this is bbc news. the headlines... the cost of living crisis forces families in the uk to make tough decisions on their christmas spending, with nearly half considering cutbacks. a third child has died after contracting the bacterial infection strep a. labour comfortably holds chester in the by—election with their best result. sajid javid becomes the latest conservative mp to say he will not stand at the next general election. prince william is to meet us presidentjoe biden on the final day of his trip with the princess of wales to boston.

hello, and welcome to the programme. this afternoon we will focus attention on the cost of living. the boss of the uk's biggest super market tesco has said they will try and budget for christmas by buying more frozen food. it comes as bbc analysis shows that traditional dinner will become more expensive than last year. in a moment we'll be talking to food blogger about budgeting meals. but first let's run through just how food costs are pushing up the price of a christmas lunch. a basic christmas dinner for five people — comprising of a frozen medium—sized turkey, stuffing balls, brussels sprouts,

roast potatoes, pork chipolatas, onion gravy and mince pies for dessert — will cost £30.03 compared to £24.67 last year. chipolatas — the crucial ingredient for pigs—in—blankets — has seen the steepestjump of a2.7% to £2.13 for a packet of 12. that's because the pork industry has been hit by a succession of cost increases over the past 12 months. new research suggests that worries about money mean that nearly half of us — 44% or so — are cutting back on what we will spend over the festive season. supermarket cafe is becoming increasingly important, you can see the appeal. an all—day breakfast is still on, i'm too late! . -- i'm —— i'm not too late.

julie has worked in this store for more than 20 years and knows all the familiarfaces. those two there are regulars. he is a regular. but there has been a big change in recent weeks. it is notjust pensioners coming in forfood or a cuppa. around about 3:30, 3:40, we have a mad rush with the mums coming in with kids. morrisons have more cafes than any other supermarket and gave away 70,000 children's meals each week through the summer holidays, and saw 30% more families in october half term compared to the may half term. we are definitely seeing more young families and more people buying into the deals which, i think, obviously then fits in with what we're seeing from an economic perspective around the cost of living crisis. in a period of time where it's getting colder and often people are getting lonelier, it provides that safe space for people. lots of those families are just looking for ways to make their budgets stretch a little further. yeah, it's just something to do. a day out in the warm, really. yeah. that makes a big difference at the moment as well, doesn't it? was your breakfast tasty? yeah. marks & spencer have been seeing the same after—school rush. i think there is just a thing about, you know, new patterns, you know?

people do want to get out and about but they just want to do it in an affordable way, and i guess cafes offer great value for families, you know? and it's a lovely thing to do together, to do the shopping and then go and, you know, have a nice lunch. tesco and asda cafes have also been offering free or cheap children's food. but sainsbury�*s have closed 200 of their restaurants at the same time that more people have come to depends on the supermarket caff. we just come down on a tuesday, normally. just pop in. i think some, like, older people might be looking for somewhere to keep warm, rather than using their own electric. food's going up in price, so are restaurants etc. l yeah, and it's... ..as it says on the tin, cheap and cheerful. i but it's warm, and i guess that's a big part of it as well? and it's warm, yeah. it is warm.

busy cafe is our bring in more profits for stores, but bringing unexpected benefits for families this winter. colletta smith, bbc news, stirchley in birmingham. this is the offer of a book for families struggling with rising food costs. good afternoon. before we get into some of the details, we ran through the increasing price of the different elements. what kind of differences were that made families across countries? it is differences were that made families across countries?— across countries? it is worth beafina across countries? it is worth bearing in — across countries? it is worth bearing in mind _ across countries? it is worth bearing in mind that - across countries? it is worth bearing in mind that is - across countries? it is worth bearing in mind that is not l across countries? it is worth i bearing in mind that is notjust across countries? it is worth - bearing in mind that is notjust a meal on the day, it is the christmas eve, the breakfast, all the snacks throughout the day, boxing day. although people might look at that and say, it is only a five point difference, it is not only a five

point difference, it is days and days worth of feeding people, isn't it? it is a huge hike in prices if it? it is a huge hike in prices if it is 20% more. it? it is a huge hike in prices if it is 2096 more.— it is 2096 more. that is a huge oint, it it is 2096 more. that is a huge point. it is _ it is 2096 more. that is a huge point, it is not _ it is 2096 more. that is a huge point, it is notjust _ it is 2096 more. that is a huge point, it is not just that - it is 2096 more. that is a huge point, it is notjust that one i it is 2096 more. that is a huge i point, it is notjust that one meal thatis point, it is notjust that one meal that is going up. let's try and wade through this, then, what are some of the approach is that you have and you recommend for trying to navigate this? i you recommend for trying to navigate this? ~ ., ., , .,, , , this? i think one of the problems is that this keeping _ this? i think one of the problems is that this keeping up _ this? i think one of the problems is that this keeping up appearances . that this keeping up appearances narrative. the way that christmas is marketed to us, the piles of presents and piles of food, it is entirely unnecessary. at the end of the day, it is just a day, entirely unnecessary. at the end of the day, it isjust a day, and it is just a meal. we have made it into this thing that is so much bigger thanit this thing that is so much bigger than it is. people stockpiling nuts so they can have a huge bowl of nuts in the middle of their coffee table,

what other time of the year would you feel the need to do that? half of the stuff doesn't get eaten, it just sits in the fridge for a few days. i think this thinking of, what are we actually going to get through, and not over buying. also, the person who is hosting the christmas, they are basically expected to become a restaurant. it is a constant stream of drinks and food and entertainment, and it is exhausting and expensive, and it is supposed to be a time of year for sharing, so let's start having a conversation around saying, right, you're all coming to my house for christmas day, so can we all contribute, everybody bring some food or financially contribute. contribute, everybody bring some food orfinancially contribute. why should it always fall to the person is hosting the day? that would be my bit of advice if you are finding yourself in a position where everyone is descending on you for christmas day. don't be afraid to

say, can you bring part of the meal? what about things like substitutions, like not having the turkey, having something else instead? we turkey, having something else instead? ~ ., �* turkey, having something else instead? ., , turkey, having something else instead? ~ ., �* ., , ., instead? we don't really have turke , instead? we don't really have turkey, because _ instead? we don't really have turkey, because it _ instead? we don't really have turkey, because it is - instead? we don't really have turkey, because it is a - instead? we don't really have turkey, because it is a big - turkey, because it is a big expensive bird and lots of people go out and buy a trade to have a meal they have once a year. have a conversation with your family and say, what do we want? to be one turkey, because we don't have to have turkey. if you have a chicken or a piece of beef which everyone enjoys more, just because everyone else is having a turkey you don't have to have a turkey and all the trimmings. if you are household that doesn't like brussels sprouts, don't go and buy brussel sprouts when they are in high demand and going up in price. we have got so wrapped up in the message of what christmas looks like that we are doing things that

we wouldn't normally eat. i’m like that we are doing things that we wouldn't normally eat. i'm going to vote against _ we wouldn't normally eat. i'm going to vote against brussels _ we wouldn't normally eat. i'm going to vote against brussels sprouts, i to vote against brussels sprouts, they are unnecessary. great to have your thoughts, they are unnecessary. great to have yourthoughts, really they are unnecessary. great to have your thoughts, really useful in a very serious time. we appreciate it. a third child has died after contracting strep a. the latest death was of a child who attended stjohn�*s school in ealing, west london. the uk health security in said infections usually result in a mild illness. i'm joined now by our health editor hugh pym. this is alarming on first reading, just talk us through what we are dealing with here. the just talk us through what we are dealing with here.— just talk us through what we are dealing with here. the fact i that u-rou a dealing with here. the fact i that group a streptococcus, - dealing with here. the fact i that group a streptococcus, caused . dealing with here. the fact i that | group a streptococcus, caused by dealing with here. the fact i that i group a streptococcus, caused by a bacteria known as strep a is

relatively common. it can cause throat inflammation and skin problems, but it is relatively well known. it can lead to tonsillitis and scarlet fever, which is not particularly uncommon in winter months, although parents of children who get it are advised to report it to a doctor as it is a notifiable disease, but often the symptoms wear off after a week. very rarely it can cause an invasive streptococcal disease because it gets into the bloodstream stop the symptoms of that, and parents are being advised to watch out for these, i let it throat problems and generally feeling unwell and other symptoms turn into a high temperature, a fever, and muscle pain, then a doctor should be contacted, or medical advice should be sought. just emphasise, it is very rare that

this invasive streptococcal disease does develop. sadly, it has done in a handful of cases that have emerged, but it is being stressed that, very tragically, there are a few deaths each year from this, and it is not clear whether these are out of line with that, or whether there is something that is going to happen most winters anyway. it is being said by officials that scarlet fever, there are rather more cases than usual for this time of year, particularly in children, and that could be because of that of a lack of immunity going back over the last couple of years, there was less mixing, and therefore less immunity built up by children to bacteria like this. we built up by children to bacteria like this. ~ , ., , , ., built up by children to bacteria like this. ~ , .,, , ., .., , like this. we emphasised, of course, the rari . like this. we emphasised, of course, the rarity. usually _ like this. we emphasised, of course, the rarity. usually it— like this. we emphasised, of course, the rarity. usually it is— like this. we emphasised, of course, the rarity. usually it is mild, - like this. we emphasised, of course, the rarity. usually it is mild, but- the rarity. usually it is mild, but just remind us again of those symptoms. part of the problem i assume here is that the symptoms are similar to a cold building up to more flu—like symptoms, it could be

potentially overlapping with more common symptoms? it is potentially overlapping with more common symptoms?— potentially overlapping with more common symptoms? it is a mild series of symptoms — common symptoms? it is a mild series of symptoms like _ common symptoms? it is a mild series of symptoms like a _ common symptoms? it is a mild series of symptoms like a score _ common symptoms? it is a mild series of symptoms like a score sore - common symptoms? it is a mild series of symptoms like a score sore throat i of symptoms like a score sore throat or skin infection that can be easily treated with antibiotics, and then a rash can develop if it turns into fever. but, parents are being advised that if it does become more serious in terms of a high fever or a high temperature, orare serious in terms of a high fever or a high temperature, or are these intense muscle pains, then it definitely should be reported to a doctor. that is very rare, it is not unheard of. particularly in winter, with schoolchildren mixing, you are going to get this sort of bacterial infection. it can only be spread by close contact, it has to be said, and that is the advice that are being given right now by health officials. . ~ being given right now by health officials. ., ,, , ., , . officials. thank you very much talkin: officials. thank you very much talking us _ officials. thank you very much talking us through _ officials. thank you very much talking us through that. - labour has held on to the constituency of the city of chester in a by—election. samantha dixon increased the party's majority to almost 11,000.

meanwhile, the former health secretary sajid javid has said he will not stand again at the next general election. 0ur political correspondent jonathan blake has the details. cheers of victory in chester, labour celebrated holding onto this seat last night and saw a boost in support from voters. not much to smile about for the conservatives, whose share of the vote slumped. while this win was expected, labour's deputy leader turned up first thing to make the most of it and argue the tories had taken a pelting. the result is a historic result, it is a huge majority for us here in this by—election, and it was very clear, when we spoke to people on the doorstep, that they have had enough of the conservatives, they have had enough of them not dealing with the issues that people are facing, that businesses are facing here at the moment, and that they want that change and they want a labour government. chester has been a conservative seat in the past, but labour

won here at the last three general elections. the conservatives say the result is a bloody nose for them after a difficult period in government. it was pretty much as expected, this is a labour seat they have held at the last three general elections, and so we expected it would be retained by the labour party, but we are focused on delivering for the british public, delivering on the core priorities of people. with labour's big lead in the opinion polls, what does this result tell us about the national picture? if we compare this by—election performance with comparable previous by—elections, it is consistent with the claim that labour are in a stronger position than they have ever been in the last ten or 12 years, and that the performance is consistent with what happened the last time we had a parliament which ended in the defeat of a conservative government. this was the first verdict from voters since rishi sunak became prime minister after borisjohnson, then liz truss, resigned. he won't have expected a win,

but the result is a reminder there are tougher electoral tests to come. let's get more from our political correspondent helen catt. what you make of the announcement from sajid javid? he what you make of the announcement from sajid javid?— from said javid? he is certainly the from sajid javid? he is certainly the biggest _ from sajid javid? he is certainly the biggest conservative - from sajid javid? he is certainly the biggest conservative name | from sajid javid? he is certainly l the biggest conservative name to have said that he is not going to stand at the next election. he said it was a decision he had wrestled with for some time, but it would not mark the end of his parliamentary activity, though. he said he always sought to make decisions on the national interest and in line with his values. he can only hope his best was sufficient. so, as i said, he is the biggest thing to say he will be standing down, and you could look about them think here is someone with a large majority, 23,000 in the last election in his bromsgrove consistency. he is only 53, so it is conceivable that there

was timeframe to have another big job in government, but you can also look at that and say, he has been the health secretary, he has been the health secretary, he has been the home secretary, he has been the chancellor, he has run for leader twice unsuccessfully, what really is there left for him to do in terms of our parliamentary career? it is quite an interesting one to look at. he has been wished well by the prime minister, who tweeted, may the force be with you, sajid. but as a reference to their shared love of the star wars films. this will be seenin the star wars films. this will be seen in the wider context, there are a number of conservative mps saying they will stand down in recent days, there is we have seen quite so many quick succession is that the party is as them all to say by monday if they intend to stand again. certainly, he is the biggest name, he has not perhaps the most surprising, though. that award goes to deanna davidson, the levelling up minister, just 29, one of the rising star as the party, she and she would not stand againjust star as the party, she and she would not stand again just last week, but certainly another big name to add to that list. ., ., ., . �* �*

that list. you are watching bbc news. the headlines on bbc news... christmas dinner will be nearly 22% more expensive this year than in 2021. a bbc study reveals the price of seven key items has risen by more than £5. a child in west london has died after contracting strep a. this is the fourth death of a minor caused by the bacterial disease in less than two months in the uk. labour holds chester with an increased share of the vote — in rishi sunak�*s first by—election test as prime minister. whistleblowers at one of england's worst performing hospital trusts have said a "culture of fear" among staff is putting patients at risk. current and former staff at university hospitals birmingham have told bbc newsnight that they fear being subjected to disciplinary action if they speak up about patient safety. david grossman reports.

the university hospitals birmingham trust, known as uhb, is huge, one of the largest in the uk — with four big hospitals serving over two million patients a year. for the population of birmingham and right across the west midlands, this trust pretty much is the nhs. but it's also struggling — rated "requires improvement", the third of four possible rankings. it came last but one on an analysis of nhs trusts in england. the problems at the trust have been known about for years. back in 2017, the trust commissioned an internal report into 20 deaths in the haematology department of queen elizabeth hospital in birmingham. newsnight has obtained a copy of the report. while it acknowledges that there are many areas of good practice, it criticises the lack of ownership of patients and a lack of communication on patient care amongst senior clinicians. "from the haematology perspective

and the notes reviewed, it was obvious that this was not happening," the report concludes. in essence, patients were dying — in some cases, without receiving any treatment at all. newsnight has discovered that the doctor who wrote it, who investigated those patient deaths, was so concerned by what he saw was a lack of seriousness about patient safety that he eventually resigned from the trust and indeed from the nhs altogether. we've traced him here to athens, where he is working as a senior consultant haematologist. there was definitely a lack of safe patient care and a lack of ownership of the patient, a lack of looking after the patient the way they should look after these patients in a very detailed way, in detailed management. and those patients all died — that's why you looked at them. exactly. should they have died? could they have been saved? they could be saved.

certainly, when you don't have an action done, then you don't really know the outcome. that is a sentiment we have heard from other clinicians, that they were just not being listened to when they raised concerns about safety. throughout this investigation, we have heard the same thing time and time again — clinicians telling us they feared that if they raised safety concerns, then management would take action against them, perhaps even end their careers. it was, we were told, the wholesale intimidation of the staff into silence. i and other consultants have raised concerns about patient safety, and we realised if you do, you will get punished quite quickly and quite harshly. so they will make all kinds of spurious investigations, and they will try to intimidate you that way. why did you decide to leave, rather than continue to fight? because i think there was no end to this fight and they were trying, as they did with other colleagues, to completely sort

of ruin your career. the trust told the bbc, "we take patient safety very seriously." they said they had a high reporting culture of incidents to ensure appropriate accountability and, vitally, learning. david grossman, bbc news. the prince of wales will meet us presidentjoe biden on the final day of his trip to boston, before awarding his earthshot prize in the evening. but the visit coincides with the release of a trailer for the forthcoming netflix documentary about the duke and duchess of sussex, which suggests they will be making more personal — and potentially damaging — claims about their treatment by some members of the royal household. 0ur royal correspondent daniela relph reports from boston. meeting the people of boston. it's what the prince and princess of wales had wanted to focus on this week. itjust hasn't been that easy. there have been plenty of distractions. "harry and meghan —

a love story" is how it's been billed, the trailer for the six—part series on netflix, released right in the middle of william and catherine's trip to america. i had to do everything i could to protect my family. the teaser hints at personal revelations. when the stakes were this high, doesn't it make more sense to hear our story from us? it's got people talking here — as has the racism row back in london. we all got to work together, - we got to unite and stay together. it doesn't matter — - the black, white, spanish — it doesn't matter, we all got to work together and unite. i for the trailer to come out, that was... that, to me, is backstabbing. let everyone have their moment. and kate — catherine — and william, right now, the prince and princess of wales, have their moment here in boston to make a change for the better. they've got around this city over the past two days, and it is the environment that remains a central

theme of this visit. today, attention shifts to what was always planned as the main event of this trip to america, and the earthshot prize awards ceremony. of all prince william's public work, earthshot is now firmly established as one of his most important projects. get ready to join me and special guests for a unique event, as we come together to celebrate those with the solutions to repair our planet. the five winners will be announced this evening — each one wins £1 million for their innovative environmental idea. as they head into the final day of this trip, the prince and princess of wales will meet president biden, who'll also be in boston today. it's been a visit to america filled with some unexpected challenges. daniela relph, bbc news, boston.

this year steeply rising prices affecting many countries in europe notjust affecting many countries in europe not just the affecting many countries in europe notjust the uk. particularly, soaring energy bills. a corresponding reports from the city of dresden. german business was built to endure, to keep this vast economy turning. but, while it is the busiest time of year, there is little in the way of festive cheer. wages have increased drastically, festive cheer. wages have increased drasticall , , , ., drastically, energy costs have risen, drastically, energy costs have risen. the _ drastically, energy costs have risen, the price _ drastically, energy costs have risen, the price of— drastically, energy costs have risen, the price of our - drastically, energy costs have - risen, the price of our ingredients, i can't pass all that to the customer. after a pandemic pause, germany's christmas markets are back. the worry now, not how to stay healthy, but how to pay the bills. "it's all caused

by russia, by putin, and we're paying," josef tells us. this country was heavily reliant on russian energy. its government has scrambled to secure supplies for the winter. now, it must ensure its citizens can afford them. so the government will pay one month's gas bill in december, for households and small businesses. from january, germany will cap gas and electricity prices. ministers have increased benefits, and most people here have had a one—off payment of 300 euros. it's all costing this country around 300 billion euros. translation: the gas bill hasn't arrived yet, l so let's see how it looks when it comes. translation: the government is incapable of supporting us. i they tell us help is on the way, but nothing is done. chancellor 0lav schulz could do with a boost to his popularity at home, and his european neighbours aren't impressed

by his spending plans. after all, he resisted calls for an eu wide gas price cap. is he, they wonder, just putting germany first? translation: | think i the opposite is the case. this is about stabilizing europe. germany is a decisive factor in that. we've seen the world newly divided. economic centres have shifted. look at america, china. we in europe must make sure we keep up. despite the financial help, businesses and households will still face higher bills. and germany must conserve vital energy supplies. the season for giving has barely begun. already many are cutting back. jenny hill, bbc news, dresden. time for a look at the weather.

hello, there. the easterly breeze will bring a few showers over eastern parts of england, break up the cloud and bring a risk of frost. a blanket of low cloud and misty weather will hang around for awhile on saturday it will hang around for a while i think on saturday. it will bring some rain to the north west of scotland. 0ther some rain to the north west of scotland. other parts of scotland are seeing some sunshine, and a bit of sunshine thing england and wales. still a few showers on eastern areas in the south—east of england looking cloudy on saturday afternoon. another chilly day, temperatures typically seven or 8 degrees on saturday. the second half of the weekend, still this mixture of cloud, sunshine, and some showers, most of the showers to the northern half of the uk, much more cloud probably across the south of england and wales, the easterly wind will be stronger, temperatures five to 7 degrees, feeling a few degrees lower than that in the wind.

hello, this is bbc news. the headlines: the cost of living crisis forces families in the uk to make tough decisions on their christmas spending — with nearly half considering cutbacks. a fourth child has died after contracting the bacterial infection, strep a. labour comfortably holds the constituency of the city of chester in a by election — with their best ever result in the seat. former chancellor sajid javid becomes the latest conservative mp to say he won't stand at the next general election. prince william is to meet us presidentjoe biden — on the final day of his trip with the princess of wales to boston. sport now and a full round up from the bbc sport centre.

good afternoon. after all the drama yesterday, the world cup group stages draw to a close today — and kick off between two old foes is less than half hour away. ghana take on uruguay in theirfinal group match — in theirfirst meeting since their infamous 2010 quarter final — which saw luis suarez sent off after he stopped ghana from scoring, with his hand. asamoah gyan missed the subsequent penalty — and ghana went out of the tournament. suarez is starting up front alongside liverpool's darin nunez. and south korea play portugal, portugal have already qualified — but a point will mean they go through as top team. a win for ghana would see them through. uruguay must win and hope that south korea do not beat portugal to progress. wins for south korea and uruguay would mean second spot

is decided on goal difference. we will get the calculators out! and then tonight — group g draws to a close as switzerland, cameroon and serbia try tojoin brazil in getting out the group. a win will guarantee progress for switzerland, but both serbia and cameroon must win to stand a chance of reaching the last 16. the world cup so far has been full of drama and big pre—tournament favourites like germany and belgium have gone out of the tournament. england defenderjohn stones has been talking to the media this afternoon in qatar. he says that england are wary of a shock defeat to senegal on sunday evening in the knockout stages. it is the best competition in the world and that is why we have already seen big upsets, that we definitely don't want to be one of those teams that takes anything for

granted, doesn't respect the opposition in whatever form, granted, doesn't respect the opposition in whateverform, and i think we have always done that, always shown teams respect, no matter what form they are in or what players they have got. we will continue doing that. away from the world cup, england's cricketers have continued their record—breaking start in their opening test in pakistan — but it might not lead them to victory. after scoring runs galore yesterday — england added another 151 to their overnight total — bowled out for 657 — their highest total in asia. but they struggled with the ball — pakistan ending the day on 181 without loss at the end of day two. here's england debutant willjacks talking to test match special�*s simon mann. 20 wickets on this is hard and we are going to have to take a few worldy catches and have a few crazy catches to go our way to win. it feels like a nailed

on draw but cricket can be a strange game like that. there is only one team that can win it. the pakistanis look happy with the draw with how they are batting, we will be pushing for the win, no matter what happens. in domestic cricket, essex chairman azeem akhtar has "voluntarily stepped aside" from his role — having only been appointed to the role earlier this week. his decision comes as the club conducts an immediate independent review into historical social media content. in a statement, akhtar said... "it is important that i as chair and essex county cricket club more "widely hold ourselves to the highest standards "of governance and accountability. "by stepping aside, i want to show leadership and ensure the club can "focus on the ongoing challenges it is tackling." for a third successive year, the chinese grand prix has been cancelled. the event in shanghai was due to return to the sport's racing calendar for the first time in 2023, but has been called off because of china's covid policies. formula one says it is looking at alternative options to fill the gap left in the calendar.

england rugby union head coach eddiejones is set to find out about his future by the middle of next week — but if he is to leave his role — one man has already ruled himself out of replacing the australian. former ireland captain ronan 0'gara says he's had contact from the rugby football union about whether he was interested in replacing jones. but speaking in a column in an irish newspaper, 0'gara makes it clear he wasn't offered the job officially — but insists he's happy in his current role — in charge of french side la rochelle. that's all the sport for now. the archbishop of canterbury has told the bbc there can be no peace in ukraine until russia "stops lying" about what it's doing, including the massacre of civilians in bucha. he was speaking on a visit to the area — just outside kyiv. it was the site of a mass grave for those killed during the russian

occupation earlier this year. meanwhile, people in the capital continue to suffer emergency blackouts after moscow targeted the country's energy grid. 0ur correspondentjessica parker reports now from kyiv. just outside kyiv, signs of remembrance. in this area, russia is accused of killing hundreds of civilians during its occupation earlier this year. moscow has denied targeting civilians. at irpin bridge, the church of england's most senior cleric came to see the destruction for himself and had a robust message for president putin. there will be no peace until we stop lying. you've got to tell the truth, however painful. there can never be a way forward built on lies. meanwhile, in the south and east, the fighting goes on,

ukraine now taking the rare step in giving a number of how many troops have died. it says up to 13,000, but this can't be verified by the bbc. the truth is, we don't know how many people have died during this conflict. what is certain is that this war continues to cost lives and cause tragedy. meanwhile, russia's repeated efforts to target ukraine's energy grid means daily life is also being affected, far away from the front line. across ukraine, the cold is starting to bite. in this bakery, they suddenly have a blackout. forced to do business in the dark. "the situation in ukraine is very difficult," she says, "they work with or without light, but if there is no power, "they can't bake, so sometimes it means they cannot work at all." generators are popping up all over kyiv, as russia is accused of trying to freeze ukraine into submission.

this woman says she has stocked up on candles, water and food — the prospect of further power outages brings fear but also defiance. translation: of course, we are afraid. _ we are very afraid of the difficulties that may come this winter, but we agree to get through those difficulties together. the main thing is that russia doesn't win. she is just one life among millions touched by this war, everyone walking their own road, but something you often hear is that steady determination to carry on. jessica parker, bbc news. we are going to look at the geopolitics now. i'm joined now by oliver moody, the berlin correspondent for the times newspaper.

before we get onto the details of what is happening in ukraine, use of this phone call between one of schultz, the german chancellor, and vladimir putin, what we know about that? -- vladimir putin, what we know about that? —— all of schultz. vladimir putin, what we know about that? -- all of schultz.— that? -- all of schultz. judging by the readouts _ that? -- all of schultz. judging by the readouts it _ that? -- all of schultz. judging by the readouts it seems _ that? -- all of schultz. judging by the readouts it seems to - that? -- all of schultz. judging by the readouts it seems to have - that? -- all of schultz. judging by. the readouts it seems to have been yet another dialogue, and the german chancellor condemned the russian missile attacks on civilian infrastructure in kyiv and other ukrainian cities and urged vladimir putin to find some kind of diplomatic solution that would involve the withdrawal of russian forces from the ukraine. 0n the kremlin side, vladimir putin insisted that russia had been provoked into launching this missile attacks against civilian infrastructure and called on germany to hold an urgent investigation into the bombing of the nord stream pipeline is so very little evidence of progress. pipeline is so very little evidence of progress-— pipeline is so very little evidence of rouress. , ., ., of progress. interesting. i want to focus on your— of progress. interesting. i want to focus on your reporting _ of progress. interesting. i want to

focus on your reporting because i of progress. interesting. i want to l focus on your reporting because you have been looking at a specific issue, ammunition, and basically country is running out in their efforts to supply ukraine —— countries. what do we know? this efforts to supply ukraine -- countries. what do we know? this is a very broad — countries. what do we know? this is a very broad european _ countries. what do we know? this is a very broad european problem, - a very broad european problem, starting with the end of the cold war, when defence spending was pared backin war, when defence spending was pared back in most european countries and then after 9/11 many militaries were geared up to fight white technologically intensive asymmetric warfare against insurgents —— to fight white. even before the russian invasion of ukraine, stocks of conventional ammunition, things like bullets, shells, hand grenades, they were already running pretty low across most of europe, and since the invasion there has been credible estimates that the british and french armed forces, the largest nato military is in europe, would run out of ammunition after about two weeks of high intensity land warfare and in germany the estimate

is that some forms of ammunition would run out within hours and the german military is unable to fight after about two days or so. that is uuite after about two days or so. that is quite stark- _ after about two days or so. that is quite stark. what _ after about two days or so. that is quite stark. what is _ after about two days or so. that is quite stark. what is being - after about two days or so. that is quite stark. what is being done i quite stark. what is being done about it? are they trying to ramp up production mh17 is enough money going on? production mh17 is enough money auoin on? . , ., ., going on? that is the general idea? -- t in: going on? that is the general idea? -- trying to — going on? that is the general idea? -- trying to ramp — going on? that is the general idea? -- trying to ramp up _ going on? that is the general idea? -- trying to ramp up production, i going on? that is the general idea? -- trying to ramp up production, is| —— trying to ramp up production, is there enough money going in? the germans there enough money going in? tue: germans are there enough money going in? tte: germans are trying there enough money going in? t'te: germans are trying to there enough money going in? tte: germans are trying to patch up the gaps in their capabilities but there is quite a lot of political controversy over the fact that so far only 1.1 billion has been allocated for procuring ammunition over the coming year, whereas it is estimated that the country needs to spend at least 20 billion just to get it stocks up to basic nato requirements.— get it stocks up to basic nato requirements. get it stocks up to basic nato reauirements. a, ., , requirements. more generally, if we no back to requirements. more generally, if we go back to the _ requirements. more generally, if we go back to the beginning _ requirements. more generally, if we go back to the beginning of-

requirements. more generally, if we go back to the beginning of the i go back to the beginning of the conflict with ukraine, there was criticism of germany's approach, and its hesitancy as it was described, so how is that feud now and what is the approach now? —— how is that viewed. the approach now? -- how is that viewed. , . , ., , the approach now? -- how is that viewed. , . , , ., viewed. germany has provided huge su ort viewed. germany has provided huge su- ort to viewed. germany has provided huge support to ukraine _ viewed. germany has provided huge support to ukraine in _ viewed. germany has provided huge support to ukraine in diplomatic i support to ukraine in diplomatic terms where its contributions have been repeated, strong emphatic support from the chancellor and also in material terms, it has pledged more than 1.2 billion euros worth of munitions including things like air defence systems which are supposed to be the most sophisticated in the world, also the artillery guns which have every decent range, and the anti—tank guns which are said to have been particularly prized by ukrainian forces in the field. relative to its gdp, germany has not given ukraine as much military aid as countries like poland and some of

the baltic states, but relative to its pretty depleted military capabilities there is a sense of it having done as much as it could be expected to. me having done as much as it could be expected to-_ having done as much as it could be expected to. we have got to leave it there, but expected to. we have got to leave it there. but for— expected to. we have got to leave it there, but for now, _ expected to. we have got to leave it there, but for now, thanks - expected to. we have got to leave it there, but for now, thanks for i there, but for now, thanks for joining us. we are going to have a look at the world cup now. some of the big teams that have gone up, the likes of belgium and germany. well, let's get more now on that world cup drama and belgium's shock exit. joining me now is lukas taylor, a reporter at the brussels times, a daily english language newspaper from belgium. thanks forjoining us. what is the reaction in belgium to the exit of the belgian national team? aha, reaction in belgium to the exit of the belgian nationalteam? a mixed reaction because _ the belgian nationalteam? a mixed reaction because it _ the belgian nationalteam? a mixed reaction because it was _ the belgian nationalteam? a mixed reaction because it was less - reaction because it was less surprising than expected because a lot of people expected belgium to not do well and the general mood worsened after the first couple of matches. we were watching the match

and a lot of our colleagues did not believe that belgium had it within them to beat croatia, despite having styles on the pitch, but now you have a sense that the pages turning —— despite having stars. the golden generation is finally over. you start name — generation is finally over. you start name supplying and coming on as substitute, as well, they were pretty impressive and they were expected by the rest of the world at least do fairly well, not better they did —— the star names playing. yes, but the big issue is, it is not only having the star names but the way the coach can get the team to work together and provide a system and there has been increasing tensions within the belgian cab, that has been reported by the belgian media but also french media —— the belgian camp. there have been arguments between the stalwart of the site, people like jan vertonghen

is said to not be getting along with eden hazard who is not getting on with younger players like trossard from brighton. there is a sense it has been mismanaged, the squad, at this world cup, but it was may a last—gasp of the generation, to get over what personal grievances they have had, and that is what is being reported and that is what it is felt like by many supporters. the reported and that is what it is felt like by many supporters.- like by many supporters. the one consolation _ like by many supporters. the one consolation is _ like by many supporters. the one consolation is that _ like by many supporters. the one consolation is that they _ like by many supporters. the one consolation is that they are i like by many supporters. the one consolation is that they are not i consolation is that they are not alone, germany as well.- consolation is that they are not alone, germany as well. yes, germany were eliminated _ alone, germany as well. yes, germany were eliminated but _ alone, germany as well. yes, germany were eliminated but with _ alone, germany as well. yes, germany were eliminated but with germany i i were eliminated but with germany i think about having had a look at the german media today, some were positive about the style of play that the new coach hansi flick has got in place and the belgian fans have been so critical of the way that belgium have been set up. to be taken to the sword by a canada team

who lost heavily against croatia and morocco, a lot of people were disappointed by the football on show ljy disappointed by the football on show by belgium. yes, belgian fans can be happy they have been joined by germany but germany can at least be happy with their teen's performances compared to the belgian fans. —— team's performances. compared to the belgian fans. -- team's performances.— team's performances. thanks for “oininu team's performances. thanks for joining us- _ the headlines on bbc news... christmas dinner will be nearly 22% more expensive this year than in 2021. a bbc study reveals the price of seven key items has risen by more than £5. a child in west london has died after contracting strep a. this is the fourth death of a minor caused by the bacterial disease in less than two months in the uk. labour holds chester with an increased share of the vote — in rishi sunak�*s first by—election

test as prime minister. yesterday, analysis by the bbc showed that by late november this year more than 11,000 ambulances were spending over an hour stuck in queues outside hospital every week. that is one in seven of all arrivals and the highest since records began in 2010. tim muffett has been speaking to some of the people who've been impacted by the growing pressure on the nhs and got in touch with the bbc to share their stories. this will be sarah's first christmas without her beloved nan, rosemary. 90 years old and was living in a care home and had been admitted into a&e. she was in there for two days. the target time is four hours. sarah was told that rosemary should have been receiving special end—of—life care.

on one of the days i went to see her, she was lying in a pool of urine. she hadn't had anything to drink or eat. her tongue had started to dry over where she had not been offered any fluids. nobody should be left like that. she was meant to be at end—of—life. days later, rosemary died. we took time to speak to the sisters and the doctors on the last day that my nan was in a&e. they are at the end of their tether with what they are seeing in a&e. and the scary thing is it's going to become the norm. if nothing is done, that is going to become the norm. lesley reynolds from truro is the uk's number one bmx rider in her age category.

in august, she had a serious accident. i was doing a line ofjumps at the track. i remember waking up thinking, why am i lying on my back? i was in and out of consciousness. i was struggling to breathe. i was there for four and a half hours waiting for an ambulance to arrive. i had four bleeds on my brain. i had fractured my collarbone quite badly. and nine rib fractures and a partially collapsed lung. when lesley got to hospital, intensive care was full. i then went back out in the ambulance that i came to the hospital in and i waited all night in the back of the ambulance for a bed to become available, with the ambulance crew. to me, itjust seems the nhs is broken. it's very sad. lisa is an operating theatre nurse

at a hospital in the midlands. at the moment, the stress levels at work are so high, mainly down to the fact that there is no beds for patients when we are operating. if you see a lot of ambulances queueing up outside, you just expect to have a bad day. that you will be struggling to get patients through. the idea that the nhs provides the care for everybody and theyjust can't do that. members of the royal college of nursing in england, wales and northern ireland are due to stage their biggest—ever walk—out on the 15th and 20th of december. to stage their biggest—ever walk—out it is not that long ago we were heroes and being clapped during covid and, now, with us striking, it will be looked at very badly by the public and, yet, the situation isn't our making

and we are just trying to deal with it. three perspectives on the enormous challenges facing the nhs. challenges many believe are about to get even tougher. bristol temple meads has become the first railway station in the uk to offer an audio guide to help blind and visually impaired passengers find their way around. the guide includes the sounds and smells of the station as well as directions. john maguire reports. the hustle and bustle of a busy mainline railway station is an assault on the senses. but what if, as you try to navigate your way around the platforms, the passengers and the people, you can hear everything, but see nothing? so if we start walking forward now, we're walking past the gate line. i'm trying to knock somebody over. sorry, apologies. we're going against the flow,

as well, aren't we? we're against the flow of people coming off the train. 0h, there's a wonderful fur coat there that i've just brushed against it. 0h, there's a post there. i think we go right round the post. so, to help people with impaired or no vision... we're coming up to the door. there's a sound of the echo. network rail has teamed up with the bristol sight loss council to create an audio guide, an audio map of bristol temple meads, available on a smartphone. 'the ticket barriers - are white and gray branded. |'the left hand side of the ticketj gate is for entering the station, 'and the right hand side i is for exiting, so keep left 'as you go towards them.�* 'going through the gate... now it's telling us we're on platform three. and it's telling us to turn right, to go to the stairs of the subway. alan davis has helped to write the guide. it includes details that a sighted person might not think of. 'you'll walk up a very tiny slope and you'll feel the floor surfacej 'change from rough to smooth.�*

so we're looking for the tactile... alan and anila are putting the guide to the test — the ticket barriers, the coffee kiosks, the stairs. no, we're fine, thanks. thank you. like anything, a train station, for a totally blind person, is a frightening environment. flipping heck, i wish i'd had this when i moved to bristol. it would have made so much of a difference to me, because it's all about confidence, it's all about knowing the environment you're going into. so, if you come across something you weren't expecting, if you've heard it in advance, you obviously know about it. so therefore, you're taking some of the fear and anxiety away. so the sound changes even when there's a gap, and then when it closes up again. details include the station's changing sounds, and even its smells. and, look, the sound here has changed. i can already smell the pasties. yeah. and the temperature is changing as well. it's getting a bit warmer, which is nice. and the sound is very different down here now. there is an assistant

service at stations. but the hope for this guide is that it will further increase the confidence and independence for a variety of passengers. for people who haven't had the confidence to travel on their own, people who have thought they can't travel on their own, people who are just scared to travel on their own, i think it's going to be life changing for lots and lots of visually impaired people, but it's also going to change things for other people who don't have confidence. the guide, the first in the uk, was born out of the station's major refurbishment. in some places the physical layout has been altered, and this is a way to let passengers with a visual impairment know what has changed. 'please be aware that there j are large scaffolding towers 'on the platform after you have - passed through the main ticket gate, 'approximately six feet awayj immediately in front of you.�* but now, the ambition is to roll it out at other stations. we're now looking at paddington and looking at how we can develop, because if we can help people with visual impairments and visual problems get around paddington much better, that will be great for them and it'll be great for us.

the audio guide goes live today, and will be adapted and improved with feedback, using the soundscape to create a map that can't be seen but can show the way. 'thank you for listening, and we wish you a very. 'pleasant onward journey.�* john maguire, bbc news, bristol. sir eltonjohn is to headline the glastonbury festival next summer, in what is being billed as his last uk date on his farewell tour. he said it was a fitting way to say goodbye to his british fans. here's our showbiz reporter daniel rosney. # you can tell everybody... # sir eltonjohn's been on the road for more than 50 years, playing hits in at least 80 countries. here, he sang, virtually, at the late queen's platinum jubilee in june. glastonbury, he says, will be his last ever uk show before he retires, posting online, "there is no more

fitting way to say goodbye," and he can't wait to embrace the spirit of the greatest festival in the world. 0rganisers say it's going to be the mother of all send—offs. his last album, the lockdown sessions, had a lot of contemporary artists on it, which really kind of... it was a really nice way to cement his place in pop culture, notjust saying, "i'm notjust a legacy act, "i have shaped pop music as we know it." the 75—year—old, who wants to spend more time with his family, is part way through his farewell yellow brick road tour, recently wrapping up gigs in north america. fans will no doubt hear him on the main stage belt out hits like crocodile rock and saturday night's alright — and on the sunday, it will be too, as the sun sets on the festival and sir eltonjohn's touring life. daniel rosney, bbc news.

hello, there. summer sunshine around but a few showers coming in and that is the weather we have seen developing —— some sunshine. welcome sunshine in lincolnshire early on. we have these temperatures earlier and milder in northern ireland with a southerly breeze but it is the easterly that will start to take charge of bringing in showers to eastern parts of england overnight, breaking the cloud and reducing the risk of some fog and may be increasing the risk of some frost with temperatures close to freezing. cold and clear in the south—east of scotland, north—west scotland and northern ireland, with a band of cloud quite low, misty weather, which will hang around into saturday in the north west of scotland in particular, and

other parts of scotland dry and bright with some sunshine and some sunshine for england and wales and a few showers coming into eastern parts of england, but it looks cloudy for the south—east of england. it is on the chilly side with ten which is typically 7—8. for the first half of the weekend. —— temperatures. rain in the far north—west is pushed away by the strengthening easterly wind which is still in the colder air and it will drop the temperature is once again. we have a mixture of cloud and sunshine and a few showers, mostly the showers in the northern half of the showers in the northern half of the uk with more in the way of cloud further south over england and wales, and that easterly wind will be more noticeable, not a bid to go the strong wind but you notice it and it will make it feel colder as well. these other temperatures and they are dropping away on sunday, so 5-7 but they are dropping away on sunday, so 5—7 but when you factor in the strength of the easterly wind those temperatures will feel quite a few degrees lower again. staying with cold air over the week ahead, the

easterly to start the week, bringing in a lot of cloud and then we have sunshine and it gets colder through the rest of the week as well. as the wind direction changes. we start with the easterly wind and then tuesday, wednesday, we moved out into this win from the north and that brings colder air, some sunshine, wintry showers, mainly around coastal areas in the north.

this is bbc news, i'm lewis vaughanjones. the headlines: the cost of living crisis forces families in the uk to make tough decisions on their christmas spending, with nearly half considering cutbacks. a fourth child has died after contracting the bacterial infection, strep a. labour comfortably holds the constituency of the city of chester in a by election, with their best ever result in the seat. former chancellor sajid javid becomes the latest conservative mp to say he won't stand at the next general election. prince william is to meet us presidentjoe biden on the final day of his trip with the princess of wales to boston.

and next summer's headline act at glastonbury, sir eltonjohn, will make it the last date of his uk tour. this afternoon we're focussing our attention on the cost of living. the boss of the uk's biggest supermarket, tesco, says shoppers are trying to budget for christmas by spreading out the cost and buying more frozen products. it comes as bbc analysis shows the traditional dinner will be nearly 22% more expensive than last year. in a moment we'll be talking to food blogger about budgeting meals, but first let's run through just how food costs are pushing up the price of a christmas lunch. a basic christmas dinner for five people —

comprising of a frozen medium—sized turkey, stuffing balls, brussels sprouts, roast potatoes, pork chipolatas, onion gravy and mince pies for dessert will cost £30.03 compared to £24.67 last year. chipolatas, the crucial ingredient for pigs—in—blankets, has seen the steepestjump of 42.7% to £2.13 for a packet of 12. that's because the pork industry has been hit by a succession of cost increases over the past 12 months. new research suggests that worries about money mean that nearly half of us, 44%, are cutting back on what we will spend over the festive season. so, how badly will further price increases affect families? it is worth bearing in mind that is notjust

it is worth bearing in mind that is not just the it is worth bearing in mind that is notjust the meal on the day, it is the christmas eve, it is the snacks on the day, boxing day, so even though people might look at it and say it is only a £5 difference, it is not only a £5 difference, it is days and days worth of feeding people, it? it is a huge hike in prices if it is 20% more. people, it? it is a huge hike in prices if it is 2096 more.- people, it? it is a huge hike in prices if it is 2096 more. does a really good _ prices if it is 2096 more. does a really good point, _ prices if it is 2096 more. does a really good point, it _ prices if it is 2096 more. does a really good point, it is - prices if it is 2096 more. does a really good point, it is not i prices if it is 2096 more. does a really good point, it is notjust| really good point, it is notjust that one meal that is going up. what are some of the approaches that you have, and that you recommend for families? t have, and that you recommend for families? ., have, and that you recommend for families? ~ ., ., families? i think one of the problems _ families? i think one of the problems is _ families? i think one of the problems is this _ families? i think one of the problems is this keeping i families? i think one of the | problems is this keeping up appearances narrative, the way that christmas is marketed to us, with piles of presents and piles of food. ijust think it is entirely unnecessary. at the end of the day, it is just a day, unnecessary. at the end of the day, it isjust a day, and it isjust a meal. we have made it into this thing that is so much bigger than it

is. people stockpiling nuts so that they can have a huge bowl of nuts in they can have a huge bowl of nuts in the middle of their coffee table, what other time of the year would you feel the need to do that? half of the stuff doesn't get eaten, it just sits in the fridge for a few days. i think this thinking of, what are we actually going to get through, and not of buying. also, the person who is hosting the christmas, they are basically expected to become a restaurant. it is a constant stream of drinks and food and entertainment, and it is exhausting and expensive. if it is supposed to be a time of year for sharing, let's start having a conversation around saying, right, you are all coming to my house on christmas day, so can we all contribute? everybody bring some food, orfinance contribute? everybody bring some food, or finance the contributes.

why should follow the person is hosting the day? that we will be my of advice if you're finding yourself in position where everyone is descending on you for christmas day, don't be afraid to say, can you all bring part of the meal?— don't be afraid to say, can you all bring part of the meal? what about substitutions _ bring part of the meal? what about substitutions like _ bring part of the meal? what about substitutions like not _ bring part of the meal? what about substitutions like not having - bring part of the meal? what about substitutions like not having the i substitutions like not having the turkey and having something else instead? brute turkey and having something else instead? ~ ., �* turkey and having something else instead? ., , turkey and having something else instead? ~ ., �* ., , ., turkey and having something else instead? ., , ., ~ , instead? we don't really have turkey because it is — instead? we don't really have turkey because it is a _ instead? we don't really have turkey because it is a big _ instead? we don't really have turkey because it is a big expensive - instead? we don't really have turkey because it is a big expensive bird i because it is a big expensive bird and lots of people go out and buy our trade to cook a meal that they have once a year, so have a conversation with your family and say, look, what we want? do we want turkey? we don't have to have turkey. if you would rather have chicken or a piece of beef because thatis chicken or a piece of beef because that is what everyone enjoys more, men just because everyone else is having a turkey, it doesn't mean you also have to have a turkey. and all the trimmings. if you are a host of people who don't like brussels sprouts, don't go and buy brussel sprouts, don't go and buy brussel sprouts when they are in high demand

are going up in price. we have got so wrapped up in the message of what christmas looks like that we are doing things that we don't really want to do, and eating things we would normally eat. mr; want to do, and eating things we would normally eat.— want to do, and eating things we would normally eat. my thanks to grace mortimer, _ would normally eat. my thanks to grace mortimer, there. _ since may, as food and energy bills have risen, the bbc has found that more than three million children have eaten for free or at discounted prices in supermarket cafes. 0ur cost of living correspondent colletta smith has the story. supermarket cafes are becoming increasingly important. as warm spaces with long hours and relatively cheap food, you can see the appeal. so all day breakfast is still on? yeah, don't worry. i'm not too late? no. never too late at morrisons cafe for breakfast. julie has worked in this store for more than 20 years and knows all the familiarfaces. those two there are regulars. he is a regular. but there has been a big change in recent months.

it is notjust pensioners coming in forfood or a cuppa. around about 3:30, 3:40, we have a mad rush with the mums coming in with kids. morrisons have more cafes than any other supermarket and gave away 70,000 children's meals each week through the summer holidays, and saw 30% more families in october half term compared to the may half term. we are definitely seeing more young families and more people buying into the deals which, i think, obviously then fits in with what we're seeing from an economic perspective around the cost of living crisis. in a period of time where it's getting colder and often people are getting lonelier, it provides that safe space for people. lots of those families are just looking for ways to make their budgets stretch a little further. yeah, it'sjust something to do. a day out in the warm, really. yeah. that makes a big difference at the moment as well, doesn't it? was your breakfast tasty? yeah. marks & spencer have been seeing the same after—school rush. i think there is just a thing about, you know, new patterns, you know?

people do want to get out and about but they just want to do it in an affordable way, and i guess cafes offer great value for families, you know? and it's a lovely thing to do together, to do the shopping and then go and, you know, have a nice lunch. tesco and asda cafes have also been offering free or cheap children's food. but sainsbury�*s have closed 200 of their restaurants at the same moment that more people have come to depends on the supermarket caff. we just come down on a tuesday, normally. just pop in. i think some, like, older people might be looking for somewhere to keep warm, rather than using their own electric. food's going up in price, so are restaurants etc. l yeah, and it's... ..as it says on the tin, cheap and cheerful. i but it's warm, and i guess that's a big part of it as well? and it's warm, yeah. it is warm. busy cafes are bringing in more customers and profit for stores, but giving unexpected benefits to families this winter. colletta smith, bbc

news, in birmingham. and you can head to our website and follow our live blog for ideas on cheap ways to shop and feed yourself well as costs rise. a fourth child has died after contracting the bacterial disease strep a. the latest death was of a child who attended stjohn's school in ealing, west london. the uk health security agency said the infections usually result in mild illness. are health editor told us a little more about the infection and symptoms. more about the infection and symptoms-— more about the infection and s mtoms. ,., ,, , , ., symptoms. group a streptococcus, an infection caused _ symptoms. group a streptococcus, an infection caused by _ symptoms. group a streptococcus, an infection caused by bacteria _ symptoms. group a streptococcus, an infection caused by bacteria known i infection caused by bacteria known as strep a is notably common each year, and it can cause throat inflammation and skin problems, but it is reasonably well known, it can lead to tonsillitis and scarlet fever. scarlet fever is not

uncommon, particularly in winter months, although parents of children who get it are advised to report it to a doctor, because it is a notifiable disease, but often the symptoms there wear off after a week. very rarely, it can cause an invasive streptococcal disease, because it gets into the bloodstream and that is what we are talking about here. the symptoms of that, and parents are being advised us to watch out for these, or that if throat problems and generally feeling unwell turns into a high temperature, fever, or muscle pain, then a doctor should be contacted or medical advice should be sought. just emphasise, it should be very rare that this invasive streptococcal disease develops. sadly, it has done in a handful of cases that have emerged. it is being stressed that, very tragically,

there are a few deaths each year from this, and it is not clear whether these are out of line with that, whether it is something that is going to happen most whingers anyway. although, it is being said by officials, that scarlet fever, there are more cases this time of year, particularly in children, and that could be because of a lack of immunity going back over the last few years where there was less mixing and therefore must immunity build up by children to bacterial infection. —— less immunity built up. infection. -- less immunity built u.-, , infection. -- less immunity built u.�* , , infection. -- less immunity built up. just remind us again of the symptoms. _ up. just remind us again of the symptoms, because _ up. just remind us again of the symptoms, because part- up. just remind us again of the symptoms, because part of. up. just remind us again of the | symptoms, because part of the problem i assume here is that the symptoms are similar to a cold, building up to more flu—like symptoms. the could potentially be our overlap with more common symptoms. tt our overlap with more common symptoms-— our overlap with more common smtoms. _ ,., , our overlap with more common s mtoms. _ ,., , ,, symptoms. it has mild symptoms like a sore throat —

symptoms. it has mild symptoms like a sore throat or _ symptoms. it has mild symptoms like a sore throat or an _ symptoms. it has mild symptoms like a sore throat or an infection _ symptoms. it has mild symptoms like a sore throat or an infection that i a sore throat or an infection that can be treated with antibiotics, and then a rash can develop which could be scarlet fever. parents are being advised that if it does become more serious in terms of a high fever, high temperature, or these intense muscle pains, then it definitely should be reported to a doctor. again, that is very rare, it is not unheard of, and particularly in the winter, with schoolchildren mixing, you are going to get this sort of bacterial infection. it can only be spread, though, by close contact, it has to be said. that is the advice that has been given right now by health officials. for that has been given right now by health officials.— that has been given right now by health officials. for the latest on stre a health officials. for the latest on strep a and _ health officials. for the latest on strep a and the _ health officials. for the latest on strep a and the symptoms i health officials. for the latest on strep a and the symptoms to i health officials. for the latest on. strep a and the symptoms to look health officials. for the latest on - strep a and the symptoms to look out for, you can follow on the bbc news website. labour has held on to the constituency of the city of chester in a by—election. samantha dixon increased the party's majority to almost ii—thousand.

samantha dixon increased the party's majority to almost 11,000. meanwhile the former health secretary sajid javid has said he will not stand again at the next general election. our political correspondent jonathan blake has the details. cheers of victory in chester, labour celebrated holding onto this seat last night and saw a boost in support from voters. not much to smile about for the conservatives, whose share of the vote slumped. while this win was expected, labour's deputy leader turned up first thing to make the most of it and argue the tories had taken a pelting. the result is a historic result, it is a huge majority for us here in this by—election, and it was very clear, when we spoke to people on the doorstep, that they have had enough of the conservatives, they have had enough of them not dealing with the issues that people are facing, that businesses are facing here at the moment, and that they want that change and they want a labour government. chester has been a conservative seat in the past, but labour won here at the last three general elections. the conservatives say the result is a bloody nose for them after a difficult

period in government. it was pretty much as expected, this is a labour seat they have held at the last three general elections, and so we expected it would be retained by the labour party, but we are focused on delivering for the british public, delivering on the core priorities of people. with labour's big lead in the opinion polls, what does this result tell us about the national picture? if we compare this by—election performance with comparable previous by—elections, it is consistent with the claim that labour are in a stronger position than they have ever been in the last ten or 12 years, and that the performance is consistent with what happened the last time we had a parliament which ended in the defeat of a conservative government. this was the first verdict from voters since rishi sunak became prime minister after borisjohnson, then liz truss, resigned. he won't have expected a win, but the result is a reminder there are tougher electoral

tests to come. our political correspondent helen catt says sajid javid is the biggest conservative name who says he isn't going to stand at the next election. he said it was a decision he had wrestled with for some time, but it wouldn't mark the end of his parliamentary activity, though. he said he always sought to make decisions on the national interest and in line with his values, he could only hope that his best was sufficient. as i said, he is the biggest name to have said he is standing down, and you could look at that and think, here are some with a large majority, 23,000 at the last election in his bromsgrove constituency, that he is someone with a profile. he is only 53, so it is conceivable that there was time for them to have another big job in government, but he could also look at that and say, he has been the health secretary, he has been the

chancellor, has run for leader twice unsuccessfully, what else is there to do in terms of a parliamentary career? i think it is quite an interesting one to look at. he has been wished well by the prime minister, who tweeted, may the force be with you, saj. that is a reference to their shared love of the star wars films. this will be seenin the star wars films. this will be seen in the wider context of a number of conservative mps saying they will stand down in recent days, and the reason we have seen quite so many in quick succession is that the party is at the mall to say my monday whether they intend to stand again. he is certainly the biggest name, but is not perhaps the most surprising, that award if you like goes to deanna davidson, the levelling up minister, is one of the rising stars of the party, she knows she would not stand again next week, another big name to add to add to that list. , ., , christmas dinner will be nearly 22 percent more expensive this year than in 2021.

a bbc study reveals the price of seven key items has risen by more than 5 pounds. a child in west london has died after contracting strep a. this is the fourth death of a minor caused by the bacterial disease in less than two months in the uk. labour holds chester with an increased share of the vote, in rishi sunak�*s first by—election test as prime minister. two boys aged 16 were stabbed to death just a two boys aged 16 were stabbed to deathjust a mile two boys aged 16 were stabbed to death just a mile apart on saturday evening. the teenagers accused of there murder are appearing today before bexley magistrates�* court. what is the latest? here at bexley magistrates�* court in south london,

two teenage boys were charged of two counts of murder each. they were aged 15 and 16 years old, they have been remanded in secure accommodation in a youth custody centre until their cases will be heard at the old bailey in september. the two boys were killed on saturday evening. charlie in abbey wood, and kearne in thamesmead. they were just a mile of part from each other, and the whole area is in shock over these killings. 16—year—old boy is killed on the streets, and at the moment two people are charged with their murders. police also said today they had arrested an 18—year—old on suspicion of murder, and so we have yet to hear more about that. the police are saying that the investigation is still under way, they are appealing for more information, although they say they have made progress on this, so at

the moment we have two teenage boys due to appear at the old bailey on the 6th of december. whistle—blowers at one of england�*s worst performing hospital trusts have said a "culture of fear" among staff is putting patients at risk. current and former staff at university hospitals birmingham have told bbc newsnight that they fear being subjected to disciplinary action if they speak up about patient safety. david grossman reports. the university hospitals birmingham trust, known as uhb, is huge, one of the largest in the uk — with four big hospitals serving over two million patients a year. for the population of birmingham and right across the west midlands, this trust pretty much is the nhs. but it�*s also struggling — rated "requires improvement", the third of four possible rankings. it came last but one on an analysis of nhs trusts in england. the problems at the trust have been

known about for years. back in 2017, the trust commissioned an internal report into 20 deaths in the haematology department of queen elizabeth hospital in birmingham. newsnight has obtained a copy of the report. while it acknowledges that there are many areas of good practice, it criticises the lack of ownership of patients and a lack of communication on patient care amongst senior clinicians. "from the haematology perspective and the notes reviewed, it was obvious that this was not happening," the report concludes. in essence, patients were dying — in some cases, without receiving any treatment at all. newsnight has discovered that the doctor who wrote it, who investigated those patient deaths, was so concerned by what he saw was a lack of seriousness about patient safety that he eventually resigned from the trust and indeed from the nhs altogether. we�*ve traced him here to athens, where he is working as a senior consultant haematologist.

there was definitely a lack of safe patient care and a lack of ownership of the patient, a lack of looking after the patient the way they should look after these patients in a very detailed way, in detailed management. and those patients all died — that�*s why you looked at them. exactly. should they have died? could they have been saved? they could be saved. certainly, when you don�*t have an action done, then you don�*t really know the outcome. that is a sentiment we have heard from other clinicians, that they were just not being listened to when they raised concerns about safety. throughout this investigation, we have heard the same thing time and time again — clinicians telling us they feared that if they raised safety concerns, then management would take action against them, perhaps even end their careers. it was, we were told, the wholesale intimidation of the staff into silence.

i and other consultants have raised concerns about patient safety, and we realised if you do, you will get punished quite quickly and quite harshly. so they will make all kinds of spurious investigations, and they will try to intimidate you that way. why did you decide to leave, rather than continue to fight? because i think there was no end to this fight and they were trying, as they did with other colleagues, to completely sort of ruin your career. the trust told the bbc, "we take patient safety very seriously." they said they had a high reporting culture of incidents to ensure appropriate accountability and, vitally, learning. david grossman, bbc news. the match between rivals ghana and uruguay has just kicked off and there�*s the chance for ghana to avenge one of the most heartbreaking moments in their world cup history with a place in the last sixteen at stake.

the last time they met was the quarter final of the 2010 tournament. in that match luis suarez stopped ghana from scoring with his hand and then asamoah gyan missed the subsequent penalty. suarez was given the chance to apologise in today�*s pre match press conference and this is what he had to say. it's it�*s not my fault, because i didn�*t miss the penalty. you see the player miss the penalty. you see the player miss a penalty, he would do the same in the situation. it�*s not my responsibility to shoot the penalty. the former ghanaian football star emmanuel agyeman—badu gave his reaction ahead of the match. we today is a holiday in ghana, it is farmers day, and everyone is tense, the country is waiting for what will happen at 3pm. today is my birthday as well...

what will happen at 3pm. today is my birthday as well. . .— birthday as well... happy birthday! thank you. — birthday as well. .. happy birthday! thank you. i _ birthday as well... happy birthday! thank you. i am — birthday as well. .. happy birthday! thank you, i am hopeful— birthday as well... happy birthday! thank you, i am hopeful that - birthday as well... happy birthday! thank you, i am hopeful that my . thank you, i am hopeful that my colleagues will give me a very good birthday. did colleagues will give me a very good birthda . , , ., ., ., , birthday. did you hear what luis suarez had _ birthday. did you hear what luis suarez had to _ birthday. did you hear what luis suarez had to say _ birthday. did you hear what luis suarez had to say about - birthday. did you hear what luis suarez had to say about that - suarez had to say about that handball, what was your reaction? it is a deliberate idea at the press conference to create the attention, it is a mind game. he is right, he was playing for his country, that is what he needs to do. we are not thinking about was this happened 12 years ago, it is part of history, although the supporters want some revenge. i spoke to a couple of them, and they said they have a game against uruguay. there not concentrating on what suarez said.

this match is under way. joining us now is salim kikeke, presenter at bbc africa and the world service. unbelievably, another penalty controversy? it unbelievably, another penalty controversy?— unbelievably, another penalty controversy? unbelievably, another penalty controvers ? , , ~ ., ., controversy? it seems like the drama continues, controversy? it seems like the drama continues. it — controversy? it seems like the drama continues, itjust _ controversy? it seems like the drama continues, itjust picked _ controversy? it seems like the drama continues, itjust picked up _ controversy? it seems like the drama continues, itjust picked up from - continues, itjust picked up from where it left 12 years ago. andre ayew missing a penalty, it wasn�*t a particularly good penalty, the match taking place is behind me, and of all the people, andre ayew, the captain of the black stars could not convert that penalty kick. it is still 0—0, will we see the end of this? still 0-0, will we see the end of this? ., , still 0-0, will we see the end of this? . , , ., , still 0-0, will we see the end of this? ., , ., , ., still 0-0, will we see the end of this? , ., , ., ., this? has this memory of losing out to luis suarez's _ this? has this memory of losing out

to luis suarez's handball _ this? has this memory of losing out to luis suarez's handball hunted - this? has this memory of losing out| to luis suarez's handball hunted the to luis suarez�*s handball hunted the team? this was their chance to try for redemption, and they can still win? i for redemption, and they can still win? ., , , for redemption, and they can still win? . , , ., ., win? i have 'ust been told that uru~ua win? i have just been told that uruguay have _ win? i have just been told that uruguay have just _ win? i have just been told that uruguay have just scored, - win? i have just been told that uruguay have just scored, so l win? i have just been told that i uruguay have just scored, so that will turn all the tables. i tell you what, not only fans from ghana will be following this came very closely, the whole continent will be doing that as well. ghana, the team, had a very terrible africa cup of nations earlier in cameroon. they finished last in their group, they lost to the camorra silent, who are playing the camorra silent, who are playing the africa cup of nations for the first time in the history of the nation. in the qualifiers they did very well to get here, dispatching their rivals nigeria to get here. there was some hope, and their first game against portugal, they showed a

lot of spirit, and nearly came back to equalise in that game, and of course they won the game against south korea to set up this last game here. they need to win, they have to win to qualify. they really needed, a draw would suffice, they need a win. losing this game would hurt so much, probably more than when it hurts 12 years ago. we much, probably more than when it hurts 12 years ago.— hurts 12 years ago. we will that they are. _ hurts 12 years ago. we will that they are. the — hurts 12 years ago. we will that they are, the drama _ hurts 12 years ago. we will that they are, the drama is - hurts 12 years ago. we will that - they are, the drama is unbelievable, because as you say, uruguay have now gone ahead, half an hour or so gone, and there is still time for ghana to pull it back. we will see. that is it, let�*s get the weather. it has felt cold and the fog over the past few days, less cold, but a chilly wind is picking up. that breeze will will bring in a few showers overnight, eastern parts of england will break up the cloud, a touch of frost, some breaks on the cloud across the south—east

scotland, north—west scotland and northern ireland under a blanket of low cloud, misty weather that will hang around for a while on wednesday. —— saturday. there are still a few showers, and the south—east of england is actually looking quite cloudy on saturday afternoon. another chilly day, temperatures typically seven or 8 degrees on saturday. the second half the weekend, so this mixture of cloud, sunshine and some showers. mostly shows for the northern half of the uk, much more quite properly towards the south across england and wales. that is fully wound will be a bit stronger, temperatures are five to 7 degrees, virtually a few degrees lower than that in the wind. —— feeling a few degrees lower than that.

hello, this is bbc news. the headlines: the cost of living crisis forces families in the uk to make tough decisions on their christmas spending, with nearly half

considering cutbacks. a fourth child has died after contracting the bacterial infection, strep a. labour comfortably holds the constituency of the city of chester in a by election — with their best ever result in the seat. former chancellor sajid javid becomes the latest conservative mp to say he won�*t stand at the next general election. prince william is to meet us presidentjoe biden — on the final day of his trip with the princess of wales to boston. and next summer�*s headline act at glastonbury — sir eltonjohn — who will make it the last uk date of his farewell tour. sport now and a full round up from the bbc sport centre. good afternoon.

the final round of group h games are underway — and we�*ll start with portugal against south korea. portugal are already through — but can secure top spot with at least a point. and they�*re already ahead. just five minutes in — ricardo horta firing it home. that one is live on bbc1 right now. bacteria have equalised, though. so it is 1-1 bacteria have equalised, though. so it is 1—1 in that game —— south korea have equalised. south korea must win and hope that uruguay and ghana finishes in a draw. and after all the history from 2010 — when urugauy dumped ghana out of the world cup, after asamoah gyan

missed a penaly following a luis suarez handball clearance on the line. today, ghana were awarded another penalty against uruguay in the other tie in group h. andre ayew stepped up — and missed. a win would guarantee ghana�*s progression to the last 16. uruguay then went ahead. suarez setting up the chance for arrascaeta. uruguay have extended their lead. and then tonight — group g draws to a close as switzerland, cameroon and serbia try tojoin brazil in getting out the group. a win will guarantee progress for switzerland, but both serbia and cameroon must win to stand a chance of reaching the last 16. so the world cup so far has been full of drama and big pre—tournament favourites like germany and belgium have gone out of the tournament. england defenderjohn stones has been talking to the media this afternoon in qatar. he says that england are wary of a shock defeat to senegal on sunday evening. it is the best competition in the world and that is why we have

already seen big upsets. we definitely don�*t want to be one of those teams that takes anything for granted, doesn�*t respect the opposition in whateverform, and i think we have always done that, always shown teams respect, no matter what form they are in or what players they have got. we will continue doing that. and to stop those post—world cup blues — the bbc will have more live football in the new year. the fa cup third round tv picks have been announced with manchester city and chelsea facing each other. the match on sunday 8 january will be the first time the two sides have met in the fa cup since chelsea�*s semi—final win in the 2020—21 season. newcastle united�*s trip to league one sheffield wednesday will also be broadcast live across the bbc. away from the world cup, england�*s cricketers have

continued their record—breaking start in their opening test in pakistan — but it might not lead them to victory. after scoring runs galore yesterday — england added another 151 to their overnight total — bowled out for 657 — their highest total in asia. but they struggled with the ball — pakistan ending the day on 181 without loss at the end of day two. here�*s england debutant willjacks talking to test match special�*s simon mann. 20 wickets on this is hard and we are going to have to take a few worldy catches and have a few crazy catches to go on our way to win. it feels like a nailed on draw but cricket can be a strange game like that. there is only one team that can win it. the pakistanis look happy with the draw with how they are batting, but we will be pushing for the win, no matter what happens. england rugby union head coach eddiejones is set to find out about his future by the middle of next week — but if he is to leave his role — one man has already ruled himself out of replacing the australian.

former ireland captain ronan o�*gara says he�*s had contact from the rugby football union about whether he was interested in replacing jones. but speaking in a column in an irish newspaper, o�*gara makes it clear he wasn�*t offered the job officially — but insists he�*s happy in his current role — in charge of french side la rochelle. uruguay are still leading 2—0 against ghana and it is 1—1 between south korea and portugal. we will have more on those matches in the next hour. let�*s get more on the rising cost of living now. the boss of tescos has been giving us some insight into changing buying habits this christmas. ken murphy says households are switching from fresh food to cheaper frozen goods. he�*s been speaking to our business correspondent emma simpson. our shoppers are really savvy and they think about what they are doing

and consequentially we have noticed and consequentially we have noticed a number of changes. if you look behind you you can see the scanners where we keep our hand—held scanners, and this is a great tool for shoppers to be able to scan products as they shop so they know exactly what they are spending. that allows them to swab products dynamically in and out of the basket to make sure they can shop to a specific budget —— swap products we see them do this a lot. some of the things they are doing, and a lot of the basic items, like pasta, rice, and other basics, they are shopping into our own brand products. we are also seeing a movement from fresh product and a frozen product. and we are seeing shoppers start to look to spread the cost of their christmas shopping this year, so we are seeing some of them buying more frozen turkeys and we have seen a 200%

increase in frozen turkey sales versus the last christmas we had which was covid free in 2019. i5 which was covid free in 2019. is that because they are cheaper? which was covid free in 2019. is - that because they are cheaper? yes, and they are — that because they are cheaper? yes, and they are also _ that because they are cheaper? 1913 and they are also guaranteed to that because they are cheaper? i;e::~ and they are also guaranteed to have it on christmas day and itjust provides them with that security and they can buy it earlier so they don�*t have this massive bill in the christmas period itself. it is man�*s outer spend. christmas period itself. it is man's outer spend-— christmas period itself. it is man's outer send. ., . , ,, outer spend. how much pressure rv sho ers outer spend. how much pressure rv shoppers under? _ outer spend. how much pressure rv shoppers under? liverpool -- - outer spend. how much pressure rv shoppers under? liverpool -- it - shoppers under? liverpool —— it smooths out the spend. thea;r shoppers under? liverpool -- it smooths out the spend. they are under a lot _ smooths out the spend. they are under a lot of _ smooths out the spend. they are under a lot of pressure, - smooths out the spend. they are under a lot of pressure, we - smooths out the spend. they are under a lot of pressure, we have | under a lot of pressure, we have seen inflation coming at us in waves and we are doing everything in our power to mitigate that inflation. you have a big helicopter view of what is going on. how worried are you about the times we are in? it feels like we are in times of turbulence, times of change. that

always creates uncertainty. ourjob is to make sure that the little basics for your consistent and reliable and affordable. and that is what we are only focused on. we are trying to control what we can control and that is making sure we are bringing as much great quality product as affordably as possible to customers, make sure they can enjoy those little treats and little getaways from the reality of the world around them, and that is where the energy and effort is going right now. ., ., ., ., now. you are in a unique position because you _ now. you are in a unique position because you are _ now. you are in a unique position because you are not _ now. you are in a unique position because you are not only - now. you are in a unique position because you are not only having i now. you are in a unique position i because you are not only having lots of shoppers but you are the biggest private sector employer in the uk. do you understand what your staff are going through right now and are you giving them inflation busting pay rises? we you giving them inflation busting -a rises? ~ ., you giving them inflation busting -a rises? . ., ,. ., , pay rises? we are really conscious of everything _ pay rises? we are really conscious of everything they _ pay rises? we are really conscious of everything they are _ pay rises? we are really conscious of everything they are going - pay rises? we are really conscious l of everything they are going through and we are doing everything from small little gestures to make sure

there�*s enough food in canteens so people can feed themselves three times per day when are working here, and two, absolutely inflation matching pay rises, we have given two pay rises this year, totalling 8%, and we have also increased the maximum limits on the colleague discount and so we are really pleased with the efforts we are making for our colleagues which is only fair because they are doing a magnificentjob. only fair because they are doing a magnificent job.— only fair because they are doing a mannificent 'ob. ., ,, , ,., ., ,~' magnificent 'ob. emma simpson asking the magnificent job. emma simpson asking the questions — magnificent job. emma simpson asking the questions there. _ the archbishop of canterbury has told the bbc there can be no peace in ukraine until russia "stops lying" about what it�*s doing, including the massacre of civilians in bucha. he was speaking on a visit to the area — just outside kyiv. it was the site of a mass grave for those killed during the russian occupation earlier this year. meanwhile people in the capital continue to suffer emergency blackouts after moscow targeted the country�*s energy grid. our correspondentjessica parker

reports now from kyiv. just outside kyiv, signs of remembrance. in this area, russia is accused of killing hundreds of civilians during its occupation earlier this year. moscow has denied targeting civilians. at irpin bridge, the church of england�*s most senior cleric came to see the destruction for himself and had a robust message for president putin. there will be no peace until he stops lying. you�*ve got to tell the truth, however painful. there can never be a way forward built on lies. meanwhile, in the south and east, the fighting goes on, ukraine now taking the rare step in giving a number of how many troops have died. it says up to 13,000, but this can�*t be verified by the bbc. the truth is, we don�*t know how many people have died during this conflict. what is certain is that this war continues to cost lives and cause tragedy.

meanwhile, russia�*s repeated efforts to target ukraine�*s energy grid means daily life is also being affected, far away from the front line. across ukraine, the cold is starting to bite. in this bakery, they suddenly have a blackout. forced to do business in the dark. "the situation in ukraine is very difficult," she says. they work with or without light, but if there is no power, they can�*t bake, so sometimes it means they cannot work at all. generators are popping up all over kyiv, as russia is accused of trying to freeze ukraine into submission. this woman says she has stocked up on candles, water and food — the prospect of further power outages brings fear but also defiance. translation: of course, we are afraid. _ we are very afraid of the difficulties that

may come this winter, but we agree to get through those difficulties together. the main thing is that russia doesn�*t win. she is just one life among millions touched by this war, everyone walking their own road, but something you often hear is that steady determination to carry on. jessica parker, bbc news. the prince of wales will meet us presidentjoe biden on the final day of his trip to boston, before awarding his earthshot prize in the evening. but the visit coincides with the release of a trailer for the forthcoming netflix documentary about the duke and duchess of sussex, which suggests they will be making more personal — and potentially damaging — claims about their treatment by some members of the royal household. our royal correspondent daniela relph reports from boston. meeting the people of boston. it�*s what the prince and princess of wales had wanted

to focus on this week. itjust hasn�*t been that easy. there have been plenty of distractions. "harry and meghan — a love story" is how it�*s been billed, the trailer for the six—part series on netflix, released right in the middle of william and catherine�*s trip to america. i had to do everything i could to protect my family. the teaser hints at personal revelations. when the stakes were this high, doesn't it make more sense to hear our story from us? it�*s got people talking here — as has the racism row back in london. we all got to work together, - we got to unite and stay together. it doesn't matter — - black, white, spanish — it doesn't matter, we all got to work together and unite. i for the trailer to come out, that was... that, to me, is backstabbing. let everyone have their moment. and kate — catherine — and william, right now, the prince and princess of wales, have their moment here in boston to make a change for the better.

they�*ve got around this city over the past two days, and it is the environment that remains a central theme of this visit. today, attention shifts to what was always planned as the main event of this trip to america, and the earthshot prize awards ceremony. of all prince william�*s public work, earthshot is now firmly established as one of his most important projects. get ready to join me and special guests for a unique event, as we come together to celebrate those with the solutions to repair our planet. the five winners will be announced this evening — each one wins £1 million for their innovative environmental idea. as they head into the final day of this trip, the prince and princess of wales will meet president biden, who�*ll also be in boston today. it�*s been a visit to america filled with some unexpected challenges. daniela relph, bbc news, boston. i�*m joined now by royal

commentator christine ross. good afternoon. what do you make of the timing of the release of the trailer of this documentary at the same time as this us visit? it has started a conversation _ same time as this us visit? it has started a conversation and - same time as this us visit? it has started a conversation and if- same time as this us visit? it has started a conversation and if you | started a conversation and if you have seen the headlines in the newspapers in the uk today they are consistently discussing this and i think what is interesting, the duke and duchess of sussex have fallen out of the roll fold and once upon a time the roles work as a team to promote one project —— royals work. but now meghan and how we are working for netflix who are pushing subscriptions so they have pushed this narrative and created this flexion —— meghan and harry are working. flexion -- meghan and harry are workinu. ., . , , ., ,

working. normally things would be coordinated. _ working. normally things would be coordinated, and _ working. normally things would be coordinated, and these _ working. normally things would be coordinated, and these kind - working. normally things would be coordinated, and these kind of - working. normally things would be | coordinated, and these kind of jobs coordinated, and these kind ofjobs in and of themselves, how valuable our bait for pushing the brand of prince william and princess of wales? —— how valuable are they. it wales? —— how valuable are they. if is big but not necessarily because they are hugely popular on an international scale and they are overwhelmingly people with positive feedback and the polling is on their favourite so i think it is incredible to see them abroad and overseas and i know people are travelling hundreds of miles to get to boston to catch a glimpse of them. it is great for the people who are going to see them but i don�*t know if it necessarily boosts their profile which is already high. hour profile which is already high. how damauuin profile which is already high. how damaging now. — profile which is already high. how damaging now, we have had a few days since the race row, after the comments made by a member of the royal household in london, as the trip was getting under way, and so overall in the longer term, that damage to the brand, is it

significant? i damage to the brand, is it significant?— damage to the brand, is it significant? damage to the brand, is it siunificant? ., �* ~ ., , damage to the brand, is it siunificant? ., �* ~ ., significant? i don't know if it is a significant _ significant? i don't know if it is a significant amount _ significant? i don't know if it is a | significant amount of damage but significant? i don't know if it is a - significant amount of damage but we are seeing a good example of the palace learning from their past experiences and changing the way they are doing things because the woman shared her experience and within an hour buckingham palace had spoken to the former lady in waiting and released a statement and they work very quickly and diligently to rectify the situation as much as they could so bad as a sign they are changing and modernising. —— as much as they could so it is a sign they are changing and modernising. in terms of the earthshot prize, why is it significant? it is terms of the earthshot prize, why is it significant?— it significant? it is prince william's _ it significant? it is prince william's biggest - it significant? it is prince william's biggest project| it significant? it is prince - william's biggest project and it is william�*s biggest project and it is a ten year project where five winners will receive £1 million to further their project and research, working towards sustainability and climate change and protecting the

environment. they have made it a star—studded event and prince william wants this to be as high—profile as possible so it gets as much attention as it can so we are notjust seeing him and princess of wales, david beckham is going to be there, so they are trying to make sure people pay attention.— sure people pay attention. thanks for 'oinin: sure people pay attention. thanks forjoining us- _ twitter�*s chief executive elon musk says that us rapper kanye west — who goes by the name of ye — has had his twitter account suspended again — just a month after his previous ban was revoked. musk tweeted: "i tried my best. "despite that, he again violated our rule against incitement to violence." the comment came after west posted screen grabs that appeared to be of a conversation with musk which included a symbol made up of a star of david and a swastika. bristol temple meads has become the first railway station in the uk to offer an audio guide to help blind and visually impaired passengers find their way around.

the guide includes the sounds and smells of the station as well as directions. john maguire reports. the hustle and bustle of a busy mainline railway station is an assault on the senses. but what if, as you try to navigate your way around the platforms, the passengers and the people, you can hear everything, but see nothing? so if we start walking forward now, we�*re walking past the gate line. i�*m trying to knock somebody over. sorry, apologies. we're going against the flow, as well, aren't we? we�*re against the flow of people coming off the train. 0h, there�*s a wonderful fur coat there that i�*ve just brushed against it. 0h, there�*s a post there. i think we go right round the post. so, to help people with impaired or no vision... we�*re coming up to the door. there's a sound of the echo. network rail has teamed up with the bristol sight loss council

to create an audio guide, an audio map of bristol temple meads, available on a smartphone. 'the ticket barriers - are white and gray branded. |'the left hand side of the ticketj gate is for entering the station, 'and the right hand side i is for exiting, so keep left 'as you go towards them.�* 'going through the gate... now it�*s telling us we�*re on platform three. and it�*s telling us to turn right, to go to the stairs of the subway. alan davis has helped to write the guide. it includes details that a sighted person might not think of. 'you'll walk up a very tiny slope and you'll feel the floor surfacej 'change from rough to smooth.�* so we�*re looking for the tactile... alan and anila are putting the guide to the test — the ticket barriers, the coffee kiosks, the stairs. no, we�*re fine, thanks. thank you. like anything, a train station, for a totally blind person, is a frightening environment. flipping heck, i wish i�*d had this when i moved to bristol. it would have made so much of a difference to me,

because it�*s all about confidence, it�*s all about knowing the environment you�*re going into. so, if you come across something you weren�*t expecting, if you�*ve heard it in advance, you obviously know about it. so therefore, you�*re taking some of the fear and anxiety away. so the sound changes even when there's a gap, and then when it closes up again. details include the station�*s changing sounds, and even its smells. and, look, the sound here has changed. i can already smell the pasties. yeah. and the temperature is changing as well. it's getting a bit warmer, which is nice. and the sound is very different down here now. there is an assistant service at stations. but the hope for this guide is that it will further increase the confidence and independence for a variety of passengers. for people who haven't had the confidence to travel on their own, people who have thought they can't travel on their own, people who are just scared to travel on their own, i think it's going to be life changing for lots and lots of visually impaired people, but it's also

going to change things for other people who don't have confidence. the guide, the first in the uk, was born out of the station�*s major refurbishment. in some places the physical layout has been altered, and this is a way to let passengers with a visual impairment know what has changed. 'please be aware that there j are large scaffolding towers 'on the platform after you have - passed through the main ticket gate, 'approximately six feet awayj immediately in front of you.�* but now, the ambition is to roll it out at other stations. we're now looking at paddington and looking at how we can develop, because if we can help people with visual impairments and visual problems get around paddington much better, that will be great for them and it'll be great for us. the audio guide goes live today, and will be adapted and improved with feedback, using the soundscape to create a map that can�*t be seen but can show the way. 'thank you for listening, and we wish you a very. 'pleasant onward journey.�* john maguire, bbc news, bristol.

sir eltonjohn is to headline the glastonbury festival next summer, in what is being billed as his last uk date on his farewell tour. he said it was a fitting way to say goodbye to his british fans. here�*s our showbiz reporter daniel rosney. # you can tell everybody... # sir eltonjohn�*s been on the road for more than 50 years, playing hits in at least 80 countries. here, he sang virtually at the late queen�*s platinumjubilee injune. glastonbury, he says, will be his last ever uk show before he retires, posting online, "there is no more fitting way to say goodbye," and he can�*t wait to embrace the spirit of "the greatest festival in the world." organisers say it�*s going to be the mother of all send—offs. his last album, the lockdown sessions, had a lot of contemporary artists on it, which really kind of...

it was a really nice way to cement his place in pop culture, notjust saying, "i�*m notjust a legacy act, i have shaped pop music as we know it." the 75—year—old, who wants to spend more time with his family, is part way through his farewell yellow brick road tour, recently wrapping up gigs in north america. fans will no doubt hear him on the main stage belt out hits like crocodile rock and saturday night�*s alright — and on the sunday, it will be too, as the sun sets on the festival and sir eltonjohn�*s touring life. daniel rosney, bbc news. a couple from derby have broken the world record for cycling around the world on a tandem. they set off from berlin back injune. and after a gruelling 18,000 miles in the saddle returned to the german city last night. simon hare reports.

wooo! cheering. 180 days after setting off east from the brandenburg gate in berlin, laura and stevie came back through from the west, smashing the previous tandem world circumnavigation record by a whopping 83 days. an amazing feeling. we stopped at some traffic lights and looked up and the gate was just there. we just had to get through that. when we stopped it was a massive feeling of relief that we had made it safely through. the past three days, stevie got very cold, got hypothermia, in the awful cold weather. we then had a problem with the back wheel. we needed to source replacement bearings urgently. and then coming into berlin it started to snow. they had also overcome an accident in malaysia, sickness in india

and visa problems in georgia on the round the world trip. the last time we caught up with the couple from derby they were in australia. half way we were five days down. we did the second half in 85 days. 18,078 miles in 180 days. you are endurance cyclists. what is next? you cannot really beat this, can you? maybe some ideas for next year. but i don't want to do anything like this again. now it�*s time for a look at the weather with darren bett. hello there. this morning�*s fog has been lifting away from most areas, and we�*re going to find a lot less fog over this weekend. that�*s mainly because the wind is going to be picking up. it�*s going to be an easterly wind which will make it feel colder. there�*ll be some sunshine around, but perhaps a few showers coming in. and that�*s the sort of weather we�*ve seen developing today across eastern parts of england. so welcome sunshine here in lincolnshire earlier on. we have these sort of temperatures,

though, early this evening and generally around 6 degrees for england and wales, milder in northern ireland and the north west of scotland with a southerly breeze, but that southerly breeze is lessening and instead it�*s the easterly that will start to take charge, bringing in some showers to eastern parts of england overnight, breaking the cloud up for england and wales, reducing the risk of some fog, perhaps increasing the risk of some frost. with temperatures close to freezing. it�*ll be colder and clearer in the south east of scotland, northwest scotland, northern ireland, seeing a band of cloud, quite low cloud, misty weather. it�*ll hang around into saturday in the northwest of scotland in particular with a bit of rain, other parts of scotland drier and brighter with some sunshine. some sunshine for england and wales. few showers coming into eastern parts of england. looks pretty cloudy, though, i think for the south east of england. and again, it�*s on the chilly side with temperatures typically seven or eight degrees for the first half of the weekend. that weather front is bringing some rain in the far north west, then gets pushed away by this strengthening easterly wind, which is still in the colder airand it will drop the temperatures once again.

so again, we�*ve got a mixture of some cloud, some sunshine and a few showers. most of the showers look like being in the northern half of the uk with more in the way of cloud further south across england and wales. that easterly wind will be more noticeable. really, it�*s not a particularly strong wind, but you will notice it and it will make it feel colder as well. these are the temperatures and they are dropping away on sunday. so 5—7 degrees. but when you factor in the strength of that easterly wind, those temperatures will feel quite a few degrees lower again. and we�*re staying in cold air really over the week ahead. easterly wind to start the week, bringing in a lot of cloud. and then we get some sunshine and it gets colder through the rest of the week as well as the wind direction changes. so we start with that easterly wind and then tuesday, wednesday, we�*re all moving down into this wind from the north that brings colder air, some sunshine, some wintry showers, mainly around coastal areas in the north.

this is bbc news. the headlines: the cost of living crisis forces families in the uk to make tough decisions on their christmas spending, with nearly half considering cutbacks. we are seeing shoppers start to look to spread the cost of their christmas shopping this year. health officials say parents _ christmas shopping this year. health officials say parents should - christmas shopping this year. health officials say parents should be - officials say parents should be aware of their children contracting the bacterial infection strep a. labour comfortably holds the constituency of the city of chester in a by election — with their best ever result in the seat. former chancellor sajid javid becomes the latest conservative mp to say he won�*t stand at the next general election.

prince william is to meet us presidentjoe biden, on the final day of his trip with the princess of wales to boston. uruguay score twice before half—time in their game against ghana, the rematch of the infamous 2010 game. we will have the latest on the matches before a:30pm. and next summer�*s headline act at glastonbury — sir eltonjohn — who will make it the last uk date of his farewell tour. this afternoon we�*re focussing our attention on the cost of living. the boss of the uk�*s biggest supermarket, tesco, says shoppers are trying to budget for christmas by spreading out the cost and buying more frozen products.

it comes as bbc analysis shows the traditional dinner will be nearly 22% more expensive than last year. in a moment we�*ll be talking to food blogger about budgeting meals, but first let�*s run through just how food costs are pushing up the price of a christmas lunch. a basic christmas dinner for five people — comprising of a frozen medium—sized turkey, stuffing balls, brussels sprouts, roast potatoes, pork chipolatas, onion gravy and mince pies for dessert — will cost £30.03 compared to £24.67 last year. chipolatas — the crucial ingredient for pigs—in—blankets — has seen the steepestjump of a2.7% to £2.13 for a packet of 12. that�*s because the pork industry has been hit by a succession of cost increases over the past 12 months. new research suggests that worries about money mean that nearly half of us, 44%, are cutting back on what we will spend over the festive season, let�*s get more on the rising

cost of living now. the boss of tesco has been giving us some insight into changing buying habits this christmas. ken murphy says households are switching from fresh food to cheaper frozen goods. he�*s been speaking to our business correspondent, emma simpson. our shoppers are really savvy. they really think about what they�*re doing. and consequentially, we�*ve noticed a number of changes. i mean, if you look behind you, you can see our scan as you shop post where we keep all our hand—held scanners. and this is a great tool for shoppers to be able to scan products as they shop so they know exactly what they�*re spending. and that allows them then to swap products dynamically in and out of their basket to make sure they can shop to a specific budget. and we see them do this quite actively. some of the big things that we�*re seeing them do is clearly on a lot of the basic items, whether that be pasta, rice and other basics. we�*re seeing them shop into our own brand products.

we�*re also seeing a movement from fresh product into frozen product, and we�*re seeing shoppers start to look to spread the cost of their christmas shopping this year. so we�*re seeing some of them pull forward, buying some more frozen turkeys. and we�*ve seen a 200% increase in frozen turkey sales versus the last christmas we had, which was covid free in 2019. is that because they�*re cheaper? well, it�*s because they�*re cheaper. it�*s also because they�*re guaranteed to have it on christmas day. and itjust provides them with that security and they can buy it earlier so that they don�*t have this massive bill in the christmas period itself. so itjust smooths out the spend. how much pressure are your shoppers under? we think they�*re under significant pressure. you know, clearly we�*ve seen inflation coming at us in waves over the last 12 months. and we�*re doing everything

in our power to mitigate that inflation. you�*ve got a big helicopter view of what�*s going on. how worried are you about the times we�*re in right now? well, look, it feels like we�*re in definitely in times of turbulence, times of change, and that always creates uncertainty. and ourjob is to make sure that the little basics feel consistent and reliable and affordable. and that�*s what we�*re really focused on. we�*re really trying to control what we can control, and that�*s making sure we�*re bringing as much great quality product as affordably as possible to customers. make sure they can enjoy those little treats, those little kind of getaways from the kind of realities of the world around them. and that�*s where all our energy and effort is going into right now. you�*re in a bit of a unique

position, aren�*t you, because not only you�*ve got loads of shoppers, you are the biggest private sector employer in the uk... yes. do you understand what your staff are going through right now and are you giving them inflation—busting pay rises? we�*re really conscious of everything they�*re going through and we�*re doing everything from small, little gestures to make sure that there�*s enough food and canteens so people can feed themselves three times a day when they�*re working in the business to absolutely inflation—matching pay rises. we�*ve obviously given two pay rises this year totalling 8%, and we�*ve also increased the maximum limits on the colleague discount. and so we�*re really, really pleased with the efforts we�*re making for our colleagues, which is only it�*s only fair because they�*re doing a magnificentjob.

so how badly will the price increases hit family budgets, especially now — in the run up to christmas? let�*s hearfrom grace mortimer. she is the author of the book �*my first meals�* and shares £10 weekly food plans for families struggling with rising food costs. it is worth bearing in mind that it�*s notjust the meal on the day, it is the christmas eve, the breakfast, it is the snacks on the day, boxing day, so even though people might look at it and say it is only a £5 difference, it is not only a £5 difference, it is days and days worth of feeding people, isn�*t it? it is a huge hike in prices if it is 20% more. that�*s a really good point, it is notjust that one meal that is going up. let�*s try and wade through this. what are some of the approaches that you have, and that you recommend for trying to navigate this?

i think one of the problems is this keeping up appearances narrative, the way that christmas is marketed to us, with piles of presents and piles of food. ijust think it is entirely unnecessary. at the end of the day, it is just a day, and it isjust a meal. we have made it into this thing that is so much bigger than it is. people stockpiling nuts so that they can have a huge bowl of nuts in the middle of their coffee table, what other time of the year would you feel the need to do that? half of the stuff doesn�*t get eaten, itjust sits in the fridge for a few days. i think this thinking of, "what are we actually going to get through?" and not oveer buying. also, the person who is hosting the christmas, they are basically

expected to become a restaurant. it is a constant stream of drinks and food and entertainment, and it is exhausting and expensive. if it is supposed to be a time of yearfor sharing, let�*s start having a conversation around saying, right, you are all coming to my house on christmas day, so can we all contribute? everybody bring some food, or finance the contributes. why should follow the person is hosting the day? that we will be my of advice if you�*re finding yourself in position where everyone is descending on you for christmas day, don�*t be afraid to say, can you all bring part of the meal? what about substitutions like not having the turkey and having something else instead ? we don�*t really have turkey because it is a big expensive bird and lots of people have to go out and buy a tray to cook a meal that they have once a year,

so have a conversation with your family and say, look, what do we want? do we want turkey? we don�*t have to have turkey. if you would rather have chicken or a piece of beef because that is what everyone enjoys more, then just because everyone else is having a turkey, it doesn�*t mean you also have to have a turkey. and all the trimmings. if you are a host of people who don�*t like brussels sprouts, don�*t go and buy brussel sprouts when they are in high demand and are going up in price. we have got so wrapped up in the message of what christmas looks like that we are doing things that we don�*t really want to do, and eating things we would normally eat. we would not normally eat. my thanks to grace mortimer, there. since may, as food and energy bills have risen, the bbc has found that more than three million children have eaten for free or at discounted prices in supermarket cafes. our cost of living correspondent colletta smith has the story. supermarket cafes are becoming increasingly important. as warm spaces with long hours and relatively cheap food, you can see the appeal. so all day breakfast is still on?

yeah, don�*t worry. i�*m not too late? no. never too late at morrisons cafe for breakfast. julie has worked in this store for more than 20 years and knows all the familiarfaces. those two there are regulars. he is a regular. but there has been a big change in recent months. it is notjust pensioners coming in forfood or a cuppa. around about 3:30, 3:40, we have a mad rush with the mums coming in with kids. morrisons have more cafes than any other supermarket and gave away 70,000 children�*s meals each week through the summer holidays, and saw 30% more families in october half term compared to the may half term. we are definitely seeing more young families and more people buying into the deals which, i think, obviously then fits in with what we�*re seeing from an economic perspective around the cost of living crisis. in a period of time where it�*s getting colder and often people are getting lonelier, it provides that safe space for people. lots of those families are just looking for ways

to make their budgets stretch a little further. yeah, it'sjust something to do. a day out in the warm, really. yeah. that makes a big difference at the moment as well, doesn�*t it? was your breakfast tasty? yeah. marks & spencer have been seeing the same after—school rush. i think there is just a thing about, you know, new patterns, you know? people do want to get out and about but they just want to do it in an affordable way, and i guess cafes offer great value for families, you know? and it�*s a lovely thing to do together, to do the shopping and then go and, you know, have a nice lunch. tesco and asda cafes have also been offering free or cheap children�*s food. but sainsbury�*s have closed 200 of their restaurants at the same moment that more people have come to depends on the supermarket caff. to depend on the supermarket caff. we just come down on a tuesday, normally. just pop in. i think some, like, older people might be looking for somewhere to keep warm, rather than using their own electric. food's going up in price, so are restaurants etc. l yeah, and it's...

..as it says on the tin, cheap and cheerful. i but it�*s warm, and i guess that�*s a big part of it as well? and it's warm, yeah. it is warm. busy cafes are bringing in more customers and profit for stores, but giving unexpected benefits to families this winter. colletta smith, bbc news, in birmingham. head to our website and follow our live blog to find out ideas on cheap ways to shop and tips to feed yourself well as costs rise. some breaking news now regarding rail strikes, the tssa, the union for travel and transport workers has served notice for strikes. a further six train operating companies and network rail. this isjust six train operating companies and network rail. this is just hours after meetings with the government

ministers. the dispute has been going on for a while, it is over jobs, pay and conditions, of course. as we get more on that, we will bring it to you. a fourth child has died after contracting the bacterial disease strep a. the latest death was of a child who attended stjohn�*s school in ealing, west london. the uk health security agency said the infections usually result in mild illness. health editor hugh pym told us a little more about the infection and its symptoms. group a streptococcus, an infection caused by bacteria known as strep a is notably common each year, and it can cause throat known as strep a is relatively common each year, and it can cause throat inflammation and skin problems, but it is reasonably well known, it can lead to tonsillitis and scarlet fever. scarlet fever is not uncommon, particularly in winter months, although parents of children who get it are advised to report it to a doctor, because it is a notifiable disease,

but often the symptoms there wear off after a week. very rarely, it can cause an invasive streptococcal disease, because it gets into the bloodstream and that is what we are talking about here. the symptoms of that, and parents are being advised just to watch out for these, is that if throat problems and generally feeling unwell turns into a high temperature, fever, and muscle pain, then a doctor should be contacted or medical advice should be sought. just to emphasise, it should be very rare that this invasive streptococcal disease develops. sadly, it has done in a handful of cases that have emerged. it is being stressed that, very tragically, there are a few deaths each year from this, and it is not clear whether these are out of line with that, whether it is something

that is going to happen most winters anyway. although, it is being said by officials, that scarlet fever, there are more cases this time of year, particularly in children, and that could be because of a lack of immunity going back over the last couple of years where there was less mixing and therefore must immunity built up by children to bacterial infection. just remind us again of the symptoms, because part of the problem i assume here is that the symptoms are similar to a cold, building up to more flu—like symptoms. the could potentially be an overlap with more common symptoms. it has mild symptoms like a sore throat or an infection that can be it has mild symptoms like a sore throat or a skin infection that can be treated with antibiotics,

and then a rash can develop which could be scarlet fever. parents are being advised that if it does become more serious in terms of a high fever, high temperature, or these intense muscle pains, then it definitely should be reported to a doctor. again, that is very rare, it is not unheard of, and particularly in the winter, with schoolchildren mixing, you are going to get this sort of bacterial infection. it can only be spread, though, by close contact, it has to be said. that is the advice that has been given right now by health officials. let�*s take you live to lancashire now where we can speak to gp dr abdul mannan. good afternoon. harry you? i am very well. can good afternoon. harry you? i am very well- can you — good afternoon. harry you? i am very well- can you just _ good afternoon. harry you? i am very well. can you just help _ good afternoon. harry you? i am very well. can you just help us _ good afternoon. harry you? i am very well. can you just help us out - good afternoon. harry you? i am very well. can you just help us out by i well. can you just help us out by explaining exactly what is strep a? your colleague was very eloquent on the way he described it. strep a is a bacteria, it can infect the

throat, it can infect skin, causes infection. it is a bacteria. the potential— infection. it is a bacteria. the potential symptoms - infection. it is a bacteria. the potential symptoms to look out for, or things that can develop and things that can happen, just talk us through that. $5 things that can happen, 'ust talk us through that. as hugh explained, common symptoms, _ through that. as hugh explained, common symptoms, sore - through that. as hugh explained, | common symptoms, sore throats, fevers, these are symptoms that are quite common, especially at this time of year. we are well into the winter season, and lots of young people and people in general get symptoms like these. unfortunately, sometimes, people will develop to cases where it is a bit more significant. tonsil symptoms, throat symptoms, sore throats, high fevers, muscle aches and pains where we need to suspect something a bit more than perhaps a cold. 50 to suspect something a bit more than perhaps a cold-— perhaps a cold. so what is your messa . e perhaps a cold. so what is your message to — perhaps a cold. so what is your message to parents _ perhaps a cold. so what is your message to parents who i perhaps a cold. so what is your message to parents who mightj perhaps a cold. so what is your. message to parents who might be concerned? mr;

message to parents who might be concerned?— message to parents who might be concerned? g , , , concerned? my message will be this. i would to public— concerned? my message will be this. i would to public health _ concerned? my message will be this. i would to public health figures i i would to public health figures just before going on air, and that is that actually the rate of streptococcal infections this year is actually not any higher than previous years, and by that i mean pre—covid years. we did see a lot in 2021, it is proper because we isolated, there was not much mixing, and it affects the younger generation is usually between the ages of five and ten. because they were more at home, we do not see many cases, but this year, if you look at the numbers and compare them to 2017, 2018, 2019, it is not that much different.— much different. what about prevention. _ much different. what about prevention, is _ much different. what about prevention, is there - much different. what about. prevention, is there anything much different. what about i prevention, is there anything that can be done?— prevention, is there anything that can be done? ~ , ,, can be done? absolutely. i think we are well aware _ can be done? absolutely. i think we are well aware of _ can be done? absolutely. i think we are well aware of some _ can be done? absolutely. i think we are well aware of some things i can be done? absolutely. i think we are well aware of some things we i can be done? absolutely. i think we. are well aware of some things we can do. these infections spread through

contact, through airborne situations. in terms of coughing and sneezing, we advise people and should teach our children to use tissues and dispose of them afterwards. hand hygiene, things like that, it is important if a child is unwell that they stay away from school for a few days so they can recuperate and get better before going back to school. measures that we are quite used to, and it�*s important to observe those a bit more strictly. important to observe those a bit more strictly-— important to observe those a bit more strictly. that has been very hel-ful, more strictly. that has been very helpful. thank— more strictly. that has been very helpful, thank you. _ and for the latest on strep a and information on the symptoms to look out for, you can follow on the bbc news website. labour has held on to the constituency of the city of chester in a by—election. samantha dixon increased the party�*s

majority to almost 11,000. meanwhile, the former health secretary sajid javid has said he will not stand again at the next general election. our political correspondent jonathan blake has the details. cheers of victory in chester, labour celebrated holding onto this seat last night and saw a boost in support from voters. not much to smile about for the conservatives, whose share of the vote slumped. while this win was expected, labour�*s deputy leader turned up first thing to make the most of it and argue the tories had taken a pelting. the result is a historic result, it is a huge majority for us here in this by—election, and it was very clear, when we spoke to people on the doorstep, that they have had enough of the conservatives, they have had enough of them not dealing with the issues that people are facing, that businesses are facing here at the moment, and that they want that change and they want a labour government. chester has been a conservative seat in the past, but labour won here at the last three general elections. the conservatives say

the result is a bloody nose for them after a difficult period in government. it was pretty much as expected, this is a labour seat they have held at the last three general elections, and so we expected it would be retained by the labour party, but we are focused on delivering for the british public, delivering on the core priorities of people. with labour�*s big lead in the opinion polls, what does this result tell us about the national picture? if we compare this by—election performance with comparable previous by—elections, it is consistent with the claim that labour are in a stronger position than they have ever been in the last ten or 12 years, and that the performance is consistent with what happened the last time we had a parliament which ended in the defeat of a conservative government. this was the first verdict from voters since rishi sunak became prime minister after borisjohnson, then liz truss, resigned. he won�*t have expected a win, but the result is a reminder

there are tougher electoral tests to come. our political correspondent helen catt says sajid javid is the biggest conservative name who says he isn�*t going to stand at the next election. he said it was a decision he had wrestled with for some time, but it wouldn�*t mark the end of his parliamentary activity, though. he said he always sought to make decisions on the national interest and in line with his values, he could only hope that his best was sufficient. as i said, he is the biggest name to have said he is standing down, and you could look at that and think, here is someone with a large majority, 23,000 at the last election in his bromsgrove constituency, that he is someone with a profile. he is only 53, so it is conceivable that there was time for him to have another big job in government,

but he could also look at that and say, he has been the health secretary, he has been the chancellor, has run for leader twice unsuccessfully, what else is left for him to do in terms of a parliamentary career? i think it is quite an interesting one to look at. he has been wished well by the prime minister, who tweeted, may the force be with you, saj. that is a reference to their shared love of the star wars films. this will be seen in the wider context of a number of conservative mps saying they will stand down in recent days, and the reason we have seen quite so many in quick succession is that the party has asked them all to say by monday whether they intend to stand again. he is certainly the biggest name, but is not perhaps the most surprising, that award if you like goes to deanna davidson, the levelling up minister, is one of the rising stars she said she would not stand again next week, another big name to add

to add to that list. the prince of wales will meet us presidentjoe biden on the final day of his trip to boston, before awarding his earthshot prize in the evening. but the visit coincides with the release of a trailer for the forthcoming netflix documentary about the duke and duchess of sussex, which suggests they will be making more personal — and potentially damaging — claims about their treatment by some members of the royal household. our royal correspondent daniela relph reports from boston. meeting the people of boston. it�*s what the prince and princess of wales had wanted to focus on this week. itjust hasn�*t been that easy. there have been plenty of distractions. "harry and meghan — a love story" is how it�*s been billed, the trailer for the six—part series on netflix, released right in the middle of william and catherine�*s trip to america. i had to do everything i could to protect my family. the teaser hints at personal revelations. when the stakes were this high, doesn't it make more sense to hear our story from us? it�*s got people talking here — as has the racism

row back in london. we all got to work together, i we got to unite and stay together. it doesn't matter — i black, white, spanish — it doesn't matter, we all got to work together and unite. i for the trailer to come out, that was... that, to me, is backstabbing. let everyone have their moment. and kate — catherine — and william, right now, the prince and princess of wales, have their moment here in boston to make a change for the better. they�*ve got around this city over the past two days, and it is the environment that remains a central theme of this visit. today, attention shifts to what was always planned as the main event of this trip to america, and the earthshot prize awards ceremony. of all prince william�*s public work, earthshot is now firmly established as one of his most important projects. get ready to join me and special guests for a unique event, as we come together to celebrate those with the solutions to repair our planet. the five winners will be announced this evening — each one wins £1 million for their innovative environmental idea.

as they head into the final day of this trip, the prince and princess of wales will meet president biden, who�*ll also be in boston today. it�*s been a visit to america filled with some unexpected challenges. daniela relph, bbc news, boston. let�*s talk to our correspondent in boston, nada tawfik. tell us where you are, and what is on the agenda today. i tell us where you are, and what is on the agenda today.— on the agenda today. i am right outside the _ on the agenda today. i am right i outside the jfk presidential library and outside thejfk presidential library and museum, and this is where prince william will be in just a little while this afternoon to tour the museum, and meet withjfk�*s only surviving child, ambassador caroline kennedy, and it is really because the earthshot prize was inspired by a jfk�*s moonshot, the earthshot prize was inspired by ajfk�*s moonshot, the idea that going to the moon whilst it was not easy, the whole reason today it was

because it was hard, an ambitious goal that was worthwhile, he will be here and also meeting some of the other partners of the earthshot prize, and all eyes will be on his meeting with president biden, who happened to be in boston today. he had a planned trip here, but the palace and the white house coordinated their schedules so that president biden�*s. when he arrives here will be here to thejfk library and museum to greet the prince. certainly a big moment for the prince of wales as he looks forward to the culminating moment of this big three—day trip, but earthshot prize. big three-day trip, but earthshot -rize. ~ ., , big three-day trip, but earthshot -rize. . . , , ., prize. what is the impact they have been of the — prize. what is the impact they have been of the release of _ prize. what is the impact they have been of the release of that - prize. what is the impact they have been of the release of that netflix. been of the release of that netflix trailer? ., , ., ., ., trailer? certainly for the royal duo it has been _ trailer? certainly for the royal duo it has been a _ trailer? certainly for the royal duo it has been a very _ trailer? certainly for the royal duo it has been a very hard _ trailer? certainly for the royal duo it has been a very hard thing i trailer? certainly for the royal duo it has been a very hard thing to i it has been a very hard thing to deal with, it has been a very hard thing to dealwith, is it has been a very hard thing to deal with, is really before they even got off the plane they saw the revelations of the racism

controversy, and just yesterday, as you mentioned, the netflix trailer. it has been factoring into all the coverage of the trip, but i have to say, here, locally, in boston, there have been cried out to greet them wherever they have gone. at the library there is a small crowd, two gentlemen came with their small english toy spaniel dog saying they wanted their dogs to meet their prints, so a lot of their positive feelings towards the couple say they appreciate the sense they are taking to meet locals and see what they are doing on climate change, nevertheless it has somewhat overshadowed what should have been a headline full of positive news for them, really showcasing how they are a younger, more modern face of the monarchy. instead, you have princess diana�*s to sons here showing very different sides of the royal family, and really leading many to question,

will listen netflix documentary lead to even more revelations and allegations? inaudible we should see a little bit more of this over the weekend, the fog is getting blown away, that band of thick cloud and lower cloud is getting swept up towards the north—west. instead, we�*ll have some breaks in the cloud, a few shows coming in breeze across the north sea coast. quite chilly when we have those breaks in the cloud, temperatures were close to freezing on saturday morning. we see the cloud moving away from much of northern ireland, it stays cloudy and damp for most of northern scotland. sunshine will affect england and wales, still a few showers, mainly for eastern areas and then, by cloudy perhaps in the south—east of england. temperature

is very similar to what we had of the last couple of days, seven or 8 degrees fairly widely. some sunshine in places, bubbly a few more showers, these are more likely across the northern half of the uk. fewer share is further south across england and wales, properly more of a covering of cloud. the easterly wind is going to be a bit stronger, temperatures will be a bit lower on sunday, and it will feel a little colder. hello, this is bbc news. the headlines: the cost of living crisis forces families in the uk to make tough decisions on their christmas spending — with nearly half considering cutbacks. health officials say parents should be aware of an infection called strep a, after confirming four children in the uk have died from it. labour comfortably holds the constituency of the city of chester in a by election — with their best ever result in the seat.

the prince and princess of wales will meet president biden in boston today, as the royal visit is overshadowed by a racism row in the uk involving prince william�*s godmother. uruguay score twice before half—time in their game against ghana — the rematch of the infamous 2010 game. we�*ll have the latest on all of today�*s matches — that�*s up next. and next summer�*s headline act at glastonbury — sir eltonjohn — who will make it the last uk date of his farewell tour. sport now and a full round up from the bbc sport centre. good afternoon. the final round of group games at the world cup are done by this evening which means we�*ll know exactly who is into the last 16. and in group h, a tantalising encounter between old foes ghana and uruguay. and as it stands, uruguay are going through. ghana could have taken the lead

from the spotjust after 20 minutes. but sergio rochet was equal to andre ayew�*s effort, and just four minutes later, giorgian de arrascaeta was in the right place at the right time after luis suarez was denied by zigi in the ghana goal. and de arrasceata, playing his first game of the tournament, was able to finish off this brilliant move to give uruguay a 2—1 lead. a 2-0 a 2—0 lead, i beg your pardon. and this is the latest from the al—janoub stadium. uruguay must win — and hope that south korea don�*t beat portugal to progress. catch the rest of the game — on bbc two, the iplayer, and the bbc sport website. and the pressure is off cristiano ronado — and portugal — in their match with south korea. they�*re already through courtesy of winning both matches so far. but they can secure top spot

with at least a point. just five minutes in — ricardo horta firing it home. but south korea have equalised through kim young—gwon. south korea must win and hope that uruguay and ghana finishes in a draw. it is still 1—1 in that match. portugal hoping to become the first team to win all of their group games but currently being held to a draw with around 15 minutes left of that match. the action on bbc one and the iplayer and the bbc sport website. later on tonight — group g draws to a close as switzerland, cameroon and serbia try to join brazil in getting out the group. brazil take on cameroon — the world�*s number one ranked side looking win all three of their group matches. a win will guarantee progress for switzerland against serbia

but serbia and cameroon must win, to stand a chance of reaching the knockout stages. fifa have released a video in an attempt to prove that the ball really didn�*t go out forjapan�*s goal against spain — which meant germany were knocked out of the tournament. the organising body say that other cameras may give misleading images but on the evidence available the ball was not out. kaoru mitoma�*s cutback for a0 tanaka�*s tap—in was the crucial moment for the 2—1 win against spain. it meant that four—time winners germany were eliminated from the tournament. away from the world cup, england�*s cricketers have continued their record—breaking start in their opening test in pakistan — but it might not lead them to victory. after scoring runs galore yesterday — england added another 151 to their overnight total — bowled out for 657 — their highest total in asia. but they struggled with the ball — pakistan ending the day on 181 without loss at the end of day two. here�*s england debutant willjacks talking to test match special�*s simon mann.

20 wickets on this is hard and we are going to have to take a few worldy catches and have a few crazy catches to go on our way to win. it feels like a nailed on draw but cricket can be a strange game like that. there is only one team that can win it. the pakistanis look happy with the draw with how they are batting, but we will be pushing for the win, no matter what happens. portugal and south korea is still 1-1 portugal and south korea is still 1—1 and uruguay are still beating down a 2—0. —— beating ghana. that�*s all the sport for now.

now to other news. a fourth child has died after contracting the bacterial disease strep a. the latest death was of a child who attended stjohn�*s school in ealing, west london. the uk health security agency said the infections usually result in mild illness. children can develop a swollen time and a typical rash which is like sandpaperand a and a typical rash which is like sandpaper and a lighter skin tone can be purple. haifa sandpaper and a lighter skin tone can be purple-— sandpaper and a lighter skin tone can be purple. how quickly does it come and go _ can be purple. how quickly does it come and go and _ can be purple. how quickly does it come and go and how— can be purple. how quickly does it come and go and how serious i can be purple. how quickly does it come and go and how serious is i can be purple. how quickly does it come and go and how serious is it| come and go and how serious is it for a child? it come and go and how serious is it for a child?— for a child? it can come on over a number of _ for a child? it can come on over a number of days _ for a child? it can come on over a number of days and _ for a child? it can come on over a number of days and the - for a child? it can come on over a number of days and the child i for a child? it can come on over a number of days and the child can | for a child? it can come on over a i number of days and the child can be infectious for a period of time, for a bout when they have the symptoms, that will be reduced to around 2a hours but that can be cleared up within a couple of weeks with antibiotics.—

antibiotics. how often does it develo- antibiotics. how often does it develop into _ antibiotics. how often does it develop into a _ antibiotics. how often does it develop into a more serious i antibiotics. how often does it i develop into a more serious disease including invasive group a disease? the vast majority of children will recover without any ill effect but a small number of children each year will go on to develop more serious and invasive disease and it is probably in the region of under 5%. 0f probably in the region of under 5%. of children that will go on to develop a more serious infection. what are the symptoms and how can it be treated? the what are the symptoms and how can it be treated? ,, , ., , ., ., ., be treated? the symptoms of a more invasive kind — be treated? the symptoms of a more invasive kind is _ be treated? the symptoms of a more invasive kind is someone _ be treated? the symptoms of a more invasive kind is someone who - be treated? the symptoms of a more invasive kind is someone who is i invasive kind is someone who is generally unwell with a high fever especially in children with poor appetite, dehydration, altered behaviour can sleepy, and what they would say, if parents are concerned —— very sleepy. if parents know best about what is normal and not, they should seek medical attention. {lime

should seek medical attention. once the attention — should seek medical attention. once the attention of— should seek medical attention. once the attention of adoptees again committed antibiotics and how quickly does clear up? —— once the attention of a dr is there, are we talking antibiotics and how quickly does it care up?— does it care up? penicillin is the treatment _ does it care up? penicillin is the treatment of — does it care up? penicillin is the treatment of choice _ does it care up? penicillin is the treatment of choice and - does it care up? penicillin is the treatment of choice and there i does it care up? penicillin is the treatment of choice and there is does it care up? penicillin is the i treatment of choice and there is no no no resistance although there can be resistance to other drugs —— there is now no resistance. you can be intravenous fluids to help with hydration and to help rehydrate. in terms of getting better, the majority of children will get better quite rapidly. there are other convocations which can infect to different parts of the body —— complications. it can cause pneumonia and depending on what in effect, it can lead to delayed recovery but the vast majority of children will get better.

recovery but the vast ma'ority of children will get better.i recovery but the vast ma'ority of children will get better. thanks to colin brown _ children will get better. thanks to colin brown for— children will get better. thanks to colin brown for that. _ and for the latest on strep a and information on the symptoms to look out for, you can follow on the bbc news website. whistleblowers at one of england�*s worst performing hospital trusts have said a "culture of fear" among staff is putting patients at risk. current and former staff at university hospitals birmingham have told bbc newsnight that they fear being subjected to disciplinary action if they speak up about patient safety. david grossman reports. the university hospitals birmingham trust, known as uhb, is huge, one of the largest in the uk — with four big hospitals serving over two million patients a year. for the population of birmingham and right across the west midlands, this trust pretty much is the nhs. but it�*s also struggling — rated "requires improvement", the third of four possible rankings. it came last but one on an analysis of nhs trusts in england.

the problems at the trust have been known about for years. back in 2017, the trust commissioned an internal report into 20 deaths in the haematology department of queen elizabeth hospital in birmingham. newsnight has obtained a copy of the report. while it acknowledges that there are many areas of good practice, it criticises the lack of ownership of patients and a lack of communication on patient care amongst senior clinicians. "from the haematology perspective and the notes reviewed, it was obvious that this was not happening," the report concludes. in essence, patients were dying — in some cases, without receiving any treatment at all. newsnight has discovered that the doctor who wrote it, who investigated those patient deaths, was so concerned by what he saw was a lack of seriousness about patient safety that he eventually resigned from the trust and indeed from the nhs altogether. we�*ve traced him here to athens,

where he is working as a senior consultant haematologist. there was definitely a lack of safe patient care and a lack of ownership of the patient, a lack of looking after the patient the way they should look after these patients in a very detailed way, in detailed management. and those patients all died — that�*s why you looked at them. exactly. should they have died? could they have been saved? they could be saved. certainly, when you don�*t have an action done, then you don�*t really know the outcome. that is a sentiment we have heard from other clinicians, that they were just not being listened to when they raised concerns about safety. throughout this investigation, we have heard the same thing time and time again — clinicians telling us they feared that if they raised safety concerns, then management would take action against them, perhaps even end their careers.

it was, we were told, the wholesale intimidation of the staff into silence. i and other consultants have raised concerns about patient safety, and we realised if you do, you will get punished quite quickly and quite harshly. so they will make all kinds of spurious investigations, and they will try to intimidate you that way. why did you decide to leave, rather than continue to fight? because i think there was no end to this fight and they were trying, as they did with other colleagues, to completely sort of ruin your career. the trust told the bbc, "we take patient safety very seriously." they said they had a high reporting culture of incidents to ensure appropriate accountability and, vitally, learning. david grossman, bbc news. two boys, aged 15 and 16, have been charged with the murders of two teenagers in south east london. our correspondent aruna iyengar has the latest from bexley magistrates court.

here at bexley magistrates�* court in south london two teenage boys were charged with murder, two counts of murder each, and they were aged 15 and 16 and they have been remanded in secure accommodation in a youth custody centre until their cases are heard at the old bailey on the 6th of december. two were killed last saturday evening, charlie in abbie abbey. the other victim was killed a few miles away. 16—year—old boy is killed on the streets has caused a lot of shock and at the moment to people charged with their murders and the police also said they had arrested an 18—year—old on suspicion of murder and we are yet to hear more about that. the police are saying that the investigation is

still under way and they are appealing for more information although they say they have made progress on this, so at the moment we have two teenage boys who are going to appear at the old bailey on the 6th of december. the charity commission has opened a statutory inquiry into transgender children�*s charity mermaids, after safeguarding allegations were raised. mermaids�* aims are to relieve the mental and emotional stress of young people affected by gender identity issues but the inquiry will investigate whether the charity�*s governance is appropriate for these objectives. the commission made clear that the opening of an inquiry is not a finding of wrongdoing — and mermaids�* trustees are said to have fully cooperated with the inquiry. union members working on england�*s roads have announced 12 days of strike action over christmas and the new year. members of the public and commercial services union at national highways, who plan, design, build, operate and maintain the country�*s roads,

will take part in a series of staggered strikes from december 16 to january 7. the union said the action risks bringing roads to a standstill. the action will coincide with planned strikes by rmt members on the railways. twitter�*s chief executive elon musk says us rapper kanye west — who goes by the name of ye — has had his twitter account suspended again — just a month after his previous ban was revoked. musk tweeted: "i tried my best. despite that, he again violated our rule against incitement to violence." the comment came after west posted screen grabs that appeared to be of a conversation with musk which included a symbol made up of a star of david and a swastika. there�*s a shortage of workers needed to re—fit homes across the east to meet the government�*s 2050 climate targets. bbc look east has been told that

16,000 workers are needed every year for twenty years in the south east to bring homes up to standard, with things like solar panels and heat pumps. one green energy organisation had to give back fifty million pounds in grants to the government, because there weren�*t enough companies available to do the work. political correspondent ben schofield reports. demand for solar panels is so high this cambridge firm has a six—month waiting list. hiring skilled staff, another challenge. it�*s really difficult to find experienced people. there is a shortage of them. there is a lot of demand for those skills, so we�*ve been searching for electricians for months and months. new research shows that

in the greater southeast, upgrading 10 million homes will require 46,500 full—time workers from now. and, a £150 billion investment. that skills gap is so large that earlier this year, more than £50 million was returned to government that was supposed to be spent on retrofitting homes to make them more energy efficient. but, it couldn�*t be spent quickly enough. it�*s very disappointing. we are here to support people to get better homes. there is funding available butjust not enough people to deliver that for us. it�*s disappointing because you feel that there are so many more households out there that we wanted to help. maxine says knowing the scale of the challenge, and promises from government of £6 billion in funding until 2028, means there is a huge opportunity. this is good news, this is about creating jobs, it�*s about making homes more energy—efficient. it is saving people money on theirfuel bills,

it is decarbonising so we don�*t get the impacts of climate change. this is a virtual reality headset, we'll be using them for a range of things, heat pump, solar panel installation. this college group is leading a project on introducing net zero skills into teaching using £5 million of government funding to buy kit and train lecturers across ten colleges. it's a big change in terms of focus because at the moment people are looking at, i don't want to say old—fashioned, but old—fashioned ways of doing things, ways of doing things that we've used for decades which now, quite rapidly, need to be replaced with new solutions. the government this week announced funding for almost 9,000 new training courses in energy efficient insulation. this is how classes might look at this college where they will be teaching the new skills injanuary. some breaking news. this is about strep a, the uk have security agency

has said there has been five deaths with children under the age of ten in england since september over the last —— and over the last couple of hours we were reporting a four but we have had it confirmed there have been five deaths of children since september. the infections of strep a are usually mild, but sometimes it can develop into scarlet fever which can develop into scarlet fever which can be treated with antibiotics. and in a very small number of cases patients can become seriously ill with a high fever and severe muscle pain. we now know the latest information that there are five confirmed deaths in children under the age of ten and if you are concerned about potential symptoms and things to look out for then head to the bbc news website where you can find all the details.

will smith�*s first film since he slapped comedian chris rock at the oscars has its uk premier tonight. in recent days, will smith has been on the red carpet on a charm offensive promoting emancipation — an historical drama which tells of an escaped slave in 18605 america, who, after a terrifying ordeal, gained freedom. after being in industry purgatory for the last few months, smith is most definitely back in the spotlight. reporters asked him how he felt. so far, so good! will smith was for years one of hollywood�*s most bankable stars. the big question is, will his fans come out to see his new film? many were perplexed and disappointed by his oscars night slap. will they be staying away as emancipation opens up in cinemas? what he did to chris rock for no reason was crazy. he�*s a good actor,

and a legend, but after what he did...nhm—mm! the academy has banned smith from attending the oscars for ten years but his new film could conceivably still bring him an acting nomination. critics have been praising his performance. it's quite a unique set of circumstances in oscar history that will smith is facing here. in a hypothetical situation where he stayed in his seat after chris rock made a joke about his wife, i think that will smith would have a real shot at getting nominated foran oscar here. in light of everything that's happened, it's an uphill battle, but it's not an insurmountable one. i will not be afraid. will smith�*s film is inspired by a real man from the 18605 — peter, who�*d been so badly beaten by his slave masters that a photograph of his scarred back helped fuel opposition to slavery. despite his oscar—night slap, will smith hopes his new film�*s message about the evils of racism gets through. i wanted to create something that was, you know, just

a reminder of...the tragic ends that can come from that type of hate and brutality against one another. they break the bonds. hollywood is full of showbiz figures who�*ve fallen and then been resurrected. will smith�*s new film may help him in thatjourney, but his oscar—night slap was one of the most shocking moments in academy awards history and it�*s likely to remain a prominent part of his legacy forever. but they never, never break me. sir eltonjohn is to headline the glastonbury festival next summer, in what is being billed as his last uk date on his farewell tour. he said it was a fitting way to say goodbye to his british fans. here�*s our showbiz reporter daniel rosney. # you can tell everybody... #

sir eltonjohn�*s been on the road for more than 50 years, playing hits in at least 80 countries. here, he sang, virtually, at the late queen�*s platinumjubilee injune. glastonbury, he says, will be his last ever uk show before he retires, posting online, "there is no more fitting way to say goodbye," and he can�*t wait to embrace the spirit of "the greatest festival in the world." organisers say it�*s going to be the mother of all send—offs. his last album, the lockdown sessions, had a lot of contemporary artists on it, which really kind of... it was a really nice way to cement his place in pop culture, notjust saying, "i�*m notjust a legacy act, i have shaped pop music as we know it." the 75—year—old, who wants to spend more time with his family, is part way through his farewell yellow brick road tour, recently wrapping up gigs in north america. fans will no doubt hear him on the main stage

belt out hits like crocodile rock and saturday night�*s alright — and on the sunday, it will be too, as the sun sets on the festival and sir eltonjohn�*s touring life. daniel rosney, bbc news. now it�*s time for a look at the weather with darren bett. hello there. this morning�*s fog has been lifting away from most areas, and we�*re going to find a lot less fog over this weekend. that�*s mainly because the wind is going to be picking up. it�*s going to be an easterly wind which will make it feel colder. there�*ll be some sunshine around, but perhaps a few showers coming in. and that�*s the sort of weather we�*ve seen developing today across eastern parts of england. so welcome sunshine here in lincolnshire earlier on. we have these sort of temperatures, though, early this evening and generally around 6 degrees for england and wales, milder in northern ireland and the north west of scotland with a southerly breeze, but that southerly breeze is lessening and instead it�*s the easterly that will start to take charge, bringing in some showers to eastern parts of england overnight, breaking the cloud up for england and wales,

reducing the risk of some fog, perhaps increasing the risk of some frost. with temperatures close to freezing. it�*ll be colder and clearer in the south east of scotland, northwest scotland, northern ireland, seeing a band of cloud, quite low cloud, misty weather. it�*ll hang around into saturday in the northwest of scotland in particular with a bit of rain, other parts of scotland drier and brighter with some sunshine. some sunshine for england and wales. few showers coming into eastern parts of england. looks pretty cloudy, though, i think for the south east of england. and again, it�*s on the chilly side with temperatures typically seven or eight degrees for the first half of the weekend. that weather front is bringing some rain in the far north west, then gets pushed away by this strengthening easterly wind, which is still in the colder airand it will drop the temperatures once again. so again, we�*ve got a mixture of some cloud, some sunshine and a few showers. most of the showers look like being in the northern half of the uk with more in the way of cloud further south

across england and wales. that easterly wind will be more noticeable. it�*s not a particularly strong wind, but you will notice it and it will make it feel colder as well. these are the temperatures and they are dropping away on sunday. so, 5—7 degrees. but when you factor in the strength of that easterly wind, those temperatures will feel quite a few degrees lower again. and we�*re staying in cold air really over the week ahead. easterly wind to start the week, bringing in a lot of cloud. and then we get some sunshine and it gets colder through the rest of the week as well as the wind direction changes. so we start with that easterly wind and then tuesday, wednesday, we�*re all moving down into this wind from the north that brings colder air, some sunshine, some wintry showers, mainly around coastal areas in the north.

this is bbc news. the headlines. the cost of living crisis forces families in the uk to make tough decisions on their christmas spending —— with nearly half considering cutbacks. and we are seeing shoppers start to look to spread the cost of their christmas shopping this year. health officials say parents should be aware of an infection called strep a, after confirming that since september there have been five deaths in england from it. prince william is to meet us presidentjoe biden — on the final day of his trip with the princess of wales to boston. labour comfortably holds the constituency of the city of chester in a by election — with their best ever result in the seat. former chancellor sajid javid becomes the latest conservative mp to say he won�*t stand at the next general election.