emma simpson. _ really starting to loom. emma simpson, thank _ really starting to loom.hank you, in central london. ovo energy, the uk gas and electricity provider, has told staff it plans to cut a quarter of its workforce. the firm is expected to axe 1,700 employees from a total 6,200 workers. it's understood the cuts will be made through voluntary redundancy. the bbc has learned that next has cut sick pay for unvaccinated staff who must self—isolate because of covid exposure. unvaccinated staff will still get full sick pay if they test positive for the virus. the retailer's move follows a similar one by ikea. novak djokovic has been drawn to play in the first round of the australian open, despite continuing uncertainty over his visa status. he's due to face the fellow serbian player, miomir kecmanovic. but the world men's number one could still be deported. our australia correspondent shaimaa khalil has the latest. the world number one is back on the court, preparing for a tournament he might not get to compete in. but the draw for the 2022 australian open was made and

emma simpson, bbc news, st albans.hs have just been published. to go through the detail, with me now is our health correspondent katharine da costa. what have we learned? for the first time, the majority _ what have we learned? for the first time, the majority of _ what have we learned? for the first time, the majority of covid - what have we learned? for the first time, the majority of covid patients| time, the majority of covid patients in hospital in england are therefore something else rather than the virus. of the something else rather than the virus. of the 13,000 covid patients on tuesday, 32% were being treated for other conditions so it's another sign of how the 0micron variant is leading to a milder illness. but people being treated primarily for other conditions could include stroke and cancer patients might is held can still be compromised by the virus and they still need to be isolated away from other patients which creates difficulties for hospitals. which creates difficulties for hospitals-— which create

emma simpson, bbc news, colchester. least a9 out of 150 councils in england are introducing emergency measures to ration the care they provide to older and disabled people. increased pressures caused by 0micron means demand is huge. here's our social affairs editor, alison holt. this council—run team is at full stretch, trying to get patients home from hospital in central norfolk. any falls reported? today, they have more than 2a0 people who are well enough to be discharged, but need support in the community to be safe. so many care homes are now closed because of covid. the virus, and shortages of care staff, mean there simply aren't enough care home places or home care services available for all those needing help. it means that the demand on our service is greater than it ever has been, but the numbers of resources that we can get — you know, care homes or providers — is less than it ever has been. the pressures that the team in there are facing trying to get the right support for people are pressures that are being

emma simpson, bbc news, coventry. are more than 4 million adults who haven't taken up the offer of a first dose. 0ur health correspondentjim reed has been out with nhs teams who are trying to get vaccines to people who've been harder to reach. it's more than a year since the first covid vaccines, and in portsmouth barry is finally getting his first dose. i was on the streets, bit of an issue for me, i was on the streets since 2015. i done my research and asked a lot of people who've had the jabs, and they said because you've got copd, you're high risk. how do you feel now, after having that done, barry? pretty — i've achieved something, and i mean, they're not finished yet. no, and it's a good day. so this is your card. there is a steady stream coming through this clinic, held at a project for those at risks of homelessness. there's 20% of people in portsmouth that haven't had the first vaccine, so to get somebody here today, who has that complex needs, had his first vaccine, isjust amazing. it's just one of the reaso

emma simpson, bbc news, st albans.en on care homes — with very few visitors allowed inside. but from next monday — covid guidance in england will finally be eased, with no limits on the number of visitors, self—isolation periods will be cut and there will be changes on how to manage covid outbreaks in a care home. here's our social affairs editor alison holt. from monday we have unlimited visiting. fist from monday we have unlimited visitinu. ,, ., , ., , ., visiting. at quarry house care home in bristol they _ visiting. at quarry house care home in bristol they are _ visiting. at quarry house care home in bristol they are going _ visiting. at quarry house care home in bristol they are going through - in bristol they are going through details of two day's announcement to make sure they are ready for monday. unlimited visiting is a welcome change but it means having extra tests and ppe in place.— change but it means having extra tests and ppe in place. should make a lot of people _ tests and ppe in place. should make a l

emma simpson, bbc news, st albans.e andrew has asked for a jury trial in the civil case being brought by virginia giuffre. she is suing him over claims she was sexually assaulted by him 21 years ago when she was a teenager — allegations he strenuously denies. the court papers also show the prince has denied he was a close friend of the convicted sex trafficker ghislaine maxwell. our royal correspondent nicholas witchell reports. it is basically a blanket denial of everything, most importantly and specifically of virginia giuffre's accusation of sexual abuse. but the document from andrew's lawyers questions virtually everything. this widely seen photograph, for example. andrew says he doesn't have enough information to say whether or not it's genuine. that's an echo of what he said in his newsnight interview. she provided a photo of the two of you together. yes, yes. your arm was around her waist. yes. you've seen the photo. i've seen the photograph. how do you explain that? i can't. because i don't...| have no...again,

emma simpson, bbc news, st albans.he age of 86. during a long career he worked with a number of star names and was known to millions for his role on radio 4's "i'm sorry i haven't a clue". his close friend gyles brandreth paid tribute saying wherever barry went he brought laughter with him and the bbc�*s director general tim davie described him as an incredible comedian and writer...if you heard or saw a great sketch there was always a good chance barry was behind it. sarah campbell looks back at his life. # i know a fat old policeman # he's always on our street # a fat and jolly red—faced man...# radio 4's i'm sorry i haven't a clue, and barry cryer sings the words of the laughing policeman to the tune of as time goes by. # he's never known to frown # and everybody says # he's the happiest man in town...# barry cryer seemed a happy fellow too, and a lucky one. i spent my time mainly with people i liked and admired, laughing about something. he'd started young, playing shakespeare's falstaff at school in leeds. down in

emma simpson is in north london for us, what's behind this and could this be a sign of things to comeare grappling with rising costs, and staff absences and this is all part of this. now ikea employed 10,000 people across the uk and right now, if any of them get covid, jabbed or unjabbed, they will get full sick pay. the difference is, if they are unvaccinated and are forced to self—isolate, coming into close contact with someone who has tested positive they are likely to end up with the minimum statutory sick pay of £96 a week unless there are mitigating circumstances, that is a financial penalty. wessex water is a financial penalty. wessex water is doing something similar starting this week where absence rates have double and that follows on from morrisons which cut its sick pay terms last year. it is worth pointing out some big firms in america have gone further, unvaccinated workers there having to pay monthly fees or some losing theirjobs all together, so what we are starting to see here, are some changes, ikea saying it is emotive and it could become a wider friend —— trend. tha

our business correspondent emma simpson has been to one ikea store and explains what's behind the mover unjabbed, they will get full sick pay. the difference is, if they are unvaccinated and are forced to self—isolate, coming into close contact with someone who has tested positive they are likely to end up with the minimum statutory sick pay of £96 a week unless there are mitigating circumstances, that is a financial penalty. wessex water is doing something similar starting this week where absence rates have double and that follows on from morrisons which cut its sick pay terms last year. it is worth pointing out some big firms in america have gone further, unvaccinated workers there having to pay monthly fees or some losing theirjobs all together, so what we are starting to see here, are some changes, ikea saying it is emotive and it could become a wider friend , trend. the latest official coronavirus figures show over 142,000 new infections in the latest 24—hour period. on average there were over 171,600 new cases per day in the last week. the latest figures show over 18,600 people i

emma simpson, bbc news, st albans.entative for the union of allied workers. thank you for joining us. do you support this change? joining us. do you support this chance? ., . ., , ., change? not particularly. ithink it is ill-conceived _ change? not particularly. ithink it is ill-conceived and _ change? not particularly. ithink it is ill-conceived and i _ change? not particularly. ithink it is ill-conceived and i think - is ill—conceived and i think unfortunately it's likely to cause problems for members working in retail further down problems for members working in retailfurther down the problems for members working in retail further down the line. as it stands presently the cases are still running high, nearly100,000 daily cases and we have 69,000 people currently in hospital with covid—19 related issues and we are still recording over 300 guests very and thatis recording over 300 guests very and that is quite worrying and for the sake of wearing masks in crowded public spaces i think the decision to remove them was

emma simpson, bbc news, coventry.hnson�*s resignation have been blackmailed by government whips. labour called for an inquiry after senior tory mp william wragg made the claims. let�*s get more from chris mason, our political correspondent. remind us what those claims were. conservative mp, william wragg, used a committee meeting yesterday morning to settle allegations that he said he had heard from conservative colleagues, backbenchers, who felt they had been subject to blackmail and intimidation from party whips, the mps whose business it is to ensure that government business gets through the house of commons, in other words that conservative mps vote as borisjohnson wants them to do. it has opened up a big question about what is legitimate behaviour as far as the whips are concerned, because yes, it does involve persuasion, but at what point is persuasion, but at what point is persuasion regarded as inappropriate? we have heard it since then from the formative conservative mp, now labour mp for bury south in greate

emma simpson, bbc news, coventry.rail passengers are used to hearing, multiple times. but the department for transport wants to silence so—called tannoy spam, to make england's train journeys more peaceful. will batchelor reports. train announcements. "this train is for- london, waterloo." some people love them. the more information that's given, the better. if you don't want to hear them, put your earphones in, because that's what we all do. it helps us to know more about the time. i mean, things to do. we're strangers, and we need to know what's going on. better to be safe than sorry at the end of the day. - i actually appreciate it when they announce saying, "don't forget your bag", because i have left things on trains before. "this train terminates at st alban's city." i some are less keen. if they just stuck to the stuff that's important, we'd listen to it. all we get now is, people just give up. "see it, say it, sort it" — it's something that i see, hear, quite often on the trains. yeah, that's something. but i

our business correspondent emma simpson is here.- lots of food in. that is right but going back a few months it - lots of food in. that is right but i going back a few months it wasn't going back a few months it wasn�*t that long ago there were fears about empty shelves. although supply chain problems, labourshortages, empty shelves. although supply chain problems, labour shortages, which were real, despite all of this, overall christmas has been a pretty decent one for retailers. and as for marks & spencer, after years of falling sales and business in the doldrums, it is how a very good christmas. i think food has done particularly well, up by more than 12% from before the pandemic. it was saying it had its best ever week on food just before christmas. tesco�*s uk sales were up more than 7% on a two—year basis so as you said the supermarkets have benefited from as eating, drinking, entertaining at home, because the pubs and restaurants were deserted because of the spread of the omicron variant. and staying with the high street, nex