rupert wingfield—hayes reports. from high up in space, where the satellites caught the moment the huge underwater volcano let loose, sending a cloud of ash and rock 20 kilometres high and at least 500 kilometres wide. that's an ash cloud that could stretch from london to edinburgh. somewhere beneath it is the tiny island kingdom of tonga. the first thing to hit the island was the shock wave. then came the rushing waters of a tsunami, smashing into sea walls and flooding what here appears to be a church. next, day turned to night as the ash begun to fall. these pictures are reportedly from saturday afternoon as people were trying to flee from the coast. in new zealand, prime minister jacinda ardern said communication with tonga remains difficult. shops along the coast have been damaged and the significant clean—up will be needed. the island is covered in thick film of volcanic dust, but otherwise conditions are calm and stable. the hunga tonga—hunga ha'apai volcano has been active since mid—december, but saturd

our correspondent rupert wingfield-hayes has been following the story. rupert: these pictures of the former tonga are from last friday. this was just a foretaste of what was to come a day later, and eruption many times larger. this is the volcano poking above the ocean's surface last week, and today, it is completely gone. it has been confirmed the huge eruption severed the main cable linking tonga to the outside world. new zealand dispatched aircraft to try to find out what is going on a. >> some of those islands are reporting that they have not had loss of life, but it is secondhand and early days. rupert: this british woman angela glover was killed by a tsunami that hit the island sunday. she moved to tonga to open an animal shelter. she died trying to rescue her dogs. >> the uglier the dog, the more she loved it. her initial call to tonga was to swim with whales, which she did. a beautiful girl. she's irreplaceable. rupert: offers from new zealand and australia to help tonga are being complicated by covid. the island nation is currently covid free an

our correspondent rupert wingfield-hayes has been following the story. rupert: these pictures of the former tonga are from last friday. this was just foretaste of what was to come a day later, and eruption many times larger. this is the volcano poking above the ocean's surface last week, and today, it is completely gone. it has been confirmed the huge eruption severed the main cable linking tonga to the outside world. new zealand dispatched aircraft to try to find out what is going on a. >> some of those islands are reporting that they have not had loss of life, but it is secondhand and early days. rupert: this british woman angela glover was killed by a tsunami that hit the island sunday. she moved to tonga to open an animal shelter. she died trying to rescue her dogs. >> the uglier the dog, the more she loved it. her initial call to tonga was to swim with whales, which she did. a beautiful girl. she's irreplaceable. rupert: offers from new zealand and australia to help tonga are being complited by covid. the island nation is currently covid free and wa

rupert wingfield-hayes, bbc news, and tokyo. -- in tokyo. nada: joining me now for more as ever have denmark. he formerly served as a deputy assistant secretary. he is now vice president of programs at the wilson center here in waington. i want to start on that endpoint in the report. do you think this is the start of north korea manufacturing a crisis to push for talks? >> it seems that they are beginning a new cycle of escalation. the goal though is always that they may be looking to enhance their negotiation. they may be trying to influence their own domestic politics as the north korean economy has been in very difficult shape. but also, south korea has a presidential election coming up in march. it may be an attempt to influence that. there are a lot of different factors that go into this. really, there is a lot of uncertainty with kim jong-un at any moment. nada: if you are the administration, certainly biden has departed from trump stylistically, but the u.s. has be relying on sanctions. is there another approach that would be more ef

rupert wingfield-hayes, bbc news, and tokyo. -- in tokyo. nada: joining me now for more as ever have denmark. he formerly served as a deputy assistant secretary. he is now vice president of programs at the wilson center here in ington. i want to start on that endpoint in the report. do you think this is the start of north korea manufacturing a crisis to push for talks? >> it seems that they are beginning a new cycle of escalation. the goal though is always that they may be looking to enhance their negotiation. they may be trying to influence their own domestic politics as the north korean economy has been in very difficult shape. but also, south korea has a presidential election coming up in march. it may be an attempt to influence that. there are a lot of different factors thato into this. really, there is a lot of uncertainty with kim jong-un at any moment. nada: if you are the administration, certainly biden has departed from trump stylistically, but the u.s. has be relying on sanctions. is there another approach that would be more effect

rupert wingfield—hayes reports. for the first time since last saturday's huge eruption, we're finally getting to see what has happened to tonga's main island. along the coast, the damage from the tsunami looks extensive, with many buildings destroyed. in tonga's capital, nuku'alofa, there's a lot of volcanic ash, but the buildings are intact and the clean—up has begun. telephone services are also back, and that means for tongans living abroad, the agonising wait for news is finally over. it's a relief to finally hear their voices and to finally know how they are back home. my dad had told me that they're fine, no major damages to our homes. so, at the moment, i've got family over in the outer islands of ha'apai. i have heard from them, and they're doing 0k. who i haven't heard from is my father. i'm sure he's out there working hard, doing what he does. we've also learned of a remarkable survival story. this man says he was swept off a small island by the tsunami and was in the water for more than 2a hours before m

rupert wingfield—hayes, bbc news, tokyo. the end of the pandemic is in sight for the uk according to a senior envoy for the world health organization. david nabarro told the bbc that there was light at the end of the tunnel but that there would still be bumps along the way. his comments came as the latest government figures showed another drop in cases with almost 84,500 new infections reported in the latest 24—hour period — substantially lower than a week ago. it means the average number of new cases per day is nowjust over 100,000. more than 19,000 people are in hospital with covid. another 85 deaths were reported — that's of people who died within 28 days of a positive test. this figure is usually lower on a monday. on average in the past week, there were 264 deaths per day. on vaccinations, over 36.4 million people have had a boosterjab — that's 63.4% of those aged 12 and over. much more work is needed to protect all parts of the uk from the impact of climate change. a new assessment of the risks concludes that e

rupert wingfield—hayes, bbc news, tokyo. cities around the world have been commemorating holocaust memorial day. survivors from the nazi concentration camp at auschwitz returned there to mark the anniversary of its liberation by soviet forces in 19115. three women spoke about being on the first train transporting jews to auschwitz from slovakia. during the second world war, the nazis murdered more than1 million people, most of them jewish, at the auschwitz camp in occupied poland. the national governments of europe have also been marking the day too. in austria, which was occupied by the nazis throughout the second world war, israeli foreign minister and alternate prime minister yarr lapeed commemorated the victims of concentration camps. and in poland's capital warsaw, a wreath—laying ceremony was held at a monument commemorating the 1943 uprising in the warsaw ghetto. in the uk different artists have painted the portraits of some of britain's last remaining holocaust survivors. the project was commissioned by prince char

rupert wingfield hayes reports. for the first time since last saturday's huge eruption, we're finally getting to see what has happened to tonga's main island. along the coast, the damage from the tsunami looks extensive, with many buildings destroyed. in tonga's capital, nuku'alofa, there's a lot of volcanic ash, but the buildings are intact and the clean—up has begun. telephone services are also back, and that means for tongans living abroad, the agonising wait for news is finally over. it's a relief to finally hear their voices and to finally know how they are back home. my dad had told me that they're fine, no major damages to our homes. so, at the moment, i've got family over in the outer islands of ha'apai. i have heard from them, and they're doing 0k. who i haven't heard from is my father. i'm sure he's out there working hard, doing what he does. we've also learned of a remarkable survival story. this man says he was swept off a small island by the tsunami and was in the water for more than 2a hours before m

rupert wingfield—hayes, bbc news, tokyo. i'm joined now by katie greenwood, she heads the international red cross's pacific delegation, and joins us from suva in fiji. ican imagine i can imagine this is very difficult and busy time for your organisation. in the first instance, are you getting any news from tonga? where the pa rt part of the latest thing you're hearing? irate part of the latest thing you're hearin: ? ~ . ., hearing? we are getting more news which — hearing? we are getting more news which is _ hearing? we are getting more news which is fantastic - hearing? we are getting more. news which is fantastic because we have been cut off as your news broadcast is been saying. we have not been able to have contact with our red cross teams on the ground since saturday afternoon, just after the initial blast. and this nominee happening with authorities moving people to higher ground and since then, we have been cut off. and with support of the british high commission, we are able to relay a series of message to our offi

rupert wingfield—hayes, bbc news, tokyo. cities around the world have been commemorating holocaust memorial day. survivors from the nazi concentration camp at auschwitz returned there to mark the anniversary of its liberation by soviet forces in 1916. three women spoke about being on the first train transporting jews to auschwitz from slovakia. during the second world war, the nazis murdered more thani million people, most of them jewish, at the auschwitz camp in occupied poland. the national governments of europe have also been marking the day, too. in austria, which was occupied by the nazis throughout the second world war, israeli foreign minister and alternate prime minister yarr lapeed, commemorated the victims of concentration camps. and in poland's capital, warsaw, a wreath—laying ceremony was held at a monument commemorating the 1943 uprising in the warsaw ghetto. here in the uk, different artists have painted the portraits of some of britain's last remaining holocaust survivors. the project was commissioned by pri

rupert wingfield—hayes, bbc news, tokyo. well, earlier, ispoke tojoanne mataele who has been doing all she can to reach herfamily in tonga following the eruption. these are very anxious times indeed. she is in melbourne. i haven't been able to reach my family since 630 tonga time when the blackout happened. i have faith that they are well and saved. have faith that they are well and saved-— have faith that they are well and saved. ~ , . ., ., and saved. we share that faith with ou and saved. we share that faith with you and — and saved. we share that faith with you and hope _ and saved. we share that faith with you and hope that - and saved. we share that faith with you and hope that is - and saved. we share that faith with you and hope that is the l with you and hope that is the case. are you able to do anything? we hear about the underwater communications cable, the main communications link has gone for now. is there anything you can do or you just had to sit tight and wait and hope? it had to sit tight and wait and ho

rupert wingfield—hayes, bbc news, tokyo. it all boils down to a huge amount of anxiety for a very large number of people. well, earlier i spoke to joanne mataele who has been doing all she can to reach herfamily in tonga following the eruption. she is in melbourne. 1 she is in melbourne. i am re she is in melbourne. i am pretty sure. _ she is in melbourne. i am pretty sure. i _ she is in melbourne. i am pretty sure, i have - she is in melbourne. i am pretty sure, i have faith l she is in melbourne. i am| pretty sure, i have faith in our good lord that they are well and safe. we would share that faith with you and we really do hope that is the case. can i ask you, are you able to do anything? we are hearing about the underwater communications cable, the main sort of communications link is gone for now. is there anything you can do? or are you just having to sit tight and wait at home? unfortunately, at this point in time, ijust have to wait and sit tight, but i do know of some people who have been in contact with their family

rupert wingfield—hayes, bbc news, tokyo. katie greenwood heads the international red cross�*s pacific delegation. i spok to her from suva in fiji. we have not been able to have contact with our red cross teams on the ground since saturday afternoon, just after the initial blast. and right as the tsunami warning was happening with authorities moving people to higher ground and since then, we have been cut off. and with support of the british high commission, we were able to relay a series of message to our office and we will plan a sattelite phone call for a couple of hours from now to get more updates. we are fortunate that the surveillance flights have been able to give more satellite imagery of her getting more news coming in on some satellite calls and from inter agencies that are sharing information. from that, we know thank goodness that the damage doesn't seem to have been as catastrophic as we had first thought it might be. but there is still widespread damage, particularly to the western part of the main island and

rupert wingfield—hayes reports. for the first time since last saturday's huge eruption, we're finally getting to see what has happened to tonga's main island. along the coast, the damage from the tsunami looks extensive, with many buildings destroyed. in tonga's capital, nuku'alofa, there's a lot of volcanic ash, but the buildings are intact and the clean—up has begun. telephone services are also back, and that means for tongans living abroad, the agonising wait for news is finally over. it's a relief to finally hear their voices and to finally know how they are back home. my dad had told me that, you know, they're fine, no major damages to our homes. so, at the moment, i've got family over in the outer islands of ha'apai. i have heard from them and they're doing 0k. who i haven't heard from is my father. i'm sure he's out there working hard, doing what he does. we've also learned of a remarkable survival story. this man says he was swept off a small island by the tsunami and was in the water for more than 2a hour

our correspondent rupert wingfield—hayes has the latest. these pictures of the hunga tonga—hunga ha'apai volcano erupting are from last friday. this is just a foretaste of what was to come a day later — an eruption many, many times larger. this is the volcano poking above the ocean's surface last week. and today, it's completely gone. it has now been confirmed the huge eruption severed the main cable linking tonga to the outside world. this morning, new zealand dispatched aircraft to try and find out what is going on. some of those islands are reporting that they haven't had loss of life but i would reiterate that is second—hand and it's early days. this evening we learned this british woman, angela glover, was killed by the tsunami that hit the island on saturday. she had moved to tonga in 2015 to open an animal shelter. she died trying to rescue her dogs. the strange thing was, the uglier the dog, the more she loved it. her initial call to go to tonga was to swim with whales, which she did, and yeah. beautiful girl, she is irreplace

rupert wingfield—hayes, bbc news, tokyo. cities around the world have been commemorating holocaust memorial day. survivors from the nazi concentration camp at auschwitz returned there, to mark the anniversary of its liberation by soviet forces in 1945. three women spoke about being on the first train transporting jews to auschwitz from slovakia. ——jews to auschwitz from slovakia. during the second world war, the nazis murdered more than1 million people, most of them jewish, at the auschwitz camp in occupied poland. the national governments of europe have also been marking the day too. in austria, which was occupied by the nazi's throughout the second world war, israeli foreign minister and alternate prime minister yarr lapeed, commemorated the victims of concentration camps. and in poland's capital warsaw, a wreath—laying ceremony was held at a monument commemorating the 1943 uprising in the warsaw ghetto. in the uk, different artists have painted the portraits of some of britain's last remaining holocaust survivors. t

rupert wingfield—hayes reports from tokyo. from high up in space, weather satellites caught the moment the huge underwater volcano let loose, sending a cloud of ash and rock 20 kilometres high and at least 500 kilometres wide. that's an ash cloud that could stretch from london to edinburgh, and somewhere beneath it is the tiny island kingdom of tonga. the first thing to hit the island was the shockwave. then came the rushing waters of a tsunami, smashing into seawalls and flooding what here appears to be a church. next, day turned tonight as the ash to fall. these pictures are reportedly from saturday afternoon, as people were trying to flee from the coast. in new zealand, prime ministerjacinda ardern said communication with tonga remains difficult. shops along the coast have been damaged and a significantly clean—up will be needed. nuku'alofa is covered in a thick film of volcanic dust, but otherwise, conditions are calm and stable. the hunga—tonga—hunga—ha'apai volcano has been active since mid—december. the erupti

rupert wingfield—hayes reports. from high up in space, weather satellites caught the moment the huge underwater volcano let loose, sending a cloud of ash and rock 20 kilometres high and nearly 500 kilometres wide. that's an ash cloud that could stretch from london to edinburgh. somewhere beneath it is the tiny island kingdom of tonga. the first thing to hit the island was the shock wave. then came the rushing waters of what appears to have been a — thankfully small — tsunami. in new zealand, prime minister jacinda ardern said communication with tonga remains difficult, but the situation is now calm. we need to finely balance the need to get there quickly, but to make sure we also get the people and resources they need there as well. in some cases, we have parts of tonga where we've just not been able to establish communication. the hunga tonga—hunga ha'apai volcano has been active since mid—december, but saturday's eruption was on a completely different scale. i would expect the activity to continue for a wh

here's rupert wingfield hayes. for the first time since last saturday's huge eruption, we're finally getting to see what has happened to tonga's main island. along the coast, the damage from the tsunami looks extensive, with many buildings destroyed. in tonga's capital, nuku'alofa, there's a lot of volcanic ash, but the buildings are intact and the clean—up has begun. telephone services are also back, and that means for tongans living abroad, the agonising wait for news is finally over. it's a relief to finally hear their voices and to finally know how they are back home. my dad had told me that they're fine, no major damages to our homes. so, at the moment, i've got family over in the outer islands of ha'apai. i have heard from them, and they're doing 0k. who i haven't heard from is my father. i'm sure he's out there working hard, doing what he does. we've also learned of a remarkable survival story. this man says he was swept off a small island by the tsunami and was in the water for more than 24 hours before m

rupert wingfield—hayes reports from tokyo. from high up in space, weather satellites caught the moment the huge underwater volcano let loose, sending a cloud of ash and rock 20km high and at least 500km wide — that's an ash cloud that could stretch from london to edinburgh. somewhere beneath it is the tiny island kingdom of tonga. the first thing to hit the island was the shock wave. bang. 0h, bleep! then came the rushing waters of a tsunami, smashing into seawalls and flooding what here appears to be a church. sirens wail. next, day turned to night as the ash began to fall. these pictures are reportedly from saturday afternoon as people were trying to flee from the coast. in new zealand, prime ministerjacinda ardern said communication with tonga remains difficult. shops along the coast have been damaged and a significant clean—up will be needed. nuku'alofa is covered in a thick film of volcanic dust but otherwise, conditions are calm and stable. the hunga tonga—hunga—ha'apai volcano has been active since mid—decembe

rupert wingfield—hayes, bbc news, tokyo. that analysis we have been working on ever since we started to see this record—breaking number of missile test in north korea this month. in missile test in north korea this month.— this month. in fact, six to date so — this month. in fact, six to date so far. _ it's been nearly two weeks since an undersea volcanic eruption and tsunami devastated the island nation of tonga, and since then, the international community has been scrambling to deliver aid to people on the ground. the australian and new zealand governments were some of the first to react, sending emergency supplies by sea. the uk is also helping in the relief efforts. britain's royal navy ship which is carrying aid arrived off the coast of the island on wednesday. we managed to talk to captain mike proudman from the royal navy. his ship, hms spey, is now on standby off the coast of tonga. the mission has been incredibly successful so far. we sailed at a very short notice from our previous port, having embarked a sign

rupert wingfield—hayes reports. from high up in space, weather satellites caught the moment the huge underwater volcano let loose, sending a cloud of ash and rock 20 kilometres high and at least 500 kilometres wide. that is an ash cloud that could stretch from london to edinburgh. somewhere beneath it, is the tiny island kingdom of tonga. the first thing to hit the island was the shock wave. then came the rushing waters of the tsunami, smashing into sea walls and flooding what here appears to be a church. next, day turns to night as the ash began to form. these pictures are from saturday afternoon as people were trying to flee from the coast. in new zealand, prime minister jacinda ardern said communication with tonga remains difficult, but the situation is now calm. shops along the coast have been damaged and significant clean—up will be needed. one of the islands is covered in the thick film of volcanic dust, but otherwise, conditions are calm and stable. the volcano has been active since mid—december, but satu

rupert wingfield—hayes reports from tokyo. from high up in space, weather satellites caught the moment the huge underwater volcano let loose, sending a cloud of ash and rock 20 kilometres high and at least 500 kilometres wide. that's an ash cloud that could stretch from london to edinburgh, and somewhere beneath it is the tiny island kingdom of tonga. the first thing to hit the island was the shockwave. then came the rushing waters of a tsunami, smashing into seawalls and flooding what here appears to be a church. next, day turned tonight as the ash to fall. in new zealand, prime minister jacinda ardern said communication with tonga remains difficult. shops along the coast have been damaged and a significantly clean—up will be needed. nuku'alofa is covered in a thick film of volcanic dust, but otherwise, conditions are calm and stable. in new zealand, the tsunami caused serious damage, smashing boats against each other and causing some to sink. but tonight, the main concern remains tonga. until the ash cloud clears and new z

rupert wingfield—hayes reports. for the first time since last saturday's huge eruption, we are finally getting to see what has happened to tonga's main island. along the coast, the damage from the tsunami looks extensive, with many buildings destroyed. in tonga's capital, nuku'alofa, there is a lot of volcanic ash but the buildings are intact and the clean—up has begun. telephone services are also back and that means for tongans living abroad, the agonising wait for news is finally over. my dad has told me that they are fine, no major damages to our homes. so, at the moment, i've got family over in the outer islands of ha'apai, i have heard from them and they are doing ok. who i haven't heard from is my father. i'm sure he is out there working hard, doing what he does. we've also learned of a remarkable survival story. this man says he was swept off a small island by the tsunami and was in the water for more than 24 hours before making it to land. help is now arriving. this is an australian c17 transport plane on

rupert wingfield—hayes reports. for the first time since last saturday's huge eruption, we're finally getting to see what has happened to tonga's main island. along the coast, the damage from the tsunami looks extensive, with many buildings destroyed. in tonga's capital, nuku'alofa, there's a lot of volcanic ash, but the buildings are intact and the clean—up has begun. telephone services are also back, and that means for tongans living abroad, the agonising wait for news is finally over. it's a relief to finally hear their voices and to finally know how they are back home. my dad had told me that they're fine, no major damages to our homes. so, at the moment, i've got family over in the outer islands of ha'apai. i have heard from them, and they're doing 0k. who i haven't heard from is my father. i'm sure he's out there working hard, doing what he does. we've also learned of a remarkable survival story. this man says he was swept off a small island by the tsunami and was in the water for more than 2a hours before m

rupert wingfield—hayes, bbc news, tokyo. these are very difficult times. we can now speak to joanne mataele who has been doing all she can to reach herfamily in tonga following the eruption. thank you first of all very much indeed forjoining us in what is obviously a desperately difficult time for you, and where is yourfamily? where difficult time for you, and where is your family? where are theyin where is your family? where are they in tonga? my where is your family? where are they in tonga?— they in tonga? my family are located just _ they in tonga? my family are located just near _ they in tonga? my family are located just near the - they in tonga? my family are | located just near the coastline of borders. located just near the coastline of borden-— of borders. how many people live there? — of borders. how many people live there? there _ of borders. how many people live there? there is _ of borders. how many people live there? there is about. of borders. how many people| live there? there is about five that live in — live there? there is about

rupert wingfield—hayes reports. from high up in space weather satellites caught the moment the huge underwater volcano let loose, sending a cloud of ash and rock 20 kilometres high and at least 500 kilometres wide. that is an ash cloud that could stretch from london to edinburgh. somewhere beneath it, is the tiny island kingdom of tonga. somewhere beneath it is the tiny island kingdom of tonga. the first thing to hit the island was the shock wave. then came the rushing waters of the tsunami, smashing into sea walls and flooding what here appears to be a church. next, day turns to night as the ash began to form. next, day turned to night as the ash began to fall. these pictures are from saturday afternoon as people were trying to flee from the coast. the new zealand prime minister, jacinda ardern, said communication with tonga remains difficult. shops along the coast have been damaged and significant clean—up will be needed. one of the islands is covered in the thick film of volcanic dust, but otherwise conditions

rupert wingfield—hayes reports from tokyo. from high up in space, weather satellites caught the moment the huge underwater volcano let loose, sending a cloud of ash and rock 20km high and at least 500km wide — that's an ash cloud that could stretch from london to edinburgh — and somewhere beneath it is the tiny island kingdom of tonga. the first thing to hit the island was the shock wave, (bang). (bleep). then came the rushing waters of a tsunami, smashing into seawalls and flooding what here appears to be a church. sirens wail. next, day turn to night as the ash began to fall. these pictures are reportedly from saturday afternoon as people were trying to flee from the coast. in new zealand, prime ministerjacinda ardern said communication with tonga remains difficult. shops along the coast have been damaged and a significant clean—up will be needed. shops along the coast have been damaged and a significant clean—up will be needed. nuku'alofa is covered in a thick film of volcanic dust but otherwise, conditions are calm

rupert wingfield—hayes, bbc news, tokyo. you're watching newsday on the bbc. still to come on the programme... the struggle to get aid to the people of tonga. the captain of the royal navy's hms speyjoins us to explain the difficulties they are facing. this is the moment that millions and iran have been waiting for. after his long years in exile, the first hesitant steps on a rainy and soil. the next south africa's white government has offered its black opponents concessions on unparalleled in history of the party. the leader is to be set free unconditionally.— unconditionally. three, two, one. account down _ unconditionally. three, two, one. account down to _ unconditionally. three, two, one. account down to a _ unconditionally. three, two, one. account down to a critical- unconditionally. three, two, one. i account down to a critical moment. the world's most powerful rocket ignited all 27 of the engines at once, and apart from its power commits this recycling of the racket, slashing the cost of the launch that makes this a break there in the business of sp

rupert wingfield—hayes reports from tokyo. from high up in space, weather satellites caught the moment the huge underwater volcano let loose, sending a cloud of ash and rock 20 kilometres high and at least 500 kilometres wide. that's an ash cloud that could stretch from london to edinburgh, and somewhere beneath it is the tiny island kingdom of tonga. the first thing to hit the island was the shockwave. then came the rushing waters of a tsunami, smashing into seawalls and flooding what here appears to be a church. next, day turned to night as the ash began to fall. these pictures are reportedly from saturday afternoon, as people were trying to flee from the coast. in new zealand, prime minister jacinda ardern said communication with tonga remains difficult. shops along the coast have been damaged and a significantly damaged and a significant clean—up will be needed. nuku'alofa is covered in a thick film of volcanic dust, but otherwise, conditions are calm and stable. the hunga—tonga—hunga—ha'apai volcano has been activ

rupert wingfield—hayes reports. from high up in space, weather satellites caught the moment the huge underwater volcano let loose, sending a cloud of ash and rock 20 kilometres high and nearly 500 kilometres wide. that's an ash cloud that could stretch from london to edinburgh. somewhere beneath it is the tiny island kingdom of tonga. the first thing to hit the island was the shock wave. then came the rushing waters of what appears to have been a — thankfully small — tsunami. in new zealand, prime minister jacinda ardern said communication with tonga remains difficult but the situation is now calm. we need to finely balance the need to get there quickly, but to make sure we also get the people and resources they need there as well. in some cases, we have parts of tonga where we've just not been able to establish communication. the hunga tonga—hunga ha“apai volcano has been active since mid—december, but saturday's eruption was on a completely different scale. i would expect the activity to continue for a w

rupert wingfield—hayes reports. from high up in space, weather satellites caught the moment the huge underwater volcano let loose, sending a cloud of ash and rock 20 kilometres high and nearly 500 kilometres high and nearly 500 kilometres wide. that's an ash cloud that could stretch from london to edinburgh. somewhere beneath it the tiny island kingdom of tonga. the first thing to hit the island was the shock wave. then came the rushing waters of what appears to have been a thankfully small tsunami. in new zealand, prime ministerjacinda ardern said communication with tonga remains difficult, but the situation is now calm. ~ :, ., , difficult, but the situation is now calm. :, ., , ., . calm. we need to finally balance the need to get — calm. we need to finally balance the need to get there _ calm. we need to finally balance the need to get there quickly, _ calm. we need to finally balance the need to get there quickly, but - calm. we need to finally balance the need to get there quickly, but to - need to get there

rupert wingfield—hayes, bbc news, tokyo. the number of families in england struggling to pay their energy bills will treble in april, according to the resolution foundation, a research organisation which suggests ways of improving living standards for those on lower incomes. gas and electricity bills are on course to rise sharply, and the foundation predicts more than six million households will be spending at least 10% of the family budget on energy bills. the hardest—hit families will be in the north east of england and the west midlands, from where our social affairs correspondent michael buchanan reports. oh, beautifulfire. it is so cold out there. without this heat, thelma spalding's life would be unbearable. the fire is a life—saver. she suffers from sciatica and is in chronic pain after she says she was attacked by a patient on the nhs ward where she worked until last year. being cold exacerbates the pain and this is the only room she can afford to heat. even right now i've got on two leggings, a pair of trousers,

rupert wingfield—hayes, bbc news, tokyo. us—based moderna says it is on track for an omicron specific coronavirus vaccine. there are questions about the extent of new shots needed in the two—year pandemic and if moderna, pfizer and astrazeneca among others can keep pace with mutations. moderna's chief medical officer dr paul burton has been explaining about the new vaccine. this week, on wednesday, we announced two big pieces of information. the first was some data published in the new england journal of medicine, looking at how our vaccine holds up against omicron after a six—month booster, and the data are good. they're reassuring that we do see waning. the other thing we announced, as you said, is that we started our phase ii study in about 600 people, testing our omicron—specific booster, and we think that's going to be an integral part of keeping people safe and protected, even as omicron perhaps subsides as we go into the winter of this year, so from a full booster. so, look, i think the data say that we will b

rupert wingfield-hayes reports. >> for the first time since last saturdays huge eruption, we are finally getting to see what has happened to tonga's main island. along the coast, the damage from the tsunami looks extensive with many buildings destroyed. in tongass capital, there a lot of volcanic ash but the buildings are intact and the cleanup has begun. telephone services are also back. that means for tongan's living abroad, the agonizing wait for news is finally over. >> my dad told me there are no major damages to our homes and they are fine. >> i have heard they are doing ok. i have not heard from my father. i'm sure he is out there working hard, doing what he does. >> we've also learned of a remarkable survival story. this man said he was sweptff a small island by the tsunami and was in the water for more than 24 hours before making land. help is now arriving. this is an australian transport plane on final approach to tonga this afternoon. the crew quickly unloaded water and emergency supplies but because of covid, they were not allowed any contact with locals. the government has d

rupert wingfield-hayes reports. >> for the fir time since last saturdays huge eruption, we are finally getting to see what has happened to tonga's main island. along the coast, the damage from the tsunami looks extensive with many buildings destroyed. in tongass capital, there a lot of volcanic ash but the buildings are intact and the cleanup has begun. telephone services are also back. that means for tongan's living abroad, the agonizing wait for news is finally over. >> my dad told me there are no major damages to our homes and they are fine. >> i have heard they are doing ok. i have not heard from my father. i'm sure he is out there working hard, doing what he does. >> we've also learned of a remarkable survival story. this man said he was sweptff a small island by the tsunami and was in the water for more than 24 hours before making land. help is now arriving. this is an australian transport plane on final approach to tonga this afternoon. the crew quickly unloaded water and emergency supplies but because of covid, they were not allowed any contact with locals. the government has d

here is our tokyo correspondent, rupert wingfield-hayes. report: north korea is trying to have a defense, like a tail. in the last couple of years, really since the beginning of the pandemic, north korea has been very quiet. it has really shut itself off from the rest of the world. here in japan, we have had no missile overflights, no threats of turning tokyo into a sea of fire. and then suddenly in the last couple of weeks, all of that has changed. multiple missile tests, claims that north korea has new hypersonic weapons, and threats of more to come. so what is going on in pyongyang? the short answer is that north korea has not spent the pandemic sitting on its hands. . has been busy. >> we are surprised, because we underestimate north korean technology, and we assume that north korea is suffering because of the pandemic. they want to complete their missile system with one that is like a small scale. rupert:rupert: more specifically, kim jong-un appears to be developing missiles and warheads that can get past missile defense factories, li

rupert wingfield—hayes, bbc news, in tokyo. the culture secretary, nadine dorries, has suggested that the days of the bbc licence fee are numbered, in a tweet suggesting the present charter — which runs until 2027 — could be the last. our media correspondent, david sillito, explained what happened this morning on social media. a tweet this morning, the words, this licence fee announcement will be the last. the days of the elderly being threatened with prison sentences and bailiffs knocking on doors are over. essentially, two bits of information in this. the first one, this licence fee announcement, essentially endorsing a story in today the mail on sunday suggesting the bbc licence fees are going to be frozen for the next two years and then small increases after that, which will mean further hefty cuts to their bbc�*s funding. but of course, the wider issue about the licence fee itself. there have been many questions about how long it will last. the current charter goes to the end of 2027. could the bbc, for instance, be

rupert wingfield—hayes reports. from high up in space, weather satellites caught the moment the huge underwater volcano let loose, sending a cloud of ash and rock 20 kilometres high and at least 500 kilometres wide. that is an ash cloud that could stretch from london to edinburgh. somewhere beneath it, is the tiny island kingdom of tonga. the first thing to hit the island was the shock wave. then came the rushing waters of the tsunami, smashing into sea walls and flooding what here appears to be a church. next, day turns to night as the ash began to form. these pictures are from saturday afternoon as people were trying to flee from the coast. the new zealand prime minister jacinda ardern said communication with tonga remains difficult. shops along the coast have been damaged and significant clean—up will be needed. one of the islands is covered in the thick film of volcanic dust, but otherwise conditions are calm and stable. the volcano has been active since mid—december. but saturday�*s huge eruption took exp

rupert wingfield—hayes reports. for the first time since last saturday's huge eruption, we're finally getting to see what has happened to tonga's main island. along the coast, the damage from the tsunami looks extensive, with many buildings destroyed. in tonga's capital, nuku'alofa, there is a lot of volcanic ash but the buildings are intact and the clean—up has begun. telephone services are also back, and that means for tongans living abroad, the agonising wait for news is finally over. my dad had told me that they're fine, no major damages to our homes. so, at the moment, i've got family over in the outer islands of ha'apai. i have heard from them, and they're doing 0k. who i haven't heard from is my father. i'm sure he's out there working hard, doing what he does. we've also learned of a remarkable survival story. this man says he was swept off a small island by the tsunami and was in the water for more than 24 hours before making it to land. help is now arriving. this is an australian c17 transport plane on fi

rupert wingfield—hayes reports. from high up in space, weather satellites caught the moment the huge underwater volcano let loose, sending a cloud of ash and rock 20 kilometres high and at least 500 kilometres wide. that is an ash cloud that could stretch from london to edinburgh. somewhere beneath it, is the tiny island kingdom of tonga. the first thing to hit the island was the shock wave. then came the rushing waters of the tsunami, smashing into sea walls and flooding what here appears to be a church. next, day turns to night as the ash began to form. these pictures are from saturday afternoon as people were trying to flee from the coast. the new zealand prime minister jacinda ardern said communication with tonga remains difficult. shops along the coast have been damaged and significant clean—up will be needed. one of the islands is covered in the thick film of volcanic dust, but otherwise conditions are calm and stable. the volcano has been active since mid—december. but saturday's huge eruption took expert

rupert wingfield—hayes reports. from high open space satellites caught the moment, a huge underwater volcano let loose, sending a cloud of ash and rock 20 kilometres high and at least 500 kilometres wide. that is an ash cloud that could stretch from london to edinburgh. somewhere beneath it is the tiny island kingdom of tonga. the first thing to hit the island was the shock wave. then came the rushing waters of a tsunami, smashing into to walls and flooding what here appears to be a church. next, dating tonight. the ash began to form. these pictures are reportedly from saturday afternoon as people were trying to flee from the coast. the new zealand prime minister said communication with tonga remains difficult. ,, ., , , communication with tonga remains difficult. ,, ., ., difficult. shops along the coast have been _ difficult. shops along the coast have been damaged. _ difficult. shops along the coast have been damaged. the - difficult. shops along the coast| have been damaged. the island difficult. shops along the

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