after one of its fighterjets was brought down by anti—aircraft fire. the plane went down during a mission that followed an iranian drone launch into israeli territory. a double—decker bus has overturned in hong kong, killing 19 people and injuring 62 others. police have arrested the driver and charged him with causing death by dangerous driving. the us vice president, mike pence, says washington and seoul are in complete agreement on the need to isolate north korea until it abandons its nuclear missile programme. he was speaking on his way home from the winter olympics. several thousand anti—racism protesters have rallied in the central italian town of macerata a week after a far—right activist shot and wounded six people he thought were migrants. now on bbc news, we all know being an undertaker requires a certain demeanour and a sympathetic approach to grieving relatives, which is why you might not expect a teenager to show up to help run a funeral.

but in this newsbeat documentary, we meet some of the young people who are dedicated to working with the deceased, with a warning that the programme contains some pictures of people who have recently died. it's the most rewarding job i think i could ever, ever do. every time i go, i bounce out of bed in the morning, and i don't feel like i'm going to any work. it's what i want to do for the rest of my life. thanks for hearing me ramble. i will see you soon, hopefully. bye. there you go, all done.

shoulders please, gentlemen. death, it's the only certainty in life. but for some, it's a passion, a vocation, a career. i'm a bit nervous, but obviously really excited at the same time. ellie and ben are 17, but they are surrounded by death. sam's job takes him around the world. luke is one of the uk's youngest funeral home bosses. he's trying to survive in an industry which demands sensitivity, sympathy and seriousness. be careful with those flowers. how do teenagers and twentysomethings fit in? be patient, keep your mouth shut, you'll be fine. i'm quite happy being around death,

because i've always liked to be different. this industry is certainly different. when 17—year—old ellie isn't at college, she spends her spare time working at a funeral home in nottingham, training to be an undertaker. i'm ellie, i'm calling from aw lymn the family funeral service. and today, she's making what's called a first call. she will talk to a relative of someone who's died and was brought in overnight. it's a particularly sensitive job. there's no script to follow. emotions are raw, and relatives upset. most new recruits will train on thejob, overseen by more experienced undertakers.

essential when something doesn't go to plan. no problem. tony, they don't actually want to use us. they want to use somebody in birmingham. we can arrange all the cremation forms for them. right, 0k. so... and they need to register here. right, ok, that's no problem. hi, we will complete all of the cremation forms for you here. yes, we'll need to see the green form, the death certificate. ok, that's no problem. thank you very much. bye— bye. bless. so, do i actually need to put that onto an arrangement form or not? i think she did 0k. i think she did all right. there were one or two little bits of information that could have been given, but obviously that will come as time progresses. ellie's colleague ben is also 17.

he's training on the job after his school careers adviser suggested he become an undertaker. he spends much of his time working behind—the—scenes, but is about to step up to a new role. i'm on call tonight, and it's my first ever time on call properly, so that's kind of removals at night. a lot of the other guys are telling me a lot about nights. mixed opinions, some like it, some don't. everyone likes the money. that's the reason why are a lot of them are doing it. ben knows collecting dead bodies at night is all part of the job, and a part of his training. he'll be on call from 6pm tonight until 8am tomorrow morning, although he's not passed his driving test yet so he'll be spending the night with someone he's never worked with before. definitely tired, definitely didn't enjoy waking up. it's something i've been looking

forward to a little bit. i think more just spending time with andy is the best thing about it. i heard he's one of the best, so he'll show me what it's really all about. i've bigged you up there mate! it's just after midnight, and ben and andy have been called out to an address just outside nottingham where someone has died earlier in the evening. this is the sharp end of undertaking, turning up promptly, looking awake, and having the right demeanour. few expect to see a teenager on their doorstep. it's definitely the right place. yes. once inside the property, the pair have to be ready to offer support and help, no matter what time of night it is. as it turns out, the collection goes smoothly and they are back out within ten minutes.

how was it? it wasn't bad, yeah. you know, it's never nice to have to go somewhere and pick up a deceased. as i say, it's not nice, but unfortunately that is part of life and it's a part of ourjob and what we do. you might go to an address and there might be someone maybe the same age as you, maybe a little bit older, and that when it starts to dawn on you that anything's possible. with a body on board, ben and andy are now en route to one of their nearby mortuaries. it can be stored there in the fridge until their colleagues arrange a funeral date with the dead person's family. i remember the first time that i touched a dead body.

i can rememberfeeling quite faint. now, it's a normal everyday thing. i've always hoped that there is some sort of life after death. however, working in this industry and seeing the harsh reality of death every day does make that a lot harder to believe. when i was 15, a close family member decided to take their own life, and ifound the body. as horrible as it sounds, i was really interested in the science behind the state of the body when i found it. also, i went to the hospital to view the body and i was really interested in the sounds and the noises that were going on in the background. when the funeral came around, i was really, really interested

in how they got the day to run so smoothly. phone rings hello, luke allum funeral directors. yeah, if i can take your address please. i'lljust grab a pen. while ellie and ben are both very young, luke is a slightly older youngertaker. he is 25, and running his own business after starting as an apprentice at a local firm. call out. so just through here, this is my mortuary. this is where pretty much the magic happens. so, this is myjob where the loved one comes back to me. i want them to look the best they possibly can. i want their family to feel like they're at peace now, they look like they're just sleeping. this is where my time is spent. so, little things in here.

a lot of people think can they have their teeth, and some people don't find their teeth. we have different things like mouth formulas. we have eye caps. obviously, the eyes will always sink into the back of the head, so we can either inject the eye to bring the eye forward, or we can put an eye cap in which gives a nice natural look in the eye, which will make them just look like they're asleep. we want to have a nice full eye, and not a sunken eye. this side of the room here, i bring the stretcher in with their loved one. i get a tray out, it's all pumped up, so you literallyjust pump up and bring the tray out. i put their loved one nicely onto the tray, slide them into the fridge and close the door. i want people to start talking and say, that boy puts a lot of time and effort in. at the end of the day, i'm only 25. i'm here for a long time. when do i retire? 42 years' time i'm going to retire, when i'm 67. so i've onlyjust started paying into my pension. luke's dreaming big, but before that, he has to make it through the first few months to keep

the real grim reaper at bay. the bank manager. you can't pick and choose when the funerals are going to come in. i wanted three by christmas, which means we can pay the bills, the wages, the funeral can go ahead. you never know where it's going to go. 200 miles away, and 20—year—old sam is in paris. the uk funeral industry isn'tjust about burials and cremations. another side of the business involves moving dead bodies from one country to another. so, if you're happy, we'll drink up and we'll get on the road. he's travelled to france with his big boss, bill, for the first time, to visit one of europe's‘s largest funeral trade shows. sam alsojoined his company as an apprentice, and now arranges repatriations to and from the uk by talking with authorities and governments around the world on behalf of bereaved families. but today is all about business. i've come abroad.

i've come to an exhibition which, if i'm honest, is far bigger than i expected it to be. i've got my manager here looking over me, i've got an objectives list for people i want to see and things i want to know, so there's the pressure on to get round this big exhibition, meet everyone i want to, and take something back to work that i can say "yeah, this trip was successful". so the pressure‘s on. imagine that rocking up. on sam's youngertaker shoulders rests his company's relationship with key business partners. when a person dies abroad and their family want the body brought home, sam helps with the arrangements. he relies on building relationships with funeral firms in different countries to do that. ok, i'll take a step back and let you dive in with both feet. yeah, absolutely. there's one man in particular he wants to meet up with to improve his company's european business, although finding him at the big exhibition without speaking the language is proving a bit difficult.

and that hasn't escaped bill's attention. no one you know? fabrice kana is head of one of europe's largest repatriation firms, and getting him on side could be worth thousands of pounds to sam's bosses. how's the event? it's fine. yeah? hmm... interrupting this key contact while he's meeting with another company isn't the most experienced way of attracting new business. ok, give mejust five minutes. no worries. 0k. be right back. cheers, bye. thank you. it's not long before he returns to introduce sam to the rest of his team. the next few minutes will be a key test. let me introduce you tojonathan... it hasn't always been easy for sam to build relationships in an industry dominated by older people. if a youngertaker‘s challenge is to show a gravitas and maturity at funerals, here it is about schmoozing, boozing and bagging deals. i suppose, if i was going

to criticise sam, it's sometimes he does flush a little bit when he first goes into that meeting. but once he settles down, he's quite comfortable in that relationship. now we have inroads not only to fabrice, but to the whole of his team. that gives us a greater impact, a greater buy—in, and if we walk away from this and that's the only thing we get then i am really happy with how that's gone. he's always so cool, you know? he speaks so low, you know? he's not so... laughter done it again. how do you get these up? i'm not very good at this. back in nottingham, ben and ellie's training is continuing. they're both spending the afternoon in the coffin workshop being overseen by andy. you did nothing different. i think it's going really well, actually.

obviously i had that call the other week, and there was a bit of feedback on it and there were a few improvements. but since i've been back in the office and done a few more, which have gone really well. obviously i've been observed, but they went absolutely perfectly, so the feedback worked, really. ellie and ben's training is being ramped up later this week. they've been invited to kent to join luke's small team of undertakers for a day and help with one of the biggest funerals his new business has ever booked. it's not really nerve—racking. it's more exciting, i think. i'm excited. i don't know about you, ellie, but i'm actually kind of excited about it. i've never been to kent either, so... yeah, no, i think he's done really well to get this size

funeral so early on. i want to know what he's doing so well. if there's going to be a lesser number of you, like you say, you've got to be extra special. you can't describe how weird it is. you go home and what have you done today? oh, i'vejust, you know, i've cleaned some sick up and i've got some bogeys out of a dead body. it's absurd, really. this is going to be one of the biggest funerals that i've done today. there's going to be over 250 people. we've got 150 orders of service. luke only opened his funeral home in september, and today is a day he really needs to get right. it's essential the next few hours go well as he tries to build his business and get more funerals in the future. this fresh boss doesn't need any youngertaker slip—ups. does anybody have any questions? everybody know what they're doing? yes. super, thank you. ellie and ben, come with me,

we'll go and close down the coffin. luke's team have less than an hour to get the coffin ready, the flowers sorted, and the hearse prepared. one slight mistake and luke's reputation will be on the line. turn it towards me. they're quite stiff. towards me, mate. other way. other way! that's it, keep going. keep going. no, the other way! that way? yeah. ellie, you go and show him what to do. well done, ellie. thank you. glad you're here. 0k. with the clock ticking, luke has to make sure everything is in place and running on time to avoid missing his slot at the crematorium. be careful with the flowers. after three, lift in. one, two, three. wheels. mind yourfingers when you're pushing. just have the pillow on the back as well, please. right. let's make a move. ready? let's go.

it's been a stressful morning, but luke has managed to stick to schedule. he'll now accompany the hearse to pick up the dead person's family and friends, paging, or walking in front, as it leaves his shop. it's a gesture of respect. while he's doing that, ellie and ben arrive at the crematorium to ensure the chapel and orders of service are set up correctly, all before luke and the hearse arrive. music: "break apart" by bonobo feat rhye. shoulders please, gentlemen. thank you, ben. forward, gentlemen, thank you. ladies, gentlemen, family and friends, would you like to follow me into the chapel, please? music continues. when you're getting the "grandad" out, obviously do one at a time. it's not attached. with the service underway, ellie and ben's responsibilities continue. they have to unload the rest of the hearse, and lay the family's flowers out on display. but will they meet lu ke‘s high standards? we need to swap the "dad"

and the "grandad" round, only because he was dad before he was a grandad. just swap them round a little bit, please. great at all times. can't fault it. really happy. now, we're going to get warm, quick cup of tea, get the young ones in, get them sorted, and then wait for the bell to go, carry on with the service. bell chimes. i really liked how you ran it, actually. you did a very good job. thank you. i think it was very inspiring to see. to say you've only been going a couple of months, to what you've got, is amazing. thank you for coming down. luke has left ellie and ben feeling inspired, but being your own boss isn't the only option open to these youngerta kers. many funeral firms offer in—house training, helping their trainees with industry—backed courses,

and that's something ellie is looking at. her boss jacqui has brought her along to meet one of her older colleagues, who is also called ellie. morning, everyone. hi, kate. i'm feeling very nervous. yeah, it's been a long morning. it'sjust been a sleepless night, a long morning. there are few moments in the funeral business where undertakers can show their emotions. could this be one of them? i passed! they cheer. oh, i'm so relieved! well done! ellie, and the others we follow,

have all found their own way to become youngerta kers in an industry traditionally run by family firms. they now have to decide how they will continue with their career in one of the world's oldest professions. i don't think i will ever get bored of the job, and i'll neverfind anotherjob that you can... you can show your true self in. so i love supporting people, i love helping people, i care about people, and i'm a very empathetic person. i can use these qualities to help me in thejob, and also i think that it's such a rewarding job. for example, when somebody goes into the chapel and says they look absolutely amazing when you've made them up. or at the end of a funeral when somebody is genuinely so thankfulfor you, and for all that you've done for them, i don't think you'd get that feeling anywhere else. hello there. it looks like sunday's going to be a brighter day

than certainly what we had on saturday. more cloud and rain. cold, colder than saturday. gale force winds easing down in the morning. wintry showers for many with snow, even at lower levels. this is the deep area of low pressure bringing strong winds overnight. sunday morning, gales will be easing from eastern areas. a blustery day with wintry showers piling into the north and west. gales easing away from the east. still, a blustery day. feeling cold. plenty of sunshine around in southern and central and eastern areas. the afternoon, wintry showers reaching the midlands, perhaps into the south—east of england as well, certainly very windy in the north of scotland. snowfall accumulations mounting up. a cold day. sunday night, much of the same. further wintry showers,

longer spells of snow in the north and west. a cold night. subzero temperatures. spots of snow in the north and west of the country. a cold night. sub—zero values in central and northern areas. the risk of ice first thing monday morning. monday is not looking too bad. sunshine around. more than sunday. wintry showers in the north and west. wind picking up ahead of the next weather front moving in the atlantic. another chilly day. temperatures, around 5—8 degrees. monday night into tuesday. this weather front pushing east across the country. encountering cold air, so some snow on its leading edge. central and southern scotland could see quite a lot of snow. eventually, clearing through as we go through tuesday with skies brightening up behind. wintry showers moving into scotland and northern ireland. those temperatures again, chilly, 4—6.

a brief ridge of high pressure calming things down towards wednesday. the next weather front moves in off the atlantic. a repeat performance. it bumps into the cold air, disruptive snow in the north of the country. 10—20 centimetres of snow in the higher ground of scotland. perhaps snow at lower levels as well. with rain, a messy day on wednesday. perhaps something a little less cold in the south. still on the chilly side. heading through the rest of the week, thursday, friday, much of the same, on the chilly side. welcome to bbc news, broadcasting to viewers in north america and around the globe. my name is nkem ifejika. our top stories: there's mounting international concern — as israel launches a wave of air strikes against what it calls ‘iranian targets‘ in syria. a double—decker bus overturns in hong kong, killing at least 19 people. the driver's been arrested.

the united states and russia say they're concerned about an escalation of cross—border violence between israel and iranian—backed forces in syria. israeli fighter planes launched bombing raids across the border, following the shooting down of one of its jets. israel says it's been targetting iranian positions on syrian