under investigation — the three government staff gatherings that took place while coronavirus restrictions were in force on meeting indoors. the health secretary insists that the government hasn't lost credibility — as it announces tighter restrictions in england to prevent the increasing spread of the omicron variant. if it carries on at that rate you could have a million infections through community transmission by the end of the month. we'll be hearing reaction to the new rules. also this lunchtime: delays to many hospital treatments in england are the worst on record — nhs leaders say patients are being put at risk. the conservative party's fined nearly £18,000 over the prime minister's downing street flat refurbishment. anyone under the age of 1a in new zealand will face a lifetime

ban on buying cigarettes, under a law to be enacted next year. england's dismal start in the ashes continues as australia's batsmen pile on the runs. and coming up on the bbc news channel: questions over the fitness of england's ben stokes, who appeared to pick up a knee and coming up on the bbc news channel: questions over the fitness of england's ben stokes, who appeared to pick up a knee injury on a tough day against australia in the first ashes test. good afternoon and welcome to the news at one. the government has confirmed the investigation into a party in downing street last december will also look at two other gatherings, allegedly held while restrictions on meeting indoors were in place. the inquiry was announced yesterday with regard to an event on december 18th. now a second downing street party

in november and a gathering in the education department will also be considered. the health secretary, sajid javid, denied the government had lost credibility by breaking the rules, as he defended the introduction of new covid restrictions in england. from friday, face coverings will be mandatory for most indoor public venues, including theatres and cinemas — but not pubs or restaurants. from monday you should work from home, if you can. an nhs covid pass will be needed to get into nightclubs and large venues. a negative lateral flow test will also be accepted. and daily testing will replace self—isolation for people who come into contact with someone infected. mrjavid said the rules would help to address the spreading 0micron variant, which poses a "credible risk" to the nhs. helen catt reports.

it's the 0micron variant of coronavirus and the speed at which it is spreading that ministers say has left them with little choice but to move england to plan b. we estimated _ to move england to plan b. - estimated that it spreads, the doubling rate is between 2.5 and three days which means the number of community infections doubling in that time and what that means is if it carried on at that rate you could have a million infections through community transmission by the end of the month. but community transmission by the end of the month. �* ., , ., ~ , the month. but some conservative mps don't think it — the month. but some conservative mps don't think it is — the month. but some conservative mps don't think it isjustified. _ the month. but some conservative mps don't think it is justified. my _ don't think it isjustified. m constituents are don't think it isjustified. mg constituents are exasperated and exhausted with the new covid rules and we are back on the conveyor belt with new restrictions, so can we debate on how we learn to live with covid and its varieds in the long—term without unacceptable measures such as widespread use of that passports. measures such as widespread use of that passports-_ measures such as widespread use of that passports-— that passports. many are also angry about how downing _ that passports. many are also angry about how downing street - that passports. many are also angry about how downing street has - that passports. many are also angry i about how downing street has handled recent events, including the alleged

party held on the 18th of december last year. yesterday allegra stratton, a number ten aide, shown in a videojoking stratton, a number ten aide, shown in a video joking about a christmas party, resigned. l in a video joking about a christmas party. resigned-— party, resigned. iwill regret those remarks for— party, resigned. iwill regret those remarks for the _ party, resigned. i will regret those remarks for the rest _ party, resigned. iwill regret those remarks for the rest of _ party, resigned. iwill regret those remarks for the rest of my - party, resigned. iwill regret those remarks for the rest of my days i party, resigned. i will regret thosel remarks for the rest of my days and my profound apologies to all the time. , ., ., time. others in the video remain in their “obs time. others in the video remain in theirjobs as _ time. others in the video remain in theirjobs as the _ time. others in the video remain in theirjobs as the political _ time. others in the video remain in theirjobs as the political fallout - theirjobs as the political fallout continues. the bbc has had reports that some number ten staff attended a gathering with carriejohnson in the downing street flat on november 13 last year. but this has been denied by her spokeswoman. 0n the 13th and 27th of november the bbc has been told there were informal leaving drinks. at number ten and conservative sources have confirmed that four members of the party's head office staff working on the london mayor campaign were disciplined for taking part in an social gathering on december 1a last year. social gathering on december 14 last ear. ., y , social gathering on december 14 last ear. ,,_ ,., social gathering on december 14 last ear. ., , ,., ., year. nobody is above the law, it cannot be —

year. nobody is above the law, it cannot be one — year. nobody is above the law, it cannot be one rule _ year. nobody is above the law, it cannot be one rule for _ year. nobody is above the law, it cannot be one rule for everybodyj cannot be one rule for everybody else and one for the prime minister and downing street. is incredibly frustrating it has taken a week for the prime minister to admit there was a potential breach of the rules and it looks like he wasn'tjust the one—off incident either. ln one—off incident either. in parliament questions were asked about which parties the investigations are being conducted by the country's most senior civil servants will cover. the government says it will look at the november 27 and 18th december parties and a gathering at the department for education on the 10th of december. in the middle of this the prime minister has a new arrival. his wife gave birth to a baby girl this morning. pubs could run out of cash as people return to working from home — that's the warning from one hospitality boss, as businesses deal with the impact of the introduction of plan b in england. 0ne trade body says the move is a "body blow" to already—struggling venues, at what is traditionally the busiest time of the year. there have been calls for extra government help while the measures are in place,

but there are no plans for additional economic support. ramzan karmali reports. it has been a tough year for that this liverpool restaurant and deli owner. yesterday's announcement by the prime minister of tighter restrictions in england was yet another piece of bad news for him. it didn't take long for some of his customers to react. taste it didn't take long for some of his customers to react.— customers to react. we have had cancellations _ customers to react. we have had cancellations already _ customers to react. we have had cancellations already foremost . customers to react. we have had| cancellations already foremost of our larger christmas bookings but also some smaller ones and that is a huge financial impact at this time of year, because restrictions are coming in place but there is no financial support for businesses and after the last year we have had, is the last thing we need running up to christmas. the the last thing we need running up to christmas. ., , the last thing we need running up to christmas. .,, , .., christmas. the most significant measures to — christmas. the most significant measures to support _ christmas. the most significantl measures to support businesses christmas. the most significant - measures to support businesses and workers through earlier waves such as the furlough scheme and the self—employment income support scheme have now been withdrawn and there are calls for a new economic support package. x�*t�*et there are calls for a new economic sopport package-— there are calls for a new economic support package. yet again we are

back into open _ support package. yet again we are back into open ended _ support package. yet again we are back into open ended restrictions. back into open ended restrictions with no end in sight, no financial support and absolutely no clarity on when any of this will be over. i urge the government now to put the support packages in place to support businesses through this really difficult period. the government sa s its difficult period. the government says its existing _ difficult period. the government says its existing £400 _ difficult period. the government says its existing £400 million i says its existing £400 million support package will help businesses get through the winter. since the emergence of the 0micron variant, business at this sandwich chain has slipped back below pre—pandemic levels as more of us work from home and with tighter restrictions are about to be imposed, sales could fall further. about to be imposed, sales could fall further-— fall further. research shows that auoin to fall further. research shows that aoian to a fall further. research shows that going to a workplace _ fall further. research shows that going to a workplace have - fall further. research shows that going to a workplace have twice | fall further. research shows that i going to a workplace have twice as many contacts as those who don't and we know telling people to work from home in the past has affected the contacts overall. the more we can do this, the more we can reduce virus transmission. this, the more we can reduce virus transmission-— transmission. hospitality is have once they face — transmission. hospitality is have once they face a _

transmission. hospitality is have once they face a collapse - transmission. hospitality is have once they face a collapse in - transmission. hospitality is have - once they face a collapse in demand. but some businesses will be able to adapt. irate but some businesses will be able to ada at. ~ ., ., but some businesses will be able to ada t, . ., ., ., but some businesses will be able to ada-t. . ., ., ., , but some businesses will be able to adat. . ., ., ., , , ., adapt. we have all done this before, we have seen _ adapt. we have all done this before, we have seen we _ adapt. we have all done this before, we have seen we can _ adapt. we have all done this before, we have seen we can do _ adapt. we have all done this before, we have seen we can do it _ adapt. we have all done this before, we have seen we can do it and - adapt. we have all done this before, we have seen we can do it and so - we have seen we can do it and so businesses have had to deal adult and adapt to this the ever evolving covid world. the and adapt to this the ever evolving covid world-— and adapt to this the ever evolving covid world. ., , , , ., covid world. the measures brought in enaland covid world. the measures brought in england bring — covid world. the measures brought in england bring them _ covid world. the measures brought in england bring them in _ covid world. the measures brought in england bring them in line _ covid world. the measures brought in england bring them in line with - england bring them in line with scotland, wales and ireland. what the overall impact will be will be harder to calculate but the longer they last and the tougher the once introduced, the bigger the downside. ramzan karmali, bbc news. let's get more on this from our political correspondent helen catt. what political reaction has there been to plan b?— what political reaction has there been to plan b? labor says it will su- rort been to plan b? labor says it will suoport the _ been to plan b? labor says it will support the measures _ been to plan b? labor says it will support the measures but - been to plan b? labor says it will support the measures but a - support the measures but a significant number of conservatives have already started to say that they just don't agree have already started to say that theyjust don't agree with these measures. there has always been a section of the conservative party who fundamentally disagree with things like vaccine passports, so now what you have got is boris

johnson trying to sell an unpopular policy to a party that is frankly quite cross with him, quite cross with his operation, notjust over these claims of a christmas party and their handling of that but over and their handling of that but over a series of things over recent months that they see as a series of mistakes, unnecessary mistakes that number ten have made. some of that private anger is starting to spill out onto the airwaves today. a bolton mp, chris green, was asked three times this morning in a radio interview to say he had confidence interview to say he had confidence in borisjohnson. he didn't answer that, eventually saying silence speaks volumes. political parties are just made of mps and the leader, there is the membership and there are signs there is some degree of upset amongst conservative members also. the chair of the south basildon conservative association again in a live radio interview announced he was resigning. there is certainly a measure of upset at what is being proposed here and of course

next week, a week today, you will get the measure from the voters in the north dropship by—election. figures out this morning show another rise in the number of people waiting for non—urgent medical treatment in england — to the highest number since records began in 2007. data from nhs england show that nearly six million people were waiting to start treatment at the end of october. nearly 11,000 people were having to wait more than 12 hours in accident and emergency departments in england last month — a new record. but the average response time last month for ambulances in england to deal with the most serious incidents fell to nine minutes ten seconds, slightly down from october. 0ur health correspondent, sophie hutchinson, has this report. hospitals are under pressure like never before. some staff have even said they're working right at the edge of what they can manage. here in newcastle, they say the pressure in a&e is as much as 50% greater than before the pandemic, and they

can't see an end to it. usually the end of winter we would look forward to, but nobody knows if that is actually going to happen this time. right across the nhs, there are more patients and they are sicker because so many who needed treatment didn't get it during the previous waves of the pandemic, and like many patients with chronic conditions, dawn, who has crohn's disease, has been forced to come to this a&e because her specialist clinics in a different area is still closed. crohn's clinics at the royal victoria are still open. so many other people have got so much more urgent needs than i have, and i think it's terrible that people are being, you know, left, basically, to... you know, it's almost like people are having to have to fend for themselves rather than getting the support they need properly. the potential threat from the new variant isn't helping. documents from government adviser sage say that

without any restrictions, the peak of the 0micron wave could lead to more than 2,000 hospital admissions a day, getting close to the peak from the first wave. our staff feel that it's been relentless. there has got to be a let up at some point. we have put in measures to help, and everybody is working really hard, but they feel that every time we go one step forward, we seem to go two steps backwards. today's figures for england show further record waits for treatment in a&e and four beds. nhs staff running absolutely as fast as they can but being outpaced by the extra demand and the pressure that we are seeing. don't forget, this is before we are hitting our traditional winter peak in terms of early to mid january. nhs england says it has seen the busiest november ever and that discharges continue to be a problem, with one in ten beds occupied by someone

who is fit to leave hospital. so with pressure on hospitals growing, the bbc has launched an nhs tracker to show people how services in england, scotland and wales are coping. by entering a postcode, it will allow patients and families to track any ambulance delays, waits in a&e and to get on to wards, vital information about the state of nhs emergency services through this, the most challenging winter they have faced. sophie hutchinson, bbc news. the conservative party has been fined £17,800 for "failing to accurately report a donation" that paid for the refurbishment of the prime minister's flat. the electoral commission says the party had not kept "a proper accounting record" of the money it received. 0ur political correspondent ben wright has the latest. remind us of the background to this. the saga of the downing street flat refurbishment has rumbled on for

much of the year. the work began in the spring of 2020 but then there has been a huge amount of focus on how it was paid for. we know that originally the government wanted to set up a new trust that would oversee the work and would enable number ten to spend much more than the authorised limit of £30,000. that plan then fell through and money came the governments way from a tory donor. there was a report into that published in the spring by the government's adviser that said the government's adviser that said the prime minister didn't do anything wrong but the electoral commission has been looking at all of this over the last eight months to see if there was a breach of electoral law and it has been combing through invoices, credit cards, text messages, whatsapp to establish what has happened and it is quite clear they think the money contributed to all of this should have been declared as a donation, not as a loan, not as a contribution to a trust and it says there were serious failings by the party in the way it accounted for this money

which is why it has fined the tory party almost £18,000, close to the maximum the electoral commission can slap on a political party. in addition to that, labor is pointing out to what they say is a discrepancy, the conclusion of the lord guide and this report today which points to a whatsapp message from the prime minister to lord brownlow talking about payments and further contributions in november 2020. just in the last few minutes the prime minister �*s official spokesman has said the primer minster has been honest about this, he didn't lie and that he did explain the situation promptly but labor say there are further questions to answer. the uk's chief veterinary officer has told the bbc there is a "phenomenal level" of avian flu in the uk. tens of thousands of farmed birds have already been culled, as the largest number of premises ever have been infected. officials say the risk to human health is low, but infected birds should

not be touched. families are being warned to be careful when borrowing money this christmas. more than a quarter of people responding to a yougov survey for the bbc said the cost of christmas is causing stress this year. and according to the organisation stop loan sharks, the pressure to spend means the festive period is when illegal money lenders most often prey on their victims. 0ur consumer affairs correspondent colletta smith has been speaking to one mother about her experience of living under the threat of a loan shark. we've changed some details to protect her identity. i couldn't get away from it. i was stuck in that house from, like, four o'clock, in the dark, on my own, just listening to people shouting stuff through my window. i did have the windows put through. it all started for this mum of three when she borrowed 50 quid. we'll call her michelle. she was new to the area and she met another parent in the school playground. she was a woman and she was a mother, quite persistent,

so we did spark up a bit of a friendship and start to chat and she said, oh, i help people around here, and, you know, i can always help you. michelle's hours had been cut at work and she'd struggled to cover the cost of her son's birthday party. it was very easy then because i knew the option was there. to borrow more? to borrow more, yeah, yeah. but that was, you know, a loan that was double the payback. you know, iwas paying, like, bits off, but to pay that back, again, that's twice as much money out of my pocket the next month. so then it was just a cycle, basically. she couldn't keep up with the demands and eventually her home was broken into and ransacked. what was left was either destroyed or, you know, there was things that were urinated on, so the children's beds and carpets had been urinated on, and i had to throw a lot of stuff away that was left. you know, some of the stuff

that was taken, its just stuff, isn't it, but there was stuff taken there that i'll never get back. really sentimental things and all for the sake of borrowing a few quid. after months of being hounded, threatened and abused, in person and online, for cash she couldn't pay back, it all got too much for michelle. i couldn't take it any more, couldn't sleep at night, i didn't want to go back. you know, i was so depressed. i just got whatever i could that was left, and the kids, and we left. we just got up and left. what mother makes her kids homeless? i did, i made that choice. well, i say i made that choice. i didn't really have another choice, but i took those children away from what they knew and left them with nothing. during the last year the family was able to move from temporary accommodation to a permanent home and michelle decided to ring

the stop loan sharks helpline to report what had happened. ifelt i could could breathe again because i felt somebody really understood. i am a good person. i made a mistake because i was desperate and i'm not a bad parent, but, you know, now i'm not that person, you know. i'm not scared any more. how do you feel this christmas as opposed to this time last year? last year i had nothing to celebrate. and it's not even about stuff, do you know what, it's a home. that's what we've got this year. we've got a happy, settled home and a lovely life and my children are happy. that was colletta smith with that story. if you've been affected by any of those issues, you can find help and support on the bbc action line website at bbc.co.uk/actionline. the time is 1.19. our top story this lunchtime: three government staff gatherings

that took place while coronavirus restrictions were in force are under investigation, as the health secretary defends introducing plan b in england. and coming up — an unofficial tribunal rules china committed genocide against the muslim uyghur community. coming up on the bbc news channel... the football supporters' association urges fans to find out how they'll be impacted by a change in covid rules if they want to attend games from next week. a bbc investigation has found british household waste is being shipped and dumped in romania. it's illegal to send abroad rubbish that cannot be recycled, but tonnes ofjunk is being exported as it's cheaper than properly disposing of it at home. once there, broken electrical goods are often burned to extract valuable metals, polluting the land. the uk government has pledged to introduce tougher controls on illegal waste exports. angus crawford reports. british household waste,

a long way from home. tonnes and tonnes of it discovered by customs officers at a port in romania. there's a microwave. environmental police say it's worthless junk which can't be recycled — illegal to export, but cheaper to send here than disposing of it properly in the uk. this is rubbish. translation: this made me feel that i romania is the landfill of europe. i this was one of many shipments, and other containers did get through. the authorities believe some of the waste came here, a vast private landfill, now under police investigation. we can't get inside the site, so we've driven round the back. the mounds of rubbish stretch away into the distance. the operators say it's only romanian waste, but the environmental guard insist there's rubbish from across europe, and that includes from the uk. we head to a meeting with local campaigners. so, we're being followed

and spotted the whole way? but when we get to the village, the head of dump security follows us and calls in the site manager. we want to talk about british waste at the landfill site. translation: we have nothing to do | with any waste brought from the uk | or any type of foreign waste. villagers say that's nonsense. i don't know in percent, but they are british waste there. translation: it is immoral, illegal and outrageous. - and all the time, security is watching. so, what's the romanian government doing about british waste? we are shutting the door at all the amount of illegal waste. what more can the british government do to stop these illegal exports? i believe that the british government should have also increased the checkings at their border, regarding the exports. we're doing whatever we can, in our part.

still the shipments come. this time its old fridges from the uk. look at the dirt and mould, with no safety certificates, say the authorities. there's money to be made from broken electricals. we're on our way to a village that lives off the trade, burning them to extract copper and aluminium. but it's illegal, and they're hostile. we need a police escort. in the fields around, mounds of waste, most of it from romania, but some from abroad. this is what's left over after a bonfire of plastic. we're told every night they set fires here, burning old television sets, cables, computers. there's still quite an unpleasant smell in the air. and we're told some of the things they burn here have been sent all the way from the uk. a dirty business polluting the land. it's destroying the quality of the water. quality

of the soil, as you see. it's destroying the quality of the air and the quality of the life. and still the burning goes on. an environmental crisis made in romania, fuelled in part by waste from abroad. angus crawford, bbc news, romania. jockey robbie dunne has been found in breach of four counts of conduct prejudicial to the reputation of horse racing by "bullying and harassing" fellow rider bryony frost over a seven—month period in 2020. 0ur sports correspondent laura scott is outside the british horseracing authority in central london. 0n the face of it this might look like a case between two jockeys but in fact it's raised wider questions about the conduct within the weighing room and it will likely send reverberations around the entire sport. bryony frost is one of the most successful and high profile

figures within racing, but the panel spoke of how she'd risked isolation and rejection by her peers when making complaints last year about a fellow jockey, making complaints last year about a fellowjockey, robbie dunne. during five days of evidence hear the british horseracing authority's case, which was that she'd been the victim of a vendetta, and a short while ago the independentjudicial panel found robbie dunne in breach of four counts of conduct prejudicial to the repetition of horse he said —— hope that he was guilty of distasteful targeting, deliberate harassment and at times dangerous bullying of bryony frost. the chair said there was a real concern about the weighing room culture which was said to be deep—rooted and coercive. we are expecting to hear the sanctions which will be applied to robbie dunne later today. laura, thank you. new zealand is proposing some of the toughest anti—smoking laws in the world. under the plans, anyone born after 2008 will never legally be able to buy cigarettes

in their lifetime. it's part of a package of measures, including drastically cutting the numbers of licensed tobacco shops, but there are warnings it could create a black market. lucy grey reports. at the moment, you have to be 18 to buy cigarettes in new zealand, but under planned new laws, anyone under the age of 14 will never be able to buy cigarettes legally. the age limit will then be increased every year until the whole country is smoke free. we want to make sure young people never start smoking. so we are legislating for a smoke—free generation by making it an offence to sell or supply tobacco products to those aged 14, when the law comes into effect. the government particularly wants to help maori smokers kick the habit. i reckon it's a good move, really. because, right now, there's a lot of young kids walking around with smokes in their mouth. how are they getting these smokes? and it's also good for myself, too, so i can save more money. if people still want to smoke,

well, they can just grow their own, which they are doing. maybe it's a good idea because, at the end of the day, _ smoking is bad for you - and it's really hard to quit. the new legislation, being introduced to parliament next year, will also only allow cigarettes with low levels of nicotine and reduce the number of shops selling them. vaping won't be affected. the aim is to get all ages to stub out the habit by 2025. lucy grey, bbc news. an unofficial tribunal looking into allegations of human rights violations in the chinese region of xinjiang has concluded that beijing has carried out genocide and crimes against humanity. in a finaljudgement, it accused china of torture, rape and religious destruction against muslim uyghurs and other ethnic minorities. 0ur correspondent caroline hawley was following the hearing. what authority does this tribunal have? �* , ., what authority does this tribunal have? �*, ., ., ., ., ., , what authority does this tribunal have? .,., ., ., , ., have? it's a moral authority rather than a legal _ have? it's a moral authority rather than a legal authority _ have? it's a moral authority rather than a legal authority because - have? it's a moral authority rather than a legal authority because it i than a legal authority because it has no legal standing. it was set up

at the request of uyghurs. china has dismissed it as a farce. it's led by a very prominent lawyer who led the prosecution of slobodan milosevic and it has looked seriously at evidence and sir geoffrey nice, the chair of the tribunal, said there had been acts of unconscionable cruelty. he spoke of the rape of men and women in custody, he spoke about the disruption of the —— the destruction of 16,000 mosques, of torture, of forced sterilisation is, of women having iuds fitted that were surgically removed, forced abortions and some of them near to term and he concluded... 0n the basis of evidence heard in public, the tribunal is satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that the prc, by the imposition of measures to prevent births intended to destroy a significant part of the uyghurs in xinjiang, as such has committed genocide. now, the us has already made that determination, the us government, as

has the uk parliament. human rights groups like amnesty international have locked and it depends how you define genocide. he said there was no evidence of mass killings but a deliberate systematic attempt to lower the birth rate and uyghur children would not be borne in the future as a result.— future as a result. caroline, thank ou. england's bowlers struggled as australia built a big lead on day two of the first ashes test in brisbane. the hosts are 343—7, nearly 200 runs ahead. 0ur sports correspondent joe wilson was watching. what don't you see in brisbane? well, there is no broad, no anderson — not picked. england put theirfaith in the bowling of 0llie robinson. 0utside edge, taken! marcus harris gone, that was one. england needed others, not every australian is quite the same. dismissing david warnerfor 17, that is a big deal. ah, but ben stokes had overstepped that line — no—ball, not out. and now warner batted with the freedom of a man reprieved. he was brutal againstjack leach. when robinson produced

a perfect delivery, rory burns spurned the catch. oh, dear. marnus labuschagne, meanwhile, was playing with the calm assurance of a batter who is famous for calm assurance. a meticulous 74. robinson to warner, look out for ben stokes. sore knee but his hands were 0k. warner was gone for 94. very next ball, cameron green — golden duck. goodness! were england back in the match? not really. travis head smashed the ball everywhere. england's bowlers now looked injured, exhausted or incapable. look at that for a cricket shot, bang! well, their preparation was very limited but every match is an opportunity and travis head seized his — his first ashes 100 helped australia to lead of 196, a match—winning position. there are three days left, should australia need them. joe wilson, bbc news.