interest rates have been held at 5.25% for the seventh time in a row by the bank of england, despite the rate of inflation hitting the bank s target level of 2% for the time in three years. of 2% for the first time in three years. economists have predicted that interest rates, which are currently at a 16 year high, won t be cut until august. with more, here s our chief economics correspondent, dharshini david. ok, so it s four bedrooms. first time buyerjames has his eye on his dream home in coventry. but getting the keys to the door has been more challenging than expected as higher mortgage rates have made the first rung of the housing ladder harder to grasp. we definitely had to make some cutbacks as a couple and look at our financial plan to see if we could afford the mortgage. with the rates being high, we ve had to save for effectively another year to come into line with that. it s also understanding, yeah, the term of the mortgage, you know, from looking at it, it s now
and back at last after being delayed by the pandemic we speak to the creator of line of duty about covid challenges and the brand new series. and coming up on bbc news: as rachel blackmore makes history as leading jockey at the cheltenham festival, she is beaten by the horse she didn t choose in the gold cup, minella indo. good evening and welcome to the bbc news at six. the leader of the scottish conservatives at holyrood, ruth davidson, has called for nicola sturgeon to resign as first minister, saying it was clear she misled parliament. a majority of the committee investigating the scottish government s handling of harassment claims against alex salmond is understood to have voted last night that she didn t give them accurate information. a spokesman for nicola sturgeon has accused the committee of peddling baseless smears. the final report is due to be published on tuesday. nicola sturgeon says she stands by every word of her evidence. our scotland editor sarah smith re
just one in six female victims of sexual assault tell the police about it we ll be asking why they re so reluctant. and in rugby union, wales have their sights on a six nations grand slam. coming up on bbc news, four wickets forjofra archer, as england s cricketers chase 186 to seal a t20 series win against india. good evening, and welcome to the bbc news at six. the eu medical regulator has, in the clearest possible terms, backed the oxford astrazeneca vaccine. it follows a week in which several eu countries suspended their roll out of the jab citing fears over a link to blood clots in a small number of people. here, the regulator confirmed it s been investigating five cases of a rare blood clot, but confirmed its longstanding view that the oxford jab was safe. there s been some more detail about why there s been a problem with the supply of vaccines to the uk, but the health secretary said no appointments would be cancelled. tonight, borisjohnson said we remain on track
we ll have the latest on what s turning into a continent wide vaccination supply issue. also tonight. the empty beaches of spain just waiting for tourists but what plans are in place to get us travelling again? 20 years since stuart lubbock was killed at tv star michael barrymore s house essex police have arrested a man on suspicion of murder. you may have popped the question, but when and where will the ceremony be? wedding venues complain of confusion. and coming up on bbc news. tiger roll thrills at cheltenham. the two time grand national winner claims a remarkable fifth festival triumph in the cross country chase. good evening and welcome to the bbc news at six. in the last hour, it s emerged that the vaccine programme across the uk so successful up to now is about to face a challenging few weeks. the nhs has written to local health organisations, telling them to expect a significant reduction in the supply of vaccine doses from the end of the month and lasting
of the side effects. hms elizabeth heads east for its first deployment. britain shifts its foreign policy focus after brexit towards countries like india and japan. an autumn trial for the police officer accused of killing sarah everard. from woodwind to woodwork how thousands of performers have changed roles since theatre curtains came down a year ago today. and coming up on bbc news. history is made at the cheltenham festival, as rachel blackmore becomes the first female jockey to win the champion hurdle. reaction from the opening day coming up. good evening and welcome to the bbc news at six. the duke of edinburgh has left hospital in central london after receiving treatment for an infection and surgery for a pre existing heart condition. prince philip, who s 99, spent a month in hospital and has now returned to windsor to be reunited with the queen. the prince of wales said he was thrilled with the news. our royal correspondent nicholas witchell reports. shielded by a s