this is bbc news, i'm lukwesa burak. the headlines at 7pm. heavy snow causes hundreds of schools to close across wales and southern england — and more snow is on the way. millions of commuters face nightmare journeys as some places are hit with several inches of snow. drivers are told not to travel. it was like armageddon, lorries jackknifed all up this road. vehicles everywhere. we have been driving around hampshire and berkshire all day and the snow simply hasn't stopped falling. in a landmark ruling — the mother of a three—year—old girl has become the first person in the uk to be found guilty of female genital mutilation. the search continues for the mother of a newborn baby girl found abandoned in a london park on one of the coldest nights of winter. all of the three major health screening programmes in england fail to meet government targets. a very large family indeed. mammoth

isa a very large family indeed. mammoth is a matter of fact. and remembering jeremy hardy, the award—winning comedian who has died at the age of 57. coming up on newswatch, how did the bbc managed to suggest theresa may could be flying off to brussels ona may could be flying off to brussels on a spitfire? find it later, join us on a spitfire? find it later, join us at 7:45pm here on bbc news. the met office has issued weather warnings for snow and ice across large parts of the uk. more than a thousand schools in southern england and wales have been closed today after the coldest night in seven years. the m3 motorway near winchester is blocked in both directions. flights from a number of airports, including cardiff and heathrow, have been cancelled

and bristol airport is closed for the rest of the day, causing problems for welsh rugby fans heading to paris for the start of the six nations. our correspondent robert hall is on bodmin moor in cornwall, one of the areas most badly hit by the poor weather. silent and frozen. images filmed by drivers as winter closed its trap on one of the uk's most exposed stretches of road. on the hillside above, jamaica inn. a travellers' haven for 300 years. last night it was once again in the right place at the right time. below, vehicles short of fuel and drivers short of food. the lights of the inn were a beacon to those who set off into the snow to reach them. the only way i could describe it was like armageddon. i have lived in norway for three months of the year for the last nine years and i haven't seen anything like this.

there were lorries jackknifed all up this road, vehicles everywhere. alone and in groups, more and more travellers trudged up the icy hill to find warmth. eventually they filled every available corner of the hotel as kitchen staff raided their reserves for hot food. there were about 100 people and they had to make up beds and sofa beds and beds in the dining room and sitting room. because it all happened quite suddenly? the forecast was rain. through the night hours and into a gloomy dawn, the snow tracked north and east laying a blanket across the uk. all in all, a miserable morning for those who had to travel. stop, start, slithering at a snail‘s pace or simply giving up. some, of course, can never give up. on dartmoor, the park rangers had stepped in to help a community nurse reach her patients. i couldn't do without them.

no way could i do without them. i should just be sat here. worst case scenario, we would walk. we have done that in the past, but you do have to get to these patients. with the temperature hovering around freezing and in some areas well below, airports worked to de—ice planes and clear runways but disruption was inevitable. but cornwall‘s college students and staff had emerged from an unexpected sleepover, drifting snow and icy roads meant the buses couldn't get through. so in the end we had about 300 students staying the night at the college. everyone was absolutely fine and they have all been fed and watered and had a good night's sleep, which for a teenager i imagine is two or three hours! in county after county, excited voices as hundreds of schools and colleges were forced to close.

always good news for those with an appetite for winter sports. but the grip of winter has also intensified hardship. bristol has launched an emergency programme to provide help to the city's rough sleepers. didn't sleep last night i was that cold. i had a sleeping bag and i had to sleep in all these clothes as welljust to keep warm. back on bodmin moor, the roads are open, the surprise guests rescue their abandoned vehicles and staff at the old smugglers hideaway know they may be needed again before winter leaves us. our correspondent, duncan kennedy, has been driving across the border of hampshire and berkshire to see just what drivers were up against today. somewhere out there is the a34. we are heading north into amber weather territory.

the back of the a road gives way to the white of a b road. this is the border between berkshire and hampshire and where we meet our first person in difficulty. what are you going to do? going to turn round. smiling but struggling. we head on over the ma, where snow and the hills are adding to problems. how's it going? having to concentrate very hard and it takes a lot of effort. i am considering turning back at this point. wondering when i have done my work if i can make it back up the hill. as i approach i am thinking should i turn around and i think i will actually. we leave him and head on down that hill. we have been driving around berkshire and north hampshire for several hours and wherever we have gone we have had this snow and wind really laying it down

sector across the countryside and the roads we have been travelling along. in this particular area just north of the m4 the snow is maybe five or six inches deep. then it was on into a village where getting out could be getting difficult. tim thinks the small settlement might soon be hemmed in by the snow. you have a big hill and concerns about being cut off? we frequently do get cut off in this weather. it is quite a steep hill with some turns and quite steep drop offs so it is not worth the risk. we will get the toboggan out and go to the hills and see if we can make some fun of it! some drivers moved and may wish they hadn't. whilst others cannot move and wish they could. a few hours in the life of the snowbound south. and this evening duncan

kennedy says conditions in hampshire have worsened during the day. we have been driving around hampshire and berkshire all day on the snow simply hasn't stopped falling. as soon as you come off the a roads, the b roads simply can't cope. the volume of snow was so massive that it soon gets covered over. tonight we know the m3 is blocked in both directions because of jackknifed lorries blocked in both directions because ofjackknifed lorries north of winchester, and as the temperature and snow continues to drop, driving conditions are likely to become extremely challenging through the rest of this evening. well, the mep molly scott cato was due to speak to us in the next hour about brexit,

but she's now one of those affected by the weather. she's on a train and trees fell on the track so it is now being diverted. molly, can you hear us? can you update is what is going on? there seem update is what is going on? there seem to be quite a few trains across the line. we are actually moving, it isjust a long detour to the line. we are actually moving, it is just a long detour to avoid the bit that is blocked, but i have to say looking out, i am one of those people who thinks it isjust say looking out, i am one of those people who thinks it is just a little bit of snow, but it is a considerable amount of snow! i think the train is moving. i am on my way to swindon for a meeting tonight so fingers crossed i will only be an hour late if i am lucky. are fingers crossed i will only be an hour late ifi am lucky. are you surprised that the effect the snow has had? when it isjust a little

bit of tiny snow and everything grinds toa bit of tiny snow and everything grinds to a halt, but looking at here it is quite a bit more than that. sorry, molly, we don't have the best line but i will try one more question. before you set off on your journey had you more question. before you set off on yourjourney had you been given any travel advice at all? actually know, thatis travel advice at all? actually know, that is a good point. they said things might get messy later on but i'io things might get messy later on but no suggestion not to travel. you wouldn't anticipate that so i don't think they would suggest that. molly, you are an mep so you have travelled throughout europe, how would you compare the way the uk copes with snow with the type of winters and snowfall that is received on the continent? it seems

that we've lost molly. molly scott cato mep, who was stuck on a train but we believe the train is now moving slowly. we understand a three had fallen across one of the tracks. if we get molly back are here any more developments, we will update you, of course. there has been huge travel disruption as we have been reporting on the roads and railways. well, our correspondent, scott ellis, has been monitoring the situation at bristol airport — where more than 100 flights were cancelled during the day. we have been driving around hampshire and berkshire all day in the snow simply hasn't stopped falling. we arejust the snow simply hasn't stopped falling. we are just off the a31; and as soon as you come off, falling. we are just off the a31; and as soon as you come off, they simply can't cope. there are gritters out but the volume of snow... and to keep up—to—date on the latest weather and travel situation in your area, go to the live page on the bbc news website —

and you can also tune into your local bbc radio station. and don't forget, that story and many others being covered in the papers later on this evening and we will be going through those front pages at 10:1i0pm and 11:30pm. our guest tonight are owen bennett, head of politics at city am and john crawley. the mother of a three—year—old girl, has become the first person to be found guilty of female genital mutilation in the uk. the 37—year—old ugandan woman from east london, was accused of cutting her daughter in 2017. the girl's father was cleared of the same charges. adina campbell's report contains some distressing details. it's a crime that has been illegal in the uk for more than 30 years. today, a mother has been found

guilty of cutting her three—year—old daughter — the first conviction for female genital mutilation in the uk. at the heart of this case is a three—year—old girl who was caused serious injury as a result of her mother's actions. we can only imagine how much pain she suffered and how terrified she was. during the trial at the old bailey, the jury heard the 999 call made by the girl's mother, who claimed that her daughter had fallen onto a kitchen cupboard while trying to reach for biscuits. but the jury did not believe her. the court also heard evidence about the mother's interest in witchcraft. during a police search, two cows' tongues and ingredients used to create silencing spells were found in herfreezer at home, next to the names of police officers, social workers and foster carers involved in this case, and the girl's interviews were also played to the jury. she was heard telling her foster

carer that she had been cut by an old lady, someone she referred to as a witch, while being held down by her mother. the girl was treated at this hospital in east london. when doctors saw her, she was lying on a towel, soiled with blood. her injuries were severe, with three separate cuts on her genitalia. for legal reasons, we can't name the girl's mother. she is 37 and originally from uganda. the girl's father, a 43—year—old man from ghana, was also on trial for the same offence, but cleared of all the charges against him. today's guilty verdict has resonated with those who have also suffered this type of abuse. this woman was cut when she was six years old. a lot of people are afraid of it, because they are attached to a colour, attached to different religions, attached to different communities and that is what we fight about.

do not attach it to anything except child abuse. the girl's mother is now facing up to 14 years in prison. she will be sentenced next month. adina campbell, bbc news. well, joining us now is sariam kamara, an fgm survivor and an anti—fgm campaigner. thank you for speaking to us. when you heard news of this conviction, how did you feel about it?|j you heard news of this conviction, how did you feel about it? i had to match feelings. first of all i feel sorry for the girl because the message for communities is prevention, but i welcome this news because it is very good for the uk and it is good for communities to learn from this. it has been a long time coming. you are an fgm survivor. what impact has it had on

your life? one thing about fgm, it doesn't go away. it is like you are serving a life sentence. once you have been caught the consequences area have been caught the consequences are a lifetime, so this is why as survivors we are doing everything we can to educate community members who practice this practice to stop cutting their girls, and we are working with governments to make sure that anyone who goes against the law in the uk will be brought to justice, so we really welcome this. it is child abuse, period. many people were saying it is now illegal but that is half the job done. the ha rd est pa rt but that is half the job done. the hardest part is to change the minds of those people who say that it is a cultural right? very true. it is very true. we are trying to educate them so they know it is nothing to do with culture. it is just a barbaric practice that was picked up. fgm did not start in sierra

leone. somebody brought it to sierra leone. somebody brought it to sierra leone. knowing what we know now, thatis leone. knowing what we know now, that is the effect fgm has on us, we are using ourselves as case studies to educate people who would never get to experience fgm, to know how best to support women in communities to help prevent it. this is very much a hidden crime because it is now a crime. how prevalent is it, how widespread? what is the sense you get? fgm, it is wider than we think. before we just looked at in africa. we are migrating and people are marrying into different cultures and backgrounds, so definitely... sorry about this. definitely fgm is a world problem now, notjust an african problem. it can happen to anybody so everyone should be aware

and fgm is everybody‘s business. anybody so everyone should be aware and fgm is everybody's businesslj just and fgm is everybody's business.” just want to go back and clarify one point. obviously, you talk within the communities, so for those who are hesitant to change, what are they telling you and how do you change their minds? how do you get across that they are violating the girl's human rights? it isjust by educating them and giving them information because like myself i didn't have all the information i have now. sorry, my daughter is here! i didn't have all the information, and if i didn't move out of sierra leone, i don't think my girls would have been free from fgm, but because i have information, someone took the time to explain to me what it means. sorry, i lost you there! do you know what, it is absolutely fine. the story is all about the future and it is lovely to

have you speak to us. good luck with the campaigning. this is bbc news. the timejust the campaigning. this is bbc news. the time just approaching 7:20 p m. a baby girl has been found abandoned in a shopping bag in a park in near freezing overnight temperatures. the newborn was discovered in east ham in east london, when a woman walking her dog heard the baby crying. she was taken to hospital, and is said to be in a stable condition. karen allen has more. this is the moment captured on security cameras when police cars race in and it dawns on concerned neighbours that something is up. in fact, what has happened is this newborn baby girl has just been discovered abandoned in an east london park. given the winter chill, it's a wonder the infant survived at all. temperatures were way below freezing here. as dog walkers discovered her wrapped in a blanket and gently placed in a plastic bag and set down next to this bench.

she appears to have been there a while. my mum, she was walking the dog, and she heard a noise coming out from the bag. she rang me up, because she was too scared to approach the bag and i came, ijust found the baby in the bag. and we phoned the ambulances and police. the child, she had a frosty forehead, so maybe, i don't know, 15 or 20 minutes or so. it was very cold. yeah. it started snowing shortly afterwards. the baby has been called roman, after the street next to the park. it's a harsh beginning for a baby girl, but roman is now spending her first full night in hospital, safe with medical teams. but as temperatures are set to plummet, police are growing increasingly concerned for the welfare of her mother. so too are residents, who just wish they could have done more to help. you assume perhaps that it is a vulnerable young person and i would have been pleased if they had knocked on my door, because i would have welcomed that person. baby roman is reportedly doing well,

but what pushed her mother to such desperate lengths, one can only imagine. karen allen, bbc news, east london. the uk has objected to gibraltar being described as a "colony" and its status as "controversial" in eu documents. the phrases appeared in new european legislation that would allow british citizens to travel to the eu without a visa after brexit. the uk's ambassador to the eu, sir tim barrow, responded to it at a meeting in brussels earlier today. julie irving is the independent mep for south west england and gibraltar and joins me now. thank you forjoining us. first off, described the background to this. why does this matter to the point that the uk has to put in a minute of rejection? let me just correct use likely because it hasn't appeared in legislation. the legislation process has not

completed. it is the councils and the member states who have added it as an addendum. this has to go through negotiation in parliament as pa rt through negotiation in parliament as part of the process that we use, so it is not done yet. what has happened as there is a piece of legislation posed which is good news for the uk because it gives, after brexit, gives uk citizens the right to travel in the eu without visas, and just that the last minute, the spanish government have stuck in or asked to be put on the council side of the possession, this phrase about the uk being a colony. it is a bit ofa the uk being a colony. it is a bit of a storm in a teacup in the sense that, but it is a big issue because it is very symbolic that gibraltar, asa it is very symbolic that gibraltar, as a british overseas territory, is not a colony, most definitely not a

colony. it is self—governing and relies on the uk for its defence policy, and internal security and that's it. so british gibraltarians should be treated in exactly the same way. i think what is worrying about this, and i am not one of those to save a rattle and do all the jingoistic stuff, but it is slightly worrying that in the opening up of the withdrawal agreement, this could mean that spain is flexing its muscles in terms of what it might want to do with gibraltar. that is a bit of a concern. with gibraltar. that is a bit of a concern. so do british gibraltarians, are they as worried as you? yes, they are very watchful and weary. 96% of them voted to stay in the eu because they are very aware of the difficulties. they have aware of the difficulties. they have a land border with the eu just the same as northern ireland does, and they are just as concerned, so they are watching very carefully and they

are watching very carefully and they are extremely wary about any kind of implication that they are in any way second—class british citizens, or in any way ought to be under the control of spain. so the uk has put in this minute, asked for this minute of rejection for the description to be included. does that go far enough, do you think?” think it is the appropriate action. iam hoping, think it is the appropriate action. i am hoping, i don't know, that they are doing a lot of bilateral discussions with madrid as well to tell them, please, take us out. there is always that going on behind the scenes as well, but it is the appropriate thing to do. the european parliament, which is co—legislator and has equal weight in the discussions, has not agreed to this. and it is up to an ep to work together to make sure the parliament objects and doesn't allow that to go through. thank you very much. a new report says uk manufacturers

have been preparing for brexit by stockpiling raw materials at a record pace. companies were hoarding more quickly last month, than at any other time in nearly 30 years. employment in the manufacturing sector has also fallen with "near—stagnant" export orders. our economics correspondent dharshini david explained. on the one hand, the report claims that her manufacturers were busier than those in france and germany last month. on the other, the authors are warning that our manufacturing sector is at risk of recession. so how can they be happening side by side? the answer is stockpiling. the warehouses are full of components to avoid any disruption to supply chains and we are also seeing an increase in the stock of finished goods. for example, honda is bringing forward car production. so everything from cosmetics to chocolate to wine and

stationary, it is being stockpiled by companies. reassuring for those concerned of what might happen in the effect of a no deal. but it is interesting, if you look beyond this temporary boost in activity, orders have pretty much stagnated, particularly export orders. and the reason is that customers are feeling nervous about putting on orders for delivery after march 29 in case you don't know if it is going to be delivered on time or cost more. those concerns drove the pound down against the dollar by about .5%. the national audit office, says the three main health screening programmes in england for bowel, breast and cervical cancer failed to reach as many people last year, as the government had hoped. the nao also says nearly 100,000 women are waiting longer than they should for the results of cervical smear tests. here's our health correspondent, catherine burns. do you like cakes? nicole went for her first smear test this time last year. she should have got her results through in a fortnight, but actually she waited ten weeks. ithought, oh, you know, if i haven't heard anything,

no news must be good news, like, you sort of assume that, don't you? so i didn't really think too much about it, ijust thought, if i don't know something by now, it should all be ok. but it wasn't ok. afterfurther tests, she found out she had cervical cancer. she had to have a hysterectomy when her youngest child was just a year—old. the national audit office has found that delays like nicole are happening all too often. in march last year, there were more than 150,000 samples piled up in laboratories across england, waiting to be analysed. that month, only a third of women got the results within14 days. these delays are apparently being blamed on a lack of capacity and staff at laboratories and there is hope that it is just a temporary problem, but the system is under huge pressure and all this comes at a time when women are constantly being told to make sure they go and get screened.

i can stand here and say this. i know what it is like to go through a cervical smear test, it is not comfortable, sometimes for some, it will be embarrassing and sometimes it is painful. but those few minutes, those few minutes can save lives. this comes after major problems with screening programmes. last year it emerged that many women had not been invited to screenings. these programmes have targets for what percentage of people are eligible actually get screened. the report found that all three major screening programmes in england failed to reach agreed standards. for bowel cancer it was a near miss, there was a bigger gap for breast cancer and cervical cancer was furthest from its target. it is frustrating and concerning that our programme is letting women down, there has been a lack of investment, there is a complicated system that means that things are stepping through the gaps.

nicole says her smear test saved her life but she has questions about the impact of the delay. would the tumour have been so big? it makes me wonder whether i would have had to have such a radical procedure. the government says our screening programmes are world class, and it is committed to making any necessary improvements. catherine burns, bbc news. the actor clive swift, who starred in the bbc sitcom, keeping up appearances has died at the age of 82. he played the put upon husband of hyacinth bouquet, one of television's most notorious social climbers. a statement from his agent said he died at home after a short illness, surrounded by his family. now it's time for a look at the weather with stav. we have seen further disruptive snow

across central and southern parts of england which will slowly ease down but with very low temperatures, ice will be a huge problem so take extra ca re if will be a huge problem so take extra care if you're heading out. extra snow clearing and snow showers continue across northern and eastern scotla nd continue across northern and eastern scotland and the eastern side of england. if you are working in land, but elsewhere with clear skies turning very cold hence the risk of ice. on the saturday morning, it should be dry for many with lots of sunshine, wintry showers continuing across the north and east of the country. if you showers affecting pembrokeshire and into cornwall but other than that, a dry afternoon and quite bracing with a brisk northerly wind. for the weekend, a lot of sunshine around and into sunday, the weather system moving of the atla ntic weather system moving of the atlantic bring some rain but also hill snow in the north. hello, this is bbc

news, the headlines. heavy snow causes hundreds of schools to close across wales and southern england and more snow is on the way. millions of commuters face nightmare journeys as some places are hit with several inches of snow. drivers are told not to travel. it is like armageddon, lorries jackknifed or up the road. in a landmark ruling the mother

of a 3—year—old girl has become the first person in the uk to be found guilty of female genital mutilation. the search continues for the mother of a newborn baby girl found abandoned in a london park on one of the coldest nights of winter. all of the 3 major health screening programmes in england fail to meet government targets. i come from a very large family in deed. mammals as a matter of fact. and remembering jeremy hardy, the award winning comedian, who's died, at the age of 57. more now on the snow and the disruption it's causing. in wales, there's a weather warning in place, many shcools have been closed, and welsh rugby fans trying to get to paris for the opener of the six nations faced being stranded after flight cancellations due to snow. jordan davies reports. it is picture perfect, monmouthshire this morning after a night of snowfall. it was scenes like this that much

of south—east wales woke up to and because of that no school for tabitha. instead a trip into brecon, snow for her means... building snowmen and throwing it at my mum. despite the blanket of snow there were no major issues on main roads, but there were problems for some getting to work. you couldn't get up the road, the cars couldn't get up there. normally the gritters are up there every winter back and forth, but for some reason last night, nothing. and so what are staff having to do now? they have gone back to the village most of them walked up. high ground as always bore the brunt of the bad weather with parts of the south wales valleys hit particularly hard. the busy friday morning commute was quieter than usual, but disruption free. this was the scene in tonypandy in the rhondda valley, cardiff central service in on time. and preparations for the weekend went ahead as usual in pontypridd. with a busy rugby line—up supplies

are of the utmost importance. the snow came into good use. the side streets are the worst parts but the roads are fine. we have got a job to do at the end of the day so we carry on and do it. the beer is fine. the beer is fine, it keeps it cold. get the essentials in. but those heading to france for tonight's game could face disruption. cardiff airport was forced to cancel its paris flight, leaving fans and former players stranded. i am on the eurostar so i am going to get a car to london and jump on the eurostar. if not i might end up doing some radio work for the bbc in cardiff. give it a go, have got nothing to lose. watch it in cardiff by the looks of things. not a bad place to watch it. but obviously it would have been nicer in the stade de france. we will go down to west wales

to a spa weekend instead and watch the game down there. much of the snow has now thawed but as temperatures drop this evening there will be concern for how much ice will be left behind. there have been numerous tributes throughout the day to jeremy hardy, the comedian and political activist who's died at the age of 57. he'd been receiving treatment for cancer. he was best known for his appearances on mock the week and the radio 4 panel shows the news quiz and sorry i haven't a clue. lizo mzimba, looks back at his life. actually i was the youngest of five children and i felt a bit weird, i felt i was not wanted and was a mistake and i think that having had four children what my mother really wanted was a holiday. jeremy hardy's self—effacing style of humour was what made him a star. one of the finest comedy minds in britain. his career began as a stand—up in the 1980s and continued for decades on shows like mock the week. in the second world war, there was just a piece of cardboard. this is mr wilkins, he was not a german spy. he inspired, i saw he was very unfussy, very self—deprecating,

he always said he wasn't very good at that. he was principled, always principled, compassionate, but kind, but just so wonderfully funny. i think it is fair to say that the bbc has never practised discrimination. they have always taken on any oxbridge graduate regardless of talent. despite jokes at his expense, he became a regular on bbc radio four panel shows like the news quiz and, i'm sorry, i haven't a clue. films books and tv shows that flopped. groundhog day two. seen it. around ikea in 80 days. a lifelong socialist, his beliefs informed much of his comedy and he frequently campaigned, too, on numerous issues. i remember him as a great friend, the otherjeremy. we did lots of events together. he was always giving his time to raise money, so that other people could speak for them, human rights causes, justice causes.

what a loss. more committed to socialism than to singing... he will be remembered for his sharp, brain and, for his sharp comic brain and, as his radio listeners knew, a unique way with a tune. exactly forty years ago today, the exiled cleric ayatollah khomeini returned to his native iran, helping to establish a revolution that recast the country, and its role in the middle east. iran's ties to the west were radically changed, and the ayatollah became the supreme leader of the new islamic republic of iran. our world affairs editorjohn simpson was on that flight from paris to tehran with the ayatollah, and witnessed first hand the revolution unfold. it was a key moment in modern history. underthe shah, iran was increasingly westernised,

but its vast oil wealth brought corruption and social upheaval and that led to a year of violent demonstrations. ayatollah khomeini was in exile in france. he was implacable. the shah must go. and soon, the shah was forced to escape abroad, a broken man, dying of cancer. throughout the revolution, sir david reddaway was a young diplomat in the british embassy. when we were in the middle of all the events of the collapse of the old iran, neither we nor really anybody else, knew what was going to come out of it. and i don't think many iranians knew what they would be seeing over this timescale. on khomeini's flight back to iran, i asked him what he was feeling. he ignored me. a moment later, someone else asked the same question. nothing, he said. his return was a huge defeat

for the west and a massive boost to islamic fundamentalism. even today, the pictures are still extraordinary. these were the crowds outside, i mean people say it was the biggest crowd in human history. it was certainly a couple of million, maybe 3 million. there was a brief showdown between the army and the demonstrators a few days later. i watched as the victorious crowds trashed a secret police headquarters. the policeman's uniforms and the files that they have found inside have been scattered to the winds and the demonstrators are in complete possession. ever since, the clerics have ruled iran, clamping down in particular on women's rights. the only real challenge for them came in 2009 after a disputed presidential election. it was called the green revolution and it rocked their religious leadership, but it was

put down savagely. the bbc‘s persian service is banned in iran, but millions watch it anyway. rana is one of its presenters. there is appetite for a change, but because there is nobody to mobilise the youth who want change, i cannot imagine another revolution happening, despite the widespread corruption. its economy is troubled, but modern iran can be surprisingly relaxed and pleasant. still people are scared to come out against the government. that has kept the system going for a0 years. john simpson, bbc news. tsb has blamed last year's it problems for a pretax loss of more than a £105 million. the bank says 2018 was its most challenging year. about 80,000 customers switched their bank account away from tsb in 2018,

30,000 more than 2017, after some people went weeks without working services. the bank also had to bear the cost of customer compensation and fraud. the off licence chain oddbins has gone into administration for a second time. it's stores will continue to trade while administrators seek a buyer. more than 500 jobs are at risk. oddbins' owners blamed tough trading conditions on the high street and uncertainty over brexit. the snow leopard is an animal in serious danger. native to central and southern asia there are estimated to be fewer than 10,000 of them still alive. and that figure's expected to go down in the coming years. but conservationists are trying to do something about it, as tim allman reports. there is a bleak splendour to the altai mountains.

cold and unforgiving, you have to be tough to survive here. mergen markov has lived here all his life. he is on the hunt for snow leopards — not to kill, but to photograph, these automatic cameras helping to monitor the snow leopard population. translation: i am really happy i have this job which allows me to spend all this time outside and admire all the animals i've managed to photograph. is it better than killing them? yes, they are so beautiful in the photographs. this is the village of argut. after the collapse of the soviet union, the collective farms went bankrupt. many people took to hunting the local wildlife. the fur of a snow leopard

could sell for more than $500. so the world wildlife fund pays former poachers, mergen included, to try to protect them instead. translation: he quickly understood that if he kept on poaching and selling furs, he would earn money only once with each animal he'd killed. whereas with us, he earns money regularly. local volunteers are also paid to go on patrol and monitor this vast area of land. over time, the hope is the number of snow leopards will rise. these animals will return home. tim allman, bbc news. the headlines on bbc news... millions of commuters are facing nightmare journeys and hundreds of schools are closed after one of the coldest nights of the year and more snow is on the way. in a landmark ruling the mother

of a three—year—old girl has become the first person in the uk to be found guilty of female genital mutilation. the search continues for the mother of a newborn baby girl found abandoned in a london park on one of the coldest nights of winter. now it's time for newswatch. after another week of brexit drama, samira ahmed has been talking to sam taylor ? executive editor of the bbc news channel ? about how the bbc has been explaining the process of leaving the eu. hello and welcome to news watch with me, samirahmed. hello and welcome to news watch with me, samir ahmed. brexit hello and welcome to news watch with me, samirahmed. brexit is hello and welcome to news watch with me, samir ahmed. brexit is getting closer, how well is bbc news managing to explain the process of leaving the eu ? managing to explain the process of leaving the eu? and chops away, just

how did the bbc managed to suggest that bbc could —— theresa may could be flying off to brussels in the bbc's be flying off to brussels in the bbc‘s spitfire. it has been another week of brexit drama and with fewer than 60 days until the uk's scheduled departure from the eu, the arguments have been rating ever more passionately. he is the conservative mp, mark francois, vice—chairman of the pro—brexit european research group, responding to the german chief executive of airbus who suggested the company might have to leave the uk in the event of a no—go brexit. if he thinks because he runs a big company he can bully british mps out to vote, he will be sorely mistaken. my father was a d—day vetera n mistaken. my father was a d—day veteran and he never submitted to bullying by any german and neither with his son.