the deputy prime minister refuses to say whether the comments are islamophobic. israeli forces are continuing their strikes across the gaza strip, with heavy urban combat in the southern city of khan younis. israel is insisting there will be no let—up in the fighting, despite fresh hopes of a pause in hostilities following peace talks in paris. donald trump is one step closer to the republican presidential nomination, easily beating rival nikki haley in the south carolina primary. the former president won his opponent's home state with a 20—point margin — making it his fourth consecutive victory. the screen actors guild awards. it takes the top prize of best cast, as well as best actor for cillian murphy. barbara streisand was also presented with a lifetime achievement award. i will have a full bulletin at the top of the hour.

now on bbc news...tecthlore: japan around the world, people are looking to tech for clever solutions to tackle the challenges of climate change. i've come back to japan to visit some of the new world —first projects that could pave the way to a sustainable future, both here and beyond. i'm tracking down the inventors turning to the sea to meet oui’ energy needs. there she blows. she's away! i'm visiting the countryside to see robots helping an older generation of rice producers. and vertical farming taken to a whole new level. i'm getting a lettuce delivery. i want to eat this! chuckles this is tecthlore japan.

it's known for its megacities butjapan is, above all, an island nation. hemmed in by the ocean on all sides, land is ata premium. and that means when it comes to green energy, there's less room for the cheapest power source of all — solar. so, actually, the biggest changing we're seeing right now is the rapidly decreasing costs for solar. it would be more expensive to operate fossil fuels than solar in the near future. but as i start my sustainable tech journey through japan, i'm headed to the islands of tokyo bay. this is the site of japan's first ever offshore solar farm. olaf, hi! hey, paul! nice to meet you!

nice to meet you, too! here we will put our offshore floating solar platform. solarduck is the company behind the build. it's part of a group of start—ups coming up with sustainable designs for future urban life. so, that's the site down there? yeah, so basically, this is a c6! of the project here in the tokyo bay. the solar array is designed to be modular. each unit can power a0 households a year and more can be added to meet demand. it can survive anything at the ocean can throw at it. the triangle has three xs, where it can rotate around. so, if there are waves from any direction, it's easily able to follow, and this makes sure that we can actually also survive very high waves. it's a hugely impressive concept but even cleverer than the design of the solar farm is how the green energy it produces could be carried back to shore. nearby, another start—up is working on this side

of the project. and this little boat is the key and what i'm here to see. hi, leo! hi, how are you doing? good, hi! nice to meet you, paul! good to meet you, too! wow, this is beautiful, isn't it? yeah, it's a wonderful day. thanks for coming out to check this out. incredible. let's go jump on a boat. the team is developing this vessel to collect small loads of renewable energy generated at sea. it's trying to get away. there she blows! she's away! everblue's boats use wind power to sail all on their own with sensors navigating the course. they have on—board batteries which will be charged

by the solar farm. the power is gathered and can be transported by boat. the aim is these boats will operate in fleets, creating an affordable alternative to undersea cables. the cable has to be so big and it's really expensive, so what we do is take these boats to a place where, let's say, we have a floating solar panel array or floating wind, you know? it's a very common thing. and we can take the energy from those locations and transport it to wherever it's needed. if this succeeds at scale, it could be game—changing. a completely different way of approaching energy transfer at a time where the world must adopt green energy at pace. and because the boats are wind—powered, no energy is needed for theirjourney, meaning the whole process is much more sustainable. we're not using the energy to transport our energy, so, you know, it's a lossless system and so, we can transport a kilometre, ten kilometres, 1000 kilometres — it doesn't matter.

it's hoped these boats could help bring green power to over 4 million people living on hundreds of islands across japan. the boats could also serve future floating projects like this one, from japan's n—ark. floating island cities. these things could be mobile. imagine these guys are workerhands and they're transporting constantly to the mothership. it has been fascinating to see how a technology as old as time — a simple sail — has been repurposed to deliver a sustainable energy solution. and it's going to be really interesting to see how it develops in years to come. a year ago, i visited choshi, on the other side of tokyo, to see japan's first bottom—fixed offshore wind turbine. the noise is really something else! it's actually quite intimidating being this close to it!

as i found out, the bigger blades commonly seen at sea and on land have drawbacks. most wind turbines stop working at around 90km/h. anything more puts their blades at risk of damage. but across asia, high wind typhoons are becoming ever more common. i'm visiting a start—up that's made a new type of turbine and, surprisingly, there's not a single propeller blade in sight. so, this is itjust here? yes, this is our turbine. this is on one tokyo's urban evacuation sites, where locals gather in emergencies. its vertical access can catch wind from any direction and it's practically silent.

0k. in emergency, everyone can charge their phone. that's good because i'm low onjuice, so let's give it a go. charging. it is! chuckles this is just a small prototype. a bigger 10 kilowatt version is on 0kinawa island. it can operate in higher winds, and, crucially, its propeller—free design makes it much more resilient to typhoons. it's not that windy today and it's still turning pretty fast. when the winds do stop these working, solar panels continue to generate energy. local communities, they often

have a bit of pushback against renewable energy because it's noisy, it takes up too much space. but if you have projects like these which can be erected in sort of like urban places, i think this would be really, really important to push the renewable kind of acceleration forward. japan is getting used to ever—stronger typhoons but when it comes to showing resilience, few places come close to my next destination, fukushima. japan's biggest ever earthquake in 2011 caused a tsunami and the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant went into meltdown. the devastation displaced over 150,000 people and many never returned. i'm heading to the north of the region, to soma — a place rebuilt to entice

populations back to the area with unrivalled green credentials. this soma project serves as a testbed of ideas which could be rolled out across japan and around the world. everything here is connected. the solar farm collects the sun's energy. it produces 1.6 megawatts of electricity. 0n sunny days, it produces more energy than the neighbourhood needs. but usually, it's during the battery storage process a lot of this power is lost. this facility looks quite simple but this is where the surplus energy is converted into hydrogen. hydrogen is a very efficient way of storing energy because very little is wasted. 0k, and it does that through electrolysis, which is splitting hydrogen and oxygen out of water? yes.

but beyond its energy efficiency, hydrogen is being used to test lots of cutting—edge ideas. some is combined with c02 captured from the atmosphere to create eco—friendly fuel for locals. and this is the e—methane dispenser. 0k. to fuel the small minivan for elderly people to move around to the soma city. really? the first e—methane dispenser injapan. that's pretty cool! yeah. yes. wow, look at that! and these fish ponds are aerated with oxygen left from the hydrogen processes. oh, wow, i can see them — they are massive! here he comes! oh, look at him! dinner time for the fishes! yes. the lettuce gets nutrients from the fish faeces, and they thrive on carbon dioxide that's been captured and pumped in from outside. i don't have green fingers but they look like they're pretty healthy to me. yeah.

and the local farms use fertiliser made from repurposed sewage. we palletise the waste. rather than having to track all of this waste around the country, you're using it here to grow things and save energy? exactly. really smart. soma is one of the most sustainable projects i've ever seen and the ideas here are being driven by this man. everything here is designed to make soma more sustainable. a fresh look at bringing green energy into the community. and if an earthquake were to strike again, the hydrogen will power vital services in soma — something we tested in a simulated power cut. oh, the lights come on! yeah, almost immediately. the gas is piped off to be

converted to electricity... oh, wow, i can hear that! ..and off—site to soma's disaster relief centre. it all happens automatically and that means that people can still get electricity even when everything else has gone down? yes, you are right. that's very cool. it needed something big, something to say that soma is the future, that it's a place where people could come and live and, boy, have they delivered! sustainable energy solutions will be vital across the world. butjapan has another concern — maintaining sustainable communities. i'm travelling 250km north of tokyo to shinanomachi, a small town in nagano that's at risk of disappearing.

nagano translates into english as "a long field" and considering how lush and green it looks outside, that seems pretty fitting. rice, so synonymous with japanese cuisine, has grown here for over 2,000 years. but those who farm it are struggling to keep up. more than half of the residents here in shinanomachi are over 60. as farming falls out of favour and youngsters are lured by the lifestyle of japan's cities, there are fewer people able to attend to this vital crop. i'm meeting kaoru kikuchi, from a start—up supporting farms as the labour force shrinks. hello! konnichiwa! how are you? very good, lovely to meet you. wow, so this is a rice field? yes. it's really beautiful... it is. ..and it's a lot hillier than i was expecting.

yes. raised dams keep the water in each field but means significant weeding forfarmers, who must patrol the paths to spread fertilisers and deter pests. farmers like hironori saito. for ageing farmers, it's robots to the rescue as this smartphone—controlled mower keeps weeds in check. just press here and then push autopilot. so, you just press that and off it goes? sure. amazing! how does the robot

know where to go? first, human has to tell them. and then, a robot can run independently by using sensors. facing many more hazards and tougher terrain than your average lawnmower, data from satellite systems, accelerometers, direction, geomagnetic level and thermal sensors keep the bot on track, so just one pilot can monitor several mowers at a time. so, the central pilot can see the maps here. 0h, ok, i can see where it is in the field right now. this prototype uses petrol but is due an electric upgrade next year as the team works to bring a subscription service to farmers like hironori, who's been testing the bot since 2019.

but supporting farmers is not enough to save shinanomachi on its own. just down the road is the nomad work center — a hub where tech pioneers can create projects from the seat of nature. the neighbouring campsite attracts eco—friendly tourism but there aren't the staff to man it round—the—clock. are there hikes nearby? there we go. so, the team is training a! to help visitors when real—life humans cannot. i have questions about the campground. are bonfires allowed on the campsite? no. 0pen fires are not allowed. please make sure to use a fire pit or barbecue. good advice!

wow! this space is beautiful! i can absolutely see the appeal of coming to spaces like this to work or explore, and what a view for dinner! not only can robots help ageing farmers put locally sourced food on the table, but sites like this are boosting interest and reinvigorating the local community. it's inspiring to witness efforts to preserve shinanomachi and its iconic rice paddies. climate change is making traditionalfarming more difficult the world over. i've seen vertical farming with its bright purple lights injapan before, but the next project i'm visiting is on a whole other level, and i'm one of its first

outside visitors. hi, konnichiwa! konnichiwa! hajimemashite! the most extreme steps are required even to enter. all of this to ensure the facility is kept hygienically sealed. i'm going into an airlock. what's going to happen in here? oh, god! well, this is an experience! what is waiting for me is breathtaking. oh, wow! it's absolutely huge! it's incredible! it's like being in a farm in outer space — and, like outer space, very few humans can come here. this is like no farm i've ever seen. all of the growing is happening behind these sealed units.

it's a completely closed system. this is our system. closed system. 0h, cool! closed system. there's lots growing here. closed system. what is the advantages of growing like this? because the closed system can control the inside very precisely — the temperature, humidity and the c02 concentration and the other 20 parameters. in allowing such micro control, this closed system is already proving way greener. an open system—type wastes half of the lights for leds. half?! that's quite a lot! a 30m—long robotic system sits at the heart of all of this, where 150,000 lettuces are being grown forjapan�*s biggest supermarket group. and here comes some freshly grown lettuce. truly automatic. what are the benefits of doing it all automatically,

rather than having people do this work? the machine operation is totally clean, so we don't need to washing vegetables before eating. we can save the resources, such as water, which is good for the planet. this lettuce saves 12 litres of water? per head of lettuce. per head of lettuce?! that's a lot of water! in the start—up�*s lab, tomomi nozaki is showing me other greens, like basil. you really can, yeah. smells amazing. it's making me hungry! but not everything here is for eating. because of the supreme precision, plants for medicinal use can be grown more easily. oh, i can see the flowers. they're very small at the minute but you can definitely see they're there. these are being grown for painkillers. others, for cancer research.

the system is so precise, the most difficult plants to grow can be sourced at speed. how does it feel, helping to research plants that might one day cure illnesses such as cancer? and without humans sharing the environment, oxygen levels can be dropped and temperatures pushed to extremes — whatever�*s necessary to perfect each ingredient. what's happening here really is incredible. and as we all live longer, it's another example of japan's innovators helping us all live better. how to live sustainability is a question the whole world is trying to answer. whether it's finding new energy solutions or thinking

differently about how we live and age together, japan is working on ideas that can inspire us all. chuckles perfect! hello, there. much of the country enjoying a fine and dry part two of the weekend, with quite a bit of sunshine around after that cold, frosty and in places foggy start. so, much of the country will remain dry with sunny spells. however, low pressure to the south

of the uk will continue to bring wet and windy weather to south wales, south—west england, increasingly so across the south and south—east of england through this evening and overnight. of england through this we'll see some showers driving into central northern scotland, a few across north sea coasts of england, as well, wintry in nature. but further north, where we have the clearer skies, a ridge of high pressure toppling in. it's going to be cold and frosty, less cold in the south and east because of the cloud, the wind and rain from this feature which will eventually pull out into the near continent for monday, taking the rain with it, but it will remain quite windy across england and wales. we remain in the colder air mass with this ridge of high pressure which will bring much of the country a lot of dry and sunny weather throughout the day on monday before it turns wet and windy in the far north—west later on. so, quite a windy day to come across southern and eastern areas, the rain eventually clears from sussex and from kent. a few showers across north sea coasts, otherwise mostly dry

with some sunshine thanks to that ridge of high pressure. winds lighter in the north compared to the south and east, that will really take the edge off the temperatures, very windy for the northern isles later on ahead of this weather front. so temperatures on the face of it 6—9, it will feel colder than that in the south—east when you factor in that strong north—easterly breeze. as we head through monday night, clearer skies for england and wales with the breeze tending to die down. it turns wetter, windier and cloudier for scotland and northern ireland, so here less cold than it will be across england and wales, where we will have again a frost, perhaps even a few mist and fog patches around to start the day. tuesday, we see this weather front pushing southwards and eastwards across the country, it will be weakening as it pushes into that ridge of high pressure. some heavy rain likely across scotland and northern ireland for a time, maybe some snow on the hills, that weather front weakens as it pushes into england and wales, so a rather cloudy afternoon here. brighter for scotland and northern ireland into the afternoon, but there will be some blustery showers and these will have a wintry element to them, temperatures range from 7—10.

looks like it remains unsettled for the rest of february, could turn a bit milder midweek but then it turns colder as we head into the first few days of march.

live from london, this is bbc news. the conservative party under pressure after its former deputy chairman is suspended

for comments branded "anti—muslim". israeli strikes continue across gaza — particularly in the south — as the number of people killed nears a reported 30,000. donald trump's only rival vows to fight on even after he beats her in her home state of south carolina. and 0ppenheimer is the big winner at the screen actors guild awards — it nets the top prize, as well as best actor for cillian murphy. hello, i'm nicky schiller. welcome to the programme. we will have more on all of those stories to come but first we want to take you life to ukraine because president zelensky is speaking there. let's listen to what he is saying in kyiv. thank you for all those questions. first of all, as regards the

summits, i