both in victoria and new south wales, and iam in in victoria and new south wales, and i am in constant contact with the premiers of both of those states. i'm also mindful of the emergency situation —— emerging situation in south australia devon in tasmania. and we will continue to work with those dates where the need arises. ata those dates where the need arises. at a commonwealth level, our task has been to fully support and provide whatever assistance is necessary through all the various agencies of the commonwealth. now, that has gone from the provision of disaster payments that have now exceeded something more than $21 million in new south wales alone. and we expect more that to continue in victoria is the full devastation of the fires the becomes more evident in the damage assessments that people able to make, the claims of those funds. that has been an important task for the commonwealth, working with the states, where the assistance has been triggered. to give those payments to people as quickly as possible and i want to thank all of those in services australia who have work

and we will be monitoring that for you here in south wales. —— new south wales. -- new south wales. we will continue to have update on the unfolding developments in australia and the bushfires on bbc world news. the fugitive businessman, carlos ghosn, has been banned from leaving lebanon after he fled there from japan last month to avoid trial for financial misconduct. the former nissan boss, who dramatically skipped bail, said he was prepared to face justice in lebanon if neccessary but that he would not return to japan. he has been talking to to our world affairs editor, john simpson. hello. very nice to see you. thank you. even though the lebanese courts have said he can't leave the country, carlos ghosn has lost none of his bounce. i'm free to receive my family, i'm free to see my wife, to live with my wife. these are all things which were forbidden when i was injapan. he's consistently refused to talk about his escape from japan by private jet, hiding in a box for musical equipment. even so, i gave it my best shot. it must have been a pretty unpleasant experience, mustn't it? i

fires in new south wales. we will keep you up—to—date as the situation continues to develop in both new south wales and victoria. stay with us on bbc news. still to come: we'll have more on the us and plans to send reinforcements to help defend its embassy in baghdad. the most ambitious financial and political change ever attempted has got under way with the introduction of the euro. tomorrow in holland, we're going to use money we picked up in belgium today. and then we'll be in france and again, it will be the same money. it's just got to be the way to go. george harrison, the former beatle, is recovering in hospital after being stabbed at his oxfordshire home. a 33—year—old man from liverpool is being interviewed by police on suspicion of attempted murder. i think it was good. reporter: it was just good? no, fantastic! that's better! big ben strikes the hour this is bbc news. the latest headlines: rio dejaneiro has welcomed in the new decade with over a million people gathering on copacabana beach t

we've seen over a million hectares of land burnt now, which is larger than wales, the size of wales. it really is an incredible scene standing here in these communities that are really hurting. selby stewart, thank you for that update about the fires in australia, reporting from nowra. we will keep you updated on that. and the new year's celebrations as well. stay with us on bbc news. hello. we've ended 2019 on a fairly quiet note. the best of the sunshine through new year's eve was across northern and eastern england, parts of scotland we saw some spectacular sunsets to end the year and the decade. and this quieter theme continues through new year's eve underneath this area of high pressure. but notice that the isobars are closer together across northern ireland and scotland, so, a windier day here. and also, a cloudier day across the uk to start 2020. that cloud could be thick enough for the odd patch of drizzle. for most it's mainly dry through daylight hours with some brightness or sunshine across eastern counties of scotland, north—east england, perhaps north wales for a time

there are positive both victoria new south wales which been com pletely victoria new south wales which been completely devastated with the loss of power, loss of communications, every absolute effort is been ——in train to make sure those things can be stood up as villages ——as quick as possible. we have been able to get tankers in to restore fuel supplies, that is now greatly assisted. there are other places which are difficult to get the supplies into but we'll be able to do that as soon as possibly can. phil mercer is in sydney. another pro minister talked about staying calm but he also very much seems to be defending commonwealth response and he has been much criticised over it. what he said was that it's largely in first instance the responsibility of australia's state government to manage these crises. he was saying the federal government would offer and would give any assistance required of it so mr morrison as we have heard, said that he understood the fear and frustrations and the anxieties of those people who were not only stranded in certain communities but who are ha

our top stories: australia orders a mass evacuation from coastal areas of new south wales, as bushfires close in. the country's prime minister, scott morrison, calls for calm. i understand the frustration, i understand the anxiety, i understand the fear. but what i also understand is the need to allow the professionals and experts, who plan and then operationalise these responses, to do theirjob. pro—iranian militia and their supporters pullback from the us embassy in baghdad, after a second day of violence. israel's prime minister, benjamin netanyahu, seeks immunity from prosecution over charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. hello and welcome to bbc news. thousands of holidaymakers have been fleeing coastal areas of new south wales, after being warned it is not safe for them to stay in bushfire—hit parts of eastern australia. there are traffic jams on major roads, although the evacuation is hampered by a lack of fuel. the authorities are urging tourists and residents to leave while they can. saturday is forecast to be another punishing day in southeastern australia, with m

the best of the breaks for the east of wales in the breaks for the east of wales in the midlands, and the north—east of maine in scotland, and across the board, temperatures around 8—12d. that rain clears in the north—west of scotland, and then other than a few showers in the west most will have a dry, mild night from sunday into monday. of course a return to work for many after the christmas break but look at what is waiting in the wings. the weather is set to turn livelier as we go into next week. an active jet stream blowing across the atlantic and these little dip in thisjet across the atlantic and these little dip in this jet stream will see subsequent areas of low pressure develop. the first one spreads northwards across iceland as we go through into monday. spreading is whether france southwards and eastwards into the uk and ireland, and with it, strong to gale force winds. that wet weather spreads through ireland that much of scotla nd through ireland that much of scotland during the day on monday, into wales and west england during the afternoon. parts of central and ea

will be back live wales we will be back live in new south wales in a moment. the japanese people are in mourning following the death of emperor hirohito. thousands converged on the imperial palace to pay their respects when it was announced he was dead. good grief! after half a century of delighting fans around the world, charlie brown and the rest of the gang are calling it quits. the singer paul simon starts his tour of south africa tomorrow in spite of protests and violence from some black activist groups. they say international artists should continue to boycott south africa until majority rule is established. teams were trying to scoop up lumps of oil as france recognises it faces an ecological crisis. three weeks ago, the authorities confidently assured these areas that oil from the broken tanker erika would head out to sea. it didn't. the world's tallest skyscraper opens later today. the burj dubai has easily overtaken its nearest rivals. welcome back. this is newsday on the bbc. i'm sharanjit leyl in singapore. i'm kasia madera in london. our top stori

shaimaa khalil reports from the southern coast of new south wales. it promised to be a day of danger and these bushfires have lived up to every emergency warning. the hellish combination of high temperatures, strong winds and dry conditions have made some of these blazes too vast to control. in kangaroo island, a famous holiday destination, a couple died trying to escape the inferno. they were found near their car. in victoria, as blazes continued to rage in the east, evacuees from mallacoota were getting ready to board the navy ship taking them to safety. a moment of relief, after a harrowing few days stranded in the fire—ravaged town. our only option was to go down to the foreshore and sit it out and at one stage we had 25 fire trucks with us. sorry... the prime minister, scott morrison, has said 3000 reserve troops will be deployed to help tackle the raging bush fires. the first time this has happened in australia's history. but this video he posted on twitter, showing the government's response, accompanied by upbeat music, drew angry criticism.

a bit through england and wales as a weakerfeature. a bit of through england and wales as a weaker feature. a bit of a through england and wales as a weakerfeature. a bit of a lull behind it. before the next and of rain comes our way. the black circles are the wind gust strength. although temperatures look like being on the mild side, because of the wind, it will feel cooler than that. the weather front careers down the south—east, the colder blues follow behind for friday. severe gales possible across shetland. snow at lower levels for a time. for most of the uk, the sun will come out behind the front shifting into the continent. showers in the north and west and some will be wintry on the hills. what about the weekend? the week and is looking like it will be less cool and mainly dry less next week windy and unsettled. thank you carol. nice start to the new year. it's time now for a look at the newspapers. let's look at the front pages. the daily mail leads on a warning from prince william who says humanity risks irreparably damagin

wales, and you are right. wales has been a beneficiary of beneficiary as a membership of the european union, but there are parts of wales where decades of austerity have damaged deeply. those people ctuld not see a for themselves. they reflected that in their vote in the referendum. >> you have said -- and i quote you --we will not be browbeaten into the decision that bhengs an end to debate or two discussion. are you clinging to a hope that there might be a revisiting? in another generation, people eamight revisit the of rejoining the european union? after all the division of the last three years, would that be goodor the country? that is not what i was referring to in the quote you gave. i was her fervor to in the next 12 months, we will see enormously important decisions in wales aut our future with european union. there are some people in wales who argue that. recently shod not take part b in those debatause the referendum was to leave. my point is that we are leaving, there iso int in figing those battles

lucy hockings is in the state of new south wales for us. hi, of new south wales for us. lucy. fire hi, lucy. fire crews have been readying themselves all week for today because hot and windy conditions are set to return to new south wales. there are 100 fires are still burning in the state. they are worried about the alpine areas and those near the state of the tory aware the state of emergency has been extended. south australia and kangaroo island are closely watching, where there is also a of emergency. i'm in a very beautiful pa rt emergency. i'm in a very beautiful part of new south wales, the kangaroo valley, and if i can show you some pictures of me arriving to where i am now, the kangaroo valley bush retreat. the currowan fire ripped through this property over the weekend and in 45 minutes, at the weekend and in 45 minutes, at the damage it did. the charred remains of buildings, trees, everything that you can see, and the trees are still smouldering. there are still embers in some of the trees and it is quite staggering. i am at trees and it is quite staggering. i amata

what about wales? you wonder if ireland and scotland can bounce back from a disappointing time at the world cup. plenty of challenges for the home nations. it's a new year, a fresh start, new faces at the helm, but all that has gone before and will not be forgotten, the same old rivalries, the same prize on offer— the chance for those at the top to prove themselves all over again. it's great to see a side with confidence, winning close games, knowing how to get across the finish line, for us, it will be a lot of the same. how can we add value, how can we improve an organisation that has been winning more than it has been losing, if you like. but with a fresh start comps opportunity, an opportunity for others to rise. ireland have been at the very top, this time last year, they were the best out in at the borrow. but the 6 nations, and then japan, best out in at the borrow. but the 6 nations, and thenjapan, did not go to plan. it was not too long ago people were talking about what a great side we were

welcome to nowra in new south wales. it's midnight in london and ham here in new south wales. i'm in the town of nowra the nerve centre for the regional response to the bushfire crisis here. the fires are right around the country, but among the worst are here in australia's most populated state, new south wales. there are still 150 fires burning gci’oss there are still 150 fires burning across the state. 2a people have now died in this bushfire disaster, thousands of homes have been destroyed and it's been estimated that half a billion animals in this state alone, have perished. australians are waking up to another day of devastation and emotions are running high. there is some reprieve for firefighters here today though because it s been raining. that is a psychological boost for people here, to have a cooler day and rainfalling. but people here, to have a cooler day and rain falling. but you need about 200 millilitres of rain initial space of time to effect the fires. so it is not enough, but it is providing a bit of reprieve for people battling the flames. as i mentioned

mark easton, bbc news, south wales. and there's a new bbc briefing online guide on immigration. you can download it from the bbc news website. with all the sport now, here's olly foster at the bbc sport centre. good evening. saracens say they will learn from their mistakes after accepting their relegation from the rugby union premiership. the champions' punishment for continuing to break the salary cap regulations. they are also european champions and they reached the quarterfinals today, beating french side racing. our sports correspondent andy swiss was at the match. from champions to outcasts. saracens fa ns from champions to outcasts. saracens fans arrived with the news of their premiership relegation still raw and many feeling the club had only itself to blame. if you are going to break the salary cap and get caught, you have got to pay the consequences. very sad and angry and frustrated. a lot of crying. it is our club. and what must they be thinking? saracens' star—studded squad, surely seem to be dismantled. well, today at least they were together and the fans behind t

however, governments like the new south wales governments like the new south wales government have just announced that there will be a review into hazard reduction prescribed burning amongst other aspects of land management in response to this bushfire crisis. of course climate change is obviously having an effect on the bushfires as well, hasn't it? it is notjust about how the land is managed. climate with us. australia's climate, the average temperature has increased by one celsius over the last century. we have just. increased by one celsius over the last century. we havejust. 0ur hottest a nd last century. we havejust. 0ur hottest and driest year on record as indicated earlier, eastern australia is in the depths of a very significant drought, we have had very low winter rainfall amounts over the last three years and this has accumulated to give us very deep drought in the landscape. we have run landscape fire models over the last couple of decades looking at various climate change scenarios, and irrespective of what scenario with increased temperatures we run with increased temperat

we've seen over 4 million hectares of land burnt now, which is larger than wales, the size of wales. it really is an incredible scene standing here in these communities that are really hurting. 0ur correspondent phil mercer joins us now from sydney. let's get some more details. we just heard an update on the situation in new south wales but victoria is also facing quite an emergency. yes, some emergency warnings down there in the state of victoria, some communities remain cut off and some of those remain cut off and some of those remain inactive fire zones, so the authorities are worried about those communities. in the town of mallacoota, where thousands of people sought refuge on the beach 2a hours ago, those people still cannot get out of the town because the roads are deemed too dangerous to leave, so supplies are dwindling although we have heard a police boat will be taking supplies in at some point today and the military may well be needed to try to fortify these communities is the authorities try to make it safe for people to leave. at the other end of the spectrum, you have ha

how about the money for our forgotten corner of new south wales, prime minister? how come we only had four trucks to defend our town? because out town doesn't have a lot of money but we have hearts of gold, mr prime minister. bleep. nah, you're an idiot, mate. you really are. you won't be getting any votes down here, buddy. you are an idiot. who votes liberal around here? nobody. no liberal votes. you are out, son. you are out. bleep. bye! bleep. what about the people who have nowhere to live? you are not welcome! bleep. get in the car and bleep off. bleep. he cut short his visit. and the prime minister gave his reaction to that reception. i know people are feeling very raw. you've been welcomed in many parts but you've been not so welcome here at the showground. some people feel you've let them down. well, i'm not surprised people are feeling very raw at the moment and that's why i came today, to be here, to see for myself, to offer what comfort i could but you can't always in every circumstance, everybody understands that. i appreciate the welcome i've received,

wet in 20 weather arriving on thursday, those weather fronts wales. wet in 20 weather arriving on thursday, those weatherfronts move away on friday, leaving behind some showers, and then something we have not had for a while, one of these, a big area of high pressure arriving just in time for the weekend. the weather will quiet down, winds dropping, lots of dry weather turning colder. thank you, darren. a reminder of our top story... borisjohnson says the international iran nuclear agreement could be replaced by a deal negotiated by donald trump that's all from the bbc news at one — so it's goodbye from me, and on bbc one we nowjoin the bbc‘s news teams where you are. good afternoon. here's the latest sports news. i'm hugh ferris. a tennis player says she was really scared that she would collapse on court in the poor air quality caused by the wildfires in australia. dalila jakupovic was forced to retire, while also in melbourne an exhibition match involving maria sharapova was abandoned. jakupovic was involved in qualifying for the australian open

jonathan head new south wales, thank you. —— jonathan head new south wales, thank you. aid workers are warning of a potential catastrophe in syria as food aid to millions of syrians could stop in the next week. un authorisation for shipping humanitarian goods across the border from neighboring countries will expire because russia and china have blocked a resolution to extend it. barbara plett—usher reports. cheering she's alive! nine—year—old fatima is pulled free from the ruin of her home, but her 11—year—old sister, islam, is still trapped. rescue workers try to free her leg. another explosion sends them ducking for cover. finally, both girls are safe, but their mother died in the attack. bombs are still falling in syria's civil war. micro regime forces backed by russia are pounding the last stronghold of the armed opposition. they insist they are targeting islamist extremists but these are the people in the crossfire. tens of thousands are on the move again. for some, this is the move again. for some, this is the fifth, even 10th, time on the road. and if t

the mass exodus from southern new south wales is under way. the authorities are urging tourists and residents to leave while they can. it has been slow going and the evacuation has been hampered by a lack of fuel but not everyone wants to go. mum wants to stay but... i don't know. seeing just all the locals, i can see they're all nervous and anxious. everyone isjust on edge. looking at the queues here, it would be a long, long trip. we actually think we'd be better off staying here. our motorhome is parked by the water. if anything does happen, we can just go down to the water. we were here on new year's eve — that was really, really bad. the fires have become political. the australian prime minister scott morrison has said climate change was one of many factors fuelling the blazes. he's rejected international criticism that his government, which is an ardent supporter of the nation's large coal industry, is not taking global warming seriously. the emissions reduction policy will protect the environment and reduce the risks and hazards we se

very mild across central southern england and wales, but turning much colder further north. there's still some strong winds across scotland as we go into wednesday, keeping an eye on this system here, pushing some rain into south—west england later in the day on wednesday. but most of us will see some sunshine around on wednesday. legacy of cloud clearing from southern england through wednesday morning, wintry showers piling into scotland, and then through wednesday afternoon we start to see cloud and rain starting to nudge into wales and south—west england. still in some fairly mild air across central southern england and into wales, double figures here, but much colder further north again with those wintry showers across scotland. thursday is a very messy day, most of us will see some spells of rain, still some wintry showers across scotland. that will ease away and briefly on friday, this ridge of high pressure building, bringing quieter, drier days. so for the end of the week, further rain, particularly on thursday, the winds easing, then drier and colder on friday.

until then, wales, the duke of cambridge and all relevant parties. untilthen, please accept our deepest thanks for your continued support." dickie arbiter, he is still with us. this statement comes off the back of the duke and duchess of sussex having had a six—week break, which yesterday they said they have returned to the uk feeling energised. what do you make of the timing of this announcement? it is almost as if it is preordained. they have been away for six weeks, they have obviously discussed this. they have came back refreshed and to test the waters, what sort of reaction would be from the media. it was a very spontaneous reaction from people waiting outside, the photographers, the television crews. they probably felt that their ground is good at that moment so perhaps now is a bright time to make this announcement. they've obviously thought about it. they've obviously thought about it. they have obviously discussed it and discussed it with family members while they were away. probably not in person, but certainly at the very least over the

australia's new south wales fire service warns people to leave the coast while they can. bushfires have killed eight and destroyed hundreds of homes since monday. israel's prime minister, benjamin netanyahu, seeks immunity from prosecution over charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. i'm nuala mcgovern in london, also in the programme. hong kong police make 400 arrests, as anti—government protests and violence spill into a new year. all this started, more than six months ago, few could have imagined it would last this long. today, very few ca n it would last this long. today, very few can imagine how this is all going to end. and challenging stereotypes in singapore. we meet the working women rewriting the rules. good morning. it's 8am in singapore, midnight in london and ham in south—eastern australia where the fire service in new south wales has warned people to leave the south coast if they don't need to be there, ahead of possibly more ferocious fires that are forecast on saturday. the bushfires in that part of the country have now killed at least eight peo

the mass exodus from southern new south wales is under way. the authorities are urging tourists and residents to leave while they can. it has been slow going and the evacuation has been hampered by a lack of fuel but not everyone wants to go. mum wants to stay but... i don't know. seeing just all the locals, i can see they're all nervous and anxious. everyone isjust on edge. looking at the queues here, it would be a long, long trip. we actually think we'd be better off staying here. our motorhome is parked by the water. if anything does happen, we can just go down to the water. we were here on new year's eve — that was really, really bad. the fires have become political. the australian prime minister scott morrison has said climate change was one of many factors fuelling the blazes. he's rejected international criticism that his government, which is an ardent supporter of the nation's large coal industry, is not taking global warming seriously. more hot, dry and windy conditions are forecast for south—eastern the emissions reduction will p

there are people in the southern parts of new south wales who don't wa nt to parts of new south wales who don't want to leave but have heard in the last couple of hours of fire authorities are extending this evacuation zone to go further inland to ta ke evacuation zone to go further inland to take on more mountainous areas and also national park as well. and we also hear that from friday a state of emergency will be imposed across new south wales for seven days. that gives the authorities, fire authorities additional powers to cope with what they expect to be more ferocious conditions. and it's ha rd to more ferocious conditions. and it's hard to comprehend when we not there. just how tough these conditions are for the fire services, for those who are facing the threat of the fire. took us through the pressure on the government, the prime minister scott morrison, as he tries to handle this situation. i think this pressure on the federal government, on the said government, and the fire authorities to the firefighting effort in so many instances has been truly erotic, that emergency lin

the nhs in wales is run by labour. public spending per head here is higher than in england, lower than in scotland, but the waiting times are worse than either. so why? wales does have a significantly older population than the other home countries. it also has had a bit of a culture of perhaps not such rigorous performance management of these targets. they're really a big focus of attention in the english nhs, and that's not really been the case in wales. the welsh labour government says it will inject more cash into hospitals to get through winter. it stands accused of allowing staff and patients to suffer. hywel griffith, bbc news, the royal gwent hospital. she's widely considered one of the best and most prolific strikers in the world now sam kerr is proving it on the european club stage. the australian captain signed on with chelsea over the new year and grabbed herfirst goal for the blues on sunday. jo currie has been speaking to her. the globalstar bringing an australian brand of football to england. kerr opens u

as low as —60 —74 rural parts of england and wales. compared to 8—9 for the north of scotland. a lengthy dry spell for many, this frontal system and using the cloud and some patchy rain into the cloud and some patchy rain into the far north and west of scotland later on monday. scotland and northern ireland, again cloudy and breezy, that bog slow to clear across parts of england and wales. there will be some spells of sunshine, probably not much we saw today. it could be quite cold where the fog lingers. hello, this is bbc news. the headlines: the queen attends church near sandringham after reaching an agreement with prince harry and meghan over their future. at a agreement with prince harry and meghan over theirfuture. at a libya peace summit, world leaders have agreed to uphold... the prime minister says he will raise the driving habits of military personnel with democratic footage emerged of another car being driven on the wrong side of the road close to where harry dunn died. china is banning plastic bags in its main cities in supermarkets and single use stores in restauran

much of england and wales dry. showers getting going across scotla nd showers getting going across scotland and northern ireland to finish the day and take us into tonight. some of those could be on the heavy side, can't rule out the odd rumble of thunder, but temperatures holding up. i'll start for the weekend with temperatures 6— 10 degrees as we start saturday morning. showers in the far north of england, much of england and wales dry and bright before we see some rain spread erratically across those southernmost counties. scotland and northern ireland, a different day tomorrow. much more cloud and more in the way of showers at times. some sunshine and cooling around in the far north later. for most of you, when the sun is out, it should feel quite lessened. temperatures still into double figures, not quite as high as those of today. in northern scotland, the winds falling late into saturday night. we could see a frost, frost free further south because more cloud and more rain starting to push its way and as w

very mild across central southern england and wales, but turning much colder further north. there's still some strong winds across scotland as we go into wednesday, keeping an eye on this system here, pushing some rain into south—west england later in the day on wednesday. but most of us will see some sunshine around on wednesday. legacy of cloud clearing from southern england through wednesday morning, wintry showers piling into scotland, and then through wednesday afternoon we start to see cloud and rain starting to nudge into wales and south—west england. still in some fairly mild air across central southern england and into wales, double figures here, but much colder further north again with those wintry showers across scotland. thursday is a very messy day, most of us will see some spells of rain, still some wintry showers across scotland. that will ease away and briefly on friday, this ridge of high pressure building, bringing quieter, drier days. so for the end of the week, further rain, particularly on thursday, the winds easing, then drier and colder on friday.

you can see new south wales is taking the brunt of this. there was arief respite over the weekend, lig city rain well received in sydney. theering] ros: i'm afrai hot, dry weather is due to return and the prime minister warns that the emergency could last months. here a some of the latest pictures we have. extraordinary, from a militg plane tryo land in victoria amid a haze of bush fire smoke. the military is involved in evacuation efforts. we have aerial pictures shong th devastation to one community in new south wales. there are terrible environmental consequences of what's happening, too. kualas get theirat intake from leaves and are gettingat hp he moment. this is home to several threatened species, with the fear that several coulde wiped out. next, let's focusn the coastal town of eden in the far southeast of new south wales. many residents have had to evacuate. reporter: iedem north became a makeshift evacuation center this weekend. people sheltering in boats and cars andome in the open air. we have a lull in the weather now. haveratu

earlier, he was heckled in cobargo in new south wales. two people died there this week, many homes have been lost. here, the guardian compares its main street before and after the fires. and its residents wanted to talk to the prime minister. you're out, son! you are out! beep. bye! beep. what about the people who have nowhere to live! here he was meeting another angry resident who wanted to talk about more support for the rural fire service. how are you? i'm only shaking your hand if you give more funding to our fire service. so many people have lost their homes. we need more help! so, there's the prime minister walking away as one resident says they need more help. he then encountered a firefighter who was equally unenthused at the idea of shaking his hand. all right, how are you? after those encounters, scott morrison said he's "not surprised people are feeling very raw". this crisis bringing incredible pressure on many australians. these are some of the latest pictures. this is victoria. you can see the scale of the fires. the volume

well that was 5 victims in the village of cobol go in at the south east of new south wales confronting australian prime minister there scott morrison tearing his visit there on thursday 2 people are reported dead in the village whose historic sent a bone to the ground on new year's eve this is how the prime minister responded to the residents and. i understand the very strong feelings people have that i've lost everything and there's still you know some very dangerous days ahead we understand that that's what we're going to do everything we can to ensure that i have every every support but by removing. now the response and i was not an isolated incident a firestorm of anger is raging across the country with many. citizens fed up with what they say is a lack of leadership from the australian government. many here in the studio with more call we just saw that much of that anger was directed at the australian prime minister scott morrison that yeah that's right i mean and much of this really comes from missteps on his part of and you probably remember just a couple of weeks ago morrison w

gales spreading across england and wales. in western areas, gusting up and wales. in western areas, gusting up to 60 mph with a little bit of respite for northern england and northern ireland, but we're still talking about some strong gusts of the north—west scotland. more wintry, as the rain bumped its way north into the colder air sitting across scotland. quite a big disparity in temperatures tomorrow. a chilly day for scotland, highs in the lower end of single figures, and up the lower end of single figures, and up to 15 in the lower end of single figures, and up to 15ina the lower end of single figures, and up to 15 in a wet and windy england and wales. a reminder of our top story. after holding talks at sandringham the queen says she would have preferred prince harry and meghan to remain full—term members of the royal family but she fully supports their wish for an independent life. that's all from the bbc news at, so it's goodbye from me, and on bbc one we nowjoin the bbc‘s news teams where you are. hello this is bbc news. the headlines. the queen says

i'm lucy hockings, live in wandandian in new south wales, where firefighters are in a race against time with hot, windy weather forecast for later in the week. i'm kasia madera in london. also in the programme: an indonesian man, declared the worst serial rapist in british criminal history has been jailed for a minimum of 30 years. disgraced movie producer harvey weinstein faces charges of rape and sexual assault, and notjust in new york. good morning. it's 8am in singapore, midnight in london and 7pm in washington, where the trump administration has been forced to deny it plans to pull us troops out of iraq, as demanded by the baghdad parliament. it follows the emergence of a leaked letter that the us defence secretary has called "misleading." all this, prompted by the us killing of an iranian general in iraq. the funeral of qasem soleimani in tehran has attracted huge crowds, thought to be in the millions. our middle east editorjeremy bowen reports from baghdad. tehran‘s broad avenues were jammed with mourners, estimated in millions. not all iranians are this distressed about the de

there is a really strong sense here in new south wales, eve ryo ne sense here in new south wales, everyone in australia wants to do something to help. there is a sense of despair amongst many people, a sense of helplessness, so everyone is doing what they can to help those affected and, of course, the firefighters who are really seen as heroes here. some of them haven't had a day off for weeks, fighting fires. there are more than 150 still burning in new south wales and we are watching these two big fires in victoria that people worry willjoin together to form one giant laser. this stay with us on bbc news from all the latest in australia on the bushfire crisis. hello. roadside —— sky for some on sunday night but not a huge amount of delight for the savadori did the rest of us for the next few days. quite a turbulence well with the potential for disruption from not just heavy rain but gales or severe gales, particularly to the north and west. it will bring with it some mild conditions before things turn chilly out later in the week. first comes from this area of low pressure from icela

actually, much of england and wales and the east of scotla nd of england and wales and the east of scotland it will be a dry day was sunny spells on sunday and a pleasa nt sunny spells on sunday and a pleasant day to look forward to a temperatures more widely back into double figures. then as we go into next week, quick heads up about. we will see a strengthening jet stream overhead in the north atlantic. that's going to fire up ever deepening areas of low pressure to the north—west of us. it will bring in strong winds across the country. next week you can expect gales if not severe gales across the far north. they will be weather fronts pushing through, bringing rain at times. brighter and drier the further east you are, but compared to today it will be much milder as well. you started on the beach and i think thatis you started on the beach and i think that is a bit of rain in the background with some giant, grey clouds. a bit of a wet feeling sums it upfor clouds. a bit of a wet feeling sums it up for the next few days, i think. let's take a look at today's papers. the times splashes w

we've seen over 4 million hectares of land burnt now, which is larger than wales, the size of wales. it really is incredible scene down standing here in these communities that are really hurting. well a little earlier i spoke to anne clark who has been forced to evacuate from her farm with her family. i asked her to explain what made her and herfamily decide to flee. we are literally evacuating now where our farm we are literally evacuating now where ourfarm is. yesterday we are literally evacuating now where our farm is. yesterday we could not do that. we had an emergency warning coming from the rural fire service early in the morning and we could evacuate so we are near the beach and we packed our bags and got ready to go to the beach, basically. but it was genuinely terrifying. the date never happened yesterday, there was no don, it was red and smoky and we did not know what was going to happen. it was very scary. do you have any news on the situation at your farm? a southerly wind has come through so we we re a southerly wind has come through so we were safe at the farm yesterday

program a struggling authorities have declared emergencies and ordered mass evacuations in new south wales and victoria the states hit hardest by some of the worst wildfires on record the evacuation order is likely to last for days as for cost as warn that high temperatures and strong winds are expected to return this weekend i think people have died in the crisis and thousands of homes have been destroyed. this is what firefighters in australia have been dealing with for months in some cases. and this is an example of the aftermath the town of moloch or what was the town a blaze tore through here on new year's eve. since then thousands have been awaiting rescue relief anything the plan is for the navy to use ships and helicopters to bring them to melbourne about a 17 hour journey by water. and destruction devastation and this is just one of so many towns in the southeastern states of new south wales and victoria that have felt the fury of the latest wave of bushfires. side anybody die and. demise now had time to. just get it. people have died but a final count hasn't been tallied yet some

the bbc‘s phil mercer reports from kangaroo valley in new south wales. tourism has been badly affected by the bushfire crisis. this is kangaroo valley, with its famous bridge, about two hours to the south of sydney. now this is a place that this time of the year that should be full of visitors, but it's not because people are staying away because of the fires. and this is the story that's been repeated in many other parts of the country. everyone's devastated, you know. their livelihoods are at risk at the moment and people are being laid off and, you know, people are closing their businesses. we have heard of one today that's had to close because they can't afford to pay their rent. yeah, so it's pretty devastating and we are trying to scramble to get help from the government, welfare, and whatever we can, but that's proving very difficult and a long process and frustrating for people. you know, people coming in in tears and it's been devastating. the trade minister simon birmingham says the bushfires have inflicted enormous damage on australia's intern

in a stretch have declared emergencies and ordered mass evacuations in new south wales and victoria the states hit hardest by some of the worst wildfires on record the evacuation orders lockley to last for days as the focused as warned that high temperatures and strong winds are expected to return this weekend i think people have died in the in the crisis and thousands of homes have been destroyed. this is what firefighters in australia have been dealing with for months in some cases and this is an example of the aftermath the town of moloch or what was the town a blaze tore through here on new year's eve. since then thousands have been awaiting rescue relief anything the plan is for the navy to use ships and helicopters to bring them to melbourne about a 17 hour journey by water. and destruction devastation and this is just one of so many talents in the southeastern states of new south wales and victoria that have felt the fury of the latest wave of bushfires. side anybody died. in my eyes and i had parents just get it. people have died but a final count hasn't been tallied yet some ar

program a struggling authorities have declared emergencies and ordered mass evacuations in new south wales and victoria the states hardest hit by some of the worst wildfires on record the evacuation orders likely to last for days as forecast as one that high temperatures and strong winds are expected to return this weekend i think people have died in the crisis and thousands of homes have been destroyed. this is what firefighters in australia have been dealing with for months in some. cases and this is an example of the aftermath the town of moloch or what was the town a blaze tore through here on new year's eve. since then thousands have been awaiting rescue relief anything the plan is for the navy to use ships and helicopters to bring them to melbourne about a 17 hour journey by water. and destruction devastation and this is just one of so many talents in the southeastern states of new south wales and victoria that have felt the fury of the latest wave of bushfires. side anybody diet's. demise now have talents. people have died but a final count hasn't been tallied yet some are still lis

the headlines: australia's new south wales fire service warns people to leave the coast while they can. bushfires have killed eight, and destroyed over 1,000 homes since monday. israel's prime minister, benjamin netanyahu, seeks immunity from prosecution over charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. i'm nuala mcgovern, in london. also on the programme: hong kong police make 400 arrests, as anti—government protests and violence spill into a new year. all this started more than six months ago. few could have imagined it would last this long. today, very few can imagine how this is all going to end. good afternoon, i am your butler. and challenging stereotypes in singapore — we meet the working women rewriting the rules. live from our studios in singapore and london, this is bbc world news — it's newsday. it's 9am in singapore, 1am in london, and 12pm in south—eastern australia, where the fire service in new south wales has warned people to leave the south coast if they don't need to be there, ahead of possibly more ferocious fires that are forecast on saturday. the bushfire

there are many fires burning here and new south wales. the authorities are using cooler, calmer conditions to try to get the upper hand on some of these places, and in parts of the fire zone, we have seen it rain, so that has been a bit of a help and a hindrance. it has been a psychological boost to communities and has started to dampen the ground but that wet ground is affecting what they are calling backburning. these are controlled fires that are burned into the main fire front, so if the ground is wet it is harder to light those controlled fires. 0n friday we are expecting those conditions to heat up but today is another sad and poignant day in australia's bushfire crisis, we are seeing the funeral of one of those firefighters who were killed in december. he is one of 25 people who have died in the process so far. andrew 0'dwyer being mourned by his family and his friends after being killed when a tree had his fire engine. two firefighters died in that accident and it does illustrate the dangers that those volunteers do face fighting

in the last 20 years, wales has received billions in european economic aid. it's proved a lifeline for places like port talbot, helping to pay for everything from bypasses to business units, and yet some areas here remain among the most deprived in western europe. which helps explain why a majority of people here voted to cut loose from the eu. the boss of this company in swansea believes it's time to stop decades of dependency. it will get rid of a lot of dead wood and a lot of unnecessary... dare i say kind ofjobsworthy kind of projects. i think it's going to refresh the system, reboot it. if brexit is all about striking new deals, this team hopes there will be a way to secure new funding... good fire! ..and not face being left out in the cold. hywel griffith, bbc news, port talbot. 0ur ireland correspondent emma vardy joins us from the irish border. that border was once the source of so much tension during the brexit negotiations, what does this moment now mean for northern ireland? well, at 11pm this becomes the new frontier between the uk and the eu. for

mark easton, bbc news, south wales. the areas of australia worst hit by bushfires are now at risk of flash flooding and power cuts as a result of rainstorms. in the state of victoria, many fires have been put out by the storms but giant hailstones have also damaged property. john donnison reports. in a year of extreme weather, for australians, it doesn't just rain, it pours. hailstones the size of golf balls in the state of victoria. so intense, it shattered ruth. so intense, it shattered roofs. and all this in the middle of summer, as large parts of the country continue to burn. in melbourne, battered by high winds, few can remember such a dramatic shift in weather. such a freak storm. i was watching television, i went into the bedroom and i just looked out the window and the gumtree, which is two stories high, just disappeared. it was a white out at this birthday party, abandoned as people huddled for shelter. and this is a cricket pitch. no chance of a resumption in play any time soon, with more rain and hailforecast

the authorities say that and new south wales more than 100 buyers continue to burn and more than half of those are uncontained. the danger period for the people of new south wales will come in the next couple of hours stopping the authorities say hot gusty conditions will conspire to whip up those fires in the state of victoria, we are already hearing reports that certain communities are having to be evacuated by helicopter, so certainly another dangerous day for not only residents but of course firefighters on the frontline. and what about the political fallout from all of this, phil? climate change, how much it is responsible for all this, what might be done about it, is dividing australia almost as brexit is dividing that uk? it is a very polarising issue, scott morrison wouldn't classify himself as a climate change sceptic but there are some of those in his cabinet and they do have influential voices. the australian prime minister saying that in his opinion, australia's energy and climate policies are both adequate and responsible. we are expecting a couple of climate change ralli

fill in at nowra in new south wales. thank you. still to come on the bbc, lots more on the bushfires are also going to have a little bit more on the royal family and going to have a little bit more on the royalfamily and mental health stop see you soon. the japanese people are in mourning following the death of emperor hirohito. thousands converged on the imperial palace to pay their respects when it was announced he was dead. good grief! after half a century of delighting fans around the world, charlie brown and the rest of the gang are calling it quits. the singer paul simon starts his tour of south africa tomorrow in spite of protests and violence from some black activist groups. they say international artists should continue to boycott south africa until majority rule is established. teams were trying to scoop up lumps of oil, as france recognises it faces an ecological crisis. three weeks ago, the authorities confidently assured these areas that oil from the broken tanker erika would head out to sea. it didn't. the world's tal

clive myrie has been surveying the damage in southeastern new south wales. is this australia's future? the new normal? bushfires have come and gone here for centuries. but nothing as intense as this. walls of heat and fire, 10, 20, 30, a0 kilometres wide. inconceivable. so you could be out here at night and little feathertailed gliders would come down the trees and look at you. used to wake up every morning to hundreds of birds, big birds, little birds, birds on the ground, birds up the trees and there's nothing any more. samantha calls this state forest home, living among the wallabies and kangaroos. and unfortunately it almost seems like an extinction event, because there haven't been any dead bodies, any injured animals. anything living was incinerated. some now believe these fires may be a turning point for australia. its people forced to confront mortality on several fronts. this is a game changer. people are seeing the tangible effects of a drier climate. a majority of australians now rank climate change as the top threat to australia's vital interests

bush has risen to 12 after 2 people were killed protecting the home in the state of new south wales in victoria 4 people are missing more than 200 fires and are burning across australia southeast threatening several towns reports. of choking on smoke with a hose to protect to. face destroyed. head on with a father sure they fought for 5 hours saving their house cars and garden in rural victoria. the professionals is struggling to. thousands of firefighters are battling to contain the wildfires scorching the states of victoria and new south wales an area home to more 1000000 people was once the front hit the wind just picked up a name just took off and that was the everything they just went wolf is going to come. and the conditions they'll draw everywhere. international help is arriving by this weekend the u.s. will have seems nearly 100 firefighters canada has sent more than 60 military is using planes and helicopters to douse flames or preparing for possible back to ations. on the ground police are trying to keep people out of fire zones areas that change suddenly with the wind. west