where is this chinese tennis star? she disappeared after making sexual assault allegations. now there's an email saying she's safe and well, but is it genuine? a life sentence for zephaniah mcleod, the man who stabbed eight people in birmingham in what the judge called a murderous rampage. the worst ever performance, again, by emergency departments in wales, with record waiting times for an ambulance and for patients who go to a&e. and lady gaga stars in the new movie house of gucci and tells us how she drew on the abuse she suffered as a teenager. reliving your trauma for a character is maybe not the healthiest thing but i'm a romantic. and coming up on the bbc news channel... the new aston villa head coach, steven gerrard, has given his first media conference. he's insisted it's not a stepping stone to the liverpooljob. good afternoon and welcome to the bbc news at one. the government has confirmed it is scrapping a key part of the h52 high—speed rail link. the eastern leg between the east midlands and leeds won't now be built, saving tens of billions of pounds. businesses in the region have reacted angrily but ministers deny they are breaking a promise to level up the country. they say their integrated rail plan, unveiled this morning, will deliver benefits to the region through track upgrades up to ten years sooner. theo leggett reports. a new £96 billion improvement plan for rail, hailed as the most ambitious in a generation, but here in bradford there is little sign of celebration. its two existing stations are run down and rail links are unreliable. a new one was meant to be built as part of the northern powerhouse rail scheme, a high—speed line linking leeds and manchester. now only half of it will be built. the rest of the ruth wilson to be upgraded and there will be no shiny new station for bradford. the services were _ new station for bradford. it'ie: services were delayed sol new station for bradford. it'ie: services were delayed so i feel like we could benefit from less transfers and more direct trains. the? we could benefit from less transfers and more direct trains.— and more direct trains. they are not that bad on — and more direct trains. they are not that bad on time, _ and more direct trains. they are not that bad on time, it's _ and more direct trains. they are not that bad on time, it'sjust _ and more direct trains. they are not that bad on time, it'sjust their - that bad on time, it'sjust their old trains, _ that bad on time, it'sjust their old trains, over credible people. they— old trains, over credible people. they are — old trains, over credible people. they are not very good. they are quite on and off. they always get cancelled a lot of the time, and i usually go to college, i'm usually late every other day. thank a ambitions for hs2 are also being reined in. the london to birmingham section is already being built but there won't now be a dedicated high—speed link between birmingham and leeds. high-speed link between birmingham and leeds. , ., ., . ~ and leeds. instead the new track will sto and leeds. instead the new track will step in _ and leeds. instead the new track will stop in the _ and leeds. instead the new track will stop in the east _ and leeds. instead the new track will stop in the east midlands. i and leeds. instead the new track. will stop in the east midlands. the rest of the route will be upgraded. the government insists the changes mean it will be able to deliver major improvements much more quickly. it major improvements much more cuickl . ., quickly. it will offer for young --eole quickly. it will offer for young people commuting _ quickly. it will offer for young people commuting in - quickly. it will offer for young people commuting in the - quickly. it will offer for young - people commuting in the midlands and the north— people commuting in the midlands and the north the same type of confidence about their daily lives, their commute, as people have been used to— their commute, as people have been used to for— their commute, as people have been used to for a — their commute, as people have been used to for a century in the south. it's a _ used to for a century in the south. it's a huge — used to for a century in the south. it's a huge investment, costing £96 billion, though not all of it is new money. it includes plans to spend £360 million on introducing contactless payment systems to help commuters and there will be price caps for trains, trams and buses. there will also be a new mass transit system for leeds but labour says promises have been broken. we set says promises have been broken. - set out a compressive plan for hsz set out a compressive plan for h52 and northern powerhouse rail and we stick by that. that's the big difference between us and the government. when we set out promises we stick to them for top the government makes promises and then rips them up, which is what it has done today. for rips them up, which is what it has done today-— done today. for mps along the northern powerhouse - done today. for mps along the northern powerhouse rail- done today. for mps along the | northern powerhouse rail route done today. for mps along the - northern powerhouse rail route the stakes are high. it northern powerhouse rail route the stakes are high.— stakes are high. if we find a better, cheaper, _ stakes are high. if we find a better, cheaper, more - stakes are high. if we find a - better, cheaper, more deliverable way to— better, cheaper, more deliverable way to get— better, cheaper, more deliverable way to get a better result for our constituents, isn't that a better way to — constituents, isn't that a better way to go? in constituents, isn't that a better way to go?— constituents, isn't that a better wa toao? ~ , ., , way to go? in west yorkshire, badly affected, a way to go? in west yorkshire, badly affected. a very _ way to go? in west yorkshire, badly affected, a very different _ way to go? in west yorkshire, badly affected, a very different view. - way to go? in west yorkshire, badly affected, a very different view. is i affected, a very different view. is affected, a very different view. is a betrayal of the north and the people i represent in west yorkshire to stop only what feels like months ago the prime minister stood in front of stevenson's cannot rocket in manchester and promised a new rail line, northern powerhouse rail. no one is questioning the need for better transport links in the north of the country but the row over how to achieve that is becoming more bitter than ever. in a minute, we'll talk to caroline davies at westminster, but first rowan bridge is at leeds station. it's fair to say there's been a pretty angry response in the north of england to this decision. that's right, anger, betrayal over what's been announced today. this is leeds, the fourth biggest network station in the uk outside london. 30 million passengers pass through every year and important commuters from across the north, from as far afield as manchester, hull, liverpool, and many of them speak about the need for newjourney times and upgraded rolling stock for three quarters of the journeys between bradford and leeds are done by car because it's easier and quicker than taking the train for the 13 miles. for businesses, there is a sense they have been held back in the region because of a lack of connectivity between the great cities of the north and to london. the hope is that the rail plan to pick some of those problems, better connectivity across the north, into london, and instead there is a sense they have yet again lost out on what was promised, notjust from commuters but businesses and politicians. tracy brabin has called it a betrayal of the north. let's get the political reaction from westminster now and our correspondent caroline davies. boris johnson is facing claims he's betrayed his promises on levelling up. after weeks of allegations of sleaze the last thing the government needs is being accused of breaking his promises. in the transport secretary stood up earlier and said they would not be a high—speed link at the moment going to leeds, there would not be a high—speed link between leeds and manchester, he said instead the new plan was better, at the plan was outdated. 0f instead the new plan was better, at the plan was outdated. of course, thatis the plan was outdated. of course, that is being countered by labour, who say this is a broken promise. they say this is a make do and mend way of dealing with rail services. in terms of individual mps and how they have reacted, some i have spoken to are relatively pleased with this result. not everybody was going to benefit from hs2 and they feel they have got something they can sell their constituents, particularly if they feel these plans are coming earlier. mps in the balance but also feel, desktop in the midlands feel they have some reassurance there will be high—speed rail coming to them. however, there are already mps in the prime minister's own party who said they are disappointed with the result of this plan, and they say they feel their constituents have been let down and short—changed. many people will now be going through the fine details of this report, picking over the bones of the plan to find out exactly what it means for their constituents. other news now, and doubts have been cast on an email supposedly written by the chinese tennis star peng shuai, saying that she's safe and well. the two—time grand slam doubles champion hasn't been seen for a fortnight, since she accused china's former vice premier, zhang gaoli, of sexual assault. the email, purportedly from her, has been published by chinese state media, but the head of women's tennis says she has a hard time believing that it's genuine. 0ur china correspondent, robin brant, reports from shanghai. for years, peng shuai has let her racket do the talking, and she's risen to the top, a star in a sport where there are not many chinese success stories. at 35, she is someone the ruling communist party leaders could be proud of. but an allegation about one of those senior party figures change that. in this social media posting earlier this month, peng named vice premier zhang gaoli, and claimed he forced her to have sex. china proper state censors remove the posting within an hour. peng hasn't been seen in public or heard from since. few peng hasn't been seen in public or heard from since.— heard from since. few people are allowed to _ heard from since. few people are allowed to publicly _ heard from since. few people are allowed to publicly challenge - heard from since. few people are l allowed to publicly challenge senior authorities like zhang gaoli without paying _ authorities like zhang gaoli without paying some price, and i think it would _ paying some price, and i think it would be — paying some price, and i think it would be telling if she were able to leave _ would be telling if she were able to leave the _ would be telling if she were able to leave the country, for example, and speak— leave the country, for example, and speak freely, where she wouldn't face those — speak freely, where she wouldn't face those kinds of repercussions. in face those kinds of repercussions. th the _ face those kinds of repercussions. in the ensuing days, tennis stars old and new spoke out, worried about her. billiejean king and naomi 0saka were among them. then, in the middle of the night, an e—mail appeared, orat middle of the night, an e—mail appeared, or at least what one arm of chinese state media says is an e—mail from of chinese state media says is an e—mailfrom peng shuai to the head of the women's tennis association. basically, the message is, don't worry, i'm fine, and i didn't mean what i said two weeks ago. in what looks like a screen shot, it's claimed she started out saying, hello, everyone, and went to say the allegations made two weeks ago were in fact false, and she has just been resting at home, everything is fine, she adds. promise people do disappear in china one tech billionaire was not seen in public for months after criticising state regulators. but athletes is unusual. in a hasty response, the man to whom the e—mail was reportedly sent, wta chief steve simon, said he had a hard time believing peng actually wrote it. this comes as this country prepares to be at the centre of the sporting world when beijing hosts the winter olympics next february, a game is already facing the prospect of some kind of boycott over what the us says is genocide against chinese muslims in the west of the country. the prime minister has admitted to conservative backbenchers that he, in his words, "crashed the car into a ditch" in the way he handled the row over the former tory mp 0wen paterson. the prime minister spent much of yesterday under pressure about his attitude to parliamentary standards, but in the end the commons did back his proposal to limit paid political consultancy work. hospital emergency departments and ambulance services in wales have recorded their worst ever performance figures, again. last month, only 65% of patients were treated within four hours in a&e, and just half of call—outs to people with immediately life—threatening injuries were reached within the target eight minutes. let's get more on this from our correspondent mark hutchings. pretty dire figures. yes, and if you have spent any time lately, possibly a long time, waiting for treatment from the welsh nhs, these figures are probably little surprise to you. another set of tumbling records for poor performance. 65% of patients waiting less than four hours in a&e. the target is 95%. nearly 9500 people waited more than 12 hours in a&e. the target is that nobody should have to wait that long. 50% of ambulances answering the most urgent calls within eight minutes. they haven't met their target for 15 months. 21% of the welsh population is now on a waiting list for client treatment. these case notes are pretty depressing to stop the welsh nhs confederation, who run the health board, say it's a picture thatis health board, say it's a picture that is unsustainable. the welsh government insist they are investing more money but they are calling on people to choose carefully, do they really need emergency treatment. there is also the added problem of an estimated up to 15% of patients in acute hospital beds don't need to be there, but there isn't a care package for them to leave hospital. the leaves are still falling, it's only november, that likely in the coming winter more unlikely records will be broken. a man has beenjailed for life after admitting to a series of knife attacks in birmingham in september last year. zephaniah mcleod must serve a minimum of 21 years after pleading guilty to the manslaughter ofjacob billington, as well as three attempted murders and four counts of wounding with intent. phil mackie has the background: injust over an hour and a half, zephaniah mcleod wrought havoc on the streets of birmingham. police emergency. one guy tried to stab me on the street and he stabbed me in the neck but... you've been stabbed in the neck? he was described in court as a dangerous offender. he had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and had recently been released from prison. and she's still breathing? 0k, just we found out someone else has been stabbed now. _ armed with a knife, he stabbed eight people. they were serious attacks, often targeted towards people's head, neck and upper chest areas, which have left victims with some catastrophic injuries, but also, you know, the mental scarring that the victims will have. in the confusion, police didn't initially realise all the attacks were related. within 2a hours, they had identified the man responsible. the worst of the attacks was here in irving street. a group of friends from liverpool had spent the night in birmingham and were walking back to the hotel when zephaniah mcleod attacked them. he's losing a lot of blood from the neck. is he breathing and conscious? he is conscious. 0k. not really, he's losing consciousness. welcome to the vedetts garden sessions... - two of the fans were in this band, the vedetts. the lead singer is michael callaghan, the drummer, his best friend jacob billington. despite their friends' best efforts, jacob didn't make it. now his family want to know why mcleod wasn't under closer observation. he didn't appear to have been monitored in the way you would imagine he would, as somebody who was known to be dangerous and had a long previous history of being dangerous, had a known mental health condition. he is kind of a personification of the problems of the legal system and the mental health team in this country. michael callaghan survived but, like some of the other victims, he suffered life—changing injuries. the knife completely severed his ijugular vein and carotid artery. i he lost a huge amount of blood, and we don't really understand l how he even survived. michael's progress has been astonishing, but in his statement, which was read in court, he said he sometimes wishes he hadn't made it. there are still many unanswered questions about what happened last september, and whether more could have been done to stop zephaniah mcleod and prevent the attacks which left seven people wounded and one, jacob billington, dead. phil mackie bbc news, birmingham. a few moments ago michael callaghan came at and described zephaniah mcleod as a murderer and a killer and we also heard from keith billington, jacob's father, who said they had been assured that zephaniah mcleod would never see the light of day again. and reflecting onjacob leach —— jo blinken saying she wanted answers, in sentencing, the judge said, "given your medical history it's a matter of considerable concern you were simply lost in the system." referring to the period when he was released from prison after the first lockdown last year. thank you very much. it is a 17 minutes past one. our top story this lunchtime... the government confirms it's scrapping a key part of the high speed hs2 rail link — the leg running between the east midlands and leeds will not now be built. also on the programme — 30 years on from his release, terry waite recalls his years as a hostage in beirut. coming up on the bbc news channel... england's ashes test against australia in melbourne and next year's australian tennis open will be played in front of full crowds after covid—i9 restrictions were eased in the state of victoria. the widow of a top scottish government official who died after contracting coronavirus last year has told the bbc she believes officials concealed the full circumstances of his death to protect the reputation of the hospital. andrew slorance was being treated for cancer at glasgow's queen elizabeth university hospital last november when he first tested positive. his wife louise believes he caught covid there as well as another life—threatening infection that was never revealed to the family. this is from our scotland editor, sarah smith. andrew slorance was in charge of scotland's covid response when he was admitted to hospital for cancer treatment a year ago. the father of five died nearly six weeks later after testing positive for coronavirus. it was only after requesting his medical record that his wife discovered he was also being treated for a potentially life—threatening infection caused by a fungus called aspergillus. i saw the aspergillus _ a fungus called aspergillus. i saw the aspergillus and _ a fungus called aspergillus. i saw the aspergillus and i _ a fungus called aspergillus. i "— the aspergillus and i wondered what it was. she the aspergillus and i wondered what it was. ,, , , it was. she believes the full details of — it was. she believes the full details of his _ it was. she believes the full details of his illness - it was. she believes the full details of his illness were i details of his illness were concealed to protect the reputation of the hospital. i concealed to protect the reputation of the hospital.— of the hospital. i am angry that nobody has _ of the hospital. i am angry that nobody has ever— of the hospital. i am angry that nobody has ever told _ of the hospital. i am angry that nobody has ever told me - of the hospital. i am angry that nobody has ever told me about| of the hospital. i am angry that i nobody has ever told me about it, in regards to the aspergillus, somebody, probably a number of people have made an active decision not to inform his family of that infection. ., . ., ., ., infection. police scotland are investigating _ infection. police scotland are investigating a _ infection. police scotland are investigating a number i infection. police scotland are investigating a number of i infection. police scotland are i investigating a number of other deaths at the queen elizabeth universal —— university hospital in glasgow which is already the subject of a public enquiry. nhs greater glasgow and clyde said it has been open and honest about mr slorance's kate and there has been no attempt to conceal any information from the family. ten—year—old millie was being treated for leukaemia at the hospital campus and she died after contracting an infection found in water pulled review found that infection was probably caused by the hospital environment. her mother says the hospital should be closed. nicola sturgeon led the tributes to mr slorance when he died, saying the government was devastated. she faced questions in parliament today about his case and a hospital in which he died. ., , ., , , died. enough is enough, this is the worst scandal _ died. enough is enough, this is the worst scandal of _ died. enough is enough, this is the worst scandal of the _ died. enough is enough, this is the worst scandal of the devolution i died. enough is enough, this is the worst scandal of the devolution era and in _ worst scandal of the devolution era and in any— worst scandal of the devolution era and in any other— worst scandal of the devolution era and in any other country— worst scandal of the devolution era and in any other country in - worst scandal of the devolution era and in any other country in the i and in any other country in the world — and in any other country in the world there _ and in any other country in the world there would _ and in any other country in the world there would be - and in any other country in the i world there would be resignations and sackings— world there would be resignations and sackings but— world there would be resignations and sackings but under— world there would be resignations and sackings but under this - and sackings but under this government. _ and sackings but under this government, it _ and sackings but under this government, it is _ and sackings but under this government, it is denial. and sackings but under thisl government, it is denial and cover-on _ government, it is denial and cover-op. how— government, it is denial and cover—up. how many- government, it is denial and cover—up. how many more i government, it is denial and - cover—up. how many more families government, it is denial and _ cover—up. how many more families had to lose _ cover—up. how many more families had to lose a _ cover—up. how many more families had to lose a loved — cover—up. how many more families had to lose a loved ones _ cover—up. how many more families had to lose a loved ones before _ cover—up. how many more families had to lose a loved ones before anyone i to lose a loved ones before anyone is held _ to lose a loved ones before anyone is held to _ to lose a loved ones before anyone is held to account? _ to lose a loved ones before anyone is held to account?— is held to account? these are serious issues, _ is held to account? these are serious issues, i— is held to account? these are serious issues, i think- is held to account? these are serious issues, i think they i is held to account? these are i serious issues, i think they deserve to be _ serious issues, i think they deserve to be treated seriously and on the issues, _ to be treated seriously and on the issues, the — to be treated seriously and on the issues, the public enquiry is doing that wori— issues, the public enquiry is doing that work right now. and the findings _ that work right now. and the findings and any recommendations that flow— findings and any recommendations that flow from that public enquiry absolutely should be, must be and will be _ absolutely should be, must be and will be acted upon. the absolutely should be, must be and will be acted upon.— will be acted upon. the scottish government _ will be acted upon. the scottish government says _ will be acted upon. the scottish government says it _ will be acted upon. the scottish government says it will - will be acted upon. the scottish government says it will do i government says it will do everything possible to get answers for the slorance family and will consider any wide implications for the queen elizabeth hospital. sarah smith, bbc news, glasgow. the nhs is to start offering people with hiv injections every two months to keep the virus at bay. the drug will replace daily pills, making treatment more convenient for around 13,000 people who are eligable to receive it. housing and consumer experts have told the bbc that shared ownership schemes — designed to help people on low incomes get on to the property ladder — must be reformed in light of the cladding crisis. concerns about building safety were triggered by the grenfell tower fire in 2017, and its estimated more than half a million people still live in homes covered in dangerous materials. sarah corker reports. who should pay to fix britain's dangerous buildings? from london to leeds, birmingham to manchester, more than half a million people are stuck living in unsafe, unsellable homes. what work needs doing? if you look at all the timber cladding that you see, that all has to come down. in south london, single mum emma has outgrown this one—bed flat. this is the living room and... this doubles as your bedroom? yes. in the evening it is like changing rooms, and in here is my bed. it was 12 months ago when we first met. residents had just been told the building was so unsafe it needed round—the—clock fire wardens. i'm angry, i'm actually furious at it. this is ruining people's lives. a year on, emma's share of the bill to remove the cladding and fix other fire safety faults could be up to £30,000, and the building doesn't qualify for any government funding because it is under 18 metres. and emma only actually owns 50% of the flat. she bought through an affordable housing scheme but terms of the lease mean she is liable for 100% of the costs. what has the reality of shared ownership been for you? i don't think shared ownership is fit for purpose. it is to help people like me who couldn't afford to get i guess a full mortgage on a property. it has really done me a disservice, i wouldn't recommend anybody to go on a shared ownership. under shared ownership, you pay rent to a housing association on the part you don't own. housing experts say the cladding crisis has exposed it is a flawed system and needs urgent reform. i think the scheme does have a fundamental unfairness. there are potential liabilities which are so great that people are potentially going to go bankrupt or lose their homes. any scheme which purports to be affordable housing and which can leave people in that situation is not doing itsjob. this is one of the worst affected... the conservative mp for stevenage says leaseholders should not have to pay these huge bills but warns housing associations are facing a tough choice between building safety and building new homes. some of the ones in london have said they are going to build 300,000 i fewer homes over the next few years as a result of it, so not only- is it really damaging - the shared ownership market, it is also damaging the supply- of affordable homes going forward. emma's housing association, 0ptivo, said safety is its number one priority and it is continuing to call for government funding to help cover costs on low and mid—rise blocks. the government told us it is unacceptable leaseholders are facing the excessive bills and further proposals to help will be set out soon. but until then, emma and thousands of others are stuck living in homes they can't afford. sarah corker, bbc news, in south london. thirty years ago today, the world's media watched as terry waite, was released from captivity in beirut. he had last been seen five years earlier, negotiating with kidnappers who were holding hostages including brian keenan and john mccarthy. but in a dramatic turnaround, terry waite himself had been kidnapped by the extremists. to mark the anniversary of his release, he spoke to our security correspondent frank gardner. freedom, at last. terry waite released after nearly five years, held as a hostage underground in beirut. now, 30 years on since that release, does he have any regrets? it doesn't seem like 30 years. they have gone remarkably quickly. i still remember those days. but strangely enough, you know, i don't look back and deeply regret them. beirut in 1987 was an especially dangerous place. racked by civil war, a city teeming with heavily armed militias who had already seized western hostages. terry waite arrived hoping to get them released but he was tricked into a meeting with jihadists that saw him kidnapped and held for years in solitary confinement. there were dark times. i was beaten on the soles of the feet with cable. and ifaced a mock and i faced a mock execution. i was blindfolded and taken into another room. my throat went dry because of fear. i'd never experienced that before. i wasn't afraid of death so much as to how would i die. 0ther hostages at the time included the british and usjournalists john mccarthy and terry anderson, and the us academic thomas sutherland. their cell next to terry's, but his first meeting with john mccarthy was unorthodox. they decided they were going to move me now so they wrapped me in this tape, carried me out, threw me into the boot of this car and closed the lid. and as i landed in there, i realised there was somebody else in there! i said, "not much room in here!" and a voice came back and said, "untilyou came in, there was plenty of bloody room!" that was my first meeting with john! terry waite has since returned to the city where he was held captive for five years. he has also founded a charity, hostage international, to help those who find themselves in a similar predicament. frank gardner, bbc news. next week sees the release of house of gucci, the new film by director ridley scott about the fashion giant, which focuses on the turbulent relationship between maurizio gucci and his wife patrizia. to prepare for the role of patrizia, lady gaga says she drew on the abuse she suffered as a teenager. she's been speaking to our entertainment correspondent, lizo mzimba. it was a name that sounded so seductive. in 1998, patrizia reggiani was convicted of arranging the murder of herformer husband, maurizio gucci of the gucci fashion empire. to play her, lady gaga immersed herself in months of preparation. i don't consider myself to be a particularly ethical person. binding the pain of the character experienced as a woman in a male dominated world came from her own past. what was the most relevant about my personal experiences, lizo, was the trauma that i have been through in my life, being assaulted being assaulted when i was 19 by a music producer. i took from every trigger point that i could find, so it was very painful. the singer has spoken before about how, two years before she became one of music's biz a guess that mega biggest stars, she suffered not one but multiple assaults. i have been very open about having post—traumatic stress disorder and i have complex ptsd so that is not a single incident ptsd, its multiple incidents. i used all of them, at different times in different moments in the script. it is what i was compelled to do for the role because i thought to myself, well, there is simply no other answer for why she would have her husband murdered. gucci needs new blood. goodbye, 1930s. hello, �*80s! she says the film's director, ridley scott, was constantly concerned that she was immersing herself too deeply into painful memories. reliving your trauma for a character is maybe not the healthiest thing, but i'm a romantic. i have a romance with this script, a romance with my character, a romance with the cast. it was, i think, in a way, therapeutic in the way that, what he called it was an exorcism. i relived all of this to play her. father, son and house of gucci... you must be very thrilled to again be talked about as a potential best actress 0scar nominee this year? you know, it is so, it's so flattering and so kind of everyone to say that and i just want to say that i love artists and i love people so i'm here to celebrate all the great actors, all the great films, and to be talked about in that way is lovely. lady gaga, thank you so much for your time. thank you, lizo.