this is bbc news, i'm shaun ley. the headlines at noon: division and protests across america — but senators are expected to approve president trump's supreme court nomination later, despite sexual assault allegations. toxic air pollution is much worse in eight areas of england than previously thought, a government review reveals. hope among the devastation as hundreds remain missing in indonesia, we hear how one boy's story of survival led him to receive a personal message from his football hero. i heard that he was a big city fan, so i heard that he was a big city fan, soi i heard that he was a big city fan, so ijust i heard that he was a big city fan, so i just want to wish i heard that he was a big city fan, so ijust want to wish him a good recovery. also this hour — the spanish opera singer montserrat caballe has died at the age of 85. in a career spanning 50 years, she was best known for her duet with freddie mercury which became the anthem of the barcelona olympics. going, going, actually gone —

an original banksy self—destructs, moments after selling for more than £1 million at auction. and in half an hour, click looks at the technological advances in the art of photography. president trump's supreme court nominee, brett kavanaugh, is almost certain to be appointed later today, after weeks of protests and controversy over sexual assault allegations. last night, two wavering senators decided to support the nomination, saying the accusations, which judge kavanaugh denies, had not been sufficiently proven.

the outcome of his appointment could shape important decisions in the us for decades to come. from washington, our correspondent chris buckler reports. the system is corrupt! for days the senate's corridors of power have been filled with protesters. each one trying to influence the few senators still wavering over whether to support brett kavanaugh‘s nomination to the supreme court. he has angrily denied claims that he sexually assaulted christine blasey ford decades ago, when they were both teenagers. after wrestling with her political beliefs and the simple question of who to believe, the republican senator susan collins finally decided she would vote in favour ofjudge kavanaugh. the facts presented do not mean that professor ford was not sexually assaulted that night or at some other time, but they do lead me to conclude that the allegations fail to meet

the more likely than not standard. but another republican, lisa murkowski, broke party lines to say she couldn't support him. stop this, it's not too late! with a final vote nowjust hours away, campaigners have made clear they intend to keep up the pressure on america's politicians. i am so angry, i do not want to leave this place or leave the streets. they're not listening to women and are not listening to survivors. this confirmation process has been nothing short of a bruising and divisive political fight. but all the indications are that president trump is quietly confident that his nominee is now likely to secure a place on america's highest court. let's get more from scott lucas who's

a professor of american studies and international politics at the university of birmingham. i assume as a result of last night's announcement, not least by susan collins, that there is no real doubt that brett kava naugh collins, that there is no real doubt that brett kavanaugh will be on the supreme court. no twisting retail, he will be confirmed this afternoon in washington. the story moves on to what happens to the court itself. even bigger than what happens to the court, what happens to american politics and society but what i suspect will be a very reenergised movement for women's rights. interesting listening to susan collins rachid balde about her hope, may sound paradoxical, that brett kavanaugh may sound paradoxical, that brett kava naugh after may sound paradoxical, that brett kavanaugh after all we may sound paradoxical, that brett kava naugh after all we have may sound paradoxical, that brett kavanaugh after all we have seen would help to kind of shift the

balance of the court not towards conservatism but integrating more consensus. zouma believe the implication is that actually it will shift it, be more consensus because will be more of a conservative emphasis on the judgments. susan collins wasn't recovering her back with that statement. first of all it is quite clear from brett kavanaugh, because we had paul talks with the court before, i am not so naive to think it doesn't happen, but he crossed the line during his hearing to bea crossed the line during his hearing to be a partisan. he accused democrats of being against him, he accused the media of being against them, he said it was a plot by the cli nto ns to them, he said it was a plot by the clintons to get him. the idea that brett kava naugh clintons to get him. the idea that brett kavanaugh can be nonpartisan, the supreme court but like integrity comes into question, and susan collins trying to wish that way does not in any way affect that issue. there is a wider issue, what you heard from susan collins was in effect, i do not believe christine

blasey ford and i do not believe the first accuser. the white house prevented other accusers from even being interviewed, preventing witnesses. i think that issue about whether women can be heard when they come forward with these claims about whether you can break the wall of shame, one of the, when you have 11 all—male republicans on the senate judiciary committee that effectively shut this down to rush brett kavanaugh through, that is the type of thing that i think takes up not only into november's elections but a new generation in american politics. is there something about the culture of the court that may actually slowly over time smooth of some of the above edges an brett kavanaugh‘s judicial philosophy? by that i mean that in the past we have seen justice is nominated who, when they ta ke justice is nominated who, when they take their seats, when you read theirjudgments, it take their seats, when you read their judgments, it suggest take their seats, when you read theirjudgments, it suggest they have undergone something of a shift because of the presence of these

otherjudicial minds. what are supposed to be the cleverest judicial minds in america. supposed to be the cleverest judicial minds in americalj supposed to be the cleverest judicial minds in america. i think thatis judicial minds in america. i think that is the hope, and two of the justices came out with a statement yesterday saying that they hope to ensure the court is nonpartisan. you look at some of the conservative judges including the chiefjustice and juicy maybe he moves a little bit more to the centre for a better balance. but again i think there are two problems with that, one is that brett kavanaugh, two problems with that, one is that brett kava naugh, was two problems with that, one is that brett kavanaugh, was years on the court he is therefore live and is no way you can contain him, and he has been very conservative in his previous decisions, and i think that is reinforced now by this idea that he is offended by what has happened. the second polymers donald trump. from day one of his administration he has sought to overrun the judiciary, overrun courts. besotted

criticise judges judiciary, overrun courts. besotted criticisejudges in judiciary, overrun courts. besotted criticise judges in the top university case or in cases involving the muslim band, involving immigration. if the court does move to the centre, what is to stop donald trump from coming back in in view of this a partisan attempt to get brett kavanaugh on the court to then say, look, you really have two come towards me rather than being nonpartisan press we are in a steamy tricky times. the question beyond thatis, tricky times. the question beyond that is, will people pull the court to act out and american politics as well and say, we need something better than this? that vote is due from 9:30 tonight — we'll have special coverage here on the bbc news channel. towns and cities in england with the highest levels of air pollution are to receive additional funding from central government to help tackle the problem. eight local authorities have been asked by defra to develop detailed plans on how they will improve air quality.

the environmental campaign group clientearth says pollution in some places may not reach legal levels for another 10 years. our news correspondent sophie long reports. air pollution in our towns and cities has been linked to health issues like heart disease and asthma. the royal college of physicians has said it contributes to some 40,000 early deaths every year. now the government has published its supplementary plan for taxing the problem. it comes after clyde have, in environmental law charity, labelled the uk's air pollution and a natural embarrassment after new fans showed new improvement. the government's uk plan for tackling roadside nitrogen dioxide concentrations says councils we re dioxide concentrations says councils were the worst levels of air pollution must take robust action. it says it will ensure funding is

there to enable ten local authorities to implement new measures to help improve air quality. they include fitting hundreds of buses with technology to reduce emissions. changes to traffic signalling to limit congestion. and campaigns to get people to take individual action and reduce their own contribution to air pollution. the company, which has won three cases against the government over illegal air pollution, has called the plan portable. it says the strategy to tackle air pollution by passing the buck to local authorities is an that more plans will mean more delays. people in the worst affected areas, they say, i'll will continue to be exposed to dangerous levels of pollution. well, andrea lee is with me now — she's a senior campaigner at client earth, a non—profit environmental law organisation which, as we just heard, has won three cases against the government over illegal air pollution. this was policy, the details of

which the government had promised like a few years ago, now we have seen like a few years ago, now we have seen it, how does it compare to what you were fearing? unfortunately it is showing that the problem is much worse than the government originally stated. we have got places like liverpool and bradford schering that they will have a problem far beyond what the government originally said. that action bradford schering. a greater concern that other areas where the government was not looking in more detail, admitting they were taking a less formal approach, we don't know whether the problem is worse there. they were reluctant to publish this detail. you got a court to effectively ordered them to do it, and it is now giving us an idea of what they hope will be achieved in packaging and pollution. what do you make of its approach? the government have the past few years has been dragging its feet and it has been dragging its feet and it

has also, instead of taking responsibility, chosen to pass the buck onto local authorities and get them to tackle the problem without giving them the sufficient support. without the national causes that are making this problem worse. there is an argument that local councils are ina very an argument that local councils are in a very good position to try to do some of this work. not only because they are living and operating in the environment that they are trying to improve, which might give them in self interest to worry about air quality, but also perhaps whitehall is not best placed to make judgments about what can be done in some of those areas that are now being targeted. we certainly want all levels of government to take responsibility and do whatever they can. but the legal and moral duties sits with the uk government, and they have to address some of those national policy levers that will help people move away from the more

polluting vehicles, said that as where we need a national network of cleaning as those that will take up the polluting vehicles from the most polluted parts. that can be done together with local authorities. the government needs to provide help and support for drivers, particularly people from low incomes and small businesses, to be able to move on to cleaner forms of transport, making things like clean out the cause more affordable, we would like to see things like targeted scrappage schemes. also greater investment in public transport, walking and cycling. just a week ago, the german government was locked in crisis talks over the future of its own survival because the parties did not agree on how to handle the problem pollution in cities, 14 of the polluted cities in germany have driving bans, threatened and places elsewhere, do you think there is international best practice that the government here should be looking

at? some places that have taken action which would be good for the government to look at, nowhere is perfect, we are also involved in legal action in germany as well as other european countries that are failing to meet these legal limits. in the case of germany, they do already have a network of what they call cleaner air zones, so we need to be seeing the government take action like that and also engage with the auto industry in germany, they have pledged up to a quarter of a billion new roads to build a help the motorists. retrofit cast to make them cleaner or scrappage scheme so people can trade them in for an electric car. yes, we have seen no such action from this government all calm vouchers, who both helped cause this problem as we know from the bills like an scandal. the paris

auto show last week, one of the executives was saying diesel is dead,it executives was saying diesel is dead, it is going to be gone within a very short time. is this problem going to go away of its own accord without these extended ventures?m is not just about tackling that, without these extended ventures?m is notjust about tackling that, we do think paul his diesel cars that are known to pollute more should, they should be out of towns and cities. we cannot just leave they should be out of towns and cities. we cannotjust leave it to chance, the government had to industry knew for a long time there was a problem with diesel, and it was a problem with diesel, and it was not until it was revealed by the volkswagen scandal that we saw more action on it. the people's health is not something we can leave to chance, we need a plan and to make sure we are taking proactive action now to make sure that people can breathe clean air sooner. the headlines on bbc news: president trump's supreme court nominee is expected to be approved by us senators later — despite allegations

of sexual assault. toxic air pollution is much worse in eight areas of england than previously thought — a government review reveals the opera singer montserrat ca balle, whose duet with freddie mercury became the signature song of the 1992 barcelona 0lympics, has died at the age of 85. the spanish opera singer montserrat caballe has died at the age of 85. her career spanned 50 years, and she became a world—renowned star in the 1960s, playing in the world's leading opera houses. she was extremely well—known in spain, but here in the uk there's one song, recorded with freddie mercury for the barcelona 0lympics, for which she will best be remembered. # barcelona.

# they recorded this as a duet, in 1987, five years before the games. but freddie mercury died in 1991, so monserrat caballe sang barcelona at the opening ceremony with jose carreras and placido domingo. a funeral service is expected to be held for her on monday. earlier i spoke to soprano singer denise leigh. she explained why montserrat caballe was so important to opera. i was 15 when i first heard cursing with freddie mercury, because that was my first exposure to her. possibly my first exposure to opera. i was possibly my first exposure to opera. iwasa possibly my first exposure to opera. i was a budding musician, possibly my first exposure to opera. iwas a budding musician, didn't know what i wanted to be, playing brass instruments, and it is true to

say that she actually pushed me in the direction of opera. because she was the epitome of the operatic voice. everyone's idea of the operatic voice. the operatic lifestyle. such a glamorous lifestyle. such a glamorous lifestyle and glamorous career.m is hard not to think that dawn french, when she did her impersonation of opera singer, was thinking of montserrat caballe. and the word beaver is used, but how was she regarded in the industry? was she regarded in the industry? was she a team player was she a set apart figure? she was a consummate professional. when she was brought in to professional. when she was brought intoa professional. when she was brought in to a role, shejust professional. when she was brought in to a role, she just boosted eve ryo ne in to a role, she just boosted everyone around her because her standards were so high. i was never given the chance to work with her, but like i say, i have worked alongside her. shared colleagues.

yes, there are many and varied stories in the industry about her, but they all come down to her professionalism and just how she delivered time after time, even recently, as an elderly singer, to hear the quality of her technique is amazing, that is what kept her singing as long as she did. it's been one week since the indonesian island of sulawesi was hit by a devastating earthquake — officials say more than 1,000 people could still be missing beneath the rubble. around 1,500 people are known to have died in the disaster. hundreds of buildings were destroyed after the island was hit by a wall of water. among the despair, there have been glimmers of hope, as our asia correspondent nick beake reports from palu. within this devastated city, you find incredible stories of survival. including here, where the injured

are still being treated outside because they fear the hospital could collapse. 12—year—old football fan rizki was in an internet cafe in palu watching highlights of his beloved manchester city when the earthquake struck. "suddenly the earth started to shake," he tells us. "i tried to run, my hand was crushed, but i was able to stick out my other hand. i waved it so people could see it." this is where he was trapped. eventually a neighbour spotted him and dragged him to safety. "i'm no hero," he says. rizki survived with a broken arm and is now reunited with his family. he still hopes to achieve his dream of becoming a footballer, joining his heroes at his favourite team. who is your favourite manchester city player?

riyad mahrez. algerian international riyad mahrez became manchester city's record signing when they bought him for £60 million this summer. we thought manchester city may want to know about their young fan's amazing story of survival thousands of miles away. so we got in touch. and it turns out riyad mahrez wants to send a personal message. now, rizki doesn't know anything about this. hi, rizki. somebody wants to say hello to you. hi, rizki. how are you? i hope you're getting better. i heard that you are a big city fan. so ijust want to wish you a good recovery. i hope you get better and we will give you the best wishes from man city. so, what does he make of it? "it's great, i'm so happy."

he also said that he'd like to send you a signed shirt as well. "i can't wait to get better and wear it". in the city of sorrow, where they have lost so much... thank you. ..a smile goes a long way. further rail strikes are bringing disruption today as industrial action continues in the long—running dispute over the role of guards on trains. members of the rmt union on south western railway are staging a 48—hour walkout, and workers on northern are holding their seventh consecutive saturday stoppage. the president of the european commission, jean—claude juncker, has suggested the chances of a brexit deal have increased in recent days. in an interview published in three austrian newspapers, he said an agreement might be concluded in time for a special eu summit in november. he also reiterated his position that a no—deal scenario "would not be good" for either the uk or the eu. earlier i spoke to our political

correspondent tom barton. this is mood music. a happier tune than we have heard in recent weeks and months from the european commission. jean—claude juncker saying at the potential for reproach meant has increased. yet at officials talking to eu member states about the northern ireland border issue, giving them a much more optimistic assessment of progress in the negotiations, saying the atmosphere is much better than it has ever been. a for when a deal could be struck, if one is, he could not say whether it would be done in time for the october summit, or whether a special summit in november is going to be needed. the irish government are also saying, or sources within it that a deal was close. there are suggestions in the papers

that the government might already be looking at the next age, getting a deal through the house of commons. whatever theresa may agrees with brussels is going to have to be agreed by parliament. she does not have a majority. and of course, relying on support from the dup, and also many of her mps are very pro—brexit. so questions about whether she will be able to get a deal through, suggestions in the guardian that senior tory mps have been talking to labour mps to try to persuade them to come onside. there has been a backlash from many labour mps, ben bradshaw, rachel reeves, chris bryant on twitter saying, we have not spoken to anyone from the conservative party, if they approached us we would tell them where to go, and by the way we will not support anything that is less than staying inside the single market and customs union. we have had additional quota coming,

from donald task, present dup council. he is the figure in brussels who chairs the meetings of heads of government and the man who liaises with all the heads of the different member countries. he is reported as saying that, we will try for a deal in october on brexit, and i think there is a chance to have an accord by the end of this year. so not quite as warm a town has been attributed to jean—claude juncker, and arguably mr task is more directly involved in supervising the talks because michel barnier reports to the european council and to mr task, but nonetheless improving signs that there is some movement that might lead to a brexit deal in jean—claude juncker‘s view next

month, mr task was my view, by the end of the year. more than 250 physicists have signed a statement condemning the remarks of the italian researcher who stated that physics was ‘invented and built by men'. alessandro strumia claimed women were less capable physicists than men, but were being favoured for recruitment. he has been suspended by cern, as our science correspondent, pallab ghosh, reports. here thousands of physicists smash particles to see how the universe works. relatively few of them are women. in an effort to change this, the company held a workshop. there, this man presented an analysis which she claims showed that particle physics research published by men was more widely cited and so better than that by women. he also showed cartoons making fun of those

campaigning fora cartoons making fun of those campaigning for a quality in physics. leading physicists have studied his presentation and found it to be scientifically unsound. and contradictory to research produced by experts in the field. in an online statement they say, the professor's argument are morally reprehensible and reveals a deep co nte m pt reprehensible and reveals a deep contempt for more than half of humanity. in response, the professor has said that the high energy physics community is about 100 times bigger than the number who have signed the statement. he added that the signatories mostly come from those countries more affected by political correctness. sotheby‘s auction house has admitted that it was ‘banksy—ed' after a stencil spray painting by the mysterious artist shredded itself after being sold for more than £1 million. the ‘girl with balloon' painting — which is one of banksy‘s most widely recognised works — was auctioned by sotheby‘s in london on friday. moments after going under the hammer, attendees were shocked to see the 2006 piece suddenly pass through a shredder hidden within the frame.

banksy — whose true identity is unknown — posted a picture of the moment on instagram with the caption ‘going, going, gone.‘ now it‘s time for a look at the weather with helen willetts. we had a foggy start for some, the wet start elsewhere. the best of the day‘s weather will be across the north and west of the uk where there will be an abundance of sunshine. but across england and wales we have a slow—moving weather front which is sinking southwards, but continue this afternoon, replacing the autumn, wetand this afternoon, replacing the autumn, wet and windy weather to come. it feels significantly colder than yesterday, called a further north but the sunshine to enjoy. some very cast the winds, 50 mph

surrounded that area of low pressure, which clears away during the night, we do have more rain creeping back into the northwest. for most of ours the overall theme tonight is how chilly it will be with a ground frost likely. the flip the table tomorrow for a much brighter day across england and wales, chilly start, tempered his recovery to mid teens, wet and windy weather coming back into scotland and northern ireland. by the nile. _by and northern ireland. by the nile. —— byfor and northern ireland. by the nile. —— by for now. hello, this is bbc news. the headlines: president trump‘s supreme court nominee is expected to be approved by us senators later, despite allegations of sexual assault. toxic air pollution is much worse in eight areas of england than previously thought, as a government review reveals. the opera singer montserrat ca balle, whose duet with freddie mercury became the signature song of the 1992 barcelona 0lympics, has died at the age of 85. sport now and a full round up

from the bbc sport centre. good afternoon. the speculation overjose mourinho‘s position as manchester has become frenzied over the last 24 hours, ahead of their home match against newcastle this evening. it‘s been fuelled by newspaper reports, that he would be sacked whatever the result tonight. however, our reporter simon stone, understands he still has the backing of the united board. despite overnight story saying that jose mourinho was going to get sacked this weekend, come what may, against newcastle later today, that is actually not the case. the