it's newsday. welcome to bbc news, broadcasting live from singapore to viewers in the uk and around the world. we begin with the tensions over ukraine, after the secretary—general of nato said russia's readiness to use military force in pursuit of its goals has created a "new normal" in europe. jens stoltenberg said russia has maintained a huge invasion force on the border of ukraine that is ready to attack and had not begun to withdraw its troops. meanwhile, ukraine's president volodymyr zelensky travelled across the country to rally his forces. the bbc�*s sarah rainsford was with him and sent this report. today was ukraine's turn for a show of force, aiming its tanks and missiles at an imaginary invader. military exercises, as the president looked on. it's the kind of cross—border attack that western governments fear russia is planning here. some had even named today as the launch date. instead, volodymyr zelensky was on a morale—boosting tour. laid out for him to admire, weapons sent by

it's newsday. it's 7am in singapore, and ”pm in london — where downing street is in turmoil following the resignation of four senior aides to borisjohnson. director of communications jack doyle confirmed his exit shortly after the departure of policy head munira mirza. two more senior figures followed. ms mirza quit over the prime minister's false claim that the leader of the opposition was personally responsible for the failure to prosecute notorious paedophilejimmy savile, when he was director of public prosecutions. our political editor laura kuenssberg reports. applause. borisjohnson managed to keep a blackpool tram on track today. yet it's not clear tonight where his leadership is really going. "that went well, thank god for that," the prime minister said. he might need prayers to create a sense of stability in his government, though. the communications director, jack doyle, walked out of his job tonight. a major role in any number ten, but the message had gone badly wrong. the chief of st

you're watching newsday on the bbc. still to come in the programme — an olympic balancing act — the athletes born in one nation, but choosing to compete for another. there's mr mandela, mr nelson mandela, a free man taking his first steps into a new south africa. iran's spiritual leader, ayatollah khamenei, has said he's passed a death sentence on salman rushdie, the british author of a book which many muslims say is blasphemous. the people of haiti have flocked to church to give thanks for the ousting of their former president, ba by doc duvalier. because of his considerable value as a stallion, - shergar was kept in a special secure box in the stud - farm's central block. shergar was driven away. in a horse box the thieves had brought with them. there stepped down from the plane a figure in mourning — elizabeth ii, queen of this realm and all her other realms and territories, head of the commonwealth, defender of the faith. this is newsday on the bbc. i'm karishma vaswani in singapore. our headlines... protests

it's newsday. hello and welcome to newsday. we start in india, where authorities are braced for more protests amid a row over wearing the islamic headscarf in college. the controversy began when hijab wearing students were denied entry to the schools. all high schools and colleges in the state have been shut down for three days. protests have now spread to other cities in india, including two of the country's largest cities. the pakistani government deployed the band and some in the indian ambassador to formally the anger against some colleges in karnataka state refusing to allow students to wear the hijab has spread to other parts of india. hundreds took part in the rallies in the cities of kolkata, chennai and hyderabad. the controversy has rocked karnataka, where high schools and colleges have been shut for three days. muslim women say wearing the hijab is part of their faith and their right. imposing dress code should be compatible with the fundamental rights. the fundamental rights state in article 19—1 the right to spee

this is newsday. president biden has said the threat of a russian invasion of ukraine remains "very high" and could take place within days, despite moscow's claim to be pulling troops from its borders. his message was echoed at a nato summit in brussels, where western leaders said that far from withdrawing, russia had in fact added troops. and in a heated un security council meeting, the us secretary of state warned russia may be trying to engineer a pretext for an invasion. there've been reports that pro—russian forces have shelled a village and hit a kindergarten in eastern ukraine. here's our eastern europe correspondent sarah rainsford. heading right for the front line. ukraine's president went to meet the troops today and we went with him. if there is an all—out russian invasion, then these positions could be right in its path. so a bit of a morale boost for the soldiers on whom so much might depend. tea and chat with their president. one man even admitted his parents are nervous and keep cal

it's newsday. welcome to bbc news, broadcasting live from singapore to viewers in the uk and around the world. we begin with the tensions over ukraine. us officials have now concluded that russia's claim that it was withdrawing troops from the ukrainian border was false. in fact, a white house official says russia has increased its troop presence there by as many as 7,000 troops. the secretary—general of nato said russia's readiness to use military force in pursuit of its goals has created a "new normal" in europe. meanwhile, ukraine's president volodymyr zelensky travelled across the country to rally his forces. the bbc�*s sarah rainsford was with him and sent this report. today was ukraine's turn for a show of force, aiming its tanks and missiles at an imaginary invader. military exercises, as the president looked on. it's the kind of cross—border attack that western governments fear russia is planning here. some had even named today as the launch date. instead, volodymyr zelensky was on a

it's newsday. it's 7am in singapore, and 6pm in new york — where prince andrew and virginia giuffre, the woman who'd accused him of sexual assault, have reached an out—of—court settlement, in a civil case. he'd previously said he wanted to contest the claims in front of a jury. there is no admission of liability by the duke, who's always maintained his innocence, but in the agreement, he accepts ms giuffre, has suffered as a "victim of abuse." he's also pledged to "demonstrate his regret for his association, with the convicted sex trafficker jeffrey epstein," by supporting the "fight against the evils of sex trafficking, and by supporting its victims". the duke of york is to make a substantial donation to ms giuffre�*s charity, supporting victims�* rights. with more on the settlement, here's our royal correspondent, nicholas witchell. for all the show of public defiance that he was determined to fight the case in court, it was always thought by lawyers and others that he would have to set

it's newsday. welcome to the programme. we start with the latest on the ukraine crisis — and the news that president biden has approved the deployment of 3,000 troops to bolster nato allies in the region. this would be the first major movement of us forces in russia's military stand—off with ukraine. 2,000 will be sent to poland and germany, and a i,000—strong squadron will be redeployed from germany to romania. a pentagon spokesman said the deployments were a signal that america was ready to defend its allies — but he was keen to stress the troops were not going to fight in ukraine. the united states stands shoulder—to—shoulder with our nato allies. the current situation demands that we reinforce the deterrent and defensive posture on nato�*s eastern flank. president biden has been clear that the united states will respond to the growing threat to europe's security and stability. our commitment to nato, article five, and collective defence remains ironclad. i'v e i've been speaking with general philip breedlo

it's newsday. hello and thanks forjoining us. prince andrew and virginia giuffre, the woman who'd accused him of sexual assault, have reached an out—of—court settlement, in a civil case. he'd previously said he wanted to contest the claims in front of a jury. there is no admission of liability by the duke, who's always maintained his innocence, but in the agreement, he accepts ms giuffre, has suffered as a "victim of abuse." he's also pledged to "demonstrate his regret for his association, with the convicted sex traffickerjeffrey epstein," by supporting the "fight against the evils of sex trafficking, and by supporting its victims". the duke of york is to make a substantial donation to ms giuffre�*s charity, supporting victims�* rights. with more on the settlement, here's our royal correspondent, nicholas witchell. for all the show of public defiance that he was determined to fight the case in court, it was always thought by lawyers and others that he would have to settle out of court and that's exactly what andrew has no

this is newsday on the bbc. i'm karishma vaswani in singapore. 0ur headlines: ukraine—russia tensions continue to rise — president biden approves the deployment of 3000 troops to europe. so away from the military tension and high—level diplomacy, what do ordinary russians think of the prospect of full—scale war in ukraine? the bbc�*s moscow correspondent steve rosenberg reports now from the city of vladimir. bell tolls in russia, putin is but one of many vladimirs. this is vladimir, the town. it was founded by a medieval prince who ruled from kyiv — a reminder that russia and ukraine have common roots. andre's mother is from ukraine. he calls the two countries brotherly nations, but he clearly sees russia as big brother. translation: russia must have a sphere of influence. | it's a superpower. smaller countries can ally with whoever they choose, but it's up to big countries to help them decide. i find that many russians do believe what they are being told — the constant stream of claims in the stat

it's newsday. it's 8am in singapore, and midnight in london where borisjohnson has been addressing his mps in a private meeting — trying to fend off more calls for him to step down. it comes after he again apologised to parliament, following a report by a senior civil servant into downing street parties during lockdowns. though limited in scope due to an ongoing police inquiry, the report was nevertheless greeted with anger by many mps including those in his own party. police say they are reviewing more than three hundred photos passed to officers in relation to 12 events across government on eight different dates. our political editor laura kuenssberg reports on the day's events. it has been a long, uncomfortable wait for number ten — an official verdict into the government itself breaking the rules. part one, at least, has now arrived. will you take responsibility, prime minister? there may be no easy downing street escape. the blond head and red box you can spot from the sky arriving for a m

this is newsday on the bbc. 0ur headlines. india starts two days of national mourning over the loss of lata mangeshkar — the indian singer and cultural icon — who has died in mumbai, at the age of 92. the prince of wales has hailed what he called the remarkable achievement by the queen, of serving 70 years on the throne. she is the first british monarch to have reigned that long. in other headlines for you today: international efforts to avert a russian invasion of ukraine continue, with a busy week of diplomacy ahead, including france's president, emmanuel macron, visiting moscow. in eastern ukraine, kremlin backed separatists, have been fighting government forces since 2014, and it's where any local skirmish, could lead to all out war. our international correspondent, 0rla guerin, reports now from a village in eastern ukraine that has been nearly destroyed by the conflict. russia lies across the water, a threat not seen, but felt. on this side of the frozen azov sea, all is quiet on the beaches in the ukrainian seaside t

this is newsday on the bbc. 0ur headlines. queen elizabeth marks 70th anniversary of her reign — the first time the milestone has been reached by a british monarch. lata mangeshkar—the indian singer and cultural icon — has died in mumbai, at the age of 92. she sang more than thirty—thousand songs across 36 languages during a 50 year career. one of the biggest games in world football has been won — in dramatic fashion — by senegal. their players won the african cup of nations in cameroon after a penalty shoot out victory over egypt. there was a dramatic start to the game when senegal were awarded an early penalty, but liverpool stirker sadio mane saw his effort saved. it was the only clear cut chance in the game and after normal and extra—time, the title was decided in a penalty shoot—out. and this was the moment that senegal could celebrate — in dakar and across the country. mane making up for his early penalty miss by scoring the decisive spot kick — to give senegal their first triumph in the africa cup of

it's newsday. hello, and welcome to the programme. ukraine's president, volodymyr zelensky, has declared wednesday a day of national unity, after us intelligence suggested that could be the day russian forces attack. earlier, he met the german chancellor, olaf sholtz, who said he wanted to see concrete steps from russia to try and de—escalate the crisis. and prime minister, borisjohnson, spoke with president biden — the pair said that a"crucial window for diplomacy" over the crisis remained. around 130,000 russian troops are massed on ukraine's border. russia for its part has said diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis should continue, and even be stepped up. 0ur correspondent, sarah rainsford, is in kiev. those warnings of a possible russian incursion have really escalated in recent days. so here in ukraine, you might expect there to be real tension, a sense of panic, possibly people rushing for the exit. but in fact, western embassies have been evacuating their staff — but ukrainians are staying put and doing their very best

it's newsday. it's 7am in the morning in singapore and 1am in kharkiv, where president putin is intensifying his war against ukraine. the second city was reeling from russian rocket fire and dozens of civilians were killed as the two countries held their first talks since the russian invasion began. ukraine's president said he feared those talks would not lead to peace. and now, satellite images show a russian troop convoy heading towards ukraine's capital. we begin with this report from our international correspondent orla guerin in kyiv. gunfire. by night, they defend the capital. skies full of fire. these ukrainian troops are still holding off russian forces. their president calling on the invaders to lay down their arms. translation: drop your weapons and get out of here. _ do not believe your commanders, do not believe your propagandists, just save your lives and go. and in a kyiv children's hospital, a young victim of europe's newest war lies between life and death. he'sjust 13, and doctors t

it's newsday. it's 8am in singapore, and 6.30am in myanmar — where peaceful protests have turned into what the un has now described as a civil war. the un has also told the bbc that the situation in myanmar is becoming as serious as syria. it says more than $800 million is needed to tackle the humanitarian crisis, as 12 months of violence has forced 400,000 people to leave their homes, and led to more than 1,500 civilian deaths. one year ago on the 1st of february, the military seized control of the country. its leader, aung san suu kyi, was jailed after claims of widespread fraud following the 2020 election — though the election commission said there was no evidence of this. strikes and protests ensued, but the military put them down with live fire, water cannons, and rubber bullets. the country descended into civil war, with armed resistance and mass killings. to mark the year anniversary of the coup, a silent strike has taken place in towns and cities across the country as people stay at hom

it's newsday. welcome to the programme. we start with the latest on the ukraine crisis — and the news that president biden has approved the deployment of 3,000 troops to bolster nato allies in the region. this would be the first major movement of us forces in russia's military standoff with ukraine. 2,000 will be sent to poland and germany, and a 1,000—strong squadron will be redeployed from germany to romania. a pentagon spokesman said the deployments were a signal that america was ready to defend its allies — but he was keen to stress the troops were not going to fight in ukraine. the united states stands shoulder—to—shoulder with our nato allies. the current situation demands that we reinforce the deterrent and defensive posture on nato�*s eastern flank. president biden has been clear that the united states will respond to the growing threat to europe's security and stability. our commitment to nato, article five, and collective defence remains ironclad. let's talk to general philip breedlove. he's a retired

it's newsday. it's 7am in singapore, and 1am in kyiv — where ukraine's president volodymyr zelensky has declared wednesday a day of national unity after us intelligence suggested that could be the day russian forces attack. earlier, president zelensky had met the german chancellor olaf sholtz who said he wanted to see concrete steps from russia to try and de—escalate the crisis. and prime minister borisjohnson has spoken with president biden — the pair said that a"crucial window for diplomacy" over the crisis remained. around 130,000 russian troops mass on ukraine's border. russia, for its part, has said diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis should continue and even he stepped up. 0ur eastern europe correspondent sarah rainsford is in kyiv. janik here in ukraine, you might expect there to be a real tension, some panic, even people running for the ~ . ., , ., some panic, even people running for the ~' . . , , the exit. ukrainians are staying put and doinu the exit. ukrainians are staying pu

you're watching newsday on the bbc. still to come on the programme: the wait is over for the super excited fans at the super bowl. america's biggest sporting event kicks off in los angeles. nine years and 15,000 deaths after going into afghanistan, the last soviet troops were finally coming home — the withdrawal completed in good order, but the army defeated in the task it had been sent to perform. malcolm has been murdered. that has a terrible effect for the morale of the people. i'm terrified of the repercussions in the streets. one wonders who is next. as the airlift got under way, there was no let up in the eruption itself. lava streams from a vent lower in the crater flowed down to the sea on the east of the island, away from the town for the time being. it could start flowing again at any time. the russians heralded their new generation l space station with - a spectacular night launch. they've called it mir, i the russian for peace. this is newsday on the bbc. i'm karishma vaswani in singapore. our headlines: u

you're watching newsday on the bbc. still to come on the programme: a festival of light, luck, and colour. hundreds of millions of people celebrate the lunar new year. this is the moment that millions in iran have been waiting for. after his long years in exile, the first hesitant steps of ayatollah khomeini on iranian soil. south africa's white government has offered its black opponents concessions unparalleled in the history of apartheid, and the anc leader nelson mandela is to be set free unconditionally. mission control: three, two, one... a countdown to a critical moment — the world's most powerful rocket ignited all 27 of its engines at once. and apart from its power, it's this recycling of the rocket, slashing the cost of a launch, that makes this a breakthrough in the business of space travel. two americans have become the first humans to walk in space without any lifeline to their spaceship. one of them called it "a piece of cake". thousands of people have given l the yachtswoman ellen macarthur a spectacular

it's newsday. welcome to bbc news — broadcasting live from singapore, to viewers in the uk and around the world. we begin with the tensions over ukraine, where the us secretary of state says the extension of military exercises by russia and belarus has made him more concerned about an imminent russian invasion of ukraine. antony blinken said he based his assessment on the extended exercises as well the russian troop build—up on the ukrainian border. moscow denies that it is seeking a pretext for an attack. it says sunday's phone call between president putin and the french president ended with agreement on the need for a diplomatic solution to the crisis in eastern ukraine. sarah rainsford reports from kyiv. distant explosions. these drills in belarus were meant to end with russian tanks rolling back to their bases. but all this firepower is now staying put indefinitely, not farfrom ukraine's border. in a crisis that's all about signalling, this is russia refusing to de—escalate. let's really

thank you for watching newsday. hello there. high pressure's expected to build in across the country to end this week and into the weekend to settle things down, bring us some sunshine and lighter winds. but before that point, thursday looks very unsettled. it'll be cold and windy with sunshine and even wintry showers. now, the cold air�*s been moving in across the country during the overnight period behind this weather front, this band of rain, which is actually a cold front. it'll be lying across the south east of england and east anglia to start thursday morning. some heavy rain on that, bit of sleet on its back edge, but eventually it'll clear out during the mid to latter part of the morning, and then we're all into brighter skies, sunshine and blustery showers. these will be wintry across northern and western areas, particularly on the hills. frequent snow showers across scotland, northern ireland, mixed in with thunder and lightning. also start off with an ice risk across northern scotland, too. it's going to be a windy

this is newsday on the bbc. singapore. 0ur headlines russian president vladimir putin says he will recognise two breakaway regions of east ukraine and he's sending troops there. the un secretary general describes the russian move as a blatant violation of international law and the un security council is meeting in the next few hours. all covid restrictions in england will end in three days' time. the prime minister boris johnson says it's a move away from government measures, towards a policy of personal responsibility, but some nhs leaders say it would be �*very premature' to see this as some kind of permanent victory over the virus. here's our political editor laura kuenssberg: now and then. the empty streets and silence of early lockdown. today millions of workers heading back to their desks, replacing the ghosts of empty offices before. the first vaccine, a modern miracle. applause jabs in almost every arm now. good evening. a prime minister back then with an emergency instruction. you must stay at home. t

it's newsday. it's 8am in singapore, and midnight in london — where downing street is in turmoil following the resignation of four senior aides to borisjohnson. director of communications jack doyle confirmed his exit shortly after the departure of policy head munira mirza. two more senior figures followed. ms mirza quit over the prime minister's false claim that the leader of the opposition was personally responsible for the failure to prosecute notorious paedophilejimmy savile, when he was director of public prosecutions. our political editor laura kuensseberg reports. applause borisjohnson managed to keep a blackpool tram on track today. yet it's not clear tonight where his leadership is really going. "that went well, thank god for that," the prime minister said. he might need prayers to create a sense of stability in his government, though. the communications director, jack doyle, walked out of his job tonight. a major role in any number ten, but the message had gone badly wrong. the chief of

this is newsday on the bbc. i'm karishma vaswani, in singapore. 0ur headlines: india starts two days of national mourning over the loss of lata mangeshkar, the indian singer and cultural icon who has died in mumbai, at the age of 92. the prince of wales has hailed what he called the remarkable achievement by the queen, of serving 70 years on the throne. she is the first british monarch to have reigned that long. in other headlines for you today: international efforts to avert a russian invasion of ukraine continue, with a busy week of diplomacy ahead, including france's president, emmanuel macron, visiting moscow. in eastern ukraine, kremlin—backed separatists have been fighting government forces since 2014, and it's where any local skirmish could lead to all out war. 0ur international correspondent, 0rla guerin, reports now from a village in eastern ukraine that has been nearly destroyed by the conflict. russia lies across the water, a threat not seen, but felt. on this side of the frozen azov sea, all is qui

it's newsday. it's 7am in singapore, and 2am in moscow — where president putin has said the us is ignoring russia's security concerns over ukraine. in his first public comment on the situation since december, he said washington had failed to address russia's key demand that nato should not expand further eastwards. meanwhile, ukraine's president has warned that any russian invasion of his country would lead to a full—scale war in europe. he's been hosting britain's prime minister, borisjohnson, for talks in kyiv — from where our diplomatic correspondent james landale reports. for borisjohnson today, a change of subject, a change of place. he arrived in ukraine to make a show of support for a country facing the threat of invasion, a country where political survival has an existential meaning. first up, the presidential palace. he volodymyr zelensky that britain would always stand up for ukraine's freedom. he promised £88 million in aid. he said there would be a resolute ukrainian army if russ

this is newsday on the bbc. i'm karishma vaswani in singapore. 0ur headlines: france has proposed a summit between presidents biden and putin in the latest attempt to break the military tensions in ukraine. queen elizabeth test positive for covid—19. the 95 rob mica said to have only mild symptoms. —— 95—year—old monarch is set. in the uk, the government is set to unveil a new plan to living with covid in england, including a dropping of the legal requirement for people to —— self isolator that is positive. the premise has also indicated he was to reduce the amount of testing. everyday life with covid has involved many guidelines on how to keep safe — that won't change. but the big shift tomorrow will be the announcement that remaining laws governing public behaviour are set to be scrapped in england, including the requirement to self—isolate after testing positive. and pcr testing sites will be wound down, though the government says the ability to monitor the virus will be maintained. free lat

you're watching newsday on the bbc. still to come on the programme — how an electronic implant has helped a man whose spinal cord was completely severed, learn to walk again. we have a special report. there's mr mandela, mr nelson mandela, a free man taking his first steps into a new south africa. iran's spiritual leader, ayatollah khamenei, has said he's passed a death sentence on salman rushdie, the british author of a book which many muslims say is blasphemous. the people of haiti have flocked to church to give thanks for the ousting of their former president, ba by doc duvalier. because of his considerable value as a stallion, - shergar was kept in a special secure box in the stud - farm's central block. shergar was driven away. in a horse box the thieves had brought with them. there stepped down from the plane a figure in mourning — elizabeth ii, queen of this realm and all her other realms and territories, head of the commonwealth, defender of the faith. this is newsday on the bbc. i'm karishma vaswani in sing

that is all the time we have for the day on newsday. thank you forjoining us and to stay with bbc news. the latest headlines. hello again. this time yesterday, we were looking at some hill snow in scotland causing a few issues on some of the higher scottish routes and some strong winds gusting 70 mph in the western isles. we had a covering of snow left over over the hills, and that was all courtesy of this area of cloud, an area of low pressure that's currently working across the north sea to bring some fairly windy weather to the netherlands through friday. out in the atlantic, meanwhile, we have the next weather system waiting to come in for the start of the weekend, but between that and that, we get that. it's an area of high pressure that's actually going to bring some fine weather our way for friday. over recent hours, as that area of high pressure's been edging in closer, the number of showers we've seen has dwindled. still a few left over across northwestern areas, and with the combination of clear skies and light winds allowing

it's newsday. it's seven in the morning in singapore, 6pm in washington and 2am in moscow, where president putin hosted french president emmanuel macron earlier, as diplomatic efforts to avert military conflict in ukraine are continuing. the efforts by the french president come after russia amassed more than 100,000 troops on the border with ukraine. for his part, mr macron said he hoped the talks would help reduce �*the risk of conflict�*. moscow has been clear that it won't allow any more expansion of nato, as it seeks to minimise what it perceives as threats to its borders. separately to this, president biden has been hosting the new german chancellor, 0laf scholz, as high level diplomacy took place inside the white house, too. 0ur moscow correspondent, steve rosenberg, begins our coverage with this report. from one president to another, warm words. how are you? fine, just fine. how are you? but there'd be no cosy chat. socially distanced summits is how the kremlin likes it. "emmanuel, i'm s

it's newsday. it's seven in the morning in singapore, 11 in the evening in london and one in the morning in the ukrainian capital, kyiv, where residents are trying to get some sleep after a day of fast—moving developments in the conflict with russia. it's now thought peace talks may take place later on monday after they were agreed — and then delayed. vladimir putin says he's put his nuclear forces on alert and the european union has announced groundbreaking sanctions, including the sending of arms to ukraine. we'll have more on all that in newsday, but we start with this report from our correspondent nick beake in kyiv. explosions. there wasn't much talk of peace on the streets of ukraine's second city today. instead, kharkiv gave us a grim warning of more to come if this conflict doesn't stop. earlier, locals in kharkiv had opened their windows to see russian trucks rolling in. other vehicles in the sights of the ukraine military did not get far. and in the south of the country, this was said

you're watching newsday on the bbc. still to come on the programme. india's row over the hijab in schools and colleges continues there's mr mandela, mr nelson mandela, a free man taking his first steps into a new south africa. iran's spiritual leader, ayatollah khamenei, has said he's passed a death sentence on salman rushdie, the british author of a book which many muslims say is blasphemous. the people of haiti have flocked to church to give thanks for the ousting of their former president, ba by doc duvalier. because of his considerable value as a stallion, - shergar was kept in a special secure box in the stud - farm's central block. shergar was driven away. in a horse box the thieves had brought with them. there stepped down from the plane a figure in mourning — elizabeth ii, queen of this realm and all her other realms and territories, head of the commonwealth, defender of the faith. still to come a bit later in the programme: but first. the commissioner of london's metropolitan police, cressida dick, is to step down after the mayor of london

you have been watching newsday. stay with us. a reminder of our main news this hour: the united states says russia continues to reinforce its military presence around the borders of ukraine with as many as seven thousand troops recently deployed. a white house official said russia could at any moment stage an incident serving as a pretext for invasion. moscow denies planning to invade. that's all for now — stay with bbc world news. a stormy end to our week — the first of the storms, storm dudley, arrived during wednesday afternoon and into the evening. and as we went through the latter stages of the day, wind gusts were quite widely around 70 mph, gusting in excess of 80 mph through capel curig. now, it looks likely that we'll continue to see some rain and snow, as well, over the next few hours, even snow falling at lower levels across the highlands — so there will be some accumulations, there will be some icy stretches to look out for first thing. so we keep the potential for some rain and some snow over the next few hours

it's newsday. it's 7am in the morning in singapore and ”pm in the uk, where ukraine's ambassador has told the bbc that his country may contemplate dropping any ambitions tojoin nato, in order to avoid military conflict. ukraine's desire to join the mutual defence alliance has been one of the key fault lines in diplomatic talks between the west and russia. moscow has demanded assurances from western powers that ukraine will not be admitted. but the us is refusing to bar ukraine from nato, saying that, as a sovereign nation, it should be free to decide on its own security alliances. earlier today, us president biden spoke to the ukrainian president zelensky by phone with the two agreeing to pursue "diplomacy and deterrence" in response to russia's military build—up on ukraine's borders. in other developments on sunday, more than a dozen countries have now urged their citizens to leave the country — including some in asia, like here in singapore. and international monitors left a part of eastern

you're watching newsday, still to come... more than 100 people are now known to have died in floods and mudslides in brazil, as the search goes on for those missing. as the airlift got under way, there was no let—up in the eruption itself. lava streams from a vent low in the crater flow down to the sea on the east of the island, away from the town for the time being. it could start flowing again at any time. the russians heralded _ their new—generation space station with a spectacular night launch. they've called it mir — l the russian for "peace". this is newsday on the bbc. i'm mariko oi in singapore. our headlines. satellite images show an "increase" in russian troops on the ukraine border. and a judge in new york has ruled donald trump and two of his children must answer questions under oath as part of an investigation into fraud. more than a hundred people are now known to have died in landslides and flash flooding in the brazilian city of petropolis, north of rio dejaneiro. a month's worth of rain fell in a matter

this is newsday on the bbc. i'm karishma vaswani in singapore. 0ur headlines: the us secretary of state, antony blinken, says the extension of military exercises by russia and belarus has made him more worried that an invasion of ukraine is imminent. queen elizabeth tests positive for covid—19. in 85—year—old monarch is said to have only mild symptoms. —— 95—year—old. in the uk, the government prepares to unveil a new plan on living with covid in england, which includes dropping the legal requirement for people to self isolate if they test positive. the prime minister's also indicated that he wants to reduce the amount of testing. here's our health editor hugh pym. everyday life with covid has involved many guidelines on how to keep safe — that won't change. but the big shift tomorrow will be the announcement that remaining laws governing public behaviour are set to be scrapped in england, including the requirement to self—isolate after testing positive. and pcr testing sites will be wound down

we will have the headlines and all the main news stories for you at the top of the hour as newsday continues straight after hardtalk. welcome to hardtalk, i'm stephen sackur. today, i'm in paris as france gears up for a presidential election in the spring which will test the level of anger and frustration in this country. the incumbent, emmanuel macron, looks pretty much certain to be a candidate and he's well—placed to make it into the second round run—off. who willjoin him there? well, my guest today is the long—time dominant figure in far—right politics, marine le pen. this will be her third bid for the presidency. in recent years, she's tried to detoxify her political brand, but has the strategy worked? marine le pen, welcome to hardtalk. it's a pleasure to be here. i'm looking at your political campaign. i'm thinking that every campaign needs momentum. and, right now, you seem to be lacking political momentum. why is that? but you have been dealt several very severe political blows in recent days. perhaps the worst of all was when your own family — your niece, marion marechal,

you're watching newsday on the bbc. still to come in the programme: the not—so modern man, the discovery in france that shows homo sapiens may have arrived in europe a lot earlier than we thought. there's mr mandela, mr nelson mandela. a free man taking his first steps into a new south africa. iran's spiritual leader, ayatollah khomeini, has said he's passed a death sentence on salman rushdie, the british author of a book which many muslims say is blasphemous. the people of haiti have flocked to church - to give thanks for the ousting of their former president, - 'ba by doc' duvalier. because of his considerable value as a stallion, shergar was kept in a special secure box in the stud farm's central block. shergar was driven away in a horse box the thieves had brought with them. there stepped down from the plane a figure in mourning. elizabeth ii, queen of this realm and of all her other realms and territories, head of the commonwealth, defender of the faith. this is news day on the bbc. our headlines: protests spread

welcome to newsday, reporting live from singapore, i'm karishma vaswani. the headlines: india begins two days of national mourning over the loss of lata mangeshkar — the legendary bollywood singer. her music was played at weddings, funerals and national events. it is hard to find an indian who was not moved by the music of lata mangeshkar. queen elizabeth marks the 70th anniversary of her reign — the first time the milestone has been reached by a british monarch. we report from eastern ukraine where government forces are battling russian separatists — as president macron co—ordinates diplomatic efforts to avoid an invasion. this entire village is a casualty of the conflict.

you're watching newsday on the bbc. still to come on the programme — plastic pollution in the world's oceans could rise fourfold within the next three decades. we'll hear from one of the people behind a new analysis from the world wide fund for nature. there's mr mandela, mr nelson mandela, a free man taking his first steps into a new south africa. iran's spiritual leader, ayatollah khamenei, has said he's passed a death sentence on salman rushdie, the british author of a book which many muslims say is blasphemous. the people of haiti have flocked to church to give thanks for the ousting of their former president, baby doc duvalier. because of his considerable value as a stallion, - shergar was kept in a special secure box in the stud _ farm's central block. shergar was driven away. in a horse box the thieves had brought with them. there stepped down from the plane a figure in mourning — elizabeth ii, queen of this realm and all her other realms and territories, head of the commonwealth, defender of the faith. this

welcome to newsday, reporting live from singapore, i'm karishma vaswani. the headlines. russia launches a full—scale assault on ukraine with missiles hitting multiple targets for vladimir putin has this warning.— this warning. translation: whoever tries _ this warning. translation: whoever tries to _ this warning. translation: whoever tries to interfere i this warning. translation: | whoever tries to interfere with us or threaten our country should know that russia's response will be immediate and lead to such consequences that have never been experienced in history. have never been experienced in histo . , ., history. cues on the road in ukraine's — history. cues on the road in ukraine's capital— history. cues on the road in ukraine's capital in - history. cues on the road in ukraine's capital in kyiv - history. cues on the road in| ukraine's capital in kyiv with an exodus of fearful residence. we've had armoured personnel carriers hear the whole line of traffic for as far as the eye can see trying to get out. the russian advance has been met with universal cond

and doing a turn on newsday. filipino figure skater michael martinez tells us what it's like to train in the tropics for the winter olympics.

this is newsday on the bbc. a flurry of diplomacy to try to defuse the ukraine crisis — as president macron and vladimir putin hold face to face talks in moscow. protestors in london harass opposition leader sir keir starmer as borisjohnson faces more calls to withdraw a false accusation he made against him in the house of commons. truckers in the canadian capital 0ttawa have been ordered to stop honking their horns in an ongoing protest that has snarled up the city. the loud constant blare of truck horns has become one of the defining features of the movement — pushing back against covid restrictions. police are beginning to crackdown on the protesters, following criticsm for a lack of action against them. 0ur correspondentjessica murphy sent this report from ottawa. they were told to get theirjab or get into quarantine, and this was the response. most canadian truck drivers crossing the border into the us regularly have already been vaccinated, but those who haven't are adamant they will never be, and thei

you're watching newsday on the bbc. still to come on the programme: far from home and far from ordinary — introducing the first southern koala born in europe. this is the moment that millions in iran have been waiting for. after his long years in exile, the first hesitant steps of ayatollah khomeini on iranian soil. south africa's white government has offered its black opponents concessions unparalleled in the history of apartheid, and the anc leader nelson mandela is to be set free unconditionally. mission control: three, two, one... a countdown to a critical moment — the world's most powerful rocket ignited all 27 of its engines at once. and apart from its power, it's this recycling of the rocket, slashing the cost of a launch, that makes this a breakthrough in the business of space travel. two americans have become the first humans to walk in space without any lifeline to their spaceship. one of them called it "a piece of cake". thousands of people have given l the yachtswoman ellen macarthur a spectacular homeco

and doing a turn on newsday. filipino figure skater michael martinez tells us what it's like to train in the tropics for the winter olympics. hello and welcome to the programme. president biden has called on all american citizens remaining in ukraine to leave the country immediately. with russia continuing its military build—up along its border with ukraine, mr biden said that he would not send troops to rescue americans if moscow invaded. here is a clip of his interview with nbc news. look, what i have asked is so american citizens should leave, should leave now. we are dealing with one of the largest armies in the world and it's a very difficult situation and things can go crazy quickly. it comes after yet another day of frantic diplomatic activity. in a moment we'll here about a particularly frosty meeting in moscow between the british foreign secretary liz truss and her russian counterpart sergei lavrov. at the same time as that meeting was underway — borisjohnson has been at nato headquarters, meeting wi

it's newsday. it's eight in the morning in singapore and 2am in the ukrainian capital, kyiv, where residents are trying to get some sleep after a day of fast moving developments in the conflict with russia. it's now thought peace talks may take place later on monday after they were agreed — and then delayed. vladimir putin says he's put his nuclear forces on alert and the european union has announced ground—breaking sanctions, including the sending of arms to ukraine. we'll have more on all of that in newsday, but we start with this report from our correspondent nick beake in kyiv. explosions. there wasn't much talk of peace on the streets of ukraine's second city today. instead, kharkiv gave us a grim warning of more to come if this conflict doesn't stop. explosions. earlier, locals in kharkiv had opened their windows to see russian trucks rolling in. other vehicles in the sights of the ukraine military didn't get far. and in the south of the country, this was said to be a drone strike on a ru

welcome to newsday, reporting live from singapore, i'm karishma vaswani. the headlines... nato warns that russian troops are heading for eastern ukraine. we report from the frontline — where ukrainians are preparing for an invasion. the troops here say they have been fighting a long war against russian backed separatist. they know president putin may now send more forces. the us and europe responds with industial and financial sanctions — and universal criticism of russia's aggression. who in the lords name does putin think gives him the right to declare new so—called countries on territory that belong to his neighbours? a us jury finds three white men who murdered a black jogger, ahmaud arbery — guilty of federal hate crimes. ahmaud will continue to rest in peace but he will now begin to rest and power. in other news — we have a special report from hong kong where the government has ordered compulsory testing for coronavirus. and — piecing together the huge wingspan of a giant flying dinosaur — a new discovery suggests they may have been far bigger than we t

this is newsday on the bbc. our headlines... protests against covid vaccine laws continue in canada — truckers had earlier blocked a key route into the us. after another frantic day of diplomacy over ukraine — poland warns it's the worst crisis in europe for more than three decades let's turn to the winter olympics now being held in china. there are an unprecedented number of foreign—born athletes competing for china at these winter olympic games, many of them hailing from north america. one of the stars of the games is the freestyle skier, eileen gu, who was born in the united states but has chosen to compete for china. the californian—born athlete won gold for china at the beijing olympics on tuesday. athletes like eileen gu face a complicated balancing act, with their ethnic and national identities pulling them in different directions. dr susan brownell is an expert on chinese sport and the olympic games. earlier i spoke to her about the complicated balancing act as athletes face for from time to time. i as athletes f

you're watching newsday on the bbc. still to come on the programme: we'll look at the mood in ukraine's capital from our correspondent in kyiv. prince charles has chosen his bride. the prince proposed to lady diana spencer three weeks ago. she accepted, she says, without hesitation. as revolutions go, this had its fair share of bullets. a climax in the night outside the gates of mr marcos' sanctuary, malacanang — the name itself symbolising one of the cruellest regimes of modern asia. the world's first clone has been produced i of an adult mammal. scientists in scotland i have produced a sheep called dolly using a cell from another sheep. i warren beatty and faye dunaway announced to the world that the winner of best film was la la land. the only trouble was it wasn't. the mistake was only put right in the middle of gushing speeches by the team behind the modern musical. not for 20 years have locusts been seen in such numbers in this part of africa. some of the swarms have been ten miles long. this is the last time -

this is newsday on the bbc. our headlines... prince andrew has reached an out of court financial settlement with virginia giuffre, without admitting liability. russia claims some troops have withdrawn from the ukrainian border, but have they? president biden says allied action will be swift if there's an invasion. the family of a woman who was shot dead on a film set in the us are suing the actor alec baldwin and the films other producers for wrongful death. they claim alec baldwin was pointing a gun at halyna hutchins when it went off, he says he never pulled the trigger. the lawsuit filed on behalf of the husband and son of halyna hutchins says the makers of the film did not carry out proper safety checks. here is sophie long in los angeles. well, basically, it alleges that alec baldwin and other producers displayed reckless behaviour and cost cutting, and that's what led to the tragic death of halyna hutchins. baldwin is also accused of discharging a lethal weapon recklessly. now that is a criminal offence in new mexico, wher