Transcripts For BBCNEWS BBC News At Six 20201007

As infections soar in some cities the mayor of greater manchetser warns of a dangerous winter of discontent. Four men have gone on trial over the deaths of 39 vietnamese migrants found dead in a lorry in essex. And all aboard for one of the last surviving d day veterans Harry Billinge is honoured with a high speed train in his name. And coming up in sport on bbc news sale sharks say theyre devastated as they miss out on the play offs after six more players test positive for coronavirus. Good evening and welcome to the bbc news at six. Pubs, restaurants and cafes that sell alcohol in glasgow, edinburgh and the central belt of scotland have been ordered to close for 16 days from friday to try to slow the spread of coronavirus. In the rest of scotland licensed premises must shut by 6pm and cannot serve alcohol indoors. The first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, ruled out a return to full lockdown but she warned that, without swift action, infection rates could return to peak levels by the end of the month. In recent weeks there has been a sharp rise in new cases across scotland with new positive cases exceeding 100 a day across the belt between glasgow and edinburgh. The new restrictions come into force at 6pm this friday the start of many School Holidays and last more than two weeks. Restrictions are tightest in the central belt where licensed bars, restaurants and cafes will only be allowed to offer a Takeaway Service to more than three Million People who live there. In the rest of scotland a curfews being imposed from 6am to 6pm for all indoor hospitality and no alcohol can be sold indoors. Rules on face coverings are being tightened too in coming weeks they must be worn indoors in all communal settings like workplace corridors and canteens. Heres our scotland editor, sarah smith. They will not be any of that this weekend. There will be no drinking and side bars and restaurants in scotla nd and side bars and restaurants in scotland for over a fortnight. The news that no one wanted to hear from a politician that knows this will be unpopular but she says short sharp measures are required. Without them there is a very real risk that the virus will run out of control by the end of this month. With them we hope to slow down its bread and that will help us keep schools and businesses including hospitality open over the winter and fundamentally it will save lives. It is an announcement that could be hard to swallow. Save lives. It is an announcement that could be hard to swallowm save lives. It is an announcement that could be hard to swallow. If it isa that could be hard to swallow. If it is a short term fix lets have it but if it carries on for the next few months it is obviously not going to be ideal. I probablyjust will not see people, that is the hard truth. If you are stopping alcohol at that time people are going to be forced to go into each others houses anyway. Venues like this take so many anti paper mac precautions they do not think they pose a risk. We have not had it happening here. We have not had it happening here. We have not had it happening here. We have rules and regulations and face masks and hand sanitiser. We are protecting our customers and staff and people are not doing that in homes and where they are going and gathering in groups. In homes and where they are going and gathering in groupsm in homes and where they are going and gathering in groups. It is already the case we cannot meet to socialise and each others homes in scotland. Now people cannot meet for a drink in a bar or license restau ra nt a drink in a bar or license restaurant either. It sounds harsh but the Scottish Government see if it wasnt for the need to think aboutjobs it wasnt for the need to think about jobs and peoples it wasnt for the need to think aboutjobs and peoples well being they would go further. To explain why it is shutting down much of the Hospitality Industry the government published some of their Scientific Evidence which shows the virus could reach peak levels of infection by the end of the month and includes data showing that about a fifth of people with coronavirus have visited bars and restaurants. But does not prove they are being infected in places like this. You cannot put people out of a job on a hunch. The fa ct people out of a job on a hunch. The fact it is incredibly well policed i do not understand it and we are not being told why. Faced with rapidly rising infection rates the Scottish Government feel the need to act. We are trying to restrict households meeting indoors where we know with airborne transmission, poor ventilation, physical distancing being difficult, the virus has a chance to spread. We already cannot meet in each others home so what is the next candidate . Unfortunately it is hospitality especially where alcohol is being sold so that is the research bases for where these measures are being introduced at the current time. Glasgow has the highest coronavirus rates in scotla nd highest coronavirus rates in scotland but now along with the rest of Central Scotland some of the tightest covid restrictions on the whole of the uk. Hospital admissions are rising fast. More than two thirds of them yesterday were in the north of england where infection rates are much higher than the rest of the uk. Health bosses have warned that the numbers going into hospital in some places there are at similar levels to the peak and theyre very worried. The infection rate is climbing on average across england there are now 55 cases per 100,000 people. But across Northern England the situation is much worse. Manchester has 561 cases per 100,000. In liverpool the figure is 516 per 100,000. And now there are signs of an increase further south in the midlands and east midlands with nottingham now recording 440 cases per 100,000 people. 0ur correspondent dan johnson has spent the day there. In some of our biggest cities there is fear. It is terrifying because we do not know how long this is going to go on for. I didnt really want to go on for. I didnt really want to come here today because they had gone up so to come here today because they had gone up so much but we risked it. There are appeals for more action. We do have to do something. Hopefully not a fill up their own but who knows . Restrictions to get it over with and reduce the spread. It is not ideal. Calls for greater clarity. I look at what the scots are doing and that seems to be clearer messaging from the Scottish Government it is the balance between Public Health and keeping the economy going. How long is it going to go on for if people are not taking it seriously . His numbers have surged here pushing nottingham to fifth in the country. This has been the quietest day since we openedin been the quietest day since we opened injuly. Been the quietest day since we opened in july. Sam is seeing the impact. I think it is quieter because of the rise in cases. That is more than fair to say. People are afraid to come out . I think so. The cry for help tightening the rules comes right from the top. Whatever restrictions come and i would plead with the government to make them straightforward and easy to understand. Some people, a small numberof understand. Some people, a small number of people, are ignoring the restrictions but others are confused. I have had many emails this morning asking what people should do. In leeds extra measures are already in place but cases have kept rising. I hope it does not come back to a full lockdown again where people can at least come and have some sort of socialising, some sort of eating out experience. It is very sad because our lives are our children and grandchildren and we cannot see them and we are old. children and grandchildren and we cannot see them and we are old. I do not see how they can restrict me even more. I do not mind if the close pubs altogether. Other voices urging a different approach. All you are doing is stopping business, stopping people enjoying themselves, and they have achieved nothing as farasi and they have achieved nothing as faras i can and they have achieved nothing as far as i can see. What should happen . Let things go back to normal, take all the restrictions away. Further restrictions on the way as the city and others struggle to keep the virus control. The latest government coronavirus data shows there were 14,162 new Coronavirus Infections recorded in the latest 24 hour period a similar number to yesterday. It means the average number of new cases reported per day in the last week is 13,002. Hospital admissions jumped significantly on sunday, now on average 496 people are being admitted every day over the past week. This number doesnt include scotland. 70 deaths have been reported thats people who died within 28 days of a positive covid 19 test again a similar number to yesterday. It means on average in the past week 53 deaths were announced every day which takes the total number of deaths so far across the uk to 42,515. The labour leader, sir keir starmer, has accused the government of lacking clarity in its handling of the coronavirus crisis. Speaking at prime ministers questions, sir keir said people couldnt understand why some communities were under local restrictions and others werent. Heres our Political Editor laura kuenssberg. Masks in the morning. For the Commons Speaker and his entourage. A sign you can see that once more the pandemic is at the front of parliaments mind. Pandemic is at the front of pa rliaments mind. With pandemic is at the front of parliaments mind. With doubts here over whether ministers strategy is really working at all. 20 local areas in england have been under restrictions for two months. In 19 of those 20 areas infection rates have gone up. Something has gone wrong here. I wish i could pretend everything was going to be rosy in the midlands are indeed in london, where alas we are also seeing infections rise and that is why we need a concerted national effort. Not enough for labour. When he levelled with the people of bury and bolton and tell them what he thinks the problem is . We are doing a combination of national and local measures which one week he comes to this house and supports and the next week mysteriously he decides to whisk his support away. In sunderland or salford, more than 17 Million People in the uk are living with extra limits already. Nearly 30 million in england. But as the disease spreads might there be more . Everyone round here is desperate to avoid another National Lockdown but with cases still rising, further clamp downs are likely to be on the way. The treasury is nervous about extra rules talking of the economy so is looking at extra support for pubs in the north of england and beyond if they had to close. The department of health is keen on a system of different tiers where parts of the country would be put into different clear categories but the opposition and tory mps are getting more and more sceptical as each day goes by and whatever the government is proposing there are a lot of complicated factors here and number 10 is yet to decide. As the need to act further seems to become more urgent in westminster, tensions are rising among the politicians they will have to deal with restrictions on the ground. Too much is being decided behind closed doors without the detail being provided to Council Leaders and mayor blue and thatis Council Leaders and mayor blue and that is not acceptable given the seriousness of the situation. The government is moving to a different phase but with no announcement perhaps until monday the detail will have to wait. Next Years National five exams which are sat by 15 and 16 year olds in scotland are to be cancelled. Theyll be replaced with teacher assessments and coursework. Scotlands education secretary, john swinney, said sitting the exams during the pandemic was too big a risk. Higher and advanced higher exams will go ahead, but slightly later than usual. Heres our scotland correspondent, lorna gordon. How are you doing, class . Afternoon. At port glasgow high school, these 4th year pupils are studying for their national 5 qualifications, which are broadly equivalent to gcses. Now, the exams theyve been working towards have been scrapped, their grades to be based on continuous assessment instead. I think its pretty bad. Because its very difficult for us to go on and well be thrown in at the deep end with our higher exams. Tests in class arent that bad, but i think itsjust too much pressure to have, like, one big test determine your whole life. Scotlands education secretary insists this is a system of awards that can be delivered despite the disruption caused by coronavirus. It has evidence at its heart, it puts a robust system of Quality Assurance in place, and it works with teachers to award on the basis of their professional judgment. I believe it is fair, i believe it is rigorous and, of greatest importance, it gives us the opportunity to recognise the achievements of young people in scotland in these challenging days. At this school, they already had plans in place in case any exams were dropped. We knew that this would be a year of disruption. We knew there would be young people who might have to self isolate for a significant amount of time. And, therefore, from day one, we have talked about in school about continuous assessment, about how we gather evidence. Scotland was the first to reverse the controversial results from last years cancelled exams to base them instead on teachers estimates. Its now become the first to decide what to do about next years exams, as well. Schools in england are expecting a decision on this within the next few weeks, with wales and Northern Ireland to follow giving clarity to young people, at such a crucial time of their lives. Lorna gordon, bbc news, port glasgow. The head of the nhs in england says hundreds of thousands of people could have a condition known as long covid. For most people who catch coronavirus its a brief and mild disease. But many are left struggling with symptoms for months afterwards some exhausted afterjust a short walk, others can be much more seriously affected, as our medical editor, fergus walsh, explains. So, initially, i couldnt even climb a flight of stairs. This is what long covid can look like. 0k, arms across your chest. Suji yathindra is a doctor in a e. He got only a mild illness with covid, yet its left him so exhausted hes been off work for three months. I get out of breath quite easily. Lots of muscle aches, joint pains. Thats it, really. If i do exercise, the next day im out of it. Im going to time a minute. This post covid clinic at londons University College hospital, is diagnosing a vast array of physical, mental and cognitive problems, all stemming from coronavirus infection. So, were seeing people with really severe fatigue and really significant breathlessness. You know, people who were running marathons at the beginning of the year, previously fit and well, didnt need any hospital admission for their covid. But, six months on, are too fatigued to even get to the shops to buy food. Long covid is a huge emerging health problem. Doctors say theres an urgent need for research into what drives the condition, and produces such a wide variety of serious, debilitating symptoms. Many people are struggling to get help with the after effects of coronavirus. The boss of nhs england says £10 million will be spent on setting up more long covid clinics across england. Its clear that there are tens of thousands, probably hundreds of thousands of coronavirus patients with these long covid symptoms. So, we need specialist clinics like this, but also Rehabilitation Services across the community to both support those patients and to learn more about the best treatments for them. Like so many with long covid, robert moore had only a minor coronavirus infection. Yet the 30 year old suffers repeated muscle and joint pain, brought on by any physical activity. Soon as i do anything, whether thats going for a walk, or preparing something to eat, or doing any form of cognitively difficult tasks, ill just find a huge amount of fatigue the next day, whether thats muscular orjust a generalfatigue. So far, the focus has been saving lives in the pandemic. But covid is leaving a bitter legacy for many that may stay with them for months or even years. Fergus walsh, bbc news. The time is 6 20. Our top story this evening. Pubs, restaurants and cafes that sell alcohol across a large part of scotland are ordered to shut to try to slow the spread of coronavirus. And coming up, honouring one of britains last surviving d day veterans 95 year old Harry Billinge gets a high speed train named after him. Coming up on sportsday on bbc news, ahead of their euro 2020 play off semifinals, scotlands Stuart Armstrong tests positive for coronavirus, with Kieran Tierney and Ryan Christie forced to self isolate too. Three times us olympic champion aly raisman says anyone who knew about any form of abuse in british gymnastics should leave the sport. She was sexually abused by the former us team doctor larry nasser, including at the london olympics in 2012. It comes as britains amy tinkler says she would have given up her bronze medalfrom rio if it meant she hadnt had to go through what she suffered. Heres our Sports Correspondent natalie pirks. Such a powerful gymnast. Winning bronze atjust 16 years old was a dream come true. Amy tinkler, looking very at home but the treatment she says shes had since has been more like a nightmare. A bbc news story in august led to the woman she lodged a complaint of mental abuse about, National Team head coach amanda reddin, stepping aside, pending investigation. She denies all allegations. But despite concluding that complaint, british gymnastics still hasnt told tinkler the outcome. I would give up that medal to not have gone through what i did. Not many people can say theyve got an olympic medal, and the fact that id just rather not have that, to have gone through what i went through, its really sad. Three times olympic champion aly raisman shared a podium with amy that day in rio. She can sympathise. Its heartbreaking. Because, you know, as a little girl, you dream of going to the olympics. And every time an adult enables the abuse, or gaslights you, or doesnt believe you, it feels like youre being abused all over again. Just one final test for her. Raisman knows exactly what its like to feel let down by those who should have protected her. Beautiful, special floor routine, there. Like countless others, she was sexually abused by usa Gymnastics Team doctor larry nasser. Her powerful testimony in court helped put the prolific paedophile behind bars. Abusers, yourtime is up. The survivors are here, standing tall, and we are not going anywhere. She now works with survivors of all types of abuse, and although the allegations here are ofa and although the allegations here are of a different nature, she is urging the governing body not to make the same mistakes that usa gymnastics has. It is so important for british gymnastics to really listen to the athletes. Every Single Person who knew about it needs to be gone, and there needs to be accountability. Gymnasts, once in defiance of gravity, now in defiance of a culture that simply must change. Natalie pirks, bbc news. Two former british Islamic State prisoners are travelling to the us to appear in court in connection with the killing of western hostages. Alexanda kotey and El Shafee El Sheikh are accused of belonging to an is cell dubbed the beatles involved in kidnappings in iraq and syria. Four men have gone on trial at the old bailey in connection with the deaths of 39 vietnamese migrants who were found in a lorry trailer in essex last year. The jury was told the four had allegedly already been involved in successful trips to smuggle migrants across the channel. They face charges of manslaughter and conspiracy to facilitate illegal immigration. Our home affairs correspondent, Daniel Sandford reports. At court today to see justice done, relatives of some of the vietnamese people who died on the back of a sealed lorry trailer last october. All 39 died of a lack of oxygen. The two youngest were 15, the oldest 44. They were in the sealed trailer for some 12 hours, as the temperature rose to over 38 celsius. 0n trial today, facing 39 counts of manslaughter, were british romanian Gheorghe Nica and Eamonn Harrison, a young lorry driver from Northern Ireland. Irish haulier ronan hughes has already pleaded guilty to manslaughter, as has Maurice Robinson, another young Northern Irish lorry driver. It was Maurice Robinson that had picked up the trailer from purfleet port that night. Ronan hughes had messaged him, give them air quickly, but dont let them out, so hed stopped and opened the door. The prosecutor, bill emlynjones, said to the jury, what he found must haunt him still. For the 39 men and women inside, that lorry had become their tomb. One of the dead, 28 year old 28 year old pham thi ngoc 0anh, had tried to send a message. Maybe going to die in the container, cant breathe any more, dear. It was found unsent on her phone. This was the ferry that brought the trailer, unaccompanied, across the channel. Both Eamonn Harrison and Gheorghe Nica deny charges of manslaughter. The trial is expected to last 12 weeks. Daniel sandford, bbc news, the old bailey. The former first minister of scotland, alex salmond, tried to persuade his successor, Nicola Sturgeon to stop allegations of misconduct against him from becoming public. Thats according to documents released today. Mr salmond was acquitted of 13 charges of Sexual Assault earlier this year. Lets speak to our scotland editor, sarah smith. What more can you tell us . The evidence that has been published today contains a long string of whatsapp messages between Nicola Sturgeon and alex salmond. In them, he asks for several face to face meetings and also urges Nicola Sturgeon to intervene in the investigation into charges of Sexual Harassment against him, because he says if it was made public, it could embarrass the government. In reply to one of these messages come on the 1st ofjune, Nicola Sturgeon wrote back, me intervening is not the right thing to do. Now, the first minister told the Scottish Parliament at the first she knew of these allegations against alex salmond, and that there was an investigation into them, was when he told her about it at a meeting in her home in april 2018. In the evidence she submitted to the committee today, we can see she confirmed she did meet a former alex salmond aide four days earlier, and that she was aware of allegations of a sexual nature against the former first minister. But she says the first she knew of the investigation into these allegations was when alex salmond told her himself. Now, Nicola Sturgeon also says in her evidence that she wants to reject in the strongest possible terms any suggestion that she conspired, either with or against alex salmond. These documents are part of the evidence thats being given to an inquiry looking into how the Scottish Government investigated the allegations of misconduct against mr salmond. Remember, he was acquitted earlier this year of 13 charges of Sexual Assault. Two women have won this years nobel prize for chemistry for their work developing a technique to edit dna. Emmanuelle charpentier, whos french, and jennifer doudna, whos american, are the first women to win the award without a male collaborator. A high speed train has been named after one of britains last surviving d day veterans to honour his bravery and fundraising work. 95 year old Harry Billinge from st austell has raised more than £25,000 to build a National Memorial forfallen comrades. This morning he boarded the train bearing his name travelling from his home station to penzance. John maguire has the story. Harry billinge was one of the first d day soldiers to london what was given the code name gold beach. Land on. He was just 18 years old. Hes been back to the normandy coast line in recent years to honour and to remember his friends and comrades who fought and died alongside him. Just before lockdown, he was awarded the mbe by the queen, in recognition of his tireless fundraising. Theres about 35 quid there, harry. Collecting donations for a British Memorial to the tens of thousands who were killed on these sands in 1944. For the preservation of this wonderful memorial to our wonderful men that died on that terrible normandy campaign. And, this morning, another special occasion for this very special man. Doing the lambeth walk hey greeted at the Railway Station in his home town of st austell in cornwall, harry was about to travel to penzance on board a train named in his honour. What you think of having your own train, harry . Marvellous 0verwhelming. Never expected that. Alongside his name and his designations as a member of the british empire, and the french award the legion dhonneur, are ten berets of the royal engineers, one for each of harrys team on d day. Theres no words to describe it, really, is there . Im moved beyond measure. Lovely. Im very proud to be able to say that. The British Normandy memorial is now close to completion. Its due to be officially opened around the d Day Anniversary in june. Harry is determined to be there. John maguire, bbc news, cornwall. Time for a look at the weather heres helen willetts. Thank you very much. We saw fewer showers today, but more sunshine around. It was sunny in nottinghamshire, as you can see. There were showers around in the north, but the reason for viewer further south is the menacing mass of cloud on this area of low pressure that has been growing up. That has already been bringing strengthening winds, cloud and more rain in across Northern Ireland, wales and south western parts of the uk. Still showers in the north, but thatis uk. Still showers in the north, but that is where we have seen the drier weather in between. As we go through this evening and overnight it will get progressively wetter across much of wales and england. In fact, cross the welsh hills we could have 30 or 40 millimetres of rain, so potentially localised flooding and also some tricky travelling conditions and hill folk to boot. And strong wind. A chilly night under the starry skies of scotland, may be some Early Morning fog here. That is where well see the lions share of the sunshine first then, before the showers get going. A wet start further south. The rain is being chased away by the sunshine in the afternoon, just dragging its heels on the south coast. When it does clear, two three hours of good sunshine, the wind easing off, 15 or 17 is feeling quite pleasant, cooler further north than today. Through thursday evening and overnight we are watching the next area of rain massing towards the west of us. This time it looks like it will be further north, coming into scotland, although tonight may brush southern scott scotland. This time it turns chilly behind because we pick up a north westerly breeze. More showers, yes, but even in the afternoon, temperatures will be lower. Lower for all of us as we go through the weekend, by day and night. We have a northerly wind to greet us. High pressure is starting in the west, a lwa ys pressure is starting in the west, always the risk further east, not just chilly by day, but by night as well