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the new omicron variant of covid — what measures do you think should be in place? get in touch with me on twitter @annitabbc and use the #bbcyourquestions. british socialite ghislane maxwell is to go on trial in new york for sex trafficking and other charges. the fashion designer and creative director of louis vuitton, virgil abloh, has died from cancer. the 41—year—old founded the brand off—white, and had worked with some of the industry's biggest names including kanye west and jay—z. hello and welcome if you're watching in the uk or around the world. we start with a warning from the world health organization that the new omicron variant of coronavirus is likely to spread internationally, posing a �*very high' global risk. it comes as six cases of the omicron coronavirus variant have been identified in scotland. they bring the total number of known omicron infections in the uk to nine. scotland's first minister nicola sturgeon is due to give a further update on the situation in about half an hour. new measures have also been announced for england. from monday, the department for education is �*strongly advising' pupils aged over 11, and some staff and visitors, to return to wearing face coverings in communal areas. from tuesday, face coverings will be mandatory in most shops and on public transport. the uk health secretary sajid javid is set to speak to mps in the commons about the variant this afternoon. and from 4am on tuesday, all arrivals into the uk will have to take a pcr test within two days, and self—isolate until they receive a negative result. around the world — japan is closing its borders to most foreign visitors, joining israel in its response to the spread of the new variant. with the total number of omicron cases in the uk contnuing to rise, officials warning it's "very likely" that more will be discovered in the coming days. well, that warning from the world health organization comes as a special session of the world health assembly gets under way in geneva, to consider reforms and a potential treaty to prevent future pandemics. our correspondent imogen foulkes has been following developments. the cases are already out there. the world health organization is talking about the spreading, the new variant is spreading here in the uk and other parts of the world. what more do we expect from the organisation today by way of advice? weill. do we expect from the organisation today by way of advice?— today by way of advice? well, a lot ofthe today by way of advice? well, a lot of the advice _ today by way of advice? well, a lot of the advice coming _ today by way of advice? well, a lot of the advice coming from - today by way of advice? well, a lot of the advice coming from the - today by way of advice? well, a lot i of the advice coming from the who is what it's been saying all along. you must keep track of the virus, you must keep track of the virus, you must test, you must trace, we must start keeping a distance again, wear masks in enclosed spaces, be careful about social gatherings if we had there may be outdoors. but basically, really keep track of it. i think one thing we need to keep in perspective is that, yes, we have found cases of omicron in many countries in europe and the uk as well, it's a new variant, we don't know yet if or how much it evades our existing vaccines. we don't know yet if it causes more severe health effects. we do know that right across europe, going into winter, cases of covid, delta, omicron, are rising. they aren't rising fast. whether we've got a new variant or not, we need to put in place these measures, this does as well will be part of them. but as long as we have half of the world unvaccinated, the chances of variants will be out there and eventually, unfortunately, we could get one that evades the vaccine. we don't know yet if this one is it. ~ ., ., ., , one is it. we are going to bring in the director _ one is it. we are going to bring in the director general _ one is it. we are going to bring in the director general of _ one is it. we are going to bring in the director general of the - one is it. we are going to bring in the director general of the who | the director general of the who speaking. to the director general of the who s-ueakin. ., w . the director general of the who sheakin, ., . .,, speaking. to facilitate equitable access to vaccines, _ speaking. to facilitate equitable access to vaccines, tests, - speaking. to facilitate equitable - access to vaccines, tests, treatment and ppe — access to vaccines, tests, treatment and ppe we _ access to vaccines, tests, treatment and ppe. we have shown these mechanisms work. covax has shipped more _ mechanisms work. covax has shipped more than _ mechanisms work. covax has shipped more than 550 million doses including almost 250 million bases including almost 250 million bases in the _ including almost 250 million bases in the test— including almost 250 million bases in the last two months, more than it shipped _ in the last two months, more than it shipped in_ in the last two months, more than it shipped in the first seven months of this yeah _ shipped in the first seven months of this yeah -- — shipped in the first seven months of this year. —— doses. last week, the first— this year. —— doses. last week, the first licensing — this year. —— doses. last week, the first licensing agreement was finalised with the spanish national research council. a transparent, global— research council. a transparent, global and — research council. a transparent, global and nonexclusive licence for an antibody test. my thanks to spain and to— an antibody test. my thanks to spain and to his _ an antibody test. my thanks to spain and to his excellency president carlos, — and to his excellency president carlos, for his leadership in initiating _ carlos, for his leadership in initiating it. so, thanks to the president— initiating it. so, thanks to the president of spain, president pedro. eariier— president of spain, president pedro. earlier this _ president of spain, president pedro. earlier this year we also established a technology transfer hub for— established a technology transfer hub for vaccines in south africa to facilitate — hub for vaccines in south africa to facilitate local production and regional— facilitate local production and regional self—reliance. but a year ago. _ regional self—reliance. but a year ago. as— regional self—reliance. but a year ago. as we — regional self—reliance. but a year ago, as we began to see some countries — ago, as we began to see some countries striking bilateral deals with manufacturers, we warn that the poorest _ with manufacturers, we warn that the poorest and _ with manufacturers, we warn that the poorest and most vulnerable would be trampled _ poorest and most vulnerable would be trampled in the global stampede for vaccines _ trampled in the global stampede for vaccines. and that's exactly what has happened. more than 80% of the worid's_ has happened. more than 80% of the world's vaccines have gone to 620 countries — world's vaccines have gone to 620 countries. low income countries, mostly— countries. low income countries, mostly in— countries. low income countries, mostly in africa, have received 0.6% of all _ mostly in africa, have received 0.6% of all vaccines. we understand and support— of all vaccines. we understand and support every government's responsibility to protect its own people — responsibility to protect its own people. it's natural. but vaccine equity— people. it's natural. but vaccine equity is— people. it's natural. but vaccine equity is not charity. it's in every country's — equity is not charity. it's in every country's best interests. no country can vaccinate its way out of the pandemic — can vaccinate its way out of the pandemic alone. the longer vaccine equity— pandemic alone. the longer vaccine equity persists, the more opportunity this virus has to spread and evolve — opportunity this virus has to spread and evolve in ways we cannot predict. — and evolve in ways we cannot predict, nor prevent. we are all in this together. we call on every member— this together. we call on every member state to support the targets to vaccinate 40% of the population of every _ to vaccinate 40% of the population of every country by the end of this year~ _ of every country by the end of this year~ and — of every country by the end of this year. and 70% by the middle of next year~ _ year. and 70% by the middle of next year~ 103 _ year. and 70% by the middle of next year. 103 countries still have not reached — year. 103 countries still have not reached the 40% target. and more than half— reached the 40% target. and more than half of them are at risk of missing — than half of them are at risk of missing it— than half of them are at risk of missing it by the end of the year. mainly— missing it by the end of the year. mainly because they cannot access the vaccines they need. and most of them _ the vaccines they need. and most of them in _ the vaccines they need. and most of them in africa. even, as some countries _ them in africa. even, as some countries are now beginning to vaccinate — countries are now beginning to vaccinate groups at very low risk of severe _ vaccinate groups at very low risk of severe illness, or to give boosters to help _ severe illness, or to give boosters to help the — severe illness, or to give boosters to help the adults, just one in four heatth— to help the adults, just one in four health workers in africa has been vaccinated — health workers in africa has been vaccinated. this is unacceptable. with— vaccinated. this is unacceptable. with emerging evidence of some waning _ with emerging evidence of some waning vaccine immunity against infection. — waning vaccine immunity against infection, it's clear that in future countries — infection, it's clear that in future countries will need tailored booster strategies. who's position remains that health workers, older people and other— that health workers, older people and other at—risk groups must be vaccinated — and other at—risk groups must be vaccinated first in all countries before — vaccinated first in all countries before those at low risk of serious disease _ before those at low risk of serious disease and before boosters are given _ disease and before boosters are given to — disease and before boosters are given to already vaccinated healthy adults _ given to already vaccinated healthy adults. there is no doubt vaccines have _ adults. there is no doubt vaccines have saved — adults. there is no doubt vaccines have saved many lives and help to quell— have saved many lives and help to quell the — have saved many lives and help to quell the pandemic in many countries. countries that have achieved _ countries. countries that have achieved the highest vaccination rates _ achieved the highest vaccination rates are — achieved the highest vaccination rates are now seeing a decoupling between _ rates are now seeing a decoupling between cases and deaths. but in many— between cases and deaths. but in many countries and communities, the bright _ many countries and communities, the bright light _ many countries and communities, the bright light of vaccines has also become — bright light of vaccines has also become a — bright light of vaccines has also become a blinding light to the continued need for other tools to stop this — continued need for other tools to stop this virus from spreading. to stop this virus from spreading. to stop it _ stop this virus from spreading. to stop it overwhelming our health systems — stop it overwhelming our health systems and to stop it killing. vaccines _ systems and to stop it killing. vaccines save lives. but they do not fully prevent infection or transmission. untilwe reach high levels _ transmission. untilwe reach high levels of— transmission. untilwe reach high levels of vaccination in every country. _ levels of vaccination in every country, suppressing transmission remains _ country, suppressing transmission remains essential. we don't need a tailored _ remains essential. we don't need a tailored and comprehensive package of measures that strike a balance between — of measures that strike a balance between protecting the rights, freedoms and livelihoods of individuals while protecting the heatth— individuals while protecting the health and safety of the most vulnerable members of communities. ending _ vulnerable members of communities. ending this— vulnerable members of communities. ending this pandemic isn't about vaccines— ending this pandemic isn't about vaccines or. it's about vaccines and _ vaccines or. it's about vaccines and. excellency is, dear colleagues and. excellency is, dear colleagues and friends, covid—19 has now killed more _ and friends, covid—19 has now killed more than _ and friends, covid—19 has now killed more than 5— and friends, covid—19 has now killed more than 5 million people, and those _ more than 5 million people, and those are — more than 5 million people, and those are just the reported deaths. the excess — those are just the reported deaths. the excess deaths caused by the virus _ the excess deaths caused by the virus and — the excess deaths caused by the virus and by disruption to essential heatth— virus and by disruption to essential health services are far higher. an unknown — health services are far higher. an unknown number live with post covid condition _ unknown number live with post covid condition or — unknown number live with post covid condition or long covid, a condition we are _ condition or long covid, a condition we are only— condition or long covid, a condition we are only beginning to understand. health _ we are only beginning to understand. health systems continue to be overwhelmed, millions have missed out on _ overwhelmed, millions have missed out on essential life—saving health services _ out on essential life—saving health services for non—communicable diseases— services for non—communicable diseases and mental health. progress against _ diseases and mental health. progress against hiv, tuberculosis, malaria and many— against hiv, tuberculosis, malaria and many other diseases has installed _ and many other diseases has installed or gone backwards. millions _ installed or gone backwards. millions of children have missed out on vaccinations for other life—threatening diseases and months of education. millions of people have _ of education. millions of people have lost— of education. millions of people have lostjobs or of education. millions of people have lost jobs or been of education. millions of people have lostjobs or been plunged into povertv _ have lostjobs or been plunged into poverty. the global economy is still clawing _ poverty. the global economy is still clawing its — poverty. the global economy is still clawing its way out of recession. political— clawing its way out of recession. political divisions have deepened, nationally— political divisions have deepened, nationally and globally. inequalities have widened. science has been _ inequalities have widened. science has been undermined. this information has abounded. —— misinformation. and it will happen again— misinformation. and it will happen again unless you, the nations of the world, _ again unless you, the nations of the world, can _ again unless you, the nations of the world, can come together to say with one voice. _ world, can come together to say with one voice, never again. world, can come together to say with one voice, neveragain. at world, can come together to say with one voice, never again. at its heart. — one voice, never again. at its heart. the _ one voice, never again. at its heart, the pandemic is a crisis of solidarity— heart, the pandemic is a crisis of solidarity and sharing. the lack of sharing _ solidarity and sharing. the lack of sharing of— solidarity and sharing. the lack of sharing of information and data by many— sharing of information and data by many countries in the early days of the pandemic hindered our collective ability— the pandemic hindered our collective ability to— the pandemic hindered our collective ability to get a clear picture of its profile and trajectory. the lack of sharing — its profile and trajectory. the lack of sharing of biological samples hindered our collective ability to understand how the virus was evolving _ understand how the virus was evolving. the lack of sharing of ppe, _ evolving. the lack of sharing of ppe, tests, vaccines, technology, know-how, — ppe, tests, vaccines, technology, know—how, intellectual property ppe, tests, vaccines, technology, know— how, intellectual property and other— know— how, intellectual property and other tools _ know— how, intellectual property and other tools hindered our collective ahilitv _ other tools hindered our collective ability to _ other tools hindered our collective ability to prevent infections and save _ ability to prevent infections and save lives. and the lack of face consistent _ save lives. and the lack of face consistent and coherent global approach has resulted in a splintered and disjointed response, hreeding _ splintered and disjointed response, breeding misunderstanding, misinformation and mistrust. the fabric— misinformation and mistrust. the fabric of— misinformation and mistrust. the fabric of multilateralism has been frayed _ fabric of multilateralism has been frayed. covid—19 has exposed and exacerbated fundamental weaknesses in the global architecture for pandemic preparedness and response. complex— pandemic preparedness and response. complex and fragmented governance, inadequate financing and insufficient systems and tools, voluntary— insufficient systems and tools, voluntary mechanisms have not solved this challenge. the best way we can address— this challenge. the best way we can address them as with a legally binding — address them as with a legally binding agreement between nations, forged _ binding agreement between nations, forged from the recognition that we have no— forged from the recognition that we have no future but a common feature. nations _ have no future but a common feature. nations coming together to find common— nations coming together to find common ground is the only way to make _ common ground is the only way to make sustainable progress against it. make sustainable progress against it it's _ make sustainable progress against it it's not — make sustainable progress against it. it's not perfect and it's not a panacea — it. it's not perfect and it's not a panacea it _ it. it's not perfect and it's not a panacea. it takes compromise. no one -ets panacea. it takes compromise. no one gets everything they want, but that's— gets everything they want, but that's better than so many missing out on _ that's better than so many missing out on what they need. in 2005, the who framework convention on topical control— who framework convention on topical control came into force, the first international treaty negotiated under— international treaty negotiated under the who. an independent impact assessment of the convention in 2016 found _ assessment of the convention in 2016 found it _ assessment of the convention in 2016 found it has _ assessment of the convention in 2016 found it has contributed to significant and rapid progress in protecting people from exposure. in regulating _ protecting people from exposure. in regulating the packaging and levelling of tobacco products, in education, communication, training and public— education, communication, training and public awareness, in banning sales— and public awareness, in banning sales to — and public awareness, in banning sales to and by miners and reporting and exchange of information, the who is the _ and exchange of information, the who is the legal— and exchange of information, the who is the legal bedrock of tobacco control— is the legal bedrock of tobacco control which countries have used to implement— control which countries have used to implement new measures and to defend those measures from legal challenges. the bottom line, the implementation has helped to save more _ implementation has helped to save more than — implementation has helped to save more than 7 million lives and counting _ more than 7 million lives and counting and global use of tobacco use has— counting and global use of tobacco use has declined from almost 33% in 2000 _ use has declined from almost 33% in 2000 to— use has declined from almost 33% in 2000 to 22% today. the impact assessment found that without the fctc, _ assessment found that without the fctc, it's _ assessment found that without the fctc, it's unlikely that all these tobacco— fctc, it's unlikely that all these tobacco control measures would have taken _ tobacco control measures would have taken place _ tobacco control measures would have taken place in a comprehensive, coordinated and effective manner. so, comprehensive, coordinated, effective — so, comprehensive, coordinated, effective. three words that history will not _ effective. three words that history will not use to describe the global response — will not use to describe the global response to the covid—19 pandemic. colleagues — response to the covid—19 pandemic. colleagues and friends, if countries can unite _ colleagues and friends, if countries can unite to — colleagues and friends, if countries can unite to negotiate a treaty against — can unite to negotiate a treaty against the human threat of tobacco, against _ against the human threat of tobacco, against the _ against the human threat of tobacco, against the destructive potential of nuclear, _ against the destructive potential of nuclear, chemicaland against the destructive potential of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, — nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, against the existential threat _ weapons, against the existential threat of— weapons, against the existential threat of climate change, and against — threat of climate change, and against so many other threats to our shared _ against so many other threats to our shared security and well—being, then surely— shared security and well—being, then surely the _ shared security and well—being, then surely the time has come for countries _ surely the time has come for countries to agree on a common, binding _ countries to agree on a common, binding approach to a common threat that we _ binding approach to a common threat that we cannot fully control. i threat — that we cannot fully control. i threat that comes from our relationship with nature itself. i thank— relationship with nature itself. i thank and — relationship with nature itself. i thank and congratulate... the director of _ thank and congratulate... the director of the _ thank and congratulate... tie: director of the who, dr thank and congratulate... ti9 director of the who, dr tedros adhanom ghebreyesus, talking about how a coordinated binding approach to other threats has produced results but saying that when it comes to the threat of covid, there hasn't been the same approach. 0.6% of all vaccines distributed in africa, he said, and he understood the desire of nations to protect their own citizens first but he said distributing vaccines equitably is not charity. our correspondent imogen foulkes has been following developments. it was interesting when he said, the bright light of vaccines has become a blinding light to the need for other tools to deal with covid and he clearly wants a more united response. he feels that for all this talk of vaccine equity, that isn't the result we are seeing yet. it the result we are seeing yet. it certainly isn't. 50% of the world population is yet to see a single dose. i think you could hear the frustration in dr tedros' voice. the who has been saying these things from the start, very careful to talk about the lack of sharing. some diplomatic illusions there to lack of sharing of information, that could be pointed at china. but then lack of sharing of ppe, lack of sharing of vaccines, that's really directed at wealthy europe, where the united states, where we are rolling up our sleeves for boosters now, where one in four health workers in africa have received a vaccine. only one in four. i think he's hoping that the omicron variant will prove to be unnecessary wake—up call for all of us, that if we want to get through this pandemic we've got to get through it together. we've got to coordinate more, we've got to work together and we've got to get those vaccines out of the countries that haven't received them. otherwise we're going to have more variants. them. otherwise we're going to have more variants— the uk has convened an urgent meeting of 67 health ministers today, to discuss the omicron variant first detected in south africa. high on the agenda will be fears that omicron could spread rapidly, and partially evade existing jabs. the world health organization has warned that it poses a very high risk globally, but says there are considerable uncertainties about the possible effect of the variant�*s spike mutations. alreadyjapan, a 67 member, has announced that it is closing its borders to all new foreign visitors from tomorrow. let's talk to our tokyo correspondent, rupert wingfield—hayes. tell us more about the japanese government's plans.— tell us more about the japanese government's plans. well, japan is revertinu government's plans. well, japan is reverting to _ government's plans. well, japan is reverting to where _ government's plans. well, japan is reverting to where it's _ government's plans. well, japan is reverting to where it's really - government's plans. well, japan is reverting to where it's really been | reverting to where it's really been for most of the pandemic, which is to have a very tough border controls. essentially, for the last year very few foreigners have been allowed to come into japan, only residents and and people with multiple entry visas, spouse visas and things like that. there have been no tourists, and business travellers and no foreign students or workers coming into japan since around april last year. that began to be eased slightly at the beginning of this month when these applications for business travellers and foreign workers began being accepted again. the japanese government today has said this is being revoked and they are going back to the situation before, which means that essentially the vast majority of foreigners who want to come to japan will now not be able to do so at least for the next month. this is a temporary and emergency measures that the government has said it's putting in until we are clear about the pathology of this new variant, and thenit pathology of this new variant, and then it could be lifted. for now, it's playing safe and closing japan's doors to the outside world. clearly the hope is that once more data is gathered about this new variant, it may hopefully be possible to reverse some of these restrictions but other measures that have been put in place right now, are they broadly popular amongst the japanese people? defer? are they broadly popular amongst the japanese purple?— japanese people? very much so. for two reasons- — japanese people? very much so. for two reasons. one _ japanese people? very much so. for two reasons. one is— japanese people? very much so. for two reasons. one is the _ japanese people? very much so. for two reasons. one is the covid - two reasons. one is the covid infection rate injapan is low. sometimes it's just in the scores of new cases a day across the country. inaudible four deaths were reported, so we have seen the delta variant wave, a huge wave in the summer come and go and now we are back to a very, very low level of infection which means life is back to normal injapan. the other reason is that the border controls over the last year and a to have been effective and have led to the much lower rates of not only infections but deaths in japan. japan has a population of around 126 million and there have been 18,000 deaths, which is orders of magnitude lower than europe or america. most people put that down to both the behaviour and the disciplined nature of japanese society but also the fact that borders have remained largely closed. :, ., borders have remained largely closed. . ~' , ., six new cases of the new omicron variant of coronavirus have been confirmed in scotland — bringing the total across the uk to nine. scotland's deputy first minister, john swinney, says the individuals were identified when they came forward for pcr testing. we obviously have some travel history on some of the cases. i don't have all of the detail available at this stage but on some of the cases we are aware that there is no travel history involved, on some of the cases. so, what that tells us is that there must be a degree of community transmission of this particular strain of the virus in the absence of direct travel connection for some of the cases in the southern african area. so, that obviously opens up further challenges for us in terms of interrupting the spread of this particular strain of the virus and that will be the focus of the contact tracing operation that is under way already. in england, face masks will be required in shops and on public transport from tuesday. the health secretary sajid javid is due to update mps on the new restriction in the house of commons later. our chief political correspondent adam fleming has been following developments. it will be a chance for him to explain to parliament what the prime minister explained to the public at a press conference in downing street on saturday, and a chance to get an update on the numbers of the cases of the new variant across the uk, which have been increasing. even in the last hour or so. we are also waiting to see in black and white the legislation that will introduce the legislation that will introduce the new restrictions that were announced by the prime minister at the weekend and some conservative mps who had previously been sceptical about the intervention is the government has made would quite like a vote on them before they come in, but that is quite unlikely. the other thing we are waiting for is the advice from the jcvi, other thing we are waiting for is the advice from thejcvi, the committee that advises the government on vaccinations and immunisations, they are looking at two things. at the age range for who gets their booster shot, they are looking at lowering that so more people get into the booster programme. they are also looking at the gap between people's second dose and when they get that booster, which they could shrink down, which means more people will get there booster shot more quickly. separately, scientists are also looking at how effective the existing vaccines are against the new variant, as the health and minister ed aga explained. br; minister ed aga explained. by proportionate measures, they are balanced — proportionate measures, they are balanced measures which hopefully will buy— balanced measures which hopefully will buy us time by slowing down the seeding _ will buy us time by slowing down the seeding and the spreading of this new variant to give our scientists time _ new variant to give our scientists time to— new variant to give our scientists time to understand exactly how it behaves, — time to understand exactly how it behaves, is it more transmissible, is it more — behaves, is it more transmissible, is it more dangerous and how does it interact— is it more dangerous and how does it interact with — is it more dangerous and how does it interact with the vaccine? we hope to understand that within the next few weeks a lot more clearly. if the ch few weeks a lot more clearly. if the jcvi aoes few weeks a lot more clearly. if the jcvl goes ahead _ few weeks a lot more clearly. if the jcvi goes ahead with _ few weeks a lot more clearly. if the jcvi goes ahead with these - jcvi goes ahead with these recommendations around boosters and reducing the time between first and second initial doses, what is the government saying about how the infrastructure is going to cope with that? that's a lot of people added potentially to the list looking for these jabs, practically overnight. i think they are pretty confident the infrastructure will cope, and because there will still be a gap between the second dose and the booster dose, there is still a buffer of time, so it's not like millions of people will instantly become eligible for the jab overnight. it's going to be a bit more staggered than that. in terms of the politics around this, i mentioned how some of the conservatives who have been sceptical looking for a vote on these new measures that are coming in from tomorrow morning at 4am. i think it's very unlikely there will be a vote before those measures coming, ithink be a vote before those measures coming, i think it will be retrospectively approved by mps. but i think the reason we only hearing low grumbles from those sceptical mps is because these are quite targeted measures to deal with the variant. these aren't big, blanket measures that will have a big effect on the whole economy overall and crucially, the government isn't introducing covid or vaccine certificates or passports yet, i think that is where there will be a real political difficulty for the government in terms of their behaviour on this. also, this is about buying time for the scientists to get to work to work out what is really going on with this variant. it may be in a couple of weeks' time it isn't that much more transmissible, the effects are just as mild as other variants and it doesn't have any effect on the rate of hospitalisations or deaths, which is the government's key metric for assessing the threat to the nhs. we are hearing that a 14—year—old boy has been remanded in secure accommodation charged with the murder of 12—year—old ava white, who was stabbed in the city centre of liverpool on thursday while out with her friends to see the christmas lights being switched on. the 14—year—old has been remanded in secure accommodation after appearing, charged with the murder of ava white. we are receiving some of ava white. we are receiving some of your comments about what measures you want to see in response to the new variant. one viewer says, medical grade masks should be mandatory on public transport and in shops. another viewer says, undoubtedly the omicron variant is already circulating in the uk, until science determines how it might elude vaccines and whether it might result in more severe illness than the delta variant, governments should take appropriately hard action to restrict the spread. he goes on, we had previously experienced the disastrous impact of late responses and it's better we overreact and take too little action again. this viewer says, urging governments to act quicker to avoid the worst possible impacts of new variants. everyone hates the existing vaccinations will work against this new variant at least in terms of preventing serious illness —— everyone is hoping that existing vaccinations will work against this new variant. please keep your views coming in. ghislaine maxwell — a close associate of the convicted sex offenderjeffrey epstein — goes on trial today in new york. the british publishing heiress has been accused of trafficking four unnamed minors and grooming and recruiting them for her former lover to abuse in the late 90s and early 2000s. she's been in a new yorkjail since her arrest injuly 2020 — and has pleaded not guilty to all charges. nada tawfik reports. ghislaine maxwell and jeffrey epstein attracted friends in high places, increasing the intrigue around the duo. his death in 2019 under unusual circumstances only raised more questions, leaving behind a dark cloud of mystery. the fallen heiress's trial may yet provide the most explicit details to date. in this indictment, ghislaine maxwell is charged with sex trafficking and recruiting and grooming four underage girls for epstein to abuse from 1990—2004. the jury here in new york will have to decide whether she's being made a scapegoat for epstein, or if she was his chief enabler. that abuse included sexualised massages. these sexualised massages developed into sexual encounters for which maxwell, in some instances, was present and participated. ghislaine maxwell's life before she met epstein was very different, but not without its own drama. she was the youngest child of the late disgraced newspaper baron robert maxwell. part of her appeal to epstein was her circle of rich and famous friends, including prince andrew. her trial comes at a very inconvenient time for the royal, as he fights off his own separate civil lawsuit by one of epstein's most outspoken accusers, virginia guiffre. ghislaine tells me that i have to do for andrew what i do forjeffrey. and that made me sick. i just didn't expect it from royalty. she said epstein and ghislaine maxwell forced her to have sex with the duke of york when she was just 17, in london, new york, and the us virgin islands. prince andrew has previously denied all of the allegations. but his attempts to put the scandal behind him have so farfailed. ian maxwell says at least one sibling will be present every day of his sister's trial. it is impossible for me to think that she would have been engaged in these really horrendous charges that she's now facing. it doesn't stack up in any single way. all those people who do not know her but who have some regard for the system ofjustice that operates in the united states, they should suspend theirjudgment. her case is expected to last six weeks, after which herfate is in the hands of the jury. nada tawfik, bbc news, new york. let's return to our coverage of the new covid variant omicron. nine cases in the uk, six of the uk cases are in scotland and we are expecting scotland's first minister nicola sturgeon to make a statement very shortly. let's talk to our political correspondent nick eardley. he is in glasgow for us. i believe we are expecting to see a joint letter from we are expecting to see a joint letterfrom nicola sturgeon and we are expecting to see a joint letter from nicola sturgeon and also the first minister of wales mark drakeford. what can you tell us about that?— drakeford. what can you tell us about that? . , , ,., about that? there has been some conversation _ about that? there has been some conversation over _ about that? there has been some conversation over the _ about that? there has been some conversation over the weekend i about that? there has been some . conversation over the weekend about whether some of the rules that the uk government announced over the weekend when it comes to trouble go far enough. i weekend when it comes to trouble go far enou:h. :, weekend when it comes to trouble go far enou:h. . ,., , ., weekend when it comes to trouble go far enou:h. . , ., , far enough. i am sorry to interrupt ou, far enough. i am sorry to interrupt you. nicola _ far enough. i am sorry to interrupt you, nicola sturgeon _ far enough. i am sorry to interrupt you, nicola sturgeon has - far enough. i am sorry to interrupt you, nicola sturgeon hasjust- far enough. i am sorry to interrupt i you, nicola sturgeon hasjust begun speaking. i you, nicola sturgeon has 'ust begun s-ueakin. :, ., you, nicola sturgeon has 'ust begun s-ueakin. . ., ., you, nicola sturgeon has 'ust begun s-ueakin. :, :, ., ., , ., speaking. i am not going to provide all the details — speaking. i am not going to provide all the details right _ speaking. i am not going to provide all the details right now. _ speaking. i am not going to provide all the details right now. i - speaking. i am not going to provide all the details right now. i can - all the details right now. i can confirm the overall situation in scotland does remain stable at this stage. we have in recent days been seeing cases declining slightly. we knew the weeks ahead would present real risks to the stability, cold weather forcing us indoors, real risks to the stability, cold weatherforcing us indoors, festive socialising and a deteriorating situation in many countries across europe. however overthe situation in many countries across europe. however over the past few days a new risk has emerged in the form of the omicron variant and it is that that we want to update you on today. i'm going to set out what we know so far about the new variant, though i stress that there is still much that we and the rest of the world do not know about it. i will also give the most up—to—date information we have on numbers of cases identified so far here in scotland, though i expect this will be a developing situation in the days ahead. i will sit out the actions we have considered it appropriate to take so far on a precautionary basis and of course i remind everyone what we can all take, must do to help contain the spread of the virus in general but this new variant in particular. firstly what do we know at this stage? as i said a moment to go the most important point to make which was underlined in a briefing issued by the world health organization last night is that there is still a huge amount that we do not yet know about the variant. the number of mutations that it has anti nature of these and some of the very early indications from southern africa have raised the concern that this variant might be more transmissible than delta which is currently the dominant variant in scotland and many other countries. however much more data and analysis is required to be certain of this and if it is more transmissible to understand by how much. further work is also needed to confirm what impact this variant might have on the effectiveness of vaccines and the risk of reinfection. the who said yesterday preliminary evidence of just might be an increased risk of reinfection but stressed that information at this stage is still limited. it also said there is currently no information to suggest the symptoms from omicron are any different to the symptoms from other variants. in other words although again more data is still required there is no evidence at this stage to suggest the disease caused by omicron is more severe. the days and weeks ahead will tell all of us much more about the nature of this variant and therefore its implications, if there are implications, if there are implications for our response to the pandemic. what we do know at this stage confirms in my view we should treat it seriously and continue to act on a precautionary basis at this stage. while we all hope that the emerging understanding of it will reduce rather than increase our level of concern, there is no doubt this presents potentially the most challenging development in the course of the pandemic for quite some time. let me turn now to the situation in scotland. we have stepped up our surveillance in recent days and i want to thank public health teams for the work they are doing to ensure we are able to detect cases of this variant quickly. as we confirmed earlier today, that in had surveillance has identified six cases of the omicron variant in scotland so far. four of these are in lanarkshire and two in greater glasgow and clyde. the contact tracing of these cases is still ongoing. however at this stage we note not all of them have any recent travel history to unknown links with others who have travelled to the countries in southern africa where the variant was originally detected. this suggests there might already be some community transmission of this variant in scotland but again there is no evidence yet this is sustained, nor from the enhanced survey is that it is widespread at this stage. however evidence of even limited community transmission underlines the importance of all of us increasing compliance with the protections in place. i will turn now to the actions we have taken. we have already reintroduced some travel restrictions, even with evidence of community transmission locally, these travel measures are important and i will say more about him shortly. but given that omicron is already present in scotland we also need to consider carefully what steps are necessary and proportionate to reduce transmission here. some protections the uk government has announced in recent days for england, the requirement to wearface days for england, the requirement to wear face coverings and some settings are in place and more extensive already here in scotland. at this stage we are asking people across the country to significantly step up and increase compliance with all existing precautions. face coverings, hygienic like washing hands and surfaces, getting vaccinated and testing yourselves regularly with lateral flow devices and from now on testing yourself before mixing socially with people from other households. we are also reminding people to work from home if possible as of today, i am asking employers to ensure they are maximising the potential of home—working. however this may be and there is likely to be a fast—moving situation, so our response will be kept under close review as we learn more about the risk omicron poses anti nature of transmission in scotland. a key part of our initial response will be to continue to identify cases as quickly as we can and where possible after that break the chains of transmission. to that end additional testing will be undertaken in areas where cases have been identified. our local response will complement the uk wide travel restrictions that aim to avoid importing new cases where we are trying to care community transmission. even with cases already here it is really important to do what we can to prevent new seeding of the variant from elsewhere. in line with the rest of the uk we have reinstated the red list of countries and to date ten countries from southern africa have been added to that red list. anybody travelling back to scotland from there must enter manage quarantine for ten on their arrival. anyone arriving in scotland from anywhere outside the common travel area will be asked to take a pcr test on the second day after arrival and self—isolate until they get a result of that test. we note the incubation period for this virus is very often more than two days. our view is it would be sensible on a precautionary basis for these travel rules to be tightened further, a view shared by the welsh government. i had a call yesterday with first minister and mark drakeford and he and i have written this morning a joint letter to the prime minister. we are proposing a topperfor nations prime minister. we are proposing a topper for nations approach to travel restrictions at this stage that would see people arriving in the uk asked this so site were eight days. they would take pcr test on days. they would take pcr test on day eight of their arrival as well as on day two. we believe this would be more effective in identifying cases of this variant which result from overseas travel and therefore help us prevent further community transmission from imported cases. as we know from earlier stages of the pandemic was so many people travelling to scotland and wales via airports in england, anything less than a four nations approach to requirements like this will be ineffective. we hope a four nations agreement can be reached. a four nations approach obviously requires the four nations to discuss these issues together and hear the best advice available, so mark drakeford and i have also called on the prime minister today to immediately convene a cobra meeting with representation from each nation to discuss what additional steps we might have to consider and how we work together to tackle this new risk. mark drakeford and i are also conscious of the very real concern businesses and staff will feel at the possibility of further protection is becoming necessary. we all hope this will not be necessary but it is prudent to plan ahead and so we have also sought confirmation that should any further protections be necessary treasury funding will be necessary treasury funding will be available to any of the four nations that require to activate business support schemes. given the serious tone and content of my statement today i want to stress this. it is always important and we have learned this over the last two years in the face of new developments in this virus to prepare for the worst, to act on a precautionary basis. but that does not mean that we are not hoping, because we are hoping, for something considerably short of the worst. we are still hoping for the best and hoping that our developing understanding of this virus variant will reduce rather than increase our concern. i very much hope that additional protections can be avoided and while we will act on a precautionary basis, we will also seek to act at all times in a proportionate manner. i want to end by stressing what we can all do, vaccination remains our most important line of defence. we had already outlined last week the scottish government was working to accelerate even further the booster vaccine programme. we will now step up vaccine programme. we will now step up those efforts even more. we are expecting a statement later today from the jcvi expecting a statement later today from thejcvi confirming its updated advice on vaccination. the scottish government is getting ready to operationalise any new recommendations from the jcvi, for example in relation to the interval between second doses and boosters or the range of people who can now receive booster dikes and we will do that as quickly as possible. — —— boosterjabs. if vaccines do proved to be less effective against this new variant, vaccination will still be hugely important. less effective does not mean ineffective. if anything the new variant makes it more important, not less important to get all doses of the vaccine. over the weekend 48—09 —year—olds became able to book boosters through nhs in form. the older age groups can already dare so. if you are 40 or over go to the website and book a boosterfor or over go to the website and book a booster for when you or over go to the website and book a boosterfor when you are or over go to the website and book a booster for when you are due. if you haven't yet had your first or second doses, please book an appointment to get them now. the scottish government will consider carefully in the coming days any further actions that are necessary as we get more information about this variant and the extent of its presence here. but the point i want to end all and indeed stress at this stage is that the same measures that have worked against previous strains of this virus will also help us curb any transmission of this new variant. if in recent weeks we have been sticking a bit less vigorously to all the public health advice which is entirely understandable and i am sure we are all in a position to a greater or lesser extent, now is a time to start following all of that advice vigorously again. everyone of us can make a difference in protecting ourselves and each other step but we just end with a reminder of what all of us can do and what it is really important all of us do do at this stage. these steps are now vital so i am asking everybody not to see this as optional. firstly get vaccinated, it is the single most important thing we can do to protect ourselves and each other, second leak test for covid regularly. we will be increasing testing in areas where the new variant has been identified but for all of us were evenif identified but for all of us were even if we are feeling fine, regular lateral flow testing is really important way of finding out if we might the virus. so on any occasion that you are intending to socialise or mix of people from other households, whether in a pub, restaurant, house or even a shopping centre, please do an lf t—test, you can get kits online or pick them up for local pharmacies. they are free so get as many as you need and keep your supply topped up. finally comply with all of the existing protections. where face coverings on public transport, shops, and whenever you are moving about in hospitality settings, keep windows open if you have people in your house to improve ventilation because we know that helps. follow all of the advice on hygiene, time to go back rigorous to washing our hands, cleaning surfaces and please work from home right now if you can. the economy secretary will be meeting business organisations later this afternoon and stressing working when possible will help us get through the winter and the slightest risk more safely. —— home—working. the discovery of these new variant makes these new measures important than ever before. they will make a difference and be sticking to them we will give ourselves the best possible chance of enjoying the more normal christmas we are all looking forward to but enjoying notjust a normal christmas but a safer christmas also. hopefully avoiding the need for any tighter protections in the weeks to come. please lets all of us make sure we up our compliance right now. this of course is a concerning development but if we take it as a reminder not to let our guard slip, i hope we can protect stronger position that we had already got ourselves into, so please get vaccinated, test yourself regularly and follow all of the protections that are in place. thank you to everybody for doing all of these things and for what i know everybody will be seeking to do in the weeks ahead. i will move now to questions. i am sure there will be a number of questions today about both the new variant generally but the situation in particular and viable call on the chief medical officer to answer many of these questions, you will be able to give a bit more information on what you know about the variant but also of course the surveillance exercise and way right now in scotland. i will go first to katie hunterfrom now in scotland. i will go first to katie hunter from the now in scotland. i will go first to katie hunterfrom the bbc. i now in scotland. i will go first to katie hunter from the bbc. i was wondering _ katie hunter from the bbc. i was wondering if _ katie hunter from the bbc. i was wondering if you _ katie hunter from the bbc. i was wondering if you could _ katie hunter from the bbc. i was wondering if you could give - katie hunter from the bbc. i was wondering if you could give us i katie hunter from the bbc. iwas wondering if you could give us some extra _ wondering if you could give us some extra information on the additional testing _ extra information on the additional testing you mentioned there, will that be _ testing you mentioned there, will that be pcr testing for everyone or is it lateral — that be pcr testing for everyone or is it lateral flow testing and do you know _ is it lateral flow testing and do you know if many of the cases identified _ you know if many of the cases identified are linked to cop26? | identified are linked to cop26? i will identified are linked to cop26? will be identified are linked to cop26? i will be brief, we have no information right now that any of these cases are related to cop but these cases are related to cop but the contact tracing is ongoing so no can i stand here and give you 100% guarantee that is not the case. i think if you consider the timelines of cop it is not impossible but it is perhaps also not probable that there are connections to cop, i think it ended on the 12th of november. had we had this variant circulating undetected in scotland from back then, i think our surveillance efforts right now may be showing more cases and more widespread muted transmission so thatis widespread muted transmission so that is not a definitive answer but it is i think an assumption that we can make based on what we know right now and if that changes of course we will update that information. in terms of additional testing health boards will work to ensure that is appropriate to the circumstances that they are faced with a round these new cases. in terms of additional testing, opposite will be additional testing, opposite will be a focus on pcr testing because it a quicker way to try to identify the new variant through this s gene dropout which is not conclusive of the new variant but highly indicative of it. initially there will be testing of close contacts with cases who are being asked to isolate but depending on the contact tracing, that testing will go further into networks of the cases but also in some cases the geographic areas that cases are being identified in but that is always the case, local public health themes are best placed to decide exactly on a tactical and targeted basis how to make use of that. the final point i would make is if you have any symptoms at all, go and get a pcr test no matter where in the country you live, and do regular lf t testing even if you feel fine and before you go and mix with anybody else because that means if you are asymptomatic but infected with this virus you have a chance of picking it up and stopping the transmission before it happens. ii it up and stopping the transmission before it happens.— before it happens. if you cast your mind back to _ before it happens. if you cast your mind back to when _ before it happens. if you cast your mind back to when the _ before it happens. if you cast your mind back to when the alpha i mind back to when the alpha variant was beginning — mind back to when the alpha variant was beginning to _ mind back to when the alpha variant was beginning to emerge _ mind back to when the alpha variant was beginning to emerge this- mind back to when the alpha variant was beginning to emerge this time i was beginning to emerge this time last year— was beginning to emerge this time last year 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beginning to appear again. i it is really important, we have seen s it is really important, we have seen 5 gene _ it is really important, we have seen 5 gene dropout _ it is really important, we have seen s gene dropout cases _ it is really important, we have seen s gene dropout cases even - it is really important, we have seen s gene dropout cases even when i it is really important, we have seen. s gene dropout cases even when delta was dominant — s gene dropout cases even when delta was dominant. we _ s gene dropout cases even when delta was dominant. we still— s gene dropout cases even when delta was dominant. we still get _ s gene dropout cases even when delta was dominant. we still get sporadic. was dominant. we still get sporadic cases— was dominant. we still get sporadic cases trut— was dominant. we still get sporadic cases but what— was dominant. we still get sporadic cases but what it _ was dominant. we still get sporadic cases but what it allows _ was dominant. we still get sporadic cases but what it allows us - was dominant. we still get sporadic cases but what it allows us to - was dominant. we still get sporadic cases but what it allows us to do i was dominant. we still get sporadic cases but what it allows us to do is| cases but what it allows us to do is to target— cases but what it allows us to do is to target these _ cases but what it allows us to do is to target these particular - cases but what it allows us to do is to target these particular cases - cases but what it allows us to do is to target these particular cases to i to target these particular cases to -et to target these particular cases to get more — to target these particular cases to get more information— to target these particular cases to get more information to - to target these particular cases to get more information to allow - to target these particular cases to get more information to allow usi to target these particular cases to i get more information to allow us to determine — get more information to allow us to determine whether— get more information to allow us to determine whether these _ get more information to allow us to determine whether these may - get more information to allow us to determine whether these may or. get more information to allow us to . determine whether these may or may not represent — determine whether these may or may not represent omicron _ determine whether these may or may not represent omicron cases. - determine whether these may or may not represent omicron cases. it - not represent omicron cases. it allows— not represent omicron cases. it allows us— not represent omicron cases. it allows us to — not represent omicron cases. it allows us to engage _ not represent omicron cases. it allows us to engage with - not represent omicron cases. it allows us to engage with those i allows us to engage with those people — allows us to engage with those people to — allows us to engage with those people to assam _ allows us to engage with those people to assam to _ allows us to engage with those people to assam to retest - allows us to engage with those people to assam to retest and| allows us to engage with those | people to assam to retest and i allows us to engage with those - people to assam to retest and i urge people _ people to assam to retest and i urge people if— people to assam to retest and i urge people if you — people to assam to retest and i urge people if you are _ people to assam to retest and i urge people if you are contacted - people to assam to retest and i urge people if you are contacted by- people if you are contacted by health — people if you are contacted by health detection— people if you are contacted by health detection teams, - people if you are contacted by health detection teams, to i people if you are contacted by- health detection teams, to undertake retesting _ health detection teams, to undertake retesting and — health detection teams, to undertake retesting and also _ health detection teams, to undertake retesting and also prioritise _ health detection teams, to undertake retesting and also prioritise the - retesting and also prioritise the samples — retesting and also prioritise the samples for— retesting and also prioritise the samples for genomic— retesting and also prioritise the . samples for genomic sequencing. retesting and also prioritise the - samples for genomic sequencing. it is the _ samples for genomic sequencing. it is the trest— samples for genomic sequencing. it is the best method _ samples for genomic sequencing. it is the best method we _ samples for genomic sequencing. it is the best method we have - samples for genomic sequencing. it is the best method we have of- samples for genomic sequencing. it| is the best method we have of being able to— is the best method we have of being able to identify _ is the best method we have of being able to identify cases _ is the best method we have of being able to identify cases at _ is the best method we have of being able to identify cases at this - able to identify cases at this moment— able to identify cases at this moment in— able to identify cases at this moment in time. _ able to identify cases at this moment in time. the - able to identify cases at this moment in time. the cases| able to identify cases at this . moment in time. the cases we able to identify cases at this - moment in time. the cases we have identified _ moment in time. the cases we have identified so— moment in time. the cases we have identified so far— moment in time. the cases we have identified so far have _ moment in time. the cases we have identified so far have been - identified so far have been identified _ identified so far have been identified through - identified so far have been identified through that - identified so far have been - identified through that process just now by— identified through that process just now try targeting _ identified through that process just now by targeting those _ identified through that process just now by targeting those cases - identified through that process just l now by targeting those cases looking for s gene _ now by targeting those cases looking for s gene dropout _ now by targeting those cases looking for s gene dropout or— now by targeting those cases looking for s gene dropout or target- for s gene dropout or target faiture~ _ for s gene dropout or target faiture~ at _ for s gene dropout or target failure. at this _ for s gene dropout or target failure. at this time - for s gene dropout or target failure. at this time we - for s gene dropout or targeti failure. at this time we don't for s gene dropout or target- failure. at this time we don't have any evidence — failure. at this time we don't have any evidence at _ failure. at this time we don't have any evidence at all— failure. at this time we don't have any evidence at all that _ failure. at this time we don't have any evidence at all that these - failure. at this time we don't have any evidence at all that these arei any evidence at all that these are related _ any evidence at all that these are related to — any evidence at all that these are related to cop26_ any evidence at all that these are related to copze but— any evidence at all that these are related to cop26 but we - any evidence at all that these are related to cop26 but we are - related to cop26 but we are continuing _ related to cop26 but we are continuing to _ related to cop26 but we are continuing to do _ related to cop26 but we are continuing to do the - related to cop26 but we are continuing to do the work. related to cop26 but we are i continuing to do the work and related to cop26 but we are - continuing to do the work and we will continue _ continuing to do the work and we will continue to— continuing to do the work and we will continue to do _ continuing to do the work and we will continue to do the _ continuing to do the work and we will continue to do the in—housei will continue to do the in—house contact — will continue to do the in—house contact tracing _ will continue to do the in—house contact tracing and _ will continue to do the in—house contact tracing and make - will continue to do the in—house contact tracing and make sure l will continue to do the in—housei contact tracing and make sure we identify— contact tracing and make sure we identify and — contact tracing and make sure we identify and isolate _ contact tracing and make sure we identify and isolate and _ contact tracing and make sure we identify and isolate and retest - identify and isolate and retest anyone — identify and isolate and retest anyone showing _ identify and isolate and retest anyone showing this - identify and isolate and retest| anyone showing this particular feature — anyone showing this particular feature. ., anyone showing this particular feature. . . , feature. that look-back exercise has led to an identification _ feature. that look-back exercise has led to an identification of _ feature. that look-back exercise has led to an identification of these - led to an identification of these cases and the view there may be limited community transmission already under way in scotland but it has also given us some insurance that that community transmission is not widespread at this stage and may not widespread at this stage and may not yet be sustained. it is allowing us to learn in both directions and it is very helpful in that regard. james matthews from sky. it is very helpful in that regard. james matthews from sky. could i ask, ou james matthews from sky. could i ask. you said _ james matthews from sky. could i ask, you said you _ james matthews from sky. could i ask, you said you want _ james matthews from sky. could i ask, you said you want to - james matthews from sky. could i ask, you said you want to avoid i ask, you said you want to avoid additional precautions, people will be thinking about christmas, big travel plans, big gatherings, what would you say to them in that regard, should they put plans on hold? can i ask you, gregor, do you know if anybody has died after contacting the omicron strain? when do you think roughly we will know how violent and dangerous it is, a couple of weeks, three weeks, before christmas? i couple of weeks, three weeks, before christmas? . ., . ., christmas? i am not asking anyone to ut lans christmas? i am not asking anyone to put plans on — christmas? i am not asking anyone to put plans on hold _ christmas? i am not asking anyone to put plans on hold today. _ christmas? i am not asking anyone to put plans on hold today. i _ christmas? i am not asking anyone to put plans on hold today. i will - put plans on hold today. i will during this next phase of the pandemic, if this proves necessary as we learn more over the days, i will do what i have done a previous status, stand here and... studio: here in the uk viewers can continue to watch this news conference but i will say goodbye to viewers on bbc world. j conference but i will say goodbye to viewers on bbc world.— viewers on bbc world. i think it is really important _ viewers on bbc world. i think it is really important we _ viewers on bbc world. i think it is really important we see _ viewers on bbc world. i think it is really important we see these - viewers on bbc world. i think it is really important we see these for| really important we see these for what they are, protections, not restrictions. wearing a face covering will help prevent the transmission of any variant of this virus, washing your hands and surfaces will do that. although we are not legally requiring this, just being mindful of distance between you and people from other households, you don't know, when you're out and about, keeping windows open in your house particularly if you have people around, testing yourself regularly to make sure you are not inadvertently going somewhere with the virus when you don't have symptoms. and getting vaccinated, thatis symptoms. and getting vaccinated, that is the single most important thing we are asking everybody today. right now we have all slipped up on these things, as our assessment of these things, as our assessment of the risk of this virus has receded, it is time for us to step up. if we do this we maximise chances of limiting this where we know more about it without the need for any further protections. that is my message, plea, request, call it what you want to everybody across the country, to those watching please tell people you know you're not watching this is a moment again for a collective national vigilance and compliance with these protections to try to keep all of us as safe as possible. i try to keep all of us as safe as ossible. try to keep all of us as safe as possible-— try to keep all of us as safe as ossible. , . . , , ., possible. i will try and answer your ruestion possible. i will try and answer your question as — possible. i will try and answer your question as fully _ possible. i will try and answer your question as fully as _ possible. i will try and answer your question as fully as can _ possible. i will try and answer your question as fully as can but - possible. i will try and answer your question as fully as can but there l question as fully as can but there is a iot— question as fully as can but there is a tot to — question as fully as can but there is a lot to learn about the new variant — is a lot to learn about the new variant omicron, that is unfortunately going to take some time _ unfortunately going to take some time the — unfortunately going to take some time. the first genomic sequences of this new— time. the first genomic sequences of this new variant were only uploaded to the _ this new variant were only uploaded to the international database on the 24th of— to the international database on the 24th of november. we are still at the very— 24th of november. we are still at the very early stages in understanding much about this. like any new— understanding much about this. like any new variant that comes along that probably three particular things— that probably three particular things we want to try to learn more about _ things we want to try to learn more about first— things we want to try to learn more about. first of all is it war transmissible? secondly doesn't show any properties that could lead to immune — any properties that could lead to immune evasion either for vaccine or previous— immune evasion either for vaccine or previous exposure or does it cause any change — previous exposure or does it cause any change in the disease severity? that is— any change in the disease severity? that is what — any change in the disease severity? that is what scientists will be particularly focusing uponjust now. those _ particularly focusing uponjust now. those three areas, using a variety of techniques to try and gain information on that. some of that will be _ information on that. some of that will be about data in the real world which _ will be about data in the real world which will — will be about data in the real world which will take time to collect, so that witt— which will take time to collect, so that will be about lab —based testing — that will be about lab —based testing as well. now that we have identified — testing as well. now that we have identified some cases in the uk that will allow— identified some cases in the uk that will allow us to retrieve viral materiai. _ will allow us to retrieve viral material, we can then subject to these _ material, we can then subject to these tab— material, we can then subject to these lab —based tests as well. all that witt— these lab —based tests as well. all that will be on the right at this moment— that will be on the right at this moment in time. it will be several weeks _ moment in time. it will be several weeks before we get clear and confidence answers to these questions. at this moment in time we are not— questions. at this moment in time we are not aware — questions. at this moment in time we are not aware of anyone globally who has died _ are not aware of anyone globally who has died as— are not aware of anyone globally who has died as a consequence of coming into contact — has died as a consequence of coming into contact with this virus. i have to stress— into contact with this virus. i have to stress this is the very early stages — to stress this is the very early stages of— to stress this is the very early stages of our understanding and that will increase really quite markedly even just — will increase really quite markedly even just the will increase really quite markedly evenjust the coming days. will increase really quite markedly even just the coming days. itv borders. do you have any idea of how this strain _ itv borders. do you have any idea of how this strain affects _ itv borders. do you have any idea of how this strain affects children - itv borders. do you have any idea of how this strain affects children and l how this strain affects children and with tots— how this strain affects children and with lots of things like meetings with lots of things like meetings with santa went up, do you have any advice _ with santa went up, do you have any advice for— with santa went up, do you have any advice for parents, should parents be concerned about taking children atong? _ be concerned about taking children along? thousands of homes still without— along? thousands of homes still without power in the scottish borders — without power in the scottish borders and the council advise peopie — borders and the council advise people to advise alternative accomplishment, in where they need to, are _ accomplishment, in where they need to, are you _ accomplishment, in where they need to, are you concerned the current weather _ to, are you concerned the current weather emergency we are facing couid _ weather emergency we are facing could enable further spread within the community of the strain? | rdrill the community of the strain? i will ass to the community of the strain? i will pass to gregor _ the community of the strain? i will pass to gregor on _ the community of the strain? i will pass to gregor on your _ the community of the strain? in it pass to gregor on your question about anything we know right now about anything we know right now about the impact of this variant on children. can i say generally, in response to your question but it may be relevant to others, if i will ask people to change anything they are currently doing i will say so explicitly. i'm not asking people not to do things that they are currently being told its not to do things that they are currently being told it's ok to do, but i am asking people to comply very strictly with all of the protections around these things. if that changes in the days to come we will set that out clearly and that is an important commitment to give. the scale of the damage done by high winds and the scale of the disruption has been significant undertaking power companies longer than anybody would want to restore households to power. the scottish government to's resilience committee is obviously engaged here. the deputy first minister chaired a meeting of that yesterday and we are very mindful of supporting people, welfare provisions and of course supporting any efforts to get people reconnected as quickly as possible. my reconnected as quickly as possible. my general message to people, and i know it is more difficult if you are disrupted are not able to stay in your own home and have power but just be mindful of all the risks of covid generally and in particularly this new variant but we can assure people that efforts are under way to get people reconnected to power as quickly as possible. fline get people reconnected to power as quickly as possible.— quickly as possible. one of the features of— quickly as possible. one of the features of all _ quickly as possible. one of the features of all the _ quickly as possible. one of the features of all the forms - quickly as possible. one of the features of all the forms of - quickly as possible. one of the j features of all the forms of the virus that we have seen so far is that there has been a very definite age gradient in terms of the severity of impact. older people and people with more vulnerabilities and fared worse when they have been affected by the virus and i should go down the age group to the younger age groups the severe effects are much less frequent. there is nothing to suggest with this particular virus that that has changed anything at all. none of the data which has been identified at this moment in time would suggest there is any change in that. of course we need to continue to monitor all of that but there was certainly no evidence of any change and nothing to suggest from the mutations in the virus that would be to any change either. just would be to any change either. just in terms of — would be to any change either. just in terms of treasury funding, if you are given _ in terms of treasury funding, if you are given that assurance by westminster were there to give you the confidence you need to perhaps bring _ the confidence you need to perhaps bring in _ the confidence you need to perhaps bring in more restrictions on protections even perhaps on a circuit— protections even perhaps on a circuit breaker bases ahead of christmas? it circuit breaker bases ahead of christmas?— circuit breaker bases ahead of christmas? , . ., christmas? it is important to get this round the _ christmas? it is important to get this round the right _ christmas? it is important to get this round the right way. - christmas? it is important to get this round the right way. it - christmas? it is important to get this round the right way. it is - christmas? it is important to getj this round the right way. it is not a case of if we get assurance of money will go and do restrictions. i don't want to impose restrictions. i don't want to impose restrictions. i don't want to impose restrictions. i don't want her to introduce more protection than i really hope we don't have to do that. it is about making sure that we have the assurance that should that prove necessary we are not stopped from doing what is necessary in a public health sense by of financial support so that is the way round i would say this is. if we get an insurance around what we are asking for today i still hope we will never have to activate that because the public health circumstances will ensure that additional protections are not necessary. irate that additional protections are not necessa . ~ . . , necessary. we will leave that news conference — necessary. we will leave that news conference with _ necessary. we will leave that news conference with nicola _ necessary. we will leave that news conference with nicola sturgeon i conference with nicola sturgeon talking about the response to the news that there are six cases of omicron in scotland. let's go to our political correspondent who has been listening to that along with ours. what are the top line is that you take from that?— what are the top line is that you take from that? ~ _, , ., take from that? when it comes to the six cases that — take from that? when it comes to the six cases that have _ take from that? when it comes to the six cases that have been _ take from that? when it comes to the six cases that have been identified . six cases that have been identified in scotland, the first minister clear that not all of them had links to foreign travel or to southern africa so there is a feeling in the scottish government that it is highly likely that the new variant is spreading in the community so thatis is spreading in the community so that is not insignificant and will raise some questions i suspect over the next few days but we also have this joint call now from the scottish and welsh governments for the uk to go further when it comes to telling people to self—isolate when they return from abroad. the government in london was saying that people were being told to take a pcr test two days after returning to the uk and until they got a negative test they would have to self—isolate. nicola sturgeon and the welsh first minister vincent borisjohnson this morning saying that they want on day eight test brought back as well that is something that was in place earlier in the pandemic but was and that would mean anyone coming back to the uk from abroad would have to self—isolate for at least eight days so that would be a significant change for the way that people have got used to travel over the last few weeks. there was a lot in there and a lot to mull over but it is quite important to point out that there are a lot of unanswered questions. we had nicola sturgeon quoting the world health organization saying that when it comes to whether this new variant managers to circumvent vaccines or whether it gives people a worse condition if they contracted we just don't know the answers yet so we know that there are cases in scotland. six of them. we know that some of them seem to be community transmission. but we don't know at the moment is what the health impact of that is likely to be. just the moment is what the health impact of that is likely to be.— of that is likely to be. just going back to that _ of that is likely to be. just going back to that joint _ of that is likely to be. just going back to that joint call— of that is likely to be. just going back to that joint call from - of that is likely to be. just going back to that joint call from the l back to thatjoint call from the scottish and welsh governments for there to be a tougher approach to travellers returning, how is boris johnson likely to respond to that and if he does not agree to a joint response isn't likely scotland and wales would go it alone? flat wales would go it alone? not impossible- _ wales would go it alone? not impossible. it _ wales would go it alone? not impossible. it is _ wales would go it alone? tint impossible. it is quite frankly given the number of people who travel by a group when they go on holiday from scotland or wales. most of the big airport hubs are south of the borderfrom here, certainly. one of the things that has happened with travel fairly consistently is there is been four nations approach and you have the first minister saying thatis you have the first minister saying that is what she is hoping for here. in terms of whether borisjohnson is minded to do that, it does not seem likely to me that it is imminent. we had the announcements from the government over the weekend, over what was happening in england and thatjust what was happening in england and that just talked about what was happening in england and thatjust talked about day what was happening in england and that just talked about day two. there have been some concerns about the incubation period of this variant so whether anybody who actually ended up contracting it would show up on that day to test, thatis would show up on that day to test, that is why the scottish and welsh governments are calling for a day eight test to be brought back as well so it does not seem likely at the moment and i must stress that is without asking anyone. it does not seem likely that the uk government will agree to that right away but there is a question over whether you can do more to limit the number of cases coming into the country by increasing the isolation period for people but also important to point out if there is community transmission in scotland already that will be a complete answer and the expectation across all the governments now is that we will see more over the next few days.- more over the next few days. thank ou ve more over the next few days. thank you very much- _ meanwhile, a little earlier the director general of the world health organisation warned that the new omicron variant proves we are still in the grip of a global pandemic — and that no region is safe until we are all safe. dr tedros adhanom ghebreyesus added spoke of the need for a new accord to help countries deal with pandemics in the future. we don't yet know whether omicron is associated with more transmission, more severe disease, more risk of re— infections or more risk of evading vaccinations. scientists at the who and around the world are working urgently to answer these questions. we should not need another wake—up call. we should all be wide awake to the threat of this virus. but omicron's very emergence is another reminder that although many of us might think we are done with covid—19, it is not done with us. that vote won't happen today. let's go to our correspondent. tell us what is happening. this go to our correspondent. tell us what is happening.— go to our correspondent. tell us what is happening. as you say, there has been some _ what is happening. as you say, there has been some calls _ what is happening. as you say, there has been some calls from _ what is happening. as you say, there has been some calls from some - has been some calls from some backbench mps to have a vote on these new restrictions coming into force in england but we don't think that voters going to happen before the measures are introduced at 4am tomorrow morning. what we are expecting is that the health secretary will be giving an update to mps in parliament later this afternoon. a bit similar to the press conference we had updating the public yesterday, outlining what some of these new measures are going to be, why they are being introduced and also probably an update on the number of cases in the uk of this new coronavirus variant. we are also expecting a number of other things today. thatjoint committee vaccination and immunisation to also bring forward and approved plans to roll out the booster vaccine programme so that both the time between someone's second and third jab might be cut but also that boosterjabs jab might be cut but also that booster jabs would jab might be cut but also that boosterjabs would be expanded to anybody over the age of 18. we are also expecting later today to say the detail of the legislation brought in to introduce these new restrictions in england. things like the use of face coverings again in shops and also the need for people to self—isolate if they are in contact with someone who has this new variant of coronavirus. even if they have been double jabbed. as you say, there have been some concerns from some backbench mps about not getting a boat on this before measures are introduced. they are likely to still get a vote on it but it would likely to be retrospective. passing something formally that has already been introduced into law. there has been a bit of concern and pressure from the who about the introduction of new travel restrictions on places like southern africa which the government has introduced with some saying that country should not be penalised for identifying some of these new variants and that it was unfair for certain countries to be targeted in that way. there has been so disquiet among mps that the general ramblings are not really that loud. not many people coming out publicly to criticise the measures the government has introduced for england. where they could be concern is if the variant does develop to an extent that the government may in future have to introduce its planned beaver autumn and winter in england. this could in due things like asking people to work from home all covid passports to enter send ten venues which the case for some places in england or wales. that was to be introduced in england we may get a little more resistant backlash about the possible effect of some of these measures on the economy. of these measures on the economy. joining me now is professor andrew hayward, he's director of the ucl institute of epidemiology and health care, and a member of the government's sage committee. there is little to go on at this point so how concerned are you about omicron? . . point so how concerned are you about omicron? , . , ., . . , omicron? festival, 'ust to clarify, i'm a omicron? festival, 'ust to clarify, m a member— omicron? festival, 'ust to clarify, i'm a member of _ omicron? festival, just to clarify, i'm a member of the _ omicron? festival, just to clarify, i'm a member of the navteq - omicron? festival, just to clarify, - i'm a member of the navteq committee rather than the sage committee. but i do think there are a lot of things that would make me worried, principally the mutations that are in it are extreme. in terms of their number. and we know that there are also likely to be associated with reduction in immunity. although we have not yet proven that. i'm sorry, i'm getting an awful lot of feedback and it is very difficult to talk, i don't know if you can understand me all right. don't know if you can understand me all riuht. ., ., ., . don't know if you can understand me allriuht. ., ., ., . . . all right. you out loud and clear so if ou're all right. you out loud and clear so if you're 0k _ all right. you out loud and clear so if you're 0k to _ all right. you out loud and clear so if you're ok to keep _ all right. you out loud and clear so if you're ok to keep talking - all right. you out loud and clear so if you're ok to keep talking and . all right. you out loud and clear so j if you're ok to keep talking and try to ignore whatever is coming in your ear, that would be grateful to buy you ok to keep going for a bit? the ke issue you ok to keep going for a bit? the key issue is — you ok to keep going for a bit? tie: key issue is that you ok to keep going for a bit? he key issue is that we you ok to keep going for a bit? t“t9 key issue is that we have you ok to keep going for a bit? tt9 key issue is that we have a lot of uncertainty but it is going to take us quite a long time to resolve that uncertainty. and the catch—22 is that by the time we have resolved that by the time we have resolved that uncertainty the strain is likely to have spread quite considerably if it is going to. when ou sa considerably if it is going to. when you say quite _ considerably if it is going to. when you say quite a _ considerably if it is going to. when you say quite a long _ considerably if it is going to. when you say quite a long time. - considerably if it is going to. when you say quite a long time. the - you say quite a long time. the measures _ you say quite a long time. the measures we _ you say quite a long time. the measures we are _ you say quite a long time. tt9 measures we are taking are entirely necessary but it is uncertain whether dot—mac you like you could say it could take quite a long time to ascertain exactly what the situation is with this particular strain, how long would you anticipate because we are being told two weeks and we should have a clearer picture? well, i think we will have a clearer picture from the international data. at least in terms of the extent to which it has carried on spreading. both in south africa and in other countries. we may start to get an indicator from south africa whether the increase in cases is leading to an increase in deaths. but we won't really have the sort of detailed information that we developed for delta and alpha which only became available when it was widespread in the uk. irate only became available when it was widespread in the uk.— only became available when it was widespread in the uk. we have had man time widespread in the uk. we have had many time since _ widespread in the uk. we have had many time since the _ widespread in the uk. we have had many time since the emergence . widespread in the uk. we have had many time since the emergence of| many time since the emergence of covid that when viruses mutate they tend to get more transmissible but less lethal. it's not always so? it is certainly not always so at all. i think, if this is a strain that is going to become dominant, then it will do so by virtue of either escaping immunity or increased transmissibility. and so unless that is accompanied by a decrease in severity then that would be a worse situation than the one we currently have with delta. just situation than the one we currently have with delta.— have with delta. just a very quick thou . ht, have with delta. just a very quick thought, scotland _ have with delta. just a very quick thought, scotland and _ have with delta. just a very quick thought, scotland and wales - have with delta. just a very quick thought, scotland and wales are| thought, scotland and wales are saying they want a four nation approach to international travel, anyone coming to this country should actually isolate for at least eight days and this should be an eight day covid test. that is obviously different to what has been announced currently. what is your view on that? it currently. what is your view on that? , :, :, :, that? it is important at the moment to do what we _ that? it is important at the moment to do what we can _ that? it is important at the moment to do what we can to _ that? it is important at the moment to do what we can to minimise - to do what we can to minimise importation are there i think we should be realistic and understand that the number of cases that have been reported in the uk will be many fold level than the number already here. i think i'm not going to comment on the specific means of preventing importation but almost all of them will be done to some extent so it is about delaying rather than stopping this coming to the uk. :, ~ y. rather than stopping this coming to the uk. :, , y:, , rather than stopping this coming to the uk. :, ~ y. y : :, the uk. thank you very much for “oininu the uk. thank you very much for joining us- _ thank you very much forjoining us. masks are back for those aged 11 and above in england. steve chalke is the founder and leader of oasis uk, a multi academy trust that runs more than fifty primary and secondary schools across england. what is your response? yes, i think three words. _ what is your response? yes, i think three words, really. _ what is your response? yes, i think three words, really. all— what is your response? yes, i think three words, really. all beginning l three words, really. all beginning with c. confusion, caution and clarity. there is a huge amount of confusion. i listen to your last few guests. we don't know, we don't understand, we're not sure how severe this is, we're not sure how to transmit abilities. we don't know how many times it can mutate. we don't know. so because of that confusion, to keep schools safe, looking at this from the schools point of view, with 32,000 students around the country, we need to be cautious. be cautious. so it is brilliant that this morning and last night we heard that masks and secondary school should be worn in corridors but of course kids of this close to one another in classrooms as they are in corridors and this new mutant of cova doesn't understand the difference between a corridor in the classroom so we need to be cautious and i think we need to be cautious and i think we need to do more and that leads me to my third cd, clarity. it is hard for schools to be clear for students and staff unless the government is clear with us. i live in london and i sometimes write the tube. — mcbride the tube. there are signs saying you must wear a mask but 90% of people, know if you ever do this, but 90% ride on the tube, 90% of people don't wear masks and they don't wear masks because actually they know it is not an obligation. we need a sense of clarity around this until we know where we are with this new variant. :, :, , :, :, variant. how would you define that clari in variant. how would you define that clarity in schools _ variant. how would you define that clarity in schools and _ variant. how would you define that clarity in schools and whether - variant. how would you define that clarity in schools and whether it. clarity in schools and whether it should be an obligation? t’itt clarity in schools and whether it should be an obligation? i'm not a scientist. i've _ should be an obligation? i'm not a scientist. i've just _ should be an obligation? i'm not a scientist. i've just been _ should be an obligation? i'm not a scientist. i've just been listening l scientist. i've just been listening to the scientist talking with you. it has been really interesting. and clearly nobody quite understands this yet. and that is the confusion bit. it strikes me that common sense, if we want to keep schools open throughout this winter, knowing all of the issues that that raises in terms of children's learning and their mental health, their social and emotional stability etc etc, the long tail that we've got from previous lockdown is already going to take us decades to deal with in some cases. itjust strikes me that, in the light of that, we need to be safe as possible. so if you've got to wear a mask and a supermarket then why don't need to wear a mask all the time in secondary school? no skill can impose no school can impose that. it needs to come from government and of course this happens in other european countries. thank you very much. do let us know your thoughts on the situation with mask wearing and your concerns. you can get in touch with me directly on twitter. thousands of people are facing a fourth day without power in the wake of storm arwen. the north east of scotland remains the worst hit, with police declaring a major incident in the area due the widespread disruption. welcome and thank you forjoining us. how cold is it? it is welcome and thank you for “oining us. how cold is it?�* us. how cold is it? it is very cold here. us. how cold is it? it is very cold here- the _ us. how cold is it? it is very cold here. the ground _ us. how cold is it? it is very cold here. the ground is _ us. how cold is it? it is very cold here. the ground is frozen - us. how cold is it? it is very cold here. the ground is frozen and l us. how cold is it? it is very cold l here. the ground is frozen and we have had no power since having pm on friday night. we have been getting updates may be every six or eight hours from sse but it is always your power will be restored by 2300 00 600 and then, like today, we are waiting on the power coming back on at 11 and we are saying it will now be a potentially 48 hours before the power would be restored. if we'd known originally we were not of state in the house, we would have went to stay in a hotel but when you're told it is possibly going to be reenergised in ten or 12 hours or you think, we can save a short space of time until the power comes back on but monday. it is potentially going from wednesday until the power is back. ~ :. . ~ it going from wednesday until the power is back-_ it is _ is back. what is it like? it is cold. we've _ is back. what is it like? it is cold. we've got _ is back. what is it like? it is cold. we've got a _ is back. what is it like? it is - cold. we've got a wood-burning stove cold. we've got a wood—burning stove and how so that has saved us, you know, we are using that to boil water and doing some small cooking on it. we are quite rural so the water is from a well. that is normally pumped out by electricity some having to use a bucket. kind of going back to the old victorian way. just for flushing the toilet of course. we have bottled water for boiling and the local primary school was closed today. they have offered us to go along their along with everyone else who has no electricity there to go along get meals and we are told that will be available tonight for if anyone wants to stay overnight in the gym hall for putting down bedding or whatever. i think it is going to be another few days before we are back energised up here. ~ :. days before we are back energised up here. 9 :, , :, days before we are back energised up here. 9 :, y:, :, days before we are back energised up here. . :, , :, :, days before we are back energised up here. . :, y:, :, ~ here. what will you do, then? we take u- here. what will you do, then? we take pp those _ here. what will you do, then? we take up those offers? _ here. what will you do, then? we take up those offers? we - here. what will you do, then? we take up those offers? we go - here. what will you do, then? we take up those offers? we go to i here. what will you do, then? we take up those offers? we go to al take up those offers? we go to a hotel? ~ , :, , , take up those offers? we go to a hotel? ~ , , take up those offers? we go to a hotel? 9 , :, , , ::, :, hotel? we will probably continue to car on. hotel? we will probably continue to carry on. someone _ hotel? we will probably continue to carry on. someone would _ hotel? we will probably continue to carry on. someone would just - hotel? we will probably continue to carry on. someone would just tell l carry on. someone would just tell us, listen, here is how it is what abbott is going to be another two days. then we would probably consider may be going elsewhere. i have had to take time off work. a day at a time. i notice hard situation for engineers to forecast and say it is going to take this long. but friday to monday is a long time. we have three young children under six and it is not easy. we're getting there but if it is going to be another two or three days is kind of going into really uncomfortable territory. of going into really uncomfortable territo . , , : :, of going into really uncomfortable territo . m : :, :, territory. difficult to explain to little children _ territory. difficult to explain to little children when _ territory. difficult to explain to little children when a - territory. difficult to explain to little children when a situation| territory. difficult to explain to l little children when a situation is very uncomfortable. how are you managing on that? you mentioned you had to take time off work. why is that? :, :, :, ~ :,' had to take time off work. why is that? :, :, :, ~ :, 4' that? had to take time off work because we've _ that? had to take time off work because we've got _ that? had to take time off work because we've got no _ that? had to take time off work because we've got no power, i that? had to take time off work| because we've got no power, no that? had to take time off work- because we've got no power, no mains water. in three young children. so it is a full—time job just looking up it is a full—time job just looking up the kids and keeping them occupied and keeping the wood—burning stove, keeping within their and boiling water and things. i know some villages round about, the power has come back on so we can maybe go elsewhere get some food from a cafe or whatever but it has been pretty full on trying to keep the house like the one. the wood burner, either the room is too warm and there is no heat upstairs, it is very cool at night and the kids are up very cool at night and the kids are up three, four, five times a night so we have had maybe two or three hours sleep each night since friday. and we were just hoping tonight the electricity would be back. it is not really booking that way at all. t really booking that way at all. i hope it gets restored soon and thank you for taking the time to talk to us. you can keep up—to—date on how the storm is affecting where you live on your local bbc radio station and you can listen via bbc sounds. ghislaine maxwell — a close associate of the convicted sex offenderjeffrey epstein — goes on trial today in new york. the british publishing heiress has been accused of trafficking 4 unnamed minors and grooming and recruiting them for her former lover to abuse in the late 90s and early 2000s. she's been in a new yorkjail since her arrest injuly 2020 — and has pleaded not guilty to all charges. nada tawfik reports. ghislaine maxwell and jeffrey epstein attracted friends in high places, increasing the intrigue around the duo. his death in 2019 under unusual circumstances only raised more questions, leaving behind a dark cloud of mystery. the fallen heiress's trial may yet provide the most explicit details to date. in this indictment, ghislaine maxwell is charged with sex trafficking and recruiting and grooming four underage girls for epstein to abuse from 1994—2004. the jury here in new york will have to decide whether she's being made a scapegoat for epstein, or if she was his chief enabler. that abuse included sexualised massages. these sexualised massages developed into sexual encounters for which maxwell, in some instances, was present and participated. ghislaine maxwell's life before she met epstein was very different, but not without its own drama. she was the youngest child of the late disgraced newspaper baron robert maxwell. part of her appeal to epstein was her circle of rich and famous friends, including prince andrew. her trial comes at a very inconvenient time for the royal, as he fights off his own separate civil lawsuit by one of epstein's most outspoken accusers, virginia guiffre. ghislaine tells me that i have to do for andrew what i do forjeffrey. and that made me sick. i just didn't expect it from royalty. she said epstein and ghislaine maxwell forced her to have sex with the duke of york when she was just 17, in london, new york, and the us virgin islands. prince andrew has previously denied all of the allegations. but his attempts to put the scandal behind him have so farfailed. ian maxwell says at least one sibling will be present every day of his sister's trial. it is impossible for me to think that she would have been engaged in these really horrendous charges that she's now facing. it doesn't stack up in any single way. all those people who do not know her but who have some regard for the system ofjustice that operates in the united states, they should suspend theirjudgment. her case is expected to last six weeks, after which herfate is in the hands of the jury. nada tawfik, bbc news, new york. thousands of people are facing a fourth day without power in the wake of storm arwen. the north east of scotland remains the worst hit, with police declaring a major incident in the area due the widespread disruption. people awoke to the tremors and rushed out onto the street. i was able to wake my wife and pick up my child. we were not able to reach the door. some became trapped under the rubble and had to be pulled free. hundreds of homes, businesses and churches were destroyed the full extent of the damage is still being assessed. the peruvian president visited affected areas and promised government aid to help rebuild homes. be certain that, starting today, we are with you. the epicentre was a sparsely populated region of the amazon rainforest but the deep quake was felt across half the deep quake was felt across half the country and in colombia more than 1000 kilometres away. it also caused damage in neighbouring ecuador. a14—year—old boy has been remanded in secure accommodation after appearing in court for the murder of a 12—year—old. paperwhite was stabbed in the city centre on thursday while out with her friends to see the christmas lights being switched on. there was no application for bail and the is due to appear at liverpool crown court on wednesday. you are watching bbc news. now time for a weather update with sarah. it has been a cold and an icy start to the day. last night was the coldest night of the season so far, with temperatures as low as minus 8.7 degrees in cambria. now, through the rest of today, we've still got the cold, but clear weather in the south and east, cloudy skies with patchy rain working in from the northwest of scotland, northern ireland, northern england, seeing some outbreaks of rain in the sunshine in the southeast, four or five degrees under the cloud for the northwest, around ten degrees today. through this evening and tonight, that milder air with the cloud and patchy outbreaks of rain moves across all of the uk. it'll be fairly breezy. so temperatures tomorrow morning, nowhere near as cold as they were this morning, somewhere between about five to 11 degrees to start off the day. so a cloudy day tomorrow with some outbreaks of rain as this area of low pressure sweeps its way eastwards across the uk. so a milder interlude in the weather, i think, through the day on tuesday, some places seeing double figures. by the time we get to wednesday, though, things are going to turn colder once again. bye for now. hello this is bbc news. the headlines... as six cases of the new omicron variant are reported in scotland, the first minister nicola sturgeon has said there is no evidence to suggest it is widespread. there might already be some community transmission of this variant in scotland but again, there is no evidence yet that this is sustained nor any evidence from the enhanced surveillance that it is widespread at this stage. as more countries report cases of the new coronavirus variant — the world health organisation warns omicron is likley to spread internationally — posing a �*very high' global risk. omicron's very emergence is another reminder that although many of us might think we are done with covid—19, it's not done with us. in england, approval is expected to be given for all adults to have covid boosterjabs to try to protect people from the new variant. masks are back at secondary schools in england and they are to become mandatory again in shops and on public transport from tomorrow. a 14—year—old boy has been remanded in secure accommodation after appearing at liverpool magistrates' court charged with the murder of ava white. the 12 year old was stabbed on thursday. labour is calling for an overhaul of the system regulating the conduct of ministers, accusing prime minister boris johnson of failing to enforce current rules. british socialite, ghislaine maxwell — a close associate of the convicted sex offenderjeffrey epstein — is to go on trial in new york for sex trafficking and other charges. sport and for a full round up, from the bbc sport centre, here's holly. good morning / afternoon / evening.... the netherlands and arsenal striker vivianne miedema has been crowned bbc women's footballer of the year. she was presented with her award at arsenal's training ground what a year she has had...scoring10 goals at the tokyo olympics and breaking the women's super league all time goal scoring record. she won the award ahead of australia and chelsea striker sam kerr and spain and barcelona's alexia putellas. a busy day in the premier league yesterday — wins for manchester city, leicester and brentford — but league leaders chelsea held to a 1—all draw by manchester united... but no action in a very snowy burnley sean dyche braving the conditions at turf moor before kick off in his shirt.. he's made of sturdy stuff. that snow though couldnt be cleared with the game with tottenham called off hours before kick off... so spare a thought for this spurs fan, who travelled all the way from dallas, to london, to burnley. 31 hours. fuelled by coffee and cheese crackers. only to get there and find the game had been called off. spurs captain harry kane though intervened inviting ken to a home game, hopefully on a warmer day. defending champion novak djokovic is unlikely to play at the australian open unless rules over covid—19 vaccinations are relaxed, according to his father. srdjan djokovic told serb tv, "under these blackmail conditions, he probably won't (play)”. unvaccinated players will not be allowed to compete at the 2022 event — the world number one djokovic has declined to disclose his status so far. england captainjoe root said he has spoken to his former yorkshire team mate azeem rafiq and they plan to meet up after the ashes tour in australia. rafiq has said he thinks the english game is "institutionally racist”... and he was hurt that root couldn't �*recall�* any instances of racism occuring... we exchanged a couple of messages quite recently and hopefully when we finish this tour we will get the opportunity to sit down and talk about this whole situation, about how we can move the game forward and, as i mentioned in my statement, as well, along with talking to azeem, i wanted to speak to lord patel at the club and those dialogues have started as well. i think it is important that we keep finding ways of bettering the sport, finding ways of bettering the sport, finding ways of bettering the sport, finding ways how we can individually affect things for the better and make a real change in things. we've had a morning of tributes to sir frank williams, the former formula one boss who died yesterday.. as founder and principal at williams, he won seven drivers titles, and nine constructors titles — and only stepped back from f1 last year. he's widely regarded as one of the smost successful and influentialfigures in the sport. david coulthard who drove for williams from 1994—95 says he's left a lasting legacy. the reason i think the team struggled in the last few years was his reluctance to ever sell out to a major manufacturer, which many other teams have done and he wanted to remain independent and that awarded him great success for very long periods. i would him great success for very long periods. iwould not look him great success for very long periods. i would not look at the sort of drought of wins over the last period, i still think there is a great affection for the williams team and everything they stand for. and world number one and world champion mark selby suffered a stunning upset at the uk championship..beaten in the second round by iran's hossein vafaei, who at one point was 5 frames up, who enjoyed a very lucky finish there on the black.. and just some breaking news before we leave you...in the last few moments manchester united have confirmed ralf rangick as interim boss until the end of the season. he will then he will continue in a consultancy role for a further two years. i'll have more for you in the next hour. let's get more now on our top story and the emergence of this new variant of covid 19 named omicron. six cases of the variant have been detected in scotland, taking the total to nine found in the uk so far. one of the first cases detected in the uk was discovered in essex. joining me now is essex county council's director for public health, dr mike gogarty. welcome. thank you forjoining us. can you bring us up—to—date with the situation in terms of contact tracing and whether any new cases have been found!— tracing and whether any new cases have been found! thank you. as you are aware. — have been found! thank you. as you are aware, there _ have been found! thank you. as you are aware, there was _ have been found! thank you. as you are aware, there was a _ have been found! thank you. as you are aware, there was a case - have been found! thank you. as you are aware, there was a case in - have been found! thank you. as you | are aware, there was a case in essex identified over the weekend. that person is isolating appropriately with their family, who are also isolating. they are unwell but not seriously unwell and we wish them all the best and expect them to make all the best and expect them to make a full recovery. working with the family we have identified a number of sites where we believe there is a particular risk that people might have been exposed, a low risk, but a risk, and those places are the kfc in the high street in brentwood where we have already had a mobile unit out there and tested staff and we are asking people who attended there on the 19th of november between 1pm and 5pm to have a pcr test as well. particularly at the brentwood centre were people can just turn up. the family also attended a faith ceremony last weekend and we have been in contact with the church and with the congregation and we are asking them to go for tests as well and the third site we are looking at is the larch wood primary school in brentwood, where we are sending the same for all the children in the school tonight. they will receive them when they get to school today except for one class who we feel are at higher risk and in that class, very much as a precautionary measure, we asked for the whole class to go home, isolate for ten days and you have a test as well. just trying to understand the timeframe, because the alarm was raised from south africa only last week, but you mentioned the 19th of november as a key date in essex. that obviously predates what happened in south africa. can you explain that? t happened in south africa. can you expiain that?— explain that? i think that the timin: of explain that? i think that the timing of the _ explain that? i think that the timing of the discovery - explain that? i think that the timing of the discovery in - explain that? i think that the i timing of the discovery in south africa, there had been cases prior to that and that's certainly the case that we are aware of had in fact had contact with someone who had returned from africa, a contact of a contact from someone who had returned from africa beforehand, so we certainly, i would expect that it was in south africa some while before the alarm was raised. t am before the alarm was raised. i am thinkin: , before the alarm was raised. i am thinking. if— before the alarm was raised. i am thinking. if it— before the alarm was raised. i am thinking, if it goes _ before the alarm was raised. i am thinking, if it goes back _ before the alarm was raised. i am thinking, if it goes back that far, what is the likelihood of there being much wider community transmission than we are currently aware of? when the alarm was raised, measures were brought in, but this goes before all of that.— goes before all of that. there is no doubt that there _ goes before all of that. there is no doubt that there are _ goes before all of that. there is no doubt that there are more - goes before all of that. there is no doubt that there are more cases i goes before all of that. there is no doubt that there are more cases in j doubt that there are more cases in this country and they will come to light over the coming days and the degree to which they are transmitting within the community is not clear because we do not know quite how infectious this particular variant is. i would be disappointed if we find another case in that wider group that we are testing at the moment, but we need to do it as a precautionary measure but i would not be surprised if there are other cases, i would be surprised if there were not other cases within this country and internationally in the coming days. country and internationally in the coming days-— country and internationally in the cominuda s. :, :, , , :, coming days. how many people are isolatin: in coming days. how many people are isolating in essex _ coming days. how many people are isolating in essex as _ coming days. how many people are isolating in essex as a _ coming days. how many people are isolating in essex as a result i coming days. how many people are isolating in essex as a result of i isolating in essex as a result of the case, you mention the family, what about others? that the case, you mention the family, what about others?— the case, you mention the family, what about others? at the moment there is the — what about others? at the moment there is the family, _ what about others? at the moment there is the family, a _ what about others? at the moment there is the family, a close - what about others? at the moment there is the family, a close contact| there is the family, a close contact of the family and the group of children in that particular class from the school, they are the only ones isolating and they are isolating as contacts, other than the family who have been tested and we are waiting for their results. tn we are waiting for their results. in terms of the other locations, the kfc, no one is having to isolate there? how have you measured the contact? i am assuming the family went there and ordered food. the case went to _ went there and ordered food. tt9 case went to the kfc, ordered food and left. the chances of anyone being infected in that time are pretty low, but because we are taking a very precautionary position, we have asked all the staff to be tested and all the people who were there between 1pm and 5pm on that day, but the chances of them having it are very low and they certainly do not need to isolate. 9. ~ they certainly do not need to isolate. :, ,, , :, they certainly do not need to isolate. 9. ~' , :, , they certainly do not need to isolate. :, ,, y:, , : they certainly do not need to isolate. 9. ~ y:. , : :, isolate. thank you very much for “oininu isolate. thank you very much for joining us- _ a charity says a quarter of a million children in the uk will go hungry this christmas and nearly a fifth of uk families are worried about not being able to afford christmas dinner. the childhood trust supports children in london who are facing poverty and has just launched its christmas appeal. joining me now is laurence guinness the chief executive of the childhood trust and shakira she is mum to 4 and says she struggles with making her money stretch across both food and heating bills. welcome both of you, thank you for joining us. shakira, tell us what family life is like at the moment and the pressures you are facing. git the moment, it is very difficult. it is really tough trying to get meals for my children. tt is is really tough trying to get meals for my children.— for my children. it is ok, if the children are _ for my children. it is ok, if the children are there, _ for my children. it is ok, if the children are there, they i for my children. it is ok, if the children are there, they are i for my children. it is ok, if the i children are there, they are welcome to come in. it is difficult when you arejuggling. we understand. thank ou. as i arejuggling. we understand. thank you- as i was _ arejuggling. we understand. thank you. as i was saying, _ arejuggling. we understand. thank you. as i was saying, trying - arejuggling. we understand. thank you. as i was saying, trying to i are juggling. we understand. “tngtaz you. as i was saying, trying to get food for my children is not easy because i am obviously not working, i am the main carerfor my son, who has got a disability and i rely on the food bank that supports us during this time.— the food bank that supports us during this time. thank you. how stressful is _ during this time. thank you. how stressful is it _ during this time. thank you. how stressful is it for— during this time. thank you. how stressful is it for you? _ during this time. thank you. how stressful is it for you? very i stressful is it for you? very stressful. _ stressful is it for you? very stressful, because, - stressful is it for you? very stressful, because, for i stressful is it for you? very i stressful, because, for example, i have a child with needs, they do not eat the same food at the same time. my eat the same food at the same time. my child with needs, wants some other kind of food, if they are out at the food bank, but they have been helpful. sometimes when i visit the food bank, i can warm up ready meals, that is handy. any time i need it. 9. 9 meals, that is handy. any time i need it. :, : :, g, need it. lawrence, we are hearing from shakira _ need it. lawrence, we are hearing from shakira how _ need it. lawrence, we are hearing from shakira how dependent i need it. lawrence, we are hearing from shakira how dependent she l need it. lawrence, we are hearing| from shakira how dependent she is need it. lawrence, we are hearing i from shakira how dependent she is on this extra support, how many families are you coming across in this situation? taste families are you coming across in this situation?— families are you coming across in this situation? 9 :, ::, .: :,, , this situation? we are coming across tens of thousands _ this situation? we are coming across tens of thousands of _ this situation? we are coming across tens of thousands of families, i this situation? we are coming across tens of thousands of families, in i tens of thousands of families, in london. — tens of thousands of families, in london, where we predominantly focus, _ london, where we predominantly focus, but — london, where we predominantly focus, but there are hundreds of thousands— focus, but there are hundreds of thousands of families in similar predicaments across the country. the projects _ predicaments across the country. the projects that we fund have experienced almost a 50% uptick in children— experienced almost a 50% uptick in children coming to them in the last few weeks. — children coming to them in the last few weeks, because they are hungry. the rising _ few weeks, because they are hungry. the rising energy bills, the rise in food _ the rising energy bills, the rise in food costs. — the rising energy bills, the rise in food costs, the reduction in universal— food costs, the reduction in universal credit has been devastating for children and for families— devastating for children and for families like shakira's. i arrived here _ families like shakira's. i arrived here this — families like shakira's. i arrived here this morning at shakira's house, — here this morning at shakira's house, it— here this morning at shakira's house, it was freezing cold. absolutely freezing cold. i had to -ive absolutely freezing cold. i had to give it _ absolutely freezing cold. i had to give it shakira money to put the heating — give it shakira money to put the heating on. the children were crying. — heating on. the children were crying, both of the children here were _ crying, both of the children here were crying... this is a dreadful way— were crying... this is a dreadful way to— were crying... this is a dreadful way to live _ were crying... this is a dreadful way to live. so many children'slives are being _ way to live. so many children'slives are being blighted by poverty and we need to— are being blighted by poverty and we need to wake up to this tragedy. you mentioned need to wake up to this tragedy. tm mentioned some of the factors that have led to the increase in people seeking help, what would you like to seeking help, what would you like to see happen? what other ways to address this? obviously a charity like yours can help, but it is not an ultimate fix.— like yours can help, but it is not an ultimate fix. look, we have all suffered during _ an ultimate fix. look, we have all suffered during the _ an ultimate fix. look, we have all suffered during the pandemic- an ultimate fix. look, we have all suffered during the pandemic and an ultimate fix. look, we have all- suffered during the pandemic and now we are _ suffered during the pandemic and now we are all— suffered during the pandemic and now we are all kind of scared again and on alert. _ we are all kind of scared again and on alert, but families like shakira's, the £20 uplift was a lifeline — shakira's, the £20 uplift was a lifeline. that has been taken away. we have _ lifeline. that has been taken away. we have 3.4 million families who are not in _ we have 3.4 million families who are not in work— we have 3.4 million families who are not in work across the uk and for them _ not in work across the uk and for them the — not in work across the uk and for them the adjustment in the universal credit— them the adjustment in the universal credit taper rate is not going to do anything — credit taper rate is not going to do anything. we have left people in a really— anything. we have left people in a really precarious state. the government should never have cut that at _ government should never have cut that at a _ government should never have cut that at a time when we are not out of the _ that at a time when we are not out of the widget, we are not clear of this pandemic and its consequences. so many— this pandemic and its consequences. so many families on the lowest incomes— so many families on the lowest incomes are struggling to survive, to get— incomes are struggling to survive, to get through this, and it is only the support of charities that are actually— the support of charities that are actually keeping people alive, it is that serious.— that serious. thank you both for “oininu that serious. thank you both for joining us. _ that serious. thank you both for joining us. it — that serious. thank you both for joining us, it shakira _ that serious. thank you both for joining us, it shakira and i that serious. thank you both for i joining us, it shakira and lawrence, thank you. the fashion designer and creative director of louis vuitton, virgil abloh, has died of cancer. the 41—year—old founded the brand �*0ff—white', and had worked with some of the industry's biggest names including kanye west and jaz z. virgil abloh made history as the first black man to become the creative director of luxury brand louis vuitton, but the path to success wasn't always easy. it took me that sort of period to question myself and be like am i going to believe in the myth that i can't be a designer at the highest level, that i am supposed to make printed t—shirts that are called streetwear. i hope that through my narrative, people see that in themselves, that anything is achievable and there's different genres arejust made to bejumped over. when he got his moment, abloh redefined the idea of the modern fashion designer, adding dj, artist and architect to his creative arsenal. announcing the sad news of his passing on instagram, a statement to his six million followers read... atjust age 41, abloh was seen as a trailblazer. he had been working with industry leaders and artists like kanye west and in 2013 he founded his own streetwear label. his clothes were worn by the likes of naomi campbell and kim kardashian. but he often said, everything i do is for the 17—year—old version of myself. virgil was of a scene that sort of was emerging in the fashion space. young kids, young guys who were buying tonnes of fashion, buying sneakers, listening to hip hop. and virgil was in touch with this audience. he was this customer at one time in his life. and so i think he just understood something that a lot of people in paris don't fully understand. abloh was one of the most visible black creatives in the industry. he took design into arenas where it had not gone before, like creating a rug out of an ikea receipt. the news of his passing has left the industry in shock, with big names taking to twitter to pay tribute to him. virgil abloh made a mark in the industry. he may be gone, but his influence on fashion is expected to live on. virgil abloh, who's died aged 41. the labour shortages that are plaguing many companies around the world extend all the way up to the north pole. that's right, santa clauses are in high demand and short supply. if you're trying to book a father christmas for your party or school and haven't yet got the booking secured you may be out of luck. samira hussain has been investigating in new york. this isjim kelly. he spent his career teaching physics to high school students. he retired from the job a few years ago and, come the holiday season, something magical happens. lam i am centre. leading up to christmas, it is all about who has been naughty or nice. santas are in high demand after a less than merry socially distanced christmas last year, people are eager for holiday cheer. the international brotherhood of real bearded santas say saint nicks are in short supply, not least because the pandemic was particularly hard on older, heavier men. sadly, we lost 55 santas this year. they have gone back to the north pole forever. so, that and we know of at least 400 santas who have just said, no, i will do zoom if anybody wants me, but i am not going out again. the ones we know about. so there is a bunch of people and that's the ones we know about. this photo studio specialises in 45 minute santa experiences. anticipating a busy holiday season, michael booked sam the gym back injune. a lot of santas, because of covid, decided either not to do it or cut back on their schedule radically. a lot of them. yeah, there have been a lot of photographers who are scrambling now. i have turned down 200 jobs this year. mitch allen runs an agency in texas that books santas around the world. even he is struggling to keep up. what has business be like for you this year? the demand is absolutely huge. we are up over 120% over pre i pandemic levels at the same time, ias well as, we actually have fewerl santas that we had three pandemic, so more demand, less supply means i that we are sort of facing a santas i shortage this year. in an economy built on shopping, the holiday season is crucial, but for christmas to really be merry, america is going to have to make up for shortages. in product, but also in workers. without the people to make the annual christmas retail boom happen, america's economic recovery could be on thin ice. here's an idea for christmas. table football, it is making a comeback despite the popularity of football video games. match of the day theme. good evening, and welcome to haverhill rovers table football club for tonight's big match. paris st germain versus 1970s west ham. jerry harrington is 1970s west ham, and his sonjoe is paris st germain. or, psg for short. whistle blows. 1970s west ham to kick off, and bobby moore involved right from the start. takes me back to when i was 12. no stress, no strain, you walked in the door, you're just playing a game that you loved when you were a kid. it's great to meet different people. it's a great game, you know? hopefully we can take it to the younger generation now, get them involved as well. this is table football, a development of subbuteo, the game many of us knew as kids. the equipment is more advanced, no more crawling around the living room carpet getting sore knees, and the rules are more detailed. i wouldn't say it's a rebirth of the game, it's definitely something which has been brought back to the fore. it never died, it was like almost underground so to speak for many years. in the shadow of fifa. the game is growing, boosted in part by lockdown. haverhill rovers have taken part in a national league. is it all old blokes? well, no. 12—year—old ruby from wales is one of the country's top young players. back at haverhill, sam curtis is at the club for the first time. the attraction is, for me, it's mental, probably. it's something to test your mind a little bit. i don't want to play chess, i don't want to play draughts, i don't want to play fifa and throw my controller at the screen. so i get to have a go at something that's a little bit like chess, but better. it's not geeky, definitely not geeky, i wouldn't think so anyway. my wife might say different! 50, table football is making a comeback. no such luck forjerry and his 1970s west ham. whistle blows. psg, already 1—0 up, have got a penalty. this could seal victory for them. great excitement. psg win the big match 2—0. mike liggins, bbc news. some breaking news. we are hearing that a judge at birmingham crown court has ruled that a 14—year—old gunmen convicted of murdering the schoolboy key on leg and can be identified as use of most of her. he suffered fatal injuries in a 42nd attack by five people outside his home in handsworth injanuary. he was fatally shot in the stomach and detectives had said that they believed he may have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. after the case police said the 1a —year—old convicted killer who could not be named due to his young age may have had an influence on his life and we are now hearing from birmingham crown court that that e14 can now be as yussuf mustapha. moscow's christmas ice rink has opened in red square for the 16th year. the famous square is in the centre of moscow, on the eastern walls of the kremlin, and contains lenin's mausoleum. the rink will remain open to visitors until the spring, but the numbers have been limited because of the coronavirus pandemic. now it's time for a look at the weather with sarah keith lucas. hello, storm arwen is behind us now, so a quieter weather story, but it was a bitterly cold start to the day. in fact, last night was the coldest night of the season so far in cumbria. in fact, temperatures fell to minus 8.7 celsius, almost minus nine degrees last night. so we've had some icy stretches around. now through today, it stays quite cold and icy in the south, but we have got rain and milder weather moving in from the north. 50 things gradually changing through the course of the day. here's a warm front heading its way south. we have seen a little bit of sleet and mountain snow just on the leading edge of that warm front. but it's turning back to rain, that will be falling across scotland. some patchy outbreaks of light rain for northern ireland and northern england at times. the further south and east, though, it's here that you keep the cold with the clear weather through the day. some sunshine for east anglia and the southeast, temperatures only about four or five degrees here. milder towards the northwest, around about eight to ten by this afternoon. so we've got cloud and patchy outbreaks of rain across scotland, northern ireland and northern england to end the day. they just shift a little bit further south across all of the uk into the early hours of tuesday morning. so it certainly won't be as cold tomorrow morning as it was first thing this morning. temperatures and about five to ten degrees to start the day on tuesday. it is going to be quite a cloudy, breezy sort of day with some outbreaks of rain down to the fact that we've got the next area of low pressure and this weather front here, which will be working its way southwards and eastwards. so some fairly heavy and persistent rain for time across the west of scotland, patchy, lighter rain elsewhere. later in the day, that's when we see the heavier downpours working into northern ireland and to the west of scotland. but ahead of that, some brighter weather developing, a much milder day. most of us seeing temperatures about ten to 12 degrees. staying cold, though, up towards the northern isles there. and we've got quite a breeze developing. these are the average wind speeds, but gusts could be 30 or 40 miles per hour towards the northwest overnight tuesday into wednesday. and low pressure pushes off towards the east. that leaves us with a north or northwesterly air flow. so heading on into wednesday as this next front slips its way south, we're going to see those cold northerly winds developing once again, particularly for scotland. some sleet and snow showers here, rain showers, i think, further south across england, wales, and a few for northern ireland, too. but temperatures starting to come down. we're still looking at double figures in the south on wednesday, but turning colder from the north, a cold day on thursday and then milder with the arrival of some rain by friday. bye— bye. this is bbc news. the headlines: as six cases of the new omicron variant are reported in scotland, the first minister nicola sturgeon has said there is no evidence to suggest it is widespread. there might already be some community transmission of this variant in scotland but again, let me stress, there was no evidence yet that this is sustained. yet that this is sustained. nor any evidence from the enhanced surveillance that it is widespread at this stage. we will hear again from nicola sturgeon shortly at the scottish national party's annual conference. meanwhile, more countries report cases of the new coronavirus variant — the world health organisation warns omicron is likley to spread internationally — posing a �*very high' global risk. omicron's very emergency is another reminder that although many of us might think we are done with covid 19, it is not done with ours. in england, approval is expected to be given for all adults to have covid booster jabs to try to protect people from the new variant. masks are back at secondary schools in england and they are to become mandatory again in shops and on public transport from tomorrow. in other news: a 14—year—old boy has been remanded in secure accommodation after appearing at liverpool magistrates' court charged with the murder of ava white. the 12 year old was stabbed on thursday. british socialite, ghislaine maxwell — a close associate of the convicted sex offenderjeffrey epstein — is to go on trial in new york for sex trafficking and other charges. thousands of people are facing a fourth day without power in the wake of storm arwen. the north east of scotland remains the worst hit, with police declaring a major incident in the area due the widespread disruption. we have got no power, no mains water and three young children, so it is a full—timejobjust and three young children, so it is a full—time job just looking after the kids, keeping them occupied, keeping the wood—burning stove, the wood in there, keeping boiling water and things. there, keeping boiling water and things. the first minister of scotland has said there might be some evidence of community transmission of the new omicron variant of coronavirus but there is no evidence it is sustained. six cases of the omicron coronavirus variant have now been identified in scotland. they bring the total number of known omicron infections, in the uk, to nine. nicola sturgeon announced that the areas in scotland where the cases were identified will undergo additional testing. new measures have also been announced for england. from monday, the department for education is �*strongly advising' pupils aged over 11, and some staff and visitors, to return to wearing face coverings in communal areas. from tuesday, face coverings will be mandatory in most shops and on public transport. the uk health secretary sajid javid is set to speak to mps in the commons about the variant this afternoon.and from 4am on tuesday, all arrivals into the uk will have to take a pcr test within two days, and self—isolate until they receive a negative result. with the total number of omicron cases in the uk contnuing to rise, officials warning it's "very likely" that more will be discovered in the coming days. well, that warning from the world health organisation comes as a special session of the world health assembly gets under way in geneva, to consider reforms and a potential treaty to prevent future pandemics. we don't yet know whether omicron is associated with more transmission, more severe disease, more risk of re— infections or more risk of evading vaccinations. scientists at the who and around the world are working urgently to answer these questions. we should not need another wake—up call. we should all be wide awake to the threat of this virus. but omicron's very emergence is another reminder that although many of us might think we are done with covid—19, it is not done with us. a shadow cabinet reshuffle is underway. the labour mp, cat smith, has tweeted that she has lost her position on the front bench, confirming that keir starmer is moving his front bench team around. the deputy leader, angela rayner, was unaware of the decision to make changes when asked about it at a public event this morning where she was giving a speech. there had been speculation as late as this morning. she said she was unaware of the decision to make changes but those changes are under way, confirmed by a tweet from kat smith that she has lost her position on the front bench. so we will continue to obviously see what the comings and goings are and we will keep you updated. comings and goings are and we will keep you updated. at westminster, government measures on face masks and isolation rules are due to come before parliament later. some government backbenchers have been critical of restrictions, and the government agreed last year to give mps a vote before introducing new pandemic measures wherever possible. but that vote won't happen today. let's go to westminster. chris mason has more. �* u, , let's go to westminster. chris mason has more. �* , let's go to westminster. chris mason hasmore.�* , . let's go to westminster. chris mason hasmore. , . ~, has more. because some backbench mps to have a vote — has more. because some backbench mps to have a vote on — has more. because some backbench mps to have a vote on new _ has more. because some backbench mps to have a vote on new restrictions - to have a vote on new restrictions coming into force in england but we then think that that is going to happen before the measures introduced at 4am tomorrow morning. now, what we are expecting today is that the health secretary will be giving an update to mps in parliament later this afternoon. similar to the press conference we had updating the public yesterday. outlining what some of these new measures are going to be, why they are being introduced and also probably an update on the number of cases in the uk of this new coronavirus variant. we are also expecting a number of other things today. thatjoint committee on vaccination and immunisation to also bring forward and approve plans to roll out the booster vaccine programme so that both their time between someone�*s second and third jab might be cut but also that boosterjabs jab might be cut but also that booster jabs would jab might be cut but also that boosterjabs would be expanded to anybody over the age of 18. we are also expecting later today to see the detail of the actual legislation being brought in to introduce these new restrictions in england. things like the use of face coverings again in shops. also the need for people to self—isolate if they are in contact with someone who has this new variant of coronavirus. let's cross to westminster where our political correspondent chris mason has more. not a lot of detail so far. we know the reshuffle is under way and that cats amid a standing down from the shadow cabinet though she said she'd been offered the chance to stay in the role but it is her letter she is posted on twitter that means we now know it is going ahead. there was speculation the times this morning that keir starmer was going to reshuffle his top team. speculation that was denied to me quite vehemently by people close to the deputy leader and she has an event, as you have been watching this morning, about ministerial and parliamentary standards and this reshuffle was happening while she was on her feet and she reshuffle was happening while she was on herfeet and she did not reshuffle was happening while she was on her feet and she did not know about it. so i wonder if, by the end of the day, we are spending less time working out who is up and who is down in the shadow cabinet and having a renewed bout of speculation about the relationship between angela rayner and keir starmer is like. you thought the deputy leader of the person has got a lot of additionaljobs in the shadow cabinet might have been consulted. we will come back to you for more reaction but we are going to nicola sturgeon speaking at the scottish national party's annual conference. iam lara, i am lara, callum's y. iam lara, callum's y. and if you hear— iam lara, callum's y. and if you hearany— iam lara, callum's y. and if you hear any noises in the background that will_ hear any noises in the background that will be our daughter. we are overwhelmed to accept this award today _ overwhelmed to accept this award today on_ overwhelmed to accept this award today on callum's behalf. callum dedicated so much of his life to the cause _ dedicated so much of his life to the cause of— dedicated so much of his life to the cause of independence. this dedicated so much of his life to the cause of independence.— cause of independence. this is not the moment _ cause of independence. this is not the moment when _ cause of independence. this is not the moment when nicola - cause of independence. this is notj the moment when nicola sturgeon speaks so it is a virtual conference. we thought nicola sturgeon would be speaking now but she is not so we will go back to it when she speaks. she was speaking earlier, you may have seen, actually, the situation with omicron saying that she has joined forces with the first minister of wales wanting borisjohnson to bring together the four nations in bringing in tighter restrictions on people returning from foreign travel in response to the omicron variant of covid. she wants there to be now an eight day testing period. in other words eight day quarantine on return from foreign travel so that has gone to number ten. a letter. a joint letter from has gone to number ten. a letter. a joint letterfrom nicola sturgeon and mark drake fed. no response as yet from number ten. let mejust have a look. she is still not standing at the snp conference. will go back there when she does start to speak and give you her speech. let's move to other news. a 14—year—old boy has been remanded in secure accommodation — after appearing at liverpool magistrates' court charged with the murder a 12—year—old girl in liverpool, and having possession of a bladed article. ava white was stabbed in the city centre on thursday whilst out with her friends to see the christmas lights being switched on. there was no application for bail and the boy is due to appear at liverpool crown court on wednesday. a man has appeared at truro crown court charged with the murder of 18 year old in plymouth.bobbi—anne mcleod went missing on saturday 20 november and was last seen at a bus stop near her home in the leigham area. cody ackland aged 24, only spoke to confirm his name and was remanded in custody. he will appear at plymouth crown court for a plea and trial preparation hearing on monday 24january. a man accused of murdering police community support officer julia james will face trial in may. ms james who was 53, was found with fatal head injuries next to near dover, on 27 april. 21 year old callum wheeler denies murder. mr wheeler earlier appeared at southwark crown court via video link for a hearing. a new trial date was set for 9 may. being forced to take a political convince online is a mere inconvenience compared to the sacrifices made by so many over these past two years. life today is much more normal than it was when i spoke to you a year ago. we have come so farand, spoke to you a year ago. we have come so far and, while it has not been easy, a spirit of solidarity with and compassion for each other, has helped us through. now, as the emergence of the new omicron variant has reminded us, we must harness that spirit again as we prepare for a winter that might be tougher than most of us have ever experienced. in recent weeks we have had much in scotland to feel thankful for. compared to many countries across europe covid cases here have been stable, indeed they have been declining slightly. to be frank, thatis declining slightly. to be frank, that is a much better position than i had dared hope for a couple of months ago. but there are big and very real challenges ahead over the winter months. cases are rising in countries all around us. we know that colder weather, forcing us indoors, coupled with festive socialising, will create increased opportunities for the virus to spread and most seriously of all, the omicron variant is causing profound concern here and across the world. so we must not drop our guard. this is a time to be more vigilant, not less. in the past few days, the new variant has led the scottish government to impose tighter restrictions again at our borders. a number of countries have been added to the travel read list. cavaliers from these countries must go into managed quarantine. and we are asking all travellers, no matter where they are travelling from, to isolate until they get a negative result from a pcr test that they must do on day two after their arrival. we are also asking close contacts of any confirmed cases of omicron to isolate. but none of this was even contemplated just a few days ago. it is a reminder again of how fast this virus can move and change. we must, all of us, therefore, redouble our efforts to stop it in its tracks. the good news is that we know how to do that. we have done it before. so today, before i talk to you about politics. i want to ask again for your help. over these next weeks of winter. we need to pull together and look after each other. i promise that the government will do ourjob. that means getting all of you who are eligible vaccinated with boosters as fast as possible. thanks to teams across the country, scotland is already the most vaccinated part of the uk but we will not let up. instead, we are working to speed up. and while i still hope this will not be necessary, if difficult decisions do need to be made to keep us safe we will not shy away from taking it. steering the country through this winter is my priority. it is my duty. but a new government can fight a five us alone. we all need to play our part. that was true before the detection of only cron and more so now. with all of us increase our compliance with the protection is already in place, we will help slow transmission. 50 i am asking everyone to please take the time now to think afresh about the basic steps you can take to keep yourself, your loved ones and the country safe. where a face covering an indoor public places. keep following hygiene advice, wash your hands and surfaces. open windows if you have people around. ventilation really helps. work from home if possible and please, please, if you have not done so already, get every dose of vaccine you are eligible for including flu. i know there is a concern that the vaccines might be less effective against omicron than against other variants. we don't know yet if that is the but even if it is, getting vaccinated will still matter. less effective does not mean ineffective. you will still be much more protected with vaccines than you will be without. 50 if you could be fully vaccinated right now and you have chosen not to be you are putting your own life at risk. now, you may say, that is your choice and though it is one i really struggle to understand. but it is notjust your own life you are risking. you could be risking the life of everyone you come into contact with. vaccines save lives. and don'tjust take my word for that. health organisation study published last week demonstrates that life—saving power. hundreds of thousands of people across the world who would otherwise be dead from covid are alive today only because of vaccines. he was what the who said about eyes. in countries like scotland, where vaccination roll—out was an early and uptake was high, a larger share of lives were saved. it found that, in scotland, without vaccines, around 32,000 people over age of 16 would have died from covid this year. 86% of these deaths were prevented by vaccines. that is 27,000 people alive today who would not be if we had no vaccines. now, for all i know, that might include my mum and dad or yours or indeed many of you. so for goodness' sake, get vaccinated. with your first, second and if eligible, your third and booster doses as soon as you can. if you don't do it for your own sake, though you really should, do it for those you love. being vaccinated is the most precious gift you can give this christmas. there is one more really important festive method that i am asking everyone to make. and, once again, the emergence of the cron makes this even more vital. lots of people with covid don't have symptoms. they might never know they had the virus and so they spread it inadvertently. that is why we have been asking everyone to test with lateral flow devices twice a week. but from now, through the festive period, we are asking you to test much more. please, if you to test much more. please, if you are feeling fine, test yourself on each and every occasion you intend to mix with people outside your own household. that means before you go to the public to a restaurant or to someone's house or even to a shopping centre. and if the test shows a positive, do not go. instead, geta the test shows a positive, do not go. instead, get a confirmatory pcr test and south isolate until you get the result of that. if you don't have a supply of tests ordered them now. to nhs inform or pick them up from a local pharmacy or test centre. they are free, so get as many as you need and keep your supply topped up. if we all do this, we will slow down the spread and we will maximise our chances notjust of a more normal christmas but of a safer christmas, too. and let's all hope, a much brighter new year. i talked earlier about the government public responsibility in leading the fight against this virus. it is a solemn duty but i am all too aware that the heaviest burden in tackling the virus has been carried by those working in our nhs and in social care. if we all follow the advice in fighting covid we will be helping them as well as ourselves. that really matters. health and care services are under more pressure now than ever before. the staff to care for as in other times of need up exhausted. physically and in many cases, emotionally. words will never ever adequately express my gratitude to them but in any event, words are not enough. i am proud that nhs staff in scotland have been awarded the highest pay rise in the uk and that we have promised to increase investment in the nhs, already at record levels, by a further 20% over this term of parliament. i can confirm today that our budget on the 9th of december will deliver a significant down payment on that commitment. in the years ahead, this extra funding will help build new capacity in the nhs and improve the way care is delivered through, for example, a network of elective treatment centres. and at the heart of our plans for reform is the establishment of a national care service. just as the national health service became, in the aftermath of the second world war, this new national care service, if we get it right, as we must, will be a fitting legacy from the trauma of covid. so our plans to build and secure a sustainable future for our health and care services are bold and rightly so. and to help, right now, we have committed an additional £300 million for winter support. this money supporting the immediate recruitment of over 1000 extra nhs workers. it is helping increase the pay of social care staff, giving those earning a living wage rise of over 5%. and it is funding more care home places and care at home packages to ensure that older people don't languish in hospital when they would be better cared for elsewhere. and in the process, free up hospital beds for those who do need them. the front line of the nhs is, of course, so often primary care and general practice. good access to gps and other primary care services is essential for patients but it also helps reduce unnecessary pressure on hospitals. i know how hard gps and practice staff are working right now. face—to—face appointments are resuming although phone and video consultations will continue to play an important part in any modern healthcare system. and we know demand is increasing due to the direct impact of the pandemic and the backlog caused by lockdown. so the backlog caused by lockdown. 50 gps and those who support them are working overtime to meet patient needs. i want to thank them for all they do. of course, we must do more than say thank you and we will. that is why i can announce today funding of £30 million to help gps further increase primary care services in their communities. gps will be able to use this funding, which will be delivered in december and april in two equal instalments, in ways that theyjudge will deliver the greatest impact for patients. that may be two extra gp sessions, or additional practice nurse time. in short, it will allow practices to target investment where it is most needed to improve access to primary care and help ensure patients get the care they need as close to home as possible. tackling the pandemic, supporting and protecting the nhs and social care, these duties will be the focus of the scottish government each and every single day as we navigate this winter and beyond. that is what people across scotland expect. having placed their trust in us once again to govern and lead our country. however, as we emerge from the darkness of winter into what we all hope will be a brighter spring, with covid more firmly in the rear—view mirror, it will be time then to look ahead with optimism and consider the kind of country we want to rebuild. we should embrace that opportunity with relish. i certainly do. as you know, i havejust relish. i certainly do. as you know, i have just marked seven years as first minister. in some ways, i find it impossible to believe that so much time has passed but then of course i look in the mirror and see the evidence of what i am sorry to say seems much more than seven years. being elected to lead this country is a privilege and it is a serious responsibility. seven months ago, the people of scotland gave me and all the buzz in the snp a job to do when they be elected as so emphatically. they voted for as an historically high numbers and they told us to get on with the job. i intend to repay that trust, to lead scotland notjust through covid but into and through the process of recovery and renewal. the duty and responsibility of being first minister weighs heavily on me every single day as it should. but it is not a job i do out of duty alone. i do it because i relish the opportunities that lie ahead for scotland. and i know that, to harness these opportunities, scotland needs a government like ours with ambition, aspiration, and real confidence in this country. we already have a track record of delivery. we are laying the foundations for a stronger future. when people ask me what i'm proudest of so far in my time as first minister i always point to our transformation and i use that word deliberately, our transformation of support for children. today, for example, we have announced that the 200,000 baby box has been delivered in scotland. a practical, tangible and powerful manifestation of our commitment to give every child, no matter their family circumstances, an equal start in life. and then there was the dublin, yes, the doubling of state funded early years education and childcare. every three and four—year—old and two—year—old son the most vulnerable background are now entitled to the same number of hours in settings as older children get in school. this policy saves parents thousands of pounds a year but much, much more importantly, it gives children the best start in education. in my very first conference speech as snp leader i said that this would be the most important infrastructure investment of my first full term as first minister and in august this year we marked its delivery. we have also created, from scratch, a new social security system. it has measures to tackle child poverty, the root cause of the poverty —related attainment gap in education, at its very heart. all of this is underpinned by a new income tax system just like social security scotland, built entirely from scratch and with the progressive principle embedded from the outset. and also, with an eye to the future, they have set up the new scottish national investment bank. this is the first development bank of its kind anywhere in the uk and it is already making investments to drive ourjourney already making investments to drive our journey to already making investments to drive ourjourney to net already making investments to drive our journey to net zero and already making investments to drive ourjourney to net zero and build a more sustainable future for this and future generations. now, we don't see the full benefits of transformation policies like this over night. but they and many like them are already changing the future of tens of thousands of children and of tens of thousands of children and of this country as a whole. 50 we have much to be proud of but we have much more still to do. it is that combination of delivery and ambition that drives the snp's success. the fact is, governments don't get re—elected and certainly not with a level of support we won in may, unless we have improved peoples lives and offered a clear and credible vision of what is possible for the future. most of our opponents seem utterly incapable of accepting the basic point that our success is hard arrant. it is not an accident or a fluke. so the end up dismissing is irrelevant the choices voters have made or even worse, as with the current assault on devolution, they seek to overturn those choices. they act like they think the ambition to people across scotland have got out of hand and need to be reined in by those who know better. the snp will not let that happen. we are not here to see the aspiration to people in scotland reigned in or diminished. we want to raise those ambitions ever higher. we dedicate ourselves to that every day and we recognise that working with others who also want to move scotland forward will help us all achieve more. that is why we struck achieve more. that is why we struck a co—operation agreement with the scottish green party. putting our differences aside to cooperate where we agree won't always be comfortable, eitherfor we agree won't always be comfortable, either for others or for the greens, but it is not meant to be. forcing each other out of our comfort zone so that we can raise the bar of achievement higher is the whole point. in my view, this kind of collaborative working is exactly what most people want but given the challenges of all countries, it is also what we need. scotla nd scotland is about to enter a new world, one of possibility but urgency. i who —— hopes in a post— pandemic world and the world we must adapt to ensure that our planet remains habitable in the years, decades and centuries to come. we cannot escape these challenges and nor should we want to. inherent in them are massive opportunities just waiting to be grasped. the big question for scotland is how we best equip ourselves to do this and ensure that the ambitions of all those who live here can be realised in this new world. these ambitions are not unreasonable, nor are they out of reach. a higher standard of living, jobs good for the future, a clean environment, better health, sustainable public services and for scotland as a whole, the ability to harness our vast resources in line with our own priorities and values and contribute as an equal partner to building a better world. to meet those ambitions in this new world, we must lay secure foundations on which a better country can be built. that is what the snp is endeavouring to do. in this task, we are working in partnership as far as we can. but this current westminster government is not a willing partner. instead of helping to lay the foundations, it is undermining them and let us be clear about this come out this uk government is notjust seeking to block scottish democracy and deny scotland the choice of moving forward to independence, that would be bad enough, but worse thanjust standing in the way of progress, it is trying to force scottish democracy into reverse. make no mistake about this, boris johnson's government is actively eroding the power of our democratically elected scottish parliament. it has already transferred funding from the scottish parliament to westminster, it has torn up the convention that the uk parliament should not pass laws in devolved policy areas without hollywood consent and it has passed a new law, the internal market act, that the labour first minister of wales has called, and i quote, a smash and grab from the devolution settlement. this crystallises the choice scotland faces. if we do not choose to move our parliament forward and make it stronger with independence, the tories will drag it backwards and make it weaker. this assault on the scottish parliament is of course reflected in the tories wider disdain for democracy. whether it is threatening to rip up anti— lobbying rules when one of its own was found guilty or restricting the rights to judicial review or undermining the independence of the electoral commission, the message is clear, whenever the checks and balances of democracy get in its way, this uk government will try to overturn them. that is dangerous. don'tjust take my word for that, ken clarke, a former very senior tory cabinet minister has warned, quite extraordinarily, that the uk is dangerously close to becoming an elected dictatorship. during the run—up to the independence referendum in 2014, the head of the no campaign then dismissed the idea of borisjohnson becoming prime minister as a scare story. we have been reminded over these past few weeks that in so many different ways, just why anti— independence leaders were so keen to rubbish the prospect of borisjohnson ever entering downing street. the reality of it has been everything many people back then feared. but it is notjust people back then feared. but it is not just about people back then feared. but it is notjust about him as an individual, the much bigger problem is a westminster system that enables someone like him to become prime minister in the first place. that is not a secure foundation on which scotland can't build a better future. ourfuture must be billed on a platform of democracy, fairness and economic prosperity. that is what we are seeking to build now and it is why we want scotland to become independent. in here and now, as well as working in partnership with the green party in the hollywood chamber, we are seeking to extend participation and democratic decision—making outside it as well. we are pioneering citizen assemblies and will soon establish one for those under 16 so that the generation who will live with the impact of decisions we take now are more in making them. this cooperative and inclusive approach to politics offers a more secure basis from which to move our country forward. just as our foundation must be democratic, so too must fairness permeate every stone. a fairer, more equal society is notjust morally right, although it is, evidence shows that the most successful independent countries of the size of scotland are also more equal. a sense of social cohesion and solidarity provide the basis for long—term prosperity. the tory government decision last month to cut universal credit by £20 a week could not be further removed from that ideal. that decision, especially at a time of price inflation and tax rises, was cruel and shocking. it was condemned by each of the uk children commissioners, by the social security committees of all four uk parliaments, by all three devolved governments, countless campaigners and even by former conservative cabinet ministers. however the cut went ahead regardless and in scotland, it will push 60,000 families and 20,000 children into poverty. the scottish government is trying to take a very different approach. we are determined to lift children out of poverty. the £2,000,000,000 a year that the scottish government invests to support people on low incomes, over 670,000,000 is already targeted at children. through the range of new payments delivered by social security scotland, what families receive in the early years of a child's life, £5,000 of additional support. at the heart of this is the scottish child payment, the only payment of its kind anywhere in the uk, designed solely to lift children out of poverty and give them better lives. the scottish child payment provides low income families with £10 per week for every child under the age of six. over 105,000 children are already benefiting. next year it will be extended to all children on —— in low income families under the age of 16. at the election we committed to doubling the payment to £20 per child per week within this term of parliament. a co—operation agreement with the green party committed us to achieving this as soon as possible. i am very pleased, indeed proud, to announce today that our budget on the 9th of december will fund the doubling of the scottish child payment immediately from the start of the new financial year. the scottish child payment will increase to £20 per child, per week, four times the amount originally demanded by campaigners from april. that means the double payments will reach over 100,000 children under the age of six injust over 100,000 children under the age of six in just four months' time. when we extend the scottish child payment to all under 16 is at the end of next year, over 400,000 children and their families will be eligible. this is, without doubt, the boldest and most ambitious anti—poverty measure anywhere in the uk. now, delivering it is not easy, it will involve hard choices elsewhere in our budget, but it is a choice that we in the snp, in partnership with the green party, are opting to make. poverty scores too many childhoods, it deprives too many children of the chance to make the most of their education and enjoy life to the full and it robs our country of far too much potential. eradicating child poverty is essential if we are to build the strongest foundation for scotland's future and that is what we are determined to do. democracy and fairness are key to building a better and stronger scotland. 50 too is a strong, sustainable economy. scotland is so blessed with natural economic advantages. we have unrivalled energy resources, we are at the cutting edge of the industries of the future and home to some of the best universities in the world. ourfood and drink industry is an extraordinary international success story. we are a highly skilled and educated people, with a rich history of enterprise and innovation. through scottish national investment bank, the national manufacturing institute and the young persons guarantee, we are building for the future. just as on child poverty, a uk government that scotland did not vote for is undermining the strong foundations we are seeking to build. this uk government has taken scotland out of the eu, out of the european single market and out of the customs union. all against the wishes of the majority who live here. the brexit it has imposed upon us is already damaging our economy and restricting opportunities for our young people. all of that is bad enough, but there may well be much worse to come. the tories appear to have embarked upon a permanent conflict with the european union, instead of building bridges, they are burning them. they are threatening to rip up up the withdrawal agreement that borisjohnson himself hailed as fantastic and oven ready. in so doing, they risk a trade dispute with the eu that will set back our recovery from the pandemic and do untold damage to our economy. this might suit a tory party that sees eu bashing is a vote winner, but it would be a disasterfor scotland, years or even decades of arguments with the eu is a recipe for instability and economic weakness. in the post— pandemic world, we will need more co—operation between independent companies, not less and the only way for scotland to build those relationships on a secure basis is through independence. nowhere is cooperation more essential than in tackling the climate emergency. as a rich, developed nation, scotland shares responsibility for climate crisis which is already wreaking havoc in some parts of the world, just as we have helped cause the problem, scotland has a moral duty to be part of the solution. whether independent or not, scotland with an snp government will always show leadership on this most pressing of issues. that means leading by example, which we did and we recognised as doing throughout cop26. it means making the investments needed for our transition to net zero, our forthcoming budget will set out the next steps we intend to take. it demands accelerating or move away from fossil fuels but doing so in a fair way, which protects the livelihoods of those working in oil and gas and secures a low carbon energy supply. that is why we are establishing the north—eastjust establishing the north—east just transition establishing the north—eastjust transition fund. these transitions are not easy, but they demand leadership, urgency and rational decision—making. here again, we have a uk government that too often hinders, ratherthan a uk government that too often hinders, rather than helps our progress. in the run—up to the bone, the tory government made two inexplicable decisions which passed none of these test of leadership, urgency unreason. decisions which will undermine to tackle the climate emergency. firstly, it cut air passenger duty for short—haul flights within the uk and secondly, it refused to give priority backing to the obvious site in the north—east of scotland for carbon capture and storage. this is a decision that will costjobs in scotland and make ourjourney to net zero even more difficult. it should be reversed. but we should not be reduced to pleading with the uk government to do the right thing. with independence, we will not have too. friends, my task as first minister, above all, is to do whatever i can to keep scotland safe. that is my first duty and during this pandemic it is the heaviest duty imaginable. i will always seek to discharge my responsibilities as first minister with energy and commitment and to the very best of my ability. keeping a country safe is notjust about the short—term, it is also about building the strongest possible foundation on which to build our future. i defy anyone to look at the broken, corrupt, self—serving westminster system that we are currently part of and conclude that it provides a secure basis for the future at the moment. i would not be discharging my duty to the people of scotland if i did not seek to keep the promise on which we were elected, to offer the people of scotland the choice of a better future through independence. next year, covid permitting, as we emerge from winter into spring, the campaign to persuade the majority of people in scotland that our future will be more secure as an independent nation will resume in earnest. in the course of next year, i will initiate the process necessary to enable a referendum before the end of 2023. just as importantly, our party will set out a fresh positive case for independence. we will outline the opportunities and advantages that independence will open up. the opportunity to repair the damage of covid, including the fiscal challenges it has created for all countries, in a way that aligns with our values and priorities as a nation. to use our financial and human resources to tackle poverty and give young people a better life. to use our vast natural resources to help safeguard our planet and secure green jobs for the future and to rejoin the european family of nations, so that we can expand, not narrow our horizons and grow our trade across the whole of the continent. we will also be candid about the challenges, the transition to independence will represent, and set out clearly how we can and will overcome these. and then, friends, we will ask the people to decide. now, what the uk government's response to this will bayley is not up response to this will bayley is not up to me, but my message to the prime ministers this, if you have any respect at all for democracy, and if you have any confidence whatsoever in your argument against independence, you too will let the people decide. friends, let us make our case with confidence and with optimism. often, in scotland, we talk about becoming independent, as if it is something unusual, something that no country has ever done. the reality of course is very different. in the last 60 years or so, more than 100 countries have become independent. very few, if any of them, have the resources and the advantages of scotland. the fact is, independence is the normal state of affairs for countries the world over. the self—government it encapsulates is the building block for the progressive internationalism that we stand for. and for countries of the size of scotland, the simple truth is this, independence works. our neighbours across north—west europe are all wealthier than the uk, more equal than the uk and have lower levels of poverty than the uk. but all the resources and talent we have available to us, i simply do not believe that scotland can't match perhaps even surpass the success of denmark, norway, ireland, austria and the many other prosperous independent countries that are all around us. i do believe, more than ever, in this new world we are facing, that the best way to secure a better scotland is to take our future into our own hands. an independent scotland will be an outward —looking, welcoming nation, a country that celebrates diversity and works with others to shape a better world. it would be a partner with our closest friends in the rest of the uk and an eu member, committed to the values of equality, democracy and human dignity. for people today and for generations to come, that is a future worth standing up for. it is a future worth campaigning for. it is a future worth winning. 50, let us put our shoulders to the wail of winning and building a better independent scotland. thank you.— and building a better independent scotland. thank you. nicola sturgeon addressin: scotland. thank you. nicola sturgeon addressing the _ scotland. thank you. nicola sturgeon addressing the scottish _ scotland. thank you. nicola sturgeon addressing the scottish national- addressing the scottish national party conference, saying now that her intention is for there to be a referendum on scottish independence before the end of 2023, saying that over the course of the next year she will initiate the process necessary to enable a referendum before the end of 2023. this is from chris from the scottish sun, he says the same next step after the scottish government request for the transferral of power is a refusal from the uk government. that was made clear by borisjohnson when he was previously asked, he would not agree to another referendum. after that, if that was the response from number ten, there would be a battle in the supreme court over whether holyrood has the unilateral right to hold a referendum. nicola sturgeon saying it is her intention to hold a referendum before the end of 2023, but it is obviously not clear that there is a certain path to that. we will get more reaction to that a little bit later. now, let us talk about the latest on omicron. six cases of the omicron coronavirus variant have now been identified in scotland. they bring the total number of known omicron infections, in the uk, to nine. there's a warning it's "very likely" that more will be discovered in the coming days. japan has announced it's to close its borders to most foreign visitors, as the world's third largest economy joins israel in responding decisively to the spread of the new variant. here's our tokyo correspondent, rupert wingfield hayes: so, this is a very rapid announcement by the japanese prime minister, after his cabinet meeting today he came out and said that they had decided as an emergency measure to essentially reimpose the border restrictions that were lifted at the beginning of this month. japan has had very tough border restrictions for most of the last two years, because of covid. those began to be lifted on november the 8th and now, just three weeks later, the prime minister has said they are going back in. so, this does not affect japanese nationals, it does not affect residents and it doesn't affect people who have multiple entry visas to japan, but it will affect everybody else. that means foreign businessmen and women, obviously, and students and tourists. tourists were not going to be allowed in any way, but essentially businesspeople and students and it is really bad news for the students, because so many students have been waiting to get back into japan to start or resume their studies. they were very hopeful they were going to be able to do that this winter, now it looks like they are going to have to wait again. police in the netherlands have arrested a couple who left a quarantine hotel in amsterdam after one of them tested positive for covid after flying in from south africa. the couple boarded a flight for spain but were caught just before take—off. anna holligan reports. last night, the dutch military police announced two people had been detained after managing to evade quarantine. they left their quarantine hotel where they were meant to be in isolation, they managed to get here to schiphol airport, board a plane to spain before they were detained and handed over to the health authorities. they could be prosecuted because violating quarantine is a criminal offence. we've seen a letter slipped under the door of these passengers, someone from the uk, in which they are told they have to stay in isolation, it will be enforced if they try to leave, and they will be tested again today to see if they are carrying the new strain of the virus. northern peru has been hit by a magnitute 7.5 earthquake, with tremors felt more than a thousand kilometres from the epicentre. hundreds of buildings were damaged, and about ten people were injured. tanya dendrinos reports. this is the moment the 7.5 magnitude earthquake hit. it was just before six o'clock in the morning, people awoke to the tremors and rushed out onto the streets. translation: i was able to wake my wife and pick up my child. _ we were not able to reach the door. we did not reach it. some became trapped under the rubble and had to be pulled free by rescue teams. hundreds of homes, businesses and churches were destroyed, but the full extent of the damage is still being assessed. the peruvian president visited the affected areas and promised government aid to help rebuild homes. translation: be certain that, | starting today, we are with you. the epicentre was a sparsely populated region of the amazon rainforest, but the deep quake was felt across half the country and in colombia, more than 1,000km away. it also caused damage in neighbouring ecuador. well let's get more on that shadow cabinet reshuffle which is believed to be taking place this lunchtime — with labour mp cat smith saying she's lost her position on the front bench as part of the process. let's cross to westminster where our chief political correspondent adam fleming has more. notjust not just journalists notjustjournalists kept in the dark, angela rayner as well, the deputy leader. dark, angela rayner as well, the deputy leader-— deputy leader. this has been developing — deputy leader. this has been developing over _ deputy leader. this has been developing over the - deputy leader. this has been developing over the last - deputy leader. this has been | developing over the last hour deputy leader. this has been i developing over the last hour or deputy leader. this has been - developing over the last hour or so because what happened this morning is angela rayner was doing a whole series of interviews previewing her big speech about the proposed changes to the ethics system at westminster. she was asked about a reshuffle of the shadow cabinet and she denied it. as she left the television studios, she got a call from keir starmer telling her that the reshuffle was on, but not giving her any details. that meant that when she was answering questions from journalists at the speech where she unveiled these proposals to the changes to standards at westminster, she did not really have anything to say, which has now created a real narrative that those two are not on the same page. guess what, this is exactly what happened last time there was a reshuffle of the shadow cabinet, the main legacy was tension between angela rayner and keir starmer over who knew what and who was doing what in the process, rather than us all focusing on who the refresh team actually was. obviously it feels like we should be discussing what is happening with the team, but the questions around what is happening —— happening between them is dominating. pm? between them is dominating. why hasn't between them is dominating. “ltd�*ig' hasn't happened? between them is dominating. ltd"i;: hasn't happened? it is not helped by the fact that we are in a vacuum about who is in or out and the only name we have got is the voluntary departure of captain smith, the shadow ministerfor departure of captain smith, the shadow minister for young people are democracy who is leaving of her own accord and is also leaving with a resignation letter having quite a p0p resignation letter having quite a pop at keir starmerfor resignation letter having quite a pop at keir starmer for not allowing jeremy corbyn to be allowed back into the parliamentary labour party, even though he has been allowed back into the party is a member. cat smith, a very loyal follower of jeremy corbyn in the past. even the voluntary departures are not going entirely smoothly for him. we voluntary departures are not going entirely smoothly for him.- entirely smoothly for him. we will be back with _ entirely smoothly for him. we will be back with you _ entirely smoothly for him. we will be back with you later _ entirely smoothly for him. we will be back with you later for - be back with you later for more updates, for now, thank you. the one o'clock news is coming up in a few moments. now it's time for a look at the weather with louise lear. hello there. storm arwen may well have passed, but it has still left a legacy of cold sitting in its wake. a bitterly cold start, in actual fact, first thing this morning. in the lake district, in cumbria, we saw temperatures down to —9 . now, the cold air is right across the country as we speak, but all that is set to change through the course of the day today. you can see the milder air, the yellows, waiting in the wings and as the frontal system sweeps its way south and east, the temperatures are set to climb. they will continue to climb through the night tonight, so first thing tomorrow morning, not —9, we could actually see temperatures quite widely sitting at 9 . back to the here and now, though, the warm front is producing some rain, out of scotland and northern ireland, quite a lot of cloud through north west england, wales, and the south—west, so the best of the sunshine this afternoon, east of the pennines, down into the south—east. here, you will still stay relatively chilly but already the milder air pushing in, 8— 10 through the course of the afternoon. so, there is ourfront. it is behind that front that the warmer air mass will start to tuck in. through the night, quite a lot of cloud around, showery outbreaks of rain at times, some more heavy and persistent into the far north—west of scotland, but it is going to be the temperatures that will be the talking point first thing tomorrow morning. quite widely sitting at around 9— 11 . just that little bit cooler into the far north of scotland. so, we will start off tomorrow on a grey note, a lot of cloud around, but a mild one. outbreaks of showery rain will turn increasingly heavy into the west of scotland and northern ireland and is more significant rain arrives later on in the day, top temperatures, though, between ten and 12 c maximum. as we move out of tuesday, into wednesday, that front will sink its way south and east and a spell of wet weather through the night and a spell of strong winds across the far north, but once again it is going to drag down a northerly airflow and the colder air is set to return. so, a brief milder spell and by the time we get into wednesday, the low moves away and we see plenty of showers piling in on the showers, once again, turning increasingly to sleet and snow, particularly across the north of scotland and north—east england. top temperatures, 3— 7 in the north, perhaps 8— ten celsius a little bit further south. that cold air could continue to bring some wintry showers on thursday, but also a little more sun. today at one, six cases of the new omicron variant of coronavirus have been identified in scotland. fourare in lanarkshire, one in greater glasgow and the other in clyde. the first minister nicola sturgeon says she won't shy away from difficult decisions to keep people safe. there is no doubt that this presents potentially the most challenging development in the course of the pandemic for quite some time. in england, approval is expected to be given for all adults to have covid booster jabs, to help protect against the new variant. the world health organization says omicron shows the world is still confronting the most serious health crisis in a century. also this lunchtime... more than 60,000 homes in scotland and the north—east of england remain without power after storm arwen. a memorial service for police sergeant matt ratana,

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