thursday morning, strong winds affecting eastern counties of england. it is just something to bearin england. it is just something to bear in mind at this stage. friday, we have some area of low pressure moving in and that is going to bring a spell of wet and windy weather gci’oss a spell of wet and windy weather across the whole of the uk. this deepening area of low pressure and outbreaks of rain spilling into all areas as well. gay was developing around that low, so it will be blustery everywhere but notice that the vast majority, the winds are coming in from a south—westerly direction, mild direction as those temperatures are ten to 12 degrees widely across the uk, is a very mild february day. into the weekend, the low pressure february day. into the weekend, the low pressure moves february day. into the weekend, the low pressure moves out into the northern north sea, we do have some showers working in across the north of scotla nd showers working in across the north of scotland otherwise winds coming into the north—westerly direction, still relatively mild. 18 degrees across england, perhaps a little bit of snow over the very highest ground in scotland. heading into sunday, we could see another area of low pressure, this time targeting the south of the country. some uncertainty how far zero this rain

gets, that is something we will be fine tuning across the next couple of days. but there will be some showers across the south of the country. the notice the temperatures are coming down, it will be mild in the south. the area of low pressure over the weekend eases out of the way and for next week is replaced by region a jetstream, this bold you can see here. this is a classic blocked pressure pattern, so i think we will start see the weather becoming quite slow—moving next week. it is going to mostly dry across a good part of the uk actually with some spells of sunshine, some night frost and a little bit of baht by the morning as well. across the north, a bit more mobile. we could see renuka the times also severely strong winds. that is the weather. —— we could see rain and cloud at time. hello, this is bbc news. we will be taking a look at tomorrow morning's papers in a moment. first the headlines: the prime minister pledges to secure

a brexit deal which ensures no hard border between northern ireland and the republic. four children have died in a house fire in stafford, with tributes to the young victims posted on social media. police describe the scene as heartbreaking. actor liam neeson denies being a racist, after telling a journalist he once wanted to kill a black person because someone close to him was raped by a black man. the un is warning about the impact of pollution on children. it says the uk has the highest number suffering from respiratory conditions in europe. and president trump is putting the finishing touches to tonight's state of the union address. aides say the theme is national unity. hello and welcome to our look ahead to what the papers will be

bringing us tomorrow. with me are the deputy editor of the new statesman, george eaton, and political strategist jo tanner. many of tomorrow's front pages are already in. the telegraph headlines brexit, saying theresa may insists the irish backstop is here to stay. it also reports that ministers are apparently discussing an eight—week delay, until may, to allow legislation to be passed. also leading on brexit is the guardian, which questions whether mrs may's pledge on the irish border will reopen a rift among her backbenchers. according to the i, public anger grows towards social media as the tech giants continue to distribute suicide and self—harm content. it says ministers are trying to reclassify social networks as publishers who could become liable for damaging content. the daily express reports on how bedford police force was pushed to the brink when it ran out of officers after a day of gang attacks, rapes and riots. the metro gives details how

a holby city star's daughter was filmed dying of a drug overdose at a music festival in the summer of 2017. louella fletcher—michie was reportedly labelled a drama queen as she begged for assistance at bestival. the daily mirror says convicted peadophille and former tv entertainer rolf harris was seen wandering around the grounds of a primary school, waving at children, until he was asked to leave by staff. actor liam neeson is on the front page of the sun, as he denies being racist following his controversial comments about wanting to kill a black man. the daily mail leads on britain sobering up, saying there has been decline in harmful drinking. it also features a story about the bbc radio 4 presenter john humphrys, who they say is to quit the station. so there we are. plenty to get our

teeth into. you are going to start us teeth into. you are going to start us off with the daily telegraph, we have to do our daily dose of wrecks it and this time it is all about the backstop. it is all about the backstop. it is all about the backstop. yes, yesterday the prime minister had flown to belfast to talk about the brexit deal, and what was happening, and then she is off to brussels tomorrow for talks, although no—one quite knows what the talks are going to be about. we have heard that apparently the withdrawal agreement can't be reopened or renegotiated, but we heard from the prime minister today that the backstop essentially is here to stay, but is we presume going to be tinkered with. but one of the big developments overnight is the daily telegraph publishing the suggestion that ministers are discussing a potential eight—week delay which would porush the date to —— push the

date to may 24. we have heard of the february recess being cancelled for mps and they will probably end up with easter almost being cancelled, and they might just with easter almost being cancelled, and they mightjust about get their whitsun holiday, if they are lucky. theresa may has always said there will be no delay and the date is fixed, but are we moving towards a more movable feast here?|j fixed, but are we moving towards a more movable feast here? i think we are, simply because of the sheer legislation which needs to be passed before 29 march, it is notjust the meaningful vote on brexit, there is a separate withdrawal bill which needs to be passed on multiple other pieces of legislation. but i think theresa may's insistence that we leave on 29 march is designed to reassure conservative mps and voters that that is her ideal preference. but as we have learned in recent yea rs, but as we have learned in recent years, theresa may's word is not a lwa ys years, theresa may's word is not always to be relied upon. she said

they would not be an early election, she said the vote on brexit would not be delayed, and i think it is unlikely we will leave on 29 march now. and in the article they outline some of the options on the backstop that she might be contending with, but the problem she has is will any of them be palatable to the eu? and this goes back to the problem we have had all along, which is firstly that the backstop appeared in the first place, and because there was no ongoing narrative, we weren't able to know, they said they wouldn't have a running commentary on negotiations, we therefore don't really know what was given in order for the backstop to be put in in the first place, we don't know what deal was done and therefore what else is being held to... and this is why the withdrawal agreement cannot be opened up in its entirety. so there are opened up in its entirety. so there a re clearly opened up in its entirety. so there are clearly some issues there. i

think the fact she is sticking by it suggest that whatever that part of the negotiation was was pretty difficult, and that is why it has become such a fundamental point. what is this piece and others are suggesting, this issue around how the rest of the conservative party are going to respond to that issue, there are grave concerns that the dup and arlene foster have made it clear that keeping the backstop is totally u na cce pta ble a nd clear that keeping the backstop is totally unacceptable and that replacing it with something else is vitally important. how much, after you have said this, you can really move, we don't know. and european leaders are saying what do you want, uk? we still don't know. and theresa may is having to do the maths because on 14 february we have a need to make meaningful vote and she has to get those numbers in order. and she will have to rely on more mps from the labor party. that is the choice facing her. let's park

brexit for now and move on to the independent. they have a big picture ofa independent. they have a big picture of a controversial story today and clearly ongoing tomorrow, the actor liam neeson has made some rather controversial comments, shall we say, about something that happened 40 yea rs say, about something that happened 40 years ago. tell us a little bit more. yes, so this is really one of the most remarkable interviews i can remember in recent years, liam neeson told the independent‘s interviewer that when he heard about the rape of a female friend, he asked the interviewer what colour he was, a slightly odd question, and professed to walking around for a week with a cosh with a desire to kill a black person. the reaction to this is interesting, some are condemning it as an open and shut case of racism, but others, including black footballerjohn barnes, are praising his candour and saying at least he had the honesty to confess to racist impulses, and

some would say those are actually more widespread in our society then we would all like to acknowledge. more widespread in our society then we would all like to acknowledgem has really divided opinion, hasn't it? yes, and handling, as well, this, in that these comments were made and today he appeared on a us network and everyone saw him turning up, and as a pr advisor myself, you expect this to be the moment that he will come out and make some sort of apology, and instead he sought views the opportunity to explain what he meant, and actually not step back from it at all. he has made it very clear that his feelings at the time, they bothered him, and he said that he went and confessed, and saw a priest as a result, and he talks at length about how it made him feel, but he hasn't actually stepped back from the comments made, at all, and how he felt at the time. the interesting thing will be used to see how the new film, which is what these comments were made in

connection with, plays at the box office, and if there is an impact in light of the comments made. looking at the times, driverless cars on uk roads by the end of the year. is that a bit optimistic?” roads by the end of the year. is that a bit optimistic? i mean, interestingly, any form of new technology, there is either a rush to embrace it or there is a sort of stand back in fear of what it means, andi stand back in fear of what it means, and i think driving is still one of those, for some people, a joy. i am one who enjoys it, george and i were talking and george hasn't gone fully over the line. he started for a while and went to university and gave up. but actually, i love driving, and the idea of taking away that control of the wheel, i am still very much on the fence on. but the story itself suggesting that actually the moves to allow the first advanced trials on any public roads, it is all going to be essentially moved forward. and there are some concerns about what this

will mean, but the government had said it did driverless vehicles to be in commercial operation by 2021, which is not that far away, really. there is no breakdown on the public appetite in this, because clearly safety concerns will be paramount in this. you are never going to be able to guarantee a car is safe with a human being in it and people will worry about driverless cars in the same way. absolutely, and supporters of driverless cars will argue that they are on average safer than human operated cars, but it is always the exception is that will be seized on. there is not really any room for accident here. i think the government is right to be promoting this, because a big message is that we are embracing the industries of the future. to bring it back to brexit, inevitably, though that is occupying most of the government's time, theresa may very much wants to send out the message that she has a

vision for the future of the economy and britain beyond that. this is a very good example of that. they also mention in the times about social media, but it is picked up in the telegraph as well, it is tucked away, but this whole issue of whether social media firms ought to have more responsibility for the things that are published on their platforms. this is in the wake of the suicide of a teenager who had seen some the suicide of a teenager who had seen some pretty abhorrent content on instagram. yes, following the death of a 14—year—old, and her father has been extremely brave in speaking out about what he found in terms of the images that were seen in particular on instagram, and content linked to depression and self—harm, et cetera, but she died backin self—harm, et cetera, but she died back in november 2017 and he has really spent a lot of time talking about the issue. i am not an expert on this but i am interested by the

story. the suggestion that is tucked away on the front page of the telegraph is that the children's commissioner is actually drawing up her own white paper that she has actually... allegedly has thrown down the gauntlet to ministers by commissioning a top city law firm to d raft commissioning a top city law firm to draft her own bill to enact what is called a statutory duty of care to protect children from online harm such as bullying and encouraging suicide. and she is essentially saying that it would look at people around these different social channels being prosecuted. if they fail to channels being prosecuted. if they failto take, and channels being prosecuted. if they fail to take, and quotes, all reasonable and proportionate care to protect children for any reasonably foreseeable harm. and so this is almost this suggestion of this extension, really, around corporate manslaughter, and the idea that directors themselves could be fined, there could be other punishment that would mean that there is a far greater responsibility for them to ta ke greater responsibility for them to take action. it is people keep

finding content on these sites, even though they are being warned, stuff isn't being taken down. we must live on unfortunately. i know we could talk about that one longer. the daily mail are talking about britain that sobering up. yes, it the daily mail have gone with what you might see as the more cheery angle. we have seen the rise of the so—called yonder fogeys, who are not going out, perhaps occupied with social media and instagram. what age is a young fogey?|j with social media and instagram. what age is a young fogey? i think that would be millenials. we are to your. it on the other hand, you have a record number of hospital admissions for alcohol—related illnesses and it is the baby boomers who these studies often show our drinking heavily, perhaps reliving

their 60s had and is as they age. maybe got more disposable income as well to spend on a nice bottle of wine. -- hedonism and. some there will might see it as the damage is done by years of heavy drinking, perhaps if you are ready feel you have done too much drinking or you have done too much drinking or you have got the taste for it, perhaps it isa have got the taste for it, perhaps it is a different attitude, who knows? they were focusing on the other end of that, the fact that actually the nhs is admitting a patient hospital because of drinking every 30 seconds but i want to move on because there were a couple of stories we did not get much time on last hour which i think are interesting. the guardian is looking out, it is the statue of margaret thatcher, which after a lot of argy—bargy in her hometown of is not definitely going to go up. yeah, and it is going up a long way, a three

metre high plinth, i know they are trying to do that to avoid vandalism andl trying to do that to avoid vandalism and i am still sure they can climb a three metre high plinth anyone really wants to. it is interesting, she is an extremely divisive character at a very, very influential prime minister with the lights or not. the idea that they wa nt lights or not. the idea that they want to put up a statue, which i get, but the idea of putting up a three metre high plinth to then put the statue upon, it is going to be enormous, which i'm not sure... even if you thought i could just about tolerate the idea of it, talk about... the plinth is adding the high perhaps it is they are worried it is going to be a target for politically motivated vandals because this was not even going to because this was not even going to be here, was it, george connolly was going to be in parliament square? nikon indeed, and margaret thatcher was never very popular in london, certainly the conservatives are very unpopular. i think it was probably a wise and pragmatic choice to keep it

out of there. in some ways, be symbol of this feels fitting. —— no indeed. if they are put in trafalgar square, she would only be a fraction of lord nelson. they would only be a fraction in it really. we going to move the daily telegraph because tucked away is this small story out of colorado, job that kills cuckoo with his bare hands. of colorado, job that kills cuckoo with his bare handslj of colorado, job that kills cuckoo with his bare hands. i had to read this first because it first, i thought a job that had killed off an older woman who might have quite fancied him because they obviously have read the word curb it too many times in other capacities, as an old woman interested in the younger man. apparently, actually a job for often killed amount in line with his bare hands after he was attacked on a trail, near the rocky mountains. obviously, he could not outrun the thing, coopers is a pretty fast and he decided tojust go in and wrestle him after he was attacked but absolutely incredible, apparently managed to jump on

absolutely incredible, apparently managed tojump on top of absolutely incredible, apparently managed to jump on top of the animal. anand, who has not been identified, hiked hospital despite rights to his arms, face, legs and back. somehow managing to suffocate it, so that is not eliminated much could certainly add some perspective to the idea of new fitness challenges, everyone has an unusual experiences on and i can't think of anything to... yeah, normally on a london marathon, you are not confronted by a mountain line halfway around the course. or maybe an older woman. we ended with wild, and peace is, i think possibly brexit, we started with them as well. they —— beasts. that's it for the papers tonight. don't forget you can see the front pages of the papers online on the bbc news website. it is all there for you seven days a week at bbc.co.uk/papers, of course if you miss the programme any evening, you can watch it later

on bbc iplayer. thank you, george eaton and jo tanner. in a moment, there's a round—up of the day's sport. but from all of us, it's goodnight. good evening. iam i am holly hamilton with your latest sports news. newport county's fantastic run in the fa cup continues as they stunned championship side middlesbrough to advance to the fifth round for the first time in 70 years. they'll face manchester city at rodney parade next. ben croucher was watching. in newport, they came prepared only for one eventuality, well, that and the weather. middlesbrough soon became stuck in the mud. this was never going to be pretty, they play by never going to be pretty, they play rugby hit too. among the goalmouth scramble, they stayed in it, just.

no using the hands, this player did not in the eyes of the referee. middlesbrough may be to differ. hasty rewrite at half—time must have got lost in translation as with the second half just two got lost in translation as with the second halfjust two minutes old, robbie wilmott went and did this. robbie wilmott went and did this. robbie wilmott went and did this. robbie wilmott decides to go along and scores, newport have lead! —— alone. padraig harrington the thrashing the team ahead of middlesbrough, a soggy one at that. as the clock ticked down, the visitors never looked like scoring. middlesbrough slipped up just like leicester before them, manchester city best be prepared for a difficult trip to wales on saturday. there were three other replays this evening. premier league side wolves survived a scare, coming from behind to beat shrewsbury town. and the lowest ranked team left in the competition are out. barnet beaten 3—1 by brentford.

and queens park rangers are through to the fifth round for the first time in 22 years, after beating league one portsmouth. elsewhere in football, jose mourinho has accepted a one—year prison sentence for tax fraud in spain. the former manchester united manger won't serve any time in jail thought, after exchanging that sentence for a fine ofjust over £2 million. spanish prosecutors, who have also brought similar charges against cristiano ronaldo and lionel messi, say mourinho failed to declare revenues from image rights from 2011 and 2012, when he was coach of real madrid. there's a big blow for the england rugby union side. maro itoje has been ruled out of the next two six nations matches with a knee problem. the saracens lock suffered the medial ligament injury during their impressive win over ireland on saturday. he's expected to be out for two to four weeks, but he will stay with the squad and could return for the final two matches

of the championship. fellow saracen nick isiekwe has been called into the squad as cover, but it's courtney laws who is most likely to benefit and take itoje's place in the 15. here's quality player and within our group, the qualities that he was a massive, also we have got guys in the squad who have got other qualities that will come in and be just as big an impact. so it is important that we focus on the job in hand and i'm sure maro itoje will understand. one of the greatest skiiers of all time, lindsey vonn, is competing at her last world championships before retiring from the sport. but unfortunately, the american, a former olympic champion, hasn't made the greatest of starts in sweden. she failed to make it to the bottom in the super—g, crashing quite spectacularly, hitting one of the gates, and ca reering into the safety barriers. the race was halted while medics checked her out. she made her way to the bottom,

a little bit bruised and nursing a black eye. but she should be fine for sunday and her final race, which will be the downhill. i feel like i have ifeel like i have been hit by an 18 wheeler, but other than that, and great. my knees are the same as they we re great. my knees are the same as they were before the race, so that's good and i'm just going to release all, i think my neck is going to be so, and i got the wind knocked out of me, so i don't know, my ribs oddly so. but i will be fine, sunday will be great. ——sore. that's all the sport for now. goodnight. hello again. worst, milderair hello again. worst, milder air has been moving slowly across the ground, a been moving slowly across the ground , a process been moving slowly across the ground, a process that was captured earlier today by this picture. the warmer areas behind this warm front thatis

warmer areas behind this warm front that is now heading out into the north sea, more active cold front is winging its way eastwards across the uk at the moment, bringing some heavy rain and the cloud associated with this weather front, we're looking at this next area of cloud just in the middle of the atlantic. this could potentially bring us a windy weather to wednesday night and in the first ever before we get there, will talk about tonight's forecast for the most part, wind will be swinging eastwards across scotla nd will be swinging eastwards across scotland and england, clearing most goodin scotland and england, clearing most good in the south—east, it lingers. temperatures 11 degrees or in london, cooler conditions spreading into the north—west. we will have cooler showers for scotland and northern ireland. i think on sunday, there should be some decent sunshine to go around, particularly north wales, the midlands, northern england and into the north—east of scotla nd england and into the north—east of scotland as well. so might dispel the rain for scotland and northern ireland and we may well see another pulse of rain in the south—east england, being perhaps a bit more rain to the course of the afternoon. into wednesday night, a bit of

uncertainty in the forecast. the main uncertainty is how close together these two weather front going to get. if they stay far enough apart, thursday went up being quite wet and windy day. spells a rain pushing slowly eastwards, clearing for the afternoon with a mix of sunshine and showers while in the showers most frequent cost our across western areas. seven to eight degrees so, england and wales eight or ten. however, if degrees so, england and wales eight orten. however, if those degrees so, england and wales eight or ten. however, if those two fronts get together and start interacting a bit more, we could end up with a deep area of low pressure. that could bring some strong winds wednesday night in the england and potentially is a very strong winds to start the day in northern and eastern england. as i say, there is some of that. through the day, that weather system is wayne will be replaced by another one on friday. an airof low replaced by another one on friday. an air of low pressure is to be bringing widespread strong winds, gables, outbreaks of rain spreading to all areas, the wind coming from the south—westerly direction, so it

is going to be a mild end to the week as well. i'm rico hizon in singapore. the headlines: it is just hours to president's trump state of the union address, to a deeply divided congress. we are live in washington with more. actress and un special envoy angelina jolie meets rohingya refugees, calling for an end to the violence that has driven them from their homes. i'm babita sharma in london. also in the programme: ten years after one of australia's worst natural disasters, we meet the people still struggling to come to terms with the black saturday fires. mr neeson, are you sorry for what you said? and actor liam neeson denies he is racist, after saying he once wanted to kill a black man in revenge