you're watching newsday from london and singapore. i'm sharinjit leyl. the headlines. another resignation. president trump's communications director hope hicks is to step down. it comes a day after she testified to congress. the children of parkland, florida return to school to the day after a gunman walked in and killed their friends. i think eventually, it will be normal again, but not the same normal it was before. it will probably be a new type of normal because those in 17 people aren't going to be there. i am mariko oi in singapore. also in the programme. is the uk being backed into a corner over the irish border? we have the details of the european union's controversial brexit proposal. a huge turnout for sridevi's funeral. thousands of fans turned out for one of the bollywood actresses who is seen as one of the most influential of her time. live from our studios

in london and singapore. this is bbc world news. it is newsday. it's 1am in london, 9 in the morning in singapore and 8pm in washington where one of president trump's longest—serving aides — hope hicks — has resigned. the announcement came a day after the 29—year—old was questioned by the house intelligence committee investigating russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. the white house has denied any links between her giving evidence at that hearing and this decision. here's the bbc‘s chris buckler explaining what this means for the trump administration. is clear the white house is having a problem with the communications directors post. she was the fourth person to fill the role injust 13 months of this presidency so far.

it gives you a sense of this ever—changing cast of the white house. hope hicks herself went beyond that in some way. she was with president trump throughout the campaign and was with the family organisation for years before that and she was really seen as a very close adviser and aide to president trump. someone that he relied upon time and time again. in a statement tonight, he has talked clearly about her resignation does, just a day after she spoke to the house intelligence committee here in washington. this committee has examined a number of issues and on those issues, it seemed that hope hicks wasn't ready to respond. apparently, she wasn't prepared to talk about the meeting, the controversial meeting in summer 2016 between the trump organisation, the trump organisation, the trump campaign team and a russian lawyer. she also apparently

a one stage did say that she apparently told white lies on behalf of the president, but, as i say, this is another blow for the white house, losing a key member of staff, but it is a personal blow to donald trump, too, as president, because he did rely so clearly on hope hicks. someone that he really trusted. it is very much the revolving door of the white house. one moment you are in, the next you're out. this does suggest, though, with her departure, that president trump's inner circle is diminishing. is that a concern? yes, and you also have the talk about the various different rows and different camps that are emerging inside the white house. john kelly, general kelly, of course, someone who was the chief of staff inside of the white house, there is talk of tension between him and doesn't come‘s daughter and son—in—law, jared kushner. you do get a sense there are different

camps emerging within the white house and hope hicks was someone, again, just worth emphasizing, who very much belonged in some senses to the family. she was someone who is very close to to be family and very close to the president himself. it's a blow, but i think it is also a blow in terms of the organisation of the white house, itself. let's take a look at some of the day's other news. the international olympic committee has lifted its ban on russia, three days after the winter games in south korea ended. the suspension was imposed in december, after inspectors said they'd found evidence of systematic state—sponsored doping. president putin gave some of the winning athletes their medals earlier today. here's what the president of the russian olympic committee said about their athletes. translation: the letter we have received today says that the international olympic committee can confirm that all the remaining samples of the olympic athletes from russia were negative. that is, all the doping tests that our athletes took in the last days of the olympics

gave a negative result. also making news today... philippine president, rodrigo duterte, has tried to dispel concerns he will cling to power and become a dictator, saying he wants to achieve his goal of introducing federalism so that he can finish his term early. the 72—year—old said he would really like to rest and will step down by 2020. the company behind japan's iconic bullet trains has said it had supplied nearly 150 faulty wheel parts that could crack and potentially cause a derailment. kawasaki heavy industries launched an investigation after a crack was found in its parts under one carriage in december. more than 100 carriages will now have to have their wheels changed because of the fault. the german government has confirmed that its computer network has been the target of a cyber—attack. the authorities didn't comment on reports that the attack was carried out by russians and had targeted the foreign

and defence ministries. i don't understand why you had to ditch that weather for this. much of europe has been blanketed in snow as cold weather spreads as far south as the mediterranean coast. these pictures are from the uk, where the cold spell has been nicknamed "the beast from the east". dozens of roads were closed and trains and flights cancelled. hundreds of schools suspended classes, too, with some businesses telling workers to stay at home. us president who donald trump has met with members of congress from both sides of the isle, republicans and democrats, to discuss gun control. in the wake of the florida school shooting, the president wants to put forward a bill to change some of the country's firearm laws. and once again, at the top of his list is a move to arm some american teachers in schools.

again, i really believe that those people, it's idealistic, it's a beautiful thing, but if you think that somebody is going to be able to walk into a school if they feel they're not going to have bullets coming at them from the other direction, you're never going to solve the problem. i feel that. background checks were also on the agenda. democratic senator chris murphy told the president previous moves to change the law have been thwarted because of the influence of the country's national rifle association. in the end, mr president, the reason nothing has gotten done here is because the gun lobby has had a veto power over any legislation that comes before congress. i wish that wasn't the case, but it is. if all we end up doing is the stuff that the gun industry supports, then this just isn't worth it. we are not going to make a difference. the discussions come two weeks to the day, since the florida shooting. students and teachers returned

to their classes for the first time since 17 people were shot dead. dozens of officers and well wishers were on hand, offering support. one young student said it was incredibly sad to return to where herfriends had died. it was a tough day for all of us. i lost three friends. three great friends. one of them was a nicholas, who was in my anatomy class and i literally saw him at the exact same day at the beginning in the morning. isaw him. we hugged and said happy valentine's day and that was the last i ever heard of him until we found out in the news that he was one of the ones who sadly... sorry. one of the ones who was killed. a political analyst eric ham, who joins me from washington. says a thing to arm it teaches one

happen. —— will not happen. first of all, it is just an enormous amount of money to train and to equip teachers to do this. secondly, because of the situational awareness, manyjust don't see it as a good idea. the president, of all the ideas that he has thrown out in terms of ideas for confronting this issue of mass shootings, this is the one issue that he has managed to stick with and i think it is something that we will be hearing more from him. one of the reasons why i think he likes this idea so much is because it is an idea that the national rifle association supports. the president has been trying to thread this needle of making sure his base stays with them, which are mainly nra members, as well as trying to be seen as doing something on the issue on guns. remember, in 2016, the nra funded the president's campaign to the tune of $30 million. i think he's trying to placate them as well as trying to make sure people feel and remain

safe going forward. unfortunately, we have that so many of these shootings and similar debates have happened. this time, survivors are a lot more vocal and we have companies like dick's sporting goods as well as walmart doing something about gun sales. do you feel that something might actually change this time? actually, we already see changes. even if they're just incremental. just the fact that you have, i think you said the operative words, survivors are speaking out. that is something very different from what we have seen in past shootings. oftentimes, the dead cannot speak. they don't have a voice. this time, however, we are seeing the savviness of these young people actually engage on this issue and now the fact that you are seeing so many corporations moving as quickly as possible away the nra and actually putting their dollars with their mouth is on these issues, i think it is also showing an suggesting that there

is a change taking place. the fact that you have the president now actually supporting the ban of bump stocks or actually looking to raise the age limit on gun purchases, i think that is something that is a very huge. in fact, i covered the meeting today between the president and lawmakers and he actually said pointedly to two senators they should look at raising the age limit for their bill. it is a bill that he said he would be willing to support and sign if it arrives at his desk. we are seeing changes both incrementally and majorfrom both sides of the aisle and for major voices like corporate america. as long as you continue to see that, you will continue to see major shifts taking place on this issue. the european commission published its first draft

of the official treaty for brexit today. it included proposals for a common regulatory area on the island of ireland, which would effectively mean keeping northern ireland in a customs union, unlike the rest of the uk. prime minister theresa may said the idea would never be agreed to and it threatened the constitutional integrity of the uk. the bbc‘s rob watson reports. breaking up was never going to be easy, as efforts to finalise the divorce agreement, the withdrawal treaty as it's known in brussels, are proving. "don't blame us," says the eu negotiator michel barnier. it was the uk that wants to leave, throwing up all sorts of problems, including the thorny issue of the border between northern ireland and the irish republic. translation: i am not trying to provoke or create shock waves. i want this negotiation to be a success, but let me remind you that it was uk's decision to leave, and as i said from the beginning, no one should

underestimate the consequences of this action. that northern ireland might almost effectively stay in the eu to avoid a hard border brought a hard response from theresa may. said she would sign and no such treaty. the draft legal text the commission have published would if implemented undermine the uk common market and threaten constitutional intregrity of the uk by creating a customs and regulatory border down the irish sea. and no uk prime minister could ever agree to it. pro—brexit mps and her governing conservative party applauded her. stop brexit! outside parliament, these freezing anti—brexit protesters may have a powerful new ally. former prime minister and conservative party leader john major launched a scathing attack on the government's handling a brexit, accusing it of caving it to hard—line anti—europeans in

pursuing the policy that would leave britain poorer, weaker and more divided than ever. brexit has been the most divisive issue of a my political lifetime. it has divided not only before nations of the united kingdom, ——it has divided not only the four nations of the united kingdom, but the regions within those nations. it has divided political parties, political colleagues, families, friends and the young from the old. many people in britain are probably more worried about the weather right now than the details of britain's withdrawal from the eu. politicians likejohn major believe the voters will cool on brexit, too, as and when the reality of leaving the eu unfolds. certainly, a chill has set in between london and brussels with no obvious prospects of a thaw in relations. rob watson, bbc news. you're watching newsdsy on the bbc. still to come on the programme. two royal couples on their first official engagement together to talk about their plans for their charity.

first the plate slid off that restau ra nt ta bles first the plate slid off that restaurant tables and suddenly the tables, chairs and tables crashed sideways and downwards. it was just a matter of seconds as it lurched onto its side. the hydrogen bomb, on a remote pacific air... the american successfully tested a weapon whose explosive force dwarfed that of a bombed out by the russians. explosive force dwarfed that of a bombed out by the russianslj prepared bombed out by the russians.” prepared the news earlier. the constitutional rights of these marches of the rights to citizens of the united states and they should be protected even in the right to test them out so that they don't get

their heads broken and are sent to hospital. it's a controversy. it worries me. yes. i have everything will be all right at the end of the day. this is newsday on the bbc. i'm mariko oi in singapore. i'm sharanjit leyl in london. our top stories. another resignation — president trump's communications director hope hicks is to step down. it comes a day after she testified to congress. the children of parkland, florida have returned to school two weeks to the day after a gunman walked in and killed their friends and teachers. let's take a look at some front pages from around the world. the front page of the japan times features some brand new faces, ahead of the next olympic and paralympic games.

that's because tokyo organisers have unveiled their official mascots. primary students picked futuristic and yet traditionally attired superheroes. the business standard has some good news for the indian economy, it's reached the number one spot again. the paper reports that the country outpaced its regional peers, including china last year. it has now become the fastest—growing economy in the world. and finally, the china daily explains why some people are hoping chinese new year celebrations won't go off with a bang. the god of wealth is pictured trying to persuade shopkeepers not to set off fireworks. the move is aimed at protecting the environment. the funeral of indian actress sridevi has taken place in mumbai. many bollywood a—listers joined mourners, and thousands of fans lined the streets.

an autopsy found the 54—year—old drowned in a bath after losing consciousness at a hotel in dubai. a police investigation into her death, has now been closed. sameer hashmi was there. a grand farewell for one of india's most famous movie stars. thousands of people turned out on the streets of mumbai to say goodbye to sridevi, an actress who charmed audiences through a career spanning five decades. before her last rites were performed, her body was put on display for people to pay their respects. heartbroken fans came from all over india and queued for hours to catch one last glimpse of their beloved star. i've come from far because i love sridevi. we have no connection but there is one. that is through her movies and through the amazing, impeccable woman that she has always been.

she's always going to stay in our hearts. i am so sad. she is one of the greatest actresses of bollywood. i'm here to try to take a glimpse of her. bollywood icons turned out in large numbers to mourn the loss of the actress being called the industry's first female superstar. for india's movie industry, she was an icon who broke the glass ceiling by becoming one of the very first female superstars capable of delivering huge box office success without the support of the male hero. she achieved at a time when indian film makers were reluctant to cast actresses as the main protagonists in their movies. she acted in nearly 300 movies across five different indian languages. she was already a big name in south india in the 1970s. but it was her performances in bollywood the following that cemented her popularity across the country.

and it wasn'tjust sridevi's acting that drew crowds to the cinema halls. her fantastic dance performances left her fans mesmerized. the circumstances about her death is controversies but all was forgotten as she made herfinaljourney. it was at a time when it indian industry leaned on male roles for success, her legacy she leaves behind. the afghan army's officer training academy in kabul is known as sandhurst in the sand because its modelled on its prestigious british counterpart, the royal military training academy. it's seen an increasing number of afghan women sign up over the past few years, and now one has become the first female officer to be sent for further training in sandhurst in the uk. meghan markle has joined prince harry and the duke and duchess of cambridge for their first official

engagement together. representing the future work of the personal charitable organisation. ——they were presenting the future work of their personal charitable organisation. it's called the royal foundation which ms markle will officially that it would hit the ground running after the wedding inmate. join after her wedding to prince harry in may. our royal correspondent nicholas witchell reports. they are the foursome who will take the royal family forward for decades to come. and on stage together for the first time, they talked about their mission. william said it was to build on what his parents and grandparents had achieved. hold on to the values that have always guided our family, but seek to engage in public life in a way that was updated and relevant for our generation. attention inevitably focused on the newcomer, meghan markle underlined the relevance of her agenda talking about female empowerment. you'll often hear people say, "you're helping women find their voices." and i fundamentally disagree with that, because women don't need to find a voice. they have a voice, they need to feel empowered to use it,

and people need to be encouraged to listen. and i think, right now, in the climate that we're seeing with so many campaigns, i mean, me too and time's up, there is no better time than to really continue to shine a light on women feeling empowered, and people really helping to support them, men included in that. meghan said she was looking forward to hitting the ground running after her wedding. sitting next to her, her future sister—in—law. so how is it working as a foursome? working as family does have its challenges, of course it does. the fact that everyone's laughing means that everybody knows exactly what it's like. laughter but, look, you know, we're stuck together for the rest of our lives, so... laughter this is true. togetherness at its finest. togetherness, yeah, yeah. together and seeking to make a difference. nicholas witchell, bbc news. you have been watching newsday, stay with us.

i will be back with business news and we will have more underworld's biggest music streaming service, spotify, planning to go public, but it's listing is rather unique. we will assess how that might impact its customers. i have to say, i wish i were back in singapore. let's ta ke a look at these pictures. it is truly frosty here in the uk. while most people sought shelter during the night from the snow storm, here in the uk, four inquisitive deer made the most of a deserted tayside street. these deer we know the white stuff has fallen and has cause to search and in many places. luckily, these commuters don't seem to mind. he seemed to be possibly up to a stag do. that's it from bbc world news. stay with us. hello there. as far as meteorologists

are concerned, the first of march is the first day of spring. but what we have to contend with through the day ahead is a continuation of this spell of severe disruptive wintry weather. still that met office red warning, still in force through central portions of scotland and western glasgow. a larger area of northern eastern scotland, covered by an amberwarning. in all these areas, snow showers will continue to feed in relentlessly as we head through the early hours. some showers further west and south as well, and here the winds will be picking up, so we will feel bitingly cold up there. but of most concern is the weather across northeastern scotland into northeast england, 10—20 cm of snow falling here, through central scotland, perhaps even a little more than that. that will continue to cause some significant issues. as we look further afield and run the weather through the day, you can see some of the showers will fade, parts of east anglia

and lincolnshire will have a slightly drier day. down south, an area of low pressure is spinning its way up, that will bring some snow into the channel islands and likely settle in parts across southwestern wales. on the thermometer, your temperature will struggle to get above freezing. add on the strength wind. it will feel like —11 degrees in birmingham and in cardiff through the middle parts of the afternoon. now this area of low pressure continues to push northwards as we head into thursday evening, and that brings the likelihood of a spell of really significant snow across southwest england and wales. the met office has an amber warning in force here, because the snow will pile up, 10—20 cm, maybe more in southwest england. there'll be blizzard conditions out there, as we head through thursday night into friday, some of that show perhaps fringing into northern ireland, and as we go through the day on friday, snow will come across some other southern areas today.

temperatures for most of us are still disappointing, a bit milder towards the southwest. however, if any snow turns back to rain, it could hit very cold surfaces and turn immediately into ice, which would give some really slippery conditions. into the weekend, we continue to see frontal systems up from the south, and slowly but surely, something a little bit less cold, so temperatures will slowly lift throughout the weekend. there will still be showers, and of those will still be wintry. i'm sharinjit leyl with bbc world news. our top story: white house communications director hope hicks is to step down. the former model is reported to have said she had achieved everything she could in the role. the decision to step down was confirmed by the white house. hope hicks was one of the first people to join donald trump is my presidential campaign, and she was seen as being fiercely loyal to him. it is unclear

when she will leave. president trump has met with members of congress from both sides of the isle to discuss gun control. it comes as students in florida returned to school for the first time since the shooting. and this story is trending on bbc.com. these deer were spotted walking down the street in scotland amid the morning snow. the white stuff has fallen across large parts of europe. and it's caused disruption in many places. luckily these commuters weren't affected. that's all from me now. and the top story here in the uk: three men have been arrested in connection with an explosion in leicester in which five people died.