procedures. there are also fewer staff available. _ procedures. there are also fewer staff available. a _ procedures. there are also fewer staff available. a simple - procedures. there are also fewer i staff available. a simple tachograph goes over the tummy and in these cases we heard tonight at least two of these cases, they were not monitored properly. we of these cases, they were not monitored properly.— of these cases, they were not monitored properly. we have really aood monitored properly. we have really good policies. _ monitored properly. we have really good policies, excellent _ monitored properly. we have really good policies, excellent technically| good policies, excellent technically evidence—based guidelines in this country but the implementation of these policies hasn't been so solid. a key thing is continuity of care. these breakdowns in communication and in passing information on, stop not having the time to understand the possible risks. it not having the time to understand the possible risks.— the possible risks. it must be incredibly _ the possible risks. it must be incredibly stressful _ the possible risks. it must be incredibly stressful for - the possible risks. it must be i incredibly stressful for midwives when there is such a shortage but the key thing is the cqc were talking about, leadership, laughing and communication. these are all fundamental to good care. —— staffing. you heard fiona say that nurses said some babies just died.

even the idea of the manner of people that are dealing with maternity services. i people that are dealing with maternity services.- people that are dealing with maternity services. i think one of the issues _ maternity services. i think one of the issues is _ maternity services. i think one of the issues is that _ maternity services. i think one of the issues is that some - maternity services. i think one of the issues is that some changesl maternity services. i think one of. the issues is that some changes in the issues is that some changes in the organisation of care that have taken place over the last decade or so have actually encouraged services to be more defensive. we have heard time and again about the importance of listening to parents and staff as well, whistle—blowers, staff who raise concerns about staffing or the occasional poor practice as we do hear about, occasional poor practice as we do hearabout, but occasional poor practice as we do hear about, but services have become more focused i think on defending the institution in some cases rather than being refocused on the care. we have to look at the care system and how changes in the system have actually shaped things in a way that is quite unhelpful. what actually shaped things in a way that is quite unhelpful.— is quite unhelpful. what you say is that maternity _ is quite unhelpful. what you say is that maternity is _ is quite unhelpful. what you say is that maternity is unlike _ is quite unhelpful. what you say is that maternity is unlike any - is quite unhelpful. what you say is that maternity is unlike any other| that maternity is unlike any other service in the health service. i service in the health service. i think it is quite specific because

as you have heard people can have normal pregnancies, you are a healthy population but complications can arise and they can be very acute. so you need, continuity is so important, the ability to understand people's background and to pass on messages. we have seen these reports time and again about communication as well as leadership and that goes for all levels, communication with parents and between staff, messages being passed on. the parents and between staff, messages being passed on— being passed on. the baby was charity sands — being passed on. the baby was charity sands said _ being passed on. the baby was charity sands said sometimes i being passed on. the baby was - charity sands said sometimes baby who died during pregnancy or shortly after birth there is sometimes worse care during two ethnicity.— care during two ethnicity. there is substantial _ care during two ethnicity. there is substantial evidence _ care during two ethnicity. there is substantial evidence of _ care during two ethnicity. there is substantial evidence of inequality | substantial evidence of inequality and outcomes and there is suboptimal care in the cases of many women. it is very complex because you have also got a range of people who are

coming in with more vulnerability, more disadvantages. there are communication issues.- more disadvantages. there are communication issues. would you like a national review? _ communication issues. would you like a national review? i— communication issues. would you like a national review? i think— communication issues. would you like a national review? i think we - communication issues. would you like a national review? i think we need - a national review? i think we need one that also _ a national review? i think we need one that also looks _ a national review? i think we need one that also looks at _ a national review? i think we need one that also looks at where - one that also looks at where services are getting things right because we have many excellent maternity services and we have seen a whole series of safety reports, some of the findings haven't been invented very well and we also need to look at where it is working well and what is it they are doing right. thank you. that's all from us tonight. victoria's back tomorrow. until then, goodbye.

breaking news from around the world 24 breaking news from around the world 2a hours a day. this is bbc news. like yasmin rashid, now running her campaign from prison, charged with inciting violence on the 9th of may that she denies. her husband of 55 years visits her most days. it's nine months now. it's...not easy, i tell you, especially for our children who are not in pakistan. for them, it's a torture. her brother—in—law has been organising her campaign. you know, our people have been sometimes removed from the scene, sometimes at night their houses are being raided. we are not being provided a fair level playing field. the authorities deny any campaign against the party, calling the allegations baseless and absurd. many see a repeat pattern in pakistan's politics. ms rashid is running to win a seat from the three time prime

minister nawaz sharif. his party is now seen to be the one in favour. he was in prison last election when khan won. on the eve of the elections, pakistan is facing questions about its future. many fear the result will still not answer them. caroline davis, bbc news, lahore. around the world and across the uk. this is bbc news. bbc news bringing you different stories from across the uk. a couple from manchester with a special place in their hearts for cumbria. secondhome owners like howard and mandy are due to get clobbered with a doubling of council tax from next april. we tried to put as much as we can into the community and to be involved in the local area when we're here. so we don'tjust come and sort of bring all our stuff and then go. a short drive away, don says villages in the above derwent parish have seen a dramatic rise in second homes, and he thinks second home owners

should pay more council tax. in this parish, we have a lot of holiday lets also and this is having a knock on effect of young people being able to afford a house to live in the area. cumberland council says the second home council tax premium would still raise £5 million, some of which could be used to tackle the housing crisis in beauty spots like this. for more stories from across the uk, head to the bbc news website. you're live with bbc news. in the uk the prince of wales has spoken publicly for the first time since the king was diagnosed with cancer. prince william thanked the well—wishers as he arrived at a charity gala dinner in central london. our royal correspondent daniela relph was there — a warning there are flashing images in her report. returning to royal duty — tonight the prince of wales was at a fundraising dinner for the london air ambulance. and a first comment

from prince william to the bbc during what is a challenging time for the royal family. your royal highness, how grateful are you for the public support you've received in recent weeks? i really appreciate all the messages, thank you. prince william is a former air ambulance pilot himself, so this evening's event had personal meaning to him. and there was a touch of top gun glamour, too. tom cruise, the star guest, and another experienced pilot in the room. the prince gave a speech to guests at the fundraiser, his first since his wife had surgery and news of his father's cancer diagnosis was made public. i'd like to take this opportunity to say thank you also for the kind messages of support for catherine and for my father, especially in recent days. it means a great deal to us all. it's fair to say the past few weeks have had a rather medical focus, so i thought i'd come to an air ambulance function to get away from it all. laughter.

while one prince was on public duty, the other, who arrived yesterday, is already on his way home. prince harry spent around 45 minutes with his father at clarence house after the king's cancer diagnosis. he didn't meet his brother, prince william, during his flying visit to the uk. the king is now on his sandringham estate in norfolk, away from the public gaze, where he'll spend much of the coming weeks. in the commons today, there was support for the royal family. i know the thoughts of the house and the country are with the king and his family. we wish his majesty a speedy recovery and look forward to him resuming his public facing duties in due course. prince william's first engagement back earlier today was at an investiture at windsor castle. amongst those being honoured, the former lioness ellen white, england's record goal—scorer. that's two engagements done today, but the prince of wales's return to public duty will be a steady one. there are gaps in the royal diary with the king unwell,

but the priority for prince william is supporting his wife through her recovery after surgery. it was a glamorous end to the prince of wales's first day back on royal duty. not all engagements are as glitzy as this one, but with the king and the princess of wales stepping back, the royal family needs the profile and the pull of prince william. daniela relph, bbc news, central london. this weekend marks the start of the lunar new year, and millions across the world are gearing up for celebrations. the holiday sets off the "largest annual human migration", as millions in china travel to their home towns. however, snowstorms and freezing rain have disrupted transportation in large parts of the country — potentially ruining plans for many. simijolaoso has more. saturday marks the lunar new year, which is the beginning of a new year

in the lunar and lunisolar calendar. it's also known as the spring festival, and it's celebrated by millions across the world and in countries like singapore, thailand, vietnam, japan and china. streets are illuminated with grand, colourful displays. in fact, in indonesia, displays have already been set up to usher in this year of the dragon. in china, the 15 day holiday creates what many call the largest annual human migration, and that's because millions will be making journeys to their hometowns in order to celebrate with theirfamilies. it's estimated that 480 million journeys are set to be made this year. that's 40% higher than last year. however, it's proving very difficult, and that's because of the weather conditions, particularly in southern and central parts of china, where there's been freezing rain and snow storms. take a look at this.

motorists stuck on the highway. flights and trains have been cancelled. people have been stuck at railway stations as well as in trains themselves because of power lines being cut. in fact, the chinese weather service has said that this has been the worst winter weather since 2008. and 255 cities across the country has seen their average daily temperatures drop below zero degrees. that's far colder than in previous years. the national broadcaster has said that the central government allocated ilii million, that's around $20 million towards snow being removed from major roads and highways. people have been sharing on social media their gratitude and their thanks towards those who have offered hot drinks and hot food, to commuters who have been stuck on the motorways. now, the weather is set to improve over the next couple of days. the major severe blizzard warnings were lifted on wednesday,

but snow will continue to fall, but it is expected to get warmer by friday. just in time for the lunar new year. this next story has been one of the most read on our website. take a look at the video. it shows a pod of killer whales appearing stuck in the drift ice off the coast of japan. the drone footage showed a group of at least ten orcas about half a mile from the shores of rausu, in hokkaido. but we can now tell you they appears to have successfully escaped. for more i'm joined by andy rogan — science lead at ocean alliance. how dangerous is it for orca's to end up in a situation like this? yeah, it is really dangerous. there are a handful of incidents of this happening around the world in a few places. it doesn't happen in many. certainly when it does happen it can result in death either through starvation or drowning. and

result in death either through starvation or drowning. and from what ou starvation or drowning. and from what you know — starvation or drowning. and from what you know of _ starvation or drowning. and from what you know of orca _ starvation or drowning. and from what you know of orca wales - starvation or drowning. and from what you know of orca wales and their behaviour, how do you think they got themselves stuck in the drift ice in the first place? that has happened _ drift ice in the first place? that has happened in _ drift ice in the first place? that has happened in the _ drift ice in the first place? trust has happened in the past, a number of occasions where this has been documented. it's possible that it's happening increasingly with animals that haven't spent as much time in this environment if things like climate change are pushing them into new areas, warming waters pushing them northwards into areas where they are not as familiar with this ice. it's certainly possible, but we could be seeing more of it, yeah. why would they struggle to free themselves because my can't they their breath for periods of long—time? their breath for periods of long-time?— their breath for periods of long-time? their breath for periods of lonu-time? . , . ., , their breath for periods of [on-time? . , . ., , . long-time? yeah, these ice flows are uuite long-time? yeah, these ice flows are quite unpredictable. _ long-time? yeah, these ice flows are quite unpredictable. i— long-time? yeah, these ice flows are quite unpredictable. i have _ long-time? yeah, these ice flows are quite unpredictable. i have been - long-time? yeah, these ice flows are quite unpredictable. i have been in i quite unpredictable. i have been in some myself on a boat and they can really move around very quickly. they be very strong, even though it appears to be these broken up pieces of ice. these species can't hold

their breath as long, and even then, they still don't know if there is a gap in the ice. it's hard for them to really know where that gap is, so it's a lot of trial and error presumably if i'm diving under, searching for a place and then coming back to that breeding will that we see in the drone video stop i don't suppose that could lead to exhaustion as well to some extent. how common is this? you mention it doesn't happen often. what should we know about the orcas and their habitats? it know about the orcas and their habitats? ., , �* ., , , , habitats? it doesn't happen very often. habitats? it doesn't happen very often- there _ habitats? it doesn't happen very often. there have _ habitats? it doesn't happen very often. there have been - habitats? it doesn't happen very often. there have been a - habitats? it doesn't happen very often. there have been a couplej habitats? it doesn't happen very i often. there have been a couple of papers that have documented that. it's been documented and a few certain places, a few bays in particular where you get the sort of unpredictable ice flows. again, orca have been moving northwards both in the north hemisphere and the southern hemisphere, moving into waters that they might not be as familiar with. you know, any animal,

it is not going to live in a place where there is great danger. evolution will teach them that this is not a good place for them to live. as animals encroach into new areas, they might increasingly face threats such as this, that they have little experience in dealing with. thank you very much for giving us that perspective. which has been struck by a us drone attack which killed a senior leader of an armed pro—iran group. the pentagon said the militia leader was responsible for directing attacks on american forces in the region. that is all for now. see you soon. hello there. there is some snow in the forecast over the next couple of days,

but it's certainly not going to be everywhere. most of the snow — the disruptive and heavy snow — will be mainly for northern parts of the uk and particularly over the hills, where there'll be some drifting as the easterly wind picks up. and that's going to bring some travel disruption, particularly for transpennine routes. now we're seeing colder air move across most of the uk, but things are a bit milder towards the south and southwest, and where we've got that boundary, we've got this weather front here, and that's bringing wet weather up from the southwest, and as it hits the colder air, so this is where we're going to see it turning to sleet and snow. and the coldest air early on thursday morning is certainly going to be in scotland. we'll have a frost for a while in northern ireland and northern england. and we've got this amber snow and ice warning from the met office for thursday covering north wales, northwestern parts of shropshire, also the peak district and the southern pennines. and you can see it's mainly over the hills, but there could be a lot of snow over the higher ground. it's going to be more likely rain as you head further south across wales, the midlands and southern england. but as you move that wetter weather

into the colder air, so we've got the threat of some snow mainly over the hills of northern england and also northern ireland, perhaps heading into the far south of scotland by the end of the day. could be some sunshine for the rest of scotland. chilly day, of course, with that wet weather, although it does turn much milder across the south, as that first band of wet weather moves through, briefly turning drier, but more rain coming into the south and more snow over the northern hills of england into southern scotland as well. now, this area of low pressure is bringing all the wet weather. it is pushing milder air northwards, but we've still got the cold conditions on friday in scotland. so this is where we're more likely to have some sleet and snow. there'll be a cold easterly wind picking up. could still be some snow over the northern pennines, but on the whole, across the rest of the uk, it's going to be too warm for snow. we're more likely to have some rain from time to time as temperatures are starting to rise. but it's still cold in scotland. but even here, temperatures are going to be rising on saturday. the colder air is really only in the far north of scotland,

so there could be some sleet and snow here. otherwise there may well be some sunshine, may well be some showers. these are more likely to be of rain. temperatures are rising in scotland and reaching double figures across much of england and wales and also northern ireland.

this is bbc news.

we'll have the headlines for you at the top of the hour, as newsday continues straight after hardtalk. welcome to hardtalk. i'm stephen sackur and today i'm in new york city at the headquarters of the united nations. and this building is supposed to symbolise a shared global commitment to peace, security and international cooperation. but right now, all of that sounds pretty hollow. at this time of spiralling global tension, the un is hamstrung by the mutual hostility of the great powers. my guest today is russia's un ambassador, vasily nebenzya. now, does deadlock and dysfunction here suit russia?