this is bbc news, i'm vicki young. the headlines at 12: happy new year. happy new year, all of you. the home secretary chairs a meeting with the border force and other agencies, as he attempts to deal with the rising number of migrants trying to cross the channel. 39 people are arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following a stabbing in west london. the uk's political leaders deliver their new year messages, with a focus on britain's departure from the eu. big ben's famous "bongs" are set to ring out at midnight tonight heralding the start of 2019 — even though building works are still taking place in the elizabeth tower. new zealand welcomes in the new year with a spectacular fireworks display over auckland. and in half an hour, a festive edition of click brings us the latest from the world

of technology and gadgets. the home secretary, sajid javid, is chairing a meeting of the border force and the national crime agency as he attempts to halt the flow of migrants trying to reach the uk across the channel. mrjavid returned to the uk this morning, cutting short a family holiday in south africa, to work out how to stem the problem which has seen more than 200 migrants make the crossing since november. the uk and france have agreed to step up joint patrols, but some backbench mps have criticised the home office for being too slow to act. simon clemison reports. the coastguard helicopter on patrol above the kent shoreline. but even though there is now closer

monitoring of the english channel, will it be enough to tackle the rising number of migrants risking everything to reach the uk? in yet another crossing, six iranian men were found on a beach near dover yesterday, not long after the home secretary promised action, having come under increased pressure. in an interview with the telegraph today, sajid javid told the newspaper the reasons behind the spike were complicated and often beyond the government's control. he said the problem was being fuelled by instability in the middle east, more people smugglers and tighter security at calais. yesterday, the home secretary agreed a joint action plan with france, to try to deter migrants and disrupt criminal gangs involved in trafficking. but some mps, including his own backbenchers, feel there's not enough detail and have called for more specialist border force patrol boats to be deployed. the home secretary says the problems are complex and there are many strands to this. while he may tackle trafficking, there is evidence migrants are making their own crossings in their own way.

some believe they have to get a cross before brexit. and then there is the weather, not that anyone should make these crossings in the way that they do, but warmer and calmer conditions are also a factor. but when the home secretary says there are no easy answers, his critics are looking for many more answers than he is giving. simon clemison, bbc news, dover. our correspondent simonjones gave us this update from dover. yes, we are just hearing that kent police this morning were called at about 8:15am to a group of migrants in greatstone, which is along the coast from here, in that direction. now, they haven't said how many migrants were picked up but it's believed they had travelled over in a small boat. someone i have spoken to, who saw the group of migrants, reckoned they were probably about six adults and one child, although that number hasn't been confirmed. but it's showing once again that people are still making this perilous journey. conditions out at sea very calm again today.

there's very little wind, so people are taking advantage of this weather to make those journeys. but, with the caveat, of course, that they are using these small boats to get across the busiest shipping lane in the world and it remains extremely dangerous. it's in that context that the home secretary is chairing a meeting this morning with border force officials and other agencies, other relevant agencies. so, what do people want him to do in the area, what do they expect him to do? well, i think they want action. there has been a feeling here that the home office have just been allowing this to go on and they haven't really got a grip of the situation. sajid javid, ahead of this meeting, has said there will be no quick solution, because what he is pointing out is that this problem often starts in areas like the middle east, the conflict there that forces people to leave their countries and head to europe. then once they get over to northern france, they are then potentially

becoming victims of people traffickers, who sell them this diea that it's pretty easy to get across the channel in small boats, without pointing out the dangers of it. the home secretary has said he's spoken to his french counterpart. there will be increased patrols in the channel. this morning, we have spotted one of the patrol boats here in the harbour, here in dover. he has also talked about tackling those people trafficking gangs behind this trade, but obviously that is not a quick thing to do. the local mp says what he wants are far more of the border force cutters, though specialist vessels that can rescue numerous migrant boats in one go. he would like to see more of them out in the channel, to prevent migrants setting off in the first place. but there is concern in the home office that that could be seen as really they would be rescue boats rather than patrol boats and that could send out the wrong message. but the dover mp charlie elphicke told me a short while ago he wants the home scretary,

here in dover himself, to see the situation. the french interior minister said the other day that this is as big a problem in france as it is in britain, because the traffickers are roaming free in france, trying to exploit these vulnerable people. it's in all our interests to make sure that this is stopped as soon as possible, particularly before there is a tragedy in the middle of the english channel. so, we are hearing once again this morning of another boat that has arrived in greatstone down the coast from here, so it shows the problem is still very much here and at the forefront of the minds of people here in dover and also very much the focus of attention in this meeting in westminster today. white mat that was simonjones in westminster today. white mat that was simon jones reporting in westminster today. white mat that was simonjones reporting from dover. 39 people have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following a stabbing in west london. police were called to fulham palace road in hammersmith shortly before iam this morning. a man in his 30s was treated at the scene before being taken to hospital, where he remains in a critical but stable condition.

police said the man was chased after what appeared to be a minor argument in a shop, as our correspondent keith doyle explained. the police say that they were called here shortly before iam this morning, where a man was found with stab wounds. you can see the scene here behind me, cordoned off by police tape. that man, as you say, was taken to hospital with serious injuries. we do understand that he had been chased after some sort of altercation. he was chased by a number of men and women. then, those suspects disappeared to a house down this road here, where there was a house party going on. when the police arrived there, they say because of a lack of co—operation from anyone at the party and the essential need to recover any evidence, that they said it was absolutely appropriate to arrest all 39 people who were at that party. so, all those people have been taken to various police stations around west london and the police say their inquiries are continuing.

political leaders have focused on brexit in their traditional new year messages. jeremy corbyn accused the government of making a mess of britain's departure from the eu. he says labour is ready to deliver a radical but fairer alternative to mrs may's deal. i'd like to wish everyone a very happy new year. there is so much talent across britain, but we are being held back by a system that for too long has only served a privileged few. now, the conservatives have plunged the country into crisis, over the complete mess they have made of brexit, trying to drive through a bad deal and letting people down all across the country, whether they voted leave or remain. eight years of damaging tory failure has left us with a divided country where millions are struggling to make ends meet. where so many can't afford a home to call their own. where older people are deprived of the dignity they deserve, and far too many are working low

paid and insecure jobs. we cannot go on like this. labour is ready to deliver a radical alternative, to rebuild and transform our country. we will stand up to the powerful few so that the wealth you create is shared fairly, not hoarded by a privileged elite. scotland's first minister, nicola sturgeon, used her message to say her government would seek to keep scotland at the heart of europe. she said european union workers would always be welcome, regardless of what happens in the next few months. in the yearahead, the scottish government will continue to do everything we can to protect scotland's place at the heart of europe. however, whatever the outcome of brexit, scotland will always offer a warm welcome to the world. in fact, our reputation for being an open, warm—hearted, hospitable country has never been more important. i want to make that especially clear to the hundreds of thousands

of nationals from other european union countries, who have done us the honour of choosing scotland as their home. i know that this is a deeply uncertain time for you, but i also want you to know that your contribution to our national life, to our economy, communities and society, is hugely valued. you will always be welcome here. of course, 2019 will not simply be about brexit. we will also keep on with the day to day business of government. we will redouble our efforts to support and invest in our key public services such as the nhs and our education system. we will continue our expansion of childcare and press ahead with our new scottish system of social security, making life fairer and helping those most in need. the liberal democrat leader, sir vince cable, said the next three months were critical, warning there is only 90 days left for the country to change course. as we enter 2019, time is ticking down on brexit. the history books will look back on the coming three months

as critical to our future. are we going to make a terrible mistake, leaving behind our influence in europe's most successful peace project, and the world's biggest marketplace? or are the british people, in the final hours, going to be given a chance to reconsider in the light of the facts that have come to the surface in the last two years? after two long years of negotiation, the prime minister has brought back a deal that satisfies nobody. her reaction is to try to frighten people with the prospect of a no—deal brexit, with the potential for serious disruption in travel and business. in reality, that can't happen unless she decides it should. the only way forward is to have a people's vote with the option to remain. it's a campaign we the liberal democrats started, and now millions

of people havejoined us in demanding a better future than brexit britain has to offer. the us ambassador to the uk, woodyjohnson, has cast doubt on britain being able to negotiate a wide—ranging free trade deal with america if the brexit agreement put forward by theresa may is approved. president trump has previously said that mrs may's proposals "sounded like a good deal for the eu". mrjohnson told the bbc that america was watching events closely. the majority of councils in england didn't prosecute a single motorist for misusing a disabled parking permit in the last 12 months, according to data from the department for transport. in that time, the number of blue badges reported as stolen rose by 45% on the previous year. the local government association says authorities have limited resources to carry out enforcement, as john mcmanus reports. they're a lifeline for around 2.4 million motorists who have some

form of disability. blue badges allow holders to park free of charge in pay—and—display bays, and for up to three hours on yellow lines. that makes the permits very valuable, and the number of badges reported as stolen rose to more than 4,000 last year. yet data from the department for transport and analysed by the press association shows that most councils in england, including middlesbrough, nottingham and shropshire, failed to take action against a single motorist for misusing the permits over the last 12 months. of those that did, the largest number of prosecutions were in three boroughs, hammersmith & fulham, newham in london, and leeds. i think the figures show that councils will enforce where they've got the evidence. you know, this is a hard crime to prove. clearly, we have to stick around and find out when we see somebody using a blue badge, we have to gain a large amount of evidence before we prosecute. the disability charity scope has called the level of prosecutions disgraceful, and pointed out that this is not a victimless crime.

john mcmanus, bbc news. minesh patel, the policy and campaigns manger at scope, said the charity was alarmed by the trend. it's really shocking to see the hi rise in theft of blue badge misuse and also the fact that councils are failing to deal with this problem properly. what we want to see is much greater action by councils to deal with this, and that needs to start with increasing awareness of the importance of blue badges for disabled people. lots of councils will have enforcement procedures in place to deal with blue badge misuse and it's about taking them seriously and it's about taking them seriously and acting on this important issue than many disabled people. the headlines on bbc news: the home secretary prepares to chair a meeting this morning with the border force and other agencies, as he attempts to deal with the rising number of migrants trying to cross the channel. 39 people are arrested on suspicion of attempted murder

following a stabbing in west london. the uk's political leaders deliver their new year messages, with a focus on britain's departure from the eu. sport and for a full round up, from the bbc sport centre, here's olly foster. good afternoon. a bit quiet on the home front. the world's best tennis players usually spend their new years in australia. we are two weeks away from the first grand slam of the year, and there are some important tournaments under way. the hopman cup has started in perth, and roger federer‘s is going to play serena williams for the first time in a competitive match. they'll meet in the mixed doubles as the usa play switzerland tomorrow. they're both 37, and have won 43 grand slam titles between them. williams won her first competitive match on her return to action after losing the us

open final in september. she beat maria sakkari in straight sets. but her victory couldn't stop greece beating the us 2—i. at the brisbane international, great britain's harriet dart is through to the second round. she came through three rounds of qualifying, notching up the biggest win of her career against andrea petkovic — today the british number four, ranked just inside the top 150, beat the australian priscilla hon in three sets. andy murray's also playing in brisbane and plays qualifier james duckworth in the first round in the early hours of tomorrow morning. the surgeon who operated on his hip earlier this year says murray may never be free of pain. drjim o'donnell says it's murray's "intense desire to do really well" that's kept his tennis career going. staying in australia — england's joe root and jos buttler have been playing in the big bash today — their sydeny thunder side lost to against adelaide strikers.

buttler was out for just 23 runs fellow opener, thunder captain shane watson, was dismissed by this brilliant bit of teamwork. jake weatherald keeping the ball inside the boundary for team—mate jake lehmann to take the catch. root didn't last too long, making 18 runs before he was caught as well. the strikers won by 20 runs. the man who root replaced as england captain has a newjob. alastair cook's joining the bbc‘s test match special team to cover england's tour of the west indies. he'll contribute to the tms podcast and bbc sport's online magazine show, the cricket social. he'll also join jonathan agnew in the caribbean for the second and third tests. pep guardiola says liverpool could be the "best team in the world right now". his manchester city side are back up to second in the league, after they ended their short losing streak with a win over southampton. they're seven points behind leaders liverpool, who they play on thursday. if one team achieves 100 points, and

the year after make 44 points in the first round, if we do the same results, hopefully we can do better. so we did well. the only problem is the other team is perhaps the best tea m the other team is perhaps the best team in europe, or in the world right now, on form and you have to accept it. or we can do is do our games, like today we did end last season games, like today we did end last season we did and this season we did. and after that, we will see. the premier league are searching for a new chief executive again, they thought they'd found one a few weeks ago — susanna dinnage had agreed to take over from richard scudamore in the role and was due to start in the new year, but she's now changed her mind. she's going to stay with the discovery channel after deciding that she didn't want to leave broadcasting. the former liverpool, preston and bolton winger peter thompson has died.

he was 76. he won two first division titles at liverpool under bill shankley, and helped the club win the fa cup for the first time in 1965, playing more than 400 times for them in total. shankley once said of thompson that he "could run forever, but more importantly in football he could run with the ball — probably the hardest thing to do." and floyd mayweather‘s supposed to be coming out of retirement for a fight in tokyo today. i say supposed to be because he's yet to turn up for his exhibition bout with japanese kick boxer tenshin nasukawa. less than an hour to go until the fight is scheduled to start, and the former five—weight world boxing champion is nowhere to be seen. perhaps he just doesn't fancy it. i wouldn't, why would you face a kick

boxer on new year's eve? that is all the sport for now, more in the next hour. thank you very much. nhs emergency services across cities and towns in england are preparing themselves for what's expected to be their busiest night of the year. many ambulance services come under extra pressure dealing with new year revellers who need urgent medical care. last year, for example, north west ambulance service saw a 50% increase in emergency calls on the night of new year's eve. and a dramatic 170% increase in calls to assaults — that was compared to an average saturday evening last year. to tackle the extra work load, they say they'll have 30% more staff working tonight, and an extra 79 ambulances on the road. nhs england announced before christmas it was pledging up to three hundred thousand pounds to fund so—called "drunk tanks" over the festive period. the supervised units are places where party—goers who have overindulged can be checked and allowed to sleep it off. will it be effective?

let's cross over to the wirral and to sir ian gilmore, chair of the alcohol health alliance. thank you forjoining us this afternoon. do you think this is an effective way of dealing with what is clearly an issue, notjust on new year's eve but at weekends as well? to reduce the stress and strain the nhs services are under, particularly in oura&e nhs services are under, particularly in our a&e departments but i think we have to realise this is a sticking plaster and government needs to tackle the underlying cause, which is alcohol. it is not people getting drunk out in the streets on a new year's eve, it's getting drunk at home on cheap supermarket drink and then going out, causing trouble. so until the government falls into line with scotland, ireland, with plans for a

minimum price, i think we will see this continuing. and you think that is the main answer to this, minimum alcohol pricing, to get that message across to people? we hear a lot about health advice and drinking too much. do you think that message simply isn't getting through?|j think simply isn't getting through?” think we know a key driver is the price, availability and marketing. the westminster government has failed to tackle any of those in any meaningful way. certainly, we need to treat those who do get into trouble and i think these tanks are one way of doing that. inaudible they take some strain off some emergency departments and that is good but it's not tackling the problem down the line. we have heard the message from some politicians at westminster who say this is about personal responsibility. people know what the risks are and they have to ta ke what the risks are and they have to

take responsibility themselves, to make sure they don't harm themselves or get into this kind of trouble. well, i think it's quite hard to tell if someone gets punched on the nose when they go out for a quiet evening that it's their own personal response polity and choice. i think there is an awful lot of harm to third parties, drink—driving, for example. i think it is too easy to say personal responsibility. i think there is a government responsibility to bring in legislation that will put into practice the measures that we know would work. and if we just focus on tonight, it is new year's eve of course, many people will be going out and having a drink and enjoying themselves. but what are the risks that they are putting themselves that, by drinking too much? well, if you'rejust themselves that, by drinking too much? well, if you're just going out for one very heavy drinking session of the year, the main risk of those getting drunk, those losing control, perhaps having an accident, those of

u nwa nted perhaps having an accident, those of unwanted sexual encounters. the chronic consequences of consumption like cirrhosis of the liver come with more regular drinking. so one night a year, it's mainly of getting drunk. the idea of these temporary treatment units, to go back to those for a moment, is treatment units, to go back to those fora moment, is it treatment units, to go back to those for a moment, is it something you think should or could be used all year round ? think should or could be used all year round? do you think it does help people and stop some of the problems you are talking about, such as violent assaults? there are some measures in place already that take place not just on measures in place already that take place notjust on new year's eve. one of the problems of opening up a new services that service tends to get used but it doesn't stop people going to hospitals. inaudible i think we need better evaluation of

that. 0k, we will leave it there. thank you very much indeed for speaking to us. the governing alliance in bangladesh has won a landslide victory in the country's election — giving the prime minister, sheikh hasina, a third consecutive term in power. opposition parties have complained of fraud and vote—rigging, and have demanded another election. at least 18 people have been killed in violent clashes. our correspondent yogita limaye is following developments in the country's capital, dhaka. we were out speaking to a lot of people yesterday at the polling booths and i have to say that despite the allegations that this was not a fair election and the opposition parties didn't really have a chance to campaign, there were a lot of people on the ground who support prime minister sheikh hasina. she is a very popular leader here, credited with bringing development to the country and bringing down poverty levels. and so we did find a lot of her supporters. the one pattern that was clear, was that they were the ones who were more vocal and willing to speak to us on record. anyone who might have possibly voted for the opposition or who had

a different point of view was quite intimidated, quite scared to speak to us on record. but we did hear, one man for example told us that when he reached a polling booth with his entire family, many members actually found their votes had already been cast, even though they had just showed up there to vote. so, these are the examples we are hearing. also a bbc bengali service reporter who was covering the election in the chittagong area, saw ballot boxes that had already been filled even before polling began. the election commission has said it will look into these alleged irregularities, but this is a body that has been accused of bias by the opposition. big ben's famous "bongs" are set to ring out at midnight tonight, heralding the start of 2019. the elizabeth tower is undergoing extensive work, and the clock mechanism has been removed for maintenance. our corrspondent tim muffett has been finding out how the famous bongs will be able to ring out tonight. typically, it's 399 steps to the top of what's surely britain's most

commonly misnamed building, but refurbishment of the elizabeth tower — which houses the bell, big ben — means that right now, the journey‘s much quicker. good to see you. wow, this is an amazing spot, isn't it? it's a huge privilege, obviously, to be able to do this. the fabric of the building suffered bomb damage during the second world war. there've been various repairs since then, and this is the first opportunity we've had really to take it apart from top to bottom and do a thoroughjob on it. work began early last year and is due to last until 2021. it's meant scaffolding and silence, instead of familiar sights and sounds. a lot of tourists have been very upset by it. they've only come to london to see the clock tower itself but, you know, at the end of the day, the time has come for maintenance, unfortunately. big ben chimes. for almost 160 years, the hammer that strikes big ben has been activated by the great clock.

with the original clock mechanism currently off—site being restored, here's the challenge — how do you allow the world's most famous bell to be struck on special occasions? we made the obligation that this bell would be made available for all national events, like remembrance sunday and new year's eve. so, in november, this device made its debut. it is a computer system that's linked to a gps. our device onsite picks up that signal and tells the motor to start to run, allowing the hammer to strike. big ben chimes. that's exactly what happened on remembrance sunday and it worked extremely well. so, come midnight on new year's eve, it's going to happen, is it? it will happen. yes, i'm nervous, but nerves are a good thing because it shows you actually care about something. three, two, one... big ben chimes. the sound of one year ending

and a new year beginning. too important for any refurbishment to silence. tim muffett, bbc news. auckand has already welcomed the new year, with a dazzling fireworks display at the sky tower. thousands of pa rty—goers gathered by the city's harbour bridge to watch the display. next up is sydney, we'll be bringing you pictures in the next hour. then everyone will be looking to celebrations across the uk, london l deborah —— and edinburgh, where people will be gathering to well commit in 2019. the weather won't cause trouble for

new year and hogmanay. the rest of today it's just good to be a pretty cloudy day. you can see the extent of the cloud sheets here devising and scotland, you can see there are some waves in the cloud here. that is caused by the aeroplane over the mountains. it tends to break the clouds of little bits you will see some glimmers of sunshine from the highlands and further eastwards. perhaps lincolnshire later on this afternoon, otherwise it stays cloudy. a week weather front here pushes southwards, reaching southern scotla nd pushes southwards, reaching southern scotland and northern ireland round about midnight. it then gets very windy. gusty into the northern

isles, blustery conditions hogmanay, south of this for the midnight celebrations for england and wales, you can see the extent of the cloud. it won't be particularly cold. attem pts it won't be particularly cold. atte m pts a re it won't be particularly cold. attempts are seven or 8 degrees. our week weather front continues its journey throughout the night, the air starts to get colder across scotla nd air starts to get colder across scotland and northern england later in the night. but colder air is coming in behind this cold front that will continue to push southwards. it is very weak because it is getting squished by this area of high pressure. it is a significant front because it would bring us some cooler air but also much less cloud. a brighter prospect then finn new year's day. cloudy for wales and south—west england and perhaps northern ireland as well. the tinges are going down with the

sunny conditions. still holding on something a bit milder in the south but a single figures in the north and scotland. a cold night with quite a widespread frost developing. into wednesday, a lot of dry and sunny weather and round. we may see the crowd coming around and moving back into western areas of scotland but most of us, quite a chilly day, tem pters but most of us, quite a chilly day, tempters around four to seven celsius at least will be bright with decent styles of sunshine. leaving 2018 behind, we leave the cloud behind and 2019 starts off with a sunnier and colder note. this is bbc news. the home secretary chairs a meeting with the border force and other agencies, as he attempts to deal with the rising number of migrants trying to cross the channel.

39 people are arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following a stabbing in west london. the uk's political leaders deliver their new year messages, with a focus on britain's departure from the eu. new zealand welcomes in the new year with a spectacular fireworks display over auckland. from tuition fees, apprenticeship to mental health issues affecting young people. 2019 is set to be boosting yearin people. 2019 is set to be boosting year in education. our education sectors are looking ahead to the stories that could dominate the year. it's good to be a busy and interesting if education. the

government is trying to work out what to do about tuition fees. an independent panel was looking at how we should pay for education after the age of 18 and they are due to report back as early as february. we know already that one of the ideas they are considering is variable tuition fees. different fees for different types of courses. but what they say about technical education could be just as they say about technical education could bejust as important, many courses are struggling with their finances. the government might have to act of apprenticeships. the new apprenticeship levy isn't working at twice expected. the number of apprenticeships starts has fallen by apprenticeships starts has fallen by a third and the budget is already overspent. money, money, money is also what schools are worrying about. the government says that school spending in england is at its highest level ever. many

headteachers said something like that on the ground. you can expect them to continue campaigning. pa rents of them to continue campaigning. parents of children with special needs or disabilities also face challenges. the government has just given an extra £250 million over the next two years to councils in england but councils say thatjust doesn't go far enough. parents are beginning to bring court challenges. mental health and well—being of young people is also top of the list for many parents and also the schools. this growing concern about the epidemic of anxiety and self harm soon expect to hear a lot more about what schools can or should be doing to help build resilience in young people. that was our education secretary with her look ahead to 2019. julie for a round—up of the news just before 1pm but now we have

a live edition of click, including augmented reality, drones and dancing robots. shhh! why, hello there, little bedbugs. you're so sweet. i can change my face completely to match what i'm supposed to do. for example, i can be a woman like this. it's a bit creepy. we have got an informal queueing system going on here, like pub. hello! 17 minutes to go until the show begins. and we're just writing the script. we should start with "welcome." spencer kelly is really funny. better than some actors, anyway. technology has moved on quite a lot since i was at school. we didn't have any computers then. you don't get nervous. he does, all the time! just getting in the last touches.

are you looking forward to it? yeah. welcome to click. from broadcasting house in london, this is bbc click live. please welcome your hosts, lara lewington and spencer kelly. good afternoon, london! welcome to click live. we're going to start with something truly magical. i would like you to put on your headsets and we'll show the magic image. we're going to show you part of a show about gulliver's travels. gulliver and his daughter gilly are in the land of the giants. they've been brought to the queen to entertain her. enjoy the show. why, hello there, little bedbugs.

i hear you have prepared a special song for me? like we have a choice. your highness, i am afraid there's been a small misunderstanding. you see, we do know how to play the piano, but we are not used to such a big one, you see. the peasant promised you would play the piano for me. yes, but... and when promises are not kept it makes my heart so sad, and when my heart gets sad i start crying, and when i start crying... please, don't cry. forget what i said. we will play a song, just as you were promised. 0k? you may. thanks. here we go. ready? ready. 0k. applause.

i'm going to call up one of the people behind this a ar show from israel, please welcome sasha kreindlin. thank you so much. can you explain whatjust happened? what we did is, we created the tools to incorporate ar into the live show. this tool allows the artist to focus not only on the stage but the entire venue as your canvas. if everybody turned their head while the scene was going on, there is a whole castle around you. and the second revolutionary part is the interaction part, because they have buttons on their headsets and they can interact with the live show and it gives a world of possibility. at mekamon in bristol, 30 robot toys

are being taught to tango. well, sort of. to get the bots to bust a groove simultaenously, they all need to be set off at exactly the same time. so the team behind them had to get creative. so, this fires infrared. at all the robots. and the robots get the signal, and they know it's time to dance. ok, now. a tv remote was just really boring, so we got the laser gun. and it makes cool noises. it is cool, when it works. does it still need reloading? you have to reload the laser gun? and we can reset that. it's a cone of light that comes out, not a single beam. if you get very close to our robot it's a net that's more narrow. the further back you are,

we find it's a better, wider tact. it is the same with the robots, they fire out a cone. they have used video animation software to choreograph the custom dance routine. i make one animation and that will be distributed to all 30. the way that we did the mexican wave was that we put it into grid so that the last bit has a staggered animation, so for that bit, they all had their own little animation. so here i've got six animations. that is how you get this. this ripple effect. because the robots don't know where they are in relation to one another, they have to be positioned in precisely the right place. but when it's done right... music plays. music: robot rock by daft punk. and i'm joined here by their proud

father, ceo and co—founder of reach robotics, silas adekunle. thanks for having me. if robotics can already do this for fun, there must be some exciting prospects about what they will be capable of soon. definitely. with mekamon we are about education, so you can learn to code and learn stem skills with mekamon. on top of that we have robots starting to get out and the next phase for robotics, especially consumer robotics, which will be a big part of that, robots that can go to our houses and help us. some of your smart devices, they can speak you and ask questions of you. the next stage is for you to be able to say, get me there and we'll get it for you. can you tell them a bit about your story? you have an interesting background. yes, that's a photo of me from nigeria. i was born in nigeria, moved to the uk when i was about 11 or 12,

but before that i had been interested in science, engineering, stem. so when i moved to the uk, to cut a long story short, i went to university to study robotics and in that time i saw that when you combine consumer robotics with gaming, it gets a really powerful engagement. it's a lot more interesting, as you can see. these robots are a bit like video game characters in real life. they get better and stronger all time. that was the inception of the idea behind mekamon. how do you get the motion so realistic? there are two ways we do that. one is something called kinematics, where the robot is actually figuring out where it is moving to, and the second is that we have an amazing talented team of animators who work on it digitally and try to make that motion as realistic as possible. so what you're looking at here is years of lots of research and behaviour and motion that is translating into the real world. finally, it is the mechanical engineering aspect. we have some proprietary technology that allows the robots to move like this.

great, thank you so much. a man who wants to take over the world, but before we go, because we have this amazing routine taking place, we didn't want just you lot to see it, so earlier today they had a little activity outside the bbc building. take a look at this. music: robot rock by daft punk. what if technology seems almost magical? what if you could do this? now 100 years ago, that would've

been the magic of levitation. is it possible to create illusions of a world where technology makes anything possible? jump! now, if you have the trick is done, where is the illusion? but still, our imagination is more powerful than our reasoning. it is easy to attribute personality to machines. these are more than mechanical flying to machines. these are more than mechanicalflying machines. to machines. these are more than mechanical flying machines. they analysed the environment around them and reacts to everything i do. as once the algorithms allow these autonomous machines to fly in close formation, aware of each other, aware of me. mathematics that can be mistaken for intelligence. and intelligence? the personality. that's it. and our live show

wouldn't be a live show without lasers... and a game that involves lots and lots of applause! three, two, one, go! being plucked off stage? a fitting end, if ever there was one! all that remains is to thank everyone who turned up sears live and of course, you are at for watching. you at home for watching. as we near the end of 2018, it is

time to look back at the films that made this year in cinema so memorable. but in the same wayjaws is not just a memorable. but in the same wayjaws is notjust a movie about shark, my review of the year in film will not just be about what was on the cinema. it is that the changing trends and shape of server itself. how we see movies and where we watch them. review 2018, the un film, now available on the bbc i bear. pick just one set of this little i just looking up. good afternoon. the home secretary, sajid javid, has been meeting with the border force and the national crime agency to discuss an action plan to tackle the growing number of migrants attempting to cross the english channel.

more than 200 people are known to have attempted the crossing since november, many of them iranian citizens. our report from simonjones contains some flash photography. back on the beach, the police and border force were called this morning after another group of migrants arrived on the kent coast. just as the home secretary returns to the country amid a barrage of criticism that the home office has failed to get a grip on the situation. sajid javid says he is deeply concerned about the number crossing the channel by small boat. more than 200 people have arrived in the past two months. he's been meeting officials from the home office and border force, but he's warning there are no easy answers. he's pledged to increasejoint patrols with the french. writing in the telegraph, he said the reason behind the increased crossings were complicated and often outside our control. he said the problem was being fuelled by instability in the middle east. conditions in the channel remain

very calm. there is very little wind. it is mild for the end of december so it seems inevitable in the coming days there will be more attem pts the coming days there will be more atte m pts to the coming days there will be more attempts to get across the channel in small boats. but there is also a growing clamourfor something in small boats. but there is also a growing clamour for something to in small boats. but there is also a growing clamourfor something to be done to stop it. the mp for dover once the home secretary to come to the town to see for himself what they are facing. i hope sajid javid will come to visit dover and see what things are like at the front line, and looks to create a modern dover patrol force with the french to make sure any craft found in the channel, whatever side of the line they are, i helped back safely and soundly to the french coast. one group which supports migrants in kent says they shouldn't be demonised. we have to hold onto the fact that these people, however desperate they are, are our brothers and systems in reality. —— inhumanity. that's what we need to keep reminding people about. and they are refugees. but while the number arriving continues to grow, so does the pressure on the home

secretary. simonjones, bbc news, dover. our political reporter jessica parker is at westminster. sajid javid has been forced to come back from his holiday early. how much pressure is he under to act?” think he is under quite a bit of pressure. he started sharing this meeting at around 11am this morning, as we understand. border force officials, national crime agency officials, national crime agency officials and other government departments. we have heard from the prime minister's official spokeswoman this morning saying theresa may supports the work sajid javid is doing to tackle this deeply concerning rise in the number of migrants trying to illegally cross the channel. this contentious issue of cutters, the special patrol boats and the claims too few have been deployed in areas like the dover strait came up this morning but number ten said it's a matter for the home office but is something thatis the home office but is something that is under review. reports that theresa may specifically, personally

asked, even instructed sajid javid to come home from his holiday in south africa have been discussed today with number ten saying that isn't the case and sajid javid returned home of his own volition. but it's clear the political pressure is being very much directed towards number ten on to sajid javid on this issue. theresa may has some matters of her own to deal with and we understand she has been speaking to her european counterparts over christmas, fellow leaders, as she tries to deal with that stickiest of issues, brexit. jessica parker life at westminster. 39 people have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after an argument in a shop in west london led to a man being chased and stabbed. the victim, who's in his 30s, was found with life—threatening injuries in the early hours of this morning. our correspondent keith doyle is in hammersmith. u nfortu nately, unfortunately, stabbings are not uncommon in london. there has been a rise in knife —related crime this year. and on this, the last day of

the year, a victim lies fighting for his life. the notable thing in this case is the police response and the number of arrests. it started off as a minor argument, according to the police, and ended up with one man seriously injured and 39 people arrested. the man, in his 30s, was stabbed on this west london street after being chased by a group of men and women following an argument in a shop. his injuries are said to be life—threatening. the suspects then went into a party at a nearby flat. these are all the policemen. this video shows the police arriving at the property. the police said because those at the party would not co—operate, they decided to arrest them all. here, each person is lined up and arrested, and all were taken into custody. some were led away in handcuffs. about 50 police officers march down the road, went into the house next door and brought out 30 or 40

people. had them all lined up. they we re people. had them all lined up. they were interrogating them and they got arrested and ta ken were interrogating them and they got arrested and taken away at about four o'clock. the police admit making so many arrests at this early stage of an investigation is unusual but they said because of a lack of cooperation and the necessity to secure essential evidence it was appropriate to bring so many people into custody at this stage. two knives were recovered close to the scene. those arrested are being questioned at a number of police stations in london. keith doyle, bbc news. the severn bridge was closed temporarily this morning following reports that someone had climbed one of the towers and was flying a drone from it. police say a man in his 20s has been arrested on suspicion of causing a public nuisance. the road was closed in both directions while officers dealt with the incident. in bangladesh, prime minister sheikh hasina has won a landslide victory in the general election, securing her third consecutive term. her ruling party and its allies won nearly all the seats in parliament. the opposition, who won just seven seats,

has rejected the result saying the it was rigged and has demanded a new vote. almost two—thirds of councils in england didn't prosecute a single driver for misusing a disabled parking permit over the past year according to figures from the department of transport. during that time more than four thousand blue badges were stolen. the organisation representing local authorities said tough decisions had to be made about enforcing the system when resources were limited. john mcmanus reports. they're a lifeline for around 2.4 million motorists who have some form of disability. blue badges allow holders to park free of charge in pay—and—display bays, and for up to three hours on yellow lines. that makes them potentially very valuable, and the number of badges reported as stolen rose to more than 4,000 last year. yet data from the department for transport shows that most councils in england, including middlesbrough, nottingham and shropshire, failed to take action

against a single motorist for misusing the permits over the last 12 months. of those that did, the largest number of prosecutions were in three boroughs — hammersmith & fulham, and newham in london, and leeds. the body representing english local authorities has said tight finances are a problem but prosecutions have almost doubles over the last four years and that some help from a vigilant public is welcome. not all people that use blue badges have a disability that is visible. so, sometimes people misunderstand why somebody might have a blue badge. but it's best for the council to investigate. almost every one of the 1200 prosecutions last year involved drivers who were using someone else's blue badge. blue badges are a lifeline, they are not a luxury. they enable people who might have certain impairment conditions to get closer to a building, to get around more easily. there have been disabled parking permits in the uk since 1970.

since that time their colour has changed from orange to blue and they have become widely accepted by the motoring public. charities say for that to continue, police and councils must crack down on this abuse. john mcmanus, bbc news. the equalities watchdog is suing nhs england for failing to offer fertility treatment to all transgender patients. when a person changes their gender, they are often left infertile, but the freezing of eggs or sperm before treatment gives them the chance to start a family later in life. a bbc investigation found that around a quarter of local nhs areas in england freely offer fertility treatment to transgender patients. ashley john—ba ptiste reports. cruella's 22 years old and living in bournemouth.

she transitioned from a male at the age of 16. back then, she couldn't get her sperm frozen for free. i essentially can't be a biological parent. and i do believe it's unfair that transgender women and men aren't given the opportunity like anybody else would... that opportunity to have a child and to have a family, no matter what their situation is. according to this fertility specialist, nhs cutbacks mean that other patient groups may also miss out on treatment. you have things like cancer patients, young people with other fertility—threatening therapies, who may also not get fertility treatment. we asked nhs england for an interview. they declined, but gave us this reply. "we believe this request is misjudged and potentially unfair to nhs patients, as well as wasting precious nhs resources on legal costs." i've only been on hormones for about six months. max is 22 and works at this indoor skydiving centre in manchester. max was born a boy, but identifies as neither male norfemale, but what's known as non—binary.

two years ago, when max began transitioning, they weren't offered the option to freeze their sperm and so did it privately. max prefers the pronouns ‘they‘ and ‘their‘. i want kids someday, so, er... i was asking if i would be able to get that covered on the nhs