coming up, liverpool have to avoid defeat against an austrian side to guarantee getting out of the group stages of the europa league. they are top of their group ahead of the match at anfield. good evening and welcome to the bbc news at six. the former health secretary matt hancock has told the covid inquiry that — with the benefit of hindsight — the uk should have locked down much sooner at the start of the pandemic. he said "many, many lives" could have been saved if the first lockdown had began three weeks earlier on the 2nd of march 2020. mr hancock also dismissed allegations from other colleagues that he had lied to them, and described what he called a "toxic culture" in government. 0ur political editor chris mason reports. one of the biggest names of the pandemic. the health secretary for england, matt hancock. the man in the middle on the television many nights, and the man who resigned for breaking the very rules he'd helped draw up. today, his moment of accountability. the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. and it's mr hancock's relationship with the truth that has regularly featured here in recent weeks. how could, to a significant extent, important government advisors and officials have concluded that the secretary of state for health was a liar? well, i was not. you will note that there is no evidence from anybody who i worked with in the department or the health system who supported those false allegations. what there was, was a great deal of hard work on our side, and a toxic culture that we had to work with, which seemed to want to find people to blame. mr hancock blames borisjohnson's chief adviser, dominic cummings, for creating what he called a culture of fear and staging a power grab. the former health secretary also said an earlier first lockdown would have cut the number of deaths in the first wave by more than 90%. i defend the actions that were taken by the government at the time, knowing what we did. but, with hindsight, that is the moment we should have done it. three weeks earlier, and it would have saved many, many lives. but what about this colourful and controversial claim matt hancock made repeatedly in may 2020? right from the start, we have tried to throw a protective ring around our care homes. i cannot improve on the glorious words of professor sirjonathan van—tam, who says in his statement, "my view is a ring is a circle without a break in it." whatever, however you describe the protective processes you put in place around the care sector, they did not form an unbroken circle, did they? it is quite clear from the evidence that professor van—tam is right. this inquiry is about learning lessons from the pandemic to help us in the next one. it's also about the decision—makers then defending their reputations now. mr hancock is back here in the morning. chris mason, bbc news, the covid inquiry. joining me now is our health editor, hugh pym. you have been following it all day, there is more tomorrow. for you, the most significant moments? weill. most significant moments? well, lookin: most significant moments? well, looking through _ most significant moments? well, looking through the _ most significant moments? -ii looking through the theatricality of the situation, the revelation by mr hancock, that we haven't heard before, that he thought the government should have lockdown three weeks earlier than march the 3rd to 2020. he said today that was with hindsight. but it's really quite an important guide as to where this inquiry might be going, that such a senior cabinet minister at the time, involved in all of these decisions, thinks that lockdown should have been so much earlier. critics will say, well, why didn't you do more about it at the time? the inquiry heard today that he did not say to boris johnson until march the 13th that such action should be taken. but very significant anyway. and that revelation from him that, actually, the protective ring around care homes was not quite as robust as he suggested. i think it's also important, because that is such an important, because that is such an important issue for this inquiry. thank you. after more than a year of strike action, rail workers belonging to the rmt union have voted to end their series of national walkouts. they've accepted an offer from these 14 train companies which includes a backdated pay rise of 5%. it means they won't be involved in any more industrial action until at least spring of next year. but it doesn't mean strikes are completley over — train drivers represented by aslef are still pressing ahead with a new round of walk—outs starting tomorrow. 0ur transport correspondent, katy austin, reports. speak with your strikes have started to feel as inevitable as the changing of the seasons. it's nearly a year and a half since walk—outs by rail workers in the rmt began. commuters like these in west sussex have had to get used to it. if you want to go _ have had to get used to it. if you want to go to — have had to get used to it. if you want to go to work, _ have had to get used to it. if you want to go to work, it _ have had to get used to it. if you want to go to work, it disrupts i want to go to work, it disrupts normal everyday life. i understand wh the normal everyday life. i understand why the unions — normal everyday life. i understand why the unions have _ normal everyday life. i understand why the unions have been - normal everyday life. i understand| why the unions have been striking, and i've _ why the unions have been striking, and i've supported him throughout. it is quite _ and i've supported him throughout. it is quite wearing, often you have to take _ it is quite wearing, often you have to take the — it is quite wearing, often you have to take the day— it is quite wearing, often you have to take the day off. _ it is quite wearing, often you have to take the day off. from - it is quite wearing, often you have to take the day off. from here, i to take the day off. from here, there _ to take the day off. from here, there is— to take the day off. from here, there is no_ to take the day off. from here, there is no other— to take the day off. from here, there is no other train. - to take the day off. from here, there is no other train.- to take the day off. from here, there is no other train. now, union members a — there is no other train. now, union members a 14 _ there is no other train. now, union members a 14 train _ there is no other train. now, union members a 14 train companies - there is no other train. now, union| members a 14 train companies have accepted proposals involving a backdated pay rise of 5% for last year. more for the lowest paid. and a guarantee of no compulsory redundancies for the next 12 months. discussions over a pay increase for the current financial year will be pushed into 2024. but for now, there will be no more rmt strikes. that second wage increase will still depend on changes to working practices, which the industry and government say are needed, arguing the railway is financially unsustainable. there talks will now move to individual operators. irate move to individual operators. we will move to individual operators. - will renegotiate in the new year, in the springtime, and we will see what the springtime, and we will see what the copies want to pursue. so it's a pause, a respite, but we are not celebrating this issue. it's another step forward in the process. the government _ step forward in the process. the government controls what is on the table. fist government controls what is on the table. �* . . . government controls what is on the table. . ., ., ., ., table. at a fair deal for the taxmyer. _ table. at a fair deal for the taxpayer, and _ table. at a fair deal for the taxpayer, and for- table. at a fair deal for the taxpayer, and for railway l table. at a fair deal for the - taxpayer, and for railway workers who will— taxpayer, and for railway workers who will get their pay rise in time for christmas. it shows if these pay are put— for christmas. it shows if these pay are put to members, they do tend to -et are put to members, they do tend to get accepted. are put to members, they do tend to get accepted-— get accepted. changes including scra - - in . get accepted. changes including scrapping plans _ get accepted. changes including scrapping plans to _ get accepted. changes including scrapping plans to close - get accepted. changes including scrapping plans to close ticket l scrapping plans to close ticket offices are thought to have paved the way for the deal. there hasn't been the same progress in the train drivers dispute, they are mainly in a different union, aslef, and they begin a new wave of industrial action tomorrow. that is a worry for hospitality businesses, as christmas party season gets under way. the result of the rmt vote today has been welcomed, but it is not the end of the journey yet. two more hostages have been released by hamas as a temporary truce continutes for a seventh day. israel expects about another eight hostages to be freed by the end of today, in return for the release of more palestinian prisoners. this morning injerusalem gunmen shot dead three israelis at a bus stop. israel says the two attackers were linked to hamas — which is designated a terrorist organisation by the uk government. this report from our senior international correspondent 0rla guerin injerusalem contains footage you may find upsetting right from the start. a shooting spree in morning rush hour. two palestinian gunmen targeted crowds at a bus stop, at the entrance to jerusalem. they killed three people before being shot and killed themselves. once again, a deadly attack by hamas, leaving israel on edge. at the scene, the far—right national security minister, itamar ben—gvir, said the attack proved the only way to speak to hamas was through the scope of a rifle. today, hamas was calling the shots, releasing more hostages, including mia schem, who is 21. her mother, keren, spoke to us recently about the long wait for her daughter to come home. ijust want her back now. you know? 0ur life will never be the same. but we will be all right. the minute she will be here, we will be fine. and this was the moment she got the news that mia has been freed. a dam burst of emotion. but there is uncertainty still over the face of the youngest hostage, kfir bibas — just ten months old. he was kidnapped with his brother ariel, and their mother, shiri. hamas claims they were killed in an israeli air strike, and is releasing three bodies tonight. around 140 hostages are still being held. qatar is pushing to extend the truce once again, so more can come home tomorrow. israel has made it clear that when the release of hostages comes to an end, it intends to return to war in gaza with full force. the army says it is ready for the next phase. this time, the fight will be in the south of gaza, which is already densely packed with those who had to flee the bombing in the north. america is telling israel that the next phase can't look like the last one, which reduced to parts of gaza to a wasteland. this was the heart of gaza city. palestinians say the death toll, at last count, is more than 14,000. 0rla guerin, bbc news, tel aviv. the author of a controversial new book on the royal family, 0mid scobie, has denied naming two members of the royal family who allegedly talked about the skin colour of the duke and duchess of sussex's first child. the dutch edition of the book has been withdrawn by the publishers after apparently containing the names. 0ur royal correspondent nicholas witchell reports. it's a mystery. how did the dutch version of the latest book of supposed royal revelations come to name two members of the british royalfamily who are alleged by the sussexes to have made comments about the skin colour of their then unborn first baby? 0n the itv daytime programme this morning the book's author, 0mid scobie, said he had no idea how it had happened. i had never submitted a book that had their names in it. so i can only talk about my version. i'm obviously frustrated, i wouldn't say i'm upset about it... in the netherlands, the book has been withdrawn to be reprinted without the names. tonight, on piers morgan uncensored, the royal race row is reignited as a translation... here in britain, viewers of talktv heard piers morgan's take on the whole matter. harry and meghan have never provided any evidence for that highly incendiary claim. nevertheless, mr morgan then disclose the names, even though he said he didn't believe the sussexes' story. far away from the riddle of mr scobie's, the king is in dubai, where tomorrow he will give the opening address to the cop 28 climate conference. a moment, the palace believes, of some significance. nicholas witchell, bbc news. the former chancellor, alistair darling has died at the age of 70. he was a labour mp for almost 30 years and spent 13 years in government, first under tony blair and then gordon brown — who today called him "a statesman of unimpeachable integrity". alistair darling had been suffering from cancer. 0ur political correspondent iain watson reports. alistair darling faced two huge political challenges in his long career. saving the economy in a financial crisis, and seeing off a strong campaign for scottish independence. alistair darling was a chancellor who kept a cool head in the face of the biggest global financial meltdown in decades, as some banks were on the brink of running out of cash. he helped to save a financial system he had once decried. he started out on the far left of british politics. he became a lawyer before becoming a politician, and was elected as an edinburgh mp in 1987. as his appearance changed, so did his politics. ahead of the 1997 election, it was his task to keep his party's spending commitments to a minimum. a strategy familiar to today's labour party. he was a mainstay of the new labour government, a constant member of the cabinet for 13 years and was seen as a safe pair of hands. in 2014, his task was to keep the uk together, as leader of the cross—party campaign was not born in london and growing up was not born in london and growing up in edinburgh, better together wasn'tjust a slogan.— up in edinburgh, better together wasn'tjust a slogan. wasn't 'ust a slogan. nothing has ever wasn'tjust a slogan. nothing has ever mattered _ wasn'tjust a slogan. nothing has ever mattered as _ wasn'tjust a slogan. nothing has ever mattered as much _ wasn'tjust a slogan. nothing has ever mattered as much as - wasn'tjust a slogan. nothing has ever mattered as much as this. l wasn'tjust a slogan. nothing has . ever mattered as much as this. let's be confident in saying, yes, we are better together.— better together. after winning the referendum. _ better together. after winning the referendum, he _ better together. after winning the referendum, he joined _ better together. after winning the referendum, he joined the - better together. after winning the referendum, he joined the house. better together. after winning the l referendum, he joined the house of referendum, hejoined the house of lords, but stood down in 2020. people will remember a life of huge achievement that was based on a profound and strong sense of what was right and wrong, and a compassion for people in difficulty. keir starmer said he had often welcomed his advice. perhaps one lesson from his life is that competence and commitment in politics can be just as important as charisma. alistair darling, who's died at the age of 70. our top story this evening... the former health secretary, matt hancock, tells the covid inquiry he believes more lives could have been saved if the first uk lockdown had started sooner. still to come... why lgbt activists in russia fear they'll face prosecution for displaying a rainbow flag. 0'sullivan came from behind to beat robert milkins in a tense last frame to win the match 6—5. to the united nations. as the climate summit cop28 gets under way in dubai, the un secretary—general, antonio guterres, has been urging countries around the world to do more to curb global warming. 0ur climate editor, justin rowlatt, is there. a petrostate hosting a climate conference sounds like the beginning of a bad joke. but the president of cop28, who is also the head of the uae�*s huge state oil company, says he knows the world has to change, and is taking action. hearing no objections, it is so decided. applause. the cheers are because the conference has agreed to create a fund to pay for the loss and damage climate change is already wreaking on poorer countries. this whole neighbourhood is destroyed. it has been a bone of contention between the developed and developing world for decades. it is great that we got it adopted here, at the start. it's been over 30 years in the making. and it's time now to get the job done, so that we can get money into the areas affected by the harms of climate change. more than £300 million has already been promised for the fund, including £60 million from the uk. so, what else is on the agenda? here are the three most contentious issues on the table. first up, cutting carbon. will countries be persuaded to include food and agriculture, a third of all emissions, in their carbon cutting targets? second up, cash for developing countries. the rich world caused the climate crisis, burning fossilfuels. poorer countries say now you've got to pay to solve the problem. and, finally, the future of fossil fuels. will the conference agree to phase down or maybe even phase out fossil fuels? at the moment, the only commitment to the world has made is to phase down coal. it has been an eventful start here in dubai, and it is only day one. and it's another big day tomorrow here in dubai. world leaders arrive, 106 to seven of them, and the king is already here for dip he landed this afternoon and will be addressing the conference tomorrow, when it opens. we are expecting a rousing speech from him. russia's supreme court has ruled that what it calls the "international lgbt movement" be designated as "extremist" and banned its activities. gay and transgender rights groups fear the ruling will lead to the shutdown of lgbt organisations across russia and the arrest of activists. in recent years, the country's lgbt community has come under increasing pressure from the authorities. this report is from our russia editor, steve rosenberg. at the supreme court, it was the ruling lgbt people in russia had been fearing. "i declare the international lgbt public movement an extremist organisation," thejudge says, "and ban its activities in russia." even though no organisation with that name exists. how can you ban something that doesn't exist? oh, it's easy. we can ban any activities from lgbt international organisations here in russia. that's nice. sergei troshin, a city councillor in russia who has come out as gay, believes the court ruling will be used to launch a broad attack on lgbt groups. translation: this will mean that| anyone the state considers an lgbt activist could receive a long prison sentence for participating in an extremist organisation and an even longer prison term for organising a group. anyone who has displayed extremist symbols, and that would probably include the rainbow flag, could face prosecution. this is real repression. apologies for that. former pupils at two well—known private schools in scotland have been speaking about the alleged sexual and physical abuse they experienced in the 19605 and 19705. lawyers acting for one of the alleged abusers, a teacher called iain wares, say they can't comment while legal proceedings are ongoing. the bbc�*s nicky campbell is one of six men in the bbc panorama programme who have spoken out about the abuse they experienced. i think one of the most incredible things about the p