the this is bbc news. our latest headlines... victims of the black cab rapist john worboys win a landmark case against police afterjudges at the supreme court ruled scotland yard was liable forfailures in its investigation. a brexit negotiation document suggests the length of the transition period could be extended — as 60 tory mps write to theresa may to insist the uk makes a clean break with the eu. the un says the situation in a rebel—held suburb of damascus in syria, which is enduring intense government air strikes, is "beyond imagination". hundreds have died since sunday. the american evangelist, billy graham, has died at the age of 99 after battling parkinson's disease for several years. he devoted his life to spreading the christian message. students from the florida school that saw a mass shooting march in the state capital demanding stricter gun controls. detectives are continuing

to investigate whether two fatal stabbings in north london last night were linked. 17—year—old abdikarim hassan and sadiq adan mohamed, who was 20, were attacked within two hours of each other less than a mile apart in kentish town. an order has now been put in place, allowing officers to stop and search people in the local area. we can now speak to sophie linden, london's deputy mayor for policing and crime. thanks so much forjoining us on bbc news. four people stabbed in north london last night in the space of seven hours. what is going on? can i just say how deeply saddened and shocked we all are worse of the two young lives last night in camden. we know that we have an issue of knife crime in london but we also know

that knife crime is rising notjust in london but across england and well. metropolitan police are doing everything they can, using all the powers they have in tackling rising crime. the mayor of london is also investing in the police to make sure they have the resorts is that they need. the problem is that we have a government stepping back, cutting money going to the metropolitan police and cutting money going to use services, schools and mental health services. when you say that we have an issue with knife crime in london, what exactly do you mean? last night, tragically, two young men lost their lives on the streets of london. although the new year, four young men lost their lives. we have an increase in knife crime and an increase in people using knives. it isa an increase in people using knives. it is a real problem and concern. it is happening in london but also across england and wales. maier sadiq khan today called on the prime

minister for the government to take their responsibilities seriously and step up and resource things properly. wind the government to come alongside us as well. you blame the government but the family of one of the young men stabbed say that they blame the metropolitan police. do you not agree with that? do you not agree with thanm really worries do you not agree with that7m really worries me when families of victims say they feel let down by police. i want them to feel like the police. i want them to feel like the police were there for them. if my son was murdered, i would feel let down because it is such a terrible thing to happen. we are doing what we can, putting officers on the streets. but we have a small amount of money compared to what the met needs. it has impacted on the number of officers on the streets and services they can provide. putting

more money into placing on the streets does not solve the problem of why people buy knives and take knives with them in the first place. this isn't just knives with them in the first place. this isn'tjust the problem of the government putting enough resources into the police, is it? absolutely, i agree. it is notjust about police resources . i agree. it is notjust about police resources. these resources are very potent because resources. these resources are very potent because we need officers on the streets, making arrests, taking knives off the streets. we're trying to make sure that knives are not so easy to get. it is notjust about money but it is just that services make the difference to young people, helping them go along the right path. they are being cut and it matters. the young people of london are suffering because of that. sophie linden, london's deputy mayor for policing and crime, thank you for policing and crime, thank you for talking to us. now on bbc news, it's

time for sportsday. hello and welcome to sportsday — i'mjohn watson. coming up tonight... tension on the ice as gb‘s curlers have gold in their sights. powered by the people, the british women's bobsleigh team you can't take away how much of a fabulous athlete you are into much of a great career you had but it doesn't matter because it has been and gone. may the fifth, you're finished. i promise you that. yes, welcome. gb skip eve muirhead kept her footing and a cool head as she produced a moment of magic as the women's curling team reached the semifinals after beating the reigning champions, canada. whether it will be an all family affair in the semifinals remains to be seen, with eve's brother part of the men's team who face a playoff to determine if they'll get a shot at a medal. alisdair lamont reports from pyeongchang. it can be tough. but if you search ha rd it can be tough. but if you search hard enough, there are some team gb

fa ns to hard enough, there are some team gb fans to be found at the winter olympics. there are even a few scots. most of them are to be found at the curling, where they're doing pretty well. eve muirhead producing one of the shots of the tournament so faron one of the shots of the tournament so far on the way to victory over canada and a place in the semifinal. that's a great shot. the skip reckons they are good enough to win a medal. i do. and in the last few games, we have got better and better. i'll leave you a couple of yea rs better. i'll leave you a couple of years to go but as a team, i am really pleased with where we are. we'll chat this —— with the coaches as well. they can go into the semifinals looking confident, but the boys team or not at the races today. with a semifinal place at sta ke, today. with a semifinal place at stake, perhaps the occasion was just two months young—mac —— was just too much for them. we struggled. last time, we got a fortunate few

fortu nate time, we got a fortunate few fortunate steel. the swiss are getting in some practice already. if you're looking for positives, the british men beat the swiss rink in the first round—robin match. hopefully that bodes well for the tie—breaker tomorrow. as for the women, they have a day off to rest and prepare for their big semifinal. some more reaction now. now rhona harrie will be more familiar to many of you as rhona martin — she famously led the british women's curling team to gold at the 2002 salt lake winter olympics. well, a little earlier, shejoined my colleague hugh ferris to cast her expert eye over both the men's and women's team's progress in the competition. it is such a long, long ten days of curling. mentally and physically, it's curling. mentally and physically, its training. —— it's draining. your first its training. —— it's draining. yourfirst goal is its training. —— it's draining. your first goal is to get through the round—robin stage and you can think about the semis and finals before then. to get to that stage,

it isa before then. to get to that stage, it is a huge relief. you can look forward to the competition after that. knowing that you can slip up in the round—robin stage is dangerous. knowing that you can indeed not its stages is a motivator, isn't it? absolutely. eve is good at calling the tactical side of the game. this is her third olympics and she knows exactly what she wants to do. you can outsmart your opposition in the tactics. as long as they make it count at the end of the game. eve can play these big shots. she was the pressure shots. that is what got her through the last round—robin game, it was all on the tactics and plainly big shots at the end of the game.|j guess that will stand her and her tea m guess that will stand her and her team in good stead by the time the semifinals arrives. do you sense there is momentum behind them and this is the kind of form they need

to go to the final and potentially get a gold? it is very hard to focus and play 100% through nine games and then a semi final. it is nearly a0 hours of competition. there will always be dipped in performance but they have definitely stepped up a gearand they have definitely stepped up a gear and they are much more consistent. all four of them playing more consistent shots now. this had all the experience of previous olympics to go on. the men's team, not so much. i wonder if that has led to the inconsistency. we have a play—off to make the semifinals, so it is by no means over, but the other in a position where perhaps they are learning as they go along. that he must come on so much in the last three years. they went through a junior career together. they have progressed so well. it is a learning curve for them but they have the talent and ability. ok, then in a tie—breaker. they're playing switzerland. they played them in

september and again in november that the european championships. and kyle won. so i wouldn't rule these boys out. they have got that wheel drive and ability to do it. fascinating to get her insight. good luck to the men and women. beating canada, the reigning champions, has to bea canada, the reigning champions, has to be a confidence boost. now it was one of the stories before the games — you might remember that of the gb women's bobsleigh team who had theirfunding cut. the british pair of mica moore and misha mcneil produced a best ever finish by a british women's team after finishing eighth. bearing in mind that they only made it to sthe start line thanks to genourous donations from the general public. our sports correspondent david ornstein was at the finish line as germany clinched victory. welcome to the sliding centre, whereas you can hear, the atmosphere is absolutely incredible. it is a gold medalfor the is absolutely incredible. it is a gold medal for the german is absolutely incredible. it is a gold medalfor the german pair. it

was a dramatic ending because the americans thought they had it. right at the last, the germans put them, with canada in third place. for great britain, also a fantastic night, finishing in eighth place. which means it is the best ever finish for the british women's bobsleigh team in olympic history. women's bobsleigh came into the olympics in 2002. in four attempts, no british pair had done better than this one. that will be a fantastic boost for them and surely plenty more for them to come in the future olympic games. let's hearfrom them now. five months ago, we didn't know if we would even be here. so to get here is an achievement in itself. we've just loved every minute of it and we want to say thank you to eve ryo he and we want to say thank you to everyone who supported us. thanks to

herfamily everyone who supported us. thanks to her family and friends. it's been incredible. it's been a crazy few months and this hasjust been a cherry on top. we've enjoyed it so much. also tonight, we saw the nigerian pier in action. they became the first nigerians and the first—ever african nation to compete in bobsleigh. some history there. and also, 30 years on from the cool running smoothly which marked the jamaicanmen‘s arrival in the olympic, the jamaican woman competing here. still to come is the men's event, but what a fantastic night here at the sliding centre. germany taking gold but great britain ina germany taking gold but great britain in a very creditable and record—breaking eighth position. what a night and what an atmosphere there. david reporting from pyeongchang. brit billy morgan

is into the final of the big air competition — scoring 90.5 on his second run. 7 points off the top score. the final takes place on saturday morning with morgan looking to make the step up to medal contention. it could be one of the performances of the games so far — the 15 year old russian skater alina zagitova set a new world record in the ladies short programme. the record actually tumbled twice as she beat compatriot evgenia medvedeva's earlier score, who is just 18 herself and looked favourite for gold. and there was a tearful goodbye from skier lindsey vonn who took bronze in the women's downhill in her last ever games. at 33, the american became the oldest woman to claim a winter olympics alpine skiing medal. vonn has struggled with injury, and was clearly emotional as she bid farewell to her olympic career. it was intense, and i think mostly

it was intense because ijust wanted to win for my gram —— grandpa. it's my last olympic downhill race. i really want to keep racing forever, but i can't. so,... but i can't. knowing really want to keep racing forever, but i can't. knowing your family, your grandfather would be so happy that you went out there and did your best. i hope so. and billy proud to walk away with a medal. it may not be gold and i'm sure a lot of people will say that i should've gotten a gold, but you know what? it's so hard to win or get a medal at the olympics, and i'm proud of my performance. so i'm walking away very happy. emotional stuff from lindsey vonn. stay with us. still to come... there is no tears from these two,

but a war of words as they prepare for their big rematch in the ring. and we've the amazing story of goalkeeper ann—katrin berger, back playing football just months after being diagnosed with cancer but before that... manchester united's record signing paul pogba is set to be left out of their starting line up for their champions league last sixteen tie with sevilla this evening. our football reporter was with me. interesting that pogba is left out of the starting line—up potentially. as an £89 million signing, these are the matches he was signed up to play in. it is a big decision by jose mourinho. i can confirm that he has been left out of the starting line—up and those on the bench. he is starting with nemanja matic, ander herrera, and a youngster,

academy product. they will be the players in midfield. for the big champions league game, last 16, away from home, everything on the line tonight, to go without your £89 million record signing is a big hole. we can hear from jose mourinho now. he was asked in his pre—match conference about whether popper would play or not. when i decided team to play, i don't look to the age, the salary or tra nsfer look to the age, the salary or transfer fee. because i look to the age, the salary or transferfee. because i think look to the age, the salary or transfer fee. because i think that's not fair. he says he doesn't look to the tra nsfer he says he doesn't look to the transfer fee. it is a he says he doesn't look to the transferfee. it is a huge he says he doesn't look to the transfer fee. it is a huge sum he says he doesn't look to the transferfee. it is a huge sum of money. where does this leave paul pogba? money. where does this leave paul pogba ? to money. where does this leave paul pogba? to be left out of a big european night like this tonight, where does this future lie at old trafford and are we perhaps reading more into this than we should be?” don't think we are reading too much into it. paul pogba is at a bit of a crossroads. jose mourinho said he

thought paul pogba was not playing well. he has been taken off against tottenham and against newcastle. both games ended in defeat. pogba is ata both games ended in defeat. pogba is at a crossroads. you has to decide whether he will not go down, calm down with the social media stuff, all the gregarious acts that he does, the way he presents itself, and concentrate on his corejob, which is playing football for manchester united. or he's got a thing, i don't like this. i haven't enjoyed coming back to the club i used to play for and they want to move on. i think the next few weeks will be key as to whether paul pogba's return to manchester united isa pogba's return to manchester united is a success or failure. fascinating stuff. left out of the line—up tonight, though. and you'll be able to listen to coverage of that match on bbc radio 5 live, plus there will be the usual text commentary on the bbc sport website.

the kick—off is at 7:a5 p:m.. in 2a hours' time, celtic will be looking to progress to the last 16 of the europa league. they've arrived to temparatures of around minus 15 in russia, where they take on zenit st petersburg with a one—nil advantage. here's our scottish football reporter chris mclaughlin. this is the stadium in st petersburg, home to zen it and one of the key stadiums this year in the world cup finals. as you can see, it is absolutely freezing cold at the moment. —15 degrees. at the time kick—off comes tomorrow, it will be significantly warmer inside the stadium because the rest will be on. zenit have trained already today. celtic opted to train in glasgow. they are now in the city and crucially bring with them that i—0 victory from celtic park last week. in terms of zen it, that result in

glasgow took quite a lot of people here by surprise last week. they have been on an extended winter break. but we expect a very different performance tomorrow night. we always play well at home, and in the europa league, i am confident. we need to have a good game, concentrate. without pressure. this is important. an intriguing match in prospect. around 800 celtic fa ns match in prospect. around 800 celtic fans expected in the city before kick—off. if you have a travel get and you are runaway, bring every‘ you have. it looks very cold there. it looks very cold there. it could be mistaken for pyeongchang. tony bellew and david haye have come face to face again today, ahead of their heavyweight rematch in may. the fight will take place a year after bellew defeated haye with iith—round stoppage. the original december date was postponed because of an injury to haye.