hundreds of people are stranded in liverpool city centre overnight, after a car park fire damaged or destroyed m00 vehicles. state media in iran says the death toll in anti—government protests has risen to ten, the country's president warns that violence and disorder will not be tolerated. now on bbc news, rebecca morelle looks back on the year in science, from a spectacular eclipse that wowed millions of americans to the end of a 20 year mission to saturn. that's review 2017: the year in science. from a spectacular eruption at mount etna, this was the year we experienced a volcano‘s devastating power first—hand. in 2017, we also met this rhino —

she could be the key to saving a species from extinction. and we saw a car that is pushing the boundaries by attempting to hit record—breaking speeds. this was also a year that put global warming in the spotlight again, when america pulled out of the worldwide climate deal. and after 20 years in space, a mission to saturn ended in a blaze of glory. a grand finale to a momentous year in science. i'm at the science museum in london, and here, the public can come to learn about our planet's place in the solar system. and with this incredible close—up view, you get a sense of the dynamic world that we live in.

the earth is governed by immense geological forces, and some of these are, of course, volcanoes. earlier this year, i went to see one of these wonders of nature for myself, but i wasn't expecting such a close up encounter. an explosive reawa kening. after years of quiet, mount etna in italy started to put on a dramatic display. i was there to report on a cutting—edge new project. etna, and every volcano around the world, are being monitored by satellites, and they can track minute movements on the ground which show when an eruption is due. but the technology couldn't foresee what was about to happen to us. we'd gone to film a lava flow that had formed overnight. tourists had come to see this, too.

the molten rock is so slow—moving, it is usually considered safe — but then, this happened. a huge explosion. our camerawoman, rachel price, filmed as steam, boiling hot rocks and boulders were blasted into the air. we ran for our lives. many were hit. there were cuts and burns and bruises, but amazingly, nothing worse. are you 0k? stay... eruptions at etna are frequent, but incidents like this are rare. the volcananologist said this was the most dangerous event he'd experienced in his 30—year career. we have made it back down

the mountain, and what happened is onlyjust starting to sink in. this hole was made by one of the incredibly hot pieces of volcanic rock that rained down upon us. we really thought we were all going to die — we had a very, very narrow escape. we later found out the blast was called a phreatic explosion, caused when the incredibly hot lava mixes with ice and snow. our footage will now help scientists, who want to better understand these rare events. for us, though, our close call was an all—too—real insight into the dangers that volcanoes can pose. this year also brought us a dazzling spectacle in the skies above. the moon casting its shadow above the sun, eating away at the shining disc —

it was the start of the great american eclipse. millions flocked to see it — the first total eclipse to sweep from coast—to—coast in the united states for 100 years. the light dipped, as day became night. then, a bright final flash, before the sun disappeared. blocked by the moon, the solar atmosphere shimmered like a halo. it was like a religious experience to me. i photographed it, i videotaped it, i got some successful pictures, i cried! this was definitely something you have to see in person. you can't describe it unless you've been here and actually seen it. the eclipse could be seen across ten states, turning all eyes skywards along its path. for astronomers, it was a chance to collect vital data. we'd like to learn more about how these eclipses affect

the planet and the atmosphere, if there is any atmospheric disturbance or wind changes or temporary climate changes in the area. the much—anticipated event passed by in a matter of minutes, a brief but breathtaking moment to revel in a true astronomical wonder. in 2017, we also met this rhino. a seven—year—old southern white rhino at longleat safari park in the south west of england. the hope is that she can save a species from extinction. she was sedated, a little agitated at first, but soon sound asleep, and ready to take part in an experimental fertility treatment. scientists were harvesting her eggs to be fertilised in a lab — it's rhino ivf. she has been given hormone treatment

over the last week or so, but what's being done today requires millimetre precision. egg collection is only a technique that has been perfected over the last year — this is conservation science at its most extreme. here's the animal that the rhino could bring back from the brink — it's her closest living relative, the northern white rhino. 0nce widespread across africa, today, there are just three left on the planet, but they're unable to breed. back at the safari park, in a makeshift lab, the researchers checked for eggs — success. the plan is to take this southern white rhino egg and mix it with sperm from one of the last northern white rhinos, creating a hybrid. the scientists say it's better than losing the species altogether. the last three can die at any time. anything can happen to those last three, and then all their genetics would be lost.

and if we had at least 50% of this species preserved in a hybrid embryo, we would preserve at least half of this for future generations. with herjob done, she was back on her feet. at a later stage she could be implanted with a fertilised egg, but with her northern cousins so close to extinction, it will be a race against time. in this gallery, we can find out about the science of who we are and ask what are the factors that give each of us a unique identity. these are questions that researchers are examining, especially when it comes to the brain. and this year, they made a major breakthrough, one that sheds light on the inner workings of our grey matter. the human brain, revealed in unprecedented detail. this is one of the most comprehensive scans that scientists have produced.

it shows nerve fibres, the brain's internal wiring, called axons, that carry billions of electrical signals. the scanning project could show a range of neurological disorders. it is similar to being handed a hubble telescope when you have only had binoculars. and for the first time we can address what i've called the missing link between structure and function. in canada, scientists were carrying out the world's biggest study into sleep, or rather what happens if you don't get enough of it. get to sleep, and after four hours, i will personally come and wake all of you up. volunteers were asked to carry out tests designed to work at how well we function if we're tired. the hope is they'll find out how much sleep we need for our brains to be at their best. and at this lab in london, researchers have been manipulating

the dna of very early embryos, to see how one fertilised cell can create a human. this is basic research that's providing us with a foundation of knowledge about early human development within this first seven—day window, and our hope is that this information can be used as a basis to build further understanding about underlying causes of infertility. the technique is called gene editing. inside the nucleus of each cell in our body is our genome — the blueprint for life. a single error in that dna can affect development, trigger disease or cause disorders. now, scientists can scan the genome and use molecular scissors to cut out, replace or repair the gene they want to target. the goal is to see if gene editing can eradicate inherited diseases. already this year scientists have shown it is possible to remove a gene in embryos that causes heart disease. it's early days but some believe

the technology has the potential to transform medicine. however, with ethical and safety concerns, others warn that any research needs to advance with caution. in 2017, mysterious mercury was also in scientists' sights. it's the smallest planet in our solar system, and the closest to the sun. covered in craters, towering cliffs and ageing volcanoes, until now, it's been little explored. but this year, preparations were underway for a major new mission. this is the spacecraft called bepicolombo after a famous italian scientist — its launch will take place in 2018. it's only when you get up close that you get a sense of the size of this huge piece of kit. and this is a spacecraft built to withstand extremes. to get to mercury it has

to travel towards the sun, which means dealing with intense radiation and heat. 0n the surface of mercury, temperatures can reach a50 celsius and that is hot enough to melt lead. bepicolombo's journey will take seven years, arriving at mercury in 2025. once it's there, the engine will be jettisoned and two spacecraft will separate. they'll work together to give us our best ever view. we'll see its features in incredible detail, and peer inside to solve the mystery of what lies at the core of mercury. this is the instrument that we've built at the university of leicester... british scientists have developed x—ray cameras for this mission. so, we're going to be the first people on the planet to see this data coming back from mercury, the first people to see x—ray images of mercury's surface, which is going to tell us about what the surface is made of and it's going to revolutionise our understanding.

the spacecraft is now almost ready for its long journey. and while it might take some time before we get the first results back, scientists say the wait will be worth it. the science museum's mathematics gallery was designed by the late zaha hadid, and this beautiful curved overhead structure represents the mathematical modelling behind airflow. in 2017, studying the atmosphere was a priority for scientists, too, and with the surprise rise in greenhouse gas emissions and levels of carbon dioxide reaching a record high, climate change was in the spotlight once again. the effects can be seen in the stunning landscape of the arctic. this year, british scientists went to greenland, to understand why the ice sheet is melting.

they found that white ice is turning dark. and the blacker the surface, the more sunlight it absorbs and the faster it warms. scientists believe it's linked to microscopic algae. what we want to know is, how far the algae can spread under the greenland ice as the climate warms. and it might well be that they'll cause more melting and an acceleration of sea—level rise. over the last 20 years, greenland has been losing more ice than it gains. scientists want to work out how much the meltwater will raise sea levels — and its impact on communities around the globe. extreme weather also hit the headlines. from a deadly hurricane season causing widespread devastation across the caribbean,

to catastrophic flooding in south asia. and wildfires burning across southern europe. 2017 was forecasted to be one of the top three warmest years on record, making tackling climate change a priority. two years earlier, in paris, the world came to a landmark agreement to limit temperature rise. but this summer, us president donald trump dealt the deal a devastating blow. in order to fulfil my solemn duty to protect america and its citizens, the united states will withdraw from the paris climate accord. he claimed the deal did not put america first, and penalised the country's workers. this agreement is less about the climate, and more about other countries gaining

a financial advantage over the united states. his announcement provoked an angry response. for the second—largest polluter in the world, the world's largest economy, to say they don't care any more, is a real gesture of contempt to the rest of the world. donald trump says coal can be a clean technology, but the number of americans working in coal is dwarfed by those employed by the solar and wind industries, and falling prices are leading to growing investment in renewable energy. the impact that donald trump's decision will have is still under debate. but many remain determined that even without america, the climate deal can survive. three, two, one... this year in the world of tech, it was all about finding innovative solutions. this drone is being developed

to deliver medical goods in remote parts of rwanda. it uses satnav to fly to its destination, and then drops off vital supplies. in the uk, scientists have found a new use for the wonder material graphene. they're using it as a sieve to filter out salt from sea water, making it drinkable. and in america, at last, a solution to the age—old problem — how to get the last drop of ketchup out of a bottle. researchers have developed a new slippery coating for containers, that allows sticky liquids to glide out effortlessly. so, in the future, not even a drop of sauce will go to waste. from the first steam train to early forays into the air, and the automobile revolution, when it comes to getting around,

we've been constantly pushing the engineering boundaries. but in 2017, one british team revealed how they wanted to take things further — and much, much faster. getting ready for a test drive, the bloodhound supersonic car. put through its paces in public for the very first time. hurtling down the runway, it reached from 0—200mph in just eight seconds. but the aim is to speed things up. in 2019, the car is heading to south africa, and with the help of a jet engine and a rocket that would normally launch vehicles into space, the team will try to break the world land speed record and hit 1,000mph. built in britain, the project has cost £30 million so far, and has taken ten years to get to this stage. engineer ron ayres, now 85, has already worked on two successful

speed record attempts, and he's ready to do it again. i'm glad that we've got this far, but of course i will really start getting proud when it really starts breaking records. and what i really want to do is to make nice loud supersonic bangs that will reverberate around the world. in its first public trials, the car performed beyond expectations and is now on track to go full throttle in the ultimate high—speed test. this year, the shocking trade in baby chimps was exposed by an undercover investigation in africa. a bbc team was sent these videos by dealers, offering the animals for sale. this one is about a year old, an orphan, captured in the wild when poachers killed his family. a reporter used a hidden

camera to film him being held in ivory coast. but the police were ready, and moved in. police! the dealer was arrested and laterfound to be part of a global trade network. for the police, stopping this is a priority. the chimp was given a name, and was taken to a nearby zoo to be looked after. but he never recovered from his ordeal, and just a few months after his rescue, he died. conservationists say his death highlights the plight of animals caught up in this brutal trade. this was also a year that

a new field of astronomy came into its own, deepening our view of the universe. inside this tunnel in the united states is an experiment that can detect some of the faintest signals in the cosmos — gravitational waves, invisible ripples in space and time. and in 2017, they revealed a celestial smash—up, two small but incredibly dense objects called neutron stars, 130 million light years away, they spiralled ever closer to each other, before eventually they collide. the huge explosion stretched and distorted space, hurling out gravitational waves. and they were picked up here — the first time astronomers have been able to watch a collision like this unfold. we don't know if we were lucky and this happened to be an event that happened close to,

relatively close to, earth, or perhaps there are many more neutron stars than we thought. gravitational waves were only seen for the very first time in 2016 — this latest finding confirms their potential. a new observational window on the universe typically leads to surprises that cannot yet be foreseen. we are still rubbing our eyes, or our ears, as we havejust woken up to the sound of gravitational waves. researchers say this is just the start, and they're expecting many discoveries — a new era in astronomy is finally here. i'm in the science museum's space gallery, and from the apollo lander to the scout rocket, objects from decades of exploration of our solar system are on display.

but one mission really stands out — the cassini orbiter spent 20 years in space and transformed our understanding of saturn. this year, though, it was time for scientists to say goodbye, but they wanted the mission to go out with a bang. instantly recognisable, saturn and its stunning rings. the cassini spacecraft revealed this giant planet in incredible detail, taking countless amazing images. but in 2017, it was time for one last look. after spending an epic 20 years in space and completing hundreds of orbits around saturn, cassini was running out of fuel. so, scientists planned a very grand finale, sending cassini on a death dive into saturn's thick atmosphere. this is the control room

where the very final moments of cassini will be tracked, and every last drop of science is being squeezed out of this mission. as the spacecraft enters the atmosphere of saturn, the data will be streamed back here right up until the very instant it's destroyed. this will actually be the grand truth, as it were, we're actually being able to sample the atmosphere as the spacecraft goes in. it doesn't have much time to do it, but it's going to be one of the most exciting points of the mission, right at the end of the mission. the day itself was bittersweet for the team. congratulations to you all — this has been an incredible mission and a incredible spacecraft and you are an incredible team. i'm going to call this the intermission. some had spent entire careers working on this mission. it's been a part of my

life for 20 years. we've spent day in and day out thinking about cassini, planning the observations and focusing on the science, and my career has been based on it. so, it's really hard to see that go. but the spacecraft has left a remarkable legacy. it's spotted colossal storms and found structures as high as mountains hidden within its rings. cassini also revealed the planet's many moons, from titan with its methane lakes, to enceladus, with its liquid ocean beneath the icy crust, shooting plumes into space — a discovery that has shaken up the idea of where we could look for life. we want to know, is there life in enceladus's oceans? could there be oceans in some of its other moons? that will take future missions to go back and answer those questions. as the spacecraft hurtled

toward saturn it vaporised, finally becoming part of the planet it had studied for so long. but for scientists the work isn't over. so much data has been collected, saturn will keep surprising for decades to come. i'm going to show you the latest view from space in just a moment. this week we are going to be covered in cloud. it's going to be very u nsettled in cloud. it's going to be very unsettled for the first week of the new year. gales at times and the rain could be quite heavy as well. this picture taken in kent today. it's been wet throughout much of the day. earlier we had some sunshine, a

lovely picture in belfast before the showers drove in across the capital. a lot of showers coming into northern ireland. there's the rain in the south—east, it's going to be joined by this rain moving away from the midlands towards east anglia. then we get a slice of sunshine but the showers in the north—west come charging down over the irish sea into northern england and north wales. if it cooler today than yesterday. those showers continued to drive their way towards the south—east this evening. 0vernight they will fade away. it points to a colder night. colder than recently. we are likely to get a frost across scotla nd we are likely to get a frost across scotland and perhaps in other rural areas. quickly things change on tuesday because the wind picks up and we've got some rain beginning to arrive. a particularly wet start in northern ireland, western fringes of scotland. a touch of frost in the north—east at this stage. that wet weather driving over the irish sea. still dry in much of northern

england, the midlands, east anglia and the south—east a chilly start. not much sunshine around with the rain coming in but soon it will spill into wales and the south—west. that rain could be heavy at times. we could see some snow briefly over the tops of the pennines, the hills of scotland. the wet weather moves and in the afternoon it brightens up. some sunshine ahead of the rain arriving in northern ireland later. we need to keep an eye on this developing area of low pressure on tuesday night. at the moment we have warnings of 60—70 mph gusts overnight. that area of low pressure exits into the north sea but it leaves us with some widespread gales on wednesday across much of england and wales and broadly speaking wednesday will be a day of sunshine and showers. heavier showers in the west with longer spells of rain driving into northern ireland.

temperature is not bad for the time of year. this is bbc news. i'm shaun ley. the headlines at two: police appeal for information after four men are stabbed to death in london in unrelated new year attacks. tragically there are four families who wake this morning to the heartbreaking news they have lost loved ones to the callous use of knives as lethal weapons. the six victims of a seaplane crash near sydney are identified among them a british woman and her 11—year—old daughter. iranian state media says ten people have been killed overnight in anti—regime protests. president trump uses twitter to say it's "time for change". also this hour: 11100 vehicles are destroyed in a new year fire in a liverpool car park. 0ne eyewitness said she saw a ball of fla m es 0ne eyewitness said she saw a ball of flames coming out of a land rover before it spread to neighbouring vehicles. and in half an hourjoin me