people in the uk are left waiting days for covid pcr testing following high demand and pharmacists warn of patchy supplies of rapid test kits. we don't know when these are going to be available so it's very— difficult to plan and let our _ patients and people know in terms of when to come back and when it's going to be in the pharmacies. . soaring energy bills, rising taxes and stagnant wages will leave millions of british families struggling in 2022, according to a leading think tank one of the last pro—democracy media outlets in hong kong shuts down after a police raid. prayers and thanksgiving in soweto, following the death of archibishop desmond tutu. a memorial service is being held in cape town today. hello and welcome. pharmacists in the uk are warning of patchy supplies of rapid covid tests. demand hasjumped recently, because people are being advised to test themselves before going to events or to see family and friends, and also because of changes allowing those with covid in england to end isolation after seven days if they test negative. the government says more kits are being made available. meanwhile a record number of daily cases were reported yesterday in england, but the total number of patients in hospital is still below january's peak. our health correspondent cath burns has more. hello. thank you for what you are doing. happy new year to you. the prime minister has been out today, pushing one key part of his strategy. encouraging people to have their booster vaccine. i'm sorry to say this, but the overwhelming majority of people who are currently ending up in intensive care in our hospitals, are people who are not boosted. just as the booster campaign has had to be ramped up to deal with rising case numbers, so too has testing. lateral flow tests have never been a more important part of plans to keep covid under control. we are being told to do them before going out to see friends and family. and if you add to that huge numbers of close contacts of people with covid doing daily tests, you get a lot of extra demand. but there is a warning — supply is not keeping up with that demand. the association of independent multiple pharmacies is calling this a huge problem. they have not had any here since christmas eve. it is notjust our pharmacy that is out of stock. it's many, many more pharmacies. some customers are very understanding with it, but some are getting very angry about it as well, saying we have been told we need to test every day, so how are the tests not available? good morning, do you have any lateral flow tests? no, i'm afraid we are i completely out of stock. but what i would suggest is try to order them to your house. i you can try to do that, order them online, but you might be told there are no more delivery slots available. i'm very disappointed, because i want to go out on new year's eve with my family and obviously i'd rather be tested to know where i stand, rather than to go out without knowing where we stand. the uk health security agency says it is supplying millions of lateral flow test every day, and has doubled its delivery capacity. but that it's dealing with unprecedented demand. it is asking people to use any tests they already have before ordering more. another question for authorities here is whether or not to follow america's example. it has cut the isolation time for people who test positive for covid, but don't have any symptoms, to five days. doing that could help the nhs deal with staff shortages caused by workers isolating due to covid. that number doubled in london in the week before christmas. i do understand the argument, but as i say, we believe it is the right thing to do at present, to stick with the self—isolation period as it currently is, so that is seven days, and as i say, we've onlyjust made the change to bring it down to ten, so we want to make sure that that is working as we would expect it to be. but that brings us back to lateral flow tests. for the system to work, there has to be enough of them to go around. labour says the government needs to get a grip and provide enough tests. catherine burns, bbc news. earlier i spoke with the british conservative mp sir roger gale who told me about the situation with covid tests in his consituency. there is a shortage of lateral flow tests. there there is a shortage of lateral flow tests. there is there is a shortage of lateral flow tests. there is a there is a shortage of lateral flow tests. there is a shorta-e there is a shortage of lateral flow tests. there is a shorta-e of tests. there is a shortage of supply. i am told by the secretary of state it's a world market and we are competing in a global market for supplies. we are buying everything we possibly can domestically and the company that is producing it has quadrupled its production. all of that has been commissioned but it's still not enough to meet the demand. the demand has been generated because we have kept the economy openin because we have kept the economy open in england, where in wales and scotland and northern ireland things are different. that is a place on the entertainment industry side but when the prime minister is saying go out and get tested before you go out and mix, if you can't get tested thatis and mix, if you can't get tested that is abound and it's also difficult for those people returning to work today and i've had in my own constituency, who have wanted to go back to work and been told by the companies who haven't provided tests for them that they have got to be tested so they can go back to work. scotland's first minister, nicola sturgeon, has urged people to "exercise caution", saying the omicron wave of coronavirus cases is rapidly developing. updating msps in a virtual session of the scottish parliament, she said she would stick to the restrictions she outlined last week. nicola sturgeon also said she would not reduce the self—isolation period from ten days, but would keep the decision under review. restrictions include cancelling large events including hogmanay celebrations, implementing table service at pubs and restaurants, one—metre distancing between different groups and the closure of nightclubs. nicola sturgeon said the latest rules will be in place scotland's first minister, nicola sturgeon, has urged people at this stage our expectation is that they will be in force until the 17th of january. that means for now, limits on the size of live public events, though private life events such as weddings are exempt. for indoor standing events, the limit is 100, for indoor seated events 200, and for outdoor events, 500 seated or standing. i know some question the rationale for this, so let me set it out again. firstly, the higher transmissibility of omicron means that large gatherings have a much greater potential to become rapid super spreader events. second, there are transmission risks associated with travel to and from such events. and thirdly, they do place significant demands on emergency services such as the police and the ambulance service. louise maclean is part of signature group, which owns more than 20 bars in scotland. how are you and your staff feeling about the next few days? how is business? �* , , , , ., business? business right up until an over christmas _ business? business right up until an over christmas was _ business? business right up until an over christmas was poor. _ business? business right up until an over christmas was poor. we - business? business right up until an over christmas was poor. we were l over christmas was poor. we were between _ over christmas was poor. we were between 40 and 50% behind where we needed _ between 40 and 50% behind where we needed to— between 40 and 50% behind where we needed to be. a shortfall in our turnover— needed to be. a shortfall in our turnover of— needed to be. a shortfall in our turnover of between 250 and £300,000. as we go into looking forward _ £300,000. as we go into looking forward to— £300,000. as we go into looking forward to hogmanay our picture is pretty— forward to hogmanay our picture is pretty bleak. obviously we can't have _ pretty bleak. obviously we can't have parties together, three household limit, but also we are struggling with our staffing. we have _ struggling with our staffing. we have got — struggling with our staffing. we have got between ten and 15% of our staff either _ have got between ten and 15% of our staff either have covid or are self isolating — staff either have covid or are self isolating. so trying to build a plan isolating. so trying to build a plan is a bit _ isolating. so trying to build a plan is a bit like — isolating. so trying to build a plan is a bit like a big game of chess, you don't— is a bit like a big game of chess, you don't know who's going to fall next~ _ you don't know who's going to fall next~ 50_ you don't know who's going to fall next. ,, ., you don't know who's going to fall next. . ., , you don't know who's going to fall next. , ., , , . next. so in terms of the public, what sort _ next. so in terms of the public, what sort of — next. so in terms of the public, what sort of enquiries - next. so in terms of the public, what sort of enquiries are - next. so in terms of the public, what sort of enquiries are you | what sort of enquiries are you getting? do you have any sense of how many supplies to buy? you have to plan but i guess you are in a situation where people can cancel at the last minute.— the last minute. that's right. althou~h the last minute. that's right. although we _ the last minute. that's right. although we are _ the last minute. that's right. although we are confirming i the last minute. that's right. i although we are confirming with people _ although we are confirming with people and asking people to confirm the numbers, people are doing lateral— the numbers, people are doing lateral flow tests at the last minute _ lateral flow tests at the last minute and have no choice but to cancel _ minute and have no choice but to cancel and — minute and have no choice but to cancel and we have our sympathies. we also _ cancel and we have our sympathies. we also have people who have booked a bi- we also have people who have booked a big party— we also have people who have booked a big party and now we have to be the police — a big party and now we have to be the police and say how many households are you because it's a three _ households are you because it's a three household limit. there is a degree _ three household limit. there is a degree of— three household limit. there is a degree of confusion. obviously we have no— degree of confusion. obviously we have no restrictions in england and lots of— have no restrictions in england and lots of restrictions in scotland and wales _ lots of restrictions in scotland and wales. peoplejust lots of restrictions in scotland and wales. people just don't quite know which _ wales. people just don't quite know which website to look at to get the correct _ which website to look at to get the correct answer. there is a real issue — correct answer. there is a real issue with _ correct answer. there is a real issue with consumer confidence. if the first _ issue with consumer confidence. if the first minister tells people to stay home and off a lot of people in this country— stay home and off a lot of people in this country listen to her which is fair enough — this country listen to her which is fair enough and i think customers are scared — fair enough and i think customers are scared. consumer confidence is in its _ are scared. consumer confidence is in its boots — are scared. consumer confidence is in its boots— in its boots. and what do you need to hel , in its boots. and what do you need to help. given _ in its boots. and what do you need to help, given everything - in its boots. and what do you need to help, given everything you - in its boots. and what do you need to help, given everything you havej to help, given everything you have described? is it a cash injection? what could any government do for you what —— that would help? what could any government do for you what -- that would help?— what -- that would help? producing isolation to — what -- that would help? producing isolation to seven _ what -- that would help? producing isolation to seven days. _ what -- that would help? producing isolation to seven days. i _ isolation to seven days. i personally hoped that would be brought — personally hoped that would be brought in today. that would have been _ brought in today. that would have been a _ brought in today. that would have been a game changer for us. we have a full— been a game changer for us. we have a full bar— been a game changer for us. we have a full bar is— been a game changer for us. we have a full bar is closed because we don't — a full bar is closed because we don't have _ a full bar is closed because we don't have enough staff to the self isolation~ — don't have enough staff to the self isolation~ i— don't have enough staff to the self isolation. i could have got those for open — isolation. i could have got those for open. that's disappointing. that would _ for open. that's disappointing. that would be _ for open. that's disappointing. that would be a — for open. that's disappointing. that would be a game changer if it wasn't safe to _ would be a game changer if it wasn't safe to do _ would be a game changer if it wasn't safe to do so. to see it reduced to seven— safe to do so. to see it reduced to seven days — safe to do so. to see it reduced to seven days would be fantastic. from now until _ seven days would be fantastic. from now until the 17th ofjanuary when we are _ now until the 17th ofjanuary when we are being told to expect restrictions, without any more cash for anyone — restrictions, without any more cash for anyone helping us with the wage bill and _ for anyone helping us with the wage bill and with such a fall in trade we will— bill and with such a fall in trade we will definitely need some form of 'ob we will definitely need some form of job protection scheme or some form of further— job protection scheme or some form of further government support. thank ou ve of further government support. thank you very much — of further government support. thank you very much for _ of further government support. thank you very much for your— of further government support. thank you very much for your time. - a couple of details have come through and a few more figures in terms of covid. these are english figures. hospital numbers. the number of people with covid in english hospitals has gone up by 916 in the latest 24—hour period. so the number of people in hospitals in england only, that is all we have at the moment, now stands at nearly 10,500. that is the number that has just come through and it suggests that there are more figures going to come through in the next few minutes. we will keep an eye on that. it is hospitalisation which is one of the key factors in all of this in terms of their desire to not overwhelm the nhs and health services. the united states has recorded its highest—ever seven—day average of new covid cases, according to a tracker maintained byjohns hopkins university. the moving average of new cases was 265,427 as of tuesday, surpassing the previous peak of 251,989 reported nearly a year ago on january 11. meanwhile, in france — the country's health minister says over 200,000 new covid—19 infections will be recorded today. it will be a national and european record — and means that two french people are testing positive for the virus every second. to try and quell the rising numbers, the french government says people should work from home at least three days a week. our correspondent, hugh schofield has more. one of the remarkable things about this latest spike here, as elsewhere, it seems to me, is that the numbers are, you know, sort of stratospheric, but we haven't seen the complete panic and breakdown of health services which you might have expected, given that these numbers are so high. they're the biggest numbers since the start of the epidemic, as you say, tuesday, 180,000 daily cases, which is nearly double the 100,000 that we recorded at the end of last week, and every expectation that it'll go even higher. the health minister spoke of there being 250,000, 300,000 cases a day by the middle ofjanuary. and yet, you know, there is not the same complete panic about the health system that there was. yes, they're worried, but, i mean, the hospitals are not overcrowded. i think there's about 3000 in intensive care at the moment, which is going up, but still nowhere near critical levels. and i think the fact is that, you know, there's still some doubt and confusion about the real dangerousness of omicron. people are worried about it, it is clearly extremely contagious, but the figures just aren't in yet from south africa, from the uk, which is a bit ahead of france, on what it all means for death rates, intensive care beds and so on. and in the meantime, we're all slightly in the dark and guessing. the optimistic scenario is that you have a very, very wide contagion with many, many, many people getting it, but not getting it too badly. it's a gamble. that's what everyone hopes. but there's no reason at the moment to rule that as a possibility out. in the last hour, the director general of the world health organization has said that the omicron variant is putting an enormous strain on health care systems and staff around the world. tedros ghebreyesus told a press conference in geneva that it was time for rich countries to turn their backs on short term nationalism and end global vaccine inequality. delta and omicron are twin threats that are _ delta and omicron are twin threats that are driving _ delta and omicron are twin threats that are driving up _ delta and omicron are twin threats that are driving up cases— delta and omicron are twin threats that are driving up cases to - delta and omicron are twin threats that are driving up cases to recordl that are driving up cases to record nunrbers — that are driving up cases to record numbers. which _ that are driving up cases to record numbers. which again _ that are driving up cases to record numbers. which again is - that are driving up cases to record numbers. which again is leading i that are driving up cases to recordl numbers. which again is leading to spikes— numbers. which again is leading to spikes in— numbers. which again is leading to spikes in hospitalisations _ numbers. which again is leading to spikes in hospitalisations and - spikes in hospitalisations and deaths — spikes in hospitalisations and deaths i_ spikes in hospitalisations and deaths i am _ spikes in hospitalisations and deaths. i am highly— spikes in hospitalisations and i deaths. i am highly concerned spikes in hospitalisations and - deaths. i am highly concerned that omicron _ deaths. i am highly concerned that omicron being— deaths. i am highly concerned that omicron being more _ deaths. i am highly concerned that| omicron being more transmissible, circulating — omicron being more transmissible, circulating at — omicron being more transmissible, circulating at the _ omicron being more transmissible, circulating at the same _ omicron being more transmissible, circulating at the same time - omicron being more transmissible, circulating at the same time as - circulating at the same time as delta. — circulating at the same time as delta. is — circulating at the same time as delta, is leading _ circulating at the same time as delta, is leading to _ circulating at the same time as delta, is leading to a _ circulating at the same time as delta, is leading to a tsunami i circulating at the same time as. delta, is leading to a tsunami of cases _ the hong kong pro—democracy media outlet stand news has said it's shutting down, after hundreds of national security police raided its office on wednesday. these are images from the raid. seven former and current employees were arrested, for publishing what police described as "seditious publications". stand news, set up in 2014 as a non—profit, was the most prominent remaining pro—democracy publication in hong kong after the closure ofjailed tycoonjimmy lai's iconic apple daily tabloid. our correspondent danny vincent is there. earlier in the day, of course hundred of police officers raided stand news. a number of former and current journalists were arrested. stand news is considered by many people to be perhaps the last prominent pro—democracy publication here in the city. when apple daily, perhaps the most popular tabloid in hong kong was closed earlier in the year, many observers and critics pointed to stand news. many questioned how much longer this publication would be able to last. i've been speaking to many of the journalists over the last few months. there was a sense of impending doom, you can say, about the fate of this organisation, but there was also lots of, a lack of clarity. i think people didn't know when they were crossing the lines. manyjournalists and activists often claim that the lines in the city, the red lines that have been... the red lines are shifting very quickly in the city. now a number ofjournalists are still waiting outside stand news. they are hoping to get a statement from the organisation. it is not clear if they will speak. again, we know that they have now ceased to operate. we know earlier in the day it stopped updating articles on its website. so i think many critics will say that this again is an example of the law being used in hong kong to silence people and organisations that have opinions which are critical of the authorities. russia and belarus plan to hold joint military drills in february or march next year, according to president vladimir putin, who has met with belarus' president alexander lukashenko in the russian city of st petersberg. the planned military drills, which will take place in belarus, come amid rising east—west tensions over ukraine. russia has demanded that nato do not admit ukraine, which borders both russia and belarus. the us says russia may be preparing an invasion of ukraine, and has announced it will help to strengthen its borders. moscow denies this. british households will be worse off next year because of higher energy bills, stagnant wages and tax increases, according to a think tank. the resolution foundation, which focuses on people on lower incomes, claims millions of families are facing a �*cost of living catastrophe'. the government says it has put £4.2 billion in place to support families. our economics correspondent andy verity has more. at the moment the dominant economic factor�*s omicron, of course, and that may be causing right now a bit of an economic contraction. but it's thought that that will be relatively short lived and what the resolution foundation is saying, they're a think tank that concentrates on living standards, is that in april, we are going to have a really nasty squeeze suddenly come upon us in the shape of, as you mentioned, higher tax rises, or higher tax bills, rather, and also higher energy bills. now, they calculate that for the average house, the rise in energy bills will be about £600 a year when the energy price cap is raised in april, so the deals will come in much higher than they have been before then. and then, of course, that hits low—income families who tend to spend more of their income on energy than higher income families, and pensioners in particular, especially hard. they are advocating that the government should do some things to improve the situation for those on the modest means, for example, the warm homes discount could be extended, etc. but then you've got the impact of something the government's doing quite deliberately, which is to raise taxes, national insurance going up by 1.25 percentage points for everybody who is working, at the same time as the thresholds below which you don't pay the higher rate of tax are being frozen, so that will drag more people into the higher rates of tax and national insurance, and they calculate that for the average family, that will be about £600 per year extra. so in april, you're talking about £1200 a year out of families' budgets, which in addition to the inflation we've got of 5.1% rising to 6%, it's going to be a difficult thing to cope with for most families. actress, model and activist april ashley has been hailed as a "trans trailblazer" following her death at the age of 86. ashley became only the second briton to undergo male—to—female gender reassignment surgery in 1960. she then became a prominent campaigner for the transgender community, and was awarded an mbe for her work in 2012. she spoke to the bbc the following year and took a look back at her career. when you go through life and you meet einstein, you meet sir winston churchill, you... dali wants to paint you, picasso looks you over three or four times, you know, to know all these people was extraordinary, and why i met them, i will never know. conservationists at chester zoo have helped experts in mexico reintroduce a species of fish that was previously declared extinct back to the wild. the freshwater tequila fish, which is silver and less than three inches long, has now been returned to its native habitat in south—west mexico. our science correspondent victoria gill reports. a little known species with an extraordinary story. the tequila fish is a small freshwater fish that lives in the rivers and lakes of south—west mexico, but it's been missing, presumed extinct, for more than a decade. and it's just one of thousands of aquatic creatures that are facing extinction, but have slipped under the radar. small little things, a bit silver sometimes, a bit of colour when they breed, but not much interest on the global conservation aspect. now, with the help of conservationists at chester zoo, scientists in mexico have reversed that extinction, bringing captive—bred fish back to the wild. the team has now confirmed that the fish are breeding, and that the population is recovering here. they're doing well. they started with the introduction of 1500 animals, so now we're about from 1500 individuals now, to tens of thousands, and now what we're seeing is that the species is slowly start expanding to the river system, which is exactly what we wanted. so that is a very good start, and hopefully that will be more species looking forward. among the estimated one million species under threat around the world, a third of wildlife that depends on freshwater habitats, are sliding towards extinction. and the ongoing loss of clean, healthy rivers and lakes threatens our food and water supplies too. so here injalisco, mexico, the community stepped in. local people trained with the scientists to take on long—term monitoring of this vital river network, to ensure it is clean and healthy for both people and wildlife. it would be impossible without the local community. the local people are the main actors in the long—term conservation project. it's a conservation success story that it's hoped could be repeated for other threatened habitats and species, including one that lives in just one lake in the north of mexico. the achoques, a close relative of the axolotl, was saved from extinction partly by a captive breeding program led by local nuns. open the mouth. and now, with the community helping to clean up the lake, here in patzcuaro, these captive—reared animals could be brought back to the wild. the success of the little tequila fish is a much needed sign of hope for one of the many small, and perhaps underappreciated creatures, that are facing extension. amid a biodiversity crisis, it's a sign that with people's help, nature can make a comeback. victoria gill, bbc news. the bishop ofjohannesburg and the city's mayor have led a memorial service to desmond tutu, outside the soweto home of the late south african nobel laureate. archbishop desmond tutu died on boxing day. the service is one of many that have been encouraged by the anglican church in south africa, to stop large crowds gathering because of covid. attendance at his state funeral on new year's day is being capped at a hundred because of coronavirus restrictions. today we have seen a band of rain and it still unsettled, some rain at times with stronger winds. the main feature is how mild it's going to be. over the next few days in england we could see temperatures reaching 17 celsius. bear in mind that the average for the time of the year is 8 degrees. so we could be setting a few records in the days ahead. as we head into the early part of this evening still 15 degrees in the south—east of england and in london. across the north—east of scotland around eight celsius. the rain has been heavier here. maybe a few breaks in the cloud for a while as we head further into the night. the cloud will thicken and get some rain and western parts of the uk. with the winds from the south or south—west is going to be very mild tonight. much milder in the north—east of scotland than it was last night. we start though tomorrow with a lot of cloud around and we have this rain as well. it will push eastwards, not much rain for the eastern side of englund in scotland. some sunshine in eastern scotland. some sunshine in eastern scotland and north—east england. maureen comes back into wales and the west midlands. these are the temperatures on thursday. 17 degrees in east anglia and much milder than today in the north—east of scotland. as you move into the new year, new year's eve, we are looking at rain to start the day across scotland and northern ireland. that will pull away. skies may brighten and they might be some sunshine coming through but it is turning drier. it still mild. not quite as mild across parts of northern scotland but still 16 or 17 towards south—eastern areas of england. it's so mild because the winds are coming from the tropics, south to south—westerly winds. the rain will mainly be across more north—western parts of the country. we start with some exceptionally mild eight across the uk overnight into new year's day. still some rain around mainly across western areas and the bulk of that across north—western parts of england, northern ireland and scotland. it will push away and the skies should brighten with some sunshine and a few showers. quite windy on saturday and very mild with highs of 16 or 17 celsius. this is bbc news. the headlines — people in the uk are left waiting days for covid pcr testing, following high demand, and pharmacists warn of patchy supplies of rapid test kits. we don't know when these are going to be available, so it's very difficult to plan, and let our patients and people know, in terms of when to come back, and when it's going to be in the pharmacies. nicola sturgeon rules out any further restrictions in scotland, but continues to urge caution, as cases rise further. record numbers of covid infections are recorded in both france and the united states, as the omicron variant continues to spread. soaring energy bills, rising taxes and stagnant wages will leave millions of british families struggling in 2022 — according to a leading think tank. one of the last pro—democracy media outlets in hong kong shuts down, after a police raid. prayers and thanksgiving in soweto, following the death of archibishop desmond tutu — a further memorial service is to be