we have professorjason leitch talking this morning. onto that better yet, but he previously said deleting whatsapp messages was something of a pre—bed ritual. no doubt that will come up again, and the bigger question of why civil servants and politicians were deleting everything. we servants and politicians were deleting everything.- servants and politicians were deleting everything. we are looking at the live stream _ deleting everything. we are looking at the live stream we _ deleting everything. we are looking at the live stream we are _ deleting everything. we are looking at the live stream we are showing, | at the live stream we are showing, and we can see more messages that are being shared as part of the evidence in this inquiry. over the months we have talked, we talked about different stages of the covid inquiry, looking at different issues. bring us up—to—date and remind us where we are out when we come to those different stages? figs remind us where we are out when we come to those different stages? $5 i come to those differe

_ an instruction to professorjason leitch, if— an instruction to professorjason leitch, if you wantednted to carry out such conversations where he was discussing — such conversations where he was discussing important matters related to the _ discussing important matters related to the pandemic with you, you wanted to the pandemic with you, you wanted to be clear— to the pandemic with you, you wanted to be clear with him that that was a matter— to be clear with him that that was a matter not— to be clear with him that that was a matter not appropriate for these media, — matter not appropriate for these media, it — matter not appropriate for these media, it should be done more formally. — media, it should be done more formally, in person and discussions were _ formally, in person and discussions were your— formally, in person and discussions were your practice.— were your practice. absolutely. i made it clear _ were your practice. absolutely. i made it clear to _ were your practice. absolutely. i made it clear to him _ were your practice. absolutely. i made it clear to him that - were y

one of scotland's most senior clinicians, professorjason leitch, is clinicians, professor jason leitchtopic of deleting messages is being discussed. a former post office investigator is facing questions about the horizon computer scandal, at the long—running inquiry. and survivors of the 2017 grenfell tower fire share the impact of the disaster on their lives as part of grenfell testimony week. one of scotland's most senior clinicians, professorjason leitch, is appearing before the uk covid inquiry, where the issue of saving informal messages is being discussed. last week, a message he wrote was shown to the inquiry, in which he said deleting whatsapp messages was a bed—time ritual during the pandemic. this comes after the testimony of professor sir gregor smith, scotland's chief medical officer on monday, who admitted asking his colleagues to delete whatsapp messages at the end of every day during the pandemic.

this is professorjason leitch giving you guidance and advice on your first day in the newjob, is thatlly —— she actually wants none of us. is this an indication of the fact the first minister really took decisions with regard to the pandemic has held for at least would have preferred it that way? at least would have preferred it that wa ? ., ~' at least would have preferred it that wa ? ., ,, ., ., , at least would have preferred it that wa ? ., ,. ., that way? no, i think that was, as jason said — that way? no, i think that was, as jason said when _ that way? no, i think that was, as jason said when he _ that way? no, i think that was, as jason said when he gave _ that way? no, i think that was, as jason said when he gave evidence | that way? no, i think that was, as l jason said when he gave evidence to this very— jason said when he gave evidence to this very inquiry, and sample him perhaps— this very inquiry, and sample him perhaps over speaking. i don't doubt that there _ perhaps over speaking. i don't doubt that there were times when the former— that there were times when the for

when you are trying to get to grips with some of the complex information and thoughts with professorjason leitchking expressed within them can be quite complex. are you certain that you conveyed the information to your private office verbally, perhaps in the early stages of the pandemic, was conveyed such that all the salient points related to the discussion made their way to the corporate record?— corporate record? again where decisions were _ corporate record? again where decisions were made, - corporate record? again where l decisions were made, absolutely certain— decisions were made, absolutely certain of— decisions were made, absolutely certain of that. and if there was any misunderstanding from my private office they _ any misunderstanding from my private office they would usually seek clarification. jason and i were having — clarification. jason and i were having a _ clarification. jason and i were having a conversation because i was asking _ having a conversation because i was asking his— having a conversation because i was asking his advice on case numbers, trajectory— asking his advic

discussing their— professorjason leitch discussing their attitude towards important moments in give to you — decisions and advice are required to give to you in cabinet. it appears from _ give to you in cabinet. it appears from that— give to you in cabinet. it appears from that and indeed the other messages which have now come to li-ht messages which have now come to light that _ messages which have now come to light that informal messaging in particular whatsapp was a frequent particular whatsapp was a frequent part of— particular whatsapp was a frequent part of the way in which the scottish— part of the way in which the scottish government conducted its business _ scottish government conducted its business in covid. where you were unaware _ business in covid. where you were unaware of— business in covid. where you were unaware of the fact that that was the case — unaware of the fact that that was the case as first minister during the case as first minister during the course — the case as first minister during the course of the pandemic? those exchanres the course of the pande

in order to avoid having to wear a face mask by the country's national clinical director, professorjason leitch021. professor leitch has denied offering the then health secretary mr yousaf a way around the rules. our scotland editor james cook reports. thank you very much forjoining us, professor leitch. _ jason leitch is no stranger to the limelight. for much of the pandemic, he was the public face of the scottish government's response. i swear by almighty god... but the inquiry is now hearing about his private discussions, including this exchange on a government group chat in which he wrote, "whatsapp deletion is a pre—bed ritual." i tried to do today's work today and if i could assure myself that that work had been managed and dealt with, then i deleted the informal messaging that had led to that moment. but this was a flippant exaggeration in an informal messaging group, and it wasn't done every day before i went to bed. some of the tone of some of the messages that i've seen suggest a rather enthusiastic adoption of the policy of deleting messages. would that be fair? it certainly wasn't m

over messages he exchanged during the pandemic with scotland s national clinical director, professorjason leitchyousaf — who was then health secretary — that he could avoid having to wear a face mask at social events if he kept "a drink in his hands." 0ur scotland correspondent lorna gordon has more. humza yousaf was justice secretary, then health secretary during the pandemic. he's handed his informal messages from that time to the inquiry here. and from one of them that's already been submitted and heard about, we heard an exchange between mr yusuf and jason leitch, in which the then health secretary asked for advice about wearing a mask at a social occasion, and in which jason leitch advised him that if he had a drink in his hand, he would be ok. you're live with bbc news. israel has denied accusations that it hit a united nations facility in southern gaza on wednesday, killing at least nine people and wounded more than 70. we will hopefully speak to our correspondent soon. it's been more than a century since treasures were looted by british soldiers from ghana — many of them hold huge cultur

over messages he exchanged during the pandemic with scotland s national clinical director, professorjason leitchretary that he could avoid having to wear a face mask at social events if he kept a drink in his hands. ukraine's president has called for an international investigation into the shooting down of a plane just inside russia, which moscow says was carrying 65 ukrainian prisoners of war. russia has blamed ukraine for what happened. volodymyr zelensky has accused moscow of playing with the lives of ukrainians. the head of the army has repeated his warning that the uk needs to start preparing for a potential war with russia. general sir patrick sanders said britain should start training a citizen army which could be used to bolster regular troop numbers in the event of a conflict. the us supreme court has rejected calls to halt the execution of a death row prisoner in alabama. kenneth smith is due to become the first person in the us to be executed using nitrogen gas — a method the united nations has called cruel and inhuman. it will be the state s second attempt to execute smith, who was c

scotland's national clinical director, professorjason leitch, will appear before the uk covid—i9 inquiryd about deleting informal government whatsapp messages, which he has previously described as a "bedtime ritual". 0pposition politicians have accused the scottish government of secrecy over the way they handled the pandemic. the government has suffered its first defeat in the house of lords over its plan to send some asylum seekers to rwanda. peers backed an advisory motion calling on ministers to delay a treaty with the country, until they can demonstrate that it is safe. the government says it won't be deterred by people trying to frustrate its policies for political reasons. a simple blood test could detect alzheimer's up to 15 years before symptoms emerge. swedish trials found the test to be as accurate as painful lumbar punctures, and better than a range of other tests currently being worked on. experts say it could revolutionise early diagnosis of the disease. up to 39,000 homes in the north of england, scotland and northern ireland have spent a second night without power because