this is bbc news. i'm ben brown — the headlines at 9. 23 ambulances with patients. more than 10,000 ambulances are getting stuck every week in long queues outside a&e units in england — the highest since records began. this is a whole system failure. it's just really traumatic for her, and to see a family member like that, it'sjust horrid, absolutely horrible. a black british charity campaigner who was asked at a royal reception "where are you really from?" tells the bbc her treatment was down to racism and not the lady in waiting's age. he was say —— are we saying that because of your age you can't have,

you can't be racist or iran appropriate. i am you can't be racist or iran appropriate. iam not you can't be racist or iran appropriate. i am not sure what is happening here. i am not sure what is happening here. an independent inquiry will examine the treatment of five—year—old yusuf mahmud nazir, who died after being sent home from hospital because of bed shortages. warnings of a "ticking time bomb of debt" in the lead up to christmas, as the number of people going into the red rises. the dangers of throwing batteries into household rubbish — officials reveal they cause about 700 fires a year, and the problem is getting worse. good morning and welcome to bbc news.

more than 10,000 ambulances a week are being left stuck in queues of at least an hour outiside accidenct and emergency units in england. the total is the highest since records began, and means — according to bbc analysis — that one in eight ambulance crews were facing these delays by the middle of november. the target for handing patients over to a&e staff is within 15 minutes of arrival. ambulance response times also hit their worst levels on record in recent months and paramedics have warned the problems are causing patients �*severe harm'. in cornwall, patients facing emergencies such as heart attacks and strokes are now waiting more than two hours on average for an ambulance to get to them. the target is 18 minutes. these delays are thought to be amongst the worst, but ambulance services across the whole of the uk are missing their targets. paramedics say they are facing a �*perfect storm', even when patients are treated in a&e, they can face long

waits for a bed on a ward. 0ur health correspondent jim reed has this report. just a few months ago, mary lynn was up, about and mobile. then she had a bad fall. the ambulance took 11 hours to reach her. the doctors had said not to move her off the floor in case she had damaged any bones or anything like that. and when they did eventually arrive, she was really poorly and i thought i was going to lose her. when mary lynn got to hospital, she had to wait over an hour in the ambulance before she could be moved into a&e. she's now recovering, but that day has taken its toll. she deteriorated mentally, and that is a direct result of how poorly she was because of how long she'd been left. you can see now the 23 ambulances with patients. this has been a problem across much of the country. hospital backlogs mean, often, there's not enough room for ambulances to unload sick patients. when they get to a&e, ambulances should be able to deliver patients in 15 minutes, but 10,000 crews a week in england

are now stuck outside for an hour or more, the highest ever, with other parts of the uk facing similar problems. that means it's now taking more than an hour, on average, to respond to someone with a stroke or possible heart attack in england. in some cases, it's much longer. 85—year—old kula had to wait 1a hours for paramedics after breaking her hip. it's not really a state that anybody should be left in for that length of time, because you don't know what complications it could lead to. but when paramedics tried to drop her at hospital, there was another wait, this time for 26 hours, in the back of an ambulance, before she could be admitted. i cannot fault the ambulance crews, the paramedics, the nurses or doctors at all in any of this. this is a whole—system failure. it's just really traumatic for her.

and to see a family member like that, it'sjust horrid, absolutely horrible. the government says there is extra funding to pay for more staff and free up hospital beds. a full emergency care plan is due in the new year. but with winter coming, along with strike action involving some nurses and ambulance services, hospital bosses are warning of difficult times ahead. jim reed, bbc news. joining me now is conservative mp, steve brine, chair of the commons health and social care committee — a cross party group of mps who scrutinise the work of the department of health and social care and related bodies. thank you very much for being with us, it is truly shock, isn't it, to see those images of huge queues of ambulance, just sitting outside hospitals, up able to get their patients into a&e?_ hospitals, up able to get their patients into a&e? yes, well, of course this _ patients into a&e? yes, well, of course this has _ patients into a&e? yes, well, of course this has been _ patients into a&e? yes, well, of course this has been the -

patients into a&e? yes, well, of course this has been the story . patients into a&e? yes, well, ofl course this has been the story for patients into a&e? yes, well, of. course this has been the story for a long time, you know, ambulance trusts across england have now been meeting their targets, there is huge variation of course but we on the select committee yesterday had a big joint inquiry with the science and technology committee on post covid and in many ways government, nhs, the patients face a perfect storm, we described, it was described a a twin endemic. there are covid levels, nothing like last year, you have flu where you have more than ten times the number of people at the beginning of december last year, with flu, and then the third string of that is the record demand we have got, so cancer presentations are very high, so if you add a fourth string which is this industrial action you can see why there is such pressure across the system, and, you know, demand is huge right now, across the nhs. and obviously winter pressures then just add to that, so, but what you have got, the reason i am giving you that context is

because system pressures across the board i think somebody said earlier on your programme, there is a system failure here, is that ambulance staff are worn out they are worn out because system pressures —— across the board are putting pressure on then and i think that is as much to do with the industrial disputes that we will see and ambulance trusts this year as it is about pay so it becomes a vicious cycle. the system looks broken. _ becomes a vicious cycle. the system looks broken, and, _ becomes a vicious cycle. the system looks broken, and, to _ becomes a vicious cycle. the system looks broken, and, to what - becomes a vicious cycle. the system looks broken, and, to what extent i becomes a vicious cycle. the system looks broken, and, to what extent isj looks broken, and, to what extent is that down to government and we have had many years of conservative government, that many people within the nhs say have underfunded the nhs for a long time. the nhs say have underfunded the nhs for a long time-— for a long time. well, i mean they would be wrong, _ for a long time. well, i mean they would be wrong, so, _ for a long time. well, i mean they would be wrong, so, throughout l for a long time. well, i mean they l would be wrong, so, throughout the austerity which let us face it was not a choice, it was a reality in 2010 when the conservative liberal democrat government, let us remember them, inherited the economic outlook we did, and health spending was protected. i was a minister in the

the department when we published with record increase in spending. hardly a paradigm of spending last month where the nhs was given an increase. if the nhs is broken, your thesis, maybe the country needs have a long hard look, and honest conversation is about how much more we want to spend, we spend £152 billion, of public money on the nhs. so spending keeps going up, and productivity, and outcomes, with a fifth largest spender on health spending an our outcomes are not that. so, we have to ask ourselves, why is that going wrong? we on the select committee, we will be asking the secretary of state those questions. the secretary of state those question— the secretary of state those questions. the secretary of state those cuestions. ~ ., , , ., ., questions. what is your view on that, should — questions. what is your view on that, should we _ questions. what is your view on that, should we be, _ questions. what is your view on that, should we be, but - questions. what is your view on that, should we be, but what i questions. what is your view on that, should we be, but what is| questions. what is your view on - that, should we be, but what is your view? should we be spending more on the health service, to have a situation where you can have a heart attack or stroke, and still end up waiting an hour or two for an

ambulance, ina waiting an hour or two for an ambulance, in a modern supposedly civilised country seems absurd. 0k, civilised country seems absurd. ok, so then the question is, how much more than £152 billion 20want to spend and how do you want to pay for tae? we saw with the so—called mubarak what happens to the —— mini budget, what happens to confidence, when you make unfunded spending commitment, there is lots of people across the bbc, talking about the problem, what is their solution, so ourjobis problem, what is their solution, so ourjob is to ask ministers difficult questions and we are, and we will, and we did yesterday. so, you you know, ambulance staff have received an increase of at least 4%, so we have a agenda pay process, and independent pay process, if we are are saying that process is no longer one we recognise or respect, then we will have to look at how we change that, but, it all has to be paid for, so i think what have to ask

ourselves about the ambulance industrial action that is coming up, is any of that going to help the twin demick, the four way pandemic i spoke about earlier, i want to say this, i think we need to be responsible about this. ambulance staff are brilliant hard—working public servants now they are at work, waiting for calls that will go and save people's lives, so, demand is huge, performance is poor, across the board and it is a problem in some areas but i am sure the bbc, not so much those feeding you the stories wouldn't want to feed fear and panic into the public that there would be no response, because thaw is not the situation. so we on the schisty —— select committee will be asking questions,er we will ask about questions about arctic willow where the nhs is taking a system approach how they will deal with the events i spoke about this morning, the select committee will want to

look at that and as i said the secretary of state as welcome before us any time. secretary of state as welcome before us any time-— thank you. a black british charity campaigner who was asked at a royal reception "where are you really from?" has told the bbc her treatment by the late queen's lady in waiting was down to racism, not her age. lady susan hussey has apologised for what was said to ngozi fulani and has resigned from her role as a royal aide. ngozi fulani told radio 4's today programme that her interaction with lady susan was "like an interrogation". we'll hear some of that interview shortly, but first the row comes as the prince and princess of wales have begun their visit to the united states. 0ur royal correspondent, daniela relph, sent this report from boston. a warning — it does contain some flash photography. the welcome was warm. but it wasn't the start to the visit they had

planned. the focus was due to be on environmental innovation, instead the prince and princess of wales arrived in boston, amid a racism controversy, at home. greeted at city hall by the mayor, her family, greeted at city hall by the mayor, herfamily, and local officials, her family, and local officials, some herfamily, and local officials, some of whom didn't shy away from difficult topics. fin some of whom didn't shy away from difficult topics.— difficult topics. on this day, i invite us all— difficult topics. on this day, i invite us all to _ difficult topics. on this day, i invite us all to consider - difficult topics. on this day, i invite us all to consider the l difficult topics. on this day, i - invite us all to consider the legacy of colonialism and racism. the ways it has impacted people across the world, and its kick sheerness diepts connection to the degradation of land and our planet that we are all seeking to reverse. turning boston green. to mark the royal visit. turning boston green. to mark the royalvisit. forthe turning boston green. to mark the royal visit. for the prince of wales is city is a natural home for his

earth shock prize, the words and ambition of president kennedy helped create the earth shop vision. we choose to _ create the earth shop vision. - choose to go to the moon he said, not because it is easy, but because it is hard. it was that moonshot speech that inspired me to launch the prize with the aim of doing the same for climate change, as president kennedy did for the space race. like president kennedy, catherine and ifirmly race. like president kennedy, catherine and i firmly believe that we all have it in ourselves to achieve great things. the challenge now will be ensure events in london don't overshadow the plans for boston, the reception at buckingham palace on monday was an important event for the queen consort, reinforcing her support for victims of domestic violence. the way charity chief executive ngozi fulani was spoken to has caused much set. i

fulani was spoken to has caused much set. ~' ., ., fulani was spoken to has caused much set. ~ ., ., i. set. i know that if you invite eo - le set. i know that if you invite people to — set. i know that if you invite people to an _ set. i know that if you invite people to an event - set. i know that if you invite people to an event for, - set. i know that if you invite people to an event for, as l set. i know that if you invite people to an event for, as i | set. i know that if you invite - people to an event for, as i said, against domestic abuse and there are people from different demographics i don't see the relevance of whether i am british or not british, i am proud of my african heritage, i make that clear. . , proud of my african heritage, i make that clear. ., , ,, , , , proud of my african heritage, i make that clear. ., , ,, ,, , , that clear. lady susan hussey is prince william's _ that clear. lady susan hussey is prince william's godmother, - that clear. lady susan hussey is prince william's godmother, in l that clear. lady susan hussey is| prince william's godmother, in a statement his spokesperson naidan royal couple's position clear, he said racism has no place in our society. the comments were unacceptable, and it is righting that the individual has stepped aside with immediate effect. for the prince and princess of wales the hope is focus shifts to their schedule in boston. first up they joined the crowd as a basketball game last night. and got the full spectator experience. ahead of seeing environmental projects and support for young

people later today. you heard a bit of what ngozi fulani has been saying on ten well, let's hear some more of ms fulani's interview with radio 4's today programme. she talked about the thoughts she had during and after the conversation. i was say —— are we saying because of your age you can't have, you can't be racist or you can't be inappropriate? i am can't be racist or you can't be inappropriate? iam not can't be racist or you can't be inappropriate? i am not sure what is happening here, i know that if you invite people to an event for, as i said, against domestic abuse, and there are people relevance of whether i am british or not british, i am very proud of my african heritage. i make that clear. but, you can't make me, this is like the windrush thing to me, you are trying to make me, you know, unwelcome in my own space. i asked her what do you want me to say? i have given you the answer, what do

you want me to say. this went on for about five minutes. an independent investigation will be held into the treatment of a five—year—old boy, who died after being sent home from hospital. yusuf mahmud nazir died from pneumonia nine days after being refused treatment at rotherham hospital. rotherham nhs hospital trust had previously said it would carry out an internal inquiry, but now says independent investigators will be appointed to review yusuf�*s care. 0ur correspondent anjana gadgil is here. anjana, remind us what happened to yusuf? so yusuf mahmud nazir fell ill with a sore throat and was prescribed antibiotic by the family gp p. he developed a serious throat infection so his family drove him to the emergency department where they were seen by a doctor who prescribe my

lord antibiotic but sent him home, that was despite the family's attempt for him to be admitted. his uncle told the bbc at the weekend that he was told by the hospital they knight he had the space nor the staff to admit him we were begging for their help, we were begging them for their help. we said, "we need you, please can you just give him the antibiotics, can you treat him?" they said, "we haven't got the beds, we haven't got the doctors, we haven't got the facilities, nothing we can do." four days later uvalde was unable to eat, speak or drink and he was taken ljy eat, speak or drink and he was taken by ambulance to sheffield children's hospital where he was put on a drip. but his condition deteriorated, he developed pneumonia and had four cardiac arrest tests and died on november 23rd. cardiac arrest tests and died on november23rd. his family cardiac arrest tests and died on november 23rd. his family believe he could have been saved had he been treated earlier.— treated earlier. there is going to be this investigation, _ treated earlier. there is going to be this investigation, do - treated earlier. there is going to be this investigation, do we - treated earlier. there is going to | be this investigation, do we know what that will be, what that will entail? 50

what that will be, what that will entail? ,, ., ., ., ,, what that will be, what that will entail? ., ., ,, , ., entail? so rotherham nhs hospital trust previously _ entail? so rotherham nhs hospital trust previously said _ entail? so rotherham nhs hospital trust previously said it _ entail? so rotherham nhs hospital trust previously said it would - entail? so rotherham nhs hospital trust previously said it would carryl trust previously said it would carry out an internal investigation but today the chief executive said that an independent investigation would now review his care, he said he was working with nhs england top identify who would consider carry that out. he said is it vital it is thorough and independent. sarah champion is the family's mp, she welcomed the fact that an investigation will take place, and said it needs to look at the response from primary and secondary care organisations to find out what went so or play wrong, she said it has to be really robust and independent, drjenkins said he has spoken to yusuf�*s uncle, to directly express his condolences and to apologise to the family and he said the family would be involved in decided the terms of reference for the investigation. thank you very much the headlines on bbc news: more than 10,000 ambulances

are getting stuck every week in long queues outside a&e units in england, the highest since records began. a black british charity campaigner who was asked at a royal reception "where are you really from?" tells the bbc her treatment was down to racism and not the lady—in—waiting's age. an independent inquiry will examine the treatment of five—year—old yusuf mahmud nazir, who died after being sent home from hospital because of bed shortages. citizens advice is warning that more and more people are slipping further into debt to pay for basics such as rent and bills. and the charity says a growing number of pensioners and homeowners are seeking help. it's described a ticking time bomb of debt as it sees a rising number of people going into the red, as hannah miller reports.

david mcginley wants to give his children the best but, increasingly, his family are struggling just to get by. are you borrowing to pay for basics like food? my wife's dad actually lent us money this week to get shopping for the kids. so we are not too bothered about us, but they did not have sandwich stuff for school and teas this week, so dad actually helped us out. but we are just desperate at times. david looks after two—year—old jack while his wife is working full—time in a care home. he also has a part—time job in the corner shop. i've got £7.43 on the electric, which is roughly two days. the family have a debt management plan to gradually pay back around £7,000 afterfalling behind on bills, including energy and council tax. once you start falling behind, you know, luckily we have family who can lend us money, help us out, but then we have got to pay them back.

you are just for ever chasing a never—ending debt. it looks like even now, with christmas coming up, we have had to borrow money off two or three family members. we have not even gone out and started yet. how do you feel about christmas coming up? guilt, ifeel guilty. the charity citizens advice is warning that more and more people have less than zero left to spend at the end of the month. the average amount their debt clients have remaining after paying essential living costs is just 1p. it's heartbreaking, really. especially if you think about the clients that we have coming in. a lot of them will be single parents and they are really struggling to put food on the table and stuff like that. people are really trying to keep on top of their finances but it is so difficult at the moment with everything that is going on. they are in debt through no fault of their own.

the priority debts are things like rent and mortgage arrears, council tax arrears and energy arrears, and we are seeing substantial rises in all of them. so the people who are coming into us, they may not have as much debt as may be in the past, but those debts are the essentials that we all need to keep going. poppy, push the light on. and again, push, push. good girl. well done. clever poppy. linda relies on her assistance dog poppy for help around the house, but she is not entitled to extra cost of living payments because of the type of disability benefit she receives. we are in a dilemma now of do we leave the heating off and manage the bills or do we turn the heating on and not pay the bills? so it is a bit of a dilemma. do you run a debt up or do you stay out of debt and stay cold? do you feel like it is inevitable that by the end of the winter you will be borrowing money? yes, yeah, i do feel it is inevitable. i do feel we are going to hit

a point where we are going to be in debt by the end of the winter. can i have my purse, please, poppy? thank you. and with more and more people struggling to find the cash to meet their basic needs, charities fear the rising cost of living will have long—term consequences and leave many more needing support. we can speak now to rachel beddow, principal policy manager at citizen's advice. a ticking time bomb of debt, is that almost inevitable perhaps given the current cost of living crisis and rocketing inflation?— current cost of living crisis and rocketing inflation? yes, i mean we are already — rocketing inflation? yes, i mean we are already seeing _ rocketing inflation? yes, i mean we are already seeing people _ rocketing inflation? yes, i mean we are already seeing people in - are already seeing people in desperate situations as you heard in that story, you know, our average debt client has just a penny left at the end of each month and we know costs are rising, and you know, this isn'tjust heating and eating, this isn'tjust heating and eating, this is people cutting back to the very bear essentials of what they need to survive around when they can't cut back any more they are falling behind on their basic bill, whether

thatis behind on their basic bill, whether that is rent, council tax, energy, and you know, that can feel like quick sand, it can be hard to get out of once you start spiralling into debt. ., ., out of once you start spiralling into debt-— out of once you start spiralling into debt. ., ., ., , into debt. narrow it down in terms of which areas _ into debt. narrow it down in terms of which areas of _ into debt. narrow it down in terms of which areas of the _ into debt. narrow it down in terms of which areas of the country - into debt. narrow it down in terms of which areas of the country are l of which areas of the country are particularly facing this sort of debt crisis and what kind of people as well? ,, ., debt crisis and what kind of people as well? ,., , ., as well? so, some parts of the country are _ as well? so, some parts of the country are more _ as well? so, some parts of the country are more impacted, i as well? so, some parts of the | country are more impacted, the as well? so, some parts of the - country are more impacted, the east of england in particular, we are seeing higher numbers, but this is really, you know, nationwide, and, and we are seeing new groups that maybe we hadn't seen so much before, so homeowners we have seen tip £50 into the red in the last month and we are hearing from people, you know, in desperate situations, homeowners living in in one room because that is all they can afford to heat. this is a crisis that is engulfing so many people, now. and engulfing so many people, now. and so what is your— engulfing so many people, now. and so what is your advice to people, what do you say to people who are having these problems? the what do you say to people who are having these problems?— having these problems? the main thin we having these problems? the main thing we would — having these problems? the main thing we would say, _ having these problems? the main thing we would say, is _ having these problems? the main thing we would say, is get - having these problems? the main thing we would say, is get help i having these problems? the main thing we would say, is get help as quickly as possible, we know it can

be overwhelming when you feel yourself slipping into debt, but you know, talking to an organisation like citizens advice we can help you prioritise your debt. there may be support you are entitled to, so do reach out as swiftly as possible, we have lots of advice online to help you and our advisers can offer support. you and our advisers can offer su ort. , , you and our advisers can offer su ort, , , ., you and our advisers can offer su-nort. , , you and our advisers can offer su--ort. , , ., support. this is a problem that will continue, isn't _ support. this is a problem that will continue, isn't it. _ support. this is a problem that will continue, isn't it. i— support. this is a problem that will continue, isn't it. i mean _ support. this is a problem that will continue, isn't it. i mean there - support. this is a problem that will continue, isn't it. i mean there are| continue, isn't it. i mean there are so o many problems in the economy, you know, soaring energy bills that aren't going to come down any time soon, inflation as we said and so on and mortgages going up as well. yes, it is a really worrying situation, and you know what we want is that lenders make sure they treat people compassionly right now, that whether that is energy companies not pushing people on to prepaymenter in, local authorities making sure they get affordable payment plans in place for people, not turn to bailiffs because we don't want to see people pushed further into debt crisis. mil see people pushed further into debt crisis. �* . ~ see people pushed further into debt crisis. �* ., ~ , ., , crisis. all right. thank you very much for _

crisis. all right. thank you very much for being _ crisis. all right. thank you very much for being with _ crisis. all right. thank you very much for being with us - crisis. all right. thank you very much for being with us and - crisis. all right. thank you very i much for being with us and giving crisis. all right. thank you very - much for being with us and giving us your thoughts. thank you for thank you for your time. british gas has become the latest energy supplier to say it will pay its customers to reduce the amount of electricity they use during peak hours. the firm, which is the largest supplier across the uk, hopes the move will help take pressure off the grid. households that agree to take part will be paid around £4 for keeping appliances like ovens and washing machines switched off at the busiest times of the day. authorities in some chinese cities have partially eased coronavirus restrictions after anti—lockdown protests rocked the country in recent days. in the southern city of guangzhou, temporary control orders have been lifted in about half of the city's metropolitan districts. howard zhang is editor of the bbc�*s chinese service. meter, local authorities making sure

we saw these dramatic protests, is that response from the government in china, perhaps to ease the covid restrictions a bit?— restrictions a bit? yes, most exerts restrictions a bit? yes, most experts and _ restrictions a bit? yes, most experts and china _ restrictions a bit? yes, most experts and china watchers i restrictions a bit? yes, most i experts and china watchers are interpreting this, immediately following the protest, as the government new approach to the protest, so on one hand they are lifting in major cities and followed ljy lifting in major cities and followed by shanghai and a couple of others, partially, some of the districts are now lifted, really stringent measure, and even allowing home quarantine and the reducing the frequency people have to be tested, and so, so, providing some relief to the local residents, and trying to ease some of the public anger, but at the same time, we do have to remember, that official cracking down, searching for protesters, still going on at is tame time.

have the protests now died down are are they continuing in some areas? there were sometimes some sporadic odd protests but not on the scale people saw on television over the last weekend and not on that scale, and, as i mentioned earlier, there were some cities, people already reporting that police have been searching people's phones on the street, and trying to search for identify people who showed their face in front of cameras during protest and so those things are going up. protest and so those things are oiiin u. protest and so those things are auoin u, . ., protest and so those things are iioin u. . ., protest and so those things are iioin ui, . ., protest and so those things are going up. so, crackdown as you say, but how shocked _ going up. so, crackdown as you say, but how shocked do _ going up. so, crackdown as you say, but how shocked do you _ going up. so, crackdown as you say, but how shocked do you think - going up. so, crackdown as you say, but how shocked do you think the i but how shocked do you think the authorities in china will have been by the protests that we saw? the whole world was perhaps taken aback in prison xijinping's china, people would still come out top the streets and call for him to stand down and for the communist party to be got rid of even. for the communist party to be got rid of even-—

rid of even. exactly, so we can't seak rid of even. exactly, so we can't speak for— rid of even. exactly, so we can't speak for the — rid of even. exactly, so we can't speak for the officials _ rid of even. exactly, so we can't speak for the officials but - rid of even. exactly, so we can't speak for the officials but from | rid of even. exactly, so we can't i speak for the officials but from the react accuse —— reaction, this morning in china, that they announced measures, trying to lessen the pressure on society and trying to gain back some of the popular support, at grass roots but at the same time trying to use the police force to weed out what they call again external force, who are trying to, every time they are blaming external force, to, every time they are blaming externalforce, trying to, every time they are blaming external force, trying to infiltrate.— external force, trying to infiltrate. ., ., ., ., ,, ., infiltrate. howard, good to talk to ou, infiltrate. howard, good to talk to you. many — infiltrate. howard, good to talk to you, many thanks. _ voters in chester will go to the polls this morning, to elect a new mp. the by—election is being held after the city's labour mp, chris matheson, resigned in october. there are nine candidates in the contest for the cheshire seat, with results expected in the early hours of friday morning. now it's time for a look

at the weather with matt. morning top off a bit murky for some this morning, but there is a little bit of sunshine around. we will concentrate on the fog in the south—east of wales, south midlands, east anglia, dense patches to take us through this morning, a sluggish journey if you are going to head out, but a lot of it will started to lift, even ifjust into low cloud. brighter skies across england and wales, where we had a mist and fog yesterday in eastern scotland, outbreaks of rain today, 0rkney and shetland amongst the wettest, but brightness around the moray firth, brighter conditions for northern ireland, where we have the mildest of the weather. temperatures through much of england and wales, single

figures, across the south wales, wales, only 2—3 degrees. the fog will expand across much of the border region here tonight and into the south west. a few showers in the south—east of england and across the channel islands, and where we have got clearer skies, a touch of frost too. see you in half an hour. hello, this is bbc news, i'm ben brown, and these are the headlines. more than 10,000 ambulances are getting stuck every week in long queues outside a&e units in england, the highest since records began. a black british charity campaigner who was asked at a royal reception "where are you really from?" tells the bbc her treatment was down to racism and not the lady—in—waiting's age. an independent inquiry will examine the treatment of five—year—old yusuf mahmud nazir, who died after being sent home from hospital

because of bed shortages. warnings of a ticking time bomb of debt in the lead—up to christmas as the number of people going into the red rises. the dangers of throwing batteries into household rubbish — officials reveal they cause about 700 fires a year and the problem is getting worse. sport, and for a full round—up of the world cup, john watson in doha. hi, john. thanks, yes, another beautiful day in doha, as preparations continue for england, of course, as they play senegal in their last 16 tie on sunday. wales will be heading home today. one team who will be sticking around argentina and lionel messi, they beat poland yesterday 2—0 to qualify for the last 16. there was

still so much at stake in two groups yesterday, it really went down to the wire, as patrick gearey reports. they're through! australia. sensational. in the middle of a moment, in the middle of the night. nearly 4am down under. no time to check your watch. call it football or call it soccer, this was the day aussie rules. an unfancied team in an unkind group — to stay in qatar, australia knew they may need to beat widely admired denmark. with a goalless hour gone, australia were heading out, but matthew leckie was heading forward with a sense of purpose. matthew leckie here could create history. yes! a huge, huge moment. out of all that, somehow they had to regain some calm. the lead was priceless, but fragile. vulnerable to just one denmark goal. then release. whistle.

but not everyone could join the party. no celebrations. as i said to the boys, that's why we won after a great win against tunisia — no celebrations, no emotion, sleep, no social media. so, focus. like lionel messi over a penalty. but no guarantee, thanks to poland's wojciech szczesny. he confounded the genius. this was a game argentina needed to win to guarantee a place in the last 16. two second—half goals removed any doubt there. but poland were getting edgy. because, across town, mexico were making up ground — fast. oh, my goodness! when luis chavez's stunner put them 2—0 up against saudi arabia, one more goal would have put them through. at one point, it was being decided by yellow cards. the saudis were out of the equation, but not the conversation. in injury time, they scored — a heartbreak for the mexicans and effectively a goal for the poles. patrick gearey, bbc news.

today, a couple of heavweights will be trying to qualify. it should be straightforward for the 2010 winners, spain, who just need to avoid defeat againstjapan, but how are the nerves in the german camp this morning? just a point from theirfirst two games. they need to beat costa rica and hope the other result goes in their favour. and germany's match with costa rica will also see a moment of history, as stephanie frappart becomes the first female referee to take charge of a men's match. it will be an all—female team on the pitch, with brazil's neuza back and mexican karen diaz medina running the lines as her assistants. the men's world cup is the most important competition in the world, not only in football, so we know

that there is a lot of expectations, and there are always pressure in the matches and also when you are a woman, you have more pressure, because i was always welcome in this game, so i feel like another referee inside the pitch. away from the world cup, england's cricketers are making a bit of history of their own, playing their first test match in pakistan for 17 years. and they've started very, very well. zak crawley scored the fastest century by an england opening batter and ben duckett also made a century, as england piled on the runs. they've now moved past the 300 mark for the loss of only three wickets. so some big games to come today, ben, those big nations— ben, those big nations hoping to iuali for ben, those big nations hoping to qualify for the — ben, those big nations hoping to qualify for the last _ ben, those big nations hoping to qualify for the last 16 _ ben, those big nations hoping to qualify for the last 16 to - ben, those big nations hoping to qualify for the last 16 to join - ben, those big nations hoping to qualify for the last 16 to join the | qualify for the last 16 to join the likes of france, portugal, and you can imagine over the coming days we

will be poring over the potential selections of manager gareth southgate as he prepares his england side for that big tie to come against senegal here in doha on sunday. it is going to be fascinating to see what sort of team he picks. all right, john, thank you very much indeed. a black british charity campaigner who was asked at a royal reception "where are you really from?" has told the bbc her treatment by the late queen's lady—in—waiting was down to racism, not her age. lady susan hussey has apologised for what was said to ngozi fulani and has resigned from her role as a royal aide. ngozi fulani told radio 4's today programme that her interaction with lady susan was "like an interrogation". earlier, we listened to part of that interview with ngozi fulani. let's listen to the full interview from this morning with mishal hussain. i received an invitation to

buckingham palace to really highlight the 16 days of activism, where we highlight domestic abuse towards women and girls. so i'm there, and i'm standing with two other women of colour and a lady approaches me. the first thing that she does, i have got locks, and she takes my hairand she does, i have got locks, and she takes my hair and moves it out of the way so that she can see my name badge. that was a surprise. and then she proceeded to ask me where i'm from. now, because it's an environment where we are advocates against domestic abuse, i assume she is asking me what agency or charity i'm from, so i said sistah space. she said, no, where are you from? we are based in hackney. this went on for some time, and at that time i was thinking to myself, cos she

keeps asking me the same question, could it be that she cannot hear me well? you have to consider so many things when you are talking to someone older than you, so ijust wanted to be sure that she is repeating the question because she cannot hear or she doesn't understand me, iwasn't cannot hear or she doesn't understand me, i wasn't sure. cannot hear or she doesn't understand me, iwasn't sure. but cannot hear or she doesn't understand me, i wasn't sure. but it soon dawned on me, very quickly, that this was nothing to do with her capacity to understand, but this is her trying to make me denounce my british citizenship. i have never... i mean, there were two of us just standing there completely stunned, and it continued for about five minutes. ., ., , ., , ., minutes. you felt that she was not reiiardin minutes. you felt that she was not regarding you _ minutes. you felt that she was not regarding you as — minutes. you felt that she was not regarding you as british? - minutes. you felt that she was not regarding you as british? it's - minutes. you felt that she was not regarding you as british? it's not l regarding you as british? it's not that i felt it, — regarding you as british? it's not that l felt it, | _ regarding you as british? it's not that l felt it, | am _ regarding you as british? it's not that i felt it, i am very _ regarding you as british? it's not that i felt it, i am very clear - that i felt it, i am very clear about what happened. you ask me where i am from and i tell you, from here, yeah? but where are you really from? ,, ., ., ,

from? she did to the words, where are ou from? she did to the words, where are you really _ from? she did to the words, where are you really from? _ from? she did to the words, where are you really from? she _ from? she did to the words, where are you really from? she said - from? she did to the words, where are you really from? she said it - are you really from? she said it more than _ are you really from? she said it more than once. _ are you really from? she said it more than once. and _ are you really from? she said it more than once. and then - are you really from? she said it. more than once. and then where are you really from? she said it - more than once. and then where are your people from? at that point, you are thinking, this is not appropriate, and i am in a room full of women who have experienced domestic abuse, of advocates, of so many different people, how do i handle this situation? kindly and carefully. in my culture, we respect people that are our elders, basically, so i find myself in a situation where i wasn't sure what to do or how to handle it, to be honest. d0 to do or how to handle it, to be honest. , ., ~ to do or how to handle it, to be honest. ,, , to do or how to handle it, to be honest. , ., ~ , ., , honest. do you think she realised the effect it _ honest. do you think she realised the effect it was _ honest. do you think she realised the effect it was having _ honest. do you think she realised the effect it was having on - honest. do you think she realised the effect it was having on you? | the effect it was having on you? absolutely. it is like the three of us standing there, and at one point, i'm like, lady, what are you asking me? i am telling you i am british,

you know, but, yes, i can see that we are going to have a challenge trying to... at that point, let me be clear what this is, and i think, you know, i have heard so many suggestions about her age and stuff like that, and i think that is a disrespect, and ageism kind of thing, because once i had established that she appeared to be of sound mind, right? and this is what it appears to be, then i have to really question how this can happen in a space that is supposed to protect women against all kinds of violence. so although it is not physical violence, of violence. so although it is not physicalviolence, it of violence. so although it is not physical violence, it is an abuse. so her reaction, as the conversation continued. — so her reaction, as the conversation continued, like, did she laugh? did she walk— continued, like, did she laugh? did she walk off in the end? what happened? it she walk off in the end? what happened?— happened? it was like an interrogation, _ happened? it was like an interrogation, that - happened? it was like an interrogation, that is - happened? it was like an interrogation, that is the | happened? it was like an - interrogation, that is the only way i can explain it. she was determined, where are you from, where are your people from? you must

know where you come from. the force, she is out there is some —year—old lady, may be this, it may be that, are we saying that because of your age you can't be racist or you're cannot be inappropriate? i am not sure what is happening here. but i know that if you invite people to an event for, as i said, against domestic abuse, and there are people there from different demographics, i don't see the relevance of whether i am british or not. i am very proud of my african heritage, you know, i make that clear, but you can't make me... this is like the wind rushed in, you are trying to make me, you know, unwelcome in my own space. —— the windrush thing. what is it you want me to say? i have given you the answer, what is it that you want me

to say? this went on for about five minutes, what is out there is a synopsis. minutes, what is out there is a s no sis. ., minutes, what is out there is a synopsis-— minutes, what is out there is a s nosis. ., ., ., minutes, what is out there is a s noisis. ., ., ., synopsis. how do you feel about the fact that it has — synopsis. how do you feel about the fact that it has ended _ synopsis. how do you feel about the fact that it has ended in _ synopsis. how do you feel about the fact that it has ended in her - fact that it has ended in her resignation? i fact that it has ended in her resignation?— fact that it has ended in her resiination? ., , , ,, resignation? i am still processing the whole thing, _ resignation? i am still processing the whole thing, to _ resignation? i am still processing the whole thing, to be _ resignation? i am still processing the whole thing, to be honest, i resignation? i am still processing - the whole thing, to be honest, yeah? i want the focus to remain where it should be, which is only women and girls who are affected by domestic abuse. having said that, she is employed by buckingham palace, and it is their decision and her decision to make, one that i had no part in, right? so that is it. but! part in, right? so that is it. and if ou part in, right? so that is it. and if you had _ part in, right? so that is it. and if you had been _ part in, right? so that is it. and if you had been asked, would you have said, because buckingham palace has said the individual concerned would like to express our profound apologies for the hood caused and to step aside from her honorary role — would you have preferred a different ending to this where you would have a conversation with her and accept her apology, a conversation with her and accept herapology, or do a conversation with her and accept her apology, or do you think ultimately the fact that she is not in the royal household is better? i would have preferred it did not happen. i would would have preferred it did not happen. iwould have

would have preferred it did not happen. i would have preferred that i could go to a space where i am invited and be treated as every other guest was treated. i would prefer that we kept the focus on the abuse against women and girls in these 16 days. so i, you know, i have thoughts, but i can't make this lady the focus within the 16 days, i have to keep, you know, the focus where it should be, and that is against violence against women and girls. ngozi fulani talking to mishal husain on the radio four today programme. as we've been hearing this morning, as many as 10,000 ambulances a week are now getting stuck outside hospitals in england for more than an hour, waiting to unload patients. those figures are the highest since records began in 2010. 0ur reporter zoie 0'brien has been speaking to the wife of one stroke patient who couldn't get an ambulance because there were none available.

recovering in hospital after suffering a stroke, gavin's family say they feel lucky he's alive. notjust because of his condition, but because on the day he fell ill, there were no available ambulances. instead, he spent an hour on two buses to get to ipswich hospital. he kept getting stared at because obviously he kept having the seizures on the bus. and we just wanted to blank everything out and get there. i tried to make him as comfortable as i possibly could. after being seen in the emergency department, gavin was told he could leave hospital on november the 16th, but during the night his condition rapidly declined. lauren called 999, but again, there was no ambulance available and no buses running. without money for a taxi, they were lucky family members were able to help — carrying gavin to the car since he had lost the use of his arm and a leg. he couldn't move, so i called an ambulance again. they went through the stroke—evaluation questions,

and they said, "we'll send an ambulance out for you." again, another 20 minutes later — cancelled. the damage spreads like a fire in the brain... - when dealing with a stroke, medical professionals say time is of the essence. there's a short window in which clot—busting drugs can be administered — it's sometimes known as the golden hour. the faster you act, - the better their chances. i was like, "you actually went through the stroke—evaluation questions, you clearly knew there was something wrong." a stroke is life—threatening. i mean, i'm 26 years old, a six—year—old. it is very scary to think i almost lost my husband. they failed him. the east of england ambulance service covers six counties and six million people. in a statement, the service said...

that can lead to big fires. this particularly small electrical items are making their way into the facility are making their way into the facili j , , facility hidden in huge mixed piles of rubbish. this _

facility hidden in huge mixed piles of rubbish. this cctv _ facility hidden in huge mixed piles of rubbish. this cctv footage - facility hidden in huge mixed piles i of rubbish. this cctv footage shows the danger- — of rubbish. this cctv footage shows the danger. when _ of rubbish. this cctv footage shows the danger. when they _ of rubbish. this cctv footage shows the danger. when they are - of rubbish. this cctv footage showsi the danger. when they are crushed, lithium batteries can heat up and explode. many of us have numerous small devices like these, so if you want to dispose of them safely, how do you do it? there is a website you can enter your postcode and find the nearest collection box that will take them. the best thing to do is bring it to the recycling centre and dispose of that safely, with other small electrical items but supermarkets, a lot of them will have recycling points especially for batteries, so you can dispose of them there. waste cam papers and fire safety experts who have seen the dangers up close are calling for clearer rules and government guidance on how to safely dispose of electrical devices but the lesson here they say is never put electricals or batteries in the at least two people have been killed

and dozens are missing after a landslide on a motorway in southern brazil. rescue workers say bad weather and the remote location are complicating the search effort. sylvia lennan—spence reports. the mud came rush, down after heavy rain. it swept across a large section of this highway, washing away everything in its path. including sections of road, as well as round 20 cars and trucks. emergency responders say dozens of people are missing, they are using drones with heat detecting cameras to try to find survivors, but bad weather and the remote location are hampering the search. closure of the high way is causing serious issues for brazilian industry, cutting off access to the port, the second biggest port for grape and sugar ship.s, about 80% of goods to the port arrive by trucks, but the port authority says it is too early to

estimate the potential losses from the disruption. the national weather service is now issuing further heavy rain warnings for multiple almost five weeks ago, the british rugby player levi davis went missing in barcelona. despite several appeals for information, and an investigation by spanish police, levi's family still haven't heard from him. 0ur reporter rachel stonehouse has been speaking to his mum. hi mum it is beautiful here, 24—year—old levi davis beams as he travels by both from ibiza to barcelona on 29th october. less than 2 hours late — barcelona on 29th october. less than 2 hours late her— barcelona on 29th october. less than 2 hours late her he _ barcelona on 29th october. less than 2 hours late her he was _ barcelona on 29th october. less than 2 hours late her he was missing, - barcelona on 29th october. less than 2 hours late her he was missing, and| 2 hours late her he was missing, and hasn't been seen since. iie 2 hours late her he was missing, and hasn't been seen since.— hasn't been seen since. he is a kind, hasn't been seen since. he is a kind. caring. — hasn't been seen since. he is a kind, caring, loving _ hasn't been seen since. he is a kind, caring, loving gentleman| hasn't been seen since. he is a | kind, caring, loving gentleman i would say, he is so inspirational. how has his mental health been in the last few months before he went

to spain? he the last few months before he went to siain? ., , ., to spain? he had struggled with a number of thing, _ to spain? he had struggled with a number of thing, it _ to spain? he had struggled with a number of thing, it wasn't - to spain? he had struggled with a number of thing, it wasn't one - number of thing, it wasn't one particular thing, so, the accumulation of all of the struggles really, and then with the acl injury, probably tipped him over the edge i would say, and so it has been like that since, and it is just, edge i would say, and so it has been like that since, and it isjust, the most frustrating, scariest time aye had to go through in my life. leei had to go through in my life. levi is a professional— had to go through in my life. levi is a professional rugby player. and a talented musician. appearing °p and a talented musician. appearing op celebrity x factor in 2019. # baby never had... but an injury a few months ago meant he had taken time out and travelled to ibiza to visit a friend. a week into his trip he left suddenly for barcelona but without taking most of his thing,

when he got to city he went to this bar and was spotted leaving on cctv at round 10.00, that was the last confirmed sighting of levi and a couple of weeks ago his passport was found at the port. to couple of weeks ago his passport was found at the port.— found at the port. to not have your passporter — found at the port. to not have your passporter you _ found at the port. to not have your passporter you can't _ found at the port. to not have your passporter you can't check - found at the port. to not have your passporter you can't check in, - found at the port. to not have your passporter you can't check in, you | passporter you can't check in, you can't travel out the country and i know he wouldn't leave his passport any work he was very precious about it like most people would be, but to be in a foreign country without a passport, to be in the mental state he is probably in at the moment, yes, that was a bit of a tough one. levi hasn't used his bank cards or mobile phone and as time goes on his friends and family are getting more worried. he friends and family are getting more worried. ., , ., ., , . worried. he has made no secret he didn't hide — worried. he has made no secret he didn't hide behind _ worried. he has made no secret he didn't hide behind it. _ worried. he has made no secret he didn't hide behind it. hem - worried. he has made no secret he didn't hide behind it. hem braced l worried. he has made no secret he | didn't hide behind it. hem braced it but like with mental health you have good days and bad day, over the last couple of months levi went in on himself a bit and tried to do things on my own rather than i suppose, going out there trying to seek the help or asking for support. the

sianish help or asking for support. the spanish police _ help or asking for support. the spanish police have confirmed to the bbc they have found his passport at the port, but say they can't give any more details about the investigation. it any more details about the investigation.— any more details about the investiiation. ., , , , investigation. it has been very, very slow. _ investigation. it has been very, very slow. i _ investigation. it has been very, very slow, i think— investigation. it has been very, very slow, i think since - investigation. it has been very, very slow, i think since the - investigation. it has been very, very slow, i think since the last investigation. it has been very, . very slow, i think since the last we heard about the passport, we have had no more information, we don't know how it had been found, we just don't know. you know, kind of like, mixed emotion, really, it is almost like, you know, ifeel like he's still with us. you know. it doesn't seem, doesn't seem real. forjulie she's holding _ seem, doesn't seem real. forjulie she's holding out _ seem, doesn't seem real. forjulie she's holding out on _ seem, doesn't seem real. forjulie she's holding out on that _ seem, doesn't seem real. forjulie she's holding out on that levi - seem, doesn't seem real. forjulie she's holding out on that levi will. she's holding out on that levi will return safely. she's holding out on that levi will return safely-— return safely. levi, as you know son, i return safely. levi, as you know soni i really— return safely. levi, as you know son, i really do _ return safely. levi, as you know son, i really do love _ return safely. levi, as you know son, i really do love you, - return safely. levi, as you know son, i really do love you, you i return safely. levi, as you know. son, i really do love you, you know all the family, we care for you so, so, much, we are all missing you,

and wejust want so, much, we are all missing you, and we just want you home, so, much, we are all missing you, and wejust want you home, son, no matter what the problem is, please, don't think that you know, it can't be solved. it can. but please, please, come home and we can sort out whatever it is that is going on together. now for the weather. hi matt. very iood now for the weather. hi matt. very good morning _ now for the weather. hi matt. very good morning to. _ now for the weather. hi matt. very good morning to, some _ now for the weather. hi matt. - good morning to, some sunshine for some of you, it is looking lovely on the beach in swanage butjust look at the distance here, we have some low cloud, stratus cloud rolling off the cliffs into the waters, that is actually fog from inland, which is dissipating as it reaches the coast. mark slu l l ish 'ourney actually fog from inland, which is dissipating as it reaches the coast. mark slu i i ish 'ourney times actually fog from inland, which is dissipating as it reaches the coast. mark sluggish journey times if actually fog from inland, which is dissipating as it reaches the coast. mark sluggish journey times if you actually fog from inland, which is dissipating as it reaches the coast. mark sluggish journey times if you are actually fog from inland, which is dissipating as it reaches the coast. mark sluggish journey times if you are heading actually fog from inland, which is dissipating as it reaches the coast. mark sluggish journey times if you are heading anywhere actually fog from inland, which is dissipating as it reaches the coast. mark sluggish journey times if you are heading anywhere across parts of the south midlands,

southern england and the south—east of wales, some of the fog will be a struggle to shift, and where temperatures linger, only 2—3. . as you saw the picture there, there is some sunshine away from that, not so much across scotland, where we saw the fog yesterday, more in the way of light rain or drizzle, heaviest across 0rkney and shetland. write to conditions to the west of scotland, and milder here, 11—13, but most places in single figures, and where the fog lingers. the fog will thicken and expand tonight across parts of the west midlands, south—east england and eastern parts of wales, maybe even as far as the liverpool bay area. away from that, in clear skies, mist an fog forming, but frost free to the north and west of scotland again, milder air sits in place. 0ver of scotland again, milder air sits in place. over the next few days, this milder air will push westwards,

away from us, an area of high pressure bringing increasing easterly winds. you'll start to notice the breeze picking up across north—east scotland as we go through friday, and towards east anglia and the south—east, where across coastal districts, showers could be affecting the channel islands as well. foggy conditions across wales, but through much of the midlands, eastern england, sunshine developing on friday, but feeling coolly given the wind is picking up. temperatures no higher than 7—9. into saturday, that easterly breeze gets itself even more well—known across eastern parts of the country, some showers possible in the east, many places still dry, though a weather front gets close to the north and west of scotland, with outbreaks of rain here. most will see varying amounts of cloud, temperature still in single figures. temperatures dropping further through sunday and into the weekend, easterly flow

firmly established, high pressure building to the north of us across iceland and greenland, and as that becomes more dominant, we switch from chilly easterly winds to an even called it northeasterly one into the start of next week. exact details will remain a little bit questionable at this stage, so far in advance, some outbreaks of rain, showers around, but with temperatures dropping quite widely, a chance that some of the rain could turn to snow, particularly over the hills. news headlines next.

this is bbc news. i'm ben brown and these are the latest headlines in the uk and around the world. a black british charity campaigner who was asked at a royal reception "where are you really from?" says her treatment amounted to abuse. is looking lovely on the beach in swanage butjust look at is looking lovely on the beach in swanage but just look at the distance here, we have some low cloud, stratus cloud rolling off the cliffs into the waters, that is actually fog from inland, which is dissipating as it reaches the coast. perfect dissipating as it reaches the coast. perfe . �* dissipating as it reaches the coast. perfe i �* _ dissipating as it reaches the coast. perfe i �* ,, ., dissipating as it reaches the coast. perfect are we saying that because of our perfect are we saying that because of your age. _ perfect are we saying that because of your age. you — perfect are we saying that because of your age, you can't _ perfect are we saying that because of your age, you can't have, - perfect are we saying that because of your age, you can't have, you i of your age, you can't have, you can't be racist or you can't chinese authorities partially ease some covid restrictions — after a wave of nationwide anti—lockdown protests. you can see now, there's 23 ambulances with patients. more than 10,000 ambulances are getting stuck every week in long queues outside a&e units in england — the highest since records began.