effectively leader of the opposition to president trump. she has taken over as speaker of the house of representatives. her party won control of the lower chamber in november's mid—term elections. a bill from the democrats aimed at ending the partial government shutdown, caused by a row over funding mr trump's promised border wall, has passed the house but will be vetoed by the president. kurdish militia and arab tribes, known as the syrian democratic forces, battling islamic state militants in eastern syria, have warned that their fight might be lost without the help of american air strikes. president trump had announced the withdrawal of 2,000 us troops from syria. there's renewed volatility on global stock markets after apple warned that its sales figures would be worse than expected. injapan, the nikkei index fell by more than 3.5%. eight years ago, sally challen, a mother of two, attacked and killed her husband richard with a hammer after 31 years of marriage. she was convicted of murder in 2011. but now, in what's believed to be a legalfirst, she will attempt to have her murder

conviction reduced to manslaughter on the grounds that for 30 years she was a victim of her husband's coercive control, a form of extreme psychological abuse. next month, in what will be a landmark case, her lawyers will argue that it was the damage her husband did to her mental state which led her to kill. our home affairs correspondent june kelly reports. on a summer's day in 1979, sally and richard challen were married. she was just 15 when they met. he was her only boyfriend. their wedding was in surrey, which is where they made their home and raised their family. but throughout their marriage, richard challen was said to have controlled and emotionally abused his wife. in 2010, she killed him. he didn't like her having any independence in terms of friends. it was only friends together. it was total control. sally challen is now serving life as a convicted murderer. since the killing, coercive control

has become a criminal offence. it's domestic abuse which is psychological rather than physical. financial abuse, psychological manipulation... you know, controlling her freedom of movement. just controlling every facet of her mind, and that she would have to answer to him. it was almost like she was a robot and he punched in commands of what she had to do. richard challen was unfaithful throughout his marriage, visiting brothels and even posing with glamour models on his christmas cards. in 2009, sally challen finally moved out of the family home and left her husband. but months later, said to be still emotionally dependent on him, she appealed for a reconciliation. richard challen agreed, but with strict conditions. in an e—mail to her, he wrote... "this constant talking to strangers is rude and inconsiderate." and he ordered her to give up smoking and to give up "your constant interruptions

when i am speaking." his wife appeared ready to put up with his demands and set off to see him, but in her handbag was a hammer. after she got back here to her old family home, sally challen then went out to buy some food for her husband. but still suspicious of him, when she returned she began checking his phone, and discovered he had been in contact with another woman. she cooked him bacon and eggs, and as he ate, she killed him. she hit richard challen more than 20 times with a hammer, and from the start she admitted her guilt. despite her appearing to have killed in cold blood, her lawyers will be fighting to have her murder conviction reduced to manslaughter on the grounds that she was suffering from decades of provocation and abuse. nobody is denying that sally challen killed her husband. what is in argument is whether that was murder or that was manslaughter, so there are standard

defences for anybody — anybody who is charged with murder to have that reduced to manslaughter, and one of the things is your state of mind when you did that. what happened in this marriage will be scrutinised in this landmark legal case. june kelly, bbc news. now it's time to take a trip through 2018, a year full of adventure for the team from the travel show. hello, and welcome to the travel show with me, ade adepitan. this week, we've decided to put away our boarding passes, stow our suitcases, and take a look back at some of our favourite places, faces and stories of 2018. it's been a really hectic year as we've brought you our adventures from over 60 countries. here's a taste of what's coming up. yeah!

their footwork is impressive. we are going through the most fashionable part of tokyo and i'm dressed as a fat plumber. let's kick off our look back with some stories that helped to show what a cultured bunch we are here at the travel show. in a moment, i head to beirut to see how they're trying

to reclaim their 1960s title as the paris of the middle east. then lucy visits cape town to see how ballroom dancing is helping to break down barriers. but first, back in april, christa headed to norway to try her hand at playing musical instruments made out of ice. she's so cool! i start my trip at norway's ice music festival in finse. you're really feeling, you can see it in the air — it is cold here. word is it's going to reach a low of —24 tonight. so i'd better rug up. what makes this festival extra—special is that

the instruments are actually made on the day from nearby ice. i really like it cos it's kind of the sound of nature. it doesn't sound like anything else you have ever heard. we don't get to practise, so the music gets made on the stage in front of the audience and that's really special. i think people are like, "what, is this possible?" it is almost not possible so it's pretty cool that we can do it. i guess there's a lot of folk music in it, it's very nordic, with the ice and snow and cold winters. just in the nick of time, all is ready and we gather for an evening of ice music.

singing. applause. in the 1960s, beirut was the height of glamour, dubbed the paris of the middle east. and few spots epitomised this ideal better than one of the city's five—star destinations.

this commemorative book was produced a few years ago to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the hotel, and when you look through it, it really gives you an idea of the calibre of celebrity who have stayed here. they've got marlon brando. there's brigitte bardot. even the great muhammad ali. i was coming to the phoenicia since the beginning. we used to do fashion shows here, and this is a very special hotel. mona ross is an international model who was based in beirut before the war. wow. mona ross, take a seat. now she is a permanent resident of the hotel.

it's part of my life. i consider i'm a part of the columns of the phoenicia. you are part of the furniture. part of the furniture! part of the fabric of the whole hotel! when the war came, the hotel became a battle ground, a key strategic point because of its size and downtown location. i was passing by next to the phoenicia when it was destroyed. and i saw a little hibiscus plant with little red flowers on it, and i was so touched by this. i couldn't believe my eyes, why this plant was alive in front of this hotel that was dead. today, a generation of young lebanese are determined to shake the dust and debris from the city's reputation. and it's the nightlife that's really

putting beirut back on the map. the music hall is one of the capital's most famous venues, hosting a cabaret packed with an eclectic mix of musicalforms. i said i'm going to create a place where you have extremes, it can be classical music and then something that is totally punk or very kitsch. i try to work on cultural entertainment. usually those two words do not meet because entertainment is nightlife and alcohol, and culture is museums and theatres. with its bill celebrating both

the city's prewar golden age and contemporary music trends, the music hall offers a vision of beirut comfortable with its past and living in the moment. this beautiful, grand and iconic building is city hall and it's from that balcony that mandela gave his first speech after being released from prison. back then, this entire area was completely jam—packed with people, eager to catch a glimpse of him and hear what he had to say. but almost a quarter of a century after the end of apartheid “119911, i wanted to see how far these hopes

for the rainbow nation have come. we are on our way to mitchells plain, a township in the suburbs of the city. in the past, people from areas like this just would not get many opportunities but things are slowly changing, giving the next generation the chance for their talents to be recognised. at the neighbourhood dance studio, children aged as young as four are having their final rehearsals ahead of a prestigious ballroom competition. their footwork is impressive. dancing is one of the most popular sports in townships — up there with football and boxing, and perhaps more importantly, it's bringing young south africans from all backgrounds together. it's a new day and it's showtime — a dazzling parade of sequins, lycra and colour. we're here at the super series

national championship and people have come from all over the country to compete on this dance floor. there is so much excitement in the air. the guys are looking suave, the ladies are looking fabulous. but who's going to take home those trophies? although events like this are now a regular part of the calendar across south africa, it is sobering to remember that not so long ago, under apartheid, it was socially taboo for black and white couples to dance together, so competitions like this would be unthinkable. i remember when we did ourfirst competition in johannesburg and we were the only black children dancing in the competition, and we were in the corner. i remember being invisible. i remember being a champion, knowing what it means to be a champion but also not really being recognised. i remember them not knowing my name. the amazing thing about seeing the born—free generation

which is they don't really know what it feels like to see or feel segregation. you actually see couples who are dancing from two different... a white boy and a black girl dancing together, and i think that's amazing. no—one would deny the country still has some way to go before fulfilling mandela's dream, but in their own small way, step by step, the young hopefuls here in cape town are doing their bit to carry his legacy into the future. there you go. the born—free generation foxtrotting their way into the future in cape town, back in september. up next we have a different type of dancing from the same month, but this was when rajan agreed to go to japan to take part in a festival that required fancy footwork and a fair amount of stamina. i'm looking forward to this. hi. konnichiwa.

tell me, what makes this festival unique? everything, every dancer has this. a very public training session for newbies like me will be followed by a chance to take part in the main festival parade around the streets of the city. the nerves have all gone. who cares how good you are? this is about community and festival. i'm getting it now. yes, it's exciting. music plays. rajan there, reporting from japan back in september.

something tells me they won't be inviting him back tojoin in again next year. nice try, mate! 0k, stick with us because still to come on our special look back at 2018, mike takes on the sand dunes of kazakhstan with a snowboard and we'll also be saying goodbye to one of my travel show buddies who has now become a hollywood star, and it all began right here on the travel show. being a presenter here means you have to be pretty comfortable taking on all sorts of challenges. over the years i've taken lions for a walk... ..head banged... ..and tried my hand at shakespeare, all in the name of the programme. but soft, what light through yonder window breaks?

it is the east and juliet is the sun. up next, some of our favourite clips from 2018 when some of my travel show buddies also faced up to their fears. myjourney takes me to the wondrous allure of a seemingly limitless desert, abu dhabi's defining feature. at this annual sports festival there are camel and horse races but basically this is party time for petrol heads. boy racers and supposedly respectable grown—ups too bring their four—wheel drives and buggies for a romp on the dunes, and you don't get much bigger than the tal moreeb. 300 metres high at an incline of 50 degrees. i have been looking at one of the world's highest and steepest sand dunes for a while now and i really want to reach the top.

luckily i've got myself a lift. whoa! we are going for it. we are reaching the top. the best way to describe what i'm about to experience is a self—drive video game simulation with some sightseeing thrown in. konnichiwa. welcome. the best way to describe what i'm about to experience is a self—drive video game simulation with some sightseeing thrown in.

konnichiwa. welcome. they have been running these go—kart tours, taking in many of the tourist attractions of central tokyo, for several years now. this brings back memories from my childhood. yoshi, luigi and mario. it has got to be mario. where is the key? john, where is the key? this is ridiculous. even though it is a sunday morning and the traffic is lighter, it takes a while to get used to driving a vehicle that feels so low and exposed. 0h! slightly vulnerable, but i think i'm getting the hang of driving this car now. oh, my gosh. did you see how close i came to a taxi? 0h! oh, my gosh, i can't believe we are going through shibuya crossing.

we are going through the most fashionable part of tokyo and i'm dressed as a fat plumber! i wanted to see how kazakhstan‘s relationship with nature is changing so i'm meeting up with a mountain guide in almaty. my guide wanted to show me how some people are mixing old kazakhstan with the new. sand boarding on the most famous singing sand dune in kazakhstan, famous because under the right conditions the dune makes a humming sound, almost like an organ. along for the ride was a friend and olympic kazakhstan snowboard trainer. the dune stretches for 3km

and reaches a height of 150 metres and, let me tell you, it might look placid from a distance but it is an entirely other story once you're up there. it is a little bit windy today but we are on the singing sands and that's always how it is here, i guess. i've gone snowboarding before, what are the differences with sand boarding? 0k. lean back? he laughs. but before long... ..we are starting to get the hang of it. and with that, my trip to kazakhstan is at an end, and what a ride it was. yeah! to end this look back at 2018, we couldn't finish without remembering that this year

we said goodbye to a familiar travel show face. he has now swapped being on the tv for playing a leading man in hollywood. ever since i can remember, my family has been my whole life. rachel! henry has been with us since the start, back in 2014. we've had plenty of adventures together, clocked up countless miles, and hollywood success could not have happened to a nicer bloke, so good luck, henry, and as a parting gift from everyone here on the travel show, here are your best bits. a baby.

what's the baby's name? mina. wow, so small. they're determined to make me sweat even more. i've got a fair way to go yet. straight, straight. i don't want to rip my pants. you're much stronger than i am. this ride is getting

bumpier and bumpier. it's almost like trying to stay on a bucking bronco. 0h! i'm done, i'm finished. i'm going to go home and rest my sore bum, it's been a long day. so that's it for our look back on 2018. i hope you've enjoyed following us on our travels this year and willjoin us in 2019 as we hit the road to bring you some of the best stories from around the world and, you never know, maybe even provide you with inspiration for your next trip. until then, from me, ade adepitan, and all the travel show presenters and the crew on the programme, we'd like to wish you, wherever you are, a happy and healthy new year. see you in 2019.

good evening. many places have been plagued by large amounts of cloud during today. many of its hold on to cloud tonight. whether skies do clear there is the potential for boston blog. more cloud in northern ireland in north—west england and northwest scotland, slightly milder air here as well but priest in scotland and to the central and southern parts of

england and wales, it will be a chilly night. we go into tomorrow and could be dense patches of baht first thing across central and southern parts, bear that in mind if you have travel plans but there are these areas which will see the sunshine. north—east england and scotla nd sunshine. north—east england and scotland seeing sunshine, more cloud across the north—west and those temperatures still languishing in single digits. we look at through the weekend, still a lot of dry and cloudy weather and perhaps turning a little bit less chilly by sunday. a very warm welcome to bbc news, broadcasting to viewers in north america and around the globe. my name is mike embley. our top stories: nancy pelosi, i extend to you this gavel. a new challenge to donald trump's presidential authority. democrat nancy pelosi becomes house speaker and immediately throws down the gauntlet on the government shutdown. democrats will be offering the senate republican appropriations legislation to reopen

government later today. a bill aimed to end the partial shutdown of the us government, caused by the row over funding mr trump's promised border wall, has passed the lower house of congress but will be vetoed by the president. kurds and local militia battle the so—called islamic state militants in eastern syria, but can they win without american airpower? we have an exclusive report.