it s wednesday, 31st january. our main story. scotland s former first minister, nicola sturgeon is due to give evidence about the decisions she took during the pandemic, when she appears before the covid inquiry today. ms sturgeon, who led the scottish response to the coronavirus outbreak is expected to face questions surrounding lockdowns, and missing whatsapp messages as the inquiry continues sitting in edinburgh. our scotland correspondent lorna gordon reports. 1,044 positive cases were reported yesterday. nicola sturgeon was at the helm throughout scotland s pandemic response. as head of the scottish government, she was the key decision maker and first in the firing line when things went wrong. we will have made mistakes on all aspects of the handling. now about to be questioned on that handling and how decisions the truth, the whole truth. the former first minister s closest political ally amongst those who admitted texts between the pair no longer exist. are those t
support the ban, is that the position at that stage? two days later nicola sturgeon and others made that decision. is there is not an example a decision that ought to have been made in cabinet? i am an example a decision that ought to have been made in cabinet?- an example a decision that ought to have been made in cabinet? i am in a difficult position have been made in cabinet? i am in a difficult position to have been made in cabinet? i am in a difficult position to answer difficult position to answer questions in detail about this particular moment because on the 11th of particular moment because on the 11th of march i was called away from parliament 11th of march i was called away from parliament because my weather s health parliament because my weather s health deteriorated and, unfortunately, she died in the morning unfortunately, she died in the morning the 12th of march so i was not in morning the 12th of march so i was not in close morning the 12th o
been talking to nick. we have worked hard over the last two years to deliver the progress that has now been secured and it will bring real change. also tonight: on a so called hit list and fearing for their lives a group of british sikh activists ask the government for protection. sima has the exclusive story. and we ll talk live to the conservative chair of the foreign affairs select committee about foreign threats to british citiziens, and to the leader of the uk support group for india s ruling party, about the accusations. and i m in kyiv with ukraine s foreign minister has been talking to us about his country s challenges in the fight now against russia. and, thousands of women taking an anti epilepsy drug have given birth to babies with disabilities because they weren t warned about the dangers. tomorrow new restrictions on who can be prescribed sodium valporate come into force. we ll talk to a mum of four grown up children all born with disabilities after she w
within the uk. between northern ireland and england scotland and wales. in the last 30 minutes of the dup leader and a northern ireland secretary have given the new plan the big sale. the secretary have given the new plan the big sale- the big sale. the government is delivered to the big sale. the government is delivered to delivering - the big sale. the government is delivered to delivering this - the big sale. the government is| delivered to delivering this gives for a fee for a brighter future for northern ireland within the united kingdom. it is now time for elected representatives in northern ireland to come together. this is this agreement is something we have come hard to work together to deliver for the people of north island. it s our achievement after two years of hard work and negotiation. safeguarding the union is an 80 peerage valued for those who worried that there s been diluted. making the core premise that there be no checks on goods going to northern irel
from more than 800 serving officials in the us and europe denouncing their governments policy on israel and the war in gaza. in a signed a statement, they warn that their own governments policies on the israel gaza war could amount to grave violations of international law . one signatory to the statement a us government official with more than 25 years national security experience told the bbc those who understand the region were not being listened to. the statement warns that their administrations risk being complicit in one of the worst human catastrophes of this century, but that their expert advice has been sidelined. it says israel has shown no boundaries in its military operations in gaza, which has resulted in tens of thousands of preventable civilian deaths. it also calls for the us and european governments to stop asserting to the public that there is a strategic and defensible rationale behind the israeli operation . the statement is signed by civil ser