a potential other vaccine could be helpful in the fight against covid—19. as efforts continue to develop proven treatments for covid 19, british scientists are beginning a study into whether the bcg vaccine — which protects against tuberculosis — could be helpful. the uk study is part of an international research project. the hope is that bcg might provide some protection against covid until a specific vaccine against the virus is in use. james gallagher reports. in the fight against covid, scientists are turning to one of our oldest vaccines. archive: a new preventive weapon has nowjoined the battle. bcg vaccine... the bcg jab was designed to fight tuberculosis, and was first trialled in 1921. it has since been given to hundreds of millions of people. but now doctors think its effect on the immune system may lessen the impact of coronavirus, too. sam hilton is a gp. his job dealing with patients puts him at higher risk of getting covid. he's one of 1,000 people in the uk, including care home staff and other health care workers, who will take part in the trial. having had the vaccine in childhood will not offer protection today. there's quite a good theory behind why the bcg vaccine might make you less likely to get unwell when you get covid, so i guess i see it as a potential for me to be protected a bit, which means i'm more likely to be able to come to work this winter. sam will get either the bcg jab or a dummy injection. then researchers will wait to see if the vaccine either alters the odds of getting covid or the severity of the infection. the data collected here in exeter will be combined with studies in australia, the netherlands, spain and brazil. there is no evidence bcg will help in the pandemic, so why do researchers think it might? this seems odd. vaccines are supposed to protect against one specific infection, so why might a tuberculosis jab also have a benefit in coronavirus? well, there's some interesting science that suggests that vaccines may have a wide effect across the whole of the immune system that may give our bodies an edge against other viruses and infections, too. and indeed, in trials with the bcg jab, there has been a fall in death rates from other infections after people were vaccinated. the world health organization says the bcg jab might help bridge the gap until a dedicated coronavirus vaccine is developed. james gallagher, bbc news. now on our world, lebo diseko meets christian voters in the swing state of north carolina and explores how important faith will be in a contest which biden has billed as a battle for america's soul. this is the most important election in the history of our country. america is gearing up for a monumental decision. we are in a battle for the soul of the nation and it is not hyperbole. we really believe that... at the heart of it is the battle for god. in america, we don't turn to government to restore our souls, we put our faith in almighty god. when the president held up the bible at st john's church yesterday — ijust wish he opened it once in awhile instead of brandishing it. both candidates have put faith front and centre, and are showing off their christian credentials. we have got somebody — he's the one. i am lebo diseko and i'm going to discover how faith is shaping the election battle in one crucial state. this is, in my opinion, spiritual warfare. this is good against evil. god is still moving. there is a lot that hinges on this election. i don't think this american democracy will be able to survive four more years. donald trump is a long way from a christian man. conservative christians like myself look and go, how can you possibly? how can you get your head around supporting this man? i brought my bible. north carolina is part of america's bible belt. and the more i realisejust how much god loves me, just how much he cares about me... it's a state where faith matters. but you are my god! it's also a key swing state. the last time a republican won the presidency without winning here was 1956. are you ready? i would describe myself politically as a christian conservative patriot. rhonda allen is a firearms instructor and an evangelical. let's just give it a try and see what happens. in 2016, white evangelicals made up the republican party's largest voting bloc, with around 80% of them voting for trump. give me a smooth, easy trigger press. all right, nicely done. so rhonda, tell me — how important is your faith to you and how you lead your life? my faith and my relationship withjesus christ is paramount. it rules my decisions, and politics are very important with that because our leadership dictates the society that we live in and i would prefer that it continue to stay the god—centred country that it was originally created to be. that's it. we've noticed a great increase in demand for training and for firearms and ammunition. ammunition is selling out. guns are flying off the shelf. people are not feeling safe because they are seeing the liberal left coming unhinged, and so our people are starting to fight back. rhonda sees this election as the battle for america's soul, and she is on donald trump's side. 0ur christian values are under attack. we have very divided battle lines. we would like to be able to express our faith without condemnation from the left. when you speak up boldly and you speak biblical truth, you can expect an attack. this is a small town. we live in the country and we have seen a huge influx in recent years of those who don't believe the way we do, and they are making an impact in our elections and in our daily life. we are starting to see a lot more public displays of homosexuality — blatantly on the streets. none of us are perfect or without sin. we all have it but most of us don't display our sin on the street with banners. this is, in my opinion, spiritual warfare. this is good against evil. being christian is god's army on earth. it's getting more important that christians stand up and speak their truth. we have got to start doing that or we're going to lose this country. in 2016, donald trump relentlessly targeted voters like rhonda. i'm a true believer and you are many true believers. i hope all — is everybody a true believer in this room? applause good stuff. but christianity is under tremendous siege and yet we don't exert the power that we should have. christianity will have power, because if i'm there, you're gonna have plenty of power. you don't need anybody else, you're going to have somebody representing you, very, very well. remember that. in the us, faith is one of the most important factors in how people vote. and if you're willing to repent... trump has the support of hugely influential evangelical preachers like franklin graham. god will forgive your sins tonight. and jesus deliberately picked out those two stories. his father, billy, was known as america's pastor. and i believe more than that, i believe jonah could have swallowed the whale if god wanted him to. between them, they have preached to millions. this is the library. come on. the billy graham library in the south of the state is a museum to their work. people come here from all over the world. it is the largest attraction here in this part of north carolina. good morning. good morning, how are you folks today? blessed, sir. thank you, thank you, thank you. there was bush, his father, the clintons. these politicians sought my father out. he didn't seek them out. what do you think it is about donald trump as a person that christians connect with so much on such a deep level? first of all, he is not ashamed ofjesus christ's name. he is very happy to be associated with christians. he's happy to have you come into the oval office and pray for him. when i prayed at his inauguration, i prayed injesus‘s name and he was very happy for that. in the bible, rain is a sign of god's blessing, and it started to rain, mr president, when you came to the platform. evangelical preachers like franklin have been some of trump's biggest cheerleaders. i believe it was god. applause god showed up. i thank you tonight for our president, donald j trump. there has been a lot of talk about his lifestyle, and i think for quite a few people, it's hard to understand how christians, particularly evangelical christians, can overlook that or look past that? i'm not interested in the donald trump of 20 years ago or 30 years ago. i'm interested in the donald trump of today. his lifestyle over the years has certainly, is certainly, a lifestyle that most christians would not approve of, and i think there has been a big change in his life in the last five years. and a spiritual change. this has been said by some people to be the most important us election ever. how important is it for christians? i think this is the most important election as far as christians go. we have a very clear choice in this country during the election. we have a president who is very supportive of religious freedom and we certainly appreciate that. and we've got the other side, who show very little regard for christian values. the left will do everything i think in their power to undermine the people of faith. i came here to ask for your support, your help and your prayers, and wow, did you deliver. since winning in 2016, trump has made it clear that he won't forget his loyal evangelical backers. you didn't let me down and i will never ever let you down. you know that. he's consistently championed their agenda on key issues like abortion and religious freedom. we're proudly announcing historic steps to protect the first amendment right to pray in public schools. so you have the right to pray and that is a very important and powerful right. and there's a reason to keep them onside. their concentration in swing states and high voter turnout means they wield a disproportionate level of influence on elections. injesus‘s name, we bless you. amen. for the rank and file white evangelicals like rhonda, trump's commitment to their causes is what really matters. judge amy coney barrett. his recent nomination of conservative christian judge amy coney barrett for the us supreme court has gone down well. i will continue to support him in his bid for election as long as he continues to bring forward conservative judges. we need christian conservative judges to keep this a christian country. go, trump. most importantly, i appreciate his support for israel and moving the embassy to jerusalem. the bible again very clearly states that if you are a friend with israel and a friend of god's people, then you are a friend of his. if you are an enemy of israel, then you will be an enemy of his. is there anything you don't like about him? no, there's not a whole lot i don't like about donald trump. if he does nothing else but maintain our way of life and our freedom, then he's done plenty. but afterfour years in power, donald trump can't bank on all christian conservative voters backing him again. when i talked to reverend knox up the street... just across the state from rhonda is shawn lemond, a former republican politician. it would be difficult, i think, for any christian to see donald trump and not acknowledge that he is a long way from a christian man, that his value system is extremely flawed. as a christian, as a republican, what are your specific objections to him? how can a christian like myself, with two daughters, possibly support a man that says he can grab them — grab my daughters, you know, by their genitalia because he is rich and famous? it saddens me greatly to see the republican christian right accepting this man in any shade. shawn has been so appalled by the president's actions that he now actively campaigns against him. i served two terms in the north carolina state legislature. the republican party i knew and loved was an honourable party. what has taken over our party is wrong and as a republican, as a christian, we simply cannot allow this man to be re—elected. the rhetoric‘s become hate—filled. anybody that disagrees with us is your enemy — that's absolutely new. i mean, there was always an element of that in our politics but now, it's become the overall consistent drum beat within the republican rhetoric. and it's despicable, it's disturbing and it is dangerous. when the republican party goes with donald trump, it's not so much me leaving the republican party as the republican party leaving me. you're a lifelong and proud republican, you're conservative and yet, it sounds like you are leaning towards wanting a democrat to win. in this instance, yes. i will definitely be voting forjoe biden. i am going to encourage everybody i know to vote forjoe biden. we set up, in the justice department, the ability for the civil rights division... joe biden is another thing that's different this time around. four years ago, hillary clinton struggled to make any significant inroads into the christian vote. biden: personally for me, faith, it's all about hope and purpose. but in biden, trump faces an opponent who's a lifelong catholic and not afraid to use the language of faith. i go to mass and i say the rosary. ifind it to be incredibly comforting. in the west of the state is the small rural town of newton. i'm a big star trek fan, star wars fan, but i think my most prized possession is the taylor swift autograph. robert wright lee runs a liberal church where 85% of the congregation are lgbtq+. and my wife actually had that made for a birthday of mine. i wear bow ties when i'm not in a collar, so it has a little bit of a resemblance to me. robert can vouch for the strength ofjoe biden‘s faith and has provided him with spiritual guidance... i guarantee you, joe biden knows far more about his bible than donald trump ever will, becausejoe biden is a deeply committed person of faith and i think that he has energised so many of us in the faith realm to be energised for him. ..something which robert believes will challenge the dominance of the evangelical bloc which was so influential in 2016. people assume that the christian vote is a monolith, thinking that every single christian in the united states is going to vote for donald trump. that couldn't be farther from the truth. it seems to me that for the longest time, the evangelical church has been a loud voice, but there are plenty of progressive christians, like me, who say "not so fast". i think donald trump was able to mobilise a base in 2016 that included the evangelical vote. they really propelled him to victory, and he's hoping to do the same this time. well, but, you know, the unfortunate thing for him is we've had four years of president trump. many christians are not happy with the way that he is portraying not only our faith, but how he is treating others in the name of our faith. but stronger competition for christian votes isn't the only thing that's different about this election. coronavirus may well shape the way many african—americans decide to vote. that no matter what we go through, no matter what the situation may look like, god is with us. this is what a church service in north carolina looks like these days, thanks to a pandemic. some of us, lord, tonight, have lost loved ones. some of us have dealt with unemployment and furlough, so lord, we thank you. mycal brickhouse is a pastor in cary. like other african—american communities, his congregation has been disproportionately affected by coronavirus. god is still moving! god is still working! is still delivering! horns blare. god is still good! we're loading up 15 pound produce boxes. his church has organised a food bank to help those in need. this week, you'll find some collard greens, some squash. the loss of life, the loss of employment is being felt in our community. in my own family, i've lost my grandmother to the virus. this moment should pull at our hearts. we've been able to serve 150,000 meals since march 15th and we're going to continue to go while covid is still making its way through our community. president trump has said that nobody has done more to help african—americans than himself, and i wonder what you make of that statement. how can he make that claim when we are witnessing more devastation happening to the african—american community? and i believe that this president has been absent from the pain and the suffering that is felt in these communities. are you registered to vote? when she says "are you registered to vote?" and she says "yes", then you click yes. in 2016, black voter turnout fell sharply. you click yes. mycal is out to do something about it. so you will be voting in person? 0k, great, then. wonderful! the black christian vote is more energised this election cycle because what we have seen is that lives really do depend on it. you're going to do it in person? ok, that's what i wanted to know. many of our members are resolute that they are going to vote in this election, and that their family members vote. in person? alrighty! since president trump came to power, there's been a surge in political activism of black and progressive churches. north carolina has more african—american voters than any other swing state. talk to you soon. bye— bye. we gotta hold them accountable and the best way for me as a pastor to hold them accountable is to let them know that i have a congregation that is willing to vote them out when they are not doing what is right for our community. gunfire injune, black lives matter protesters were cleared from near the white house. donald trump was heading to church — not for a service, but for a photo opportunity. the president held up the bible at stjohn‘s church yesterday. ijust wish he opened it once in a while, instead of brandishing it. he's following the radical left agenda. hurt the bible, hurt god. american politics has rarely been as divided and angry as it is today, and it's even reached the quiet suburbs where shawn lives with his family. what we've got here is a man who is intentionally scaring people and making you afraid of your neighbour. this is the stuff that will cause a nation to melt down. you know, this is the kind of stuff that will destroy the fabric of a community. the polarisation of the christian voting element in the united states is extreme. it's a level of hate and discord i could not have ever envisaged in north carolina. families that won't talk to each other, families that are completely split. every time we bring up racism... even shawn's15—year—old daughter has experienced this animosity. my friend since second or third grade — and she's a trump supporter, her family's a trump supporter — just this year she decided, without an argument or anything, to just stop talking to me. and i'm like, i wasjust very disappointed to see a friend that i've told my deepest secrets to and told everything tojust go away. however, it's the unprecedented level of this conflict which shawn believes could ultimately be trump's undoing. we're a peaceful country until the last six months. and now, we've had protests and rioting going on and do most christians say "that's gotta end?" and do most christians say "that's donald trump's fault?" yeah. donald trump famously has had huge support from white evangelical christians. how important is it to him that he maintains that support and even expands it? there's absolutely no doubt he will not get re—elected without that entire group being behind him. now, within that christian group, polls clearly show that he's lost about 8% — and 8% of that voting bloc is pretty significant, frankly. but for die—hard evangelicals like rhonda, god is on trump's side... i believe he was put here for this day and time for a reason. ..and she's hopeful for november's outcome. "he saved them from the hand of the foe, from the hand of the enemy, he redeemed them". chuckles that means we'll prevail. god's on our side. we already know the end of the story. this can only happen in north carolina! donald trump has visited north carolina five times since august and joe biden has campaigned here, too. this state matters and how its christians vote may well help determine who wins the keys to the white house in three weeks‘ time. good evening. many of us got to enjoy the changing autumn colors with something drier and sunny out there through sunday, but as we go into monday, it's back to square one again. the cloud rolls in and something wetter arives off the atlantic to many areas during day. we will see that progress actually take place through tonight. got a warm front pushing in, cloud, maybe some patchy rain on that, and then a heavier burst of rain on the cold front as that works its into the morning. before it arrives, though, with the isobars spread out, light winds out there at the moment, clearer skies for central and eastern areas. bit of a chilly night once again, temperatures well down into the lowest single figures in the countryside, east anglia, the south—east. temperatures actually rising through the night, though, towards the west as rain spreads in through northern ireland into western parts of scotland, north—west england and north—west wales. where we've got the chilliest conditions, though, some early brightness — east anglia and the south—east, and some will stay dry until we get to night—time as we go through monday. but some heavy bursts of rain in northern ireland, clearing to brighter weather through the morning. same too in western scotland. heavy rain spreading eastwards across scotland into north and western england and across wales through much of the day. strengthening winds out towards the west, even though the sunshine will come out. lighter winds further east, but even though winds are light and come from a south—westerly direction, a cold—feeling day across parts of the midlands. with the rain, could feel around eight, nine degrees after that fresh start. maybe east anglia, the south—east waiting until we get to the night—time hours before that rain gradually arrives. but around our weather front, notice as we go through monday night into tuesday, low pressure develops. that delays its departure and if anything, curls cloud and rain back round it, so we're going to see loads of cloud, outbreaks of rain spin its way southwards and westwards as we go through the day on tuesday. probably wettest towards the south—east corner, brightening up in scotland and northern ireland, but for all, a north—easterly wind will start to develop and that's going to make it feel particularly chilly out there in the cloudier moments, especially down eastern coasts of england and eastern parts of scotland too. that breeze is still with us into wednesday, but the weather fronts gradually clear their way southwards, stilling some showers, particularly towards east anglia and the south—east. one or two dotted around elsewhere, but many have a dry day on wednesday. best of the sunshine will be in the west. and with easterly winds dominating as we go through the second half of the week, always expect west to be best for the sunshine. a bit more cloud, one or two showers at times in the east, and whilst the days remain rather cool, the nights are particularly chilly. the government prepares to announce a new three—tier system for covid restrictions in england. areas that go into the higher levels would see extra curbs on hospitality and socialising. ministers say they are acting in line with the evidence. there is nothing that we would ever do that penalises one part of the country over another. liverpool is thought likely to placed under the tighest restrictions — but local leaders say financial support and an exit strategy are crucial. deal or no deal, the mayor here says nothing is agreed until everything is agreed but on the table is the closure of pubs, bars, casinos, the gems and bookmakers in the city and beyond. we will look at how

Related Keywords

Australia , Jerusalem , Israel General , Israel , United States , North Carolina , United Kingdom , Netherlands , Azerbaijan , Brazil , Spain , Northern Ireland , Craigavon , Exeter , Devon , America , Scotland , American , British , Amy Coney Barrett , Bcg Jabor , Sam Hilton , John Church , Robert Wright Lee , Joe Biden , Billy Graham , Coney Barrett , James Gallagher , Rhonda Allen ,