chris mason there. you're watching _ before the selections. chris mason there.ws l before the selections. chris mason | there. you're watching bbc news in there. you're watching bbc news in the uk and around the world as we bring you this news from northern ireland that the nationalist party sinn fein that wanted to see a united ireland has reached a total of 27 seats in the general assembly elections which means no other party can overtake the number now and it means sinn fein has become the largest party in northern ireland and it is the first time ever that a nationalist party has won the most seats in the assembly and it means the democratic unionist party which last assembly election was the biggest party is now in second place in terms of the number of seats it has and it means that michelle o'neill, sinn fein's leader in northern ireland could become first minister but under the power—sharing arrangements here in northern ireland that will only happen if the dup agrees to become deputy first minister. i will have more conversations about this with my gues

chris mason, many thanks. there will be — right now. chris mason, many thanks.ks. there will be full coverage _ right now. chris mason, many thanks. there will be full coverage of - right now. chris mason, many thanks. there will be full coverage of the - there will be full coverage of the state 0pening there will be full coverage of the state opening of parliament on bbc one. join me at10.30 state opening of parliament on bbc one. join me at 10.30 tomorrow 0ne. join me at 10.30 tomorrow morning. now to the war in ukraine, and over to clive myrie, who is in the ukraianian capital, kyiv, tonight. thanks, huw, good evening from a city and a country, where all eyes were on moscow today — and the much anticipated speech from vladimir putin in red square. the russian leader addressed the huge victory day military parade, saying russian troops fighting here in ukraine, were "defending the motherland". he said the invasion of this country was necessary and had been provoked by the west. but he didn�*t make any major announcement related to the war or suggest when or ho

chris mason reporting _ expensive. chris, thank you. chris mason reporting from _ expensive. expensive. chris, thank you. chris mason reporting from a very wet i mason reporting from a very wet westminster. a man has beenjailed for at least 24 years after murdering his partner's three—year—old son, and inflicting more than 20 rib fractures over weeks of beatings. the court heard that nathanial pope caused injuries to kermarni watson caused injuries to kemarni watson darby, comparable to a car crash. kermarni watson derby's mother also received 11 years imprisonment for causing or allowing his death. some viewers may find the details in this report by navtej johal distressing. this was kemarni watson darby, a three—year—old boy who was described in court as lively, boisterous and happy. injune 2018, he died while in the care of the people who should have been protecting him. his mother, alicia watson, and her partner, nathaniel pope. his ribs had been crushed and he died from severe abdominal injuries, which the court heard were comparable to a car crash orfall from height. doc

chris mason explains. you'll they| chris mason explains.ely publication of the sue gray _ tomorrow with the likely publication of the sue gray report. _ tomorrow with the likely publication of the sue gray report. after - tomorrow with the likely publication of the sue gray report. after that, l of the sue gray report. after that, potentially as soon as thursday, an intervention or response to what we've seen today from the energy regulator. so the prime minister has been speaking to the senior economists with a range of views exploring the options as far as the government intervention is concerned. he'll meet rishi sunak pretty soon in the next couple days, and potentially as soon as thursday, politically convenient after all the headlines tomorrow, or certainly in the coming days, an announcement about what they might do. what could they do? there could be a bump up for benefits, a lump sum payment for families, and then there's discussions to be had about whether a broader range of households offered some support. in the medium term as t

chris mason our _ to stop chris, many thanks.stop chris, many thanks. chris mason our political editor - to stop chris, many thanks. chris mason our political editor and a home affairs correspondent daniel sandford. nazanin zaghari—ratcliffe, the british—iranian woman who was released in march after being held in iran for six years on spying charges, has told the bbc that a british government official had stood by while the iranians forced her to sign a false confession as she prepared to fly home. she said she signed the statement �*under duress' after being told the iranian authorities wouldn't allow her to leave unless she did so. our diplomatic correspondent caroline hawley reports. relief all round, as nazanin zaghari—ratcliffe and fellow hostage anoosheh ashoori arrive back in the uk in the early hours of a march morning. to secure their release, the uk had finally settled a long—standing military debt. but nazanin has now revealed there was another condition for her release. i was made to sign the false confession — at the

chris mason, our olitical soon as thursday. chris mason, our political editor _ soon as thursday.al editor at _ soon as thursday. chris mason, our political editor at westminster, - political editor at westminster, many thanks. the annual energy bill for a typical household in england, wales and scotland is likely to rise by £800 in october according to the energy watchdog 0fgem. 0fgem expects the energy price cap to increase to around £2,800 in october — that corresponds to the maximum unit price of energy in a household using an average amount of energy. the cap currently stands atjust under £2,000. again, that's tied to the unit price so a household using a higher number of units than the average will see a higher annual energy bill than the cap. the bosses of 0fgem told mps today that around 12 million households were facing fuel poverty, spending more than 10% of disposable income on energy. our business editor simonjack reports. beth from bristol and herfamily are like millions of others, seeing their bills spinning out of control and she is clear about the biggest problem o

chris mason in _ for it. chris, thank you. chris mason in westminster. - for it. chris, thank you.sandford at new scotland yard. nazanin zaghari—ratcliffe, who was released in march after being held in iran for six years on spying charges, has told the bbc that a uk government official stood by while iran forced her to sign a last—minute false confession at the airport. she said she signed the statement "under duress," after being told the iranian authorities wouldn't allow her to leave unless she did so. 0ur diplomatic correspondent caroline hawley reports. relief all round, as nazanin zaghari—ratcliffe and fellow hostage anousheh ansari arrive back in the uk in the early hours of a march morning. to secure their release, the uk had finally settled a long—standing military debt. but nazanin has now revealed there was another condition for her release. i was made to sign a false confession — at the airport, in the presence of the british government — whereas... could we just pause on that? so before you left iran... before i left iran, at the airport... you had to... had to sign it

so there was one about chris mason based onjesus christ superstar. so here isjeff serenading you, chris, in the style of andrew lloyd webber. # chris mason newscaster # do you think you're what they say you are? # chris mason, editor. # do you think you're what they say you are? five stars. brilliant. well done, jeff. oh, that's a work of musical genius, that is. i'm blushing, jeff. i'm blushing. that is blooming marvellous. thank you. and jeff also did one for katya, which is called the jellicle katya, which is the only way you can make me like cats. did he do one for you? no. that's fine. because i think i'd be like the narrator character. you could be ma—adam butterfly. i mean, it's a bit operatic. that's very highbrow. it is quite highbrow. i don't even know what that is. too much for you? yes. exactly. at least it's not les miserables, which would be what you'd talk about if it was a musical about energy prices, which is what we're going to discuss on this episode of newscast. newscast from the bbc. hello. it's adam in the studio. hello, it's ale

chris mason, bbc news, in watford.ing households was highlighted this week when the head of 0fgem, the energy regulator, predicted that 12 million homes — that's nearly half of all uk households — could be in fuel poverty by the autumn. that's when over 10% of household income has to be spent on fuel bills. our business editor simonjack looks at the latest data. mimi, can we do some maths please? single mum zoe from the wirral is one of the 8 million people on low incomes who will qualify as a benefit recipient for two lump sum payments totalling £650 this year. that's in addition to the £400 everyone will see knocked off their bills. a boost to her of over £1000. i think it's a fantastic step forward. my worry is that obviously if we're going to get it in three separate payments, that when we come towards the winter, it's kind of going to be a doorstop for now but i am over the moon that the government is finally making us feel like we're being listened to and actually feel like we're being taken care of for a change.

chris mason, many thanks.ce as early as tomorrow new support for households hit by rising energy prices. the package of measures is thought to amount to at least £10 billion. our business editor simonjack is here. what do we know. it is worth reflecting — what do we know. it is worth reflecting how _ what do we know. it is worth reflecting how steep - what do we know. it is worth reflecting how steep and - what do we know. it is worth | reflecting how steep and how crushing these energy bill rises have been. if you look at the history of the price cap since it was instituted, pretty stable for a while. in april, up to nearly £2000 and then we heard, in october nearly £3000. so it has more than doubled in a year. earlier this year the chancellor announced support worth about £9 billion, just over £9 billion. it came from a £150 council tax rebate and £200 of most people bills, but repayable over the next five years. so a bigger package, coming over £10 billion. things will be targeted, the warm home discount an

chris mason, thanks for— it is not enough. chris mason, thanks forjoining _ it is not enough.100 people who've been trapped for two months beneath the rubble of a steelworks in eastern ukraine have finally been brought to safety after they were rescued on sunday. the evacuees have spent weeks — without seeing daylight — living in tunnels beneath the steelworks in the besieged city of mariupol. but the ceasefire that allowed them to escape was brief. fierce fighting has begun in mariupol again. and the red cross says there are still an unknown number of people trapped there. our correspondent, laura bicker, watched as the first evacuees finally made it to safety in zaporizhzhia this afternoon. theirjourney from hell is over. two months of horror ends in exhaustion and relief. katarina spent weeks hidden in the depths of the azovstal steel plant as russian bombs pounded the site. she tried to tell her children everything would be ok, even when she didn't believe it herself. translation: how we were living, to be honest, it was horrible. - from morning until night we were bombard

chris mason, resembles a convincing answer. chris mason. thank — resembles a convincing answer.ed for two months beneath the rubble of a steelworks in eastern ukraine have finally been brought to safety after they were rescued on sunday. the evacuees have spent weeks without seeing daylight, living in tunnels beneath the steelworks in the besieged city of mariupol. but the ceasefire that allowed them to escape was brief. fierce fighting has begun in mariupol again. and the red cross says there are still an unknown number of people trapped there. 0ur correspondent, laura bicker, watched as the first evacuees finally made it to safety in zaporizhzhia this afternoon. their journey from theirjourney from hell is over. katarina spent weeks in the depths of the azovstal steel plant as a russian bombs pounded at the site. she tat tried to tell her children everything would be ok even when she didn't believe it herself. translation: didn't believe it herself. tuna/mom- didn't believe it herself. translation: ., ., , translation: how we were living was horrible. translation: how we were

our political editor chris mason reports.he country is in lockdown, and this is what was happening in downing street. look at these pictures, obtained by itv news. the prime minister raising a glass, holding forth, bottles littering a table as a senior colleague is given a send—off. and the rules at the time — no person may leave or be outside of the place where they are living without reasonable excuse. we now know there were two gatherings in number 10 that night. borisjohnson was asked about one of them in the commons six months ago. will the prime minister tell the house whether there was a party in downing street on the 13th of november? prime minister. mr speaker, no, but i'm sure that whatever happened, - the guidance was followed i and the rules were followed at all times. we now know at least one person at the drinks do was fined, but the prime minister was not. this is clearly not a work meeting, this is clearly a gathering, a social gathering, that was clearly against the rules at the time. now, borisjohnson knows

chris mason has more. >> if you've ever wondered ho far to make a guitar, this is the place to find out guitars made the instruments for ed sherwin, among others. they plan to sell plenty welcome to other the -- over the irish sea as well as worldwide. the boss here says the protocol has had -- made business harder. >> some of our valued partner, in england have said, this protocol, this administration is too much work. we have seen sales impacted there. we want to make things as smooth as possible for our partnerbut it is daunting to have to fill out import documentation for something you never had to think about before. >> when the u.k. left the european union, it was agreed that goods arriving in northern ireland from engine grand, planned and and weals would be monotold. that's because northern ireland shares a lands border with the republic of ireland, which is in the e.u. but an open border on the island of ireland is seen as an essential parent of the pales process. but the democratic union ex-party here in northern ireland says it won't go into devolved government until the prot

our political editor, chris mason, is in watford. vernment out of the political challenges it faces? i think even the most mildly sceptical soul might have wondered if there was a bit of cheap politicking going on with the government coming along with this big announcement from the state just a day after all those awkward headlines about partying within government during the covid restrictions. what can we say about that? we can say that yes, there were some tactics going on but this was a big intervention and one the government was keen to do anyway. mr sunak pointed out to me, insisting that categorically this had not been rushed in orderfor it that categorically this had not been rushed in order for it to that categorically this had not been rushed in orderfor it to happen that categorically this had not been rushed in order for it to happen to shift the headlines on. and whether it was politicking or not, it is an expensive intervention, a big intervention, a big increase in tax and a very big increase in spending. some conservati

the brilliant chris mason, who i think lakes _ brilliant chris mason, who i think takes over— brilliantitor tomorrow, says if you get on your high _ tomorrow, says if you get on your high horse — tomorrow, says if you get on your high horse he better be careful because — high horse he better be careful because it turns into a bucking broncho — because it turns into a bucking broncho. the danger for keir starmer, _ broncho. the danger for keir starmer, he seemed quite sanctimonious, constantly calling for boris — sanctimonious, constantly calling for borisjohnson's sanctimonious, constantly calling for boris johnson's resignation sanctimonious, constantly calling for borisjohnson's resignation if he were — for borisjohnson's resignation if he were fine. but if keir starmer himself— he were fine. but if keir starmer himself is— he were fine. but if keir starmer himself is no find, he will have no place _ himself is no find, he will have no place to— himself is no find, he will have no place to hide. the moral high ground will be _ place to hide. the moral high ground will be ripped from u

chris mason, bbc news, at westminster. let's take a look at some other stories in the headlines...ptionally bad, with no let up in russian shelling. the cities of severodonetsk and lysychansk are under intense bombardment as russian forces try to encircle them. people up to the age of fifty can now enlist in the russian army. the law, passed by the parliament in moscow, is linked to efforts to recruit more troops as russian casualties in ukraine continue to mount. under current legislation, russians can enlist only up to the age of forty, and foreigners up to age thirty. pfizer has announced it will no longer make a profit from selling its patented medicines to the world's poorest countries, after being criticized for making a profit from its coronavirus vaccines. pfizer�*s chief executive, albert bourla, said forty— five countries would benefit, covering a total of more than a billion people. rwanda will be one of the first countries involved and its president said pfizer's scheme was an important step towards sustainable health in developing countries. the supermodel kate moss ha

chris mason, bbc news.lmingly endorsed the only candidate vetted to be the territory s new chief executive. the former security secretary, john lee, received all but eight votes out of more than 1,400 cast. lee succeeds carrie lam who oversaw the implementation of a controversial national security law that led to massive protests against the territory's government in 2019. let's go live to hong kong where we can speak to the bbc�*s danny vincent. tell us more aboutjohn lee. john lee has a background in the police force. he quietly rose to a position of protest movement and overseeing the crackdown and implementation of the national security law which are seen widely at least by activists as essentially at least by activists as essentially a weapon against people that choose to speak out against beijing and against the authorities here and we see that a staunch supporter of a person backed by beijing has been selected to the city for the next five years. many people, especially activists and demonstrators, w

chris mason, bbc news, at westminster. you're watching newsday on the bbc.... with china's growing influence. coping with china's growing influence. leaders of australia, india and japan meet for a summit. in the biggest international sporting spectacle ever seen, up to 30 million people have taken part in sponsored athletics events to aid famine relief in africa. the first of what the makers of star wars hope will be thousands of queues started forming at 7am. taunting which led to scuffles, scuffles to fighting, fighting to full—scale riot, as the liverpool fans broke out of their area and into the juventus enclosure. the belgian police had lost control. the whole world will mourn the j tragic death of mr nehru today. he was the father of. the indian people from the day of independence. the oprah winfrey show comes to an end after 25 years and more than four and a half thousand episodes. the chat show has made her one of the richest people on the planet. geri halliwell, otherwise known as ginger spice, has announced she's left the spice girls. argh, i don'

chris mason, bbc news, at westminster. let's get some of the day's other news.g its patented medicines to the world's poorest countries. pfizer was previously criticized for making a profit from its coronavirus vaccines. pfizer's chief executive, albert bourla, said 45 countries would benefit, covering a total of more than a billion people. rwanda will be one of the first countries involved. its president, paul kagame, said pfizer's scheme is an important step towards sustainable health in developing countries. senegal�*s president says 11 newborn babies have died in a fire at the neonatal section of a regional hospital in the town of tivaouane, around 120 km east of the capital dakar. president sall, who posted the news on twitter, didn't give any further details about the fire. the governor of luhansk province in ukraine has described the situation in the eastern donbas region as exceptionally bad, with no let up in russian shelling. the cities of severodonetsk and lysychansk are under intense bombardment as russian forces try to encircle them. people up to th

chris mason, bbc news, at westminster.est demanding new elections. he urged supporters to join his long march to the capital despite all approach roads being blocked and thousands of police being deployed to prevent demonstrators reaching the city centre. he was ousted as prime minister in april in a no—confidence vote in parliament. mr khan claims his ousting was a plot orchestrated by the united states, but hasn't provided any evidence to back up his claim. the bbc�*s saher baloch reports from islamabad. islamabad this evening looks like a battleground. the capital is tense as protesters continue to arrive. former prime minister imran khan has asked his supporters and party workers to gather near the parliament. holding pakistan's flag in his hands, khan is also on his way towards the capital, where he will demand the dissolution of the parliament and call for early elections. protesters have fought all day to reach the city. there were early—morning classes in lahore, where tear gas was fired in an attempt to scatter th

chris mason, bbc news, at westminster.t demanding new elections. imran khan has urged supporters tojoin his long march to the capital, despite all approach roads being blocked and thousands of police being deployed to prevent the demonstrators reaching the city centre. he was ousted as prime minister in april after a no—confidence vote in parliament. saher baloch reports now. islamabad this evening looks like a battleground. the capital is tense as protesters continue to arrive. former prime minister imran khan has asked his supporters and party workers to gather near the parliament. holding pakistan's flag in his hands, khan is also on his way towards the capital, where he will demand the dissolution of the parliament and call for early elections. protesters have fought all day to reach the city. there were early—morning classes in lahore, where tear gas was fired in an attempt to scatter the protesters — but they remained undeterred. tear gas was again fired this afternoon to disperse the protesters approaching islamabad

our political editor, chris mason, has this report.ine photos. and here it is. at party after party, when of course parties were banned, we read about wine and cheese, beer and pizza. on pages 15 and 16, an event with a karaoke machine, excessive alcohol consumption, one person being sick. a minor altercation, a fight between two people. people leaving in the middle of the night. and on page 13, a reference to that do where people were encouraged to bring their own booze. the day after a senior official says, "we seem to have got away with it." sue gray concludes there were events that should not have been allowed to happen. she puts blame on senior leadership at the centre, who must bear responsibility for this culture. since her earlier report injanuary, she accepts progress is being made in addressing the issues raised, but that we, the public, have the right to expect the highest standards of behaviour, and what happened fell well short of this. she makes one final observation, that it is her firm belief that these events did not r

chris mason, bbc news at westminster.ifies what she revealed in her interim findings published in january. there are, for example, the photos. crucially, there are also some gaps in her report. ms gray decided it was inappropriate to investigate any further after the police investigation was launched injanuary. here's our home editor, mark easton, on what we know, and what we've learnt about the culture behind that famous black door on downing street. the door of number 10 downing street, a black and white statement of the dignity, authority and integrity of those who occupy this most famous address, the staircase adorned with former pictures of the great public figures who have resided here. but now another set of pictures have emerged from behind the black door, illustrating the culture of rule breaking, drinking, rowdiness and rudeness in the building that represents the united kingdom too many around the world. nine published images taken by an official government photographer are just a fraction of the hundreds of pi

here's our political editor, chris mason. it's long been suspected. today, further confirmation.eaking was happening, involving loads of people, for months on end, right at the heart of the government led by boris johnson. the police offered few words, but they did have a big number — more than 100 fines. and they're not finished yet. the prime minister's been in staffordshire — happy to pose for pictures, less keen to talk about covid partying. look, as soon as i have any more to say on this subject, i will make sure that you, sam, are amongst the very first to know. but what we're doing here in stoke is making sure that we focus on the thing that i think matters most to the people of this country right now, and that is getting us through the post—covid after—shock. this is a list of the potential post—covid political after—shocks, the events in and around downing street now under investigation. a christmas do on the 18th of december 2020 is thought to have led to a big chunk of this latest batch of fines. there was a downing street christmas party on friday night. do you recogn

chris mason, bbc news, in watford. need of more heavy weaponry to defeat a major russian attack in the east of the country. the foreign minister said the situation in donbass is worse than people understood — others have said that moscow has thrown all its resources into the assault. two key cities — severodonetsk and lysychansk have come under bombardment and there's heavy fighting for control of roads connecting ukranian territory. 0ur ukraine correspondent james waterhouse reports from kyiv. ukraine's government are warning that they are seeing a maximum intensity of fighting in the eastern donbas region. from the russian side we are seeing very slow, very deliberate and very familiar tactics when they are trying to encircle increasing number of locations. checked tanya ask, strategically significant, a single bridge allowing people to escape and supplies to come in. that's been targeted today by the russians as they continue to use their artillery and the area. there is ukraine's second largest city park eve which

chris mason, bbc news. as chris was saying, plenty of questions still unanswered., our home affairs correspondent. why was the prime minister fined for the birthday party and not for some other events?— birthday party and not for some other events? detectives in this investigation were _ other events? detectives in this investigation were dealing - other events? detectives in this investigation were dealing with | other events? detectives in this l investigation were dealing with an ever shifting matrix of constantly changing coronavirus rules and they haven't really wanted to discuss how they have been interpreting them, but i think there are some clues in who has been fined and for which events. if you take the birthday cake party before cabinet, for example, everyone seems to have been fined for that, it was a nonwork related event and the prime minister, the prime minister's wife and the chancellor of the exchequer all got fines, but these social gatherings at the end of the working day, the police i think i've accepted there was a work element to those, so for

our political editor, chris mason, has the latest.ars in county down make instruments for ed sheeran, among plenty of others. they import some of the things they to make them from the rest of the uk, and sell plenty back over the irish sea. the boss says the deal the prime minister did to deliver brexit has made business harder. we have had some of our most valued partners in england say, "look, these guitars, this administration, it's just too much work." so we have seen sales impacted there. but it is daunting, to have to fill out import documentation for something you never even had to think about before. and this is why businesses are having to adapt. when the uk left the european union, it was agreed that goods arriving in northern ireland from scotland, england and wales would be monitored to make sure they met eu standards. that's because northern ireland shares a land border with the republic of ireland, which is in the eu, and brussels doesn't want unchecked products ending up in what it calls its single market. but an open b

our political editor chris mason there.om food alone, but the uk could be about to change things as it introduces a bill to parliament that would allow the commercial growing of gene edited crops. our science correspondent pallab ghosh went to see the scientists growing tomatoes modified to boost levels of vitamin d. these tomatoes could have great health benefits. they've been developed in a lab to be rich in the sunshine vitamin, d, which ordinary tomatoes don't have. it's vital for the development of strong bones and muscles, and one in six people in the uk don't get enough of it. with humans, half—an—hour in the sunshine every day is enough to make enough vitamin d3 for you, but a lot of people don't have that time outside. the tomatoes have been produced using an advanced scientific technique known as genetic editing. it usually involves snipping out a small portion of the plant's dna. the older technique of genetic modification involves putting genetic material in, sometimes genes from a completely different species.

the bbc�*s political editor chris mason has been speaking to rishi sunak about the shift in policy towardsx. we have announced £15 billion in support to help with the cost—of—living, with a third of all households, vulnerable, receiving around £1200 of help. there is also support for everyone. let's talk about the windfall tax. the prime minister has said, i don't like them. the business secretary says he has never been a supporter. i put it to you that you are ideological opposed to this idea. no, i have always been pragmatic about it, that is what i've said. i think it is entirely fair that we look at the extraordinary profits these companies are making at the moment, and when prices return to historically more normal levels, the energy profits levy will be removed. i notice you don't want to call it a windfall tax. it is a very specific levy we have designed which contains a very generous investment. come on, it is a windfall tax, isn't it? people can call it what they want. you won't call it a windfall tax? they are extraordinary profits, and they will be taxed. millions of families ri

chris mason reporting there. monkeypox is a viral illness which is normally found only in africa. spreading among a number of countries in north america and europe, with more than a hundred cases reported so far. our medical editor fergus walsh explains how monkeypox has spread. more than a dozen countries in europe, north america and australia have reported cases of monkeypox, the biggest outbreak ever seen outside africa. but it is not another covid. experts stress the overall risk to the public is low. so, what is monkeypox? it's a virus found in animals, including monkeys and rats, in several african countries which occasionally infects people. the first outbreak in humans was over 50 years ago. it usually causes a mild illness, though it can occasionally be fatal. we've seen a few cases in europe over the last five years, just in travellers, but this is the first time we're seeing cases across many countries at the same time in people who have not travelled to the endemic regions in africa. what are the symptoms of monkeypox? symptoms can take up to 21 days to appear after in

chris mason, bbc news. more job vacancies in the uk than there are unemployed people for the first time since records began. figures from the office for national statistics showed that the unemployment rate has fallen to its lowest for almost half a century. despite the strong employment figures, the 0ns said that people's wages have seen their biggest fall in real terms since 2013, as the cost of living crisis continues to be felt. 0ur economics editor faisal islam has more details. back to work, back to the shops and back to the office. and all that appears to be sending the big economic numbers in different directions. first, the good news, the rate of unemployment has fallen tojust 3.7%. notjust far lower than expectations as the pandemic hit, in fact the lowest level of unemployment we've seen in nearly half a century. that reflects the fact that the economy has now made up all the losses from the pandemic and all the support put in during that period. and what about businesses offering jobs, vacancies

chris mason, thanks very much.lfast between the northern ireland secretary brandon lewis and the stormont assembly's five main parties to try to break the current political deadlock. last week's elections saw sinn fein winning the most seats for the first time in northern ireland's history. it means the nationalist party is entitled to the role of first minister — but that depends on the second largest party, the democratic unionists — or dup — nominating a deputy. and the dup is refusing to do so unless the government removes all trade barriers with the rest of the uk that have arisen out of brexit. 0ur ireland correspondent chris page has more. michelle 0'neill has the keys to the first minister's office but she can't unlock the door unless her political rivals become her partners. applause the sinn fein vice president is in line to be the first irish nationalist to take the job. it would be a hugely symbolic moment for the party which wants northern ireland to leave the uk. it's time for us all, as political lea

had access to all the information they needed — including photographs. 0ur political editor there chris masonll to come — the viral disease monkeypox continues to spread in north america and europe. health officials say the outbreak does not require mass vaccinations. in the biggest international sporting spectacle ever seen, up to 30 million people have taken part in sponsored athletic events to aid famine relief in africa. the first of what the makers of star wars hope will be thousands of queues started forming at 7am. taunting which led to scuffles, scuffles to fighting, fighting to full—scale riot as the liverpool fans broke out of their area and into the juventus enclosure. the belgian police had lost control. the whole world will. mourn the tragic death of mr nehru today. he was the father of the indian people from the day— of independence. the oprah winfrey show comes to an end after 25 years and more than 4,500 episodes. the chat show has made her one of the richest people on the planet. geri halliwell, otherwise known as ginger spice, has announced she's left the spice girls. argh!

our political correspondent chris mason reports.er having a beer. his deputy, angela rayner, was also there in an mp�*s office in durham a year ago and a takeaway curry was ordered. the latest revelation in the mail on sunday is a memo circulated within the labour party which shows the curry was planned rather than spontaneous. it's for durham police to decide if this matters. what we do know is the force had already decided there was enough new evidence to look again at what happened, having cleared sir keir of wrongdoing in february. but the real reason all this matters is not what happened a year ago, but what sir keir starmer has said since. he has repeatedly expressed his outrage, shared by millions, about the covid lawbreaking within government, including from borisjohnson. and he's repeatedly called for the prime minister to resign. but his critics now say if you climb aboard a moral high horse, it will turn into a bucking bronco if it turns out that you have also broken the rules. after the prime minister was fined, sir keir

chris mason, bbc news, at westminster. i'm afraid we have...having some technical difficulties there with microphones and cameras and we will try again. i was talking and apparently could not hear me and nick certainly could not, so ijust want to test now whether you can hear me speaking. a good nod, right, apologies all around and we seem to have sorted those technical gremlins. we saw there and chris mason's report the opposition mps talking about actually the recently not enough here to try and tackle the cost—of—living. i not enough here to try and tackle the cost-of-living._ the cost-of-living. i think the big olitical the cost-of-living. i think the big political debate we _ the cost-of-living. i think the big political debate we are _ the cost-of-living. i think the big political debate we are going - the cost-of-living. i think the big political debate we are going to l the cost-of-living. i think the big i political debate we are going to see about the queen's speech is what was not in it and the government is making its pitch today th

chris mason, bbc news, westminster.lle: fore we go, there has been an outpouring of grief in the u.s. after the killings in uvalde. beyond america, there have also been tributes. [chanting] this was the scene at one vigil in northern india to remember the victims in texas. students at a secondary school created signs and lit candles in order of those killed in the attack. i am a michelle fleury. narrator: funding for this presentation of this program is provided by... narrator: financial services firm, raymond james. man: bdo. accountants and advisors. narrator: funding was also provided by, the freeman foundation. by judy and peter blum kovler foundation; pursuing solutions for america's neglected needs. and by contributions to this pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. ♪ ♪ narrator: you're watching pbs. judy: good evening. i'm judy woodruff. on the "newshour" tonight, an attack on children. uvalde, texas, mourns the students and teachers killed in a horrific shooting at an elementary school as new details eerg

standards are part of the story. sis chris mason explains.ause keir— keir starmer has said sense. that's because keir starmer _ keir starmer has said sense. that's because keir starmer has _ keir starmer has said sense. that's because keir starmer has repeatedly called for borisjohnson to go because of the downing street parties. for example on a tweet on the 31st of january he parties. for example on a tweet on the 31st ofjanuary he said... now mr starmer and his colleagues are under investigation. labour denies this match the starmer wanted johnston to go. there are other questions for labour to go. there are other questions for labour to. the full story. the mail on sunday has got the schedule which is quite clearly 19 minutes set aside for beer and curries. normally this wouldn't matter. this is hardly the offence of the century. but wouldn't matter. this is hardly the offence of the century.— offence of the century. but these are not normal— offence of the century. but these are not normal political- offence of the century. but these are

here's our political editor chris mason. it's long been suspected., involving loads of people, for months on end, right at the heart of the government led by boris johnson. the police offered few words, but they did have a big number — more than 100 fines. and they're not finished yet. the prime minister's been in staffordshire — happy to pose for pictures, less keen to talk about covid partying. look, as soon as i have any more to say on this subject, i will make sure that you, sam, are amongst the very first to know. but what we're doing here in stoke is making sure that we focus on the thing that i think matters most to the people of this country right now, and that is getting us through the post—covid after—shock. this is a list of the potential post—covid political after—shocks — the events in and around downing street now under investigation. a christmas do on 18 december, 2020 is thought to have led to a big chunk of this latest batch of fines. there was a downing street christmas party on friday night. do you recognise those reports? i went h

our political editor chris mason has the story. the questions had dogged him all weekend.d it would reopen an investigation into this — sir kier starmer having a beer and a curry. his deputy, angela rayner, was there too, as were party workers last april. the labour leader has always said he didn't break the covid rules in place. but today, he placed his political career in the hands of the police. if the police decide to issue me with a fixed penalty notice, i would, of course, do the right thing and step down. what a roll of the dice. it's intention is clear, to draw a big contrast with borisjohnson. we've seen 50 fines in downing street, we've seen a prime minister who won't step down, we are not all the same. i am different, and i've sent out today how i am different. it was a day's campaigning here in durham last year, and what he's decided to say since, that has left the labour leader in an almighty mess. his team insist they didn't break any covid rules because they were working, but kier starmer was very quick to demand borisjohnson stood down when police decided t

here's our political editor chris mason.hat partygate was first exposed, and since january officers here have been investigating it — investigating the prime minister and the government he runs, and whether they abided by the very laws they made. and now their inquiries are finished. i think it was very important to carry out the investigation. it was extremely important to do that in a really painstaking and thorough way. we've carried out an impartial investigation. i think the results show that there was an issue there to be investigated. we now know a team of 12 detectives worked on this inquiry, looking at 12 gatherings, 316 documents and more than 500 photographs. it cost nearly £500,000, and ministers sound relieved it's done. the police have decided that it's all over, they've handed out those fines that they want to hand out, the prime minister has apologised for the birthday cake incident. i'm sure he and, frankly, the rest of the country now want to move on to those really big issues, the war in ukraine, the cost

our political editor chris mason has the latest.s for ed sheeran, among plenty of others. they import some of the things they to make them from the rest of the uk, and sell plenty back over the irish sea. the boss says the deal the prime minister did to deliver brexit has made business harder. we have had some of our most valued partners in england say, "look, these guitars, this administration, it's just too much work." so we have seen sales impacted there. but it is daunting, to have to fill out import documentation for something you never even had to think about before. and this is why businesses are having to adapt. when the uk left the european union, it was agreed that goods arriving in northern ireland from scotland, england and wales would be monitored to make sure they met eu standards. that's because northern ireland shares a land border with the republic of ireland, which is in the eu, and brussels doesn't want unchecked products ending up in what it calls its single market. but an open border on the island of ireland is

here's our political editor, chris mason.ur, and because of the brexit deal the prime minister signed, plenty of stuff arriving here from the rest of the uk has to be checked, too. the cabinet talked about changing it this morning, and so did the foreign secretary in the commons this afternoon. i am announcing our intention to introduce legislation in the coming weeks to make changes in the protocol. 0ur preference remains a negotiated solution with the eu. and in parallel with the legislation being introduced, we remain open to further talks. so, what is the protocol? it's an arrangement to deal with the fact that northern ireland is in the uk and the republic of ireland is in the european union. some things passing from england, scotland and wales into northern ireland are now getting checked when they cross the irish sea, placing what is in effect a border within the uk because as part of the peace process, there's an open border between northern ireland and the republic, meaning the checks can't happen there. and that, to

so there was one about chris mason based onjesus christ superstar.