This is bbc news with the latest headlines. On his last full day in office, President Trump orders travel restrictions to the uk and the eu to be lifted butjoe biden says the bans will be remain. Flood warnings as storm christoph is forecast to bring torrential rain to swathes of central and Northern England. Its going to be devastating. If its anything like it was in february, its going to be devastating, yeah. Grave concerns over the future of the Justice System in england and wales as the covid pandemic creates a backlog of crown court cases. Also this hour, with Remote Learning in full swing across the uks schools, we find out how teachers are coping with the bumpy start to the new term. We want to hear your experiences of how Remote Learning has gone so far, whether youre a parent,
teacher, or pupil. Do get in touch with me on twitter geetagurumurthy, and use bbcyourquestions. And two more Tennis Players at the Australian Open test positive for covid 19, amid ongoing controversy over the event. Ahead ofjoe biden� s inauguration, President Trump is waking up to his final full day in office today and overnight hes announced that a ban on travellers entering the us from the uk, eu and brazil would be lifted next week. However, president electjoe biden� s Team Immediately said the restrictions will remain. Our washington correspondent nomia iqbal has more. Americas capital city is really quiet, and so is its president. Is is eerily quiet. Mr trump has been largely silent after twitter permanently banned him. But there is some last minute business. He announced a covid 19 travel ban on much of europe would be lifted. The Incoming Biden Administration plans to reverse it, though. In a tweet, the incoming press secretary says in fact they will strengthen it. One thing they will not be able to stop are mr trumps pardons. Like all outgoing president s, he plans to use his last bit of power to grant clemency to more than 100 convicted criminals. This is all against a backdrop of a city which has turned into a fortress. Up to 25,000 troops from the National Guard are here, the most since the civil war era. This nation is still reeling from the riots earlier this month. Its emerged that some of them had connections to Law Enforcement, and now all the Inauguration Security is being vetted by the army and the fbi. One of the bigger challenges will be identifying people in Law Enforcement who have sympathies for these groups or act in concert with them. And again Law Enforcement has all the authorities they need, the fbi hasjurisdiction to investigate civil rights abuses by Law Enforcement officers, theyjust need to prioritise that work. President elect biden will fly into the city for his inauguration at capitol hill, he originally planned to make the trip by train. President trump will not be there, the first time that has happened in more than 150 years. He plans to leave for florida wednesday morning with the first lady melania trump. She has delivered a goodbye address. In all circumstances, i ask every american to be an ambassador of be best. To focus on what unites us, to raise above what divides us. To always choose love over hatred, peace over violence. And others before yourself. Four years on and President Trump will be leaving the white house just as he entered it, with chaos and without convention. He did get his wall, though, just not the one he expected. Nomia iqbal, bbc news, washington. Lets get more from nomia iqbal about the timetable of events in washington. The city and the country is gearing up for the incoming president. Joe biden actually arrives here in washington, dc later this morning. He will be flying in, rather than taking the train, which he normally does from the nearby state of delaware. Thats due to security concerns. Hell be meeting the Vice President elect, kamala harris. They plan to attend a memorial for the americans whove died with covid i9. Joe biden� s also expected to be putting the finishing touches to his inaugural speech, which will be aimed at unifying the country. Because americas politically a really difficult country right now. The fact that you have up to 25,000 armed troops on the ground
here in dc to safeguard the incoming president says a lot. But the citys leaving nothing to chance, after that deadly assault on Congress Earlier in the month. There is Something Else thats happening, as well, which is a deep clean of the white house. This is obviously joe biden� s new home. Its a big building, six floors and more than 130 rooms. But its also a building, which has seen outbreaks of coronavirus cases, including President Trump himself, who came down with covid i9 in october. So, there will be a lot of cleaning going on there. Mr trump has been keeping a low profile, but we do expect to hear from him at some point today and tomorrow. Obviously, we mentioned there covid i9 travel bans, the pardons, as well. We have heard that he is expecting or hoping to have some sort of send off at the base, where hell be flying away from. But any hopes that he might reach out to the bidens,
as they enter this new era very short lived. Because he and his wife, the first lady, melania trump, do not plan to even greetjoe biden and doctorjill biden. That task is left to the chief usher of the white house. None the expel in washington. Well have extensive coverage ofjoe biden� s inauguration throughout the day tomorrow, and well have full coverage of the event from lipm, with a bbc news special live from washington presented by katty kay. Nomia iqbal in washington. The pandemic has created a backlog of court cases which could damage the criminal Justice System for years thats a warning from the inspectorates for policing, prisons, probation and prosecutions. The four criminal service watchdogs for england and wales say they have grave concerns after figures revealed there are now 5a,000 crown court cases waiting to be heard. We can speak now to the chief inspector
of probation, justin russell. Thank you forjoining us. Just give us a sense of the scale, which cases are outstanding most and how difficult this all is . Mil are outstanding most and how difficult this all is . Difficult this all is . All four chief inspectors difficult this all is . All four chief inspectors of difficult this all is . All four chief inspectors of the difficult this all is . All four chief inspectors of the criminal justice servers are publishing a joint report on the very severe impact of the coronavirus pandemic, and those have come from police, probation, prosecutors and prisons. We had a shared concern about the particular impact on the court and had seen a huge increase in Court Backlog since the end of march, mainly caused by a big reduction in the volume of cases courted here in the volume of cases courted here in the period of april tojune in the first lockdown when there was a 50 reduction in cases heard by the crown court, which has now translated into a 44 increase in
the backlog of cases waiting for a crown court trial, and we are hearing about haters having to wait until 2022 for a trial, which is deeply concerning we are about cases. Deeply concerning we are about cases. H, deeply concerning we are about cases. ,. , ,. , deeply concerning we are about cases. , cases. The government says it has a programme cases. The government says it has a Programme Using cases. The government says it has a Programme Using video cases. The government says it has a Programme UsingVideo Technology. Cases. The government says it has a i Programme UsingVideo Technology and nightingale courtrooms, is it doing enough . We nightingale courtrooms, is it doing enou~h . ~ , nightingale courtrooms, is it doing enou~h . ~. , enough . We welcome the resources the government has enough . We welcome the resources the government has invested, enough . We welcome the resources the government has invested, they enough . We welcome the resources the government has invested, they have government has invested, they have brought manyjury trial wins back online and are investing in nightingale court, but that needs to be sustained. The estimate is that the backlog will not disappear until at least 2023 and potentially beyond, so the investment needs to continue after years of cuts to the criminaljustice continue after years of cuts to the criminal Justice System. Continue after years of cuts to the criminalJustice System. Gm . Continue after years of cuts to the criminalJustice System. Criminal ustice system. Why cant the criminalJustice System. Why cant the courts proceed criminalJustice System. Why cant the courts proceed fully, criminalJustice System. Why cant the courts proceed fully, given criminalJustice System. Why cant| the courts proceed fully, given the use of technology, as they would if able to meet in normal times . I think the courts have now got to a
point where they are able to deal with the cases coming to them both in crime court and magistrates� court, but that has taken an awful lot of work, they have had to sit 7500 perspex screens to protect people, they have rolled out Video Technology so people can give evidence over video wherever possible but that has onlyjust brought the system back to where it was previously and we had to go beyond that to reduce the backlog. Are there times when you cannot give evidence via video link . It is are there times when you cannot give evidence via video link . Evidence via video link . It is the decision of evidence via video link . It is the decision of the evidence via video link . It is the decision of the judge evidence via video link . It is the decision of the judge whether i decision of the judge whether somebody physically has to come into coach. The lord chiefjustice has said that wherever possible, evidence should be allowed to be given from home unless it is not in the interest ofjustice, so there is direction from the top that should happen. Direction from the top that should ha en. , direction from the top that should ha en, ,. , direction from the top that should ha en. , ,. , direction from the top that should hauen. ,. ,. ,. , happen. This is a real impact on victims of happen. This is a real impact on victims of very happen. This is a real impact on victims of very serious happen. This is a real impact on victims of very serious crime happen. This is a real impact on | victims of very serious crime like
domestic abuse case victims, it has an impact on prisoners on remand . Crown court he had the most serious offences, rape, serious Domestic Violence cases, murder, and the victims of those are having to wait a very long time. There has been a 35 increase in waiting times for Crown Court Trials when somebody pleads not guilty, meaning victims having to wait until 2022, a huge concern. ,. , having to wait unti12022, a huge concern. ,. ,. , having to wait until 2022, a huge concern. ,. ,. , concern. Many thanks for your time, justin russell. Areas of northern, central and Eastern England are preparing for flooding as storm christoph approaches the uk. Yellow warnings have been issued for england, wales, Northern Ireland and southern scotland and the met office has issued an amber warning across a large swathe of the country, saying there could be a danger to life caused by floods, gales and snow. Luxmy gopal has visited Hebden Bridge in west yorkshire, and has been speaking to people who are well used to preparing flood defences. The devastating flooding that ruined countless homes and livelihoods last february will be fresh in the minds
of people in parts of england braced for Severe Weather in the coming hours and days. It rose up to the top, came over the top, it filled the pubs, and it absolutely destroyed all the shops you see now. For residents in Hebden Bridge, which has had three majorfloods in the past nine years, it� s part of life but it doesn� t make it any easier. Ifeel sickened, to be honest. You know, i have gone round after the last one and people are just there with their head in their hands, thinking, what am i going to do now . One of those is hairdresserjackie, who� s a flood veteran, having lived here 30 years. This could be my either sixth or seventh time of flooding. But i think it was 2015, where it took everything. It is heartbreaking, i cant tell you. To walk in there, even though i have
uplifted everything and you go in the following day, its like, its the most. And there is sludge, everything, itsjust everything, its all up the walls. Itsjust everywhere, you walk in and you think, oh, where am i going to start . I dont know where to start. After a difficult year for the hospitality sector, restaurant ownerjack has little left to pay for flood damage. It� s going to be devastating, if it� s anything like it was in february, it is going to be devastating. We have taken the bounce back loan from the government but we have already spent a load of that and obviously anything that happens over the next couple of days is going to come from that and it� ll all have to be paid back so it� s not looking good. Other parts of yorkshire, including here in fishlake, are preparing for the worst, hoping it won� t be as severe as last time. Were taking all of the available
precautions necessary, that involves sandbagging, for the last 24 hours, for those areas that we think will be impacted by surface water or flooding. The Environment Agency warns that with recent rainfall and snow melt, river levels are already high and further heavy rain could also affect derbyshire, lancashire, greater manchester, merseyside and cheshire. If you receive a flood alert, please pack valuables like medicines and insurance documents in a bag and ready to go. If you receive a flood warning, please move valuables and precious possessions upstairs and be ready to turn off gas, electricity and water. And if you receive a severe flood warning, which means you will be evacuated, please listen out for the advice and take heed of the advice of the local emergency services. Over the past 11 months, people in Hebden Bridge have already endured a flood and a pandemic. With Severe Weather ahead yet again, their resilience is yet again being pushed to the limit. Let� s talk to luxmy gopal now whojoins me from Hebden Bridge. I remember covering flooding in that region many years ago, it is grim at the best of times but especially difficult when facing all the covid challenges too. What is the expectation in the next few hours of the weather . figs expectation in the next few hours of the weather . The weather . As you saw in my re ort, the weather . As you saw in my report. People the weather . As you saw in my report, people here the weather . As you saw in my report, people here have the weather . As you saw in my report, people here have been| report, people here have been bracing themselves for the worst, they might be hoping for the best but they are preparing for the worst, with floodgates and preparations. They have moved equipment and valuables upstairs, thatis equipment and valuables upstairs, that is what they spent yesterday doing, putting out sandbags in floodgates because it has happened before in 2012, 2013 and last year. It has been raining pretty much nonstop for the several hours i have been here, middle eight river levels have not changed much at the moment but it is later that we might see the impact, as the rain continues it might increase and as they told me, when things change here, it happens very quickly, so it might be calm now but the levels could rise under floods could hit very rapidly. There is a flood alert in place and there are more than 100 flood alerts and warnings in place across northern, eastern and central england, there are yellow weather warnings in scotland, Northern Ireland and wales. The Environment Agency says it is putting preparations in place for covid safe rest centres if anybody needs to leave their homes, homes need to be evacuated. Authorities in South Yorkshire have declared a major incident, telling people to be repaired. It had that bridge the
council told people to do everything they could to protect themselves and their properties from the threat of storm christoph, because this heavy weather forecast, storm christoph, because this heavy weatherforecast, this storm christoph, because this heavy weather forecast, this heavyweight is due to continue today and in the next couple of days. If is due to continue today and in the next couple of days. Next couple of days. If people are worried about next couple of days. If people are worried about older next couple of days. If people are worried about older relatives, worried about older relatives, friends or family might worried about older relatives, friends orfamily might be worried about older relatives, friends or family might be stuck, are they allowed to do that . Normally you might be able to