applause ukraine says its troops have seized back more territory in regions annexed by russia last week. calls for supermarkets to give more surplus food to those in need — and an autistic man held in the mental— and an autistic man held in the mental hospital for over 20 years is told he _ mental hospital for over 20 years is told he can— mental hospital for over 20 years is told he can go home. good evening. the prime minister is facing mounting pressure from within her own party, over her refusal to commit to increasing benefits in line with inflation. the commons leader, penny mordaunt, said it made sense to link benefits to soaring prices, but liz truss is considering pegging

the rise to the average wage increase instead, a much lowerfigure. it comes as the home secretary, suella braverman, accused tory mps of undermining liz truss and staging a coup to force the u—turn on the top rate of tax for high earners. our political editor, chris mason, reports from the conservative party conference in birmingahm. how much does this cost if i break it? is the prime minister in control? does she know what she is doing? liz truss, on a visit to a building site in birmingham today. she and the chancellor kwazi kwarteng must be tempted to leave those hard hats on all the time at the moment. the latest row is about benefits and whether all benefits payments should rise in line with wages or the much more expensive option, keeping up with rising prices. i asked the prime minister,

which of those was fair? well, we haven't made a decision yet on that specific issue. all of these things depend on the specific circumstances, but what i sought to do when i got into office as deal with the big challenges that we face as a country. people are facing energy bills of up to £6,000 so it is about making the right decisions at the right time. and as you say, there are different interpretations of what fairness is. for me, what it is about, fundamentally, is making sure everybody across this country has the opportunity to succeed. the prime minister might not have decided, but extraordinarily, this cabinet minister has. penny mordaunt, who sits around the cabinet table, says they should go up in line with inflation. is she right? as i said, we have not yet taken a decision, but how we operate benefits is an important issue but that is a decision to be made later this year.

when we last spoke you made a virtue of being willing to do things that were unpopular. how is that going? on the first encounter with trouble with your parliamentary party, you buckled ? the 45p rate was something that was a relatively minor part of our growth package. and i listened to what people had to say. both my parliamentary colleagues, but also to the public. and we have changed our policy as a result. do you think it is a good idea to be unpopular? i would like to see the higher rate lower. i want us to be a competitive country, but i have listened to feedback and i want to take people with me. transparently, loads of conservatives and plenty in the country were not with their own cutting tax for the best paid. and the idea has gone. at least for now. this is a party not at ease with itself right now. listen to how the home secretary

describes some of her own backbench colleagues... ultimately, i am very disappointed that members of our own parliamentary party staged a coup and undermined the authority of the prime minister in an unprofessional way. how does liz truss judge her opening month in thejob? it is four weeks to the day since she became prime minister and as a direct result of your experiment people will pay more on their mortgage or rent and as a direct result, your party has been an open revolt and opinion polls suggest you are tanking with the electorate. it has been a disaster, hasn't it? i don't agree with that analysis. if you look at where we were, four weeks ago, people are facing energy bills of up to £6,000. we have taken action to keep taxes low. and the opinion polls? what i care about is doing the right thing by the british

people, and of course, i have never pretended this would be easy. but what i have done as i have acted decisively, we have got those tax cuts that i have promised. this is how we are going to put the united kingdom on a successful long—term footing. this has been a difficult, at times excruciating, few days for the conservatives. tomorrow, the prime minister takes to the stage for her conference address. eye to party members, and the country. chris mason, bbc news, in birmingham. let's talk to our political correspondent, ione wells. as chris was sitting there it has been a difficult few days for the conservatives yesterday we had the rebellion overtaxed yet today we had the rebellion over benefits where does this leave liz truss mac? i think it leaves her in a very situation to be quite honest. as you say, normally these kind of

divisions particularly at a cabinet minister level play out more in private eye first often through anonymous briefings to newspapers for example. this one has played out incredibly publicly. we have had cabinet ministers at the most nuclear level of government actively say one thing, the colleague sing another. calling the moves of their colleagues the things such as curio which is the word the home secretary use —— cool. speaking to party members here today it is interesting we put the question to me how is liz truss doing. there is always a bit of a pause, certainly she has not sold it to them yet and that is the key challenge for her tomorrow to convince members, tory mps but also some of the ministers in her own government that their message is the right one. and crucially that they can go out from this conference and sell it to the public.— sell it to the public. what sort of -hone sell it to the public. what sort of hone do sell it to the public. what sort of phone do you — sell it to the public. what sort of phone do you think— sell it to the public. what sort of phone do you think she - sell it to the public. what sort of phone do you think she will -

sell it to the public. what sort of| phone do you think she will adopt sell it to the public. what sort of - phone do you think she will adopt on speech tomorrow? —— tone. i’m phone do you think she will adopt on speech tomorrow? -- tone.— speech tomorrow? -- tone. i'm told b some speech tomorrow? -- tone. i'm told by some peeple _ speech tomorrow? -- tone. i'm told by some peeple is — speech tomorrow? -- tone. i'm told by some people is one _ speech tomorrow? -- tone. i'm told by some people is one of— speech tomorrow? -- tone. i'm told by some people is one of trying - speech tomorrow? -- tone. i'm told by some people is one of trying to i by some people is one of trying to take people with her. i think she was using as a opportunity to get their view and sort of spell out some of the reason of the policies that she is announced which we know they have not been free of controversy and some have not been popular with the public either some polls suggesting the electorate swung towards labour levels that we haven't seen since 2001. so i think it the effort is to try and influence of the logic particularly by her tax plans. growth being the key aim of the policies that she has announced but i think the challenge is whether the audience buys it or if too much damage has been done? many thanks.

the home secretery spoke to an audience of tory party members earlier today where she commiting to bring forth new legislation to put a stop to illegal migration. she admitted people stopping in small boats would not be easy. she said the rwanda scheme had to be pursued. our laws are being abused. abused by people smugglers. and criminals peddling false promises abused by people making multiple meritless and last—minute claims. abused by tactics from specialists. small boat chasing law firms. this cannot continue. applause. so conference i will commit

to you today that i will look to bring forward legislation to make it clear that the only route into the united kingdom is through a safe and legal route. applause. and that is so that we can help support those who need our help the most including women and girls. so if you deliberately enter the united kingdom illegally from a safe country, you should be swiftly returned to your home country. or relocated to rwanda. let's get reaction from the founder of the charity working with people in the uk and beyond. thank you for joining us. we heard there suella braverman saying she was the only route to the uk to be a safe and legal one but she also said that those entering from a safe country, including an namely france would be either sent back or sent to rwanda.

what did you make of what you heard? the problem is that everything she is saying is based on a false premise. it is based on the idea that people there are not genuine refugees and that is simply not true. there is a mountain of evidence that the vast majority of people who cross on small boats are genuine refugees. and a lot of the evidence is on the parliaments own for website. and people who have escaped from the most terrible things in the world should not be risking their lives once again to claim asylum in the uk. they are coming here for our help and we should be helping them. the fact that we are criminalising them, that is basically victim blaming those blame people that they have no control over and something that they have no control over and is not their fault. have no control over and is not theirfault. so this is have no control over and is not their fault. so this is a have no control over and is not theirfault. so this is a horrific and harsh approach and we find it very disgusting. the reason that the

government is so keen on this idea of people crossing safe countries is basically because the geography means that the uk's most difficult country to get to in europe. and if you follow that through that means the uk basically takes none or very few refugees that is not great because we don't think the uk is any less compassionate than any other country. we saw great are support for revf refugees from ukraine and afghanistan. no one said no ukraine should not come here they shall be in poland. so it is not right to assume that the public doesn't want us to take in any refugees. in all of his talk of countries be it is visibly an excuse that the uk doesn't want to take a were refusing that this make any sense.— that this make any sense. almost 8000 arrived _ that this make any sense. almost 8000 arrived in _ that this make any sense. almost 8000 arrived in small boats - that this make any sense. almost 8000 arrived in small boats last i 8000 arrived in small boats last month can you tell me little bit more about the evidence that they

are all genuine refugees? their evidence on _ are all genuine refugees? their evidence on parliament's - are all genuine refugees? iie: " evidence on parliament's website that shows that a vast majority is on those crossing the channel those asylum claims are heard between 70 and 80% do actually get asylum that is following the very strict asylum process. is that means they are genuine refugees and the fact that they are going through the asylum process and their claims are showing that they are in genuine need of asylum. unhcr looked at this as well and i can tell you look at the ground with them the stories that we hear whose families have been killed in conflict, tortured, suffered severe persecution and this terrible things happen to people they either reason that people deserve to claim asylum. it's not that they are not genuine refugees the whole victim blaming is completely wrong because it is not your fault you are refugee is something that happens to you. if something terrible. and they're

coming here asking for help and i don't believe that people in this country want to turn them away. we saw an amazing response to ukrainians, people from other war zones, yemen, syria, afghanistan, they are all equally as challenging as the war and you can so we should be extending the same kind of helped to those people as we do to ukrainians.— to those people as we do to ukrainians. , i, , , ukrainians. sorry to interrupt its onl that ukrainians. sorry to interrupt its only that we _ ukrainians. sorry to interrupt its only that we don't _ ukrainians. sorry to interrupt its only that we don't have - ukrainians. sorry to interrupt its only that we don't have much i ukrainians. sorry to interrupt its - only that we don't have much time, i would ask you this final question, suella braverman said our wars are being used by people smugglers and thatis being used by people smugglers and that is time to crack down, and your view is going after the people smugglers the right strategy? indie view is going after the people smugglers the right strategy? we are the last people _ smugglers the right strategy? we are the last people that _ smugglers the right strategy? we are the last people that want _ smugglers the right strategy? we are the last people that want to - smugglers the right strategy? we are the last people that want to see - the last people that want to see refugees risking their lives to get to the uk. i would like nothing more than these channel crosses to stop. there is much by the way of doing it if we give safe passages of the refugees in the way they do ukrainians then that would put the people smugglers out of business. the vast majority of them are

genuine refugees so if they had safe passage across the channel and all of the smugglers profits would go away overnight they would not be able to make profits and if there were no profit there was no people smugglers. so it there is a much more effective and humane way that could save lives and would get rid of the people smugglers will. they are a symptom of the problem not the cause so why not... indie are a symptom of the problem not the cause so why not. . ._ cause so why not... we had to leave it there because _ cause so why not... we had to leave it there because we _ cause so why not... we had to leave it there because we don't _ cause so why not... we had to leave it there because we don't have - cause so why not... we had to leave| it there because we don't have time. a public inquiry into the uk's handling of the covid pandemic has had its first hearing today. the former high courtjudge leading it, baroness hallett, said it would investigate how prepared the uk had been, how the government responded and what its impact had been on patients, the nhs and the public. she promised that bereaved families and those who suffered would be at the heart of the inquiry — which is expected to last at least two years.

hugh pym's been talking to those who were on the front line in the early days of the pandemic. hello. i'm abi williams. hello, i'm peter openshaw. hi. i'm doctor sanjay bhagani. three experts. a care home boss, a scientist on a government advisory committee, and an infectious diseases consultant. all three saw the early impact of covid before lockdown in march 2020. the world they knew was about to change. i can never forget that day. on the 16th of march when i received a call from one of my senior members of staff. she was actually on night duty. she called me about 2am in the morning and said, "abi, i'm sorry to tell you that we have our first "covid case." how did you feel when you lost your first resident? i cried. i did cry. and... i was just devastated, really. because i felt i was asking myself

the question, "am i doing everything right?" i felt i wasn't doing enough. it was a telephone call. with one of my infectious diseases colleagues in milan. he was like, "sanjay, ihaven't had any- sleep at all this week. "our intensive care. unit completely full. "the ward is completely full. "you know, we are having to ration ventilators. - "in other words, we are having to choose who gets onto a - ventilator and who doesn't. " and that for me - was like, oh, my god. we had a young doctor at another hospital- suddenly became very, very sick and required intensive care. - and that was slightly scary, because it was like, - i can't explain this. i was asked to give an online seminar about what we were projecting in terms of the potential impact. and the numbers that i was giving out almost seemed unbelievable to me.

i had to sort of pinch myself. today the inquiry chair said one word summed up the pandemic, loss. those who were bereaved lost the most. they lost loved ones and the ability to mourn properly. it is therefore right that we begin this first hearing with a minute's silence for those who died. she went on to say those who suffered would be at the heart of the inquiry. lawyers for bereaved families wanted further assurances. witnesses will be called from next spring and that will include those ministers who made the key decisions at the time. hugh pym, bbc news. ukraine and russia say — there is now fierce fighting near the southern city of kherson — after ukrainian forces made a key breakthrough,

to retake the area which has been occupied by russia since early in the war. these are the latest pictures coming into us — where russian flags have been taken down and been replaced with ukrainian ones. the russian military has admitted its lost ground in the area. meanwhile, evidence has emerged of the speed with which russian troops were forced to flee from the eastern ukrainian town of lymaan. our correspondent orla guerin who's just arrived in the town, sent this report, and a warning it contains images some viewers may find upsetting. driving into lyman — now liberated soil. ukraine is clawing back territory. it has the momentum. but among the ruins, victory can look bleak. further in, the wreckage of war. and among the pines, there is death. along the roadside, evidence of the human cost of russia's defeat.

the bodies of fallen soldiers, still lying where they fell. ukrainian volunteers keep watch over the dead, trying to help identify the remains. unknown soldiers in vladimir putin's war. once, they were someone's husband or someone's son. a few steps away, a soviet book for teenagers entitled "adventure library". and something else russian troops left behind. deadly anti—tank mines — barely visible. well, there's evidence here notjust of fighting, but also of the desperate attempt russian troops made to get away. here on the road there is discarded bedding, backpacks, russian army uniforms and boots. all of this cast aside

by russian troops. what happened here wasn'tjust a defeat for president putin. it was a complete humiliation. last friday, he announced to the world that he was annexing territory, including lyman. he said it would be forever russia's. well, looking around here, you get a very different picture, especially from the top of a captured russian tank. we are going to win. i feel very good, very great. but lyman may never be as it was before. these deserted streets were once home to 20,000 people. pro—russian graffiti is daubed around town, including the cyrillic letters for the soviet union. lena and her ten year old son, radian, are out looking for water and hoping their ordeal is over.

the hardest thing was surviving the bombing, she tells me. the shells were exploding. we prayed as we stayed down in the cellar. we didn't eat regularly and we couldn't even make tea. deprived of school. radeon has learned lessons of war. well, war is very bad, he tells me, because people are dying, so the population is being reduced. and how do you feel now? my heart is more at peace, he says. back at the edge of town, ukrainian forces head for new battles. they know they need to move fast. soon freezing winter weather could slow their advance or linger. and bbc news leman.

a 14—year—old boy has been arrested on suspicion of murder after another 14—year—old boy died after being attacked in gateshead. a 13—year—old girl has also been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender and also remains in custody. our correspondent fiona trott has been giving us the latest from gateshead. will police say that the boy's family devastated beyond belief this evening. it happened here on the springwell estate just after eight o'clock last night. one resident has told us she was putting her daughter to bed when she heard someone screaming another resident has told us that they saw a group of lads running past shouting and screaming. an ambulance was called the boy was taken to hospital for suspected

stab wounds but he died overnight. then hours later as his classmates were going to school there was a minute silence held for him. we have been told. now flowers have been left at the scene here as well one of the messages reads, you were and an amazing friend to many and you had the most contagious smile. northumbria police are supporting the family in every way and are patrolling the estate this evening to assure people. they had said this in this region incidents of this nature are rare. and when you speak to people here they are very shocked, they are very upset but there is anger to which is why the police are asking them not to speculate on the social media becasuse this on the social media because this investigation is still ongoing. an autistic man who has been held in a secure hospital for 21 years has been told he can finally go home. 45 —year—old tony hickmott was detained after a mental health crisis and has spent most of his time in solitary confinement ever since. his family have fought for years for him to be released.

and now finally he is being allowed out. jayne mccubbin reports. you never gave up hope? nope. never? nope. i think if we had ever given up hope i don't think tony would be alive. i think he would have done himself in. pam and roy's fight to bring their son home is almost over. that's my boy. the fight to bring tony hickmott home is almost over. he was sectioned 100 miles from home in a mental health crisis when he was 23 and he never came back. now, finally, a real home and a care package is taking shape, authorities forced to act by a court of protection judge. dream come true. this is his home for life. a real home. a real home, his home. that he hasn't got to share with anybody. without the noise, the screaming, the banging of doors, the alarms. just get him home and every day's going to be a bonus. i know he's going to do well. last year, two whistle—blowers spoke to the bbc, revealing what they had seen of tony's world.

i don't even know how they do it — the patients, i mean. _ i don't know how they cope. it was almost like a solitary confinement prisoner. i do believe tony was probably the loneliest person living in that hospital. we challenged reporting restrictions to tell you about the family's court battle and now the care team has been assembled to give tony his new life here in brighton. you know, we know it's going to be small wins for tony, and we'll celebrate those little successes. tony loves being here on the beach, going for a walk, and if he continues to do that in his home town, then he'll be happy. authorities admit £11 million has been spent by the nhs keeping tony detained, against his wishes, his parents' wishes and, since 2013, the professional opinion of psychiatrists. but community care has to be paid for by local authorities. we have a responsibility, absolutely, as a society, we have a responsibility to look after these people to

the optimal level we can. and the funding is really challenging to find to achieve that. right now, almost 2,000 people with autism and learning disabilities are locked in hospitals rather than real homes. you've dreamt of this? yeah. a government spokesman said they are instead committed to halving the number detained by 2024, with investment in community provision. you've got so much to you've got so much to look forward to now. it'll be like heaven. it will be. jayne mccubbin, bbc news. let's get more now from tim nicholls is the head of policy and public affairs at the national autistic society. thank you so much forjoining us. i look forward to now. wonder if you can give us a sense on how unusual a case like tony's is. first i am just relieved to hear that tony is finally heading to a good home. my older brother is a similar age to tony i can only imagine what him and his family have

gone through over the last 21 years. and you are right this isn't a that only tony. while his is one of a more extreme we know that over 1200 people in mental health hospitals at the moment and we know that it is very unlikely that they are in the right environment they can end up in restraints occluded or overmedicated and it can end up getting worse and worse. . y ., and it can end up getting worse and worse. ., , ., , and it can end up getting worse and worse. ., i. , ., , , ., worse. can you give us a sense on what kind — worse. can you give us a sense on what kind of— worse. can you give us a sense on what kind of impact _ worse. can you give us a sense on what kind of impact a person - worse. can you give us a sense on what kind of impact a person with| what kind of impact a person with autism that one of the secure hospitals could have on the long—term? it hospitals could have on the long-term?— hospitals could have on the iona-term? , . , , long-term? it can be incredibly traumatic. _ long-term? it can be incredibly traumatic, not _ long-term? it can be incredibly traumatic, not only _ long-term? it can be incredibly traumatic, not only are - long-term? it can be incredibly traumatic, not only are you - long-term? it can be incredibly - traumatic, not only are you moving to a completely new alien environment and the unexpected change can be under compatibly difficult for autistic people but also we know that in many hospitals

the artistic understanding and staff is and what it should be. in practice they can end up overmedicated and these are things i can take a long time to recover from so people like tony and anyone else years who had been discharged from a hospital it is quite intensive packages of support right in the beginning to help them get back into their communities, back around their families. so it is back notjust a light switch. families. so it is back not 'ust a light swimmfi families. so it is back not 'ust a liuht switch. ., , , , light switch. how it is the support? there isiust _ light switch. how it is the support? there is just not _ light switch. how it is the support? there isjust not enough _ light switch. how it is the support? there isjust not enough especially| there is just not enough especially when they need aid and to get to the place when they are having a crisis. and that is something that is driving the situation and gets people stuck in hospital against their will. and fundamentally that is something that has to change. the government has to go ahead and make it less easy to detain autistic

people. and they have got to make sure that they are have a right to services up and down the country so that people are left with their only option is going to hospital. redefining mental disorders to no longer include autism does that go far enough?— far enough? that is one important ste -. far enough? that is one important step- there _ far enough? that is one important step. there also _ far enough? that is one important step. there also very _ far enough? that is one important step. there also very important i far enough? that is one important i step. there also very important huge things that are in the bill that are starting to work their way in parliament at the moment and one is a duty on each and every area and you've got so much to look forward to nor every area and unless the duty is strong enough and a duty on each and every area and unless the duty is strong enough and at the moment it does need to be at the moment it does need to be much tighter we are worried that we much tighter we are worried that we will be in a situation like now with will be in a situation like now with the numbers are going down. we set the numbers are going down. we set in the piece that the government in the piece that the government tends to reduce numbers by half by tends to reduce numbers by half by

2024 but we know of last several 2024 but we know of last several years the number people in mental health hospitals have gone up not down so they are facing a huge challenge in that.— down so they are facing a huge challenge in that. down so they are facing a huge challenae in that. . ~ ,, . challenge in that. thank you so much for our challenge in that. thank you so much for yourtime- — trading in twitter�*s shares has been suspended, following reports that elon musk has agreed to honour his offer to buy