this is bbc news. i'm lucy grey. our top stories: the senate stands adjourned until 10am on monday, december 31. the partial us government shutdown goes on after congress meets and adjourns within minutes — it will now continue into next week. another rollercoaster day on the global stock markets but wall street stages a furious late rally to close up 250 points. protesters clash with police in the east of the democratic republic of congo, as the election is postponed again in parts of the country. the outgoing president tells the bbc the delay is because of an ebola outbreak. on the day that people were supposed to vote we do not want this academic spreading like wildfire. —— epidemic. as rescuers race to save 15 miners trapped in north east india, we report on the deadly conditions

in the country's illegal mines. hello and welcome to bbc news. the us senate and house of representatives have adjourned without taking steps to resolve a damaging shutdown of parts of the government which is now into its sixth day. both chambers convened for only a few minutes. this is what was said in thursday's session in the senate. in my capacity as a senator from kansas if there is no further business before the senate i ask that it stand adjourned. the senate stands adjourned until 10am on monday, december 31. at the heart of the disagreement is the $5 billion which donald trump wants to be added to the federal budget, to pay for a wall along the us border with mexico. mr trump has been tweeting his

displeasure with his political opponents. he sent this a few hours ago — ‘do the dems not realise that most of the people not getting paid are democrats?‘. a little earlier i spoke to our washington correspondent, chris buckler. you got a brief sense from that, that very brief meeting of congress that very brief meeting of congress that the two parties are fundamentally not coming to any agreement at the moment over what is essentially a funding deal for 20, 20 5% of government programmes. in practical terms it is important for a lot of people because there are around 800,000 federal employees affected by that. half of them are told that they will have to go on unpaid leave the other half simply do not know when they will get paid. but while the politicians need to ta ke but while the politicians need to take this seriously, i know there is a danger of this backfiring on being blamed for it, the truth is that here in washington many politicians just did not turn up at capitol hill today. it was an empty chamber for

that very brief minutes that both the house of representatives and the senate met. there does not seem to be any suggestion at this point that there is a way through this and the whole funding stand—off is about donald trump's demand for $5 billion to build a border war between america and mexico. he says he will not agree to any funding deal without that and the democrats say that will not happen. as a result we are now looking at a stand—off that will likely continue into the new year. the democrats do have control of the house of representatives, don't they? yes. they take over in january and that many things potentially even more difficult to try and get a deal that is agreed. it has to be said that when you listen carefully to republicans they seem to suggest that this is a battle between the president and the democrats saying that, they are clearly taking the side of the

president and that means they are setting themselves up for a bitter dispute whenever congress returns in january. there is no suggestion that this will be solved by the new year. as things stand, there is a question now of who takes the political blame for this. that could be all—important. for this. that could be all—importa nt. is at for this. that could be all—important. is at president trump oi’ all—important. is at president trump or the democrats. there are some signals from republicans at the moment that they are waiting for the house of representatives to be taken over by the democrats at which stage, nancy below is the, the democratic leader in the house of representatives, will become a speaker and there is a suggestion they will try to push the blame to her. meanwhile, democrats call this a donald trump shutdown that is affecting people and accuse him of a temper tantrum. the us stock market finished slightly up on the day — by 1.14%. but it's been another rollercoaster of trading — at one stage the index was down by 2.5% on wednesday's closing figure. in other markets, london's ftse has closed with a fall of 1.5% shop

and germany's dax fell by over 2%. this was against a background of surging us markets on wednesday, jumping over a thousand points for the first time ever in a day. and that followed the worst weekly falls in a decade in the week running up to christmas. our business reporter samira hussain has the latest from new york. if you were suffering from whiplash watching the financial markets over the last week, you are probably not alone. is what fuels this volatility? investors like certainty and right now there is not a lot of it around. some of that uncertainty is coming from washington. we have the partial shutdown of the us government, the continuing trade tensions between the us and china and us president donald trump's continued criticism of the federal reserve, investors were happy to see holiday sales were strong and that

the price of crude oil for a holiday sales were strong and that the price of crude oilfor a big jump. but there are still some concerns about america's overall economic growth. the economy is growing but the pace of that growth, thatis growing but the pace of that growth, that is expected to slow down in the coming months. on thursday, a report on consumer confidence showed that americans were becoming more pessimistic about the economy. so what does all of this means going forward ? what does all of this means going forward? hold on tight, it may be a bumpy ride. let's get some of the day's other news. the us secretary of state, mike pompeo, will travel to colombia next week to discuss the economic crisis in neighbouring venezuela. more than two million venezuelans have left the country over the past three years as the crisis has worsened. about half of them have crossed the border into colombia. three british tourists, including a child have died after their vehicle crashed while crossing a bridge in iceland. 4 other people in the car have been taken to hospital with critical injuries.

the 4—wheel drive crashed through a barrier on a single—lane bridge and then fell 8 metres onto a river bank. at least eight people have been killed and more than two dozen injured after a bus crashed into a ravine in peu. the bus was carrying 55 passengers when it went off a highway and turned over, early on thursday. emergency workers rushed survivors to nearby hospitals. according to local media the vehicle was travelling to the capital lima. there have been protests in the democratic republic of congo at yet another delay in the presidential elections in some parts of the country. the polls were meant to take place on sunday. authorities in the capital, kinshasa, are blaming security concerns and an outbreak of ebola in the east of the country. the government says it is listening to the advice of the electoral commission. the worst clashes took place in the eastern cities of beni and goma. both are areas which are seen as being strongly supportive of the opposition.

this footage was filmed in beni. police fired into the air and used tear gas against the demonstrators. voting there was postponed — with opposition parties saying it was a ploy to stop their supporters from influencing the vote. and these pictures are from goma, where police had to clear barricades set up by angry crowds. opposition parties have cried foul, and called for a general strike on friday in protest. translation: the coalition demands that the electoral commission and medial lead withdraws this unjustifiable position on the organised elections across the whole of the democratic republic of congo without any discrimination. the congolese people have already been very patient, they have already accepted three postponements and even accepted a two—year wait and they are now saying enough. the electoral commission has just crossed a red line. let's get the latest now from those

two areas which have seen the most unrest. in a moment, we'll hear from our reporter in goma, but first, here's louise dewast in kinshasa reporting on events in beni. there was a number of protests today. most of them are over by now as it is one hour ahead and so the day is nearly over. the protest were in beni, one of the main cities affected by a ebola outbreak. a transit centre was ransacked and thatis transit centre was ransacked and that is did or where ebola cases wait for results. the health ministry said that 21 people fled from the transit centre and the angry mob was demonstrating that today, following a decision by the electoral commission to postpone the vote in the city and in three other locations across the country. the tension is high in the street. in

goma, masses of people came out on the streets to protest against a new delay of elections by the electoral commission. this morning, people who came in the street barricaded it with stones to block circulation and express their anger. most voters i speak to say they are upset that these towns were removed and they said asa these towns were removed and they said as a tactic by the current regime to cling to power. so far no casualties have been registered by the we are still monitoring the situation to see how it goes. that he now from the outgoing president of the democratic republic of congo. he took power in 2001. after the assassination of his father, laurent. he's twice been elected president — in 2006 and 2011 - but elections to replace him which were meant to be held in 2016 were delayed until now. he's been speaking to salim kikeke from bbc africa in kinshasa and he began by explaining why the poll was delayed

in some areas. probably that is the price to pay for a perfect election. how does that make me feel? you willjust have too agree with the electoral commission. the electoral commission has raised fundamental issues, the fundamental issues are aware into regions, in the east you have the epidemic of ebola which is spreading and the intention of the electoral commission and, indeed, the intention of the state, the government, is to make sure that you do not have, on the day that people are supposed to vote, that you do not have this academic spreading like wildfire. that is one of the most important reasons. the second reason is of course issues of

security. you are very much aware that in the region now and especially in beni we have been having numerous terrorist attacks over the last four or five years. the other region in the way is is because of intertribal fighting, or ethnic fighting. the timing of the announcement, just a few days before the elections. these issues, ebola and security have been there for quite a while. yes. they have been there for a long time. but the idea was that ebola is an epidemic which we have been managing to control two months after it was declared. this

time around it has taken much longer than that. and as we speak right now it is still spreading. so we had to content with those two major issues and the choice is to save as many life as possible. with all that has happened, do you still have faith in the electoral commission to deliver a free and fair election? the electoral commission is an independent commission. an independent commission. an independent electoral commission. and we still have faith in the commission and come the end of this year, the elections will be organised. but with 1.2 million voters being delayed in those areas just mentioned, how will you declare a new president some places get to vote ? a new president some places get to vote? the law has catered for such

issues. the electoral commission, as far as issues. the electoral commission, as farasi issues. the electoral commission, as faras i am issues. the electoral commission, as far as i am concerned, they have been doing everything according to the book. and i do not think that there will be any major issues in as far as the one point something million voters they are talking about. stay with us on bbc world news, still to come: it's yoga like you've never seen it before — with mobile devices dominating our lives, can eye yoga help cure our tired vision? the world of music has been paying tribute to george michael, who's died from suspected heart failure at the age of 53. he sold well over 100 million albums in a career spanning more than three decades. the united states troops have been trying to overthrow the dictatorship of general manuel noriega. the pentagon said that it's failed in its principle objective to capture noriega and take him to the united states to face drugs charges.

the hammer and sickle was hastily taken away. in its place, the russian flag was hoisted over what is now no longer the soviet union, but the commonwealth of independent states. day broke slowly over lockerbie, over the cockpit of pan am's maid of the seas nose down in the soft earth. you could see what happens when a plane eight storeys high, a football pitch wide, falls from 30,000 feet. christmas has returned to albania after a communist ban lasting more than 20 years. thousands went to midnight mass in the town of shkodra, where there were anti—communist riots ten days ago. this is bbc news, the latest headlines: the shutdown of parts of the us government will continue at least into next week, after both houses of congress met briefly then adjourned without taking action. it's been another volatile

day on us stock markets with the dowjones down by more than 2.5% at one point, before closing up at the end of trading. britain's most senior police officer has said a no—deal brexit would be costly for her force, and could potentially put the security of the public at risk. the metropolitan police commissioner, cressida dick, said the no—deal scenario would be very difficult in the short term, as changes were made to databases and the extradition process. our home editor mark easton has the story. brexit means britain loses its seat in the boardroom at europol, and with it, unfettered access to shared intelligence databases, the european arrest warrant, and eu extradition agreements. the national crime agency has expressed its concern at the security implications, and now, the country's most senior police officer has warned that were the uk to leave without a deal, the public safety could be comprised. we will have to replace some of the things we currently use

in terms of access to databases and the way in which we can quickly arrest and extradite people, these kinds of things, we'll have to replace as effectively as we can. that will be more costly, undoubtedly slower, undoubtedly, and potentially, yes, put the public at risk. the government has long argued that mutual interest is likely to mean collaboration on security after brexit is as good or better than now. the prime minister has said she wouldn't countenance a deal that compromised the safety of british citizens. we will not let that happen. we will together protect and project our values in the world and we will keep our people safe, now and in the years to come. but the met commissioner says police are concerned that even with a deal, security arrangements may not work as seamlessly as now. an eu co—ordination unit has been set up here at scotland yard to help establish arrangements

with each eu nation on issues such as access to intelligence data bases, arrest warrants and extradition arrangements. there's concern that even with a deal, it will be incredibly hard to match existing levels of co—operation in the short term. the uk is currently one of the biggest contributors to europol intelligence and has shaped the priorities of the organisation. police are working to ensure the security advantages that's brought will survive after brexit. mark easton, bbc news. five monks have been attacked during a church robbery in the austrian capital vienna. the assailants reportedly entered the catholic church with a gun, forcing the monks to the ground before beating and tying them up. one of the monks has sustained serious head injuries. a large—scale hunt has been launched to find those responsible. rescuers in a remote part of north—eastern india are working around the clock to save 15 workers trapped inside an illegal coal mine. limited resources and a lack

of information about mines in the meghalaya region are making the rescue extremely challenging and hopes of finding anyone alive are quickly fading. devina gupta travelled to the rescue site in the eastjaintia hills and sent this report. for these rescuers, they are going to try and reach 15 workers trapped in this illegal coal pit called a "rat—hole" mine. after limited resources and after 13 days, the chances of seamen alive are decreasing. we do not know the direction in which they have been trapped. —— scene the men alive. direction in which they have been

trapped. —— scene the men alivem is known for abundant resources, meghalaya, but a court put a ban on illegal mining but this is an indication that illegal mining is still rampant in these areas. at least 100 illegal pits have been dug in this area. they are called "rat—hole" because of the narrow vertical poles through which they go in. more risks means more pay but in this village, this mother knows what is at stake. her 20—year—old son started work in a coalmine to contribute extra money. he is one of the workers trapped. translation: wa nted the workers trapped. translation: wanted him not to go. this was his

first time in the coalmine. i do not know what to feel any more. this 30 oi’ know what to feel any more. this 30 or old, travelled here to work in the mine. no workers rights, no safety equipment, and no insurance benefit — he lives to tell the rules of this underground world. translation: are used to go inside the mine with a torch and gumboots but after this incident at the not think i can go back. but after this incident at the not thinki can go back. 150,000 but after this incident at the not think i can go back. 150,000 tons of coal reserves is estimated here, mining it is a lucrative business. most of the mines are and by local strongmen who feared more than the law. they are like the mafia. there are people who own these mines. there are now fight in the court to

legalise mining but until then these families are praying to keep their sons safe in the uncheck deathtraps. —— unchecked. saudi arabia's king salman has announced the creation of a space agency to be led by his son, prince sultan bin salman. the 62—year—old prince is better known as being the first arab and muslim astronaut to travel to space in 1985, helping to deploy a satellite with nasa. his appointment was announced as part of king salman's first major reshuffle of leadership positions, after the killing of saudi journalist jamal khashoggi in istanbul in october. the saudi foreign minister adel al—jubeir was demoted under the cabinet changes. we're spending more and more time in front of our mobile devices. eye yoga is claimed to help relax and strengthen our digitally—strained eyes. but does it really work? sodaba haidare has been to an eye yoga class to see for herself. keep it close... this is one of the

many eye yoga exercises, rubbing your hands rigourously together and blocking the light getting through. eye yoga has existed for centuries. it began as an ancient practice in india and is mostly taught alongside other forms of yoga. he has studied y°93 other forms of yoga. he has studied yoga in southern india and, as a journalist, spending hours in front ofa journalist, spending hours in front of a computer screen, to see eye y°93 of a computer screen, to see eye yogaif of a computer screen, to see eye yoga if can help relax my digitally tired eyes. some sufferfrom eye problems others are here to take a breakfrom problems others are here to take a break from the screen. problems others are here to take a break from the screenlj problems others are here to take a break from the screen. i think my vision is not very clear and after practice everything seems more focus. it is notjust my eyes, my

upper shoulders, which tend to be quite tense because i spend a lot of time in front of the computer.m quite tense because i spend a lot of time in front of the computer. it is predicted half of the world ‘s population will need glasses by 2050 because of screens. can eye yoga go as far as to cure my problems? because of screens. can eye yoga go as far as to cure my problems7m because of screens. can eye yoga go as far as to cure my problems? it is as far as to cure my problems? it is a focus issue. farsighted, nearsighted, anything like this, these things can be corrected. according to regular size, once you get these kind of issues you cannot reverse of them but in the yoga system they said we can reverse. some students say eye yoga helps them at there is no scientific evidence to prove this so i going to see an eye expert did to the him about eye yoga from a medical point of view. they cannot correct eye problems in terms of the need for

glasses for distance and reading. there is no way you can anatomically change the shape or the function of your eye by performing an exercise. focus on your index finger...“ your eye by performing an exercise. focus on your index finger... if eye y°93 focus on your index finger... if eye yoga was an alternative, eye doctors would have to look elsewhere for a career but while it may not do that, it helps make your eyes feel more relaxed. the us senate and house of representatives met briefly but took no action to stop the shutdown. president trump want $5 billion to the federal budget to build a border wall. that is the main headline. thank you for watching. nothing particularly dramatic in

this weather forecast. it stays quite over the next few days that is not to say they will not be some contrasts. take a look back at the state and across co down, temperatures up to 30 degrees and sunshine whereas the rest of the country got stuck under fog with temperatures in some areas not getting above four degrees. on friday, quite a lot of cloud and fog it should then turn a little bit brighterfor some of it should then turn a little bit brighter for some of us later on and little bit of rain around particularly across scotland, travelling eastwards. after a cloudy, murky, foggy start, in southern areas, it will struggle to brighten up. but bright in some other areas with decent spells of sunshine expected in the afternoon. temperatures 9— 11 degrees not bad

for this time of year. fog could hold temperatures back. friday night into saturday, mr, and low cloud but another batch of wet weather across northern ireland and scotland. temperatures typically between three and eight degrees. the system starting across northern areas. high pressure still holding on in the south. a day of split forges on saturday but one thing we will all experience is this mild west or south—westerly wind. —— split for jones. —— porch and fortran. a lot of dry weather but those temperatures for that time of year pretty impressive. 12— 13 degrees. as we look ahead to sunday, patchy

rain around in northern areas lingering for part of the day. the best chance of brightness and shelter from westerleigh winds, the eastern side of scotland and pennines. for the final day of the year, new year's eve, again high pressure in charge. a lot of cloud and some fog track and it meet the high. -- and some fog track and it meet the high. —— trapped. the weather does not look particularly dramatic, mostly dry with cloud and fog patches as well. this is bbc news, the headlines: the us government shutdown is to continue until at least monday after the senate was ajourned until new year's eve. president trump blames the democrats for blocking his amendment to the budget bill, which would add five billion dollars to build a wall along the border with mexico. it's been another volatile day for us shares.

at one point the dow was down 2.5%, but it bounced back to finish 256 points up — an increase of more than one percent. protesters have clashed with police in the east of the democratic republic of congo, after the election was postponed in several areas. the outgoing president, joseph kabila, told the bbc the ebola outbreak is one of the reasons for the delay. he said there wouldn't be any major issues with the more than one million voters whose participation will be delayed until later. now it's time for one of hardtalk‘s highlights of the year.