this is bbc news. i'm simon pusey. our top stories: the us warns the russian troop build—up near ukraine is the largest since the cold war as attempts to find a diplomatic solution continue. after days of confusion the downing street lockdown parties report is now expected to be delivered without waiting for the police inquiry. tens of thousands displaced and over 80 killed as tropical storm ana sweeps across countries in south—eastern africa. more doubts emerge about novak djokovic�*s covid status during his attempt to enter australia for the tennis open. and the influential online streaming platform, twitch, accused of encouraging unhealthy behaviour.

this is bbc news. i'm lewis vaughanjones with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. the us secretary of defence says russia has the military capability to strike ukraine, but tells vladimir putin it's not too late to prevent a conflict. he can choose to de—escalate. he can order his troops away. he can choose dialogue and diplomacy. tens of thousands of russian troops have amassed on the ukrainian border, but ukraine's president calls on the west to avoid creating "panic". translation: you get the impression from the media that we're at war, - that there are soldiers on the streets, that there's mobilisation going on, that people are running away. we don't need that panic. the latest on partygate — the bbc understands the report will be delivered to the prime minister without waiting for the police inquiry to conclude.

so, when ijoined bbc news it was just radio and television. and now there is the website, social, the app, there is continuous news tv, radio, continuous news so there's a lot more of it. is that better or worse? it's better in that i think we are responding to what people want and how they live their lives and how they don't want to just kind of make an apointment to see news or to see news they needed there, instantly so it's better in that respect. it is the quality of what we do worse or better? i think the quality of what we do is actually incredibly good. you mentioned quality, but as you've heard, some people think there has been a loss of quality because of the cuts that you've had to make of the past few years. recently the bbc admitted it had been a mistake to interview the lawyer alan dershowitz after ghislaine maxwell's conviction. do you accept that with fewer experience journalists in the newsroom mistakes are going to happen like that even more? well, mistakes do happen. i'm not going to deny that. but i think in that particular

this is bbc news. i'm nuala mcgovern with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. the first shipment of newly approved us military aid arrives in kyiv following "frank" talks over russia's troop build—up on the ukraine border. the un condemns a saudi—led coalition air strike in yemen, killing dozens. the us calls for a de—escalation of the conflict. rio's colourful carnival parade is pushed back from february to april amid a coronavirus surge in brazilfuelled by the 0micron variant. anti—abortion activists gather in washington for the annual march for life. their hopes are now pinned on the supreme court. # like a bat out of hell # i'll be gone when the morning comes... and tributes to one of the giants of american rock:

this is bbc news. our top stories: australian government lawyers say the continued presence of novak djokovic in the country is undermining their covid vaccine strategy as the tennis player's legal team tries to stop his deportation. one of borisjohnson's ministers calls his behaviour unacceptable after downing street apologised to the queen for number 10 staff lockdown parties on the eve of prince philip's funeral. the us accuses russia of planning to create a pretext to justify invading ukraine. i will let you say "green light". green light. and we meet �*mr beast�*, the man who made almost $54 million last year and has topped the youtube rich list.

shaimaa khalil, bbc news. i've been speaking to mary crock, a law professor at the university of sydney. she says djokovic�*s lawyers have created a strong case. i have now been able to read the submissions put in on behalf of novak, and i think it's going to be a very, very interesting case. he's got good lawyers and they seem to have made very interesting legal arguments that could well play out in his favour. so you think there's a chance he could make it to the australian open, but there are quite a few complications about this case, aren't there, there seem to be lots of different sides, the state side, the federal side, and also the border force. look, the case that's been put to court is really based on very close reading of the actual migration law and i agree with you, i think the policies that apply, both at a state level and at a federal level are far from clear, you've got biosecurity legislation, you've got the migration act, you've got policies made under the migration act and then policies tha

katharine da costa, bbc news. the head of a british parliamentary standards committee says any attempt by the conservative government to blackmail its own mps into supporting the prime minister would be illegal. chris bryant, who's from the opposition labour party, said he'd heard complaints from about a dozen conservatives. it comes amid reports that gatherings in borisjohnson�*s official residence are part of an investigation into parties held against covid rules. 0ur political correspondent damian grammaticas. already under pressure, the coming days could prove decisive for boris johnson. now, there is a new concern. the fact that one of the main rebel mps who've already written letters of no confidence in him is due to talk to the police, possibly on monday. the mp william wragg this week alleged he had been told others had faced threats that they might lose funding for their constituencies if they didn't back the prime minister. the intimidation of a member of parliament is a serious matter. moreover, the r

paul adams, bbc news. president biden having some rather strong words in that news conference earlier. 0ur north america correspondent gary 0'donoghue is at the white house for us this evening. what did you make of the language used and the substance behind the words, gary? fix, used and the substance behind the words. gary?— words, gary? a real significant increase in _ words, gary? a real significant increase in the _ words, gary? a real significant increase in the rhetoric- words, gary? a real significant increase in the rhetoric from i words, gary? a real significant. increase in the rhetoric from joe biden today vis—a—vis russia, a real upping of the language and the intensity, talking about russia facing consequential, real, heavy loss of life if they work to move into ukraine and a reflection i think of that $600 million thatjoe biden hasjust agreed in lethal support, lethal military support, to ukraine, warning russia of those serious consequences, and also saying that he believed russia wou

this is bbc news. the headlines: britain is accusing russia of planning to install a pro—kremlin leader in ukraine, as fears of an invasion grow. the foreign office in london says a former ukrainian mp is being considered as a potential candidate — along with four others who it says have links to russian intelligence services. islamic state fighters have continued one of their biggest attacks in syria since the group's self—declared caliphate was defeated nearly three years ago. a british—based monitoring group said more than 75 people — most of them jihadists — had been killed in three days of fighting with kurdish—led forces in the northern city of hasakeh. now, on bbc news, it's time for dateline london.

adam wild, bbc news. well, the quest for back to back grand slam titles is still on for the world number two daniil medvedev. the us open champion reached the fourth round with a straight—set win over dutchman botic van de zandschulp. the russian was a finallist in melbourne in 2021 and will face american maxime cressy next. back to be honest, this score doesn't — back to be honest, this score doesn't say everything about the match, _ doesn't say everything about the match, but it played really good. i think_ match, but it played really good. i think he _ match, but it played really good. i think he played, and my opinion, that are — think he played, and my opinion, that are in — think he played, and my opinion, that are in years open, and that's right— that are in years open, and that's right took— that are in years open, and that's right took my chances, almost like every _ right took my chances, almost like every game where i could break him, i managed _ every game where i could break him,

now on bbc news, review 2021, we remember. prince philip, una stubbs, charlie watts, sarah harding, captain sir tom moore, christopher plummer and jimmy greaves. just a few of those whose lives are celebrated in this year's programme. # we're all going on a summer holiday...# why doesn't he stop honking his horn? there's plenty of room to park! we're not going on a london bus if that's what you had in mind! well, you're not going to get very i far on your holiday in this thing. i we're not on our way on holiday. we're going to an engagement! i don't wish to impose upon you. my pleasure. in that case, you might as well do the laundry while you're about it, and dust the furniture. boys! you've got another one! what? goodness, here? i think i might! applause. i say, he forgot to pay. i wasn't a trained dancer. i didn't go to any. lessons or anything. my dad was a barber, _ but he'd come home and start... and i copied him, but ii could always tap dance. # raindrops keep falling on my head # and just like the guy whose feet are too

hugh pym, bbc news. lawyers for virginia giuffre, who's accused the duke of york of sexual abuse, are calling for two people based in the uk to give evidence in her civil case, including his former equerry. prince andrew denies all the allegations. our correspondent nomia iqbal has the latest from washington. in the last hour or so, virginia giuffre�*s lawyers here in america have submitted two letters, making a formal request to a british court to help secure evidence from what they are calling two witnesses. so just to let you know who they are, shukri walker. virginia giuffre�*s team claims that shukri walker saw prince andrew at this night club in 2001 in london with a young girl. and virginia giuffre alleges that was around about the time that she claims prince andrew abused her in london. the second letter, as you mentioned there, is a request for major rob olney. this was prince andrew's former assistant. and virginia giuffre�*s lawyers believe that he may have information relating to the re

mark lobel, bbc news. this is bbc news. the headlines: the us has warned that the build—up of russian troops on the ukraine border is the largest since the cold war. earlier, the russian president, vladimir putin, told his french counterpart, emmanuel macron, that he had no plans for an offensive. the report into parties held at downing street during lockdown is expected to be delivered to the prime minister shortly. there had been speculation the report would be delayed. a bridge in the us city of pittsburgh has collapsed hours before a visit to the area by president biden, to tout the investment his administration is making in america's infrastructure. six vehicles, including a bus, were on the bridge at the time, but no deaths have been reported. here's our north america correspondent peter bowes. it took just seconds for the snow—covered forbes avenue bridge to collapse early on friday morning. the steel structure, built in 1970, is a common route for motorists travelling into downtown pittsburgh. the emergency serv

peter bowes, bbc news. stay with us on bbc news. still to come: the influential online streaming platform twitch accused of encouraging unhealthy behaviour. this is the moment that millions in iran have been waiting for. after his long years in exile, the first hesitant steps of ayatollah khomeini on iranian soil. south africa's white government has offered its black opponents concessions unparalleled in the history of apartheid, and the anc leader nelson mandela is to be set free unconditionally. mission control: three, two, one... a countdown to a critical moment — the world's most powerful rocket ignited all 27 of its engines at once. and apart from its power, it's this recycling of the rocket slashing the cost of a launch, that makes this a breakthrough in the business of space travel. two americans have become the first humans to walk in space without any lifeline to their spaceship. one of them called it "a piece of cake". thousands of people have given l the yachtswoman ellen macarthur a spectacular homecoming - in the corn

hello, this is bbc news with joanna gosling. the headlines: regular testing and masks in secondary schools in england — the education secretary outlines measures to keep schools open in the face of rising covid infections. i don't want masks in the classroom a day longer than necessary, it's really to deal with a highly infectious aerosol transmitted variant of the virus. a critical incident is declared at hospitals in lincolnshire because of covid—related staff shortages. scotrail makes changes to its timetable from tomorrow because hundreds of staff are self—isolating. now on bbc news, reporting from the climate frontlines. for the past two decades, the bbc�*s science editor david shukman has been a witness on the frontlines of global warming. in this programme he explores how we got here and what it means for the future. it's now beyond doubt that the arctic is changing dramatically. i've had a unique position for nearly 20 years as a witness for the bbc to the greatest challenge of our time. how we're damaging the pl

russell trott, bbc news. this is bbc news. a reminder of our headlines: south africa's president leads funeral tributes to archbishop desmond tutu, calling him the nation's moral compass. coronavirus is still causing major disruption for travellers worldwide. thousands more flights have had to be cancelled. more now on the passing of archbishop desmond tutu, and, as we've heard, he requested a basic wooden coffin and for his body to be aquamated. it's not a term that many of us are familiar with, so what is aquamation? earlier i asked christopher taktak, the founder of doola, america's first direct to consumer aquamation service to explain the process. aquamation is scientifically known as alkaline hydrolysis. it's the most eco—friendly and gentle way to dispose of a human body. effectively, it uses water instead of fire to cremate a body's soft tissue and we use the bones afterwards to, you know, produce ashes that become a take—home result forfamilies and loved ones — that's — that's the simplest, you know, descripti

this is bbc news. the headlines at five: police will meet a conservative mp who's accused government whips of trying to "blackmail" politicians who've tried to oust borisjohnson. the first shipment of american military aid to ukraine arrives there after talks over russia's troop build—up on the border. the un has condemned an air strike on a yemen detention centre that has killed more than 80 people. a week after tonga was devastated by a volcanic eruption and tsunami, humanitarian aid begins to reach the tens of thousands of people affected. the actor arnold schwarzenegger is involved in a multi—vehicle crash in los angeles — one person is in hospital, but it's not thought their injuries are life threatening. good afternoon. a conservative backbencher who has accused government whips of trying to blackmail some mps seeking to oust borisjohnson is to meet the police to discuss his allegations. william wragg said he'd be speaking to a scotland yard detective in the commons early next week. the pri

this is bbc news. the latest headlines: prince andrew demands a trial byjury, in an ii—page official response to sexual abuse allegations. the wait goes on in westminster for the report into lockdown parties at number 10 that could determine boris johnson's future. a year ago today, a small fishing boat called nicola faith left its home port of conwy in search of whelks off the north wales coast. the three crew on board would never be seen alive again. now the families of those men are working with the lifeboat service to improve safety at sea. chris dearden went to meet them. man overboard — this is only a training course but next time it may be for real. these men and women work as a fishing cruise along the coast of wales and they are shown how to survive if they find themselves in rough waters. a, survive if they find themselves in rough waters.— in rough waters. a lot easier with a lifejacket. _ in rough waters. a lot easier with a lifejacket. how- in rough waters. a lot easier with a lifeja

russell trott, bbc news. this is bbc news. our main headline: south africa's president leads funeral tributes to archbishop desmond tutu, calling him the nation's "moral compass." more now on the passing of archbishop desmond tutu, and as we've heard, he requested a basic wooden coffin, and for his body to be "aquamated." it's not a term that many of us are familiar with, so what is aquamation? i've been speaking to samantha sieber. she's a biologist, and her father was one of the founders of the aquamation process. she explained how it worked. aquamation is an alternative to burial and cremation, a choice that families have. very similar end result to cremation, where the family receives an urn. anything that you can do with cremation ashes, you can do with ashes from aquamation. but aquamation does not use fire — it uses a process that is 95% water and 5% alkali to gently reduce the body to the mineral remains. the minerals are — just like, with flame cremation, that's what's returned to the family in an urn. there's no

nickjohnson, bbc news. as the impact of climate change is felt around the world, the possible consequences for humanity are growing by the day. so how can we pass on our experiences to future generations? a project under way in tasmania, earth's black box, an indestructible store of primary climate data, may be the answer. butjust like the black box on an airplane, the hope is it never gets used for its main purpose. jim curtis, one of the principals behind the project, gave me the details. the black box is a structure and a device that will record every step humanity takes towards — or hopefully away from — this impending climate catastrophe. sojust like an aeroplane flight recorder — if the plane goes down, we find the flight recorder, we find what went wrong, and hope we don't make the same mistakes. so it's a very similar concept. unfortunately for earth, as we get closer to this catastrophe, we need to make sure that whoever�*s left over afterwards won't make the same mistakes that we do. my go

catrina renton, bbc news. a fierce winter storm bringing heavy snowfall is sweeping across the us east coast with forecasters warning of "historic" blizzards, hurricane force winds, power outages and travel chaos. this is newjersey, which is among five states to have declared emergencies. more than 5,000 flights have been cancelled. and in new york's times square, tourists braved the conditions to take pictures in the snow. (read 0n) kathy hochul is the governor of new york, and gave this update a short while ago. just because the snow stops doesn't mean life goes back to normal. that's when the true clean—up is going to continue and that's when we need just a little more time to take care of the road safely and we all know everyone knows to do that. let's see if you can follow that. our wind—chill, this is what the 0ur wind—chill, this is what the dangerousness we are talking about, we are expecting single digits. this is when frostbite kicks in. look how serious that can be. so we are trying to remind

daniela relph, bbc news, salisbury. and you are watching bbc news. hello. our weather is set to get a lot colder for many of us over the next 2a hours. if you look back to saturday, we had temperatures as high as 60 degrees. 15 and and and brought. across the board across... it's going to be a lot colder. in edinburgh, the change to colder weather has already started to take place. the winds will continue to come south across the whole of the uk reaching the south by tuesday. this afternoon, this is where the colder air is across scotland. it is moving into the far north of england. the last of the mild days temperatures reaching double figures through the afternoon, the temperatures will drop in scotland and highs of around 2 degrees for a time. overnight tonight, things turn ic which showers frequently moving into scotland. some of them will be snowy. miles across the far south. 7 degrees. otherwise the frost is going to be widespread, particularly in the countryside. a cold start on tuesday and frequent snow showers. may be around two to five cm. moreove

this is bbc news. our top stories: in the us, heavy snowfall dampens wildfires in colorado as residents criticise evacuation plans and get a first look at devastation. families immobilised without any warning and we all got safely out of town, and that is a christmas miracle. i know families that have lost everything. as the world welcomes a new year, london puts on a surprise in the skies. lasers and fireworks mark the start of 2022, celebrations kept secret to deter the crowds. mourners in south africa pay their final respects to archbishop desmond tutu ahead of his funeral on saturday. and tributes are paid to the golden girls actress betty white who has died just weeks before what would have been her 100th birthday. welcome to our viewers on pbs in america and around the globe. the governor of the us state of colorado has pledged to help residents who've lost everything to rebuild their lives after sudden wildfires destroyed 1,000 homes. tens of thousands of people were evacuated as the fires tore

faisal islam, bbc news. the us secretary of state, antony blinken, who's on a visit to ukraine, has warned that russia could launch an attack on ukraine at very short notice. russia has around 100,000 troops massed on its borders. moscow has denied it is planning a military invastion. the us secretary of state has urged president putin to choose a peaceful path. america has also confirmed an extra $200 million in defence aid for ukraine. 0ur diplomatic correspondent paul adams has more. british military equipment arriving in ukraine. short—range anti—tank missiles, with a small team of trainers to follow. the latest western gesture of support for a country facing of support to a country facing a mounting threat from russia. diplomatic support, too, with us secretary of state antony blinken flying to kyiv this morning promising relentless american efforts to prevent russia from invading. washington's message to ukraine's president volodymyr zelensky, there will be no talks about you without your involveme

peter bowes, bbc news. this is bbc news. the headlines: the us has warned that the build—up of russian troops on the ukraine border is the largest since the cold war. earlier, the russian president, vladimir putin, told his french counterpart, emmanuel macron, that he had no plans for an offensive. the report into parties held at downing street during lockdown is expected to be delivered to the prime minister shortly. there had been speculation the report would be delayed. people on the us north east coast are bracing themselves for a powerful winter storm — bringing high winds and heavy snow — due to hit over the weekend. thousands of flights have been cancelled in the region. a short time ago i got the details from meteorologist matthew cappucci, who is in cape cod, one of the areas due to be worst affected by the storm. here in the north—east we are used to pretty big snowstorms but the impressive thing is not just the amounts for close descent —— ten centimetres an hour can be done at times. we have destructi

this is bbc news. welcome if you're watching here in the uk or around the globe. i'm david eades. our top stories: one of the world's leading conservationists, richard leakey, who helped prove that humans evolved in africa, has died aged 77. thousands protest against the military regime in sudan. the prime minister resigns, urging coup leaders to return to democracy. america's top covid expert, anthony fauci, warns there is a danger of a surge in people needing hospital treatment. a dutch protest against lockdown measures and vaccinations turns violent. and we'll be finding out why so many people live to 100 in this part of southern italy. the renowned kenyan conservationist and fossil hunter richard leakey has died at the age of 77. his discoveries were crucial in shedding light on the evolution of modern man. richard leakey also took a stand in the fight against ivory poachers in kenya. the bbc�*s tim allman looks back at his life and career. richard leakey helped tell the story of where we came fr

this is bbc news. the headlines: the us and russia have held what they called "frank talks" on tension over ukraine. with more russian troops gathering on the ukrainian border, washington has warned any invasion will be met with a swift, severe and united response. at least 100 people have been killed or wounded in an air strike by the saudi—led coalition in yemen. a detention centre was hit in saada, a stronghold of the rebel houthi movement. thousands of people in the capital sanaa have protested against the attacks. stars including cher, boy george and bonnie tyler have led tributes to the singer meat loaf. the rock legend died at the age of 7a. now on bbc news, it's time for click. this week, it is pure box office. we will find out

jess softley, bbc news. last season's beaten finalists chelsea are safely through after thrashing non—league chesterfield 5—1 at stamford bridge. callum hudson—odoi with a lovely finish for chelsea's second. romelu lukaku also got on the scoresheet for the first time since being dropped for giving a controversial interview. everton are being pushed all the way by championship side hull. the match is live now on bbc one hull went ahead. everton scored twice to go in front, then hull's ryan longman scored an equaliser — so they're into extra time and everton have reclaimed the lead, thanks to this long range effort from andros townsend. he's got a history of producing goals of this quality. it's also live on the bbc sport website and app — the games at birmingham, swansea, and yeovil are also into extra time. a big a5 a big 45 minutes to come for everton. crystal palace narrowly avoided a similar fate. playing away at millwall of the championship, an early goalkeeping error saw them go behind early o

jonathan blake, bbc news. rafa nadal has made history, becoming the first male tennis player to win 21 grand slam singles titles, after victory at the australian open. he beat russia's daniil medvedev in five sets, in a match lasting almost five—and—a—half hours. it puts him one title ahead of his great rivals roger federer and novak djokovic who was deported from australia earlier this month, for breaking covid rules. austin halewood reports. as the sun sets on another australian open, the crowd in melbourne were looking for one final piece of magic. rafa nadal knew he could leave the rod laver arena as the most successful men's singles player in history. but right now, daniil medvedev is right at the top of his game. it didn't take the russian long to seal the first set. and the second soon followed. but so many times in his career, nadal seemingly has done the impossible and into the third, an unlikely comeback looked on. nadal pulling one back. at 35, after six months out injured, just reaching the f

this is bbc news. the headlines: police have launched an investigation into the parties that took place inside downing street during lockdown. it's after the civil servant leading an internal inquiry passed information on to officers. number 10 says borisjohnson thinks he did not break any laws. president biden has said he's prepared to impose sanctions on his russian counterpart vladimir putin directly, if moscow invades ukraine. it's the first time that western powers have suggested that measures they've threatened against moscow could go right to the top of the kremlin. at least 46 people have been killed in madagascar and mozambique as tropical storm ana brought torrential rains and flash flooding to coastal parts of east africa. the island of madagascar suffered a mudslide with 65 thousand people left homeless. malawi lost most of its power across the country because of flooding. now on bbc news, it's panorama. if this happened to your home... smash. ..would you be confident the authorities would

this is bbc news. our top stories. britain accuses russia of planning to install a pro—kremlin leader in ukraine, as fears of an invasion grow. foreign aid is being distributed in tonga, with over 80% of the population affected by last weekend's volcanic eruption and tsunami. tonga's recovery from this disaster will be long—term, and i think we need to ensure that we keep the momentum up. two years to the day since china forced the city of wuhan and its ten million citizens into lockdown, we have a special report on how beijing's containing the virus. there does appear to be widespread support for the government policy on covid because you get this, it looks quite normal, but nobody knows the answer to the big question, how long will it go on for? and how this indestructible store of primary climate data — earth's black box — could see us pass invaluable information to future generations. hello and welcome to bbc news. britain has accused the kremlin of planning to install a pro—russian leade

this is bbc news. the latest headlines: the uk prime minister, borisjohnson, is facing calls to resign from within his own party after admitting he attended a downing street drinks gathering at the height of covid lockdown and offering an apology. prince andrew will face a civil trial over allegations he sexually assaulted virginia giuffre when she was underage after a us judge ruled her lawsuit against him can proceed. he denies the allegations. nato's secretary—general has warned there's still a real risk of new armed conflict in europe. jens stoltenberg spoke after talks with russia, which left significant differences unresolved. he said nato was ready for more dialogue over ukraine where 100,000 russian troops have massed at the border. our defence correspondent jonathan beale has been following events and sent this update from brussels. talks lasted four hours — longer than expected. but like the talks between the us and russia earlier in the week, they ended without breakthrough, both sides n

welcome to bbc news. our top stories: britain's prince andrew demands a trial byjury as he rejects the allegations of sexual assault made by virginia giuffre. the us formally responds to russia's concerns over ukraine, saying they've offered moscow a serious diplomatic path forward. westminster waits for the report that could determine the british prime minister's future as borisjohnson rejects calls for him to resign. and how peruvians are taking a haircut to help clean up a huge oil spill threatening an environmental disaster. hello, and welcome to bbc news. prince andrew is demanding a trial byjury. he formally denied all the allegations against him as he gave a court in new york his official response to allegations of sexual assault. virginia giuffre accuses the duke of york of forcing her to have sex more than two decades ago at the london home of the convicted sex trafficker ghislaine maxwell. the 11—page document sets out the duke's detailed response, strongly denying that he abused ms giuffre wh

this is bbc news. the headlines: a court in australia is hearing the final appeal of the tennis player, novak djokovic, against the cancellation of his visa. his lawyers are laying out their case in front of three federal courtjudges. if djokovic loses this appeal, he faces deportation and a three—year visa ban. one of the hostages being held in a synagogue in texas has been released. the fbi is continuing to negotiate with the hostage—taker, who they say is armed. the police have told residents to avoid the area. the incident happened as a service was being streamed live. an underwater volcanic eruption near tonga has triggered tsunami warnings across the pacific ocean. waves of more than a metre have crashed into tonga. alerts had been in place from the west coast of the united states to japan, but the danger appears to be receding. now on bbc news: we look at the hidden world of girls in gangs — and the extent to which teenage girls are being criminally and sexually exploited. this programme c

., we'll have more sport for you later on the bbc news channel. this is bbc news, the headlines: prince andrew's lawyers prepare to ask a us court to dismiss a civil sexual assault case brought by virginia giuffre. pupils across the uk head back to school this week amid concerns about covid—related staff shortages. a second chinese city is locked down — and the winter olympics venues are sealed off — as officials rush to contain outbreaks of covid, a month before the games begin. and former tech billionaire elizabeth holmes — founder of the health company theranos — is found guilty of fraud over her failed blood testing technology. now on bbc news, it's time for hardtalk. welcome to hardtalk, from new york. this city is testament to the power of science and technology. but we shouldn't be fooled by these gravity defying towers. we are not masters of the universe. covid and climate change remind us of that. and so, too, does my guest today, arguably america's most famous scientist, neil degrasse tyson. his special subject is astrophysics,

this is bbc news. the latest headlines: the us puts thousands of troops on standby for deployment, as russia's military activity continues near ukraine's border. at least eight people die in a crush outside a football stadium in cameroon, as thousands gathered to watch an african cup of nations match. the army in burkina faso says it has seized power. speaking on state television, a military spokesman said that president roch kabore had been ousted, and the government and national assembly dissolved. the un secretary general has condemned the takeover and urged soldiers not to harm those held during the coup. the government of burkina faso, which actually stands for �*land of the honest men', had become increasingly unpopular for its alleged failure to deal with corruption and an islamist insurgency. the bbc�*s senior africa correspondent anne soy reports. all is not well in 0uagadougou. protests have been growing. over the weekend, tensions boiled over — a mutiny in the barracks, then confirmati

this is bbc news. the latest headlines: heavy snowfall in the american state of colorado helps to douse a wildfire that destroyed a thousand homes. a new year surprise in the skies — lasers, fireworks and drones light up london, new year celebrations kept secret to deter the crowds. official figures suggest that nearly 2.3 million people in the uk had covid in the week before christmas — the highest level of infections since the data was first compiled last year. the figures indicate that one in 30 of the population had coronavirus. for the week before, the estimate was one in a5. it's translating into greater pressure on the nhs. more than 25,000 healthcare workers are themselves off sick or isolating each day. our health correspondent katharine da costa reports. most nhs staff will be glad to see the back of 2021. nearly two years into this pandemic, many are exhausted. a spike in covid cases is driving a rise in staff sickness. in england, london's worst affected with about a% of staff in acute

this is bbc news. i'm tim willcox with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. novak djokovic�*s legal team once again try to stop his deportation from australia, after his visa is cancelled for a second time. one of borisjohnson�*s ministers calls his behaviour "unacceptable" after downing street apologised to the queen after number 10 staff lockdown parties on the eve of prince philip's funeral. the us accuses russia of planning to create a pretext to justify invading ukraine. how scientists looking into why space travel makes astronauts anaemic when they return to earth may help bedridden patients in intensive care. i will let you say greenlight. greenlight. and we meet mr beast — the man who made almost $54 million last year and has topped the youtube rich list. welcome to our viewers on pbs in america and around the globe. the unvaccinated worls bumber one tennis star novak djokovic is again facing detention in australia after his visa was revoked for a second time.

this is bbc news. the latest headlines: the us and russian foreign ministers have held talks in geneva to try to ease tension over the build—up of russian troops on the border with ukraine. aid agencies say an air strike by the saudi—led coalition on a prison in yemen has killed dozens of people and wounded many more. levels of coronavirus are falling in england, scotland and wales, according to official figures. but the government is still facing the challenge of how to persuade more than four million people in the uk to take up the offer of a vaccine. bbc analysis shows that younger people continue to be the most vaccine—hesita nt. here's our health editor, hugh pym. a vaccination campaign with a difference. and you could end up with long covid, which is no fun. team halo videos have had more than 250 million views. please don't play this russian roulette with your life. they're focused on debunking vaccine misinformation. let's talk about long covid. dr bnar talabani is one expert working on t

paul adams, bbc news. for more on this, i'm joined now by an expert on central asia — erica marat, who is an associate professor at the college of international security affairs in washington. it's wonderful to have you on the programme. ijust want it's wonderful to have you on the programme. i just want to ask you, as we heard and paul's report, the long—standing issues behind these protests, how do you see the situation being resolved? it is very hard to see — situation being resolved? it is very hard to see how— situation being resolved? it is very hard to see how the _ situation being resolved? it is very hard to see how the situation - situation being resolved? it is very hard to see how the situation will. hard to see how the situation will be resolved, especially given the mistakes that the government is making at this point. i am appalled at how naive the government is to think that by using police force, they would be able to suppress protesters and somehow result grievances. i think the o

joe wilson, bbc news. a 32—year—old army officer has become the first woman of colour to complete a solo expedition to the south pole. captain preet chandi trekked 700 miles in a0 days, pulling her equipment in a sledge. she faced temperatures of —45c and said she wanted "encourage people to push boundaries and believe in themselves." our correspondent phil mackie has the story. this was the moment she made it. a0 days after captain preet chandi set off and two years after she started training. i've made it to the south pole, where it's snowing. feeling so many emotions right now. i knew nothing about the polar world three years ago and it feels so surreal to finally be here. getting ready wasn't exactly easy. she went to iceland and spent 27 days in greenland to prepare for the extreme conditions. before she left, polar preet, as she's become known, who is an army physio, said one of the reasons she wanted to do it was to inspire other girls from her background. as a woman of colour, as an asian wom

lizo mzimba, bbc news. lianne al—khaldi, from stafford, worked with a group of 35 women across her town sewing 3,500 items of protective equipment for nhs and care workers across the west midlands. she's been awarded a british empire medal. first of all, congratulations. thank ou ve first of all, congratulations. thank you very much- — first of all, congratulations. thank you very much- it _ first of all, congratulations. thank you very much. it is _ first of all, congratulations. thank you very much. it is a _ first of all, congratulations. thank you very much. it is a wonderful i you very much. it is a wonderful achievement, _ you very much. it is a wonderful achievement, tell _ you very much. it is a wonderful achievement, tell us _ you very much. it is a wonderful achievement, tell us how- you very much. it is a wonderful achievement, tell us how this i you very much. it is a wonderful. achievement, tell us how this came about? i achievement, tell us how this came about? . ., ., achievement, tell us

this is bbc news. the headlines: joe biden has warned any russian troops entering ukraine will be treated as an invasion and be met with severe economic sanctions. new satellite images show russian troops are closer to ukraine's border. many people are feared dead following a huge explosion in the west of ghana. police said the blast — near a mining town — happened when a truck carrying explosives collided with a motorcycle. a senior british mp from borisjohnson's conservative party has accused the government of trying to blackmail colleagues who have called for a vote of confidence in the prime minister's leadership. mrjohnson rejected the claims. the first plane—loads of aid have landed in tonga following saturday's volcanic eruption and tsunami. they touched down at the pacific nation's main airport, which had to be cleared of volcanic ash to make it safe. those are the headlines. you're watching bbc news.

sarah corker, bbc news. ikea has announced it will cut sick pay for unvaccinated staff who need to self—isolate because of covid. fully vaccinated staff will receive full sick pay. the company'sjoining a growing list of firms doing the same. the retail giant acknowledges it's an "emotive topic" but says its policy has to evolve with changing circumstances. emma simpson is in north london for us, what's behind this and could this be a sign of things to come? the backdrop to this fiona is that many companies are grappling with rising costs, and staff absences and this is all part of this. now ikea employed 10,000 people across the uk and right now, if any of them get covid, jabbed or unjabbed, they will get full sick pay. the difference is, if they are unvaccinated and are forced to self—isolate, coming into close contact with someone who has tested positive they are likely to end up with the minimum statutory sick pay of £96 a week unless there are mitigating circumstances, that is a financial penalty. w

paul adams, bbc news. the communities secretary, michael gove, has met developers today and urged them to pay more for work to remove dangerous cladding from blocks of flats and to rectify building safety issues. the move comes in the wake of the grenfell tower fire and will cost developers billions of pounds. almost five years after the tragedy, 40% of tall tower blocks with flammable grenfell—style cladding have yet to be made safe — despite money from the government's £5 billion building safety fund. there are also nearly a thousand tower blocks with other types of dangerous cladding which need fixing as our sarah corker reports. hi, i'm allie. my name is stephen. i'm tamaya. my name's will, i'm a leaseholder of a flat in sheffield. no work has started and no funding has been confirmed. due to ongoing delays with the building safety fund. we don't know when the remediation is going to start _ four years on, these problems are still not fixed. the building is still unsafe. flat owners from across th

this is bbc news. i'm simon pusey with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. after days of confusion, the downing street lockdown parties report is now expected to be delivered without waiting for the police inquiry. the us warns the russian troop build—up near ukraine is the largest since the cold war as attempts to find a diplomatic solution continue. hello and thanks forjoining us. a senior british civil servant is expected to deliver her report on lockdown parties at downing street to the british prime minister soon, without waiting for the police to finish their investigation. scotland yard has made it clear that it has not delayed the report's publication. here's our political correspondent iain watson. which rules could have been broken behind the famous black door during lockdown? the report by the senior civil servant sue gray was expected to provide some answers this week — that was until cressida dick, the country's top police officer, said on tuesday that her

this is bbc news. it's newsday. it's 7am in singapore, and 6pm in washington — where the number of new covid infections and the number of hospital admissions have reached an all—time high. in europe, the world health organization says there's a new tidal wave of omicron sweeping the continent from west to east — with france, italy, and turkey reporting new pandemic highs. more on that in a moment. if we take a closer look at the us, we'll see cases there have soared over the past few weeks — to an average of 737,000 per day. the number of americans in hospital with covid is over 142,000. it's never been higher, and it's increased 83% in the last two weeks. 0ur washington correspondent barbara plett has more. with 0micron reaching across the country, the government's response to the resurgent pandemic is coming under a harsh spotlight. we will now introduce today's witnesses. .. at a hearing on capitol hill, senators grilled health officials about delays, failures, and confusion. top of the list was the short

this is bbc news. it's newsday. welcome to bbc news, broadcasting to viewers in the uk and around the world. china is showing its determination to continue with its zero—covid strategy. the authorities have put an entire city into lockdown after the discovery of just three asymptomatic cases. residents won't be allowed to leave their homes in yuzhou, which has a population of 1.2 million. the transport system has been shut down, as well as shops and entertainment venues. only food stores can stay open, and only workers involved in epidemic prevention are allowed out. another city, xi'an, with a population of 13 million, has been under lockdown for two weeks. our correspondent robin brant sent us this report. this is extreme, even by china's standards. the city shut down because ofjust three new cases, with no symptoms. everyone is prohibited from leaving the city, the sign says. a million plus people are now in lockdown in yuzhou. the latest proof that china is very committed to its zero—covid strategy. translat

aruna iyengar, bbc news. the latest headlines on bbc news... secondary school pupils are to be required to wear facemasks in class in england, as coronavirus cases continue to surge across europe. fears a quarter of uk public sector workers could be off due to coronavirus — as firms are warned to make contingency plans. france will cut the covid self—isolation period from ten to seven days, in a bid to ease staff pressures. in the uk, 20 conservative mps and peers have called on the prime minister to tackle the spiralling cost of living. five former ministers are among the signatories of a letter to the sunday telegraph, which follows huge increases in wholesale gas prices. 0ur political correspondent chris mason reports. wholesale gas and electricity prices are rising steeply. the boss of one energy firm is predicting an enormous crisis this year as a consequence. now 20 tory parliamentarians are expressing their concerns, too. their letter has been organised by what is called the net zero scrutiny group of conservatives, which keeps an ey