live from washington. this is bbc news. iran's supreme leader promises a harsh response after an attack kills at least 95 people near the tomb of iranian general qasem soleimani. a court in new york has released hundreds of documents from a case connected to the late convicted sex offender, jeffrey epstein. and the us house speaker leads a delegation of republican lawmakers on a tour of the us—mexico border. they want the white house to agree to stricter migrant policies. hello, i'm caitriona perry. we begin with a developing story. a us court has released hundreds of pages of court documents connected to the financier and sex offenderjeffrey epstein. those files contain the names of people accused

of wrongdoing, while others on the list are making allegations or are potential witnesses. former president bill clinton and prince andrew are among those named in the documents. a judge ordered the release as part of a lawsuit related to epstein�*s associate ghislaine maxwell. she is serving a 20—year jail term for the crimes she committed with epstein. when ordering the release of the list, new yorkjudge loretta preska said many of those named in the lawsuit had already been identified by the media or in maxwell's criminal trial. the bbc is currently reviewing the 915 pages of documents. we'll have more details on this story for you in the hours ahead. iran's supreme leader says there will be a harsh response after around 100 people were killed by explosions in the southeastern city of kerman. the blasts were near the saheb al—zaman mosque, where thousands of people gathered to mark the anniversary of the death of a top military commander, qasem soleimani. soleimani was killed in 2020

by a us drone attack, though the united states denies it was behind the most recent strikes. the us also said it had no indication that israel was responsible. caroline hawley reports. the roads leading to the cemetery were packed with people who had gone to pay respects to qasem soleimani. officials say the bombs had been planted in bags and were apparently set off by remote control. whoever did this was clearly aiming to cause mass casualties. the iranian red crescent said their efforts to evacuate the injured were complicated by the size of the crowds. and a first bomb was followed swiftly by a second, more deadly explosion. it comes four years to the day since qasem soleimani was killed himself in an american drone attack while on a visit to iraq. general soleimani was a huge figure in iran, commander of its powerful revolutionary guards, responsible for arming its proxy militias in the middle east, including hezbollah in lebanon and forfunding hamas.

he had a devoted following among supporters of the iranian regime. his funeral was attended, according to estimates, by more thani million mourners. so who would have wanted to attack the commemoration of his death and why? the most telling thing here is that this attack in kerman does not fit any modus operandi of what the israelis have traditionally done. they are looking for specific individuals, not for large events with lots of people. but there are at least two groups that have a history of doing just this type of thing in iran. the sunni jihadist groups on whom suspicion for this is likely to fall, although no group has yet claimed to have carried it out. the iranian supreme leader, ayatollah khomeini warned of a harsh response. it is the deadliest attack in the country in decades and can only increase tensions in a region that is already a tinderbox. caroline hawley, bbc news.

and as iran remains a key player in the israel—gaza war — we got some analysis on its role from behnam ben taleblu, a senior fellow at the foundation for defence of democracies. iran puzzlement strategy to get the escalation to thorough life and took proxy and gaza which is homs is to escalate but not directly escalate but interactive a different front we're everyday normal between as beanies hezbollah and israel. you have this economic motto water with houthi shipping. the important thing is really government is investing as the iraq syria border. they have been 150 attacks of us positions there. those come from militias, the us responded only a handful of times, six or seven, very limited, more incipient than iraq but this is where you run is trying to use military means to accomplish a political goal. trying to get america to be attacked in a different dealer to realise is being attacked because there was going on and

transfer the political pressure onto israel to end the war. elsewhere in the region, the leader of the lebanese militant group hezbollah warned israel of a "decisive response" to the killing of a hamas leader. saleh al—arouri was killed tuesday in a drone strike in southern beirut. israel has neither confirmed nor denied that it killed saleh al—arouri. speaking to a rally earlier, hezbollah leader hassan nasrallah described the death as a serious crime that could not go unpunished. our correspondent in beirut, hugo bachega, was listening to the hezbollah leader's speech. some strong words, the leader of hezbollah reaction to the killing of the deputy leader of hamas in beirut. on tuesday he described it as a flagrant israeli aggression and he said this was a crime that would not go unpunished. obviously this happened in an area of beirut thatis happened in an area of beirut that is a hezbollah stronghold. this was not only a blow for

hamas but perhaps a message to hezbollah attacks like this can happen deep inside areas controlled by the group. hassan nasrallah also said we're not afraid of war and in a message to israel, he said if israel decided to go to war against hezbollah, this would come at a very high price. this has been the message by the israelis to hezbollah, warning the group against any escalation of the situation here. some israeli authorities have been saying the israeli military could do to beirut what has been done to gaza. hugo bachega there. now a delegation of several dozen house republicans has travelled to the us—mexico border. the fact—finding tour comes as republicans try to put pressure on the white house to take a tougher stance on illegal immigration. us house speaker mike johnson and his fellow republicans have tied border security to any further aid to ukraine and israel.

they're pushing for more border walls and restrictions on asylum claims by migrants. the visit comes as us border officials say they're on track to process more than 300,000 migrants in december, the highest monthly tally on record. speakerjohnson says the crisis is pushing the country to a breaking point. the situation here and across the country is truly unconscionable. we will describe it as both heartbreaking and infuriating. our communities are overrun. we have local resources that are being strapped, we have lethal drugs pouring into our country at record levels. it is in less than three years that president biden took office at this has happened. our us media partner, cbs news was with the delegation in eagle pass. earlier, i spoke with their correspondent, omar villafranca who told me how the visit had been received locally. as far as having members of congress coming down, i literally had so many local

officials tell me this is a photo op. what they want to see is 1700 miles of waves in washington, dc, they want to see them doing the work here. coming down here does not much for the problem. it merely puts it for incentive for them. the work needs to be done in washington, dc. as for people here, they are saying it is overwhelming. we have talked everything from sheriff deputies to fire chiefs who are saying this puts a burden on their ability to basically protect and serve their own communities because sometimes they have to go and help the migrants. that is forming this community that cross over. it is tough. we had a fire chief that told us they are picking up that told us they are picking up somebody in an ambulance here, a resident that is maybe having chest pains and trying to take them to the hospital, they sometimes have to wait in they sometimes have to wait in the ambulance for 20 minutes. so they can clear out if there are migrants in front of them. they get mad at us as first responders but we cannot

control that, they are pressuring on both sides of the aisle. everyone is at a point where something needs to be done and needs to be done now because this they say, the surges they are seeing are not sustainable. montana congressman matt rosendale was part of the house republican delegation. he spoke to me a short time ago. thanks forjoining us on bbc news. it has been reported local officials have described the trip by you and your colleagues as a follow—up, but actually it is action in washington, dc is what they would prefer to see rather than individuals like yourself coming to the border. what do you say to that? i coming to the border. what do you say to that?— you say to that? i agree. i don't go _ you say to that? i agree. i don't go down _ you say to that? i agree. i don't go down book- you say to that? i agree. i don't go down book photoj you say to that? i agree. i - don't go down book photo ops, go down for additional information and raise awareness and get more people across the nation to apply pressure on their representatives to take that action. at this point, what we are left with r in to

implement the policies that are necessary to secure our border, it is going to take members of congress to stand up to the biden administration and say we're not anything else. you are not going to take any other action in the house of representatives until we have the remaining mexico policy reinstituted to keep people across the border while they are waiting for their status to be evaluated. we're not going to front government until we have the balance of the system put in place and we're not going to fund government as long as we have numbers of illegals taking up we hundred and 2000 a month coming into our country and we don't know what kind of harm they want to do two americans. the what kind of harm they want to do two americans.— do two americans. the white house press _ do two americans. the white house press secretary - do two americans. the white house press secretary has i do two americans. the white i house press secretary has today said it is actually house republicans who are obstructing border security by not passing the legislation that president biden has looked for, calling

for more resources, more immigrationjudges, a lot of what you are calling for it but thatis what you are calling for it but that is what the white house has said. ~ ., , , has said. the white house is 10096 inaccurate. _ has said. the white house is 10096 inaccurate. what - has said. the white house is 10096 inaccurate. what they | has said. the white house is - 10096 inaccurate. what they want 100% inaccurate. what they want to do is pump more money down onto the board and petunias now come at the border patrol agents have told me personally they do not want to have more money sent down. they want more structures built. they don't want to have more agents because this is the biden administration �*s ploy in order to get more people processed faster. the faster you process people, the more people you bring into the country illegally, what it does is incentivises those after them to bring more in. this is what has exasperated the problem to begin with. they said what we need are the implementation of policies that keep people from coming into the country. that is what is going to secure our border. , ,. ., .,

border. given the discord that exists between _ border. given the discord that exists between the _ border. given the discord that exists between the two - border. given the discord that l exists between the two parties on this and the distance between your positions on this, is it going to be possible to agree any sort of deal when there are only two weeks or so left before another shut down his face? i left before another shut down his face? ~ ., , his face? i think that is why we need — his face? i think that is why we need to _ his face? i think that is why we need to use _ his face? i think that is why we need to use the - his face? i think that is why l we need to use the leverage his face? i think that is why . we need to use the leverage of funding the federal government. i truly do. i think this is a large enough threat, national security, lives are at risk, we absolutely should be willing to shut down and not find the government if we cannot get president biden to implement the provisions of hr to which means keeping the books claiming some studies in mexico are waiting for humans and securing the border with balance of security measures that need to be built down there. ., ., , ., , there. you are prepared to shut there. you are prepared to shut the government _ there. you are prepared to shut the government down, - there. you are prepared to shut the government down, this - the government down, this funding is also tied up with funding is also tied up with funding and support for ukraine which we heard from president zelenskyy is almost out and thatis zelenskyy is almost out and that is badly needed for that

fight against russia. also funding for israel and the support the us has pledged they are. are you prepared to see that support not delivered on either? i that support not delivered on either? ., , ., ., either? i would tell you that the house _ either? i would tell you that the house of _ either? i would tell you that. the house of representatives set legislation over to the senate in the form of the department of defence bill and estate foreign operations appropriations bill that already provides around $3.6 billion worth of aid to israel in addition to that, we have already separately sent over a bill for $14.5 billion of aid to israel that we had taken from the irs. most of the people i represent feel that is a win—win. taking $40.5 billion from the irs that have been weaponised against the american people anyway and providing that additional funding for israel. no—one i talk to one is to provide any more funding for ukraine until our sovereign

borders are secure. and then even after that, we have to have a discussion about what those funds are going to be utilised for and what is the final goal. what is the mission in ukraine?— in ukraine? can you see any resolution — in ukraine? can you see any resolution to _ in ukraine? can you see any resolution to that _ in ukraine? can you see any resolution to that issue - in ukraine? can you see any i resolution to that issue based on what you are saying there, it would seem the two parties and president and yourselves and president and yourselves and the house are quite far apart. and the house are quite far a art. ~ ., , and the house are quite far aart. ~ . , ., apart. we are very far apart. if we are — apart. we are very far apart. if we are having _ apart. we are very far apart. if we are having discussion l if we are having discussion about a supplemental. a supplemental that president biden has been talking about. supplementalfunding package supplemental funding package that piles supplementalfunding package that piles together ukraine funding, sovereign border upon the coming israel aid funding and disaster relief funding for the any combination thereof is not going to pay the united states has of representative. we will leave that therefore the moment. thank you very much forjoining us. the moment. thank you very much forjoining us— forjoining us. thanks for havin: forjoining us. thanks for having me _ forjoining us. thanks for having me on. _ and one additional note: independent senator krysten sinema said on wednesday that senate

negotiators are �*closing in' on a bipartisan border security deal. but she added that there's still work left to do on any final package. around the world and across the uk, this is bbc news. let's look at a story making headlines in the uk. a teenage darts prodigy has seen his fairy—tale run to the world championship come upjust short. 16—year—old luke littler stunned the tournment by rising from a lowly 164th in the world to reach the finals. but he was ultimately defeated by world number—one luke humphries, by a score of seven—sets to four. the bbc�*s nick garnett has more now from the saint helen's darts academy, where littler trained since he was a boy. luke littler it is just 16 years old, he is still at school and cannot even alone to drive it and cannot even buy himself applied to commiserate but he's still the youngest player in the final anything

game's history. but what he has done to the game is a real legacy. he is putting new people but also he has brought people but also he has brought people here, more members, 90 orso people here, more members, 90 or so children coming every week to play and to try and beat their real hero. littler had been attempting to become the youngest—ever world darts champion. he still walks away with $250,000 in prize money for his efforts. you're live with bbc news. japan's government is stepping up its emergency response to monday's earthquake, which has killed at least 73 people. this is the coastal town of suzu in the noto peninsula, where the epicenter of the erathquake took place. the sheer force of the quake flattened homes and dumped boats in the streets. rescue teams continue to search collapsed houses. on wednesday, japan's prime minister fumio kishida announced plans to multiply the number of military and rescue personnel. however, the region continues to be rocked by aftershocks, which are complicating rescue efforts. wajima is a town close

to the epicentre of monday's earthquake. our correspondentjean mckenzie is there and has the latest. wajima is burnt and broken. it's taken us two days to reach this city, closest to the epicentre. these are the remnants of the town's market, which was filled with small wooden stalls. but when the earthquake hit, a fire broke out and spread instantly, wiping out this entire site, and firefighters are still having to comb through this smoldering rubble to check that the flames are fully extinguished. the town is devoid of people. the sound of alarms, crushed and activated in the quake, adds to the eeriness. it's not known if people are trapped inside these splintered homes. rescue teams have struggled to get here.

these search dogs only arrived here this morning. there has been a huge delay in searching for survivors, and the teams are now going one by one to each of these collapsed wooden houses to search for them. but they don't know if anyone is inside here. their searches aren't based on any information, they've told us. this resident has come to tell the rescuers she thinks her husband's aunt is inside. translation: she's 95 and can't move much. l we've looked in all the evacuation centres but can't find her. but the dog can't get far enough in. the team must move on. time is too critical. here, some certainty — there is a woman inside, but alive? they don't know. the window to find people is closing. jean mackenzie, bbc news, and wajima injapan.

separately, japanese authorities say a coastguard aircraft involved in a fatal collision at tokyo's haneda airport, was not cleared for take—off. the smaller plane collided with a japan airlines passengerjet, on the runway on tuesday. newly—released air traffic control transcripts shows the japan airlines flight was cleared to land. all 379 passengers and crew on board the passengerjet were safely evacuated, but five coastguard crew members were killed in the fiery crash. let's turn to some important news around the world. donald trump has asked the us supreme court to intervene over his disqualification from the colorado primary ballot. last month the state's highest court concluded that the former president engaged in an insurrection before and during the january 6th capitol riots. as a result, he should not be eligible for the ballot. mr trump has also challenged a similar exclusion from the state ballot in maine.

the woman who appeared in a famous photograph of a couple kissing on a street in paris, has died aged 93. francoise bornet was featured in the kiss by the hotel de ville, taken in 1950 by photographer robert doisneau. the black—and—white picture became a huge commercial success in the 1980s. however, it also prompted a legal row after other couples claimed to be featured in the photo. in what's thought to be the biggest prisoner exchange of the nearly two—year war, russia and ukraine have swapped hundreds of captives. the russian defence ministry says 248 prisoners of war, held by ukraine, have been returned. ukrainian said 230 ukrainian prisoners were released by russia. the countries have exchanged prisoners several times over the course of the war. both sides said the united arab emirates mediated the latest exchange. the number of ukrainian civilians killed since russia's full—scale invasion in february 2022 has risen to more than 10,000. our senior international

correspondent orla guerin tells the story of two young women, both civilians, killed last summer in zaphorizhiya. in the heart of kyiv, pride of place goes to those who died defending ukraine. grigori comes to show his wife some of his fallen comrades. there are many. "he was a poet," he tells her. "and he was a banker." "the country has lost all these people," he says, "they were the best of ukraine, the bravest, "maybe the most heroic." and ukraine has lost voices of the future, like kristina and svitlana.

this was in august in the city of zaporizhzhia. "our last song will be for her son," says kristina, who was 21. 20 minutes later, both were dead. they were having a rest at a playground around the corner, when a russian rocket slammed to earth. kristina's mother, halyna spitsyna, doesn't know how to live without her. translation: you don't| know what plans to make for tomorrow. sometimes you are able to smile. but then you remember that she can't smile any more. i can't explain it.

it's as if you have died, but can still speak. svitlana's family inhabit their own universe of grief. father yurii siemieikin, mother anna and 12—year—old sister sasha. "i live in my own world," she says. "i feel safer now because i feel that svita "is always with me." yurii tells me svitlana, who was 18, was musicalfrom childhood and wrote her own songs. he heard the explosion here at home and rushed to look for her. translation: police . brought me to the place, and i saw what i saw.

svitlana was lying on the ground in front of me. how is it possible in the 21st century to do something like this, completely unprovoked? i don't know. kristina and svitlana lie buried side by side. they sang to raise funds for troops and civilians and to raise morale. halyna finds cold comfort at the graveside. translation: you come - here to see or hear something.

the winds blows and you think it's the soul of your child hugging you. her child and so many more are gone, killed on and off the battlefield. the hope of ukraine filling early graves. orla guerin, bbc news, zaporizhzhia. tetris is a game of geometry, and speed, and can be quite addictive, so the news that a 13—year—old here in the us has beaten the game, comes as a shock to amateurs and experts alike. willis gibson posted a video on his youtube channel of the moment he reached level 157, causing the game to crash. it only took the 13—year—old only 38 minutes to beat the game. there is a challenge. thank you for watching. we will be back

with more. stay with us on bbc news. take care. hello there. we're only a few days into the new month, but already, some spots in eastern england have seen more than half their averagejanuary rainfall. and there's potentially more wet weather to come, too, in the forecast before things tend to settle down into the weekend, and it will turn drier. but plenty of flood alerts, flood warnings still in place. keep up to date with those on the bbc weather website, and of course, on your local bbc radio station, too. now, this is the pressure chart for thursday — low pressure still centred out towards the north—west of scotland. still a brisk southeasterly wind with more rain for the northern isles, and some more rain heading towards the south of england, too. more on that in just a moment. temperatures to start off thursday morning above freezing — 4—7 celsius north to south. there'll be more showers across the far north of scotland into the northern isles, also for western scotland, with a few showers heading across northern ireland into north—west england. more sunshine further south, but it's this area of rain that is of most concern. it will be falling on pretty saturated ground,

and that band of rain will be pushing further northwards as we head through the afternoon. this is how we'll end the afternoon, between around 7—10 celsius. that rain set to push further northward. still some debate as to how far north it will eventually get, but it's likely to bring us some strong, gusty winds towards the south coast as it curls off towards east anglia — of course, all unhelpfully timed with the evening rush hour — so do expect more problems, particularly where we've seen the recent flooding. but friday is happily a much quieter day of weather, that low pressure starts to move away. we've still got a legacy of cloud and some rain towards eastern coastal areas, as we head through friday morning. there'll still be some showers, too, across parts of aberdeenshire, heading towards the northern isles, and a good scattering of showers out towards those western coasts, but plenty of sunshine around. the winds will be lighter, and the temperatures will be a little lower, too, 6—9 celsius. and then, as we head through the weekend, the high pressure starts to build in.

it will become quite firmly established across the uk, and should stick around into next week, but of course, as the jet stream dips southwards, we're also going be drawing in much colder—feeling air, so there will be a drop in temperature. so feeling colder, turning dry, though, with some frost and fog through the mornings. bye—bye for now.

inflation fears mount as attacks in the red sea continue. wall street braces for the federal reserve's first 2024 meeting later this month. plus, what if it took you three hours to get to work every day? a special report on how people deal with long commutes. hello and welcome to asia business report. i'm steve lai. we begin the programme this hour with news about the us federal reserve. because investors hoping for a quick interest rate cut from america's central bank may be disappointed. discussions about a timetable for lowering rates were absent from minutes from their last meeting but it did show fed officials believing further hikes are off the table

as inflation cools. from new york, our north america business