coming up in sport on the bbc news channel. e umpire's chair. a bbc investigation has found evidence of child grooming and sexually abusive behaviour on apps that allow people to interact using virtual reality headsets. the nspcc charity says it's shocked and angry by the revelations, which have sparked concerns about children's safety in the so—called "metaverse". this report by angus crawford, and a warning that it does contain some disturbing content of a sexual nature. meetjess. she is 25, a bbcjournalist. but in virtual reality, she is pretending to be a child. enter vrchat, one of the most popular apps. the age limit is 13. some rooms look innocent enough. but there is pole dancing and strip clubs too. hello, miss. we can hang out, watch a movie or something... men chase a child, demanding she strip. oh, my god! put your clothes back on, you're14. there are rooms with condoms and sex toys. there are two people to the side of me now who are trying to get on top of each other. ok, so there's like a group of people that are l

bbc news, beijing. you can see more on all of today's stories on the bbc news channel. t 5.35. bye for now. hello. you're watching the bbc news channel. protests against covid regulations are continuing in canada, where traffic has been brought to a standstill at a key trading route with the united states. police were called in to clear the blockade which has been going on for nearly a week. jessica murphy reports. it didn't take that many vehicles to block the busiest land border crossing in canada, but it's taking hours for police to clear the ambassador bridge blockade. for the moment, the officers are trying negotiation tactics as they try to get protesters to leave peacefully after six days of demonstrations. their message that they tried to send from the very beginning has clearly lost its way and i don't think the people here — notjust the police, but i don't think the people in our community or on the other side of the border — are interested in hearing it any more. who are you protecting? with a vital trade route interrupted, the province of ontario declared a s

and coming up in sport on the bbc news channel: a glimmer of hope for a medalfor team gb in beijing, irsty muir and katie summerhayes make it through to the slopestyle final. good afternoon and welcome to the bbc news at one. as tensions rise over a possible russian invasion of ukraine, western nations have again made it clear to moscow that any military action will result in massive sanctions that would have serious consequences for the russian economy. the g7 group of the world's most developed countries, including britain, made the warning as a spokesman for ukraine's president insisted his country's ambition is still tojoin nato, as set out in its constitution, despite the ukrainian ambassador to britain suggesting otherwise as a means of avoiding war. russia has long wanted ukraine to drop its desire tojoin the military alliance. moscow now has up to 130,000 troops encircling ukraine but maintains it has no plans to invade. 0ur diplomatic correspondent james landale has the very latest. kyiv this morning, another day in a cosmopolitan european capital, normal life continuing desp

and coming up on the bbc news channel... lewis hamilton says he wants to come back stronger next season, ending doubts over his immediate future in the sport following last season's controversial end to the title race. good evening. large parts of the uk have been battered by one of the worst storms in decades, with major damage to buildings and millions of people being advised to stay at home as storm eunice hit. two rare red weather warnings, meaning a danger to life, were issued but have now passed. there is still a serious amber warning in place for a large part of england until 9pm, and less severe yellow alerts for snow and ice in northern england and scotland. the strongest gust of wind — a blistering 122 miles per hour — was recorded on the isle of wight at an exposed point of the island. the storm has brought widespread disruption, with flight and train cancellations, school closures, power cuts in some areas and major bridges being closed. ourfirst report tonight is from our correspondent, danny savage, in bristol.

and coming up in sport on the bbc news channel: the old rivals meet again but who'll come out on top — as scotland face england on the opening weekend of rugby union's six nations? good evening. the conservative backbench mp aaron bell has become the latest to confirm that he has submitted a letter of no confidence in the prime minister. it comes as an embattled borisjohnson saw a fifth adviser resign today from downing street, after the departure of four others yesterday. downing street said the resignations were not a sign the prime minister was losing control. as well as being under pressure over lockdown parties in downing street, mrjohnson has come in for particular criticism over a false claim made in the commons that the labour leader sir keir starmer had failed to prosecute the child sex offender jimmy savile when he was director of public prosecutions. one senior tory told mrjohnson to "shape up or ship out". but the cabinet minister michael gove said he believed "the best thing" for the country was for mrjohnson to continue. our political correspondent iain watson reports.

coming up in the sport later in the hour on the bbc news channel: the champions league returns this eveningbeaten finalists manchester city are in portugalfacing sporting. good afternoon and welcome to the bbc news at one. the world men's number one tennis player novak djokovic has told the bbc that he's prepared to sacrifice playing in competitions like wimbledon and the french open rather than have a covid—19 vaccine. in an exclusive interview after losing his legal attempt to compete at the australian open, the 34—year—old says he's not part of the anti—vaccine movement — but supports people's right to choose. the bbc�*s amol rajan sat down with him in belgrade. he is widely held to be the greatest player of his time, in an era already blessed with legends. but now he is the most controversial, too. have you received any vaccination against covid? i too. have you received any vaccination against covid? i have not. vaccination against covid? i have not- why? _ vaccination against covid? i have not- why? i _ vaccination against covid? i have not. why? i understand - vaccination against cov

and coming up on the bbc news channel: norris lands a new deal with mclaren. iver shuns the competition to stay with the team for four years. good evening and welcome to the bbc news at six. the rules on self—isolating for anyone testing positive for covid in england could be dropped completely by the end of this month. the prime minister says as long as the data continues to be encouraging, the current law meaning you have to quarantine for at least five full days will be scrapped. the change would end two years of covid restrictions. the latest figures from the office for national statistics suggest infection levels in the uk have risen since last week, with more than 3.3 million people with covid. but the number of deaths are well below the levels seen in previous waves and the number of people in hospital continues to fall. labour has accused the prime minister of using the announcment to dig himself out of a political hole rather than dealing with the serious challenge facing the country. here's our health editor, hugh pym. it's looking like a move backwar

coming up on bbc news channel, britain's women's curling team struggle in beijing after a second defeatree. they lost to south korea earlier today. good afternoon and welcome to the bbc news at one. the search is under way to find a replacement for britain's top police officer, after dame cressida dick announced her resignation from the metropolitan police service last night. the home secretary priti patel said in the last hour that the public across the country must have confidence in the integrity of police officers, and that the new leader must tackle institutional issues of culture and conduct. dame cressida said she'd been left with "no choice" but to go, once the mayor of london sadiq khan made it clear he had no confidence in her leadership. our home affairs correspondent daniel sandford reports. arriving for work at new scotland yard this morning, the most senior police officer in the uk, who has now been forced out of the job. cressida dick made the decision to quit yesterday. cressida dick made the decision to quit yesterday-— quit yesterday. careful, careful. feefinu quit yest

coming up in sportsday later in the hour on the bbc news channel. t britain's winter olympians heading for a 30 year low? 12 days into the games and still no medals in beijing. good evening and welcome to the bbc news at six. the metropolitan police says it's investigating allegations of cash—for—honours linked to the prince of wales�* charity, the prince's foundation. it's claimed there'd been an offer with a saudi national. clarence house says prince charles had "no knowledge of the alleged offer of honours or british citizenship, on the basis of donation to his charities." it's another blow for the royal family this week, with questions being raised about whether prince andrew will ever return to public life. it follows his out of court settlement with virginia giuffre, who'd accused him of sexual assault. there are no details of the size of the financial deal. prince andrew has not accepted any liability as part of the settlement. our royal correspondent, nicholas witchell, has the very latest. i'm here! turbulent moments they may be for members

and coming up on the bbc news channel: adios, aubameyang — the arsenal striker and former captain joinsnish giants barcelona on a free after a busy transfer deadline day for premier league clubs. good afternoon and welcome to the bbc news at one. the deputy prime minister, dominic raab, says conservative mps still "overwhelmingly" support borisjohnson, following the release of the initial findings of the report into lockdown parties in downing street. sue gray's inquiry concluded there'd been a "failure of leadership." but tory mp andrew mitchell this morning accused the prime minister of running government like a "medieval court". and he warned the crisis risked breaking the conservative party. the labour leader, sir keir starmer, has accused the prime minister of trying to "save his own skin," and taking the public "for fools" in his defence of his own actions, in relation to alleged breaches of covid rules. with the latest, here's our political correspondent, damian grammaticas. leaving his political woes at home, borisjohnson went leaving his political woes at home, boris johnson we

and coming up in the sport later in the hour on the bbc news channel: team gb were banking on a firste beijing games but charlotte bankes failed to reach the final in the snowboard cross. good afternoon and welcome to the bbc news at one. the prime minister says the last remaining legal restrictions on covid—19 in england should be lifted within weeks — a month earlier than expected. borisjohnson told the commons a short time ago that as long as the data continues to be encouraging, england's rules requiring people with covid to self—isolate will come to an end. it will be just under two years since the first restrictions were imposed at the start of the pandemic. our political correspondent iain watson reports. there has been big changes behind the black door in downing street but here is the question... in an attempt to stave off further criticism from his own mps boris johnson has trained some ministers and staff and today he also changed some of his policies. it is and staff and today he also changed some of his policies.— some of his policies. it is my intention _ some of his pol

you can see more on all of those stories on the bbc news channel. l. president biden is to speak to vladimir putin by phone after the united states warned a russian invasion of ukraine could come "at any time". the us secretary of state says america are prepared either way if russia chooses diplomacy or aggression. moscow has repeatedly denied planning to invade. the british and us governments have called for their citizens to leave ukraine immediately. earlier, i spoke to the defence ministerjames heappey, and began by asking him if conflict was imminent. i think there is a grave possibility, and the reason we have seen such a shift in messaging from western governments to their citizens in ukraine in the last 2a hours is that the russian troop build—up has now reached such a point that with no notice, it is possible that an attack could be launched, and the complexity of the weapon systems that are in or on the borders of ukraine, artillery, missile systems, combat air, means that those strikes could be deep into ukraine. that's not to say there is

and coming up on the bbc news channel, curling takes centre stage once again for team gb at the winterics, with the men's team starting their round robin matches with a win over italy. good afternoon and welcome to the bbc news at one. the prime minister is stepping up british diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis over ukraine, amid continuing fears of a russian invasion. more than 100,000 russian troops are massed at the border. this morning, borisjohnson met the secretary general of nato, which russia wants to stop ukraine from joining. mrjohnson has warned the crisis is entering it's "most dangerous moment". he said the uk is putting a thousand troops on standby in case of a humanitarian crisis. in a moment we'll report from moscow, where the foreign secretary is holding talks. but first, our political correspondent chris mason. the talk in ukraine is of possible invasion, and with it a march towards the prospects of a winter war in eastern europe. today we are seeing british diplomacy on both sides. the foreign secretary in moscow, the prime minister at the headquarters of the n

and coming up in sport on the bbc news channel... ing sparked an outcry, raith rovers say striker david goodwillie will not play for the club — stating they "got it wrong." good afternoon and welcome to the bbc news at one. the cost of energy is going up for millions of customers this april. the typical household bill will go up by almost £700 a year after the energy regulator 0fgem increased its price cap in england, scotland and wales by 54%. that means typical households will end up paying around £2,000 a year for their gas and electricity. to help soften the blow, the chancellor has announced a package of measures including a £200 discount on bills and a council tax rebate for some households. meanwhile, the bank of england has just raised interest rates again to 0.5%. our first report is from our consumer affairs correspondent coletta smith. the energy price cap is going up again to nearly £2000 per year from april. for donna with three children and no increase in her income, it feels impossible. the and no increase in her income

and coming up in sport on the bbc news channel. am gb�*s two—man bobsleigh team crashes as the wait for a british medal goes on at the winter olympics. good evening, welcome to the bbc news at six. prince andrew and his sex abuse accuser, virginia guiffre, have reached an out—of—court settlement in the civil case filed against him in the united states. the duke of york had previously said he wanted to contest the claims in court with a jury. there is no admission of liability by the duke. he has always maintained his innocence. he also pledged to demonstrate his regret for the association with convicted sex traffickerjeffrey epstein. by supporting the "fight against the evils of sex trafficking, and by supporting its victims". our royal correspondent nicholas witchell reports. for all the show of public defiance that he was determined to fight the case in court it was always thought by lawyers and others that he would have to settle out of court and that is exactly what andrew has now done. without importantly for him any admission

they are off on their lunch break in munich, we will have more on the bbc news channel this afternoonrence, it has been a son della line—up, they had the european commission president passing on the line, the british prime minister, the foreign minister of china whojoin prime minister, the foreign minister of china who join the conference life in beijing, and the british prime minister to boot. vice president kamala harris was also addressing the conference this morning, she warned that not since the cold war and of forum convened under such dire circumstances. we have engaged in good faith. russia continues to claim it is ready for talks while at the same time it narrows the avenues for diplomacy. their actions simply do not match their words. and let me be clear, i can say with absolute certainty, if russia further invades ukraine, the united states, together with our allies and partners, will impose significant we have engaged in good faith. and unprecedented economic cost. applause to bring you an update, easily from the interfax news agency, a russian agency, it is quoting, bizar

coming up in sportsday on the bbc news channel at 6:30 — we'll hear from james anderson for the firstindies. a bbc investigation has found evidence of child grooming and sexually abusive behaviour on apps that allow people to interact using virtual reality headsets. the nspcc charity says it's shocked and angry by the revelations, which have sparked concerns about children's safety in the so—called "metaverse". this report by angus crawford and a warning that it does contain some disturbing content of a sexual nature. meetjess. she's 25, a bbcjournalist. but in virtual reality, she's pretending to be a child. going in. into vrchat — one of the most popular apps. the age limit�*s 13. some rooms look innocent enough. but there's pole dancing and strip clubs, too. 0h, hello, miss. isn't it school time right now? men chase a child, demanding she strip. come on, bleep strip! oh, my god. there are rooms with condomss and sex toys. there are two people to the side of me now, who are trying to get on top of each other. ok, so there's like a group of people that are, like, simulating sex. blee

and coming up in sportsday later in the hour on the bbc news channel, there's more misery for england'srs — the women, just ike the men, failing to regain the ashes from australia. good evening and welcome to the bbc news at six. the cost of living crisis will intensify for millions of people this spring after the regulator 0fgem confirmed an increase in what energy companies can charge their customers. millions of households will now face soaring energy bills from april, with the average energy bill rising by almost £700 a year. that's because the energy price cap, which is what the average household in england, scotland and wales pays for energy if they're not on a fixed deal with their supplier, was increased to almost £2,000. the changes will affect around 22 million households in england, wales and scotland. interest rates have also doubled to 0.5%, as the bank of england tries to curb the rapid increase in cost of living. and inflation, which is the rate at which prices are rising, is expected to peak at 7.25% in april, well above the bank's target of 2%. we'll have the latest on

you can see more on all of today's stories on the bbc news channel. channel. it is now 1:12pm. let's return to our top story. the prime minister is warning that any russian invasion of ukraine would see the destruction of a democratic state. moscow denies it's planning to invade. it is conducting military drills at the moment in belarus and in russia, both which have borders with ukraine. at an international security conference in munich, borisjohnson said such a move by russia would cause shocks around the world. as i said to president putin during our last conversation, we in the uk still hope that diplomacy and dialogue may yet succeed. but we also have to be unflinchingly honest about the situation today. when over 130,000 russian troops are gathering on the borders of ukraine, and when more than 100 battalion tactical groups threaten that european country, we must be united against that threat because we should be in no doubt what is at stake here. if ukraine is invaded and if ukraine is overwhelmed, we will witness the destruction of a democratic

coming up in the sport later in the hour on the bbc news channel: lewis hamilton says he is ready to attack for the formula 1 title again but admits that he had a difficult time after last season's disappointment. good afternoon, welcome to the bbc news at one. storm eunice is begin to batter much of the uk, causing widespread disruption and damage. forecasters say it could be one of the worst uk storms in three decades. the south—west bore the brunt of it this morning, with winds of an astonishing 122 mph recorded at the needles on the isle of wight. a met office red warning for wind is in place for london and the south east of england for the first time. it means a danger to life is likely and people have been told to stay at home. amber warnings are in force across much of england and wales until 9pm, bringing the possibility of power cuts and falling trees. and there are yellow warning for snow in scotland and northern ireland. rail services, ferryjourneys and flights have been cancelled, schools are closed and thousands of homes are without power. our correspondent simonjones loo

coming up on the bbc news channel paul collingwood is named as interim head coach of the england men'sricket team replacing chris silverwood who lost his job after the ashes. good afternoon and welcome to the bbc news at one. gcse and a—level pupils in england will be given advance information today about the topics that will appear on their exam papers this summer. the government has confirmed that for the first time in three years, exams will go ahead — despite a high number of teacher absences due to covid. our education correspondent, elaine dunkley, reports. can you just line up as well please? thank you. it's a busy timetable for the pupils at ellesmere port church of england college. how do you feel you did in that maths test this morning? i think i did 0k. i didn't do as great on my last one, but i'm trying to improve. it is all about exam practice. the next few weeks will be serious revision for mocks, and for the first time in three years, this summer, they are expected to sit external exams. i had to be off with covid. i didn't get to sit my full mock exams, so i wasn't, lik

coming up on sports later in the hour on the bbc news channel.ts the nod to lead england in next month's test series against the west indies. but who is in the running to become the head coach full—time? good evening. in england, wales and northern ireland gcse and a—level exams will return this summer after two years of relying on teacher assessments which gave students record high grades. the return to exams is to be managed carefully according to ministers to avoid sudden changes as exam standards are reimposed. today england followed the rest of the uk in giving pupils more details of the likely topics in this year's exams. our education correspondent elaine dunkley has more details. at wells high school in sheffield pupils and teachers are desperate for any details to offer some certainty about what will be on the exam papers this year. henge certainty about what will be on the exam papers this year.— certainty about what will be on the exam papers this year. have you any idea of the mitigations? _ exam papers this year. have you any idea of

dudley, we look at the impact of winter storms on our forests and coming up in sport on the bbc news channelrytale finish for dave ryding in the men's slalom in beijing as great britain's hunt for a winter olympics medal continues. good afternoon and welcome to the bbc news at one. inflation, the rate at which prices rise, has gone up again — putting more pressure on households grappling with the rising cost of living. the office for national statistics says it reached 5.5% in the 12 months to january, meaning it's at its highest level for nearly 30 years. it's been driven up mainly by the cost of clothes and footwear, as well as rising energy and fuel costs. earlier this month, the bank of england raised interest rates in an effort to slow inflation and it signalled that more increases were on the way. here's our economics correspondent, andy verity. leo has too demanding jobs, and being a busy mum of three, and working as a care worker. it is round—the—clock. six. working as a care worker. it is round-the-clock._ working as a care worker. it is round-the-clock. six o'clock every mornin: ,

and coming up on the bbc news channel: how green is your club? ttenham and liverpool find themselves top of football's sustainability table. good afternoon and welcome to the bbc news at one. the government is this lunchtime announcing its plans to close the gap between rich and poor areas of the country, as part of its so—called levelling up agenda. the policy, which the prime minister has described as a "defining mission," will take until 2030 to deliver, and aims to tackle regional inequalities and help overlooked communities. there are 12 missions or targets which include... increasing regional devolution with plans to create more mayors with london—style powers, improving public transport to bring it up to london's standards. refocusing education spending on the most disadvantaged areas. and providing access to sg broadband to most households. and there will be increased public investment in research and development away from the south east. but there is no new money attached, and labour says there is little fresh thinking. here's our politic

and coming up on the bbc news channel: the women's team split from raith rovers and protest at the signinggoodwillie. the former scotland striker was found by a civil court to have raped a woman. good evening and welcome to the bbc news at six. the government has set out how it intends to fulfil its flagship manifesto promise of closing the gap between richer and poorer areas in the uk over the next eight years. the wide—ranging plans laid out by the levelling up secretary, michael gove, include improving education and skills with a particular focus on raising standards in 55 areas across england. a promise by 2030 to narrow the gap on pay, employment rates and healthy life expectancy across the uk. a pledge to improve public transport outside london and deliver high speed broadband all over the uk. and an offer of a locally elected mayor for every part of england similar to those already seen in major cities. labour described the plans as a shopping list of recycled policies which lacked new funding. 0ur political corrrespondent alex forsyth reports from the conservative seat of gedling i

and coming up on the bbc news channel. the men's curling team are underway in their semi final. put them into saturday's gold medal match. good afternoon and welcome to the bbc news at one. a rare red weather warning has been issued by the met office for parts of england and wales as storm eunice approaches. an emergency government cobra meeting has been held to discuss the highest level warning, which means there is a danger to life in south west england and south wales tomorrow — with winds of up to 90mph likely to cause power cuts and severely affect travel. it comes as many people across the uk are dealing with disruption in the aftermath of storm dudley overnight. heavy rain and strong winds brought down trees, railway cables and power lines. simonjones has the latest. damaging wind and a warning that much more is on its way. this was the destruction of dudley, bringing trees down in the yorkshire dales and the blocking roads in hertfordshire. it's been a week of wild weather. investigations are under way into what caused this wind turbine to come down near bridgend. on the

and coming up on the bbc news channel... edals for britain as yet in the winter olympics, but eve muirhead's team show some fight to hammer sweden in the women's curling. good evening and welcome to the bbc news at six. borisjohnson has warned that the crisis over ukraine is probably at its most dangerous moment so far. as tens of thousands of russian troops take part in military exercises in belarus, close to ukraine's northern border, the prime minister, on a visit to nato headquarters in brussels, says intelligence assessments remain grim, but the west is pursuing a policy of strong deterrence and patient diplomacy. mrjohnson then travelled to poland, meeting some of the british troops recently deployed there. but issues back home have dogged his trip, with the former prime minister sirjohn major saying that attempts to excuse the breaking of lockdown rules in downing street are undermining trust in government and politics at home and abroad. our political editor laura kuenssberg is live in brussels for us this evening. th

and coming up in sportsday later in the hour on the bbc news channel, team gb are still waiting for theirfirstthe winter olympics, as bronze slips away for the curlers in beijing. good evening and welcome to the bbc news at six. the nhs waiting list in england won't start to fall for at least another two years, and it could rise significantly before then. the health secretary, sajid javid, admitted the lists would get longer waiting for planned treatment. six million people arecurrently on a waiting list — that's one in nine of england's population. the plan to clear the backlog involves so—called surgical hubs which will specialise in procedures like hip and knee replacements and cataracts, meaning more people will be treated faster. there'll also be centres in local communities which will offer scans and x—rays for quicker diagnosis. patients will also be offered more choice in where they have their operations done. our health editor, hugh pym, reports. this is violet, on the way to the operating theatre for a hip replacement this morning. she struggled to walk and has been barely able to le

jane hill will present a special programme — as the oscar nominations are announced — on the bbc news channele uk have been used to celebrities like dolly parton, ryan reynolds and orlando bloom on their screens. and now they can look forward to a story read by the duchess of cambridge this weekend. kate has been recorded reading �*the owl who was afraid of the dark�* byjill tomlinson, to mark children�*s mental health week. the episode will be screened on the bbc�*s channel for young children next sunday in the uk, that�*s all for now. stay with bbc world news. hello there. we have a battle of the — hello there. we have a battle of the air— hello there. we have a battle of the air mass is taking place this week— of the air mass is taking place this week and certainly for the next _ this week and certainly for the next few— this week and certainly for the next few days we will have a north—south divide, much colder air across — north—south divide, much colder air across northern areas with wintry— air across northern areas with wintry showers but further south _ wintry showers but further sou

jane hill will present a special programme — as the oscar nominations are announced — on the bbc news channel few days, we will have a north—south divide, much colder air across northern areas with some wintry showers. further south, it�*ll be very mild indeed for the time of year, and there will be some sunshine around. so, the dividing line between the cold air to the north and the mild air to the south is this weather front, which will be hanging around through central parts of the country throughout tuesday, so thicker cloud for northern ireland, southern scotland, northern england, outbreaks of rain on this weather front. to the north of it, it�*s brighter with sunshine and blustery showers. these are wintry on the hills of scotland, and it will be windy here. further south, also quite breezy, but dry with sunny spells, a bit more cloud for wales and southwest england. a blustery day, as you can see across the board, but gusts will be reaching in excess of 50 mph across northern scotland into the northern isles. temperatures in single digits, to the north of the weather front, to the sou

bbc news. there's more throughout the evening on the bbc news channel. bc one it's time for the news where you are. hello, this is bbc news with rebecca jones. let's return now to our top story and the diplomatic efforts to avoid armed conflict in ukraine. in the last hour, president biden has spoken with his russian counterpart, vladimir putin, in an effort to diffuse tensions over ukraine. he told the russian leader that any invasion into ukraine would produce widespread suffering and diminish russia's standing globally and that there would be a "decisive and swift" response. russia has denied any attack is imminent and accused the us of waging a propaganda campaign. earlier, my colleague lewis vaughanjones spoke to sergei markov — former member of the dumas and aide to president vladimir putin — and asked him if the russian troops on the border will invade ukraine. no. so that there are no circumstances under which those troops will invade ukraine? if they will recognise the republics and the kyiv regime start aggression against them, probably the russ

and coming up in the sport on the bbc news channel, what next for team gb�*s winter olympians? ver in the curling, but they fell short of their overall medal target. good afternoon and welcome to the bbc news at one. borisjohnson is due to set out plans to scrap all remaining legal covid restrictions in england — including the requirement to self—isolate if you test positive. mrjohnson has said that the plan for �*living with covid' will return to people their freedom. he was due to have chaired a meeting of cabinet this morning before making an announcement to mps in the commons — but number ten said the scheduled meeting has been delayed. some experts have urged caution over lifting restrictions completely, and labour is questioning the plans to reduce testing. 0ur health correspondent jim reed has this report. it's jim reed has this report. been one of the most vis rules it's been one of the most visible rules of the pandemic. those who test positive for covid were told they must stay at home for up to ten days or could pick up a £1000 fine. later this week, that legal requir

and coming up in the sport on the bbc news channel — with athletes now heading home, what lessons canor team gb after a frustrating winter olympics in beijing? good evening, and welcome to the bbc news at six. the prime minister has announced that all coronavirus restrictions will be lifted in england — hailing what he called a move from government restrictions to personal responsibility. as part of the plans to live with covid, the legal requirement to self—isolate will be lifted by thursday. but people will still be encouraged to say at home if they test positive until 1st april. the universal testing programme will also end from april 1st, even for people with symptoms. instead, free testing will be available only to the most vulnerable. and an additional booster dose will be offered to all over—75s and the most vulnerable over 12s from the spring — six months after their last jab. in a moment we'll look at the data driving the decison, and the economic impact, but first our political editor laura kuenssberg reports on prime minister's announcement — and a warning, her report conta

bbc news, rome. we'll have more live from mark on this story throughout the day. and you can watch all of, �*0urworld — italy's hidden sins�* on bbc news channel uk — watch it on bbc world news, starting from 23:30 gmt on friday. stay with us on bbc news, still to come: syd ney sydney shuts its beaches are tricia hill is a swimmer for the first time in 60 years near the first time in 60 years near the city. —— after a shark kills a swimmer. this is bbc news, the latest headlines. the white house says russia's claim of withdrawing troops surrounding ukraine is false and that in fact it's sent in thousands more troops. in brazil, a desperate search for mudslide survivors. heavy rains see hillside homes destroyed. around 100 people have been killed. thousands of people across parts of scotland and northern england remain without power this morning after storm dudley brought heavy rain and wind overnight. it comes after the met office issued a danger to life warning ahead of a second, more powerful weather system, �*storm eunice' which is due to make landfall on friday. alexandra mackenzie reports. storm dudley approaches, the fourth storm to hit

there's more throughout the evening on the bbc news channel. e scandal has been in the headlines all week after a public inquiry started hearing from those who suffered wrongful convictions and financial ruin. more than 700 branch managers were convicted and thousands of others lost their businesses when the post office's faulty accounting software made it look as though money was missing from tills. 0ur consumer affairs correspondent colletta smith reports. it's not easy to explain what happened at the worst moments of your life. each victim has shared memories they'll never forget, for treatment many feel they can never forgive. this inquiry will last a year or more, with 40 people sharing their stories these first two weeks, their evidence covering all corners of england and wales, from devon to derbyshire, the heart of london, the home counties and the yorkshire moorlands. the inquiry is then moving to cardiff, then leeds, with plans afoot to hear evidence in scotland and northern ireland too. for every witness, the financial cost has been h

and coming up on the bbc news channel: with the opening ceremony due to get under way shortly the curlingnues, team gb winning the latest round robin match in the next event. —— in the mix to events. good morning and welcome to an earlier than usual edition of the bbc�*s lunchtime news. the prime minister must "shape up or ship out" — that's what the senior conservative mp huw merriman told the bbc this morning, as questions continue about boris johnson's leadership. he is looking at how to rebuild his team after the resignation yesterday of four of his top aides. mps supportive of the prime minister are suggesting he's making necessary staff changes following a damning report by the senior civil servant sue gray into rule—breaking parties at number ten during the pandemic. but munira mirza quit because of the prime minister's false claim that sir keir starmer failed to prosecutejimmy savile when he was director of public prosecutions. and this morning a fifth adviser has resigned, another member of the policy unit. our political correspondent nick eardley reports. another tape, another c

jane hill will present a special programme — as the oscar nominations are announced — on the bbc news channelthousands of fans packed the streets of the capital dakar to show their support. monday was declared a public holiday and the president cut short a foriegn trip to host a reception for the team. nicknamed the lions of teranga, senegal beat egypt on penalties in a nail—biting final. you can reach me on twitter — i�*m @bbcdavideades hello there. we�*ve got the battle of the air masses taking place this week, certainly for the next few days, we will have a north—south divide, much colder air across northern areas with some wintry showers. further south, it�*ll be very mild indeed for the time of year, and there will be some sunshine around. so, the dividing line between the cold air to the north and the mild air to the south is this weather front, which will be hanging around through central parts of the country throughout tuesday, so thicker cloud for northern ireland, southern scotland, northern england, outbreaks of rain on this weather front. to the north of it, it�*s brighter with su

chris fawkes, you can stay up—to—date on the bbc news channel and the bbc local radio stations. joined the new steams wherever you are. i hope you have a good afternoon, goodbye. good afternoon. we start in beijing, where the men's british curling team are battling for a sport in saturday's final, guaranteeing them at least a silver medal. they're taking on the united states in their semifinal, a team they lost to in the round robin format, their only defeat so far. they went behind early on, but pulled it back, at the end halfway through and team gb are 5—4 up. if they lose today it will be a spotin up. if they lose today it will be a spot in the bronze medal match on friday. eve muirhead's women's side beat the russian olympic committee to progress. the scottish skip delivered a fantastic final stone in the ninth end to score four and clinch a 9—4 win. team gb�*s last four place was confirmed when defending champions sweden beat south korea. and it's the swedes who'll face team gb in tomorrow's semi. i am very proud of this team. i think we have a great chance out there. as a t

and coming up in the sport, on the bbc news channel... gland fans — bad news ahead of saturday's six nations clash with scotland, forwards courtney lawes and jonny hill both ruled out. good evening. borisjohnson has called on russia to step back and choose the path of diplomacy amid growing concerns about a possible invasion of ukraine. he was speaking on a visit to ukraine this afternoon. he warned that a russian invasion of ukraine would lead to a military and humanitarian disaster. but president putin has accused the west of using ukraine as a tool against russia. moscow has repeatedly denied planning to attack ukraine but has deployed an estimated 100,000 troops near the border. moscow is aggrieved that ukraine, once part of the soviet union, is now seeking closer ties with nato — the military alliance dominated by the us — with most of its members in europe. our diplomatic correspondent james landale sent this report from the ukrainian capital kyiv. for borisjohnson today, a change of subject, a change of place. he arrived in ukraine

coming up in the sport later in the hour on the bbc news channel — we'll tell you what happened in thef the fa cup fourth round ties with manchester united facing middlesbrough at old trafford. good evening. as the winter olympics got under way in beijing, president putin of russia was the star guest, meeting president xijinping before the official opening. china and russia announced a new partnership, with china saying it'll back russia's foreign policy aims, and saying it supports russian demands that nato halt its expansion. that is seen as an implicit reference to the situation in ukraine. mr putin hailed the agreement as an unprecedented pact of cooperation. president xi and vladimir putin held their talks hours before the opening of the games, which had a relatively low—key ceremony amid concerns about covid and a diplomatic boycott over human rights abuses. from beijing, robin brant reports. china's capital city, an olympic host for the second time. the bird's nest stadium built for 2008 was still glorious. china! the red flags of the hosts still so familiar. as the president wa

and coming up in sport on the bbc news channel. to win the club world cup for the first time in their history. romelu lukaku helps chelsea into the final. good evening. the remaining covid restrictions in england are now set to be lifted at the end of this month — four weeks earlier than previously planned. the shortened timescale was announced by borisjohnson, who said it depended on the current downward trend continuing, but he fully expected that to be the case. it would end the rule that anyone testing positive for covid, or showing symptoms, should self—isolate. the prime minister also said he intended to set out a new strategy for living with covid within weeks. but scientists have warned that the disease still poses a risk, especially to the vulnerable and the unvaccinated. our health editor hugh pym has more details. it another big step in the journey from life in the pandemic to something like normal, the final restrictions in england, including the need to isolate after a positive test, ending perhaps osuna is february th

and coming up in the sport on the bbc news channel.d of olympic silver — the men's 4 x 100 metre relay team lose their medals from tokyo, as c] ujah is found to have breached doping rules. good evening. one of the worst storms in decades — storm eunice — has torn through large parts of the uk, causing loss of life, and major damage to some buildings. two rare red weather warnings — meaning a danger to life — were issued during the day but have now passed. in the last hour, a serious amber warning in place for a large part of england was lifted, although less severe yellow alerts for snow and ice in northern england, northern ireland and scotland remain in place. the strongest gust of wind — blistering at over 120 miles an hour — was recorded on the isle of wight. three people were killed when they were crushed in their vehicles under falling trees. there was also widespread disruption, with flight and train cancellations, school closures, power cuts in some areas, and major bridges being closed. our first report tonight is from our cor

and coming up in the sport on the bbc news channel: chelsea are in champions league action but could final be moved away from st petersburg amid the ukraine—russia crisis? good evening. russia has been dealt a wave of new economic and financial sanctions as the west tries to head off a military invasion of ukraine. nato says there's evidence that russian troops are moving towards areas of eastern ukraine and that there's every indication president putin is still planning a bigger offensive. within the past couple of hours, president biden accused russia of a clear violation of international law and announced new financial sanctions. this is the flashpoint, eastern ukraine, and more specifically the donbas region where parts of donetsk and luhansk have been controlled by russian backed fighters since 2014. yesterday, president putin recognised these areas as independent states and said he would send troops there on what he called a "peace keeping mission". in a moment, we'll look at the latest international reaction to the crisis but first the latest from the frontline, and our interna

we will keep you updated here on the bbc news channel. take care. today at six. are raised about who'll foot the bill, for prince andrew's out of court civil settlement, over sexual assault allegations. estimates suggest the deal could run into several millions of pounds. also on the programme... the cost of living hits a new 30—year high as energy, fuel and food costs rocket. so the things going up — transport, packaging, wages. nothing coming down. we're in a catch 22 situation. children aged between 5 and 11 across the uk

and coming up in the sport on the bbc news channel, could team gb�*s youngest competitor, kirsty muirbring home britain's first medal at the winter olympics? she's into the slopestyle final with katie summerhayes. good evening. diplomatic efforts to avert war over ukraine have intensified, with russia's foreign minister saying he believed there was still room for dialogue on moscow's requests for a new security deal with the west. it comes after the ukrainian president, volodymyr zelensky, addressed his nation and referred to western intelligence estimates of an imminent russian attack. he said, "they tell us it will be february 16th, we will make it a day of unity." he also said his country wants to solve all issues exclusively through negotiations. tonight, president biden held a phone conversation with borisjohnson to discuss the crisis, and both men agreed there still remained a crucial window for diplomacy. but america has announced it's closing its embassy in the ukrainian capital, kyiv, and relocating to the west of the country. russia has massed around 130,000 troops around uk

and coming up on the bbc news channel...ndemn defender kurt zouma after a video emerges showing him kicking and slapping his cat, before naming him in their starting line—up against watford. good evening. the waiting list for hospital treatment in england will not start to fall for two years despite the new plan to tackle the backlog caused by the pandemic. the admission was made today by the health secretary sajid javid. there are 6 million people currently on a waiting list in england, and mr javid says this number will probably increase, with demand expected to rise now that pressure from covid is easing. the health secretary also set out plans for more specialist diagnostic centres and targets for cancer treatment. our health editor hugh pym has the latest details. this is violet, on the way to the operating theatre for a hip replacement this morning. she's struggled to walk and has been barely able to leave her house. i can't describe the pain, i can't describe the discomfort. i mean, i cry every day because i can't do

the media show will be back on the bbc news channel very soon. we'll see you then. hello.it more unsettled as we start this working week. this was the picture as the sun went down sunday evening off the coast of north yorkshire, but we've had a weather front moving its way in through the course of the night. through monday, it's going to be bringing cloud and rain to many parts of the uk, particularly towards the north and the west as well. so, first thing monday, that rain will be sitting across parts of southern and eastern scotland, northern england, down through wales into the south west of england, too. this frontal system is really going to be quite slow—moving through the day, so some of that rain for south west of england, wales, north west england is going to be persistent and heavy, too. it's also going to be quite a breezy—feeling day, particularly across the far north—west. for the western isles, we could see gales developing through the course of the day. and top temperatures for most of us between about 8—11 degrees but for the south east of england and east

and coming—up in sport, on the bbc news channel...sian doping is in the spotlight again as the court of arbitration in sport will decide if kamila valieva can stay at the winter olympics. good evening. the white house is warning that a russian attack on ukraine could begin any day. after a huge build up of russian troops near the ukrainian border, american officials say moscow now has the capability to conduct a major military operation, possibly beginning with an air assault. moscow has practically encircled its smaller neighbour with close to 130,000 troops, but maintains no invasion is being planned. meanwhile, diplomatic efforts intensified today to avoid war, with president biden hosting a call of world leaders, including borisjohnson, who said he feared for the security of europe, if there's a conflict. all british nationals are now being advised to leave ukraine. 0ur north america editor, sarah smith, has the very latest. the russians are not trying to camouflage these military exercises their troops are conducting in belarus n

coming up in the sport on the bbc news channel, celtic and rangers go head—to—head in the old firm derbyltic park. can the home side sealed the win to take them top? good evening. ofgem, the energy regulator, is set to announce the biggest ever rise in energy bills, with ministers understood to be preparing measures to ease the pressure on households. the announcement is due tomorrow. every six months, ofgem reviews the maximum price that suppliers in england, wales and scotland can charge customers on a standard tariff. around 15 million households saw their bills go up by 12% when the last update happened in october. the new cap takes effect in april and industry predictions suggest gas prices could rise by as much as 50%, taking the average annual bill to roughly £2,000. there is a separate energy market in northern ireland, where prices have also risen sharply. two energy firms have told the bbc that the government is planning to give them loans to help lower bills for customers. 0ur social affairs correspondent michael buchanan reports from glasgow. i'm lucky if i have breakfast in