Nhs england and the body that regulates healthcare products are issuing new guidance on pulse oxygen meters also known as 0ximeters after it was found that the devices can overestimate oxygen levels in people with darker skin. With more here s our health correspondent, amara sophia elahi. This women caught coronavirus in december last year and eventually ended up in hospital with seriously low oxygen levels. So, basically, you flip the lid, put yourfinger in. She had been monitoring her levels at home with the pulse oximeter, but the meter consistently told her she was in safe levels. Even as she increasingly struggled to breathe. When i went into hospital, the first thing they said was you really did leave it too late. Had you left it any longer, iwould have been straight into icu. There is growing evidence that such monitors can overestimate oxygen levels in people with darker skin tones by 2%. That has led to nhs england and the body that regulates the use of medical devices, th
A survey by the roadside assistance company rac has found seven in ten british motorists believe the speed limit should be lower in wet weather. Currently the speed limit is 70mph on motorways at all times. But with nearly 250 people killed on the country s roads during bad weather, many feel there should be greater efforts to force motorists to slow down. Around 800 people every year are killed or seriously injured on the uk s motorways and sadly that number has not been dropping in recent years, it has stayed stubbornly high. If you add in speed and wet weather, is extremely dangerous and a lot of people are being killed and seriously injured every year so perhaps it is time we looked at novel ways of trying to tackle it. At the rac we asked drivers on their thoughts on reducing speed limits. We have the infrastructure in the uk increasingly to support a move like this and perhaps it is time we looked at these measures to bring those casualty rates which are stubbornly high finally d
Slow moving, still with the odd rumble of thunder. That will be a nation across central and southern england. Behind it, sunny spells, if you are showers but not as warm as it has been of late. Hello this is bbc news. The headlines. Elaine herah thompson ofjamaica has won the women s 100 metres final at the tokyo games in a new olympic record time. Her victory came after heartbreakfor team gb sprinter dina asher smith who pulled out of the games through injury. But there wasjoy earlierfor team gb, with gold medals in the 4x100 metres mixed medley and in the mixed triathlon event. Afghan security forces are battling to defend three key cities from advances by the taliban. Reports say militants have breached front lines in herat. Medical experts are warning that an oxygen monitoring device called an oximeter works less well for people with darker skin tones. Bbc news understands the govenment is no longer considering making it compulsory for students to be fully vaccinated to attend lect
now on bbc news, it s time for take me to the opera, with zeinab badawi. i ve been an opera fan for decades, and i m on a mission to share my passion and introduce you to some of the big names today and superstars of tomorrow and ask how they re responding to the changing world of opera. cecilia bartoli, the italian mezzo soprano who originally wanted to be a flamenco dancer, and brings flair and a female perspective. peruvian born tenor juan diego florez, whose first ambition was to be a pop singer and brings rock star appeal. two of the leading lights in opera. but how are they helping to define its future? we also meet a couple of rising stars south african soprano masabane cecilia rangwanasha. she says opera needs greater diversity. and french tenor benjamin bernheim, who welcomes the use of technology, alongside the power of live performance. let me take you to the opera. i m keen to ask juan diego florez and cecilia ba rtoli, two of the most loved and respected star
of western scotland, northern ireland, some in north west england and we have this band of wet weather in wales, the south west of england, some snow mixing in over higher ground and that is likely to push further north than these graphics suggest this afternoon to parts of the midlands, london, even into parts of essex in the afternoon. really chilly, 4 7 , but showers further north will become fewer and further north will become fewer and further between but as things get cold this evening, ice could be a significant problem. however, things will then change again in the early hours because we have cloud and outbreaks of rain, briefly some snow on the leading edge but cloud and rain ushers in some milder air. belfast at 8 degrees, plymouth at 10 degrees by the end of the night, a much milder start to saturday morning as this system works through with the milder air tied in with cloud and our bags of heavy rain. noticed this wedge of milder air between those two fronts. a di