to cremate those who have died. translation:— cremate those who have died. translation: , ., , ., ., translation: these deaths are not reaistered translation: these deaths are not registered by — translation: these deaths are not registered by the _ translation: these deaths are not registered by the government - translation: these deaths are not registered by the government is - registered by the government is covid—i9. our ngo brings bodies to be cremated. the government only counts related deaths of victims who died in the hospital. he counts related deaths of victims who died in the hospital.— died in the hospital. he believes the actual death _ died in the hospital. he believes the actual death toll— died in the hospital. he believes the actual death toll is _ died in the hospital. he believes the actual death toll is far - died in the hospital. he believes| the actual death toll is far higher than the official numbers. and in a country dubbed the pharmacy of the world because it produces so many medicines, there isn't enough to go round. police guarded the limited supplies. family is forced to wait for whatever they can. many feel

abandoned by those in power. translation: the abandoned by those in power. translation: ,., ., , translation: the government has failed us so much, _ translation: the government has failed us so much, that _ translation: the government has failed us so much, that those - translation: the government has failed us so much, that those who i failed us so much, that those who would normally survive will also die. so many people are dying because they are not able to get the most basic services. this kind of disaster i am witnessing, i have never seen this before. find disasteri am witnessing, i have never seen this before.- disasteri am witnessing, i have never seen this before. and in this crisis help from _ never seen this before. and in this crisis help from further _ never seen this before. and in this crisis help from further afield. - crisis help from further afield. ventilators and oxygen concentrators sent by the uk government arrived in delhi last night. it is a start, but with the surge in cases nothing is enough. there have also been offers of help from other countries, even regional rivals like china and pakistan have pledged support. the us is also looking at supplying oxygen, covid tests and ppe to india. it has announced it will share up to 60 million doses of the astrazeneca is axing with other countries is they become available. —— vaccine. but for so many families

it is all too late. no cry for help can save what india has already lost, as thousands die every day, more families bear the pain. they are not alone in their grief. india is a nation in mourning. rajini vaidyanathan, bbc news. let's get more from our correspondent, devina gupta, who's in delhi. the figures are astonishing. they are frankly scary, and yet the problems may be even worse due to underreporting?— problems may be even worse due to underreporting? absolutely. what we have 'ust underreporting? absolutely. what we have just heard _ underreporting? absolutely. what we have just heard in _ underreporting? absolutely. what we have just heard in that _ underreporting? absolutely. what we have just heard in that report - underreporting? absolutely. what we have just heard in that report is - have just heard in that report is the tip of the iceberg. the reality is in the indian capital, delhi, where over 300 deaths are being reported every day, i know of people who say that they are displaying covid symptoms but they can't get themselves tested because the hospitals in different laboratories

are turning them away. i was speaking to one of the pathology labs in delhi who said their staff is overwhelmed. they can't accommodate any more people. that would reflect in the number of infections being reported by the city and will also impact the response mechanism. we have also seen bbc team is going to crematoriums and reporting. the number of bodies coming in leading to the fire is burning constantly, seems to be exceeding far more than what is being reported. in the western state of gujarat at the local media reported that whilst the projected death number is between 150 and 160 people, when they went to crematoriums over 600 bodies were brought every day. these are grim figures. that is what the challenge is for the government, to be more transparent so they can prepare accordingly to handle this crisis with the public. thank you for that. and tomorrow, the bbc is bringing you a special day of coverage on the deepening coronavirus crisis

in india, and its significance for the globalfight against the pandemic. we ll have reports, interviews and analysis across tv, radio and digital throughout the day. every lockdown fine handed out should be reviewed, according to a committee of mps. they say the system is "muddled, discriminatory and unfair". more than 85,000 fixed penalty notices have been issued in england, since the pandemic began, with 8,000 in wales. our home affairs correspondent june kelly is here. so why exactly does this committee think that all these fines should be looked at? , ,., , think that all these fines should be looked at? , ,. , ., ., looked at? they say the fundamental char: es looked at? they say the fundamental charges that — looked at? they say the fundamental charges that they _ looked at? they say the fundamental charges that they are _ looked at? they say the fundamental charges that they are criminalising i charges that they are criminalising the poor. these are fines you get, £200 for not wearing a facemask, through to £10,000 for organising an illegal event. this committee is made up of mps and members of the house of lords, all parties involved, a real cross—section. they say the problem begins with the

system, which is basically difficult legally for the police, so that is a problematic to start with. then they say what has happened over the last 12 months, they believe, is that these fines have been prejudiced against certain groups, notably the young, the most socially deprived and some ethnic minorities. the reason they are saying this is that they believe that if people can't or won't pay the fine, they have to face a criminal prosecution. and so the mps and peers are saying that is where the poor are being criminalised. now they also pointed to statistics to back this up. they say the figures show that more than a quarter of cases, in more than a quarter of cases which got to court, where people were prosecuted, those cases collapsed and they say this underlines the problem with the system. now in response the government is rejecting all of this. a spokesperson said they have worked closely with the police throughout the pandemic and its right that

those who are very obviously breaching the rules should face the consequences. june kelly, thank you. people aged 42 and over in england are now able to book their coronavirus jab. more than 33.7 million people in the uk have now received their first dose, and almost 12.9 million, have had two. it's just 2a hours since the vaccine roll—out was opened up to anyone in england over the age of 1m. a miscarriage can be a devastating trauma, and now a huge study of four million pregnancies across seven countries has unearthed alarming new infomation. for instance, data suggests black women face a significantly higher risk of having a miscarriage than white women, and losing a pregnancy can leave all women vulnerable to long—term health problems. with one in seven pregnancies ending in a miscarriage, there are now calls for more specialist support to be offered. our health correspondent, anna collinson reports. people don't talk about miscarriages

that much, so i really had no experience of what happens when somebody has a miscarriage. in 2018, this woman lost _ somebody has a miscarriage. in 2018, this woman lost her _ somebody has a miscarriage. in 2018, this woman lost her fourth _ somebody has a miscarriage. in 2018, this woman lost her fourth baby - somebody has a miscarriage. in 2018, this woman lost her fourth baby at - this woman lost her fourth baby at 18 weeks. as a black woman researcher suggests she is more at risk of miscarrying.— researcher suggests she is more at risk of miscarrying. what happened auoin risk of miscarrying. what happened going through _ risk of miscarrying. what happened going through labour— risk of miscarrying. what happened going through labour was _ risk of miscarrying. what happened going through labour was worse - risk of miscarrying. what happened l going through labour was worse than knowing that my baby died, because with my previous pregnancy is going through labour is painful, it's horrible, but you have a living baby at the end of it. this time i knew it was going to be painful, it was going to be horrible and i was going to be presented with my baby that had died. g, to be presented with my baby that had died. �* ., . had died. a new report in the lancet has studied — had died. a new report in the lancet has studied more _ had died. a new report in the lancet has studied more than _ had died. a new report in the lancet has studied more than 4 _ had died. a new report in the lancet has studied more than 4 million - has studied more than 4 million pregnancies across seven countries. it says around one in seven pregnancies end in miscarriage. and around one and 100 women suffer three or more losses in a row. crucially, it suggests miscarriage rates among black women are 43% higher compared to white women. researchers are now calling for further studies to work out why this group may be more at risk. there are

several possible _ group may be more at risk. there are several possible reasons. _ group may be more at risk. there are several possible reasons. one - group may be more at risk. there are several possible reasons. one is - several possible reasons. one is that several possible reasons. one is thai they— several possible reasons. one is that they are more susceptible to diabetes — that they are more susceptible to diabetes and hypertension, and those conditions _ diabetes and hypertension, and those conditions need to be well—controlled. another as they more _ well—controlled. another as they more likely to have fibroids, and we are not— more likely to have fibroids, and we are not sure — more likely to have fibroids, and we are not sure how they contribute to miscarriage — are not sure how they contribute to miscarriage. and the other reason is sociat _ miscarriage. and the other reason is sociat it's _ miscarriage. and the other reason is social. it's possible black women are less — social. it's possible black women are less keen to access medical care _ are less keen to access medical care. .,, . are less keen to access medical care. ., _ ., are less keen to access medical care. ., ., , ., _ care. losing a baby and pregnancy can have a — care. losing a baby and pregnancy can have a devastating _ care. losing a baby and pregnancy can have a devastating impact. . can have a devastating impact. today's report estimates that almost quadrupled the risk of suicide and doubles the risk of depression. most women who miscarry go on to have a healthy pregnancy, so couples are usually encouraged to try again without further investigation. but experts argue special reports should be offered after one loss instead of three, which is often the case. eastenders actor lacey turner says she kept the pain of her two miscarriages to herself for a long time. ., ~' , ., miscarriages to herself for a long time. ., ~ i. , miscarriages to herself for a long time. ., ~ , ., time. for me, i think you become a mother the — time. for me, i think you become a mother the minute _ time. for me, i think you become a mother the minute you _ time. for me, i think you become a mother the minute you are - time. for me, i think you become a i mother the minute you are pregnant. and for that to be taken away,

that's another loss. you sort of, you grieve the fact that you aren't going to be a mother, as well as losing a baby. it was a loss, you know, at seven weeks.- losing a baby. it was a loss, you know, at seven weeks. lacey now has two ouna know, at seven weeks. lacey now has two young children _ know, at seven weeks. lacey now has two young children and _ know, at seven weeks. lacey now has two young children and hopes - two young children and hopes speaking about her experiences will let others know they are not alone. anna collinson, bbc news. the time is 13:16. our top story this lunchtime... no let up for the prime minister, as he faces more questions over who paid for the refurbishment of his downing street flat. and still to come — tributes are paid to the river thames hero who died after saving a woman from the water. coming up on the bbc news channel, all the latest from the world snooker championships, where the quarterfinals are under way. neil robertson starting his against kyren wilson with a century break. there's growing evidence that the coronavirus lockdowns

have adversely affected the language skills of young children. a study has found that reduced social interaction, and the wearing of face coverings in public, have deprived youngsters of experiences essential for increasing vocabulary. here's our education editor, branwenjeffreys. it's been a strange year for young children. less contact with grandparents, no play dates or family parties, fewer chances to learn new words or practise using them. i was worried about him making friends. about him... if something was troubling him, that he would be sat in the corner upset and not being able to like, ask for help or... ..say what was wrong with him. right from reception class, language skills matter, allowing children to speak, listen and understand. the bbc has seen information based on 50,000 children, assessments in reception

class last autumn. it reveals a marked increase in children needing help, and researchers have found similar worries in schools across england. there is huge concern expressed by schools about young children's speech and language following the impact of the pandemic. we can see that in the survey results, but also anecdotally, right across our networks. this is a really strong theme coming across from schools and parents. you need words to play, to make friends at school, to have conversations and to learn. and the worry is that during the pandemic even more children may have fallen further behind in learning the language skills they need. good? good sitting. and our voices... so could this be part of the answer? this teaching assistant has been trained to work closely with small groups.

we've been learning about seed sowing. we talked about different parts of the plants. growing seeds. learning and using new words, listening and repeating. we use different scenarios, different words, new words that we introduce in different narratives and activities during the sessions, and then we also use what words we've learned in the classroom environment. look, it's starting to uncurl. in research, children made up to three months�* progress, gaining confidence, understanding more. 7000 primary schools have had the training. it's being scaled up with government funding. all the research shows that if a child does have issues with language at that age, then by adulthood, they're four times more likely to struggle with reading, three times more likely to have mental health issues, twice as likely to be unemployed

and have social mobility issues. so getting this right at such an early age is literally the key to children's future. harry, what is happening with the shoot? it's starting to grow. he's become a little chatterbox. he's always asking questions. she does come out with words that she's learned from school, something they've been talking about, then she'll teach me at home as well. she'll kind of teach me things they've been doing, which is nice. help at this stage can make a difference right through school. but even younger children have missed out too. not all have seen a health visitor face—to—face. the scale of the pandemic word gap not yet measured. branwenjeffreys, bbc news, walsall. voters in scotland head to the polls for the holyrood elections next week, and the issue of independence will be high on the agenda. the snp and the scottish greens are among those calling

for another referendum, while the conservatives, labour and the lib dems are against it. our political correspondent nick eardley has the latest from glasgow. here in glasgow, there are some pretty imposing reminders of its past as the second city of the british empire. these days, though, the economy looks a bit different. in normal times, a bigger focus on gigs and events, less on shipyards. senses of identity have changed, too. in the last referendum, glasgow backed independence and, ahead of the election next week, people are talking about scotland's future again. for me, personally, scottish independence is the main thing in this election. it's a chance for...obviously for scotland to get a say again, it's a chance for a new fresh start, which everybody wants after covid. i would say independence is quite high up there, but i also want a decent recovery. independence should not be the most important issue at this election. - it should be kind of building back better with a green recovery. - scotland's control of big pandemic decisions is playing

a role in the debate. nicola sturgeon and her party ran a country through a global—wide pandemic. why can't she run everything else — the furlough scheme and the vaccines and stuff like that? we could have made that decision, too, if we were independent. the snp haven't been fantastic but because independence is still on the cards, it's essentially a free pass for them for this election. some argue a referendum would be a distraction. by saying that we can't focus on two things, it's kind of insulting our own intelligence and the people's intelligence, the fact that we're a smart nation — i'm sure we can multitask. can borisjohnson just keep saying no if the scottish people are voting for pro—independence parties? no, i don't think so. if there's a pro—independence majority in holyrood, they'll have a mandate to have a second referendum. that's not the view in downing street, though. the uk government has made it pretty clear it'll say no to another referendum, even if there's a pro—independence majority — which raises the possibility of a pretty tense stand—off over the next few years in which independence

continues to be a key issue. as the parties line up their arguments, businesses wonder what it all means for them. here at shearers candles the boss thinks the economy should be the focus, and that the scottish and uk governments should work together. it would mean they're not wasting time arguing with each other. we might get a little bit there a little bit quicker and a little bit better and a little bit faster. is it likely? he laughs. is it possible? i...have my doubts. independence isn't the only thing for voters here to weigh up — there's a lot at stake in these elections — but the debate over scotland's future is hard to avoid. nick eardley, bbc news, glasgow. you can get more information about the all candidates and policies of the parties running in the scottish elections, on the bbc news website.

tributes have been paid to a man who died afterjumping into the river thames to rescue a woman. folajimi olubunmi—adewole, known asjimi, entered the water on saturday night when he saw the woman fall from london bridge. she was pulled to safety, but his body was recovered six hours later. his friends and family have described him as a hero, and called for him to be honoured. here'sjon donnison. tributes to a young man considered by many a modern day hero. folajimi olubunmi—adewole dived into the thames at night to try and save a stranger. she was rescued, along with another man who also jumped in. jimi's parents, heartbroken, told us they wanted to talk about how proud they were of their son. he is my friend. if i am at home, he always come to me, and we are really friends. this is my son's clothes.

i can't sleep since friday. i use his clothes to cover myself and smelljimi's body on his clothes. jimi's friend bernard was with him and saw what happened. i could hearjimi screaming my name. it was just pitch black everywhere. i was just trying to see if i could see him. he just kept screaming my name. i got on the cliff, but all i could hear was my name just echoing. atjimi's old school this week, pupils and teachers gathered to clap for two minutes, in celebration of his life and his sacrifice. jumping into the thames at that time of night would have been a terrifying thing to have done, but thatjust demonstrates the level of spirit and bravery that this young man has. we don't have many modern day

heroes, and i truly do believe that jimi is one of them. and jimi's former boss at the restaurant where he used to work also paid tribute to his bravery. what was going on in his mind when he decided to make that leap and get into the water, thinking he could do it? this is notjust a normal, you know, person. this takes somebody incredibly kind, incredibly brave and incredibly selfless. selfless, to do that. and jimi's family are calling for him to be officially honoured. i want my son to be honoured and appreciated for what he has done. to rescue someone inside the river, my son died there. i want my son to be officially honoured. a young man who gave his life to save another. jon donnison, bbc news.

five people have been arrested after police in warwickshire found a suspected methamphetamine laboratory during a raid near redditch. officers from the national crime agency and warwickshire police discovered what they believe to be a large scale operation to produce the illegal drug. our home affairs correspondent tom symonds reports. sizable property in rural warwickshire, the end of a long investigation. two people arrested here. dozens of police and national crime agency officers carried out this early morning raid, backed up by a chemicals expert london fire brigade. because in this outhouse, they were expecting to find a meth lab. there was a faint escaping vapour. that may be from the highly

toxic process used to make methamphetamine. it is rare for police to discover a meth lab in the uk. they are more likely to appear in episodes of the hit series breaking bad.— in episodes of the hit series breakin: bad. , , ., , breaking bad. the type of equipment and chemicals _ breaking bad. the type of equipment and chemicals used _ breaking bad. the type of equipment and chemicals used are _ breaking bad. the type of equipment and chemicals used are not _ breaking bad. the type of equipment and chemicals used are not easy - breaking bad. the type of equipment and chemicals used are not easy to l and chemicals used are not easy to obtain, to use them safely and obtain, to use them safely and obtain the end products, methamphetamine, is very difficult, it takes somebody that knows exactly what they are dealing. laboratories encountered overseas tends to be operated by a trained scientist. in some cases police could read almost every message a suspect centres they were written, meaning that the suspects were talking openly about their activities, thinking what they were giving was secure. the substances present in this building are potentially so dangerous only firefighters with breathing gear are going on. it could take hours before it can be made safe. tom symonds,

bbc news, warwickshire. mastermind theme music place. now, last night a 24—year—old student from glasgow became the youngest person to ever win the bbc quiz show, mastermind. jonathan gibson triumphed in the grand final, after scoring a perfect 11 out of 11 in his specialist subject round, on the comedy song writing duo flanders and swann. and it wasjohn humphrys�* last episode, after 18 years as host. our arts correspondent david silito has more. cooling the blood. yes. lister. yeah. january brings the snow. yes. what form of humour was he referring to? satire. is correct. jonathan gibson... dodgers. yes. ..student. .. genus. yes. ..24 years old... louisiana purchase. yeah. ..and the youngest ever mastermind champion. you have now a total of 28 points. the response from everyone has been

overwhelmingly lovely. i just feel so incredibly lucky and, yeah, it great. it feels like a dream. this history phd student from glasgow — his accent is a mystery even to his own family — developed a love of his specialist topic, flanders and swann's 50—year—old comic songs, when he was seven. # i'm a gnu. # how do you do? he's also appeared on university challenge. saladin. saladin is right. but mastermind is a rather different quizzing experience. i felt so incredibly nervous. i was worried i might look like i was about to pass out. but... but, yeah, i think thatjust once you are in the chair and oncejohn is reading the questions, i think you just try and focus on one question at a time. jonathan is the 2021 mastermind champion. the grand final also marked another little landmark. it wasjohn humphrys�* 735th and final show. the previous record for youngest mastermind champion lasted 28 years.