natalie pirks at _ final since 1966, sophie. what a | night! natalie pirks at wembley, thank you.away most of england's coronavirus restrictions in 12 days' time — describing his approach as balanced and reasonable. amid predicitons that cases could reach 100,000 a day by the summer, the labour leader, sir keir starmer said the government's strategy to open up the economy will lead to chaos and confusion with huge numbers of people having to self—isolate. but borisjohnson said the vaccination programme makes lifting the rules possible. here's our deputy political editor vicki young. when cases go up, countries have locked down. not this time. ministers are taking the opposite approach in england, confident vaccines will protect more of us from the worst of this third wave. will hospitals cope with rising covid cases, prime minister? more infections mean more people with long covid and the risk of new variants. the labour leader says we're heading for a summer of chaos and confusion. let's be clear why the number of cases will surge so quickly, because he is taking all protections

natalie pirks i forward to. thank you. natalie pirks in tokyo.later in the programme. to the rest of the day's news now. an inquiry report has strongly criticised the london borough of lambeth for allowing the decades—long abuse of more than 700 children in five children's homes. the report has been released in the last few minutes. let's speak to our home affairs correspondent tom symonds, who's been following the story. just tell us more about what this report says. just tell us more about what this report says-_ just tell us more about what this reort sa s. . .,, , , report says. the child abuse inquiry has been going _ report says. the child abuse inquiry has been going for— report says. the child abuse inquiry has been going for a _ report says. the child abuse inquiry has been going for a few _ report says. the child abuse inquiry has been going for a few years - report says. the child abuse inquiry has been going for a few years now| has been going for a few years now and this is one of its most scathing reports. it says that children in t

natalie pirks in the olympic stadium for us.ourse, keeping a watchful eye over all the british performances over the next couple of weeks, is the chair of uk sport and five—time olympic medallist, katherine grainger. lovely to have you with a. lovely to be here! what _ lovely to have you with a. lovely to be here! what did _ lovely to have you with a. lovely to be here! what did you _ lovely to have you with a. lovely to be here! what did you make - lovely to have you with a. lovely to be here! what did you make of- lovely to have you with a. lovely to be here! what did you make of thel be here! what did you make of the ceremony? — be here! what did you make of the ceremony? quite _ be here! what did you make of the ceremony? quite weird _ be here! what did you make of the ceremony? quite weird having - be here! what did you make of the ceremony? quite weird having an. ceremony? quite weird having an empty stadium, so few of the british team turning up. what did you think? before it started, we knew it had to be dramatically dif

natalie pirks, bbc news, tokyo.al of the tokyo olympics was won by adam peaty, who successfully defended his title in the 100 metres breaststroke. peaty has not been beaten in the 100—metres breaststroke in major competitions for more than seven years. this report from our sports editor dan roan contains some flashing images. commentator: look at that. no wonder there was a swagger. such is his domination of this sport, the sense was that all adam peaty had to do to defend his title here in tokyo was turn up. defeat was unthinkable. he's just so superior, adam peaty... but he still had to deliver when it mattered most. so he's got to hit the start here, adam peaty in the centre in the red hat. unbeaten in the 100—metre breaststroke for seven years, peaty began as the firmest of favourites, and, after a good start, it never really seemed in doubt. well, this is very good, this is where he needs to be at the 50. it's a lovely first 50 metres, one tenth of a second outside his own world record. by the turn, his lead wa

natalie pirks, bbc news. that�*s it. good night. and some thunderstorms on offer, as well. so, certainly a mixed picture. most of the showers we had earlier on on thursday are easing away — so for the rest of tonight, we�*re looking at a lot of dry weather out there. cloudier in the north and the west in general, a bit of patchy rain for eastern scotland for a time overnight, too. but temperatures holding up between about 12—14 celsius, a touch lower than this in more rural spots first thing friday. some sunshine from the word go across central and eastern england, but eastern england in eastern scotland will see some heavy showers and thunderstorms bubbling up during the afternoon. they�*ll be slow—moving — if you do catch one, there could be some hail and a bit of surface—water flooding, as well. further west, things are looking dryer through the course of the day. but into saturday, more heavy downpours, particularly in the south and the east, a little bit drier towards the likes of northern ireland during the day. and top temper

natalie pirks, bbc news, tokyo.e programme, awe�*ll have more from tokyo we'll have more from tokyo where our sports editor has been looking at other competitions and at how japan is viewing these games. extreme caution is being advised for people considering swimming in lochs and rivers after several deaths in scotland in the last 48 hours. they include a nine—year—old boy and two adults who drowned at loch lomond. another child is in hospital. police scotland are warning that open water swimming can be extremely dangerous, with the risk of deep water and hidden currents. alexandra mackenzie reports. an idyllic location. loch lomond was busy as usual today with many enjoying the scorching weather. but yesterday evening it is believed two adults and two young children got into difficulty in the water near ardlui. a nine—year old boy, a man and a woman died at the scene. police said a seven—year—old boy was taken to hospital. this followed the death of a teenage boy also at loch lomond on friday. those who run this s

natalie pirks, bbc news, tokyo.other medal to his olympic haul, after winning silver in the 200 metre individual medley. he could become the first british olympian to win four medals at a single games when he races again this weekend. but it has been a very different story for britain's rowers — their worst performance since 1996 and the first time team rowers have not won a gold at the olympics since 1980. with more here's our sports editor dan roan. steve is just going to break down. he's breaking down here... for decades, it was team gb�*s banker — britain the leading rowing nation at the last three games, but not any more. victoria thornley in for great britain in five. the latest to miss out on a medal, vicky thornley in the singles sculls. the sixth time a british boat has finished fourth here, as the team sank to 14th in a rowing medal table. the british now have got to hold off germany! it is great britain... the men's managed bronze, but it completed the squad's worst olympics for more than a0 years. there'

natalie pirks.r england supporters — who still haven't seen their team concede a single goal in the tournament. 0ur correspondent phil bodmer has been getting reaction from the fans. chanting. a carnival atmosphere among england fans at penistone church football club near barnsley. if there were any nerves, they soon disappeared afterjust three minutes, as harry kane opened the scoring. cheering this is the club where england defenderjohn stones started his football career. if you ask any kid around here, he'll say, here today, they'll say, if you ask them isjohn stones an inspiration? i think they will go yeah, he's an inspiration to us all. when you see the guys and the support, it's going to be really tense, yeah. hopefully the lads will be i confident and will get us the result. # it's coming home, it's coming home... for many here and across yorkshire, they are notjust cheering on england, they are supporting local heroes. cheering it is a long way from wortley to rome but at the club in leeds

asher—smith spoke of her upset to our sports correspondent natalie pirks.t me cry. the customary smile replaced with tears. the fastest woman in british history had been hiding a secret. dina asher—smith. just five weeks ago she had been told there was only a 2% chance she would make it to the start line after a torn hamstring. elaine thompson—herah is going to win it. and dina, she'sjust not finishing. she gets out well and couldn't hang on. out of the final and minutes later, the reigning world 200 metres champion confirmed she was out of that too, but would still run the relay. my idea for this olympic cycle was complete dominance and obviously, didn't manage it this time but obviously we have three more years until the next olympics. and i know the kind of shape i'm in, i know the calibre of athlete i am and i know how talented i am, so it's frustrating to not be able to put it out when it matters, but at the end of the day, with the cards i have been given, i did very, very well. in no way does this change anything that's going to happen in the future.

natalie pirks, bbc news, tokyo. in tennis, andy murray's bid for a third olympic gold is over.men's double quater—finals to the croatian duo marin cilic and ivan dodig in three sets. murray said after competing in his fourth games that if this was the end of his olympicjourney, he wanted to thank team gb for giving him some of the best memories of his life. there was disappointment elsewhere at the games in the men's rugby sevens, when britain missed out on bronze after a 17—12 defeat to argentina, finishing in fourth place. the star american gymnast simone biles has now withdrawn from a second event at the olympics. she will miss tomorrow's individual all—around final, in which she's the defending champion, after saying she needs to focus on her mental health. yesterday, she pulled out of the team event. the international olympic committee says it has "huge respect and support" for her decision, as our sports correspondent laura scott reports. commentator: the smile says it all. she loves to perform. simone biles rewrote the record books in rio. she's been the face of a genera

natalie pirks, bbc news, tokyo. that's it. now on bbc one, time for the news where you are.last 72 hours, a teenager has been killed good evening. it's been another day of hot sunshine for most parts of the uk, and in northern ireland, it looks like we have broken a record once again. 31.3 degrees at castlederg in county tyrone, provisionally the highest temperatures on record in northern ireland. the previous record was only sent last saturday. so, still a met office amber extreme heat warning in force here. also one for southern wales, parts of the midlands, down into the south west of england. and part of the reason for that heat warning is that temperatures really aren't falling far overnight. 11pm bringing temperatures still up into the 20s for some. as we head through the night, those temperatures won't fall an awful lot further. we will see some low cloud rolling in across northern and eastern scotland, parts of north east england. that'll retreat to the coasts through the day tomorrow. a few thunderstorms popping up, but for most, it's dry with hot sunshine. and in n

natalie pirks, bbc news, tokyo. the tennis singles competition because of injury. our sports editor dan roan is also in tokyo, where he's been assessing how japan sees these delayed, and pandemic—affected games, and watching some of the new additions to the olympics. it's images like these that organisers hope will attract younger audiences to the games. that was incredible. and on its olympic debut, skateboarding has already provided one of the stories of tokyo 2020. the tokyo local! amazing. at a scorching skate park, hometown favourite yuto horigome making history by winning the sport's first gold medal in the men's street competition, just a few miles from where the 22—year—old world champion grew up. everyone has, like, helped me, everyone texted me, like, you've got it, go for it. i'm just so happy to bring the gold to my hometown. meanwhile, how is this for an overachieving family? on a fantastic day for the hosts, japan's uta abe winning gold in the judo before older brother hifumi did exactly the same just

natalie pirks, bbc news, tokyo.ered in the women's 800 metres have qualified for the final — for the first time ever. 19—year—old keely hodgkinson timed her run well to finish second in her heat. she'lljoin alex bell and jemma reekie in the final on tuesday. on her olympic debut, emma wilson has won bronze in the women's windsurfing. the 22—year—old's mother, penny way, is a former world champion, who narrowly missed out on a medal in the 1992 and 1996 olympics. and four—time olympic champion simone biles has withdrawn from two more gymnastics events — sunday's vault and uneven bars finals. she withdrew from tuesday's women's team final as well as thursday's individual all—around final, saying she had to focus on her mental health. as we've been saying, it was an historic win for team gb in the pool. great britain claimed a fourth swimming gold at an olympics for the first time in 113 years. the quartet of kathleen dawson, adam peaty, james guy and anna hopkin won the inaugural ax100m mixed medley relay in a world—r

natalie pirks, bbc news, tokyo.rmer team—mate of charlotte dujardin and member of the british dressage team who won gold at the london olympics in 2012. hello there, laura. you were part of this team along with charlotte in 2012. you won gold then. charlotte has now broken this record. how do you think she will be feeling today? probably, yeah, ecstatic and drained and excited and a million emotions probably flooding through her. i think the ending of her test shows it all. i do not think she was about breaking records today, she was about having the best ride that she could have, and she sure did that on a course that, through covid and brexit and everything, has not had a chance to have these parents you would like a horse to have going into a games, yet she did a phenomenaljob. there's more to come from those two for sure, but what they achieved today was incredible regardless of the medal records, and i think when you work with another animal, the end of your test, the emotion, before you even know how you have

natalie pirks, bbc news, tokyo. elsewhere at the games, there were some major upsets.st successful us gymnast of all time, pulled out of the women's team final, saying that she had to focus on her mental health. she said athletes had to protect their minds and their bodies, and notjust go out and do what the world wanted them to do. as for the remaining competitions, she said her approach would be "one day at a time". with more on that and news of some other big names, here's our sports correspondent, andy swiss. commentator: all attentions turn to simone biles. - she's become synonymous with sporting perfection. simone biles starting off for usa in the women's team final, but her customary precision wasn't there. a big stumble, a low score, and it seemed something wasn't right. soon after, she left the arena with her coach, only to return a few minutes later, and after speaking with her team—mates, it was announced she was withdrawing from the rest of the final for what was described as "a medical issue." biles stayed on to offer her support, but without her, the usa

our sports corrrespondent, natalie pirks, reports from rome. it's coming home. they may be small in numbers — it's coming home. they may be small in numbers but _ it's coming home. they may be small in numbers but they _ it's coming home. they may be small in numbers but they are _ it's coming home. they may be small in numbers but they are big - it's coming home. they may be small in numbers but they are big on - in numbers but they are big on confidence.— confidence. football is coming home. come on. the fa released 2300 tickets back to uefa for - come on. the fa released 2300 tickets back to uefa for anyone l come on. the fa released 2300 i tickets back to uefa for anyone not based in england to buy, and police increased patrols for any fans trying to sneak in without the mandatory five day quarantine. it meant those lucky enough to call this view home got an unexpected chance to snap up ticket, teacher mar class been in rome for 23 years. it must be devastating but we will do our best to scream and support the team. fans flock to what they know when the foot

natalie pirks, bbc news, tokyo. yet another medal to his 0lympic haul after winning silver in the 200 metre individual medley. he could become the first british 0lympian to win four medals at a single games when he races again this weekend. but it has been a very different story for britain's rowers — their worst performance since 1996 and the first time team gb rowers have not won a gold at the olympics since 1980. with more, here's our sports editor dan roan. steve is just going to break down. he's breaking down here... for decades, it was team gb's banker — britain the leading rowing nation at the last three games, but not any more. victoria thornley in for great britain in five. the latest to miss out on a medal, vicky thornley in the singles sculls. the sixth time a british boat has finished fourth here, as the team sank to 14th in the rowing medal table. the british now have got to hold off germany! it is great britain... the men's managed bronze, but it completed the squad's worst 0lympics for more than a0 ye

thank you, natalie pirks in tokyo. our top story this lunchtime.les, as more than 600 thousand people are pinged in a week in england and wales. and coming up... the mercury music prize nominations are out — we'll bring you the details. coming up, we arejust a day coming up, we are just a day away from the opening ceremony of the olympic games and the men's football is under way with mexico thrashing france in theirfirst is under way with mexico thrashing france in their first match in their group. despite being the world's largest manufacturer of covid vaccines, india's own vaccine roll—out remains slow — with only one third of the adult population having received one dose. but in one remote district in the far eastern state of arunachal pradesh, more than 80% of adults have had a jab. 0ur correspondent rajini vaidyanathan travelled to the area to find out how they've managed it. these are the lengths some health workers are going to to deliver vaccines across india. in this far—flung corner of the country, they are making arduous journeys, to rea

natalie pirks has more from tokyo.ntion. she is the silver medallist from london. but the dutch really are a force in that race. jones is bidding to become the first tae kwon do player in history to win a third olympic title. she was the london gold medallist and anything less than a gold she says will be a fail. a win will make her the first british woman to win gold at three separate games. plenty more up for grabs, but we will be our first look at a women's artistic gymnastics. that means our folks look at some own vials. she is the most decorated gymnast of all times and she has her own emojis on twitter 's —— simone biles. she has a new skill on hold, but if you landed here, it'll be named after her. that will be the fifth move name after her. that's how much of a legend she is. it's also worth waking up around 7am to watch out because of germany. they won't be in tiny leotards, they are in full length bodysuits and they say it's because they are taking a stand against the sexualisation in gymnast six. that has be

natalie pirks, bbc news, tokyo.e city, are bewildered by the decision of unesco, the un's cultural body, to strip liverpool of its status as a world heritage site. liverpool was awarded the title in 2004, recognising its rich heritage as a major trading centre and port, and its architectural landmarks. but the world heritage committee says that developments on the city's waterfront have resulted in �*irreversible loss'. live to liverpool and our correspondent colin paterson. yes, unesco has been voicing concerns about liverpool for more than a decade. the problem? they said that new building plans could cause real structural, or more likely, the look wouldn't be as good for historical areas. now, what has happened is they have said enough is enough. they have come off the list, and the historical heritage list no longer contains liverpool. this afternoon, liverpool city council has fought back. they have launched a new campaign, a photo of the water side beneath the three words, labels don't matter. liverpool, a cit

it was disappointment for britain's dina asher smith, as injury brought an end to her bid, as natalie pirkspetitor in me... this is for the start, we'll let it go. we'll let the start go and let me cry! the customary smile replaced with tears. the fastest woman in british history had been hiding a secret. dina asher—smith! just five weeks ago, she'd been told there was only a 2% chance she would make it to the start line, after a torn hamstring. elaine thompson—herah is going to win it. it's going to be del ponte take second place! and dina, she'sjust not finishing. she gets out well and couldn't hang on. out the final and minutes later, the reigning world 200 metres champion confirmed she was out of that too, but would still run the relay. my idea for this olympic cycle was complete dominance and obviously, ha! didn't manage it this time but obviously, we have three more years till the next olympics and i know the kind of shape i'm in, i know the calibre of athlete i am and i know how talented i am, so it's frustrating to not be able to put it out when it matters, but, at the end of the da

natalie pirks, bbc news, tokyo.lation in tokyo over coronavirus fears. they were confined to their rooms for two hours after several came into contact with the us pole vaulter sam kendricks, a two—time world champion who's tested positive and is now out of the games. so at the end of day six of the games, team gb remains sixth in the medals table, with five golds and 18 medals in total. the time is coming up to 20 past six. 0urtop the time is coming up to 20 past six. our top story this evening... scientists say climate change is already having an impact in the uk with the prospect of more flooding and higher temperatures. coming up... double gold medallist tom dean tells us his 0lympic achievements have yet to sink in. coming up in sportsday on the bbc news channel... good news in the gymnastics, with team gb'sjessica gadirova recording the best ever result by a british woman in an olympic all—around final, finishing in tenth. thousands of women are made homeless every year across the uk. for many of them it's beca

natalie pirks, bbc news.gland goalkeeper david james says the england squad should be feeling confident. what james says the england squad should be feeling confident.— be feeling confident. what i like about gareth _ be feeling confident. what i like about gareth and _ be feeling confident. what i like about gareth and this _ be feeling confident. what i like about gareth and this england l be feeling confident. what i like - about gareth and this england squad is they seem so prepared and even with the big changes they made against germany, it was the right changes, the right result, the right performance, so i do not think there will be one of these key market speeches before the game, i think it will be more about carry on as we plan, do what you know you're going to do. i'm sure there will be changes, i have looked the team line—ups looking up to this game and i imagine there will be changes, because ukraine are a different proposition to germany. but i think everyone is together, that is what i love abo

our sports correspondent natalie pirks rounds up all the action from the italian capital.ad is telling me to calm down but my heart is getting carried away and long may that continue. what's that feeling, england fans? optimism orjust pure, unbridled joy? either way it feels good to be in the semis of the euros for the first time since �*96. it's fabulous. i suppose it's still sinking in a bit. we're in another semifinal. it's three in three years. but uppermost in my mind again, we obviously want to go the steps further. we're looking confident out there. hopefully, we can continue that. the job ain't done yet. we've got a lot more football to play. like i said, we're on the right track. this was england's first match away from the comfort blanket of wembley. # happy and glorious.# the heat at times made it feel like the blanket was still on but it didn't stop england from getting off to a blistering start. sterling through to kane now. and harry kane has found the net. well, that didn't take long. look what it meant to the captain. his second in as many games. the englan

cyrille tchatchet ending that report by natalie pirks.the weather, here's susan powell. it's been another sweltering day and the met office has issued an extreme heat weather warning. this is the first time the met office has issued this type of warming at amber level. it replicates the other warnings we've received for rain, snow and strong wind and in this case it indicates elevated temperatures by day and night and the risk of some disruption along with knock—on effects to health. 0ut there at the moment some showers across the far south—east of england. these are the temperatures by the end of the night for england and wales. still in the 20s. fresherfor for england and wales. still in the 20s. fresher for scotland and northern ireland in the mid teens. this high pressure is to thank for the settled weather story. tomorrow it means more sunshine. by tomorrow afternoon some showers again set to break out. temperatures close to 30 degrees to the south. these showers where of a closer look for tomorrow evening. across eastern england

natalie pirks, bbc news. let's go to anna holligan in rome. is the atmosphere building? rome. is the atmosphere building? yes, this is the historic— atmosphere building? yes, this is the historic part _ atmosphere building? yes, this is the historic part of _ atmosphere building? yes, this is the historic part of rome - atmosphere building? yes, this is the historic part of rome and - the historic part of rome and england are hoping to make history here today and hopes and expectations are still soaring after the triumph over germany. but a few things will be slightly different tonight. first of all, england playing away from home and as you will notice around me, distinct absence of england fans, so there are a few here who have managed to travel who are based inside the eu. everyone going to the stadium will have to show proof of residence, prove they have tested negative for covid or had a full vaccination. we are expecting the czechs at the stadium to be very strict but we have heard from gareth southgate and he thinks this could work in england's favour because noth

our sports correspondent natalie pirks has more from tokyo.s road race was described as a war of attrition long, hot and hilly with an early crash. just like in rio, history repeated itself. thomas was determined to leave it on its road, but he was starting to flag. mount fuji beckoned it's all its brutish —— brutal beauty, but thomas was out in likely his last olympics. adam yates was the highest place britain, but richard carol has claimed ecuador�*s second goal —— richard carapaz. more big names today beginning their quest. peaty is as close to a medal as you can get. he's unbeaten in seven years of the 100 metre breaststroke. helen glover has won back—to—back gold and the women's pairs, but since rio, had three children. her partner is an nhs doctor and on the day of glover's sons�*s birthday, the pair came third. double olympic champion max whitlock was in action, through to the final. it’s max whitlock was in action, through to the final. �* , , ., ., to the final. it's been a long time waitin: , to the final. it's been a long time waiti

natalie pirks, bbc news, tokyo.defended his 100 metres breaststroke title. our sports editor dan roan reports. it contains some flashing images. commentator: look at that. no wonder there was a swagger. such is his domination of this sport, the sense was that all adam peaty had to do to defend his title here in tokyo was turn up. defeat was unthinkable. he's just so superior, adam peaty... but he still had to deliver when it mattered most. so he's got to hit the start here, adam peaty in the centre in the red hat. unbeaten in the 100—metre breaststroke for seven years, peaty began as the firmest of favourites, and, after a good start, it never really seemed in doubt. well, this is very good, this is where he needs to be at the 50. it's a lovely first 50 metres, one tenth of a second outside his own world record. by the turn, his lead was established, the only question, whether he'd break his own world record. that proved beyond him, but peaty was in a class of his own. adam peaty is going to win a second gold medal

natalie pirks, bbc news. but there was disappointemnt elsewhere at the games.shing just off the podium in fourth place. and in tennis, andy murray's bid for a third olympic gold is over — he and joe salisbury lost in the men's double quarter—finals to croatian duo martin cilic and ivan dodig in three sets. murray said — after competing in his fourth olympic games — if this was the end of his olympic journey he wanted to thank team gb for giving him some of the best memories of his life. meanwhile, a terrible day for the norwegian men's lightweight double sculls — who capsized with only 500 metres to go in their semi—final. the pair — who were bronze medalists at the 2016 rio olympic games — were in second place when they tipped over — and had to be rescued by the lifeguard. but they did get back in their boat and finish. the american gymnast simone biles has pulled out of a second event at the tokyo olympics. she will now miss tomorrow's individual all—around final, in which she's the defending champion, after saying she needs to focus on her mental health. yes

but as natalie pirks reports, team gb didn't have everything their own way. record books. he is the reigning champion at 68 kilos, he was desperate to become the first olympic titleholder of british descent. but the opponent from his pakistan wasn't here to play. the match swung back and forth, but sending was leading with just seconds of the match remaining. the trunk cake meant he had to go for it, and had his last spin failed to connect, he knew the game and gold was up. mi; connect, he knew the game and gold was u, ~y connect, he knew the game and gold wasu. �*, connect, he knew the game and gold wasu. was up. my coach said, it's always the first loser, _ was up. my coach said, it's always the first loser, may _ was up. my coach said, it's always the first loser, may be _ was up. my coach said, it's always the first loser, may be eventuallyl was up. my coach said, it's always| the first loser, may be eventually i will get _ the first loser, may be eventually i will get over it, but for now, it's -ot will get over it, but for now, it's got me — will get ov

been given the green light to resume training, and she's been talking to our sports correspondent natalie pirkse of the ones who was within two rows of somebody who was within two rows of somebody who tested positive on the plane. it was no one from team gb. we had been rigorously tested. 14 days prior to leaving for tokyo. so i think i have just been quite unlucky in that sense. as an athlete, you did know it could happen. just because of the current situation, you just knew it. so i'm just relieved i have not tested positive. so i'm actually in a good position. i'm healthy and to be honest i'm spending a lot of time in my room but i can relax and i can focus on the one thing and the one reason i'm here. so i feel in a good place. fix, reason i'm here. so i feel in a good lace. �* , reason i'm here. so i feel in a good lace, �* , ., reason i'm here. so i feel in a good lace. m ., place. a stroke of bad luck initially but _ place. a stroke of bad luck initially but did _ place. a stroke of bad luck initially but did you - place. a stroke of bad luck initially but did you have . place. a stroke o

natalie pirks with that report.s of england football fans will be getting ready to watch the match tomorrow night in pubs, outdoor fanzones and sitting rooms across the country. the build—up has reached fever pitch with some fans being offered thousands of pounds for their tickets to wembley. sarah campbell reports. # three lions on a shirt...# the choir of canterbury cathedral adding their voices to the chorus of support for england's team. in shops, hairdressers and even at number ten, it's all about the football. i think it's going to be a tight one, but i think we'll do it, i think we've got it in us. it's coming home. just waiting for the big day, i can't wait. - us, three, them, one. at romford market in essex, st george has proved good for business. two for a fiver. face paints for two quid. but when it comes to wembley tickets, there's no haggling to be done. been offered... i've had a guy come up, who wanted to give... he said, "i'll give you eight grand for the four tickets." i said, "mate, no money buys t

coronavirus restrictions, but some who live in italy will be at the game. 0ur sports correspondent natalie pirkse, tourism is getting back in the swing. legend here says one coin in the fountain means you'll return to rome one day, but for a lucky few england fans who live here, their wishes have already been granted. we're lucky and we feel lucky and we can't wait to go tomorrow. we can't wait! friendsjoe and matt have both lived in rome for more than 15 years and have managed to get tickets. one of the fans that follows england, 0k, constantly, they deserve the ticket more than i do or more than matt does, 0k? but there's nothing we can do about it. i feel for them. they can rest assured that our voices will be heard. commentator: and now grealish. .. grealish in! it will be a far cry from these scenes, as more than 40,000 fans spurred england to victory over germany on tuesday. england officially had around 2,000 tickets but strict rules mean there was no time for fans to get into italy and complete the five day quarantine. to discourage travel by any means, uefa has now cancelled any tickets

our sports correspondent natalie pirks is at the equestrian centre in tokyo. natalie...right here last niaht, natalie... yes, right here last night, britain _ natalie... yes, right here last night, britain one _ natalie... yes, right here last night, britain one 18 - natalie... yes, right here last night, britain one 18 bronze i natalie... yes, right here last| night, britain one 18 bronze in natalie... yes, right here last- night, britain one 18 bronze in the dressage. in the next hour, charlotte dujardin will attempt to become the first british woman to win gold at three different olympics, another of any calibre mate written�*s most decorated female olympian in history. she is already the mess accessible dressage rider. she has one major titles. she is the penultimate rider and know exactly what she has to do. the last rider is from germany. carl hester had a stonking ride, currently in the bronze medal position with six riders to go. away from dancing horses, a mixed day for great britain with disappointments but also riches success. andy smith reports and a warning

natalie pirks— the japanese public. natalie, thank you. natalie pirks in _ the japanese public. government scheme has begun which means staff at 15 supermarket depots are now able to take a daily test instead. and other key sectors will be able to join the scheme next week. simon browning reports. empty shelves, gaps in food supply. industry has blamed the problem on the amount of critical food sector workers being pinged and they wanted action. last night, the government intervened. now, supermarket depot workers and food manufacturers will be exempt from self—isolating rules. workers, regardless of vaccination status, will be able to do daily covid testing, instead of isolating. it's expected 10,000 workers will qualify. new daily testing measures are beginning at 15 supermarket depots, followed by 150 more next week. supermarket store staff are not included. industry has broadly welcomed the changes. i think any intervention is welcome. i think we were all feeling in the food industry in particular, that something needed to happen, something needed to change. any change, any

our sports corrrespondent, natalie pirks, reports from rome.

natalie pirks, bbc news.he england fans were lucky enough to be in the study of olympia last night. —— study co olympia. our correspondent anna holligan is in rome. there will surely be a few sore heads for england fans who managed to see the match in person? as they emerged from their beds they may wonder whether it was all a dream because that's goal line surpassed even the greatest of english expectations last night and here we are outside the arc of triumph at the coliseum whether gladiators used to do battle and actually, england so overpowered ukraine that as the fans were coming out of the stadio olimpico, they were telling us they never expected this level of performance and of course gareth southgate, his cautious tactics have been vindicated with this performance and the fact that england are going to the fact that england are going to the semi—finalfor the the fact that england are going to the semi—final for the first time in 25 years. of course inside the stadium, it was england fans from across

natalie pirks, bbc news, tokyo.llion years ago, when much of modern day britain was nothing more than shallow tropical sea. rebecca morelle has more. a race against time to reveal our ancient past. the team from the natural history museum has just three days to excavate this unique site. the cotswold quarry holds a treasure trove of sea creatures that lived during thejurassic period. what's here is so extraordinary, the location is being kept secret. we have another really nice specimen. this is a brittle star. it's likely to be a new species. it's the quality of preservation, it's the number of fossils we are finding but it's also the diversity. it's unprecedented in geological sites of this age across the world. this place must have been teeming with life you see the starfish, you can see the delicate detail on its arms. animals like stars fish and sea urchins, and crinoids, storks and others swim freely, putting stars and sea cucumbers added to this abundance of ancient marine life. this site was discovered by lo

our sports correspondent natalie pirks is inside the olympic stadium.an join her there. talk us throu~h we can join her there. talk us through what's _ we can join her there. talk us through what's happened - we can join her there. talk us through what's happened so l we can join her there. talk us i through what's happened so far. we can join her there. talk us - through what's happened so far. he joined me at the moment during the parade of nations. apologies for the fact i am quite dark but we are not allowed by the authorities to turn any lights on. parade of nations is when all the athletes from all the countries walk through and get their moment to take selfies and wave at the cloud but of course this time around there is no crowd here. great britain have just come out and we just miss them. it was about four minutes ago and they respected social distancing quite well and normally would have been the whole team, 375 british athletes. because of the times we are in, not all the athletes are matching so it is more than 11,000 coming to the games and

our correspondent in tokyo natalie pirks has been watching all the action, and shejoins us now: well, well, and she joins us now: we all enjoyed super saturda well, we all enjoyed super saturday in london, didn't we? but today has been magic monday. first we had a swimming gold medal, and then diving right behind me. and thenjust moments later, britain's first ever olympic gold in the men's mountain bike, about to make your hours south—west of you. first, let's hear all about adam peaty�*s exploits, as he became the first british man to retain an olympic swimming title, as dan roan reports. look at that. no wonder there was a swagger. such is his domination of this sport, the sense was that all adam peaty had to do to defend his title here in tokyo was turn up. defeat was unthinkable. so superior, adam peaty. but he still had to deliver when it mattered most. so he's got to hit the start here, adam peaty, in the centre in the red hat. unbeaten in the 100 metre breaststroke for seven years, peaty began as the firmest of favourites, and after a good start it never really seemed in doubt

natalie pirks, bbc news, tokyo.he most successful us gymnast of all time, pulling out of the women's team final, saying, "i have to focus on my mental health." and the localfavourite in tennis, naomi 0saka, japan's face of the games, was knocked out of the ladies' singles. with more, here's our sports correspondent andy swiss. matt baker: all attentions turn to simone biles. - she's become synonymous with sporting perfection. simone biles starting off for usa in the women's team final, but her customary precision wasn't there. a big stumble, a low score, and it seemed something wasn't right. soon after, she left the arena with her coach, only to return a few minutes later and after speaking with her team—mates, it was announced she was withdrawing from the rest of the final for what was described as "a medical issue." biles stayed on to offer her support but without her, the usa could only manage silver behind the russian olympic committee. and afterwards, she said she needed to focus on her mental health. i'm 0k, j

here's our sports correspondent, natalie pirks. come on, england! it is football's christmas eve.ns are already at wembley, like kids impatient to unwrap their biggest present, but who can blame them? 55 years is a long time to wait. we need it this year, after the time we've had, we need some of this, we need excitement, to be behind our country. southgate hasjust managed to find something that has brought togetherness, and theyjust seem as if they can do it this time. 55 years, not in my lifetime have i seen anything like this. - this was a moment to represent our time. —— our moment. the near misses and the tournaments that haven't gone so well weren't so important for this team. over the last four years, they've knocked down so many barriers, so their resilience and experience as a team have really prepared them well for this moment. this team has taken the public along for the ride. when they left their base in staffordshire yesterday and when they arrived in london, the players were reminded just what this means to the nation. but let's not forget about italy, a team unbeate

studio: many thanks, natalie pirks.football fans to be fully vaccinated to go to matches are being considered by the government. helen catt has the story. football fans have already been part of testing ways to keep big events going when coronavirus is very much still here. the fa cup final at wembley was a pilot event. and this weekend, the government has also turned to football to try to boost uptake of the vaccine among young people, with a message from the england manager. i know oldies like me have had both jabs, so we can crack on with our lives. but for you young ones, especially with the chance for everything to open up. concerns about the number of younger people still unvaccinated are also thought to be a driver behind the idea for vaccine passports for events. the government is in talks with the premier league to use them at matches from october. ministers want to make things equal between all sports, so it�*s likely other crowds would have to do the same. earlier this week, the prime minister announced that

our sports correspondent, natalie pirks is live in tokyo for us. so far when it comes to medals about day six i would say has been a slow burner for team gb. i was at the canoe slalom earlierfor team gb. i was at the canoe slalom earlier for mallory franklin's brilliant run for silver, but for helen glover it wasn't to be. she and polly swann finished fourth in the women's pairs final. afterwards she said her children had been her inspiration and she said her trying and failing is not a problem as long as you try. andy swiss are now reports on a day of ups and downs for team gb. from windsor leisure centre to the olympic final. mallory franklin was just five when a family day out sparked a passion for paddling. now the ultimate test. the canoe slalom is sport's wildest white—knuckle ride, and after weaving her way through the gates franklin powered into the lead. commentator: and that is a fabulous performance. - relieved? just a bit. the 27—year—old was in gold—medal position. with five more still to race, an agonising wait. could any of them beat

our sports corrrespondent, natalie pirks, reports from rome. # it's coming home.# they may be small iny are big on confidence. football is coming home, come on. the fa released 2300 tickets back to uefa for anyone not based in england to buy and police increased patrols for any fans trying to sneak in without the mandatory five day quarantine. it meant those lucky enough to call this view home got an unexpected chance to snap up tickets. teacher maria has been a run for 23 years. ——in rome. it must be really devastating but us expats will do our best to scream and support the team. fans flock to what they know when the football is on. at this irish bar we found barry and charlie who stay in spain. england —based fans losses are there again. i have been at eight world cups with england and seven european championships and this is iour time. brilliant. i follow england everywhere. brilliant opportunity. england's first match with ukraine was 21 years ago and featured two familiar faces. the two men who now manage their country. since then they have played another six times and england ha

it was disappointment for britain's dina asher smith, as injury brought an end to her bid, as natalie pirks. obviously, the competitor in me... this is for the start, we'll let it go. we'll let the start go and let me cry! the customary smile replaced with tears. the fastest woman in british history had been hiding a secret. dina asher—smith! just five weeks ago, she'd been told there was only a 2% chance she would make it to the start line, after a torn hamstring. elaine thompson—herah is going to win it. it's going to be del ponte take second place! and dina, she'sjust not finishing. she gets out well and couldn't hang on. out the final and minutes later, the reigning world 200 metres champion confirmed she was out of that too, but would still run the relay. my idea for this olympic cycle was complete dominance and obviously, ha! didn't manage it this time but obviously, we have three more years till the next olympics and i know the kind of shape i'm in, i know the calibre of athlete i am and i know how talented i am, so it's frustrating to not be able to put it out when it matters, but,

here's our sports correspondent natalie pirks., then the flag. commentator: it was offside, anyway. but spain soon took a tactical hold. the question is — could they make the most of it? his face said it all. this was entertaining stuff — for neutrals at least. spain were matching italy for tempo, but needed to make their possession count. nearly, nearly, nearly. italy were still dangerous on the counter and this was devastating. federico chiesa taking the roof off with this thing of beauty. spain quickly had a chance to make amends. oyarzabal couldn't miss this time, surely? missed it! he would play no further part in the match, but substitute morata was about to prove his worth. spain are level! game on. extra time came and spain were asking all the questions. nail biting, or is that flag biting times forfans? like so often before, the teams could not be separated. hugs, but who'd be the penalty hero? first up was italy. but spain did not fare much better. with all equal after four, morata stepped up for the spaniards. leaving j

our sports correspondent natalie pirks is at wembley for us where italy are taking on spain tonight. se rivalries in world l most intense rivalries in world football. they have played each other ten times in international tournaments alone on the balance of powers has swung back and forward. spain got the better of italy in the euro 2012 final, but it is italy who have really impressed in this tournament and they are on a 32 unbeaten run and it is amazing to think that this side did not even reach the 2018 world cup. roberto mancini has come in and really turned their fortunes around. 63,000 allowed into night and as of this morning, 58,000 tickets had been sold and they have all gone to uk residents because of covid restrictions, as england saw in rome on sunday but they are quite noisy and we are in the italy end and there is a flag that says it is coming home, crossed out with it is coming home, crossed out with it is coming to rome. italy are the favourites with the bookmakers and england and denmark will be watching this one very closely tonight, obviously. 18—year—old emma radac