this is the briefing, i'm sally bundock. our top story: grounded — a 24—hour strike by belgium's air traffic control officers stops all flights in and out of the country. public anger over the case of a russian woman under house arrest for alleged links to protest groups. eu citizens in britain. we hear how the uncertainty over brexit is leaving them feeling vulnerable. british firms say they are at risk of being hung out to dry if the uk leaves the eu without a deal, with many key questions still unresolved. markets get a boost as president trump says he might let his deadline for a trade deal with china slip. so could an end to the trade war be in sight? a warm welcome to the programme, briefing you on all you need to know

in global news, business and sport. also in the programme: the secret to happiness is being either 16 or 70 years old. a million britons have been mapped. from 50 years, happiness levels sharply increase over the next two decades. do you agree? when have you been happiest? get in touch. just use the hashtag #bbcthebriefing. 80,000 passengers were due to fly or land at belgian airports today. all of those flights have now been cancelled due to a 24—hour strike by the main transport unions. belgium's air traffic agency decided late yesterday to shut the country's airspace for all flights taking off and landing, exempting only military and government flights.

it is the first time the airspace has been forced to close in this way. kim gittleson has more. the home of the european union's capital has ground to a halt. nearly 600 flights into belgium have been cancelled, and planes flying below 7,500 metres have had to be rerouted, all due to a national strike by transport unions that has brought this small european nation to a standstill. translation: we had no alternatives but to close the airport today, for two reasons. 0n the one hand, we know that there will be substantial roadblocks around the airport that would hinder the arrival of passengers, and on another hand, we know that the air traffic will be

affected because entities outside the airport who work for and with the airport will be impacted. the workers that belong to belgium's main transport unions have gone on strike because they want to see wages increase faster than their planned 0.8% annual rate. they also want to see increases to pension and benefits, as well as a better work—life balance. and it is notjust belgium's skies that have been impacted. public transport is also disrupted, although limited trains are still running into and out of the country. that has meant that some airlines have decided to reroute flights instead of outright cancelling them. translation: tui is not cancelling any flights, because the ten flights planned to or from the charleroi airport will be diverted to lille or amsterdam. we really want to allow our passengers to continue on their holiday destinations as fast as possible. the strike is set to end by 10:00pm brussels time. until then, stranded travellers are attempting to look

on the bright side. as one commentor put it, the best thing about brussels is that it is easy to get out of. kim gittleson, bbc news. britain's prime minister, theresa may, has asked mps for more time to discuss a brexit withdrawal deal with european union leaders. with no breakthough in the talks, there is mounting speculation that mrs may could delay any vote on her eu withdrawal agreement until close to 29 march, when the uk is due to leave. the opposition labour party has accused the prime minister of wanting to leave mps with a stark choice between her deal and no deal, but she has denied claims that she is running down the clock on brexit. the talks are at a crucial stage, and we now all need to hold our nerve to get the changes this house requires and deliver brexit on time. by getting the changes we need to the backstop, by protecting and enhancing workers‘ rights and environmental

protections, and by enhancing the role of parliament in the next phase of negotiations, i believe we can reach a deal this house can support. in her statement, the prime minister has failed to answer even the most basic questions. what progress has she made on identifying and working up the alternative arrangements? have they been presented to the european union? if not, when will they be presented? the continued uncertainty means more businesses are becoming increasingly nervous about brexit. the british chambers of commerce says there is a risk of uk firms being hung out to dry by the lack of clear, actionable information from the government. with me in the studio isjoseph sternberg, columnist with the wall streetjournal. good morning, once again you and i are talking about this problem. give

us are talking about this problem. give us your take on what the british chambers of commerce are saying. well, i think it's natural that a lot of businesses are extremely uneasy about this circumstance, because we are very close to the date when britain is set to formally leave the european union and there is no certainty about what is going to happen. i think that it is important to remember that businesses do often have the degree deal with degrees of uncertainty about future policy directions and the economic climate. what is unusual this time is uncertainty is so unusual this time is uncertainty is so great on so unusual this time is uncertainty is so great on so many unusual this time is uncertainty is so great on so many things, and you are also not clear exactly what the goal on this is going to be. will all of the uncertainty be worth it in the end? depending on what kind of wrecks that outcome britain gets. most of the main lobby groups that the bcc, the british confederation of industry and others are talking about is most like a deal that is similarto about is most like a deal that is similar to what we have now been operating with the european union, the closest to the status quo is what they are calling for. the

question is, we really have no clue, and the governor of the bank of england yesterday talking about the situation and the impact it is having on the uk economy. right, and i have a lot of sympathy for businesses who say if we don't have a clear plan on how the changes going to make things better, that there is a certain virtue in sticking to the status quo. so i think it isjust sticking to the status quo. so i think it is just a difficult environment right now, and again, it is because having allowed this process to drag on for as long as it has, the stakes keep ratcheting up the closer to that date that you get. thank you, joseph is returning for the news briefing later, and we will discuss in more detail the challenges facing businesses in our business briefing. there has been a lot of focus recently on the brexit—related drama playing out in westminster and brussels. but how does all this uncertainty affect eu citizens living in the united kingdom? we already know that they will have to apply for a new settled status after brexit allowing them to continue living in the uk. kasia madera has been discussing brexit with one of the most prominent members of the polish

community in the uk. this chef has cooked for the british royalfamily, promotes this chef has cooked for the british royal family, promotes polish this chef has cooked for the british royalfamily, promotes polish fine dining and is close to getting his first michelin star. soon after the referendum he opened a restaurant in peterbrough, in cambridgeshire, which voted to leave the eu. so has he changed his mind about making the uk his home? this country cannot be run without immigrants, so we are building this country, together with the english, and we should work as one nation, not against each other. i can't go. it took me 14 or 15 yea rs i can't go. it took me 14 or 15 years to build what i have now, and the more beautiful things will start, and more beautiful things would happen. so i can't reallyjust leave this country because of some stupid referendum, you know, or some sta ble

stupid referendum, you know, or some stable and status. 0k, it is not nice to be asked twice to apply, and isaidi nice to be asked twice to apply, and i said i will not apply, and i will not pay the fee. i didn't pay the fee, and the fee was scrapped, so it is worth the wait. 0bviously fee, and the fee was scrapped, so it is worth the wait. obviously i have this kind of love, to find food and good wine, and obviously do something which nobody can do, and serve food in the way that it looks interesting, and the polish grandmother would come, they would say oh, my god, this is polish food, doesn't look like polish food. you we re doesn't look like polish food. you were quite vocal about the settled status, you said you are not paying the £65, that has since been scrapped. are you going to apply for this? well, you see, what is the difference between a work permit i applied to legally work and live in the uk compared the settlement status which gives me the right to legally live and work in the uk? what's the difference in two different projects? so you actually open your restaurantjust after the referendum result. what were you thinking about? to be honest with

you, the last two years were the most successful years you, the last two years were the most successful yea rs in you, the last two years were the most successful years in the business ever. so we grow, the restau ra nt business ever. so we grow, the restaurant is busy, it is growing, everything is fine. i don't know, if you don't want to be successful, you can move. you are not packing. no, i need to cook more. let's brief you on some of the other stories making the news: the australian government is to reopen its christmas island detention centre to cope with a potential rise in the number of people seeking asylum. the announcement by the prime minister, scott morrison, came after the government was defeated on immigration legislation. the former yugoslav republic of macedonia has begun using its new name of north macedonia, ending three decades of dispute with greece. it confirmed the name change in the official gazette, and the benefits are already being felt, with the nato flag flying outside the government building in skopje to mark the country's impending accession. venezuela's opposition leader, juan guaido, has told tens

of thousands of his supporters that humanitarian aid will be brought in, despite opposition from president nicolas maduro. mr maduro earlier told the bbc he would not allow aid in, as it was a way for the us to justify an intervention. there have been mass rallies in russia calling for the release of a woman who is being held under house arrest for alleged links to protest groups. anastasia shevchenko is facing up to six years in prison for attending political debates and protests. human rights groups have condemned the treatment of the activist, and public anger over her case has been growing since the death of her daughter. sarah rainsford reports from rostov, in southern russia. anastasia shevchenko is only allowed out these days to go to court, and

only with a police escort. a political activist and a single mum, she is now facing six years in prison. how are you feeling, macro anastasia i can't talk. anastasia was in court to appeal against the top terms of her house arrest. human rights groups have condemned this case as draconian from the start, then two years ago, anastasia daughter was taken then two years ago, anastasia daughter was ta ken seriously then two years ago, anastasia daughter was taken seriously ill. she was only allowed to visit her in hospital just before she was only allowed to visit her in hospitaljust before she died. translation: i would ask mr prosecutor not to display it pointless cruelty to my family. you could have let me see my daughter and hug her. ifi could have let me see my daughter and hug her. if i had made it to the hospital a day earlier, i'd have been able to. that's it. anastasia ‘s plight has struck a chord with many russian women. they call this

the mother's march of fury. some carried stuff toys in place of placards. the police mostly kept at a distance. this march was banned by the authorities, but hundreds of people have turned out in any case. they have taken to the streets because they want to show their angen because they want to show their anger. there are so many other women, so many anger. there are so many other women, so many other mothers have now been detained for their politics. we can't stay sitting at home and think, i am so scared, what to do? i have to do something, but i'm so scared. we have to stop this, because all this system, it actually... it feeds on our fear. anastasia's son was at home when the police came for her. his grand tells me they even searched his schoolbooks, looking for evidence. the activist has been charged with links to an opposition group based in britain, outlawed here as undesirable. translation: it's a really big charge, undermining the country's constitution. but how? by

speaking at unsanctioned protests, holding seminars? she's never killed anyone, never robbed, and she is a mother of three. the judge, though, rejected her appeal, deeming her mother of three. the judge, though, rejected herappeal, deeming hera danger to society. shame on you, was the crowd's response to his ruling. but the price of speaking out is growing. anastasia will stay tag and tracked under house arrest until her trial. stay with us on bbc news. still to come: caught on camera in africa, the secret life of giant pangolins, the world's most trafficked mammals. there's mr mandela. mr nelson mandela, a free man, taking his first steps into a new south africa.

iran's spiritual leader ayatollah khomeini has said he's passed a death sentence on salman rushdie, the british author of a book which many muslims say is blasphemous. the people of haiti have flocked to church to give thanks for the ousting of their former president, 'baby doc' duvalier. because of his considerable value as a stallion, shergar was kept in a special secure box in the stud farm's central block. shergar was driven away in a horse box the thieves had brought with them. there stepped down from the plane a figure in mourning. elizabeth ii, queen of this realm and of all her other realms and territories, head of the commonwealth, defender of the faith. you're watching the briefing. 0ur headlines: public anger over the case

of a russian woman under house arrest for alleged links to protest groups. a 24—hour strike by belgium's air traffic control officers stops all flights in and out of the country. the leader of one of the world's most powerful and violent drug cartels has been convicted of smuggling cocaine and heroin into the united states. joaquin guzman played a central role in the long—running clashes between rival gangs in his native mexico. the man better known by the nickname 'el chapo' will be sentenced injune he faces life in prison. nada tawfik reports from new york. gunshots. this raid by mexican marines finally put an end tojoaquin "el chapo" guzman's brutal reign as the world's most powerful drug lord. but it was the work of us authorities who secured

his extradition to new york, and ultimately his conviction, that sealed his fate. his conviction, we expect, will bring a sentence of life without the possibility of parole. it is a sentence from which there is no escape and no return. in a major victory for us law enforcement, the anonymous jury found el chapo guilty on all ten of the criminal charges against him, including drug trafficking and murder conspiracy. when the verdict was read in court, el chapo sat stunned. he and his teary eyed wife, emma coronel, gave each other a thumbs—up. for months, she was present to hear the overwhelming evidence against her husband. but on tuesday, she left the court for the final time without giving any reaction. el chapo's lawyers say they plan to appeal. he was very clear to us. he's a very upbeat guy, and he was bringing our spirits up, which is surprising.

usually, it's the other way round, we are consoling a client who has just been convicted of counts that will ensure he was then the rest of his life in prison. this is a positive guy. prosecutors argued that el chapo's many escapes proved his guilt. jurors were shown this muted video of mexican marines trying to ram the door of one of his secret hideouts. the drug lord was in bed with his mistress at the time and together they escaped naked through a hydraulic hatch installed in a bathtub and down into a sewer tunnel. and when he was captured, it wasn't for long. the jury was shown one of his brazen escapes from prison in mexico through a tunnel from a shower in the cell where a motorcycle waited to speed him off. the trial allowed american prosecutors to detail the inner workings of the powerful sinaloa cartel and el chapo's rise from a humble farmer in the sierra madre mountains to the world's most powerful drug lord. jurors were told that in just four drug shipments,

the cartel smuggled more than a line of cocaine for every person in the united states, using various decoys such as plastic bananas. the trial featured testimony from many of el chapo's closest associates. together, they painted a vivid picture of how he consolidated power by paying enormous bribes and by being brutally violent. he once ordered the murder of his own cousin and was known to personally torture and kill his enemies. security has been a major feature of this trial and now that prosecutors have won the conviction of the infamous drug lord, he is expected to spend the rest of his life in prison under heavy guard. nada tawfik, bbc news, new york. now it's time to get all the latest from the bbc sports centre. hello, i'm tulsen tollett and this is your wednesday sport briefing. and we'll start with football where paul pogba will miss the second leg of manchester united's last 16 champions league tie after he was sent off for a second bookable offence

in the closing stages of their 2—0 loss to paris saint germain. both goals came in the second half, which included one to kyllian mbappe, and proved enough for the visitors to secure the win at old trafford as the hosts lost by two goals for the first time ever in a home european match. disappointed, of course, that we will not have paul because i thought he was our best player. he had three players around him all the time and was still able to cause problems. he has been fantastic. while roma will take a 2—1 lead to portugal for their second leg against porto. nicolo zaniolo had given last year's beaten semi finalists a 2—0 lead before adrian lopez handed his side a vital away goal with 11 minutes remaining. england won the third and final test of their series against west indies by 232 runs in saint lucia, to gain a measure of consolation having already lost the series. after being set a target of a85 to win,

james anderson and moeen ali both picked up three wickets as the hosts, despite roston chase's unbeaten century, were bowled out for 252 with ben stokes taking the final wicket. tottenham will host german side borussia dortmund in the first leg of their last 16 champions league tie later on wednesday. mauricio pochettino's side are well positioned in the premier league and will hope to push on in europe against the bundesliga leaders horse racing in britain will resume later on wednesday after a six—day shutdown following an outbreak of equine flu. 4 meetings in total will take place after all racing was suspended following the discovery of six cases. in total 174 racing stables had been placed in lockdown as authorities tried to combat the problem. there are 11 fixtures in the nba on wednesday night, including the houston rockets who face the minnesota timberwolves and the rockets james harden can

continue his incredible scoring run. he's had at least 30 points in 30 consecutive games and is nowjust one game from tying wilt chamberlain for the second—longest streak of 30—point games in nba history. chamberlain also holds the top 30—point game streak, with 65 in a row. well, we know borussia dortmund are in london for their champions league encounter against tottenham but getting there was a bit more problematic. that's because england winger jadon sancho forgot his passport. the 18—year—old realised his mistake when he arrived at the airport and needed to return home to get it with the team arriving in london as sancho was quick to point out. you can get all the latest sports news at our website — that's bbc.com/sport. but from me tulsen tollet and the rest of the team that is our wednesday sport briefing the secret life of the world's most trafficked mammals,

the giant pangolin, has been caught on camera in africa. the animals are trafficked mainly for their scales, which are believed to treat a variety of health conditions in traditional chinese medicine, and as a luxury food in vietnam and china. the footage gives a rare insight into the behaviour of a mammal which is being pushed to extinction as helen briggs reports. read glimpse of the secret life of the mysterious giant pangolin. baby clings to mum on a ride to the forest and a grown—up tries to climb a tree. when scientists from chester zoo studied giant pangolin, they we re zoo studied giant pangolin, they were amazed to see what happens after dark and they say the race is on to protect the most trafficked animal on earth. hunted for their

meat and scales, traffic is on the rise. wildlife experts say we may have lost a million giant pangolins in the past ten years alone. they are solitary, nocturnal, elusive in dense forests and we have not known much about them at we do know that they are being traded very heavily and if we do not take action soon, we could lose them. for the giant pangolin isle uganda, this is one place they cannot be purged. detecting rhinos around the clock is keeping this mysterious scaly mammals safe also. plenty more to come. i'll be back with the business briefing in just a few moments.

we will be discussing the mapping of a million britons to find out what the secret happiness is and the conclusion is that by the age of 16 and 70 we are happy years. tell me if you think that is true. tom cain says i am 64 and getting to the point where i have never been happier and looking forward to a happy retirement. with sue proviso that brexit is not a disaster and that brexit is not a disaster and that the government does not raise the pension level again. —— with two proviso. it is supposed to be the deepest,

darkest winter but it does not feel like it. very mild indeed the best time of year. brisk south to south—westerly wind around the high pressure and with that in charge, not much rain. more cloud around and we still have pockets of rain and drizzle northwards across scotland. these are the temperatures, milder than the previous night. a fair bit of cloud especially across scotland, northern ireland with rain and drizzle pushing away. damp in the far west of scotland. more widely across the midlands, southern england and east anglia. here the winds are lighter. further north—west the winds are stronger

but it will still be mild for most of us. similar temperatures to tuesday. still a fair bit of cloud around overnight across the northern half of the uk. another weak weather front approaching the north—western scotla nd front approaching the north—western scotland with a bit of rain and drizzle. it will be chillier on thursday morning with temperatures down 3— four degrees. stronger southerly winds and a higher pressure in the east of the uk, we will be drawing in warmer airfrom the continent. sunshine on thursday. cloud and rain are moving away from the lower parts of scotland and sunshine developing widely. temperatures up to 50 degrees around the mori firth. —— morey. the high

pressure essentially in charge on friday. a few spots of rain but on the whole still dry and my old with temperatures 13— i4 the whole still dry and my old with temperatures 13— 14 degrees and it stayed mild through the weekend. the best of the sunshine probably in the east. this is the business briefing, i'm sally bundock. markets get a boost as president trump says he might let his deadline for a trade deal with china slip. so could an end to the trade war be in sight? droning on about a better work—life balance. in japan, we look at how technology is being used to create a healthier workplace. 0n financial markets, stocks are up in asia, tracking a strong session on wall street boosted by optimism over us—china trade talks.