we've a special report about tackling a painful condition that up to half of all women will experience at some point in their lives. the path is there somewhere. and walkers�* frustrations at finding blocked across the country. and coming up in sportsday later in the hour on bbc news. with the australian open starting on sunday, great britain's jack draper is in good form. he has reached the adelaide international final. hello, and welcome to the bbc news at one. britain and the united states have launched strikes against houthi rebels in yemen overnight — in response to a number of attacks on ships in the red sea.

four raf typhoon fighter jets took part in the raids, along with us navyjets — officials said they targeted 16 sites, including in the capital city sa na'a. rishi sunak called the strikes "necessary and proportionate" in order to protect global shipping. houthi leaders said five people were killed, and threatened to retaliate. we'll have more in a moment about the impact that the houthi attacks have been having on trade and consumer prices. but first, here's our defence correspondentjonathan beale with the story of what happened overnight. these strikes were led and coordinated by the us. last night dozens of jets coordinated by the us. last night dozens ofjets launched from an american carrier already in the red sea. the scene of recent tensions. their targets, sea. the scene of recent tensions. theirtargets, houthi sea. the scene of recent tensions. their targets, houthi rebels in yemen who had been launching their own attacks on merchant shipping. they had been warned to stop or face

consequences. president biden said the strikes were in direct response to unprecedented houthi attacks against international maritime vessels in the red sea, including the use of sophisticated anti—ship missiles for the first time. britain was one of the few other nations to directly take part. a more limited contribution, four raf typhoons flying from cyprus, loaded with guided bombs. it took them several hours to reach their targets in yemen. it is clear this type of behaviour cannot be met without a response, we need to send a strong signal this breaks international law. people cannot act like this and that is why we have decided to take this action. houthi rebels in yemen backed by iran have already scared off trade through one of the busiest sea links. notjust boarding ships but targeting them with armed drones and

missiles. they say it is in response to the israel attack in gaza and in support of palestinians. in reality it is risking a wider conflict. the us and uk say their goal has only been to reduce tensions. the targets they say only military, houthi radars, drone and missile sites and command centres. this footage from one of the two raf strikes. fist command centres. this footage from one of the two raf strikes.— one of the two raf strikes. at this sta . e it is one of the two raf strikes. at this stage it is an _ one of the two raf strikes. at this stage it is an initial— one of the two raf strikes. at this stage it is an initial battle - one of the two raf strikes. at this stage it is an initial battle damage | stage it is an initial battle damage assessment which would indicate both targets— assessment which would indicate both targets were successfully destroyed. the houthi who controlled a large chunk of yemen claimed several civilians were also killed. they also say they won't back down. iran and russia have condemned the us led strikes. they may have destroyed some of the houthi's arsenal but not

their willingness to strike. hence president biden says he won't hesitate to do it again. jonathan beale, bbc news. well, as we've heard, the recent houthi attacks have caused huge disruption to global shipping and trade. with more on the impact of that, our chief economics correspondent dharshini david is with me. this is happening 3,000 miles away — but the red sea is one of the most crucial shipping routes 7 transporting 15% of traded goods, typically from east to west. 90% of our imports in the uk come by sea, typically non—perishables from energy to furniture. already, as vessels faced attack, many major shipping firms have diverted to this route. it takes ten days longer, adding $1 million to the average container ship's fuel costs. in germany, tesla has halted some production as components are held up. 0n the high street, next and ikea

have warned of delays. but this is happening after the christmas rush, consumers will notice less disruption — and even if costs are passed on, the impact will be relatively small. but 13% of crude oil also travels by this route. the price of crude is up overnight but it remains below where it was last autumn. and if the conflict escalates, there are worries about potential interruptions to shipments of liquid gas, but we are currently well stocked, and any impact on energy bills would not be felt for several months. so, while this is not derailing our prosperity yet, that unrest in the red sea — if it is prolonged and escalates — could threaten growth and declining inflation at a time when the economy is already quite fragile. thank you. dharshini david. 0ur political correspondent iain watson is in westminster.

what's the mood among mps about what happened overnight? we know the cabinet are supportive, they were consulted last night, as was the labour leadership. parliament as a whole won't get a say until monday when the prime minister makes a statement and mps will not get a vote because the military action has already concluded. some opposition parties, the snp, plaid cymru and the liberal democrats said the principle of consultation is important and parliament should have been recalled before the action was taken. some on the labour left simply opposed the military action outright morning this will set the region alight. to reassure them number 10 has published the legal advice, at least a summary, and it says military intervention to strike carefully identified targets was taken and the uk is permitted to use force when

acting in self defence. rishi sunak would say this is self defence because of threats to merchant vessels. 0ne former conservative minister has been asking where this is going and warning of the risks of as getting into something which we might not like to see. i don't think any further action at the moment is imminent, nonetheless at least the hopein imminent, nonetheless at least the hope in westminster is that this marks the end rather than the beginning of a new conflict with the houthis. 0ur political correspondent iain watson. the uk is to give £2.5 billion of military aid to ukraine over the coming year — britain's largest annual commitment to the country since the russian invasion two years ago. the prime minister made the announcement during a rare visit to kyiv where he's also expected to sign an agreement supporting ukraine's long term security. 0ur diplomatic correspondent james landale is travelling with rishi sunak.

0vernight and by train amid tight security, rishi sunak and his team arrived in ukraine. 0nly his second visit as prime minister but the first world leader here this year. he came to see for himself the destruction being wrought by russia's renewed attacks on kyiv. he spoke to local people about the impact of the missiles and drones. more of which were getting through ukraine's weakened air defences. what this country needs is more military support, that is what the prime minister promised. i am leased prime minister promised. i am pleased to _ prime minister promised. i am pleased to be _ prime minister promised. i am pleased to be here _ prime minister promised. i am pleased to be here today - prime minister promised. i —n pleased to be here today to announce an increase in the aid we are providing, the aid we have in place already runs through to the early part of this year so we are acting in advance of that expiring with more, representing our determination to stand with ukraine. his new commitment, larger than previous years, will focus on providing long—range missiles, air

defence and artillery, with £200 million spent on thousands of drones, most built in the uk. is the purpose of this military aid to help ukraine defeat russia or survive the year? the to help ukraine defeat russia or survive the year?— to help ukraine defeat russia or survive the year? the purpose is to make sure — survive the year? the purpose is to make sure ukraine _ survive the year? the purpose is to make sure ukraine can _ survive the year? the purpose is to make sure ukraine can keep - survive the year? the purpose is to make sure ukraine can keep its - make sure ukraine can keep its people safe and regained its freedom and sovereignty. rishi people safe and regained its freedom and sovereignty-— and sovereignty. rishi sunak has come here _ and sovereignty. rishi sunak has come here not— and sovereignty. rishi sunak has come here not only _ and sovereignty. rishi sunak has come here not only to _ and sovereignty. rishi sunak has come here not only to see - and sovereignty. rishi sunak has come here not only to see the i come here not only to see the devastation himself but promise ukraine more support, to show british leadership while america and europe hesitate. but the new money is only for one year and is being promised later than some mps wanted. thank you for all your support. you will keep having our support. ukraine — will keep having our support. ukraine place _ will keep having our support. ukraine place leaders - will keep having our support. ukraine place leaders will. will keep having our support. ukraine place leaders will be| ukraine place leaders will be grateful for the support and for rishi sunak�*s presents, a reminder to the world while their eyes may be on the middle east the people of ukraine are still facing an existential threat from russia that has gone away.

james landale, bbc news. a mother and her now ex—boyfriend have been sentenced to life in prison for murdering her 18—month—old son. alfie phillips died in november 2020 with more than 70 visible wounds, and traces of cocaine in his body. his mother sian hedges was told she'll serve a minimum term of 19 years, and jack benham of 23 years. let's get more from our correspondent duncan kennedy at maidstone crown court. this has been an extremely upsetting case and at the heart of it alfie phillips, just 18 months old, who died at the hands of his own mother and her then boyfriend, what the judge described as a frenzied attack. he said the pain and fear alfie must have suffered is almost unimaginable. i should warn you some of the details in my report you might find distressing. "a shining light who will

always be in our hearts." the words used by alfie phillips' family after the toddler was killed by those who were supposed to care for him. they were his own mother, sian hedges, and her boyfriend, jack benham, who inflicted what the police called a wicked attack on the boy. that attack happened here, near faversham in kent, during the second lockdown in november 2020. it took place in this caravan. alfie suffered more than 70 injuries, including multiple broken bones, and was found with traces of cocaine in his body. sian hedges protested her innocence when police arrested her. i haven't done anything. it may harm your defence if you do not mention, i when questioned, something - which you later rely on in court... jack benham also denied involvement. no, no, no, you can't arrest me. what about sian? later, benham tried to explain to police how alfie came to have human bite marks on him. i was holding him like this,

so it would have been somewhere around here. literally, i wasjust screaming in his head. in court, sian hedges and jack benham blamed each other for alfie's death. but a jury found them both guilty of murder, and today they were sentenced. you, jack benham, were the prime mover in the assaults. you, sian hedges, played a secondary role. but as i have said, you are at least to some extent a participant in the assaults. you certainly bit alfie. and furthermore, you encouraged and assisted jack benham in his assaults. you were alfie's mother, and he deserved your protection. in a statement released earlier, alfie's family said, "they have never shown any remorse for what they did, and we will never know the truth about what happened to alfie. alfie was so cruelly taken from us that day. every day we are hurting." alfie's family also say only their memories of him and keep

them going on their darkest of days. duncan kennedy, bbc news, in maidstone. israel has called on the international court ofjustice to reject the case, brought by south africa, alleging that it's committing genocide in gaza. 0n the second and final day of hearings at the un's highest court, israel's foreign ministry said south africa had presented a profoundly distorted picture of the situation. 0ur europe correspondent anna holligan is at the hague. explain the significance of this? israel has accused south africa of weaponising the term genocide and trivialising the genocide convention itself. the legal team for israel outlined the atrocities committed by hamas on october the 7th and said israel was acting in self defence in

response to what it described as the largest calculated mass murder of dues since the holocaust and had made efforts to protect and preserve civilian lives. you may be able to hear there are hundreds of people supporting the palestinians, waving flags outside the international court. there are israeli supporters here and they have been showing photographs of some of the people who are still being held hostage by hamas in gaza. there is an unprecedented media and public interest in this case, partly because it is happening in real—time. this is not retrospective justice. there is a sense of events here can have an impact on the ground. so any interim ruling by the court is likely within a matter of

weeks. then it will probably be years before a full ruling is given on the fundamental merits of this entire genocide case. 0ur europe correspondent anna holligan. our top story this afternoon. the uk and the us launch strikes in yemen in retaliation for houthi attacks on international global shipping routes. coming up — the end of computer passwords? we find out what alternatives tech firms are excited about. coming up on sportsday in the next 15 minutes on bbc news. we'll hear from the newcastle manager eddie howe and why they could be selling more players than they buy in this transfer window. now, they are rarely spoken about, but pelvic health conditions are more common than probably most of us realise. about1 in 12 women in the uk report

symptoms of pelvic organ prolapse, and it's believed that up to half of all women are affected at some point in their life. it means millions of women are living with symptoms including pain and incontinence. researchers say that embarrassment and a lack of awareness are stopping people from asking for help. 0ur correspondent ellie price has been finding out more. natasha is 24. she hasn't had any children. it makes her case of prolapse unusual, but not unheard of. i first noticed my prolapse symptoms when i was around the age of 18. i was living at uni, and i noticed when i went to the toilet, a bulge was coming out of my vagina. she now wants to raise awareness for other women and encourage them to seek help quickly if they think they have a problem. so, i left it for about a year and a half before i finally went to the doctor. and over that time, my prolapse

symptoms actually got a lot worse, and they were impacting me even more, and i finally decided to show a picture to my mum and ask, you know, "is this normal? is this something that you experienced?" and she said, "no, it's not." the organs in a woman's pelvis are held in place by ligaments and muscles known as the pelvic floor. if it becomes stretched or weakened, then one or more of the organs can move downwards, leading to a bulge that can be felt inside or outside of the vagina. this could be the womb, bladder, bowel, or the top of the vagina. the main people who are affected by prolapse are women who have had a vaginal delivery. and the more babies you have and the bigger they are, the more likely you are to have stretched your vagina walls and also to have stretched your pelvic floor. but it is notjust women who have had babies? no, we also see men who have got weak pelvic floors, too, and it can affect their urinary

and sexual function, as well. i started the squeeze along to try and engage with peoplejust to raise awareness of pelvic floor exercises. doing the right exercises can alleviate symptoms and even stop prolapse in the first place. 40% of people will likely do it wrong. and the biggest errors usually i see in clinic are people trying too hard. natashja is also keen to show off what she can do and help others realise they are not alone. ellie price, bbc news. you can watch more about this on bbc iplayer now, just search my prolapse and me. the uk economy grew by more than expected in november, according to new official figures. the office for national statistics said the economy grew by 0.3%, after falling the month before. it was driven by the services sector, including a boost to retail from the black friday sales.

0ur economics correspondent andy verity is with me. what are we to make of these latest figures? it what are we to make of these latest fiaures? ,., , what are we to make of these latest fiaures? , ., , ., , figures? it sounds initially really ubeat. figures? it sounds initially really unbeat- we _ figures? it sounds initially really upbeat. we are _ figures? it sounds initially really upbeat. we are all _ figures? it sounds initially really upbeat. we are all looking - figures? it sounds initially really upbeat. we are all looking for. figures? it sounds initially really i upbeat. we are all looking for good news at the moment, let's face it. at 0.3% growth in november, growth in gross domestic product, the value of all the goods and services we produce, every haircut, every car made, if you look at the value of all of that, it grew by 0.3%. you have got to remember it is only over one month. within that, you saw every sector grow, services grew, production, manufacturing. construction didn't. but it is only one month. the problem with one month numbers as they can wobble around. if you have a rainy day or a few strikes, it can flatten or depress the numbers. you cannot rely on them too much. if you look at the three month number, you get a slightly less upbeat, slightly more realistic picture. 0ver slightly less upbeat, slightly more

realistic picture. over three months, economic activity shrank by a fifth of a percentage point, which is slightly worse than economists were expecting. 0n the consumer side of things, where consumers are really feeling the pinch right now, consumer facing services are well below where they were, 6% below where they were pre—pandemic. it is a very mixed picture. 0ver where they were pre—pandemic. it is a very mixed picture. over three months, a slightly more sobering picture. months, a slightly more sobering icture. �* , ., months, a slightly more sobering icture. , ., ., ., months, a slightly more sobering icture, , ., ., ., �* , picture. andy, thanks for now. andy veri . there's been a 30 fold increase in the number of cases of measles across europe. the world health organization say there was 30,000 confirmed cases in 2023. cases across the uk have also risen. the west midlands are seeing its highest number for at least 30 years. it's thought the increase is due to a drop in uptake of the vaccination. the inquiry into the horizon it scandal has turned its attention to the failure by the post office to hand over documents to the inquiry team on time. 700 subpostmasters were convicted after the faulty software made it

look as if money was missing from their branches. 0ur correspondent zoe conway is at the public inquiry. tell us what you've been hearing this morning. well, today's hearing has been dried, it has been technical, but it has also been important because it has also been important because it has been about the failure of the post office to deliver evidence to this inquiry on time. a lawyer acting for the post office, chris jackson, apologised for those delays. what we have been hearing in the last few minutes is that this is very much still a live issue. in the last few days, the post office has yet again failed to deliver evidence to this inquiry on time. in terms of how serious all of this is, the chair of the inquiry, sir wyn williams, has already threatened the post office with criminal sanctions,

which could include imprisonment, if they do not provide the evidence that the inquiry needs to do its job. what the post office is saying is that they have got quite a difficult task on their hands because they have got to wade through, they say, 70 million documents. what today's hearing is really trying to get to the bottom of it is what plans the post office has in place to speed up these evidence disclosures. i5 has in place to speed up these evidence disclosures.- evidence disclosures. is way conway there at the inquiry. _ evidence disclosures. is way conway there at the inquiry. thank - evidence disclosures. is way conway there at the inquiry. thank you. --| there at the inquiry. thank you. —— zoe conway. making his first major speech as party leader in what is expected to be a general election year, the snp's humza yousaf said it marks a "huge opportunity for scotland". mr yousaf said votes for labour are effectively votes against scottish independence. he also said he aims to "wipe the tories from scotland's electoral map". we didn't vote for this tory government. austerity and cuts. we didn't vote for brexit. we didn't vote to leave the world's largest trading bloc.

we didn't vote for the disastrous mini budget. constant attacks on social security. we didn't vote for the hostile environment on immigration. yet every single one of these disastrous decisions and more has weakened scotland's economy, damaged our public services, and led to the cost of living going through the roof. walkers wanting to enjoy the network of footpaths in the countryside are being obstructed in nearly 32,000 places across england and wales, according to a bbc investigation. it found councils had 4,000 more problems on public rights of way last year than the year before. campaigners say the figures show growing neglect of footpaths. local authorities said lack of funding limits what they can do. 0ur rural affairs correspondent claire marshall reports. a winter walk in the tamar valley in cornwall.

but our path is soon blocked. we can't get much further than this. so, it would go through here? yep, straight through there, yeah. landowners have a duty to keep paths clear, but the ultimate responsibility rests with the local authority. the council don't have the resources. but that is not an excuse because they have a statutory duty to do this. i feel there is just such a sense of injustice. i want this to be here for my children, for future generations. cornwall council says it is committed to protecting access across the region, but that it must work with limited resources. ramblers are recording problems all over the place. the path is there somewhere. i found the footpath, _ but i don't think i'm going to be getting through this on a butterfly walk. | another blockage just when i thought i was almost back on the road. using freedom of information

requests, we have found out that there are problems across the entire network stopping us from fully enjoying the countryside. there are nearly 32,000 blockages or obstructions on the footpath network that need dealing with. that is over 4,000 more access issues than the year before. access campaigners say our figures show a shocking abuse and neglect of the public path network. local councils say they are doing their best and working closely with local volunteers, like here in monmouthshire. the task is getting more urgent. the way the climate is changing is exacerbating the problems. the undergrowth is growing much faster than it has done in the past, so it is not getting trodden back in the same way. we are finding that the structures themselves are also being eroded by the high rainfall, which again is causing problems. this team is doing what it can, but it is clear that our

deteriorating footpath network needs more support. so it is not all bad news. i am in the rural market town of bradford—on—avon. this has got a really good footpath network. to show you what one looks like, here is a great sign to show you where you are going, and here is a gate thatis you are going, and here is a gate that is open. 0ften you are going, and here is a gate that is open. often in our investigations we can see that these sorts of dates were kept closed. just over a year, this is what farmers who encourage access onto their land do, they do not plant crops along the line of the path so that you can see the gap. that allows good access was stop as our investigation found, there are real issues. local councils have many competing priorities. how high on a priority list should this be? campaigners have said to us that everybody should have access to places like this. the important for our physical and also mental health

are so key, everybody should work together to ensure that, whoever you are, you should be able to come to places like this and enjoy it. back to you, jane. thank you so much. draft scripts of two friends episodes — filmed here in the uk — have just fetched £22,000 at auction this morning. the season four finale drafts were recovered from a bin in 1998 by a staff member at studios in wembley — where the iconic two—parter the one with ross's wedding was filmed. in the last few moments, it's been confirmed the former radio1 dj annie nightingale has died at the age of 83. she was an iconic name on bbc radio 1 where she became the station's first ever female presenter in 1970. david sillito looks back at her life.

annie nightingale on bbc radio 1. there was a lot of expectation about it, i there was a lot of expectation about it. i guess — there was a lot of expectation about it. lguess i— there was a lot of expectation about it, i guess. iwas there was a lot of expectation about it, i guess. i was the first female. i had _ it, i guess. i was the first female. i had not — it, i guess. i was the first female. i had not ever done a live show before — i had not ever done a live show before it — i had not ever done a live show before. it was a very steep learning curve _ before. it was a very steep learning curve. ~ ., ., ., ., . curve. when radio one launched, there were _ curve. when radio one launched, there were no _ curve. when radio one launched, there were no women _ curve. when radio one launched, l there were no women presenters. curve. when radio one launched, i there were no women presenters. it is two o'clock in the morning any club _ is two o'clock in the morning any club in _ is two o'clock in the morning any club in bristol. they are finished for the _ club in bristol. they are finished for the night, they are packed up and ready— for the night, they are packed up and ready to go. a for the night, they are packed up and ready to 90-— and ready to go. a young music “ournalist and ready to go. a young music journalist called _ and ready to go. a young music journalist called annie - and ready to go. a young music i journalist called annie nightingale was furious. i journalist called annie nightingale was furious. ~ , journalist called annie nightingale was furious-— was furious. i think they thought, we have to _ was furious. i think they thought, we have to have _ was furious. i think they thought, we have to have one. _ was furious. i think they thought, we have to have one. who - was furious. i think they thought, we have to have one. who do i was furious. i think they thought, we have to have one. who do we | was furious. i think they thought, i we have to have one. who do we know? and so _ we have to have one. who do we know? and so i— we have to have one. who do we know? and so i became the token women. and she and so i became the token women. she stayed for and so i became the token women. situc she stayed for more than and so i became the token women. fific she stayed for more than 40 years. what made her really stand out was that, even in her 70s, her taste in music hasn't aged. fat that, even in her 70s, her taste in music hasn't aged.—

music hasn't aged. fat boy slim live! for some _ music hasn't aged. fat boy slim live! for some reason _ music hasn't aged. fat boy slim live! for some reason for i music hasn't aged. fat boy slim live! for some reason for me, l live! for some reason for me, interesting _ live! for some reason for me, interesting new music, the undiscovered, underground, seeing it, undiscovered, underground, seeing it. nurturing — undiscovered, underground, seeing it, nurturing it, really. she undiscovered, underground, seeing it, nurturing it, really.— it, nurturing it, really. she was 17 when she decided _ it, nurturing it, really. she was 17 when she decided to _ it, nurturing it, really. she was 17 when she decided to a _ it, nurturing it, really. she was 17 when she decided to a journalist. | when she decided to a journalist. she put a drop in brighton where she got to interview the beatles and became one of the first music journalist on fleet street. saumaki do not mind _ journalist on fleet street. saumaki do not mind the _ journalist on fleet street. saumaki do not mind the lack— journalist on fleet street. saumaki do not mind the lack of— journalist on fleet street. saumaki do not mind the lack of money i journalist on fleet street. saumaki do not mind the lack of money at l journalist on fleet street. saumaki l do not mind the lack of money at the moment? in do not mind the lack of money at the moment? ., , do not mind the lack of money at the moment? . , ., ., moment? in the largely all-male world of rock, _ moment? in the largely all-male world of rock, she _ moment? in the largely all-male world of rock, she was _ moment? in the largely all-male| world of rock, she was something moment? in the largely all-male i world of rock, she was something of a pioneer. in the late 70s, she helped drag the old grey whistle test into a new era. more than 30 years later, she was still at the turntables. her passion for the new, the undiscovered as young as ever. annie nightingale, who has died at the age of 83. 0ne one more story to tell you about

before the weather. a small fossil museum in dorset has seen its visitor numbers skyrocket — after the skull of this huge sea monster was put on display — a two—metre long pliosaur — lived over 150 million years ago — and featured in a bbc film with david attenborough. as of yesterday, the etches collection in kimmeridge said it had received nearly 4,900 visitors — almost ten times their usual number for the whole of january. time for a look at the weather. here's helen willetts. thank you. it has been called, hasn't it, this week? it is going to get colder still from sunday onwards. why? a renewed surge of arctic air blasting down from the north will stop stronger winds and a greater risk of snow. i will come back to that. it has been cold enough anyway, we have already seen these frosty scenes in

aberdeenshire. generally speaking, it has not