today at six... downing street apologises to buckingham palace after two parties were held at number 10 the night before the funeral of the duke of edinburgh. it was a time of national mourning last april, and covid rules meant indoor mixing was banned. one senior member of the cabinet acknowledges public fury at the revelation. when i heard about this i was, of course, very, very concerned and i understand people across the country are angry about what has happened. and tonight, the former head of the government's covid task force has apologised for holding leaving drinks, in december 2020. we'll have all the developments. also on the programme. novak djokovic faces being detained and deported after his australian visa is cancelled again.

covid restrictions are to be lifted in wales, over the next two weeks. and a hero's welcome for polar preet, challenging stereotypes after her solo expedition across antarctica. and coming up on the bbc news channel on sportsday... a swashbuckling century for travis head helps australia take hold of the final ashes test in a new venue — hobart. good evening and welcome to the bbc news at six. downing street has apologised to buckingham palace, after it emerged two parties were held at no 10, the night before the duke of edinburgh's funeral last april.

a spokesman for borisjohnson, said it was deeply regrettable, that the events took place at a time of national mourning. covid rules had meant indoor mixing was banned, but reports suggest there was drinking and dancing at the parties, until the early hours. the prime minister didn't attend either gathering, but the latest disclosures have amplified calls for him to resign. with the very latest, here's our political correspondent, ben wright. it was a moment of national mourning, flags flying at half—mast in honour of prince philip, the duke of edinburgh. but inside number 10, on the evening of the 16th of april last year, two parties took place. there was drink and music at a time covid restrictions on indoor mixing in england were in place... ..restrictions the queen followed at the funeral of her husband the following day. when i heard about this, i was, of course, very, very concerned. and i understand that people

across the country are angry about what has happened. earlier this week, the prime minister did apologise for mistakes that have been made. according to the daily telegraph, downing street staff were sent to a nearby shop with a suitcase to buy more booze. number 10 has not denied any of this. boris johnson himself was not there. itjoins the list of events being investigated by sue gray, a senior civil servant. as well as the two parties on the same night in april last year, back in december 2020, we know of several gatherings — both in downing street and government departments — including one on the 18th of december, about which the prime minister said this. i have been repeatedly assured since these allegations emerged that there was no party and that no covid rules were broken. the list goes on, with events

in november 2020 being looked at. there was a gathering in the number 10 garden on 15 may 2020 and a bring—your—own—bottle event on the 20th, which borisjohnson has apologised for attending. today's chastened apology to the queen is the latest twist in a saga that has engulfed number 10. as new revelations have dripped out, downing street has appealed for patience, saying all the facts will be known when sue gray publishes her report. but many tory mps are livid about the prime minister's handling of all of this and the apparent culture inside number 10. a handful of conservative have written letters to the parliamentary party, asking for a confidence vote in boris johnson. we've delivered brexit, he's got us through the pandemic, but now his leadership�*s in question. he needs to step aside. sutton coldfield is a true blue seat in the west midlands. but last night, its conservative association voted unanimously to withdraw its support from mr

johnson. the constituency�*s mp is a former cabinet minister. are you asking for his resignation? i'm not. i'm not normally a letter writer, but i'm waiting to see what sue gray reports. it is of immense concern, and i'm very conscious that in the local community, in royal sutton coldfield, people are aghast at what's been going on. here and across the country, tory mps will be sounding out their local parties and voters. i think it's disgusting. they're like a rudderless ship, really. i think it's a vendetta - that the media have got. 0pposition parties are now calling on the prime minister to quit. the prime minister allowed this to happen in number 10, not once, not twice, but on multiple occasions. the culture was, it's one rule for everybody else and one rule for us. for a prime minister under intense pressure, much hangs on an inquiry that could lay bare whether those responsible for setting lockdown rules repeatedly broke them.

ben is in westminster tonight, and ben, in the last couple of hours, there's been news of another drinks party in the cabinet office in december 2020. yes, that is right. sue gray's ever expanding report has prompted one official to get ahead of what she concludes. the previous leader of the government's covid task force apologised for hosting drinks in the cabinet office in december 2020. katejoseph, cabinet office in december 2020. kate joseph, the cabinet office in december 2020. katejoseph, the chief executive of sheffield city council, said the event was for people who were already at work that day and is truly sorry for taking part. we have had a lot of regret this week from cabinet ministers, too. politically, borisjohnson remains in treacherous territory. 0ne conservative mp told me his colleagues were facing a wall of fury from their voters at their constituencies. the latest revelations were toxic and potentially fatal. however, i think the majority of tory mps are

remaining quietly loyal at the moment waiting for the report to come out. borisjohnson hopes it could yet dig him out of trouble. 0k, thank you very much. the australian government has agreed to delay the deportation of novak djokovic after cancelling his visa for a second time in the dispute over covid rules. the world number one tennis player, who hasn't been vaccinated, is likely to be detained tomorrow. australia's immigration minister says the latest visa cancellation was made on the grounds of "health and good order." 0ur correspondent shaimaa khalil has the latest from melbourne. this is nine news, live from sydney. just moments ago, the immigration minister has cancelled novak djokovic's visa... it's a story that made headlines here in australia and around the world. for days, novak djokovic has been on the courts training, and now the government has finally announced its decision. the tennis star's visa has

been cancelled again, and for the second time, he faces deportation from australia. in his statement, the country's immigration minister alex hawke said... today i exercise my power to cancel the visa held by mr novak djokovic on health and good order grounds, on the basis that it was in the public interest to do so. the prime minister scott morrison said the sacrifices australians made throughout the pandemic should be protected. mr morrison's government has faced heavy criticism for allowing the unvaccinated player into australia in the first place while the country struggled with a spike in covid—i9 case numbers. they made a pretty mess of it, they did, but now i think they corrected it. it is unfortunate if novak won't be playing in the tournament. it will be close. yeah, i think if everybody else has to follow the rules, why can't he? and obviously, he thought he was above it all. the australian open is only a couple of days away, and there are now huge doubts over whether novak djokovic will be able to compete. but even if he did secure his

freedom, a chaotic and stalled preparation will only get worse with him spending the weekend between a detention hotel and his lawyer's office. andy murray says the controversy has been bad for the sport. itjust seems like it has dragged on for quite a long time now. yeah, not great for tennis, not great for the australian open, not great for novak djokovic. his former coach, the multiple grand slam winner boris becker, said this story has become about more than just sport. he is only a tennis player. we are alljust sportsmen, we are not politicians. if we are used in a political way, then we don't have a chance. the world number one is still fighting to defend his title here. whether or not he will be able to play, the australian open will take place under the shadow of a controversy that has gone way beyond tennis. the welsh government has set out

plans to end covid restrictions over the next two weeks. from tomorrow, the number of people who can attend outdoor events will rise from 50 to 500, and from next friday, there'll be no limits on the size of crowds, and outdoor hospitality can take place. then at the end of the month, most restrictions will be removed for indoor venues and activities, and the rule of six will go. however the first minister, mark drakeford, says that while infections are falling, there's no room for complacency. 0ur wales correspondent, tomos morgon, has more. piece by piece, wales is building its way back to normality once again. the closure of night clubs forced heidi is to delay its grand opening, forcing the business to focus elsewhere. we opening, forcing the business to focus elsewhere.— opening, forcing the business to focus elsewhere. we plan to open in january then — focus elsewhere. we plan to open in january then the _ focus elsewhere. we plan to open in january then the restrictions - focus elsewhere. we plan to open in january then the restrictions came i january then the restrictions came in. we had to move our investment into england where businesses were trading and get some income and

revenue generated. haifa trading and get some income and revenue generated.— trading and get some income and revenue generated. now you will not be 0 en in revenue generated. now you will not be open in times _ revenue generated. now you will not be open in times for— revenue generated. now you will not be open in times for the _ revenue generated. now you will not be open in times for the restriction l be open in times for the restriction is easing? we be open in times for the restriction is easin: ? ~ ., , be open in times for the restriction is easinu? ~ ., , is easing? we will not be open in time, but is easing? we will not be open in time. but we _ is easing? we will not be open in time, but we want _ is easing? we will not be open in time, but we want to _ is easing? we will not be open in time, but we want to make - is easing? we will not be open in time, but we want to make sure | is easing? we will not be open in| time, but we want to make sure it is easing? we will not be open in . time, but we want to make sure it is perfect for when it does arrive. from the 28, the night—time and hospitality industry will be able to operate without any restrictions in wales once again. from next week, capacity crowds will be welcome inside stadiums, just in time for the six nations. the location of the principality stadium is fairly unique in cardiff, because literally just a stone's throw away all the welsh capital's main bars, clubs and restaurants. from the 28th of january they can operate without any measures in place. the six nations brings in so much revenue it can hold some businesses for the rest of the year. this announcement is a much—needed boost after a difficult period. critics say this latest round of restrictions wasn't necessary. the first minister suggested that without them, 0micron

could have been far worse. i suggested that without them, omicron could have been far worse.— could have been far worse. i don't think the model _ could have been far worse. i don't think the model was _ could have been far worse. i don't think the model was wrong - could have been far worse. i don't think the model was wrong in - think the model was wrong in essence, because the model showed what has happened in practice, the sharp rise and now a rapid decline. as hospitality rebuilds for another reopening, they will be hoping it is for the last time. official figures show covid infections climbed to a record high in the uk in the first week of january, with an estimated a5 million cases. london was the only part of the country to see a fall in infections during that period. health officials are concerned about the slower take—up of boosterjabs in some areas. here's our health editor hugh pym. there is a new push to get people boosted, including here in nottingham and across the east midlands. take—up of boosters nationally has been much slower since the new year. and in some communities, it's only a third of the average, with the message not always getting across. a part of me questions whether it's actually effective.

and how many are we going to have to have after that? i really want to get it done, because of everything you see in the news, really. health officials in the region say the booster roll—out may have slowed, but they're still busy. we are still continuing to see hundreds of people coming in each week for their first dose, so we have to recognise that people are on a slightly differentjourney. at this gp practice in kent, though, the waiting area for vaccinations, including boosters, is sometimes empty. 0ur clinics really have been a lot less busy. we've also had problems where patients aren't turning up when they've been invited. he says getting the under—305 to come forward for boosters hasn't always been easy. that age group were vaccinated later, so their booster�*s come later. quite a lot of them have had covid, and you can't vaccinate someone within four weeks of having covid, but we still think there's quite a lot of young people out there that

are eligible that we are very keen to boost. senior health officials say there is now high confidence that 0micron causes low severity of disease in adults, but the variant is still spreading. the latest survey by the office for national statistics suggests that a5 million people in the uk had the virus last week, up 15% on the previous week, though that rate of increase was lower than during the week before. in england, it was one in 15 who had the virus. in scotland, wales and northern ireland, one in 20 people. medical experts say more babies are going to hospital during this latest covid wave, but they're not very sick with the virus — which they say is reassuring — and covid poses a very low risk to children. hugh pym, bbc news. the government's latest coronavirus figures show that for the first time since just before christmas there were less than 100,000 new infections in the latest 24—hour period. that means there were just over 127,000 new cases on average

per day in the last week. just over 19,500 people are in hospital with covid, and there were another 270 deaths of people who died within 28 days of a positive test. on average in the past week, there were 267 deaths per day. 0verall, over151,000 people have now died. 0n vaccinations, 90.5% of those eligble have had a first dose, with 83.2% having had two jabs. on average, in the last week, over 160,000 people have had a booster injection, which means that 62.9% of the population aged 12 or over have now had three jabs. the woman who's accused the duke of york of sexually abusing her has welcomed a us judge's decision to allow her legal case to continue. virginia giuffre says her goal is to show that the rich and powerful aren't above the law. prince andrew strongly denies

the allegations against him. buckingham palace announced yesterday that the duke's military titles and royal patronages have been handed back to the queen. 0ur correspondent neda tawfik joins me form washington. neda, what are we expecting next? what is likely to happen next? prince andrew's team says this is a marathon and not a sprint. while that may be the case at this stage of the race, virginia giuffre's lawyers have the duke of york exactly where they want him. he has basically run out of legal manoeuvres and he will have to fight this case as a private citizen, having been stripped of his royal titles. he will defend himself against these allegations, which he has consistently denied. he is determined to do so. for her part, virginia giuffre said she is excited and happy for the chance to expose the truth. her team is preparing for a trial and they are not ruling out

the possibility of settlement talks, but they say it has to be one that is not purely financial. we do expect that her team may soon ask the new yorkjudge to send a letter on their behalf to the british courts requesting their assistance in gathering evidence. including names of people she may want to depose overseas.— names of people she may want to depose overseas. our top story this evening: downing street has apologised to buckingham palace after two parties were held at number 10 the night before the funeral of the duke of edinburgh. coming up: the mps who heard evidence from cricketer azeem rafiq say public funding for the sport should be linked to progress on tackling racism. coming up in sportsday on the bbc news channel... with three weeks to go until the winter olympics get under way in beijing, we meet the man today tasked with representing

great britain in the luge. business leaders are urging the government to lift the work—from—home guidance in england amid falling rates of covid infections. the advice was announced just before christmas, to help combat the spread of the 0micron variant. the health secretary, sajid javid, has already said the country is leading the world in how to live with covid. here's our business editor, simonjack. it's a question office workers, their employers and politicians are asking, because it's one with big personal and economic consequences. it's one google is asking itself. its answer? to spend £730 million buying a building it currently rents and expand its office capacity by 50%. why would a technology giant do that? monday to friday, 9—5 looks like a thing of the past, but google — like many others — expect most of its workforce back in the office for most of the week.

for the vast majority of roles, it will be three days. we've surveyed our employees, we've talked to them expect most of its workforce back in the office for most of the week. keeps coming back. the opportunity to be in a room with their colleagues and collaborating and working on exciting problems is something they really value. do you think the employees are in the situation where they're calling the shots at the moment? where does the balance of power like? where does the balance of power lie? so i think... this is still an experiment. we talk about the last two years being an experiment, but i think the next two will be an experiment of equal measure, where we try and figure out, "what does hybrid and flexible actually mean?" and i think it'll be a lot of trial and error over the next two years. you can have all the technology in the world, but even a company like google thinks that the office remains important. it might be used differently — more collaborative spaces like this, less chained—to—the—desk — but the physical place of work still has value. however, after the biggest experiment in working in history, it's clear that, having tasted working from home, no matter how fancy the office is, some people don't want to come back. i've learned this new flexible way of working...

jenny was so reluctant to go back, she resigned from her bristol—based office job this afternoon to be self—employed from home. i'm done with the office, i'm done with commuting. working from home, working more flexibly works for me and my family, and i have no plans to go back into the office and work in the way that we used to any more. fewer people in offices means less trade for economists say the government shouldn't forget what makes the uk economy tick. 0njanuary 26, when the government comes to review the work from home guidance, we hope that they think very much about the uk being a service—led economy and how important it is for people to be able to meet clients face—to—face, for our cafes in city centres, for our gyms, the whole ecosystem that we see in our city centres to be able to thrive. google is betting big the office is here to stay. how busy they will be is yet to be seen. simon jack, bbc news.

and needs of how the economy fared towards _ and needs of how the economy fared towards the — and needs of how the economy fared towards the end _ and needs of how the economy fared towards the end of— and needs of how the economy fared towards the end of last _ and needs of how the economy fared towards the end of last year, - towards the end of last year, hitting — towards the end of last year, hitting a _ towards the end of last year, hitting a milestone? - hitting a milestone? yes. _ hitting a milestone? yes. we _ hitting a milestone? yes, we got - hitting a milestone? yes, we got some . hitting a milestone? - yes, we got some numbers hitting a milestone? _ yes, we got some numbers from november saying they grew faster than expected, that go back to the same size it was finally before the pandemic struck. if you look at this graph here, you can see this dramatic fall in 2020, one of the biggest hits the uk had in the developed world, but this trampoline effect, there is the bounce there. it bounced back very fast as well. but it has taken it bounced back very fast as well. but it has taken some it bounced back very fast as well. but it has taken some time it bounced back very fast as well. but it has taken some time to it bounced back very fast as well. but it has taken some time to make up but it has taken some time to make up that lost ground, so there we have got some good news, welcomed by the chancel today, but remember, this is from november, before omicron really hit. consumer confidence collapsed and we saw commuter numbers in our city centres evaporate at work from home guidance. so this could go backwards in december, but every time we have seen a wave, it has had less economic damage by and large than

the previous one, as we have learned to live with the virus. but the treasury is well aware of individuals, the economic situation does not feel that great. prices are rising faster than wages, and the squeeze is about to get a whole lot worse when energy bills go up and high taxes come in in april. so that will be, i think of the issue uppermost in the chancellor's mind as we go through 2022, put a key moment will be when the government reviews its guidance on covid restrictions on january the 26th. simon jack, restrictions onjanuary the 26th. simonjack, thank you. downing street has expressed deep concern that a suspected chinese agent was able to target mps in an attempt to make british policy more favourable to beijing. china has denied the claims, and accused the government of being "too obsessed with james bond movies". 0ur security correspondent gordon corera has more. an agent for the chinese state in the heart of westminster.

that's the claim that sparked a row between the uk and china. christine lee was a well—known figure, a lawyer seen here encouraging people from the chinese community to engage in politics. your vote is your voice! she had contact across the spectrum, providing hundreds of thousands of pounds of funding and meeting top politicians. but yesterday, an m15 issued this rare alert, but yesterday, m15 issued this rare alert, warning she was trying to covertly interfere in british political life on behalf of the chinese communist party. today, china hit back, denying the claims. its foreign ministry spokesperson said perhaps some individuals have watched too many 007 movies, leading to unnecessary mental associations. the warning is a sign that tensions over china and its covert activities are growing. just two months ago, the head of m16 said china was now his top priority. china's state news agency responded to that speech with its own spoof

of mi6�*s fictional spy, with a chinese james pond mocking british intelligence. but one former diplomat says the uk does need to be on guard for china seeking influence. by putting in that sort of money, it gets eyes and ears in parliament, it gets to influence, it hopes, various policy decisions. it might be about our critical national infrastructure. this latest warning has caused alarm in westminster, and it's unlikely to be the last. gordon corera, bbc news. vigils are being held across the island of ireland in memory of murdered teacher ashling murphy. the 23—year—old was attacked on the banks of the grand canal outside tullamore in county 0ffaly on wednesday. the national women's council of ireland says events have been planned at dozens of locations, and the taoiseach, micheal martin, says ireland is united in solidarity and revulsion

at the killing. ajury has a jury has cleared three extinction rebellion activist to block rail services at a station in east london during rush hour protest in october 2019. philip kingston, who is 85, glued his hand to a docklands light railway train, while others climbed on the roof. the climate change campaigners were acquitted in a london crown court of obstructing the railway. an influential group of mps says professional cricket should lose some public funding unless it can demonstrate progress in eradicating "deep—seated racism". the media and sport committee made the recommendation following testimony by the former yorkshire player, azeem rafiq, who described english cricket as "institutionally racist". the england and wales cricket board currently receives more than £2 million a year of public money. our sports editor, dan roan, has the details.

england enjoyed some some encouragement in hobart earlier, as the final test of what's been a chastening series got under way. but back home, the game's in danger of losing more than just the ashes. a damning parliamentary report has concluded there is deep—seated and endemic racism in the sport, with a warning it could prove costly. i'd like to see public money withheld from cricket if the measures that the ecb come up with, in terms of trying to ensure that racism — the scourge of racism — is removed from the game. if they fail to meet those targets, then there should be a stopping of public money to the game. very simple. mps praised the courage of former player azeem rafiq, whose harrowing testimony last year on the racist abuse he suffered at yorkshire sparked a flood of further allegations at other counties. i'm really encouraged by how seriously the committee has taken the issue of racism, which clearly cricket as a game has ignored for a very long time.

i fully agree with them that everyone's been aware of this, so it's just sad that the game has looked the other way for such a long time. with the threat of an independent regulator also hanging over the ecb, it said it welcomed the report, adding in a statement... as has yorkshire, after losing sponsors and lucrative international hosting rights over the scandal. but after an overhaul of staffing and proposed governance reforms, it insists that it's a very different club to the one that was embroiled in crisis last year and is hopeful that, come the summer, it will be allowed to host england here at headingley. we've had incredible change. i've literally taken the club and turned it upside—down and given it a good shake. no stone left unturned, actually. but these are still early days, as the game tries to confront discrimination and attempts to build a more inclusive future under mounting pressure.

dan roan, bbc news, headingley. forbes has announced its annual youtube rich list. together, the 10 best—paid youtubers made a combined income of 300 million dollars in 2021. the winner wasjimmy donaldson, the 23—year—old american better known as mrbeast, who's elaborate stunts have whose elaborate stunts have generated more than 10 billion views on the platform and earned him £40 million. a 32—year—old british army officer thought to be the first woman a 32—year—old british army officer who says she's challenging the stereotype of polar explorers has returned to her home in the uk, after walking solo across antarctica. captain preet chandi trekked 700 miles in a0 days, and says she's already planning her next expedition. 0ur correspondent frankie mccamley has that story. cheering

arriving into heathrow, captain preet chandi reunited with her bridesmaid—to—be and fiance, who proposed a week before she left for the south pole. i'm so, so glad to be back in the uk. it's so great to have an audience here, like, have a few friends here, have my partner here and people from the military as well. polar preet, as she has become known, finished a 700—mile trek to the south pole in a0 days, seven hours and three minutes, almost a week ahead of schedule, enduring temperatures as low as —50 degrees and wind speeds of up to 60 mph, while pulling a 90 kilograms sled containing her kit. and what's next? i know you've just landed, but you already have plans in the pipeline, don't you, for other things? pretty much from monday i think i'll be in the gym again training. my aim is to do a full crossing, so, solo unsupported again. it will be a little bit longer,

probably a little bit tougher. the 32—year—old will also begin a tour of the uk to share her experience as she plans her wedding. preet�*s story of grit and determination has travelled across the world, getting international coverage. her goal is to try to inspire as many people as possible from all different backgrounds to take on challenges they never knew they were capable of. preet says she will continue to smash glass ceilings and change the image of the arctic explorer. frankie mccamley, bbc news. time for a look at the weather. here is stav. hi there. after that cold frosty start, we saw a lot more sunshine, and cloud further north. tonight, temperatures will plummet again, certainly where skies are clear. towards the end of the night, more cloud rolls under the south—west. an area of high pressure brings a

stagnant air. very little wind to