this is bbc news. the headlines: snow, ice and strong winds disrupt many parts of the uk — with more predicted over the new year weekend. labour peer lord adonis resigns as the government's infrastructure chief, with a scathing attack on theresa may for her handling of brexit. brexit, which i think is being handled very badly, taking britain out of the key economic institutions of the european union, the customs union and the single market, increasingly brexit is affecting the whole conduct of government. several major cities in iran are hit by a wave of protests against the government. also this hour: the dog who's had pioneering treatment to save a leg from amputation. scientists at glasgow university will now begin trials to see whether a newly—discovered technique for regrowing bone tissue will work on humans. and find out who's made it onto the queen's new year's honours list. we'll have all the names in half an hour on the bbc news channel good evening and

welcome to bbc news. snow and ice have led to another day of travel disruption in parts of the uk. passengers at glasgow airport faced delays, after heavy snow caused flights to be suspended for a while. there was snow too across northern england and the southern pennines. the rac has warned that driving conditions will be very difficult, if not impossible, in the worst—affected areas. our correspondent judith moritz reports. grounded at glasgow — flights at the city's airport were suspended after snow settled quickly overnight. the airport reopened by mid—morning, but managers have apologised for the knock—on disruption which was caused. wasn't enough to keep

all drivers on the road. in towns and villages nearby, the spades were she's just come in for a packet of cigarettes, and she's decided to clear my front path away, and that's community spirit for you. heavy snow also fell in the north of england, where a hundred gritters were sent out onto the road network to keep traffic moving. the snow has been falling steadily all morning across swathes of northern england. as predicted, it's been settling most in areas like this, just outside huddersfield, up here on the higher ground. in cumbria, hazardous conditions left some vehicles stranded on the a590, and there were also delays on other main roads. staff at the highways england control room in wakefield have been monitoring the motorways and a—roads.

the next thing we're looking towards is the threat of ice for this evening and overnight, we've got teams of gritters working 21w, traffic officers patrolling the network as well, and obviously a team here in yorkshire and the north east working from the control room to make sure that that impact‘s not too severe. drivers are advised only to travel if necessary. judith moritz, bbc news, wakefield. and we'll find out how this story and many others are covered in tomorrow's front pages at 10.1i0pm and 11.30pm this evening in the papers. our tonight are jason beattie, head of politics at the daily mirror, and tim stanley from the daily telegraph. and we expect the papers to be dominated by the new year's honour‘s list which will be published at 10.30pm tonight. we'll bring you all the highlights as soon as the names are officially revealed. the government's infrastructure adviser lord adonis has announced he is quitting his role, with a furious attack on theresa may's brexit policy. in his resignation letter he said brexit was a "populist

and nationalist spasm" and accused the pm of "pursuing a course fraught with danger". he also described the eu withdrawal bill as the "worst legislation of my lifetime". the former labour transport secretary is a high—profile campaigner against brexit. he has chaired the national infrastructure commission since 2015. in the last hour, lord adonis joined us in the last hour, lord adonis joined us andi in the last hour, lord adonis joined us and i asked him if he had resigned before he was pushed. i resigned. and i regret leaving the post. i am a huge infrastructure advocate, the one who got hs2 going. we have done some great work, planning crossrail in london, hs3 linking the northern cities, sorting out problems with 4g and 5g coverage in mobile systems. there is a lot of infrastructure to do. the problem is that my differences with the government have become too great, not only on brexit, which is being handled very badly,

taking britain out of the key economic institutions of the european union, the customs union and single market. but increasingly brexit is affecting the whole conduct of government across whitehall. we are seeing that in infrastructure itself, with the misguided decision to bail out the east coast rail franchise which will cost taxpayers hundreds of millions. if we had proper conduct of government, as happened before brexit, no way would whitehall have allowed a hard right minister to have agreed the bail out of private rail companies as has happened. unfortunately, my position has become unsustainable because of this. in the letter to the prime minister you said, i would like to thank you for courtesy in our personal dealings. you also said on twitter, i meant what i said in my resignation letter about the pm's courtesy, which makes it sad that number ten sources up to dirty tricks, tomorrow's times will make clear why chris grayling's conduct gave me no choice but to resign. what have number ten been doing?

i assume the prime minister did not know, but they briefed an early draft of my letter. i have no idea how they came to do that. then they started saying that if i had not resigned, i might have been pushed, all of these things. unfortunately, this is how politics is being conducted and it is part of the brexit disease which has spread across whitehall. hasn't it always been like this? it is much worse. i was transport secretary, where we concentrated on things that matter to the public. at the moment now, we have a minister who is mainly concerned with brexit. when he actually does his dayjob, it is things like bailing out the east coast franchise, costing hundreds of millions to the taxpayer. unfortunately, as i say in my letter, there has been a nervous breakdown across whitehall which made my position unsustainable. but the phrase spin doctor

was invented for the new labour government, wasn't it? there was always spin, tricks, if you like. there was real substance in those governments, making britain better. most people accept that in those years of government, britain was better at the end of it than it was before. the big problem with brexit, which we are constantly rubbing up against, is that it is going to make britain worse off, not better off. you don't know that for sure. it is my strong view. a lot of people will say we have not left and you are already writing it off. you accepted this job in charge of infrastructure, advising on infrastructure, already knowing the government was committed to brexit. why would you do that if you were so at odds? i launched the national infrastructure commission when david cameron was prime minister, before brexit. i stayed when theresa may became prime minister. i hoped she would adopt the right approach to brexit,

which would have been to stay within the customs union and the single market, on which jobs and trade depend. to my regret, what the prime minister chose to do was to ally with ukip and wrench us out of everything to do with europe's key economic institutions, and that is the root cause of the problem at the moment. a sensible approach is not being adopted. anti—government protests have spread to more cities in iran, despite a crackdown by the authorities. thousands of people have taken to the streets to protest over rising prices, corruption and the cost of iran's military involvement in regional conflicts. wyre davies reports. these are extremely rare sights. iranian cities hit by large anti—government protests. this is the western city of kermanshah. despite the repressive action of the police, the protests have quickly grown and spread. iranians have suffered tremendous

economic hardship in the last decade with a huge fall in living standards. but what started as a protest against rising prices has grown into wide anger against strict clerical rule and iran's supreme leader, ayatollah ali khamenei. there is seething discontent, with iranians spending money on wars abroad, on spreading shiaism broad, supporting hezbollah abroad. and that has changed the character of the demonstration into a political one, undermining the whole clerical regime now. iran's relatively moderate president, hassan rouhani, has promised the benefits of economic growth after an international deal to limit its nuclear activities. but those promises have failed to materialise. britain will be watching developments closely. on a recent visit,

the foreign secretary borisjohnson raised the detention of the british woman nazanin zaghari—ratcliffe, held in an iranianjail for more than 600 days. it's become a serious issue between london and tehran. it's too early to say if the regime is under serious threat. these are the biggest protests in iran for almost a decade and the government will greater force if it feels it is losing control. wyre davies, bbc news. the new york fire department says the blaze that killed 12 people, including four children, in the bronx area of the city, appears to have been caused by a child playing with a stove. investigators believe an unattended three—year—old boy accidentally started the blaze, described as the deadliest in the city for at least 25 years. the city's fire commissioner said the child had been unsupervised at the time. authorities in the indian city of mumbai have launched an inquiry, after a huge fire at an office and restaurant complex killed at least 14 people. the blaze erupted just

after midnight in the popular kamala mills restaurant and shopping compound, and engulfed the structure within half an hour. most of the victims are thought to be young women who were attending a birthday party. the ftse 100 has ended the year at a record high. the main index of shares listed in london ended 2017 at 7687, up 7.6% on last year. the mining sector saw the biggest gains this year while utilities such as water and electricity were the weakest. our business correspondentjoe lynam explains how the stock market going up can affect those paying into pension funds. the vast majority of people out there do not have a portfolio of shares. what they do have without even knowing about it at a pension fund which invests in these shares. so if you are saving for your retirement, and most adults are, they will be invested in the ftse 100. they will be invested in the dowjones and certain stocks. that means that in a few years' time when they retire, they will yield some of those benefits.

but for now, the majority of people will see no major benefits to the ftse 100 reaching an all—time record high. police investigating the death of a woman in north london over the christmas period have renewed their appeal for information from the public. the body of iuliana tudos — who was 22 and originally from moscow, but had lived in london for some years — was discovered on wednesday in finsbury park. police say iuliana — who was also known asjulia and lili — died of a stab wound to the abdomen and a head injury. it is believed she was attacked on christmas eve. no arrests have been made and a crime scene remains in place at the location. the independent police complaints commission says a former surrey police officer who investigated jimmy savile would have faced questions of professional misconduct over his role, had he still been a serving officer. savile, who died in 2011, was revealed to have abused hundreds of mainly women and girls. the report into surrey police's investigation of allegations of sexual offences byjimmy savile at duncroft school in the 1970s,

found that the officer had failed to pass on details of an alleged indecent assault by savile at stoke mandeville hospital. at least 12 people have been killed in two separate attacks on coptic christians in egypt. two shop owners were shot dead inside their premises in helwan district, south of the capital cairo. ten people were killed in a separate gun attack on mar mina church in the same district. over the past year more than 100 christians have been killed in bombings and shootings in egypt. the nhs in england is considering the routine use of so—called drunk tanks — dedicated units for people to recover from excess alcohol — in order to reduce hospital admissions. up to 70% of visits to a&e departments on friday and saturday nights are by people who've drunk too much. adina campbell reports.

at this time of year, britain's binge thinking culture is exposed with its burden on emergency services. but having more of these mobile vehicles, or drunk tanks, on a permanent basis could be a solution — an idea now being considered by nhs england. alcohol recovery services a re potentially successful in reducing pressure on a&e services, which is potentially important in winter. and so if there are ways that we can safely look after people in alternative settings, then it's really worth looking at these alternatives, and that's what we're doing at the moment. the reality is that people who've overindulged with alcohol can be a big problem for the nhs. up to 70% of attendances to a&e departments in the uk at this time of year are alcohol—related. these friends enjoying their annual festive get—together are divided. i think it's a good idea. i mean, if it helps

the nhs and all that. but the thing that annoys me a bit is that it seems to be our generation that's being targeted. it also costs money. i don't think sitting down in a van with a bottle of water is going to sober you up that quickly. if you are in that sort of a state, you want to either go home or go to hospital. the uk's first drunk tank was introduced in bristol three years ago, and since then more have been operating in cardiff, newcastle, manchester and belfast. rather than dumping those who have gone way over their limit in a police cell or hospital bed, here they're given a chance to recover. but some doctors say this kind of safety net shouldn't have to be offered in the first place. i think the solution is people understanding that they should not be getting themselves into the state that they need to have a facility to sober up in. people need to take responsibility for getting themselves home safely, making sure that their friends get home safely, that they have a plan

and that they know when to stop drinking before it becomes a problem. nhs england will make a decision early next year, which could ease the pressure on police, ambulances and hospital services. adina campbell, bbc news. the headlines: the headlines: the met office issues a weather warning for ice across parts of scotla nd warning for ice across parts of scotland and northern england. the labour peer lord adonis resigns as the government's infrastructure chief, with a scathing attack on theresa may for her handling of brexit. several major cities in iran are hit by anti—government protests. the royal college of gps is asking patients to consider alternatives before making an appointment with their family doctor, such as consulting websites, to try to help ease the pressure on overstretched surgeries. ben ando has the details.

the season of goodwill can also be a time of bad health, and that means overcrowded surgeries, busy doctors, and a tough time for the nhs. now the royal college of gps is urging people to think twice and take three steps before booking a gp appointment. it wants patients to use the catchphrase "three before gp" meaning that in the first instance, they should try to manage their symptoms themselves. next, they should look at reputable websites such as nhs choices. failing that, the worried unwell should talk to pharmacists, who are better trained than many realise. ifjust 5% of people who wanted to book an appointment today could get self—help, see a pharmacist, sort themselves out by going online, actually, that would save 50,000 appointments for those who really need it. this is about using nhs resources in the best possible way, but also saving time for people as well. doctors‘ leaders say that for a population getting older, fatter and less healthy, there are not going to be enough doctors.

they say that plans for a further 5,000 by 2021 are injeopardy. they urge the home office to add being a general practitioner to the list of those jobs which qualify potential migrants for a fast—track entry into the uk. the royal college of gps says it thinks up to one quarter of doctor appointments could be avoided if patients were willing to take more responsibility and make a trip to the doctor a step of last resort rather than the first call they make. the royal college of gps is asking patients to consider alternatives a growing number of rural communities are relying on volunteers to keep certain services going. cuts in funding means that facilities that were traditionally run either by local authorities or private individuals are facing the prospect of disappearing. that means local people are offering to operate them unpaid. danny savage has visited one town in north yorkshire, where it's becoming more and more noticeable.

deep in the north yorkshire countryside is the market town of helmsley. a bustling community. but look a bit closer and you will find a trend here for a reliance on volunteers. every local business has a different tree and they do it in a theme and this year it's the star theme. you will find it illustrated in the parish church. so 30 or more trees in here? 30 or more trees, yes. dozens of local businesses have volunteered to decorate it. what we've got here, this is wonderful with the antiques roadshow, with all the different experts, the specialities from bondgate antiques. there is more volunteering these days because of council cutbacks. as the economy has suffered and less funding becomes available, there has to be someone to make up the shortfall and we're lucky here in helmsley that people have done that, and taken on running several organisations in town. it'sjust a really lovely community feel here. helmsley is a community which relies heavily on volunteers and it is not alone.

other towns in this, england's largest county, have taken over bus services and even petrol stations to stop them from vanishing. the arts centre and the library are two amenities that wouldn't exist here if it wasn't for locals giving up their time for free. in the nearby walled garden, more people are doing their bit, making advent wreaths to raise money for an assisted learning project. yes, we have some garden staff that lead, yes, we have people who help direct in terms of maintenance and the police have been helping out with the wreaths today, but 75—80% of the work is done by volunteers. i've been a lot more confident. i've had a great big experience here. i've been able to make friends. and yes, we are all a family. and this is a rural town that also needs people to step up for vital

roles on top of their dayjob. chris lazenby is a firefighter. good to go? yep, good to go. and in his civvies, he runs an art gallery. just myself, i run this gallery. there's ben, he's a builder, gav at the butcher's, a painter. we're all ready to go within a few minutes' notice, if needs be. the nearest station with a crew ready to go on station during the day is malton and depending on traffic, that could be 30 minutes away. this is just a snapshot of life in one country market town, but it shows the rise of vital volunteering which keeps communities functioning in 21st—century britain. police believe it's "likely" a missing student from norfolk,

who vanished from her home early on boxing day, entered the sea. coastal searches are continuing for 21—year—old sophie smith from gorleston , who suffers from severe anxiety and depression. the coastguard and a police helicopter have been searching the suffolk coast as our correspondent mike liggins reports. it is relatively calm here this evening but the weather today has been absolutely dreadful. high wind and heavy rain led to the cancellation of the search organised on facebook. but despite the weather, people have still been searching for sophie smith. a coastguard team from lowestoft arrived to continue a search of the shoreline. four coastguard teams have searched from winterton in the north to lowestoft in the south. groups and individuals have also been out today. we met two, who say they have looked everywhere. we have looked into lowestoft,

yarmouth, caistor areas. it has been hard but we won't give up. have many people been out looking? there were over 200 people here last night, gathering about, doing groups. some were out in the sea. a police helicopter flew down the coast this morning, while in the town centre missing posters are everywhere. a find sophie smith facebook page now has close to 20,000 members. i would like to thank the police and the rescue services for the coordination and the searches that have been done. it has been phenomenal, and the public response from friends and family on facebook and other social media. sophie smith went missing from her home in the early hours of boxing day.

norfolk police say she had been receiving treatment for anxiety and depression, and it's possible that sophie went into the sea. however, the search for sophie goes on, with friends and family still hoping that she might be found alive. researchers in scotland, who saved the leg of a dog using a new technique to grow bones in a laboratory, say they now hope to try it on human beings. the dog, eva, would have had her leg amputated had it not been for this pioneering treatment. the team at glasgow university say the first human trials are due to take place in three years' time. 0ur science correspondent pallab ghosh has this exclusive report. eva! there's no holding her back, but last year eva's front right leg was broken in a road accident. her vet tried everything, but nothing worked. her entire leg was going to be amputated. well, nine, ten months, she'd been unable to get out and have walks, anything other than go out to the toilet.

but to fiona kirkland's delight, her dog was saved by an experimental bone—growing technique. it's absolutely fantastic. we're just so pleased to have our dog back, fit, active, healthy. eva's vet showed me the problem. the blood supply to the edges of the bones has failed, so it wasn't able to heal the break. the scientists coated the dead areas with their artificial bone, and afterjust six weeks, it was completely mended. the artificial bone mix was made at glasgow university. it consists of sterilised chips that are coated with bone cells and a chemical that make them grow, rather like a fertiliser. well, clearly, we want to look at treating more dogs and possibly even cats who have had broken bones, but also other areas we can help these veterinary patients, so things like joint fusion, where they've had a tendon injury and they need theirjoint held

together so they can walk properly. the researchers are so amazed at the success they've had in treating eva they want to try out the technique on people. they plan to be the first researchers in the world to grow bone in their lab and put it into a patient in three years' time. and these are the people that could be most helped. it's 20 years since princess diana brought the issue of landmine victims to the world's attention. their limbs usually have to be amputated. landmine campaigners are funding the new research so it can be used to grow some of their bone back and attach an artificial leg. well, if they are able to have a prosthetic limb, it would make all the difference to their life, being able to provide for their family, instead of having to be a burden on their family. it's been a happy outcome for eva and her owners. thousands of people could soon

benefit from a technology that has put a spring back in her step. pallab ghosh, bbc news, glasgow. newly—released national archives' files have revealed that margaret thatcher once refused to share a flight to washington with london zoo's giant panda. lord zuckerman, president of the london zoological society, suggested that chia chia the panda could share the prime minister's concorde flight in 1981. washington's smithsonian institution had asked to borrow chia chia, to mate it with us—based ching ching. but mrs thatcher said pandas were not " happy omens" for politicians. let's ta ke let's take a look at the weather forecast. hello. today brought snow forecast. hello. today brought snow for some of us, but the weather is turning less wintry through the next

few days. rain pushing north and east during the night. some snow for high ground in wales and northern england, and maybe at low levels in northern ireland. milder towards the south, but northern areas, scotland and north—east england, cold enough for frost and some icy stretches to ta ke for frost and some icy stretches to take us into tomorrow morning. tomorrow, cold to start in the north and this band of wet weather turning to snow over high ground in scotland. brighter behind with rain into the south—west later. blustery, and a range of temperatures. into new year's eve, wet weather in the south—east at first with strong wind. and then things improve. bright skies and sunshine, a scattering of hefty showers continuing into the evening. for most places, at midnight it will be dry. this is bbc news,

our latest headlines. weather warnings for ice are in place across parts of northern england and scotland — the rac says driving conditions will be very difficult, if not impossible, in the worst—affected areas. the government's infrastructure adviser has resigned over the handling of brexit. lord adonis says theresa may is "pursuing a course fraught with danger" over the uk's eu departure. several major cities in iran are hit by a wave of anti—government protests. the demonstrations began yesterday over rising prices, escalating into wider criticism of the regime. twelve people, including

four children, have been killed after fire swept through an apartment block in the bronx. the blaze is the deadliest in the city for 25 years, according to new york's mayor. the new year's honours list has just been published, and among the many honoured is the former deputy prime minister and ex—leader of the lib dems nick clegg, who's been knighted for his services to politics. he's joined by bee gees star robin gibb, and strictly come dancing judge darcey bussell who has been made a dame for her services to dance. 0ur entertainment correspondent lizo mzimba has more details. more than 50 years after beatlemania. the fab four‘s drama has been honoured with a knighthood.