this is bbc news, i'm ben brown. the headlines at 8pm. set of "an sn’f mm" set of political opinions. diverse set of political opinions. china makes a bid to become the republican leader is going to an "aerospace power" after landing introduce her and she will be mad and speaker. again, for the second the first unmanned spacecraft on the far side of the moon. time —— she will be madame speaker. pictures from the surface of the moon have already been sent back to earth, as scientists begin to analyse the unexplored region. she is about to start. translation: if our lunar exploration is a success, we can make bigger contributions to mankind and improve china's ability at technology. the democrats take control of the new us congress, with nancy pelosi elected as speaker of the house of representatives, and promising to end the shutdown. just before she starts speaking, there is this ceremonial moment democrats will be offering the senate republican appropriations where the top republican hands over legislation to reopen government later today. applause. the son of the banned radical cleric the gavel to nancy pelosi. this is abu hamza is arrested as part why we say that she has the gavel. this is as close as you come to an actual transfer of power. she's the

old est actual transfer of power. she's the oldest speaker to hold the gavel and of course as you said, the most powerful woman in american political history. but she is 78. is she going to steer the party to 2020 and then stand aside? she has said she will be doing two terms. she does not wa nt to be doing two terms. she does not want to be seen as a lame duck and blouin. she will then stand aside —— and do one firm. —— one term. she wa nts to and do one firm. —— one term. she wants to win over the younger members of congress who felt it was time for a new generation to take power, keeping any what's happening in capital feel. power, keeping any what's happening in capitalfeel. she power, keeping any what's happening in capital feel. she gets support because she is a big fundraiser for the democratic party. if you stand against her, that could be your political career over. a very good

fundraiser, and effective legislator who has kept the party in power. she got the house of representatives back for the democrats. here we go. we are rather stopping and starting here. the members have to take their seats and kevin mccarthy. here we 90, seats and kevin mccarthy. here we go, here's the gavel. the house will be in order. colleagues, friends, fellow americans. it is an honour to serve with you and welcome you to the first day of the 116th american house of representatives.

we are here in this chamber because of the faith of your neighbours, the support of your families. we are here today to represent the voice and the vote of 325 million americans. i would like everyone to pause. i want you to reflect on this fa ct. pause. i want you to reflect on this fact. in the last 230 years, dating back to the founding of our republic, 11,000 americans have had the privilege to stand here as a memberof the the privilege to stand here as a member of the house, as you do. chosen by their fellow citizens to represent them in washington. what an amazing, invigorating, yes, frustrating experiment that is. representative democracy. the ink was barely dry on the constitution when ben franks and wondered out loud whether this administration

could keep its government and freedom it has been granted to us from generation to generation —— benjamin franklin. generations later, people still have similar concerns. they wonder if congress truly represents them. if it is still capable of solving big problems. there's no guarantees. it is up to us, all of us in this room, to make congress work. to create and debate, just like our founding fathers did many years ago, with courage, with commitment and resolve. we were a very small group with a very large responsibility. the burden on us members is to represent 325 million americans faithfully. to work together so that tomorrow is better than today.

aasmah brechin advised us, —— as ronald reagan advised us, america is too great for small dreams. when we work together, we succeed together asa work together, we succeed together as a nation. we enter a period of divided government but that is no excuse divided government but that is no excuse for gridlock or inaction. we are at our best when we focus, not on retribution but on building a more perfect union. kevin mccarthy, the top republican in the house of representatives. let's talk to ron christie. what is happening on capitol hill now? it is hard not to notice, as we said, the fact that the publican party is a lot less diverse than the democratic party. —— the republican party. is that a problem for your party? yes, it is. we lost scores of republicans in moderate districts across the us. i especially look at how many women we

lost, over one dozen representatives to the republican congress. you have a black republican from the state of texas. very few women of colour, which is a big problem for my party. they tell me that women members of congress make better negotiators. is that your experience? you been there for a long time. do the women members of congress bring more bills, see their bills through to the end? bills, see their bills through to the end ? does bills, see their bills through to the end? does it make a difference to the process? not only gender diversity but ethnic diversity. it's important when you're sitting in that room to have people who reflect the citizens they were elected to represent. not just one the citizens they were elected to represent. notjust one gender and one race. it is very important. over the years i've seen a number of women, democrats and republicans who

have helped to shape and moderate the debate, which is very important, especially given the toxicity of the climate in washington. a republican woman was credited with ending the last government shutdown, because she was able to work across the aisle in the senate. kevin mccarthy is now wrapping up. he will be the person who will introduce nancy pelosi. when she took over last time as speaker of the house and george bush was president, he was very gracious about the fact that there was a woman taking over. she has done it before. she will do it for a second time. a very difficult political atmosphere. when nancy pelosi first took her seat in 1987, there were 23 women. applause

thank you very much, leader mccarthy. i look forward to working with you in a bipartisan way for the good of our country, respecting our constituencies. every one of you, i respect you and the constituents who sent each and every of us here. they expect and deserve from us to try and find common ground and we must try to do that. stand our ground where we can't but always extend the hand of friendship. thank you, kevin mccarthy, for your leadership. i look forward to working with you. congratulations on being the leader of the party. and congratulations to

each and every one of you. new members of congress, newly re—elected members of congress. thank you for your courage to run for office and to serve in this distinguished body. every two years we gather in this chamber for a sacred ritual, under the dome of this temple of democracy, the capital of the united states. we read news the great american experiment. i'm particularly proud to bea experiment. i'm particularly proud to be a woman speaker of the house, of this congress, which marks the 100th year of women having the right to vote. applause

and that we all have the ability and the privilege to serve with over 100 women members of congress, the largest number in history. each of us comes to this chamber strengthened by the trust of our constituents and the love of our families. let us congratulate and welcome all of the families that are here today. thank you to our families. applause

let me take the privilege of thanking my dear husband paul and oui’ thanking my dear husband paul and our five thanking my dear husband paul and ourfive children. ourfive children, nancy corinne, christine, jacqueline, paul and alexandra and are nine grandchildren. we are so proud of all of our grandchildren and we are proud of everyone's grandchildren and children who are here today. i am proud of the family here from baltimore as well. in the spirit, my mother and father and my brother tommy who was mayor of baltimore taught us through their example that public service is a noble calling and we should serve with our hearts full of love and that america's full

of love. singing about two hours last night, i want to acknowledge tony bennett, who is here today. thank you. he helped free the concentration camps during that time of world war ii. he marched with martin luther king and he is a true american patriot, thank you, tony. i want to thank my constituents from san francisco who have entrusted me to represent them in congress in the spirit of saint francis, the patron saint of saint francis and his song of saint francis is our anthem. make

mea of saint francis is our anthem. make me a channel of thy peace. we heard that in church this morning but it is our mission. let me thank our men and women in uniform, our veterans and women in uniform, our veterans and military families and caregivers his service reminds us of our mission to make the future worthy of their sacrifice. to our men and women in uniform. applause .we applause . we enter this new congress with a sense of great hope and confidence for the future and deep humility and prayerful runners in the face of challenges ahead. our nation is at an historic moment. two months ago the american people spoke and demanded a new dawn. they called

upon the beauty of our constitution that our system of checks and bala nces that our system of checks and balances that protects our democracy, remembering that the legislative branch is article one, the first branch of government, equal to the presidency and to the judiciary. they want a congress that delivers results for the people, opening up opportunity and lifting up opening up opportunity and lifting up their lives. studio: nancy pelosi giving her first address to congress for the second time as speaker of the house. she took the gavel from michael mccarthy, and she started by saying let's work together. i respect you, we're all going to get along, thank you, my friend, the passing the gavel over and we are looking for a period of peace and harmony. what

you reckon? ithink period of peace and harmony. what you reckon? i think we have lost the satellite line to san francisco. can you hear is in san francisco?” satellite line to san francisco. can you hear is in san francisco? i am back. are we in for a period of cooperation and harmony on capitol hill after the kind words by nancy pelosi to kevin mccarthy? give it about 15 minutes. once the speeches over, so is all the smiling and talking about our grandchildren and children. nancy pelosi did not get re—elected as speaker for the first time in 1955 without a reason. the reason is she has some sharp elbows and she knows how to get things done. the democratic base that elected her again as speaker of the house wants her to put the brakes on donald trump. the notion she will find other than infrastructure spending i suspect, an ability to work with republicans in the house

isa work with republicans in the house is a fleeting notion. it is notjust about the oversight that comes with about the oversight that comes with a democratically controlled congress, it is also, for the president, the way he has to work with the house now. he used to just find a caucus are people who will push his agenda, but he will be able to do that any more? and listen to at nancy pelosi said, she said we are article one, the congress of our constitution, a coequal branch of art government. in that thinly veiled reference to president trump, whether you like it or not, i am on almost equal footing as you when it comes to negotiating and passing legislation you will sign. you can ignore me at your peril. we didn't hear one reference to president trump so far. very telling she wants to work with republicans but did not mention the president by name. also in san francisco, but as the place nancy pelosi comes from, she thank

the members of her constituency in san francisco for sending her back to washington and to be speaker of the house. we have been talking about the diversity on capitol hill and one person symbolises that more than anything, the first somali american to be elected to congress. 37 years old, was born in mogadishu in somalia, came to america of a refugee 23 yea rs in somalia, came to america of a refugee 23 years ago. she posted this on her social media website this on her social media website this morning. she symbolises the new face of washington. he is one of the first of two muslim and to be elected to congress. that is reagan airport she walked through 23 years ago and walking back to date on her way to be sworn in in congress. you

would have to think the diversity would have to think the diversity would not be there if this wasn't pushed back to the agenda donald trump set down. that is why we have so trump set down. that is why we have so many trump set down. that is why we have so many women trump set down. that is why we have so many women congresswoman to be sworn in. she is the mother of three children and was raised by her father and her grandfather. her father and her grandfather. her father has been very supportive and has come with her to washington. it isa has come with her to washington. it is a very moving moment, he will be watching his daughter being sworn into office on one of the more touching stories of the new people coming in. that is what it is about. absolutely, as nancy pelosi said. there have been other stories around the world and this one we love. it is 50 years since neil armstrong and buzz aldrin first set foot on the moon. odd to think that it has taken so long to visit the far side — the side we never see. and that it is china, not america, which has made the breakthrough. they have landed a robotic probe

in the oldest and deepest crater of the lunar surface. the mission was top secret but with its success china has shown the scale of its ambitions. the change four is carrying instruments that will take detailed measurements of the moon's surface. also on board are six live species that will form part of a mini biosphere. john sudworth has the details. "commence landing", the control room says. and then comes the extraordinary sight — the first close—up images of the far side of the moon ever recorded. after a few more tense moments, chang'e—li safely touches down inside the moon's largest and deepest crater. it's all gone according to plan, this scientist tells chinese state tv. the landing was the most important part. although the far side of the moon always faces away from earth, orbiting spacecraft have photographed its surface.

but no attempt has been made to land on it until now. this animation shows how the probe's thrusters were fired to slow it, before its sensors guide it gently to the surface. a surface far more rugged and obstacle—strewn than the moon's nearside. another major challenge has included the need for a relay satellite to carry radio signals from the far side back to earth. well, the moon has already sunk below the smoggy beijing skyline, so there's, unfortunately, no chance tonight for people to gaze at it in wonder. not that they had much warning, mind you. the landing attempt was accompanied by an almost complete news blackout, giving you a sense of the sensitive propaganda value of this huge leap forward in china's space race ambitions and the perceived cost of failure.

china plans to follow this mission with another that will bring mineral samples back to earth and, eventually a reported plan for a lunar base, capable of supporting humans. translation: if our lunar exploration is a success, we can make bigger contributions to mankind and improve china's ability and technology. so, i don't think our exploration will stop. it will only go deeper, further, and we will invest more. for now, chang'e—li's lunar explorer will begin examining the surface of its landing spot. the moon's deepest crater is expected to offer important insights into the formation of our solar system. but, beyond the science, china has just signalled that it's a space power to be taken seriously. john sudworth, bbc news, beijing.

leroy chiao is a former nasa astronaut and international space station commander. hejoins me now from houston texas. how did the chinese do this in almost total secrecy? it was great propaganda value. you can see the sensitivity they have towards any perceived failure. but having been said, it was a great technological feat and it is the first time a vehicle has been landed on the far side of the moon. also very impressive is the fact they were able to put a relay satellite, communication relay satellite in the halo orbit, which isn't a simple thing to do, around the moon so they could guide the spacecraft down and relate communications back and

forth. why does the same side of the moon always face us, why don't we ever see the far side rotating towards earth? the centre of mass of the moon is offset from its geometric centre so the gravitational force of the earth is actually pulling on the part and cause it to stop rotating at some point so that part always faces the earth as it orbits us. that is why we always seek the same side as we go through the phases. we always seek the same side as we go through the phaseslj we always seek the same side as we go through the phases. i am nodding. not so stupid, not so stupid. tell me about the biosphere, they have sent cotton, potato plant, fruit flies, what will they do with that? they like to see how these biological samples do in low gravity. when you have plans they have gravity sensing organs in their routes which allow the roots to grow down into the soil. when we tried to

grow plans in space in new near zero gravity they go out in all directions and you have to use some kind of synthetic mesh to keep them contain to get the nutrients to the roots. we don't know if the one sixth of gravity will be enough for those sensing organs to know which way is down. on my first space shuttle mission, anecdotally about one third of gravity before most gravity sensing organs know what is going on, so this will be interesting. thank you be joining thank you bejoining us. this is all good exploration? there is a pole, if people start to colonise other planets, how should territory be ' 7 planets, how should territory be split? the majority think we should share. i would share my planet with you. the 17% think we should build a

wall. build a wall through this crater, chinese and that side and the americans and that side. probably depends on who got their first and whether you think you should share it or not. first dibs on the moon. we're only three days into 2019, but already the slowing chinese economy looks set to be one of the major stories of the year — with implications for countries and companies around the world. financial markets are all down today — the tech—heavy nasdaq one of the hardest hit, on news that apple will miss its quarterly earnings forecast because of weakening growth and the trade tensions with china. you'll see there the uk ftse100 and the german dax also down. the company reported that because of the unforeseen "magnitude" of the economic slowdown in china, revenues would be five billion less than was forecast. as you have just seen apple shares are off 8% at the moment, wiping around $55bn off the value of the company.

here's our business editor simonjack. there are apple specific issues here. china is not their only problem. convincing consumers they need to update all the time to ever flashier, ever more expensive models is right up there for one of their problems. but they were very clear and this is what shook the markets a little bit today, was that they said they hadn't anticipated the material slowdown in spending in china and that was what was behind them missing their sales numbers. and then everyone thought gosh, if the chinese consumer isn't spending, what the hell is going on. so to the extent the chinese economy is slowing down because there is a trade war with the united states, you have the head of the council of economic advisers at the white house saying, it's notjust going to be apple, there will be a heck of a lot of american companies that deal with china who are also going to see earnings slowdown. at some point, can the white house really afford for the chinese economy to carry on slowing

like this? what's happening, the great hope for the chinese economy is it would move from being this exporting, manufacturing, doing the heavy lifting of global industrial production. move away from that and it would be much more dominated by an increasingly affluent middle—class chinese consumer and it would be chinese consumers buying stuff. much more a consumer driven economy. now all the evidence is, that is not happening and in fact, if anything, the government has gone back to plan a, which is to spend money on new airports, new bridges, what have you, what they did in the past. slightly admitting defeat. you are right, apple is not the only company which is going to find this problem. in fact, jaguar land rover, the big auto manufacturer, the uk's biggest in fact. has already blamed slowdown of sales in china on having to cut 1000 jobs in the uk already and we are expecting quite a lot more very very soon. so i think both the us and other countries around the world who had sort of banked on this, new buyers for all things, both chinese electronics and products from around the world, as being some kind of bonanza going into the future.

everyone is nowjust going, hang on a second, we can't bank on that because the evidence just isn't there. while the rest of us celebrated the arrival of 2019, nazanin zaghari—ratcliffe, the british—iranian charity worker held in iran, was marking her 1000th day in detention. she has been denied access to a doctor, despite a number of ongoing health concerns, and is now planning a three—day hunger strike in protest. mrs zaghari—ratcliffe denies all the charges agaist her. she turned a0 on boxing day and despite the constant dignified and patient campaigning of husband richard, the british government still seems unable to secure her release. he joined us in the studio a little earlier. richard, why has nazanin felt that she needs to take this rather drastic action of refusing food? i think she's just come to the end of her tether and i think probably getting to christmas, getting to her 40th birthday, the sort of threshold of this wrangling going on and not being able to get out in time to have another baby, she just felt enough was enough and obviously i've been on your show i think campaigning for herfor a long time in different ways. with respect to her husband i think

she felt ok, time is she made a drastic last step. is there a number of underlying health problems she needs sorting out that aren't being solved? yes, the exact complaint is about a lack of health treatment, they found some lumps in her breasts she'd been worried about. the prison doctor said you need to get checked out and then the prison clinic banned it. she's had some pains in her neck which have lead to numbness in her arms and her legs which is what caused her to collapse a couple of months ago. and you know, she needs to see a psychiatrist and that has been banned. she is severely depressed, as you would be. she was getting psychiatric treatment, that's now been taken away, do you get the sense, richard, that her condition is getting worse in prison? she was let out for three days and since she was brought back in, there's been a much greater hardening of her conditions in many ways. so certainly all the medical rights she was getting before have been taken away. there's also talk of reducing the phone rights, also talk of reducing the food they have in the prison. i don't think that's specific to her, i think that's the prison just asserting that it is in charge

and with all the volatility that is around, just asserting this is tough and you need to be good. do you think the iranians are trying to send a message to the uk government that we are going to make her suffering worse and it's time for everybody to this seriously? i don't think the iranians as a whole, i think the revolutionary guard pull in a different direction from the iranian government. but i think the revolutionary guard are signalling, and have been for a long time, they are using nazanin as a bargaining chip. her suffering gets more leveraged than her sitting there happily. we understand the desperation, of course we do. but obviously, if she goes on hunger strike you must be concerned that her health situation is going to deteriorate further? yes, for sure. i think it's a drastic step as you said, it's a last throw of the dice and you know, fine if it's a threat of a hunger strike but not a real one. fine if it's a hunger strike for a couple of days, but if it goes on and on then yes, it takes her to a dark place.

how are your conversations with the british government going? since jeremy hunt became foreign secretary it has been open, he has been quite clear in his defence of nazanin's innocence and his defence that she should be released. so that has built up a positive trust between us. but obviously at this point, they all get quite fraught again, what are you doing to get her out? a couple of landmarks have passed, we were just looking, she was a0 on boxing day. she spent her 1000th day over the new year period in detention. how has it taken its toll on you? we talked about nazanin a lot, but we were saying you have been so dignified and so patient to all this... not always. what toll has it taken on you? this was a hard christmas. those three landmarks, it was hard beforehand, it was for her, the desperate point which was probably a couple of weeks prior to christmas when she realised she wasn't coming out and went very low. you know, part of myjob offstage is to just be reassuring to her on the phone. and your daughter? and when you can't really do that, there's absolutely nothing i can do that cheers her up and we've got to this point.

it's tough. richard, thank you for coming in and thank you for carrying on talking about her and what she's going through. thank you. very ha rd very hard time for that family. south korean intelligence officials say north korea's deputy ambassador to italy has disappeared. cho song—gil and his wife are reportedly seeking asylum in a third country. high profile defections from the north are rare , because the consequences for family members left behind are thought to be severe. laura bicker spoke to me earlier from the south korean capital, seoul, cho song—gil was last seen leaving the ambassador's residence in rome at the end of november. according to officials here they say they haven't heard or seen of him since. the italian authorities also said they have had no application for asylum from a north korean ambassador. but it does come amid reports here in seoul that he was asking for italian authorities for protection and trying to seek asylum from a third

country. what we understand is that his father and his father—in—law we re his father and his father—in—law were both former diplomats. his father—in—law is one of the high—ranking workers party officials. so these are the elite in pyongyang. if he has indeed defected, it would be embarrassing for kimberley—macro. we have heard from the former deputy ambassador in britain and what he has told reporters in seoul is that cho song—gil was part of the network to try to get luxury goods into pyongyang. he also claims that cho song—gil might have an knowledge about north korea's nuclear plans. us intelligence officials would love to get their hands on that information. when it comes to where he is, we're not exactly sure but we have heard from the south koreans

that they have not heard from him. we have heard from the italians but they have had no asylum application. what we are waiting to hear from our officials from the united states and elsewhere. somebody has him. i wonder where he is. normally at this juncture of the evening i would be encouraging you to stay tuned for outside source and bbc news. however i personally will be watching manchester city—liverpool. we are only injanuary and already they are billing this as the title decider. here's the table. if liverpool win they will be ten points clear of city. it is a big one. so pity our colleague ben brown, a die hard liverpool fan, who has just taken the seat in studio e ready to take over from us which means he will be missing the first hour of the big game. iamso i am so sorry. i have an idea, christian, you should come here and broadcast the news to the nation and

i will go and watch the game. is there a screen on the glass table? that is what christian does. of course not, i cannot be distracted. he isa course not, i cannot be distracted. he is a real professional, not unlike some people we know who occasionally have the screen on. my husband is a die—hard manchester city fan so i have my divided loyalties at this point. city fan so i have my divided loyalties at this pointlj city fan so i have my divided loyalties at this point. i am sure you do. i am feeling pretty nervous and any football fan is always nervous and fearing the worst. it is 29 years since we have one the top flight title. 29 years since we have one the top flight title. you have never won the premier league? never won the premier league? never won the premier league? never won the premier league and this is our year. but some long reports on, that a lwa ys but some long reports on, that always helps. keep on doing your job. unlike christian fraser who was in the car listening to burnley last

night. he didn't even go in the house. i didn't want to leave i thought if i left the car, they would lose. it was a big one, we won. i will see you on monday from washington. be nice having you this week. thank you. been another day when from any part of the uk the skies have been cloudy. the cloud is trapped under an area of high pressure which has taken up residence across the british isles and is showing no real signs of moving for the next couple of days. pretty cloudy and as we go through tonight we see these large areas of cloud floating aimlessly around the centre of the area of high pressure. there will be some brea ks high pressure. there will be some breaks in the cloud and where the cloud does break up there is the potential for frost and freezing frog. fog. maybe the odd spot of

drizzle from any thicker cloud across parts of western scotland. it looks most likely we will see cloud brea ks looks most likely we will see cloud breaks across eastern scotland, but the the midlands, wales and the south of england it could be a particularly cold night if it stays clear for any length of time. you might get between minus four and minus six degrees and there could be freezing fog patches through part of the midlands, south east wales and the midlands, south east wales and the west country particularly but there could be fog anywhere. tomorrow, across central and southern areas we are likely to see spells of sunshine and brighter skies in eastern scotland. but for western scotland, northwest england and northern ireland, more cloud. the wind coming off the atlantic. elsewhere, a decidedly chilly feel. as we go through friday night, where we have clear skies it will turn chilly and there will be patchy fog and we keep the area of high pressure over the weekend. this frontal system to the west will slide in later on saturday so it

will be a dry start. there could be some fog for central and southern areas. but to the data bus of the sunshine will be found across the eastern half of scotland and the eastern half of scotland and the eastern half of scotland. more cloud as this week frontal system comes in. they will bring patchy rain across scotland, northern ireland, northern england and by monday morning it will be sitting across the midlands, wales and they're mostly just a band the midlands, wales and they're mostlyjust a band of cloud at this stage. but toppling in, less cold air in the south—west and maybe for cardiff and plymouth back into double digits. a bit of rain for a time, nothing too dramatic but it won't be quite as cold.