a 30—year—old former nurse has been charged with eight counts of murder by police investigating the deaths of babies at the countess of chester hospital. one of the prime minister's closest advisers, lee cain, quits as his director of communications after a battle over his position. music: last post and remembering the dead, as the nation falls silent on armistice day. and in sport, there are more injury worries for liverpool as joe gomez limps out of england training with a knee injury ahead of their match against the republic of ireland tomorrow. good evening. the uk has become the first country in europe and the fifth in the world to record more than 50,000 deaths because of coronavirus. the prime minister said every death was a tragedy and he warned that britain was not out of the woods yet. today, another 595 deaths have been reported — all people who have died within 28 days of a positive covid—19 test. the death toll now stands at 50,365. according to the office for national statistics, four fifths of the deaths registered in england and wales were people over the age of 75. 0ur health correspondent catherine burns has been speaking to some of those who have lost loved ones in the second wave of the pandemic. peter davies and steve horsfall lived less than a0 miles from each other and died 11 days apart, both in the second wave of coronavirus. that's been the hardest thing, not being able to hug people. my dad was 79, but i do believe he had a lot of years left. peter was a family man, he died the week before his 52nd wedding anniversary. he was a brilliant dad who also doted on his grandchildren. he was overweight but healthy until he went into hospital with a water infection. he was not an ill man, he was not a frail man, he died purely of covid. if covid didn't exist, my dad would still be here. steve was a teacher but that barely begins to sum him up. he was in a rock tribute band, photographer and a biker. wherever he went on his bike, he'd take an ice cream selfie. he had asthma and type 2 diabetes but did not think he would get covid. at the end of september, though, he and his wife became sick at same time. it was awful because we were both so ill. his oxygen levels were quite low, enough to make us realise that he needed medical attention. the last vision i have of my dad before his last day was him in the back of an ambulance in a wheelchair, so... ..sorry. that's the last vision i have of him is being 0k, really. it is six weeks since they've lost her dad, not even five the sioux we re her dad, not even five the sioux were now the uk has reached a grim milestone, the first in europe to do so. milestone, the first in europe to do so. 50,000 deaths. every death there isa so. 50,000 deaths. every death there is a tragedy and we mourn everyone who has gone. 0ur is a tragedy and we mourn everyone who has gone. our thoughts are with their friends who has gone. our thoughts are with theirfriends and who has gone. our thoughts are with their friends and family. the government was slow in phase one, they haven't learned the lessons into phase two and we owe it to all the families who are grieving to get oi'i the families who are grieving to get on top of the virus. these people are not numbers oi’ on top of the virus. these people are not numbers or statistics, they are not numbers or statistics, they are people that are loved and that love other people and they are missed hugely. sue kept hoping and believing steve would be ok right until the end. the shock came when i got a call in the early hours of the friday morning to say that he'd developed a complication and that his heart had stopped. the reason why his heart had stopped was... a clot on his lung. and i knew they did everything they possibly could. bev and her mum were able to see her dad one last time in hospital, wearing full ppe. he was talking when we first went into the room. he said where have you been? then started with very, very laboured breathing, which was just... started with very, very laboured breathing, which wasjust... i can't. .. just horrific to breathing, which wasjust... i can't... just horrific to listen to that, you know, my big, strong dad asi that, you know, my big, strong dad as i saw him. he waited to say you only live once and he used to turn around and say, you only die once. but you live life every day and he said you have to make the best of every day. sue horsfall remembering her husband steve. 0ur health editor hugh pym is with me. every story is heartbreaking — more than 50,000 deaths already in th e uk and we still have a difficult winter ahead. yes, tragic stories there. it seems like an age ago that a senior government adviser said back in march that anything below 20,000 deaths would be a good outcome, now we are above 50,000. they cover all deaths within 28 days of a positive test but there is a broader definition which looks at all death certificates with covid listed as a cause, that's more than 61,000 deaths. so where does the uk standing comparison with other countries? we can look at some of the data, in terms of deaths relative to population per 100,000 people. of developed economies, belgium has the highest at 119, followed by spain and brazil. there is the uk at 75 per 100,000, head of the us and france and quite a lot above germany there for that comparison. it has to be said all countries measure deaths in slightly different ways. we will have to wait a bit longerfor the different ways. we will have to wait a bit longer for the excess deaths in total in each of these countries to get a broader comparison. if you look at new admissions to hospitals and new cases on the graphs, those are flattening out a little bit, which may be a bit more positive. deaths are a lagging indicator, reflecting infections two or three weeks ago and public health england have said today this trend we have identified today will continue and it will be several weeks, they say, before current lockdown restrictions have any impact. hugh pym, thank you. government scientists have today sought to reassure the public about the safety of the new vaccine, which could be just weeks away. the head of the uk's medicines regulator said there was absolutely no chance the vaccine would be given the go ahead here if it didn't meet the usual standards. england's deputy chief medical officer, professorjonathan van tam, said he would be front of the queue for the jab if he was allowed to be. here is a medical editor, fergus walsh. this is the life we aren't living — because of coronavirus, a world without social distancing orfacemasks, the freedom to meet, travel and celebrate together. only a safe and effective covid vaccine can guarantee an eventual return to this and an end to the pandemic. early results suggest pfizer's vaccine is 90% effective at preventing covid. there's hope it could be given emergency authorisation by early december, but the medicines regulator, the mhra, says no corners will be cut. although we have adapted our processes to undertake our rigorous review of effectiveness and safety in a rolling way, there is absolutely no chance that we will compromise on standards of safety or effectiveness. creating a completely new vaccine usually takes at least ten years from design and development and animal studies to clinical trials, regulatory review and production. this has been compressed tojust ten months. the clinical trial phases have been done in parallel and manufacturers have already begun large—scale production even before they know it works, so that a covid vaccine will be available as soon as regulators give the green light. the pfizer vaccine requires two doses three weeks apart. no major adverse events have been reported from the trials, involving more than 40,000 volunteers, but detailed safety and effectiveness data hasn't been published yet. the government's health advisers know public support for the vaccine will be vital. do you think it might be a good idea if the prime minister and people like yourself were first in the queue for a covid vaccine, and that might be a mark of confidence in a covid vaccine? if i could rightly and morally be at the very front of the queue, then i would do so, because i absolutely trust the judgment of the mhra on safety and efficacy. he said priority must be given to the elderly. i think the mum test is very important here. my mum is 78, she'll be 79 shortly, and i've already said to her, "mum, make sure when you're called, you're ready." gps have been asked to be ready to mass vaccinate the elderly from next month, though most of the doses destined for the uk, enough for 20 million adults, won't arrive until next year. one of the hurdles with the pfizer vaccine is that it needs to be stored in an ultralow temperature freezer, like this one at imperial college london. you can see the temperature is —76 celsius. this is where imperial stores some doses of its experimental covid jab. now, vaccines like these can be transported to immunisation centres in boxes of dry ice to maintain the cold chain. and pfizer says that its vaccine can then be transferred to a normal fridge and will remain usable for up to five days. even if several covid vaccines prove successful, we shouldn't expect a return to normal life this winter — but at least a future beyond coronavirus now looks possible. fergus walsh, bbc news. a former nurse has been charged with eight counts of murder and ten counts of attempted murder following an investigation into baby deaths at the countess of chester hospital. 30—year—old lucy letby has been re—arrested as part of an investigation which began in 2017. 0ur correspondentjudith moritz is there for us this evening. judith. yes, three years after the police began their investigation into the deaths of babies at this hospital, tonight, one of its former nurses is accused of multiple counts of murder and attempted murder. the families of 18 babies are being given support as they come to terms with this news. the nurse lucy letby has been on bailfor much of the news. the nurse lucy letby has been on bail for much of the last two yea rs. on bail for much of the last two years. cheshire police say their investigation has taken so long because it has been highly complex and extremely challenging and they say that they had consulted a number of medical specialists to ensure it's been as thorough as possible. lucy letby once posed for photos in her uniform, telling her local paper in 2013 that she enjoyed nursing babies, as she could see them progress and support their families. now, she's suspected of murdering eight infants and trying to kill another ten. the 30—year—old worked in the neonatal unit at the countess of chester hospital. in 2017, the hospital called in the police, having become aware of a greater than usual number of baby deaths and babies at risk of dying betweenjune 2015 and june 2016. lucy letby was first arrested in july 2018. her home nearby was sealed off and forensic officers searched the house and garden. the nurse was arrested again a year later, and then yesterday, she was arrested for a third time. cheshire police said they made the arrest based on further information that has been gathered as part of their ongoing investigation. tonight, lucy letby is being held in custody and will appear before magistrates in warrington tomorrow. judith moritz, bbc news, chester. 0ne one of the premier‘s closest aides and confidants has dramatically resigned from his role in government tonight. lee kane was the director of communications at number 10 downing st. we can speak to laura kuenssberg. why has he gone? everyone watching tonight would know this has been a very bumpy time for the government and in that context, perhaps it is not that surprising that the man who has been in charge of government communications has actually ended up leaving hisjob. but it is a lot more complicated than that. it is notjust some random resignation from multiple sources have told me today he had been offered the job to be the prime minister's chief of staff but through the day it became obvious that that wouldn't work out, there was stiff resistance from some quarters, including, iunderstand, from the prime minister's partner who objected to that appointment being made. so huge questions of rival factions being made. so huge questions of rivalfactions inside downing street vying for influence throughout the day. tonight, it's also been suggested to me that other departures may follow lee cain out the door in some kind of protest, potentially dominic cummings, the prime minister's most senior adviser, who has been very, very close to lee cain, working very much asa close to lee cain, working very much as a duo in terms of offering their advice to borisjohnson. there are also whispers tonight about the position of the government's eu negotiator, david frost, who again worked with borisjohnson at the foreign office. again, alongside mr cain. i would stress that the actual reality of those other departures are farfrom confirmed but reality of those other departures are far from confirmed but one insider hasjust told are far from confirmed but one insider has just told me are far from confirmed but one insider hasjust told me in are far from confirmed but one insider has just told me in the last few minutes they can't describe how messy this feels on the inside. there are serious concerns on both sides, if you like, in the government and far from giving a picture that this is an administration that is all focused on trying to deliver the right policies to help the country through this pandemic, instead tonight it appears an administration riven by rival factions who are fighting over influence of the prime minister himself is that at the end of the day, while every government has rivalries, every government has split loyalties, there is only one person in charge and at the end of the day, that is meant to be the prime minister. our political editor laura kuenssberg with the latest, thank you. the uk fell silent this morning to remember all those who have died in war. prince charles and the duchess of cornwalljoined the prime minister for a special armistice day service at westminster abbey. the pandemic meant the event had to be scaled back but the service warrior, who represents all those killed in the first world war whose remains were never found. our royal correspondent nicholas witchell reports. it occupies a place of honour just inside the main entrance to westminster abbey. it is the grave of the unknown warrior, and for 100 years it has symbolised a nation's loss. it was on this armistice day anniversary in 1920 that the body of an unidentified serviceman was brought from the first world war battlefields of northern france. it was carried through london on a gun carriage and borne into the abbey for burial among the kings, watched by a congregation of a thousand bereaved wives and mothers. 100 years later, social distancing had limited the abbey congregation to just 80. everyone wore a mask. led by the prince of wales and the duchess of cornwall, they gathered to honour the one grave which represents every husband, son, or daughter lost in war. big ben chimes the hour at 11 o'clock, silence was observed. music: last post. as a bugler sounded the last post at the cenotaph, the prince of wales placed a wreath of laurel leaves at the grave. choir sing the poet laureate read from his tribute to the unknown warrior. all this for a soul without name or rank or age or home. because you are the son we lost and your rest is ours. in his sermon, the archbishop of canterbury spoke about comradeship and shared sacrifice, whether in a world war or a global pandemic. when, as we have this year, we've faced deep uncertainties and difficulties, we do not just look after ourselves. we make a stand for our families, for our friends and neighbours. we look out for our loved ones, close and far, because we know that none of us are safe... ..until all are safe. the union flag which had covered the warrior‘s coffin was borne to the abbey's altar, and a prayer was said for all those who've served others during the pandemic. from the aftermath of a world war and the grave of an unknown warrior, a reminder of individual sacrifice and a nation's resilience. nicholas witchell, bbc news. donald trump has made his first official public appearance since last week's presidential election. he laid a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier at arlington national cemetery, to mark what the americans call veterans‘ day. president trump made no remarks at the cemetery but on twitter he kept up his narrative of voter fraud at the election, referring to "a mountain of corruption and dishonesty". all of hong kong's pro democracy lawmakers have resigned from the territory's parliament after four of their colleagues were dismissed. it comes after the the government in mainland china passed a resolution allowing politicians to be removed if they were deemed to be a threat to national security. the move has been condemned by the uk. this report from our china correspondentjohn sudworth contains some flash photography. it was a slow walk out of parliament and a sign ofjust how swiftly china has moved to quell hong kong's pro—democracy movement. four politicians, who had spoken in favour of us sanctions on hong kong, disqualified within minutes of the announcement from beijing. last year's mass protests, fuelled by fears that china was undermining hong kong's freedoms, have been stopped by a sweeping national security law, but few would have imagined that parliamentary opposition would be targeted too, by new powers handed to the city's pro—beijing leader. translation: from now on, every lawmaker must support the basic law of hong kong and be loyal to the people's republic of china, in order to build a political system dominated by patriots. in protest, the remaining pro—democracy lawmakers announced that they were all resigning, leaving hong kong's leaders without any effective opposition at all. this act resignation is notjust in protest against beijing's rule of...rule by decree — it's no longer rule of law. it's not even rule by law, it's rule by decree. hong kong's fractious parliament was not always a model of democracy but it was one of the few spaces left for dissent. now it's gone, too. well, sophie, this might look like the death of democracy in hong kong. but i think it is worth remembering that the chinese authorities would not be working so hard to squash the pro—democracy movement unless it feared it. and there are some a nalysts feared it. and there are some analysts who believe that the elections that were due to be held in september were postponed not because of covid, as stated, but because of covid, as stated, but because the authorities knew that the pro—democrat stood a chance of winning a majority, because of the groundswell of public opinion in their support, and despite the fact that the system is stacked against them. so, there may be many difficulties, but it may also be too early to say that this fight is over. a man who killed three friends in a knife attack in reading has pleaded guilty to murdering them. the 26—year—old libyan killed james furlong, david wails, and joseph ritchie bennett, during the rampage in a park injune. he also admitted three counts of attempted murder. our home affairs correspondent daniel sandford reports from the old bailey. it was a warm june evening as the first covid lockdown was starting to ease when khairi saadallah launched his deadly knife attack. forbury gardens in reading town centre was full of people. the pubs were still shut, including the nearby blagrave arms, popular with the gay community. three friends from the pub — james furlong, a schoolteacher, joseph richie—bennett, a customer service managerfrom america, and david wails, a scientist — were sitting together when they were all stabbed in the park. james furlong and joseph richie—bennett died from single stab wound to the backs of their necks. david wails was stabbed twice. the attack was over in seconds. and minutes later, khairi saadallah was arrested. he'd apparently deliberately cut himself to make it look like he was a victim. he'd only recently been released from prison. today, the 26—year—old pleaded guilty to three counts of murder and three counts of the attempted murder of stephen young, patrick edwards and nishit nisudan. at a hearing here at the old bailey next month, the prosecution will argue that he should be given a whole—life tariff, that he should never be released from prison. they say that this was an ideologically motivated terrorist attack and that it was substantially premeditated. khairi saadallah's lawyers will argue that the sentence should be reduced because he has a history of poor mental health. daniel sandford, bbc news, at the old bailey. hundreds of thousands of people living in blocks of flats with flammable cladding and other fire safety issues say delays in making their homes safe are leaving them thousands of pounds out of pocket many fear bankruptcy. many home owners are facing huge increases in service charges and buildings insurance with some bills rising by up to 900%. our consumer affairs correspondent sarah corker has been meeting residents struggling to meet their bills. young families, first—time buyers, pensioners — every generation is caught up in britain's growing cladding crisis. my money is being squeezed, food—wise i've had to live off cheese toasties and pasta. it's basically ruined my life. i feel insecure in my own home. these towers on the river thames were built with material now classed as flammable. repairs could exceed £13 million, but who should pay? flat owners say service charges have soared to up to £6,000 a year each. adeline is in her 70s and is struggling to pay. they might take my flat away if i can't pay, because already we have been threatened by bailiffs coming here. so i'm really, really at my wit's end what to do. i can't raise money. the developer, barratt homes, has agreed to pay over £1 million to fix some of the internal safety issues but says it isn't responsible for problems with the external wall insulation, which it says met regulations when it was fitted. from london to here in lancashire, hundreds of thousands of leaseholders are living in unsafe buildings with flammable cladding and are now facing a financial crisis. tina's family own an apartment here. the cladding needs removing. to help pay for those repairs, their maintenance charges have risen from just over £1000 a year to 15 times that amount. how will you find the money to pay that bill? we can't, the simple answer is we can't. i mean, who hasjust £15,000, especially going through times like this? you know, you can't sell, you can't move, people are worried that they may lose their home because of it. the building owners have applied to the government for help to cover cladding repair costs. here in central london, its insurance costs worring residents like mariam. at this development, building insurance has increased by more than 400% in a year — the £670,000 bill is because of the fire risk. that's despite the fact that work has started to remove flammable cladding. not only do we have to find out that we live in an unsafe building and that i can't provide a proper standard of safety for my daughter, on top of that i'm paying to fix this. it's just... i mean, itjust brings tears of rage to my eyes. how can you justify that huge, huge increase in premiums, and a cost that is being passed on to leaseholders which theyjust cannot afford to pay? it is taking too long to decide who is going to pay for the remediation of these buildings, and it's ultimately the leaseholders who are caught in the middle here. but as each day goes by without anyone willing to take responsibility for this fire safety crisis, the financial and mental toll on those living in flammable flats only grows. sarah corker, bbc news. no—one quite knows what christmas will be like this year but at least students now know they stand a chance of getting home to their families. plans to help students in england, wales and scotland get back have been announced today. they'll be offered coronavirus tests before they leave. and there'll be a travel window for students in england as soon as the lockdown ends at the start of december. similar plans are expected in northern ireland. our education editor branwenjeffreys has been talking to students at de montford university in leicester. being wiped down for the next student — this is rapid testing in action. lottie, a first year at de montfort, doesn't have symptoms. she'll get a result within hours. but will students turn up to be tested before christmas? i know a lot of the people that i have been able to make friends with, not that i've been able to make many, cos you can't go out and socialise, i know that a lot of them would come and get tested just to know that they they can go home, whether it meant that they had to isolate or not. being able to go home would be the best christmas present. and there should be a bin there that you can pop it in. this pilot scheme is to be copied on other campuses — especially where cases are high. once this testing centre is up and running, it will be able to process more than 1000 tests a day, getting students results within a couple of hours. but testing is only one part of getting students safely home for christmas. so, what is the student christmas travel advice for england ? you should travel home between the 3rd and 9th of december. universities may suggest a day. voluntary rapid tests will be available at some universities. a positive test means you self—isolate for ten days at university. wherever you study, the local rules apply. in scotland, students asked to minimise contact. similar messages from belfast to swansea. across the uk, there are plans for students to travel home early. universities are planning to move all learning online,

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