greet us friday morning. of ice to greet us friday morning. sleet and snow will gradually clear from southern areas but it will be a very slow process. wintry showers for eastern scotland delmer in when pushing on into the midlands and further wintry showers for northern scotland. —— for eastern england. it won't do anything for the temperatures as it will be very cold indeed. good night. this is newsday on the bbc. i'm rico hizon, in singapore. the headlines: the polar vortex — america's midwest is hit by an arctic blast, bringing record—breaking low temperatures. it is

really freezing. it is really bad. it is dangerous. this is frost. it is ridiculous. it isjust going to get this is frost. it is ridiculous. it is just going to get worse. hopes for change in venezuela — we meet some of the young activists behind the latest anti—government protests. this is the we felt we actually have an actual backing, international support. everything is colliding and the students a year to support venezuela. i'm babita sharma, in london. also in the programme: the eu says it won't renegotiate the brexit deal, despite theresa may pushing for an alernative to the so—called irish backstop. the withdrawal agreement remains the best and only deal possible. the european union said so in november. we said so in december. and australians warn, don't mess with our wildlife — we bring you the tale of the blue ringed octopus.

live from our studios in singapore and london, this is bbc world news — it's newsday. good morning. it's 7am in singapore, midnight in london, it's 8am in singapore, midnight in london, and early evening in the american midwest, where millions of people are experiencing a blast of arctic air so ferocious that they're being warned of the dangers of frost—bite if they stay outside for more than a few minutes. at least seven people have been killed in several states as a result of the polar vortex. by the end of this week, 20 million americans will have seen the mercury plunge to at least —30 degrees celsius. neda tawfik reports. a steamed fog settles

over lake michigan as macro one rips chicago with the most extreme cold in a generation. temperatures fell to —30 celsius and with the wind it felt like “4 celsius and with the wind it felt like —1i to six degrees, making it colder than parts of antarctica. this is not just colder than parts of antarctica. this is notjust fog, this is frost. it is ridiculous out here and it is going to get worse. it is really freezing. it is really bad. it is dangerous. put layers on, make sure you are covered and do not stay up too long. the macro one has sent arctic air out with effect in millions of people. a state of emergency saying that the situation is life—threatening. emergency saying that the situation is life-threatening. we want to make sure people understand the severity out there and that they are

prepared. just the person who is risking by going outside, there are other people, first responders who may have two show up on the scene. at least six deaths have been connected to the extreme cold. in several states, shelters open for the homeless. in minneapolis, police handed out gloves to residents. businesses, schools and government officers have been shut, flights have been grounded and travelled disrupted. at the end station in chicago, workers set fire to the rails to prevent them from freezing. they are turned into a giant gas drill. in michigan, two 00:04:46,1000 --> 00:04:47,530 dozen vehicle crashes have been blamed on the weather. the deadly deep freeze has brought light in the midwest to a standstill. it is expected to continue for several more days and

because of climate change scientists warn that these events will happen more frequently. sara freud is in chicago. she is the editor of curbed chicago, a what's on guide to the city and she's been tweeting all day about the weather. how cold is it that there now?m how cold is it that there now? it is just about as cold as it can get here. the coldest weather chicago has had in a very long time and this is the coldest day i have seen in the city. what kind of temperatures are we talking about? today was 20 below zero, which is very close to breaking the all—time lowest temperatures for our city so people are definitely staying inside. talk me through the impact of it where there is having on your lives and described to us what it

is like to go out into those kinds of temperatures? people are treating it like a snow day, they are not going to work, schools are close, everyone is staying inside except the difference between snow and cold is that with snow you can move it and get it out of the way but with cold there are limitations. the city has slowed down a lot and officials as saying to not only stay inside but, if you have to go out, cover your nose and mouth because the cold can damage your lungs and people are not staying outside for more than a few minutes if they do not have too. what are you hearing from your friends and people you work with? i know you run a guide about what to do in the city but i presume the city has gone very quiet yet at the moment? yes, it is very quiet

but the city is prepared for situations like this. libraries are open. park facilities and park houses are open. there are warming centres across the city at most people are staying insidejust because it city at most people are staying inside just because it is so cold, bone chilling cold. thank you for talking to us. you are putting a brave face on for everyone are they in chicago. thank you. our other top stories this hour: senior chinese officials have met with their us counterparts, in washington, for talks aimed at de—escalating trade tensions between the two countries. president trump has threatened to more than double tariffs on chinese imports, unless progress is made on demands that china end what the us regards as unfair trade practices. we'll have more on that in asia business report. also this hour: president trump has slammed his intelligence chiefs, a day after they openly contradicted him on a number of top national security issues.

in a tweet, he described them as passive and naive when it came to iran and said they needed to go back to school. the head of the fbi and director of national intelligence spoke at odds with the president on topics such as iran, north korea and, noticeably, on the so—called islamic state. the wife of detained bahraini footballer hakeem al—araibi has issued a plea for world leaders to pressure the thai government for his release. al—araibi holds refugee status in australia but is being held in a bangkok prison on an interpol warrant put out by bahrain. excuse me.. bahrain says the conviction was fair and that extradition proceedings are now in process. nantes football club have paid an emotional

tribute to theirformer striker emiliano sala, at their first game since he went missing in an aircraft over the english channel last week. fans were visibly upset, while argentina flags and sala scarves were waved in the stands. an underwater search for the plane that was carrying the footballer will take place later this week after cushions were found on a beach in france. the british prime minister has begun to try and renegotiate her brexit deal, having what reports from brussels have described as an "open and frank" discussion with the european council president donald tusk. theresa may has been facing stiff resistance from eu leaders, who insist that the backstop plan, to ensure no return of a hard irish border, cannot be unpicked. downing street says the two sides must work together to find a solution that can win a majority in the british parliament. here's our political editor, laura kuenssberg. a different kind of

meeting in his diary — the labour leader off to see his biggest rival. the prime minister leaving not to wrangle conservatives, but to talk to him. reporter: will the eu make any changes? tea and biscuits served behind closed doors in her private office in parliament. but, after a0 minutes of talks, did the labour leader and the prime minister find any common ground? serious, exploratory on the issues, and i set out the labour case for a comprehensive customs union with the european union, in order to protectjobs in this country, and trade. looking forward to the day—to—day. the cabinet has already promised to redraft the arrangements for northern ireland. the backstop will have two change. ministers will consider

if the backstop, that insurance policy against a hard border, could have a time limit, or if the uk could leave when it likes, or that technology could be found to manage the border instead. but even though she won the vote last night... questions to the prime minister. the problem — the prime minister well knows that the eu has said no to all that before. the majority in this house voted to maintain the commitment to no hard border between northern ireland and ireland, to leave the european union with a deal, and to set out to the european union what it will take to ensure that this house can support a deal. that is a change to the backstop. that means there is, at least for now, a different mood here. tory backbenchers more used to tearing each other apart over brexit for once backing her, if she can get brussels to budge. tell the european union there is a majority in this house for that deal, and i would ask my colleagues to give the prime minister space. they're not going to crumble tomorrow. we're going to have to hold our nerve, and we can be successful.

remember, the prime minister only narrowly got this place on side last night because she made a promise that she would get part of her brexit deal changed. but wanting something to happen and making it happen are very different things. and, as far as the eu's top brass are concerned, at least in public, all 28 countries shook hands on the agreement, including the so—called backstop. so a deal is a deal, for now. the withdrawal agreement remains the best and only deal possible. the european union said so in november. we said so in december. the withdrawal agreement will not be renegotiated. with the so—called backstop to protect the irish border affecting ireland the most, no surprise ireland are concerned. we are being essentially asked, as is the eu, to replace legal

certainty, having negotiated that over two years, around british red lines, and to replace it with the hope of something that has yet to be proven. listening to that, it is hard to imagine there is any mood to give the prime minister what she wants fast. but if there is to be a deal, one side or the other, in the end, will have to give. and to help explain brexit and what some of the terms, like "backstop" mean, just go to our website and app. you're watching newsday on the bbc. still to come on the programme: best avoided — the tiny sea creature, pretty but deadly. we tell you the tale of the tourist and the blue—ringed octopus. also on the programme: guitar music.

musical history under the hammer — why the guitars used in pink floyd's most iconic albums are being put up for auction. the shuttle challenger exploded soon after lift—off. there were seven astronauts on board, one of them a woman school teacher. all of them are believed to have been killed. by the evening, tahrir square, the heart of official cairo, was in the hands of the demonstrators. they were using the word "revolution". the earthquake singled out buildings and brought them down in seconds. tonight, the search for any survivors has an increasing desperation about it as the hours pass. the new government is firmly in control of the entirely republic of uganda. moscow got its first taste of western fast

food as mcdonald's opened their biggest restaurant in pushkin square. but the hundreds of muscovites who queued up today won't find it cheap, with a big mac costing half a day's wages for the average russian. welcome back, everyone. this is newsday on the bbc. i'm rico hizon in singapore. thanks forjoining us. i'm babita sharma in london. our top stories: parts of the us midwest have been hit by a deadly blast of cold air, known as a polar vortex, with temperatures dropping to at least —30 celsius. more anti—government protests in venezuela, but president maduro dismisses calls for new presidential elections. we stay without storey with there has been another

day of government protests. the venezuelan president, nicolas maduro, has dismissed calls for new elections but says he's open to international mediation to resolve the political crisis in the country. there has been another day of anti—government protests amid doubts about the legitimacy of maduro's election. president trump phoned the opposition leaderjuan guaido to offer his support after washington imposed some sanctions on venezuela. our correspondent, orla guerin reports from caracas. a student leader stands alone, pleading for a better venezuela. "it's what we all deserve," he says. "think about that when you go home tonight." the security forces remain impassive. they are likely to decide the future here. and for now, it seems they are standing with president nicolas maduro. but the opposition has its foot soldiers, young activists who feel a renewed sense of hope. well, the students have brought their protest to the edge of the highway. the opposition here wants to keep up the momentum. it says it wants peaceful demonstrations and peaceful change, but there is a real sense here that this is a critical moment for venezuela and everyone

is aware of the risk of more bloodshed. larger protests are planned for saturday. the young activists we met believe their time has come. we were born in a dictatorship. we lived all our lives in a situation that gets every time worse, and this is the year that we feel we actually have an actual backing, international support. everything is colliding, so students are here to support the change in venezuela. the embattled president, nicolas maduro, popped up on state television. and he made sure to bring some friends. the message here — i'm going nowhere. but he said he was willing to talk to the opposition for the sake of peace. and in a facebook address, a warning for donald trump — hands off our oil. supporters of the president also on the move today, doing a drive—by outside a children's hospital. drowning out a protest

by parents of sick children. two sides of the divide on display in caracas. but some were determined to be heard today, like romelo cabrera, a journalism student who had joined the protest on his walking frame. "i'm here for the same reasons as everyone else," he told me. "we feel bad for our country. it's painful to see what's going on. my sister and my cousin had to flee. i want them back, i want everyone to come back to a free venezuela." the students ended their demonstration with the national anthem. "glory to the brave," it says. "down with the chains." this is a nation poised at a crossroads. orla guerin, bbc news, caracas. we're

watching the thai capital bangkok this morning, where residents have been waking up to toxic smog, which has forced more than 400 schools to close for the rest of the week, to protect children from its harmful effects. thailand's capital city is experiencing some of its worst—ever air pollution levels, caused by ultra—fine dust particles. traffic exhaust, construction works, burning crops and pollution from factories are blamed for the haze. authorities efforts to clear the air have so far failed. a video of a tourist in australia holding a very small, and quite colourful octopus in their hand has gone viral. why? well the unknowing traveller filmed themselves palming one of the most venomous marine creatures in the world — the blue—ringed octopus. experts say it holds enough venom to kill up

to 20 people, although its bite is painless. social media commentators expressed their shock and concern over the video. this is how tourists become statistics, said one reddit commentator. another said "i heard about one case where the person was paralysed and could hear the first responders discussing whether they should continue compressions or not." and this too: "it should be mandatory viewing on the plane over to australia that our wildlife is not to be messed with." to tell us more about the blue—ringed octopus and its bite, i'mjoined by brooke whitelaw. she's writing her phd on these dangerous little creatures. dangerous they are, brooke. thank you forjoining us. tell us more about this blue—ringed octopus. we understand there are three or four types of this species. thanks

for having me. yes, there are about three species. and these guys are all highly toxic and venomous as well. they occur from around southern australia all the way up to japan and throughout the asia—pacific. japan and throughout the asia-pacific. why are they dangerous? these animals have a toxin. it is a very potent neurotoxin that binds the sodium channels and induces paralysis. it also prevents pain signals from being sent. when you are bitten you may —— might not be aware of it. the symptoms onset after about five or ten minutes. within 30 minutes you can lose the ability to read. it is quite serious if you are bitten. so what kind is the one on the video that we just saw, brooke? that is a large blue—ringed octopus. they are often found in tropical reasons. ——

regions. it is suspected the video could be from northern astray, darwin or northern queensland. you mentioned that the bike is painless, how long before the bytes or the sting affects the victim? -- the bight. symptoms should occur within five or ten minutes. they include dizziness or zero followed by an onset of paralysis, which... and how can the victim be treated if they are bitten? so the treatment for the toxin itself is ventilation, as there is no antitoxin or antivenom. a person who is bitten should seek medical attention immediately, even if they are unsure at the early stages. intervention as soon as possible is important. the person will also remain conscious as it doesn't impact the brain, even though they are paralysed. so they should be spoken to an informed of

what is happening around them, as i am sure anyone would like to be in that situation. thank you so much for the warning. beware of these blue—ringed octopus is. thank you so much forjoining us, nacro one, who is writing her ph.d. on this dangerous little creatures. —— brooke whitelaw. if you're from a certain generation, pink floyd is pretty much the most influential rock band of all time. now, four years after the release of theirfinal album, their guitarist david gilmour is auctioning off his guitar collection for charity. matt everitt has been to his studio to find out more. it's some of the most remarkable guitar music ever created. now david gilmour‘s famous black stratocaster is up for auction. also under the hammer, this — a 1954 fender stratocaster with the serial number 001. this is the perfect fender stratocaster, you know? and the perfect... the perfect fender stratocaster,

in my humble opinion, hasn't been improved on by guitar makers since. i would still prefer to play this very guitar, or one very similar. david gilmour‘s guitar playing has featured on some of the biggest selling albums of all time. yeah. see? it's got it. it's just a beautiful instrument. #al # al see you on the dark side... now he's parting company with over 120 of his beloved guitars, almost his entire collection. many of them have given me the gift of a piece of music. it time to move them on for someone else to enjoy them, someone else to have fun with them, create with them. at the same time as loving them, i consider that they are tools of the trade and i do also think that the sound is something that really comes from the fingers more than from the instrument. so it's not like you can buy one

of these at the auction and sound like david gilmour? i'm afraid that's a theory that has been disproven so many times. the money raised from this extraordinary collection of music history will all be going to charity. matt everitt, bbc news. what an amazing collection. are you afan, rico? what an amazing collection. are you a fan, rico? i am a big fan of pink floyd. another brick in the world is one of their biggest. the director told you to say that —— another brick in the wall. i was born in the 19605 brick in the wall. i was born in the 1960s so i know about pink floyd. brick in the wall. i was born in the 19605 so i know about pink floydlj know. 19605 sol know about pink floydlj know. anyway, we love them in london. i'm babita sharma. you have been watching newsday. and i'm rico hizon in singapore.

stay with us. facebook earnings are out after a bruising final few months of last year — we'll have the results and reaction. and how they are faring in the us stock market. i am going to go off and educate rico on pink floyd. in the meantime these pictures of the monarch butterflies, there has been an upswing in their numbers. they had hit an all—time low in 2014, sparking concern about how they could be protected. there has been a 14496 could be protected. there has been a 144% rise in the species thanks to the combat of logging in mexico. some way to go. they look beautiful. hello there. we have got a potentially disruptive so that —— snowy spell of weather on the way. very cold air locked in place and an area of low pressure developing over the atlantic. it is perfect

bringing ground for a snow event as this moisture moves in across the country, bumps into the cold air, some of us are likely to see some pretty heavy sleet and snow through thursday into friday. some yellow warnings are in force for snow, ice, and the risk of freezing fog overnight through thursday into friday, it is likely to cause some disruption so say —— speaking to bbc local radio and stage into subsequent forecasts. we start this morning on a largely cold night, clear skies. many places will be dry. we will see some freezing fog patches developing, something else to watch out for. we could be getting temperatures as low as —12 01’ getting temperatures as low as —12 or —15 celsius in the scottish glens. we could have ice of the risk of freezing fog to start the morning. on the plus side, plenty of crisp winter sunshine. things start to go downhill across the south—west of england across wales and that weather system arrives, initially bringing rain and turning increasingly to snow across this

pa rt increasingly to snow across this part of the country. further north and east it should be relatively dry. the sunshine continuing. it will be a cold day with increasing easterly winds. this sleet and snow will gather force and become widespread, pushing northwards and east with all the while through this evening and overnight. it is no likely across the downs of the south—east into the midlands and certainly across southern and eastern parts of wales. by early friday this is the lying snow, a map, it could be significant accumulations across parts of wales, the south—west, and the south downs, 1- the south—west, and the south downs, 1— fourto the south—west, and the south downs, 1— four to lower levels. a lot more than that further north. a significant risk of is group friday night. rain, sleet, and snow will continue to fall. it will still continue to fall. it will still continue to fall. it will still continue to accumulate in places. we will see wintry showers across the north—east of england and further wintry showers across the north of scotland. it will be a very cold night again, a significant risk of ice. the area of low pressure gives to migrate southward staking its weather fronts with it. to migrate southward staking its weatherfronts with it. we to migrate southward staking its weather fronts with it. we will start to see a slow improvement

across the south of the country. could still see some rain, sleet, and snow continue for a while throughout friday. this easterly breeze will bring more wintry showers into eastern england and eastern scotland, further wintry showers across the north of scotland. in between we should see plenty of sunshine around, but that won't do much for the temperatures. it will be another cold day. stepchange to the weather forecast. —— but stay tuned. i'm babita sharma, with bbc news. our top story: parts of america have been hit by a deadly blast of polar air bringing a once—in—a—generation deep freeze. the arctic air is gripping the midwest and eastern states, where temperatures have plunged to at least —30 celsius in some places. at least five deaths have been attributed to the icy weather. in venezuela peaceful demonstrations have been held in support of the opposition leader, juan guaido. earlier president trump assured him of us support. the us has imposed sanctions against the country. and this story is

trending on bbc.com... tributes have been held for the footballer emiliano sala who went missing in an aircraft over the english channel last week. an underwater search for the plane that was carrying the footballer will take place later this week after cushions were found on a beach in france. stay with bbc world news. now on bbc news, hardtalk. hello and welcome to hardtalk. i'm shaun ley. 17 years after the taliban that was driven from power by a us—led invasion in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the united states and the taliban are talking peace. amrullah saleh, former spy chief, now vice presidential candidate, is among the sceptics. peace in afghanistan, he says, won't come unless pakistan stops