this is bbc news. the headlines: hundreds of civilians have been evacuated from baghouz, the last village still held by the islamic state group in syria. at least four trucks carrying people left the village on saturday. western—backed syrian democratic forces are poised to resume their final welcome to bbc news. i'm lewis vaughan jones. our top stories: push on the area. hundreds of civilians flee the thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in venezuela last stronghold of the islamic state on a day of rival demonstrations. group ahead of a final assault by western—backed forces. police used pepper spray thousands join rival rallies against supporters in venezuela in support of both the president and opposition leader of the opposition leader, juan guaido, in the capital caracas, as the country's crisis continues. while a huge number of pro—government demonstrators also gathered in the city. rescuers find the bodies and r kelly has been released of two climbers missing for almost a fortnight on a mountain from prison after the payment of more than $160,000 in the himalayas. in overdue child support. american singer r kelly the singer has previously spent three nights injail is released from jail in chicago after being charged in four sex abuse cases, allegations he denies. after the payment of $160,000 owed in child support. and songs of survival — now on bbc news, the choir bringing harmony the week in parliament.

to conflict—hit ukraine. welcome to bbc news. more civilians have emerged from baghouz, the last village still held by the islamic state group in syria. at least four trucks carrying people left the village on saturday. over the past six years, the is caliphate has shrunk from the size of britain to less than a square mile on syria's border with iraq. the syrian democratic forces are poised to resume theirfinal push on the area. lebo diseko reports. they have left the final stronghold of the so—called islamic state. —— they've left the final stronghold of the so—called islamic state.

women and children evacuated out of baghouz now searched as they arrive in territory held by the us—backed syrian defence forces. the western—backed kurdish and arab fighters are poised to launch their final assault on the tiny enclave, which is all that's left in is control. but they've been waiting for the families to leave. thousands have done so in recent days, with more reported to have left on saturday, loaded onto at least four trucks. the same fighters waiting to begin their final assault on what's left of is land are also those trying to get civilians to safety. translation: we are now at the end of baghouz. the euphrates river is 700 metres away from us. the camp is one kilometre behind us. we are trying to evacuate most of the civilians after sunset. we are evacuating hundreds — hundreds — of civilians. those who make it out of baghouz will be sent here to al hol, both a detention and refuge centre in northern syria. it's run by the us—backed

syrian kurdish fighters, but aid workers have been allowed in to help. tens of thousands of people are now here with more than 10,000 coming in recent days. the few facilities available were struggling, even before the increased arrivals. now, aid workers warn that they are overwhelmed. so far, we have counted them and 106 people dead. we have to count that these people are coming from a very poor camp condition and they have to travel more than 150 kilometres in a very, very, very harsh winter with cold, so some of them arrive so weak that any complication in their health condition may end in a fatal casualty. it's not clear how many civilians are still left in baghouz, nor how long the sdf fighters will be willing to wait for them to leave before making that final push. lebo diseko, bbc news. and you can keep up

to date with reports on the hundreds of civilians fleeing the last stronghold of the islamic state group on the bbc website. you'll also find analysis of how many of the refugees are children and non—syrian nationals. that's all at bbc.com/news. of course, you can download the bbc news app. let's get some of the day's other news. a plane has crashed in central colombia, killing all 12 people on board. the pilot reported technical problems before losing contact with air traffic control. the twin—propeller aircraft was located an hour later near the city of villavicencio. the authorities in colombia say three crew members and nine passengers died. north koreans go to the polls today for an election in which there can be only one winner as only one name appears on the ballot paper. voting for the supreme people's assembly is mandatory and any kind of dissent

is unheard of. turning up early to vote is seen as a sign of loyalty. votes are being counted across large parts of nigeria where people have been electing governors and state assemblies. there have been reports of vote buying and isolated cases of violence. local election monitors have complained of an intimidating military presence in some ares. —— areas. results are expected to start coming in on sunday. the mexican navy says it's seized six tons of illegal drugs in operations off the north—west coast. 0fficers spotted two suspicious boats during a routine air patrol. they were discovered in a mangrove and were camouflaged with vegetation. officials say the haul included marijuana, methamphetamines and heroin. rival protesters took to the streets in venezuela on saturday. at a rally, president nicolas maduro thanked the army for staying loyal, saying they had defeated an opposition coup attempt.

meanwhile, police clashed with supporters of opposition leader juan guaido at their rally in caracas. 0ur correspondent will grant is in caracas. a little earlier, i asked him about the significance of the military‘s support for president maduro. yes, i mean, certainly, the military are absolutely key to the future of venezuela and, obviously, to the future of president nicolas maduro. but also, the other factor that's sort of currently going on, beyond whether or not the army stay loyal, isjust the tension being ramped up by the very widespread national blackout, there's been a power cut that's gone on for over two days now in some areas, some parts of the country haven't had any electricity for more than 48 hours, and it's only because i'm staying somewhere that there is a generator that i'm even able to talk to you. most of the country is incomplete darkness again now despite the efforts that were made

to bring it back online. so, that caused a lot of anger and it was very, very noticeable at the opposition march that people were furious about that situation. so, where do you think that anger, that frustration takes us next? well, it's hard to say. eventually, it's going to need some kind of outlet. mr guaido, when he reached the supporters and spoke to them on a megaphone, announced a national tour and that he is going to be going down to the different regions, the different states, gathering people together, travelling with congressmen from his side and then bringing people back to caracas where he intends to hold another big day of demonstrations in the near future. that is all intended, i think, to just make venezuela increasingly ungovernable for president nicolas maduro, to make life so difficult for him, that eventually, something has to give. exactly what that something

is and when it happens, whether or not the military will be on board with it or how it plays out is very, very difficult to say. well, nicolas maduro, of course, has that core support, but how popular isjuan guaido amongst the rest of the country? well, there was a poll that was undertaken in venezuela by one of the more reputable polling firms here that gave him around 60% popularity rate, but that if an election was held tomorrow, that he would win by upwards of 70 to 75%, which is obviously a huge margin. i think the thing is is that nicolas maduro can count on the key support that president chavez, the late venezuelan leader, always had, which is somewhere around 20% of the electorate perhaps, but that big chunk that always supported chavez has fallen away in these six years that mr maduro has been in power,

and a lot of them have clearly swung towards mr guaido in these past few weeks. rescuers in pakistan have found the bodies of the two missing mountaineers, briton tom ballard, and daniele nardi, who was italian. contact was lost with the pair almost two weeks ago during an ascent of one of the world's highest mountains, nunga parbut, in the himalayas. sarah campbell reports. tom ballard was among the world's best and most fearless climbers. he specialised in taking on the most dangerous ascents in winter. joining him on what would be his final challenge, italian climber daniele nardi. they'd waited weeks for a weather window before setting off to climb nanga parbat, also known as ‘killer mountain'. an international search was launched after contact was lost with the pair two—thirds of the way up a particularly treacherous route. after after two weeks after they went missing

came the news that their bodies had been spotted. tom, as a youngster, looking for a reassuring cuddle from his mum, alison hargreaves. in 1995, she became the first woman to climb everest without oxygen or assistance. when we go climbing, we obviously minimise the risks and if we thought it was that risky, we wouldn't go climbing. i mean, anybody who went off thinking that, you know, there was a very high chance they wouldn't come back, i think, it's a very unfair thing to do, especially with a young family. that same year, she died while descending from the summit of k2, the world's second—highest peak. fellow climbers, friends and family are now having to come to terms with tom's death at the age ofjust 30. he wouldn't have remembered his mum that well. he was five when she died, but he was aware of what a great lady she was and a great climber she was herself. i have to say, i'm not that religious, but if i was, i'd like to think tom's gone to meet his mum anyway, let's say.

this is just so sad. it's repeating. he was just a fine young man, really, tom. daniele nardi also knew the risks. his family released a written statement today, which included a message he'd left for his son should he not return. "don't stop," he told him. "don't give up." climbing was all tom ever wanted to do. he died doing what he loved. sarah campbell, bbc news. r kelly has been released from prison after paying more than $160,000 in overdue child support. the singer has previously spent three nights injail after being charged in four sex abuse cases. allegations the singer denies. i promise you we're going to straighten all this stuff out. that's all i can say right now. i promise you. i love my fans. thank you, guys. his lawyer also spoke to reporters outside cook countyjail in chicago. so, we're going to focus on the evidence.

we're going to fight the case in the courtroom. the state has yet to give us one single piece evidence. we haven't seen an interview, we haven't seen a police report, we haven't seen a videotape. when we get those things, we're going to fight this case like we fight any other case — in the courtroom, based on the evidence. stay with us on bbc news. still to come, from the beach to below zero — warming up ahead of the snow volleyball championship. the numbers of dead and wounded defied belief. this the worst terrorist atrocity on european soil in modern times. in less than 2a hours then, the soviet union lost an elderly sick leader and replaced him with a dynamic figure 20 years his junior. we heard these gunshots in the gym.

then he came out through a fire exit and started firing at our huts. god, we were all petrified. james earl ray, aged 41, sentenced to 99 years and due for parole when he's 90, travelled from memphis jail to nashville state prison in an 8—car convoy. paul, what's it feel like to be married at last? it feels fine, thank you. what are you going to do now? is it going to change your life much do you think? i don't know really. i've never been married before. this is bbc news. the latest headlines: hundreds of civilians have left the last stronghold of the islamic state group ahead of a final assault by western—backed forces. thousands of anti—government protesters have ta ken to the streets in venezuela on a day of rival demonstrations.

police used pepper spray against supporters of the opposition leaderjuan guaido. more now on syria. one of those who is now in a camp having left the islamic state enclave is the british teenager shamima begum. she joined the group when she was 15. the british government has been facing criticism over the decision to revoke her citizenship to stop her returning to the uk after her baby son died in a syrian detention camp last week. chris mason reports. babyjarrah and his mum, 19—year—old shamima begum. she gave birth in a camp used to hold islamic state group fighters with their wives and children. at less than three weeks old, her son has died from pneumonia, and is buried here. the shadow home secretary, diane abbott, said leaving the two of them in a syrian refugee camp was morally reprehensible, and a stain on the conscience of this government. shamima begum is one of around 50,000 people, mostly women and children, living in this camp in north—eastern

syria. both a refuge and detention centre, those who chose to join is are now fleeing the fighting and ending up here. charities say the government had an obligation to step in. today is a national tragedy, because this is a shared sorrow about the death of a british newborn child. so, whatever we think about the behaviour and choices of the child's mother, a baby not yet three weeks old has died of pneumonia. last month, the home secretary, sajid javid, confirmed the baby was a british citizen, and said he had considered the child's interest when deciding to take away ms begum's british citizenship. but the central question now is could the life of an innocent child have been saved? as somebody who has served in the home office, i can tell you factually the home secretary will have made a decision based on what he believes in the best interest of the security of the people of the united kingdom.

the duty of a home secretary in this country is to keep british people safe, and he made a decision based on the advice he had about keeping british people safe. meanwhile, shamima begum's family are still fighting for her to be allowed back to the uk. just before it was announced his grandson had died, ms begum's dad, who lives in bangladesh, begged for his daughter to be forgiven. translation: shamima was a teenager. she has done wrong, and as her father, i apologise to everyone in britain. i'm asking the british people to forgive her and take her back. being in government often means making difficult choices. ministers could have allowed shamima begum and her son to return to the uk, but that could have proved deeply unpopular. in a statement, a spokesman said that the death of any child was tragic, but said that for the last eight years, the government has consistently advised against travel to syria. the case of shamima begum and her son is but one of thousands, and a dilemma for many governments around the world — what to do about those who left home to join an enemy and now want to come back. chris mason, bbc news.

destro is likely to grow. —— this i’ow destro is likely to grow. —— this row is likely to grow. with the sunday times reporting that two more british women have had their citizenship taken from them. i asked our news correspondent john mcmanus what we knew about the two women. well, the sunday times says that the two sisters travelled from london to syria to join so—called islamic state a few years ago. now, one of the sisters, zara, had already had a son in london when she travelled to syria. she gave birth to two

of the children subsequently, while reema also has two sons, one of whom was born in britain. that means between them they have five children. now, if this story is correct, that the british government has stripped them of their citizenship, the question is what happens to the children. stripped them of their citizenship, the question is what happens to the children. the home secretary, sajid javid, has been very clear that when he makes this decision to revoke citizenship of those who have gone to join islamic state, he says their rights are unaffected and preserved. but if these children need to come back to the uk, as their mothers want them to, how is that going to be done if the two sisters, their mothers, are no longer british citizens? are they split from their mothers, or does the government actually say in this case we will allow the mothers to come back as well? well, clearly these are complicated and difficult issues, but the government's policy and strategy here is under criticism. that's right, and this really came to light a few weeks ago in the case of shamima begum, a 19—year—old woman also from east london, who travelled to syria and married a dutchjihadist fighter and has had three children, two of whom unfortunately died. ms begum spoke to the bbc a few weeks ago and said she also wanted to return to the uk, for the health and of her unborn child.

but the home secretary revoked her citizenship, making that pretty difficult for her. subsequently she gave birth, and we found out two days ago that that child had died of pneumonia. the conditions in these camps are absolutely atrocious, so the government, the home secretary, has been under a lot of pressure because of that, with some 0pposition politicians actually saying that he is responsible for the death of that child. it's a very tricky line for the government to walk. it wants to somehow deal with jihadists, people who have gone to join islamic state, who have either already returned to the uk, it monitors those and tries to make sure that they're not a danger to uk citizens, but it also wants to take action about those who are still in syria in these camps. i have to say, there wasn't much public sympathy for shamima begum when her story first came out, mainly because she wasn't particularly repentant about what she does, and i think it's fair to say that the government perhaps is not too worried about being criticised by the public over this. but of course, when it comes to the deaths of babies, that is very different.

the italian government has ordered a halt to further work on its side of a controversial high speed rail link to france — after a dispute between the two populist parties in power. the prime minister, giuseppe conte, instructed the engineering company running the project to stop issuing tenders temporarily, due to rising costs. italy's coalition, five star party say they want the project re—negotiated or scrapped — in favour of projects the country needs more. translation: we should continue to work until we can restart the discussion of the whole infrastructure project with dialogue which respects the french position. we also need to work to avoid tying up italian money on a project that needs to be reconsidered.

despite the ceasefire agreement in eastern ukraine, the frontline remains an active combat zone. thousands have been killed and more than a million fled their homes since 2014. those to choose to stay have to deal not only with shooting and explosions but also with loneliness and depression. for one group of women, forming a choir has helped them get through it. the bbc‘s abdujalil abdurasulov reports. traditional singing in unusual circumstances. this choir performs just 10 km away from the front line in eastern ukraine. the conflict between russia—backed rebels in ukraine that started in 2014 has changed the lives of everyone living near the front line. zolotyy means "golden" in ukrainian,

but today, this village can hardly live up to its name. many people have left the village since the start of the conflict. 0lga konzyuk stayed, but for her, like for many others who remained, it was the loneliness and not shelling or shooting that became the biggest fear. translation: when you're with the choir, you forget everything, everything. you just remember only the good things. of course it's very sad when we separate. you go home still alone in your apartment, and think about all the troubles in your life. the choir had to stop rehearsing when the clashes started. yet no risks could match the depression these women faced, so the group reunited two years later. translation: every woman here is very lonely. their children and grandchildren

live somewhere else, not here. these people need interaction, so that they won't be tempted to commit suicide. the choir received a grant from the un development programme to continue performing. now, they want to give concerts in nearby villages and towns. the women hope to lift the spirit of other people and help them to overcome the hardships of the conflict. as karate, skateboarding, and surfing prepare to make their debut in the summer 0lympics in 2020, there may be a new contender waiting in the wings for winter. snow volleyball looks a lot like its beach cousin — only, colder.

gail maclellan explains. warming up may be a challenge, but cooling down shouldn't be a problem. sweden's snow volleyballers, in competition for a spot at the european championships, to be held in austria in april. the spectators may resort to jumping jacks to stay warm, and the beverage of choice might be hot soup, but there is still enthusiastic support for this new sport. those who know their beach volleyball will have spotted there is an extra player — three, instead of two. and playing barefoot is not really an option. to stop them from slipping, and developing frostbite, the players wear football boots. for some, the freezing temperatures and thin mountain air are an advantage.

i think it's a great future, especially here in sweden, because we have eight months of winter. so we're not really a beach volleyball country, so we should be pretty 0k. we're used to the snow and the cold. we are prepared for this. players say it is easier to jump on compacted snow than it is on beach sand, so height is less important. the game originated in austria, and this year will see the second european championship. the sport's governing body hopes it will soon be included in the lineup of the winter olympic games. instead of a celebratory dip in the sea, the winners will warm up in the courtside hot tub. not for me. before we go: collecting from seasides and forming art. this is an exhibition of pebble stones converted into decorations and dolls. the exhibition at turkey's capital ankara showcases regional figures, as well as worldwide figures made with pebbles. before creating a figure, artists research a region, before working on each

piece piece over a week. you can reach me on twitter — i'm @lvaughanjones. good morning. it's a pretty messy sunday story across the country. we've seen some heavy overnight rain gathering from this area of low pressure, and that's moving its way across england and wales. but as that clears out of the way over the next few hours, it's going to be replaced by this little fella, which will introduce more of a wintry flavour as it bumps into cold air that's sitting across scotland. so early birds may well start off with some rain around across northern england, a wintry flavour across the pennines, but that drifts off into the north sea, and then behind is more of a significant chance of seeing some snow across scotland. now, we will see several centimetres perhaps accumulating to higher ground, and some slushy deposits at lower levels, accompanied with gusts of winds 45—55 mph. a scattering of wintry showers, as well, through northern ireland and north—west england for a time.

and after that rain moves off into the north sea, for the rest of england and wales as we go through the day, it's a slow improvement, with some sunny spells coming through, but windy with it. gusts of winds 50—60 mph — that's going to make it feel quite cool. we keep the showers into the north, and it will be a cool day here, with those wintry showers going 3—5 celsius at the best. highest values further south of 7—11, but you've got to factor in the strength of the wind. it's going to be a little disappointing. now, through sunday night into monday, we see this little ridge of high pressure building. that'll quieten things down for a time, but not really for long, and with some clearer skies and lighter winds, we are going to see those temperatures falling away. so it's going to be a chilly start to monday morning, with temperatures close to freezing in many places, and there'll be a scattering of showers around as well. so monday on the whole, though, will be a largely fine and quiet day in comparison to what we've seen over the weekend — highest values of 9—11 degrees. but don't get too used to it, because as we close out monday into tuesday, there's another area of low pressure moving in that

will bring yet more wet and windy weather. just look at the isobars squeezing together. gale—force gusts of winds are quite likely, and some of that rain will really be quite heavy indeed. that slips its way through the south and east during tuesday, leaving a trail of wintry showers following in its wake behind, but also some sunny spells. but it's not going to feel particularly warm, with the strength and the direction of the wind. highest values of around 7—9 degrees. so our week ahead looks pretty unsettled, i'm afraid, so if you do have outdoor plans, it's worth bearing in mind — unsettled, with rain and gales at times, but also a little bit of sunshine for some.