this is newsday on the bbc. the polar vortex. america's midwest is hit by an arctic blast, bringing record—breaking low temperatures. oh, my god, it's really freezing. it's really bad. yeah, it's dangerous. you see this on my glasses? this is notjust fog, this is frost. it's ridiculous out here, and it's going to get worse. 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. i'm babita sharma in london. also in the programme: hopes for change in venezuela. we meet some of the young activists behind the latest anti—government protests. this is the year that we feel that we actually have an actual backing, international support. everything is colliding, so students are here to support

the change venezuela. and australians warn don't mess with our wildlife. we bring you the tale of the blue—ringed octopus. good morning. it is 9:00am in singapore, 1:00am in london and early evening in the american midwest, where millions of people are experiencing a blast of arctic air so ferocious that they are being warned of the dangers of frostbite 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 steam fog settles over lake michigan, as the polar vortex grips chicago with the most extreme cold in a generation. temperatures fell to —30 degrees celsius and, with the windchill, it felt like —46 degrees, making it colder than parts of antarctica. you see this on my glasses? this is notjust fog, this is frost. it's ridiculous out here, and it's going to get worse. it's really freezing. it's really bad. yeah, it's dangerous. put layers on, make sure you're covered, and don't stay out too long. the polar vortex has sent arctic air across the midwest, affecting 50 million people. a state of emergency is in place in illinois, wisconsin and michigan. authorities warn that the exteme temperatures are life—threatening, and thatjust minutes outside can lead to significant frostbite. we just want to make sure that people understand the severity of the weather out there,

and that they are prepared. it's notjust the person who is risking it by getting outside. it is other people, that are first responders, who may have to show up on the scene. at least six deaths have been connected to the extreme cold. in several states, warming shelters are open for the homeless and other vulnerable residents. hey, you need gloves! in minneapolis, police even handed out gloves to residents. businesses, schools and government officers have been shut, flights have been grounded and travelled disrupted. at chicago's union station, workers set fire to the rails to prevent them from freezing, using a built—in system that turns the tracks into a giant gas grill. and in grand rapids, michigan, white—out conditions were blamed for two dozen vehicle crashes. ijust got caught in a giant wreck. the deadly deep freeze has brought life in the midwest to a standstill. it is expected to hover over

the region for several more days, and scientists warn that, because of climate change, these exteme weather events could happen more frequently. neda tawfik, bbc news, new york. earlier i spoke to sara freud. i asked her what the temperature was in chicago. it's 20 below zero, which is very close to breaking the all—time lowest temperature for our city. so people are definitely staying inside. yeah, talk me through the impact of what the weather is having on your life. just describe to us, if you can, what it is like to go out into those kind of temperatures? yeah, lots of people are treating this like a snow day, in the sense that they are not going to work, schools are closed, 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 definite limitations. so the city has slowed down a lot, and officials are saying to not only stay inside but, if you have to go out, cover your nose and cover your mouth because the cold can damage your lungs, and people are not staying outside for more than a few minutes, if they don't have to. what are you hearing about what your friends and the people that you work with are saying about the conditions? because i know that you run a guide about what to do in the city, but i presume the city has just gone very quiet at the moment. yes, yeah. it's very quiet, but the city is prepared for situations like this, so libraries are open, park facilities and park field houses are open. there are more than 270 warming centres open across the city, so there are things happening. but most people are staying inside, just because it's so cold,

bone—chilling cold. 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 will 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 residents of bangkok 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. the authorities‘ efforts to clear the air have so far failed. 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. bahrain says the conviction was fair and that extradition proceedings are now in process. nantes football club have paid an emotional tribute to their former 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 argentine 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 is 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. reporter: can we find an alternative to the backstop? looking forward to the day today, thank you. the cabinet has already promised to redraft the arrangements for northern ireland. the backstop will have to change, and the prime minister will be negotiating with our european partners to get the very best dealfor britain. 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, is 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, of course, the most, no surprise ireland is protesting most loudly about making a change. we in ireland are essentially being 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. laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster. 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: 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. well 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. the eu says it won't renegotiate the brexit deal, despite theresa may pushing for an alernative to the so—called irish backstop. let's take a look at some front pages from around the world. the philippine star's front page is about a military offensive launched in sulu. it follows president rodgrigo duterte‘s order for an all—out offensive against the abu sayyaf group after thejolo cathedral bombing last weekend. the japan times leads on the prime minister standing

by the labour minister amid a data row. it says shinzo abe won't dismiss takumi nemoto over an issue that led to the large—scale under payment of work related benefits. and the south china morning post has a picture of the newly reopened avenue of stars. hong kong's versio of the hollywood walk of fame has undergone a three—year multi—billion dollar makeover that has added ten more artists from the local film industry. and those are the papers. president trump has telephoned venezuela's opposition leader, juan guaido, to assure him of us support. the call came as anti—government protestors held fresh demonstrations across the country. mr guaido declared himself interim head of state last week. 0ur correspondent 0rla 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. 0rla guerin, bbc news, caracas. 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. take a look at it on your screen. 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." brooke whitelaw, who has written a phd on the blue—ringed octopus, tells us more about these creatures. 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. why are they dangerous? so, they're quiet... sorry? why are they dangerous, brooke? so these animals have a toxin called tetrodotoxin. and this 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 might not be aware of it. the symptoms onset after about five or ten minutes. and within 30 minutes you can lose the ability to breathe. so it's quite serious if you are bitten. so what kind is the one on the video that we just saw, brooke? that is a large ring blue—ringed octopus. they are often found in tropical regions. it's suspected the video could be from northern australia, so darwin or possibly northern queensland.

all right. you mentioned that its bite is painless, how long before the bite or the sting affects the victim? symptoms should occur within five to ten minutes. they include dizziness or nausea — followed by an onset of paralysis, which... and how can the victim be treated if they're bitten? so the treatment for the toxin itself is ventilation, as there's 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 very 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 and informed of what's happening around them, as i am sure anyone would like to be in that situation.

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. # i'll 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's 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 instantly sound like david gilmour? 0ne

one has to face up to the fact that that's the likelihood, i don't know what to say. i am looking at the bigger picture. at the same time as loving them, i consider they are tools of the trade. 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 instantly 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. an amazing collection. you have had

about 45 minutes to educate yourself about 45 minutes to educate yourself about pink floyd. now tell me, what have you learned? this will be one pricey guitar collection, but what i know about pink floyd, this is my favourite song, wish you were here. do you want to sing that for us? next show. you have been watching newsday. i'm babita sharma in london. and i'm rico hizon in singapore. stay with us. facebook earnings are out after a bruising final few months of last year. stocks have been soaring. thanks for being with us. goodbye. hello there. we've got a potentially disruptive snowy spell of weather on the way. we've got very cold air locked in place and an area of low pressure developing over the atlantic. and it's a perfect breeding 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. so of course some yellow warnings are in force for snow, ice, and also the risk of freezing fog overnight through thursday into friday, it's likely to cause some disruption so stay tuned to bbc local radio and keep tuned to subsequent weather forecasts. but we start this morning on a very cold note, largely clear skies. so many places will be dry. a few wintry showers continue across the north of scotland. we'll also see some freezing fog patches developing. something else to watch out for. we could be looking at temperatures as low as —12 to —15 celsius in some of the scottish glens. so we could have ice and also risk of freezing fog to start this morning. but, on the plus side, plenty of crisp winter sunshine. now, 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 part of the country. further north and east it should be relatively dry. the sunshine continuing. but it will be a cold day with increasing easterly winds.

now this sleet and snow will gather force and become more widespread, pushing northwards and eastwards all the while through this evening and overnight. some heavy snow 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. we could be looking at significant accumulations across parts of wales, the south—west, and the south downs, 1—4 centimetres to lower levels. a lot more than that further north. so a significant risk of ice through friday night. rain, sleet, and snow will continue to fall, become lighter and patchier, but it'll still continue to accumulate in places. we'll see wintry showers across the north—east of england and further wintry showers across the north of scotland. it's going to be a very cold night again, a significant risk of ice. now, our area of low pressure gives to migrate southwards, taking its weather fronts with it. so we'll start to see a slow improvement across the south of the country. but we 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. but in between we should see plenty of sunshine around, but that really won't do much for the temperatures. it is going to be another cold day. but stay tuned to the weather forecast. you are watching 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 —40 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. that's all. stay with bbc world news. and the top story in the uk: the eu says it won't renegotiate the brexit deal, despite theresa may pushing for an alernative to the so—called irish backstop.