this is bbc news. i'm lewis vaughan jones. our top stories: the british prime minister ends a difficult week by winning the support of some of her cabinet‘s leading brexit backers. written, but not submitted. president trump says he has finished writing his answers to questions posed by the mueller inquiry into russian meddling in the 2016 election. mr president... that's enough, that's enough. the white house reporter who clashed with president trump is to get his press pass returned, by order of a judge. rescue workers are intensifying their search, after california's deadliest wildfire. the number of people missing is now over 600. and, he was the king of rock and roll. now, a0 years after elvis presley died, he is awarded america's highest civilian honor. hello and welcome to bbc world news.

the uk prime minister theresa may has moved to shore up her government, following widespread opposition to her brexit deal with the eu. she's appointed a new brexit secretary, stephen barclay, after the previous one resigned. mrs may has also won the support of some of her key brexiteer ministers, but she has had to defend herself against further calls from critics to stand down. several conservative mps say they've written letters of no confidence in the prime minister, but it's still not clear if there are enough to trigger a leadership vote. there are some flashing images in this report by the bbc‘s political editor, laura kuenssberg. car horn beeps imagine, submitting yourself first thing in the morning to this... and here in the studio with me this morning, the prime minister. ..literally taking a call from the public asking you to quit. why do you think you should stay on as pm

when you have failed, despite your no doubt honourable intentions, to honour the referendum results? and if you cannot do that, i respectfully ask you to do the right thing in the national interest — to stand down and allow someone from the brexit camp to take the lead. i believe that we've got a good deal from europe. we've still got some things to sort out with them, but i believe we've got a good deal from the european union, and that's what i'll put to parliament. she was more keen to pitch her brexit compromise. this message needs to be convincing to survive. myjob is to persuade, you know, first and foremost, my conservative benches, those who are working with us — the dup are working with us obviously in confidence and supply. but i want to say, to be able to say to all parliamentarians, every mp — i believe, truly believe, that this is the best deal for britain. reporter: will you be resigning today, mr gove? good morning. he doesn't think it's much of a good deal. but, after wobbling and wavering, look... the minister's red box, still in his hand. do you have confidence in the prime minister, mrgove? i absolutely do.

i'm also looking forward to continuing to work with all of my government colleagues and all my colleagues from parliament in order to make sure that we get the best future for britain. i think it's absolutely vital that we focus on getting the right deal in the future and making sure that in the areas that matter so much to the british people, we can get a good outcome. thank you very much. we know this cabinet minister, penny mordaunt, doesn't like the agreement that much either. but neither is she going anywhere fast. i've not got anything to say to you, i'm afraid, this morning. and, look who's back. amber rudd, the former home secretary. yet to remember she's got a ministerial car, along with her newjob. and maybe part of her task — to defend the pm and her deal like this. this is not a time for changing our leader. this is a time for pulling together by making sure that we remember who we are here to serve, who we are here to help — and that is the whole of the country. and i worry sometimes that my colleagues are too concerned about the westminster bubble rather than keeping an eye on what ourjob is — to serve people. and you'll soon hear

more of this man. meet steve barclay. a big promotion for him to the new brexit secretary. and this long—time cabinet brexiteer. notjust urging colleagues to back the pm, but no longer saying no deal is better than a bad deal — a complete change. we're not elected to do what we want. we are elected to do what's in the national interest. and, ultimately, i hope that across parliament will recognise that a deal is better than no deal. businesses do require certainty. this melee isn't for a celebrity, but for a leading eurosceptic. there's absolutely no need to have a big flap. no need for a big flap, he says. he and his colleagues are only trying to depose the prime minister! it's time to put the letters in and to have the vote and test the will of the conservative party to continue. he and many brexiteers believe the prime minister has signed up to a relationship that's just far too cosy with the eu. so, letters are being

written to try and force a contest. but they need 48. we've done our honest best to persuade her not to stick to it. she's made plain that she will, and therefore the party, i'm afraid, now faces a stark choice. and for you, that choice is, she has to go? well, if it means defending the destiny of our country, which i believe is literally what is now at stake, then, reluctantly, i'm afraid to say, yes, she does. it's impossible to tell right now if the tory tussles will end in the prime minister leaving office. no—one in westminster knows. hard for all of us to fathom. i think it's a complete shambles. you don't know from one day to the next what's happening. it doesn't feel as if there's anybody in power. what she's been saying for months and just stringing us along until a boom, right at the end, it's too late to say anything, take it or leave it. i hope we go home for the weekend and they chill off and come back and support her.

theresa may's team will do everything they can to help her cling on. but neither the chief whip will anyone knows if in days they'll be fighting a vote to oust her, or only having the hugejob of pushing her brexit you'll through parliament. i've never accepted the argument that the prime minister can come back with whatever she is cobbled together and say, well, it may not be very good, but the alternative is even worse. in the 21st—century, looking at the future of our country, with got to be able to do better than that. tonight, downing street appears at least to have a new and calmer cabinet. but we do not know yet, and they don't either, if theresa may can stay on, because many people in her own party do not wish her well. laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster. many of theresa may's critics within her own party insist that the draft withdrawal agreement should be renegotiated, and that the eu should be encouraged to return to the table. but the eu's chief negotiator michel barnier said today that the eu had a duty to protect its own rules and arrangements.

here's the bbc‘s europe editor, katya adler in brussels. this is something that we have seen so this is something that we have seen so often throughout the brexit process , so often throughout the brexit process, a stark warning disconnect between the plans and opinions of some leading mps and the views of eu leaders. they want a brexit deal, they want to avoid that chaotic costly no deal scenario, but not at any price. is absolutely no appetite here to start renegotiating this deal again. we heard from angela merkel, she said look, there are is a deal on the table and it has been agreed by both sides, but to get the cabinet signed up to this on wednesday. shell barnier said shouldn't now enter into some sort of bargaining process, the eu should give up on dispensable is like protecting the irish border. do i with any sense of wiggle room here?

it seems that the eu is intent on standing firm until that those in the house of commons. if this text doesn't pass, i am told there is some possibility for some tweaking of the text, but no more than that. if it were those to come to a general election or a second referendum, then the eu would likely be to agree to put the weaving process on us. be to agree to put the weaving process on us. y? 0utlook yourself interest. first of all, to avoid that no deal scenario and second of all, for the eu, in the hope that the uk might change its mind and stay in their club. president trump says he has personally finished writing his answers to questions posed by the mueller inquiry into russian interference in the last us presidential election. mr trump said he had not yet submitted the responses because he'd been very busy. he again denounced the investigation as a witch hunt. there should have never been any

mueller investigation because there was never anything done wrong. there is no pollution, there never has been, you would have known about it along time ago if there was. they shouldn't have had it. they wasted lives and millions of dollars. there should have have never been a so—called investigation, in theory it is not an investigation of the. as far as it is not an investigation of the. as farasi it is not an investigation of the. as far as i am concerned i like to ta ke as far as i am concerned i like to take everything personally because you do better that way. the witch—hunt, as i call it, should never have taken place. it continues to go on. i imagine it is ending now, from what i am hearing, it is ending. andi now, from what i am hearing, it is ending. and i am sure it will be just fine. do you know why it will be just just fine. do you know why it will bejust fine? just fine. do you know why it will be just fine? because there was no collusion. chris bucklerjoins me live from washington. the present —— that stressing that stressing that he entered these questions very easily. yeah, try to be dismissive and suggesting that they are easy questions, easy for him to end so because he doesn't need lawyers or anything else. at the same time, while he tries to dismiss and play down the one

investigation, get the idea from everything you see from his tweet, that it everything you see from his tweet, thatitis everything you see from his tweet, that it is playing on his mind. this is an investigation that he co nsta ntly calls is an investigation that he constantly calls witch—hunt and i remind people, it is looking into potential collusion between russia and mrtrump‘s campaign potential collusion between russia and mr trump's campaign in the 2016 presidential election, and also suggestions, or allegations, that he may have tried to obstruct the investigation. both charges which he denies. briefly, at the very unfair question, do we know what those questions were? the simple answer is that we don't. there is so much about this investigation, we simply don't know the details. like the president, a lot of politicians and the press here are all speculating about what robert mueller actually knows, when robert mueller will deliver his report. you have the president there specifically saying i believe is —— it is coming to a conclusion soon, but also he couldn't assure. simply don't know

what robert mueller actually knows and that is part of the frustration for the resident. you can be sure that whatever the special counsel's investigation finally comes up with, that will be a report that will be focused on by the president, by other politicians and indeed, by the press. indeed. apologies for putting you on the spot, very unfair. but thank you, chris butlerfrom washington that —— chris buchler from washington. —— chris bucklerfrom washington. earlier, the cnn journalist who clashed with president trump at a news conference, and subsequently had his media pass removed, has got it back. ajudge in washington dc has ordered the white house to return the pass tojim acosta, who said the decision was good news for freedom of speech and the independence of the media. 0ur north america editor jon sopel reports. they are hundreds of miles away those. hundreds and hundreds of miles away. honestly, ithink those. hundreds and hundreds of miles away. honestly, i think you shouldn't let me run the country, you run cnn. it started as a badtempered exchange between an angry president and a provocative

cnn correspondent. that the bridge arising when the white house justified removing jim acosta's hard part, saying he laid hands on an intel. you are a rude, terrible person, you should be working for cnn. then released and edited video that was put out by a right wing conspiracy which website. when it was outlined, they changed tack and said it was when they didn't change —— to back microscopic cnn took legal action and significantly, all of the other broadcasters here joined in, including fox news, normally a cheerleader for the president. this was now about press freedom and two day in court, it was jim acosta one, trump neil. we are extremely pleased with the ruling today, a great day for the first amendment and journalism, excited to havejim amendment and journalism, excited to have jim acosta amendment and journalism, excited to havejim acosta go back and get his high pass and report news.

havejim acosta go back and get his high pass and report newslj havejim acosta go back and get his high pass and report news. i want to thank all of my colleagues in the press who supported us this week, i wa nt press who supported us this week, i want to change —— thank the judge for the decision in a today and let's go back to work. to date, jim acosta was able to return back to the white house. in this topsy—turvy world, the man who was that to report the news seemed to be enjoying being the news. decorum, they practised decorum... while the president, has never shied away from a fight, bemoaned the lack of decorum in white house ‘s conference is. -- decorum in white house ‘s conference is. —— conference we're. —— conferences. let's get some of the day's other news. yemen, the country left on the brink of starvation, has promised to attend national peace talks. benazir bhutto has claimed victory in pakistan's general election. she has asked pakistan's president to name her as prime minister. jackson's been released on bail

of $3 million after turning himself into police in santa barbara. it was the biggest demonstration so far of the fast—growing european antinuclear movement. the south african government has announced that it's opening the country's remaining whites only beaches to people of all races. this will lead to a black majority government in this country and the destruction of the white civilisation. part of the centuries—old windsor castle, one of the queen's residences, has been consumed by fire for much of the day. 150 firemen have been battling the blaze, which has caused millions of pounds worth of damage. this is bbc news, the latest headlines. leading brexiteers in the british

cabinet rally behind theresa may amid attempts by rebel mps to challenge her premiership. donald trump says he has personally finished writing his answers to questions posed by the mueller inquiry into russian interference in the last us presidential election. the un says both sides in the war in yemen, which has triggered a vast humanitarian crisis, have promised to attend peace talks soon in sweden. the un's envoy to yemen, martin griffiths, told the security council the commitment could be a crucial moment in the war between the government and houthi rebels. i have received firm assurances that they are committed to attending these consultations. i believe they are genuine and i expect them to

continue in that way and i expect them to appear for those consultations and indeed so do the people of yemen who lied desperate for a political solution to a war in which they are the main victims. 0ur correspoendent nada tawfik is at the united nations headquarters in new york. this sounds on the face of it like a pretty significant breakthrough. according to martin griffiths it is a major development, we have to remember that in september there we re remember that in september there were peace talks planned in geneva, and they collapsed when the houthi delegation did not turn up and made last—minute demands. what martin griffiths said to the security council is that the increased international concern about what is happening in yemen led the parties to recommit to these talks. it was not long ago when the united states and britain and other western powers said they wanted a ceasefire and political talks to get under way.

martin griffiths said he will be travelling to yemen next week to finalise logistics. he said he would even escort the houthi delegation to sweden himself to make sure the talks take place. he also said there was a lot of progress made on other issues including the exchange of prisoners and also the critical issue of the hodeida port which is responsible for 80% of yemen's imports, until a deal is reached. what would be some of the potential problems that would have to be thrashed out between the two side? when you look at the humanitarian situation there are so many concerns there and the un officials are really keen for both parties to iron out that. for example the british ambassador to the un is putting forward a resolution on monday which would really endorse five of the key

asks if you will bat their humanitarian chief of the un put forward. 0ne humanitarian chief of the un put forward. one of them is making sure that there is complete access to all of the ports, that they remain open, and the key one is hodeida. they wa nt and the key one is hodeida. they want a foreign exchange to pour into the economy, because the economy now is in crisis and that is making the fragile situation even worse. as martin griffiths goes through and tries to nail down this framework on this political settlement he will be looking for some of the assurances and their humanitarian issues as well to get that cessation of hostilities. we will see these peace talks in sweden do take place, but for the moment, thank you. northern california's air quality has become the worst in the world, according to monitoring groups, as the state battles devastating fires. the famous golden gate bridge in san franciso is barely visible through this thick cloud of smog which now blankets the region. air quality network purple air says

the air is now worse than cities in india and china. at least 63 people have died in the camp fire — the state's deadliest blaze — and the number of people missing has increased to more than 600. the bbc‘s dave lee is in one of the areas worst affected by the fires. we are in part of the town of paradise which was the town worst hit by this enormous fire. a population of around 27,000 people had to evacuate incredibly quickly. as you can see around me it is very quiet now but in the last hour or so we have been watching as firefighting teams have gone house—to—house, peeling back roofs, making the area clear so that separate teams with dog units can come in and begin to search the human remains. 0n come in and begin to search the human remains. on that happens then another team will follow them from the coroner's office and start the

incredibly difficult process of identifying some of the dead. 0ne incredibly difficult process of identifying some of the dead. one of the reasons so many people are unaccounted for, as many as or over 600 as you mentioned is because that process , 600 as you mentioned is because that process, in such a ferocious fire, is incredibly difficult. it requires advance forensics in order to do that. the airport he across the state as you mentioned is atrocious, we are right where the fire —— at quality. we are right where the fire was but it stretches all down to san francisco, there are businesses and schools shut as a result. just about everybody in the state of california is acutely aware of what has happened here, but on the ground here it is in its most dramatic form. president trump is due to visit on saturday? yes. he will be visiting, he had some very interesting words about the fire here, he sent to tweet in the moments after that took hold saying

that wildfires were about poor forest management. in that week he threatened to cut federal funding to the california because of it. he was criticised very strongly by officials here saying that perhaps the message should have been condolences to the dead, but that they also felt that the criticism was misguided. trump will arrive here on saturday, tomorrow, and he will answer many questions from locals here since being evacuated who have been staying in a number of shelters in the neighbouring town of chico. they have overflowed in some insta nces, chico. they have overflowed in some instances, we were in a walmart parking lot earlier in the week were unofficial shelter had sprung up since the because there was not enough room for everyone in the official places to stay. there is a big task, people have been signing up big task, people have been signing upfor big task, people have been signing up for help with the federal emergency agency known as fema, but from residents we have spoken to, they have not heard back about what

potential steps will be. a huge task facing the people who live there, and pressure on the president to get on top of it. let's get some of the day's other news. a manual recount is under way in florida of votes in the race for a senate seat, more than a week after voting took place in the us midterm elections. an initial electronic recount revealed that the margin of victory for the republican candidate, rick scott, was less than a quarter of a percent over his democrat challenger. friends and relatives of the murdered saudi arabian journalist jamal khashoggi have begun a wake for him at his family home injeddah. his son salah has returned to the country to join the mourners. the wake, which will continue for four days, is an acknowledgement by the family that mr khashoggi's body is unlikely to be found. mr khashoggi was killed last month inside the saudi consulate in the turkish city istanbul by agents from riyadh. singing legend elvis presley was

among the seven recipients at president donald trump's first medal of freedom ceremony since taking office. it is the highest honour that can be decided on a citizen. baseball legend babe ruth and us supreme courtjustice antonin scalia we re supreme courtjustice antonin scalia were also recognise. a painting by david hockney has broken the record for a work by a living painter. the painting, hockney‘s port rest of an artist. the bidding began at $18 million. —— portrait. within seconds, it was a a0 million.

to understand why we need to go back to the 1970s. the painting was the subject of a famous film about david hockney, a bigger splash, a landmark moment in his career and his personal life. the figure the painting was hockney‘s partner, the artist peter slazenger. it is a painting of water and the end of a relationship. it is the culmination also of his most famous series of paintings which after growing up in what he called the convict loom of bradford he embraced the sundappled glamour of loss and joyous. but why they became so sought after is even a mystery to hockney. they became so sought after is even a mystery to hockneylj they became so sought after is even a mystery to hockney. i like to think it may be the space in the pictures. you don't know why things become memorable. if there was a formula for them they would be a lot more of them. what took david hockney two weeks of 18 hour days in 1972 has, a6 years later, broken all

records for a living artist. now, this isn't for the faint—hearted. let me show you some pictures coming in from portugal — hosts of the world surf league's big wave tour at the country's famous surf venue, nazare. this year's title was taken by south african surfer grant ‘twiggy‘ baker. he played it safe during the opening rounds and peaked atjust the right time to catch this massive a0—foot wave — riding it to victory. rather him than me. get in touch with me on twitter, this is bbc world news. some of us got to see sunshine on

friday but for many more today was spent under cloud shrouded in mist and murk. but as we progress through the weekend, more of us will see that sunshine. without it will start to turn chilly. high pressure and can across the heart of europe, wins moving high pressure around in a clockwise direction, that gives us a south—easterly wind which will bring us some south—easterly wind which will bring us some dry air. watch the cloud, it sta rts us some dry air. watch the cloud, it starts to break up. we will see more and more sunshine. let's look at more detail. a lot of cloud, some mist and mist and murk and fog to start the day, the odd spot of drizzle. northern scotland seeing some brightness, the cloud retreating westwards during the day, more and more of us see those blue skies overhead, so by lunchtime devon and cornwall and west wales will have some cloud for the midlands, east anglia and the

south—east there should be some sunshine. north—east england and eastern scotland, particularly around higher ground, may well keep more cloud. it will take awhile to up more cloud. it will take awhile to up across more cloud. it will take awhile to up across northern ireland, but western and northern scotland will see some sunshine. temp is around 11 or 12 degrees, but a noticeable easterly breeze particularly in the south, making it feel cooler than that. into early sunday with clear skies overhead it is going to be a cool night, probably too much of a breeze to allow things to get really cold, but your towns and cities will get down to a— five degrees, maybe just a bit colder than that in the countryside. getting on into sunday it isa countryside. getting on into sunday it is a beautiful looking day to most of us, we will see plenty of sunshine, still perhaps some cloud at times feeding into some of the eastern slopes of the pennines, parts of eastern scotland, and those temperatures, 9— 12, just subtly creeping downwards. a sign of what is to come, because going into the

start of the new working week, high pressure will still be sitting here, those wins moving clockwise, but that will introduce some colder air from the east and that will also bring back the cloud. more cloud around on monday, perhaps the odd spot of drizzle, still a keen breeze particularly in the south, and the cold est particularly in the south, and the coldest feel will be in southern areas. single digit here, we may get to 10 degrees for belfast and lies 90, to 10 degrees for belfast and lies go, but it does look decidedly chilly —— glasgow. there will be cloud and the spot of drizzle, and over high ground may be just a flake or two of something wintry. this is bbc news. the headlines: the uk prime minister, theresa may, has moved to shore up her government, following widespread opposition to her brexit deal with the eu. mrs may has won the support of some of her key brexiteer ministers, but she has had to defend herself against further calls from critics to stand down. donald trump says he has personally finished

writing his answers to questions posed by the mueller inquiry into russian interference in the last us presidential election. mr trump said he had not yet submitted the responses because he'd been very busy. he again described the investigation as a witch hunt. the white house has agreed temporarily to allow the cnn journalist, jim acosta, back into press briefings, after a court ordered it to do so. the journalist's pass was revoked last week after he argued with president trump during a news conference. levels of poverty in some of britain's towns and cities are a disgrace according to a united nations survey.