dangerous levels of air pollution in delhi have forced authorities to declare a public health emergency. schools have been shut until at least tuesday, construction halted, and face masks are being handed out. beto o'rourke has announced he is dropped out of the 2020 presidential race, saying his campaign doesn't have the resources to continue. the former texas congressman has been struggling with months of poor opinion polls and lackluster fundraising. police in britain have confirmed for the first time the 39 migrants found dead in a refrigerated lorry were most likely all vietnamese. meanwhile, in vietnam, two people have been arrested in connection with last weeks deaths. excitement is building ahead of the rugby world cup final between england and south africa in japan on saturday, as new zealand beat wales for third place. whirlpool has been criticised

for the time it has taken to deal with potentially dangerous tumble dryers that have been linked to a spate of fires. mps on the business select committee say it is disgraceful that some customers who have been the victims of fires have been made to sign non—disclosure agreements to get compensation from the company. our personal finance correspondent simon gompertz reports. i've got some washing for you. caught up in the four—year process so far of whirlpool sorting out its danger dryers, steviejo from west london battled to get hers replaced, then found even the replacement was one of the models at risk of catching fire. it's scary to think that they've taken so long to sort this problem out. eventually, after hounding them, i received a free—of—charge replacement. i checked online to make sure that it wasn't on the recall list, after all the hassle that i'd had.

i checked online to make sure that it wasn't on the recall list, after all the hassle that i'd had. lo and behold, it was on the recall list. this has been the fear — a spate of fires like one in london's shepherds bush blamed on faulty dryers. the brands affected include hotpoint, indesit and swan. the company revealed to mps in the summer that up to 800,000 could still be in use. so i apologise to you for whatever distress... in their evidence, whirlpool said sorry to one customer they had made sign a nondisclosure agreement, attempting to silence her in exchange for getting compensation. when it came to adding the cost up for everything, as well, i felt like a criminal, like i were being questioned. gemma had had to get her baby and toddler out of the house when her dryer caught light. as i opened the door and saw the flames, i had to grab him and get out, and i had to get my son to help me grab my daughter out. i think it is absolutely appalling that whirlpool not only was responsible for fires in people's homes, but then tried

to stop them from speaking about it, because we all know that the most powerful thing in terms of getting those machines out of homes is others speaking about their experience. that's what encourages people to check their own machine. whirlpool told us... their factory near bristol is producing a new dryer every ten seconds to provide the safer replacements it is now obliged to offer. that is under the terms of the full product recall which the government imposed three months ago. simon gompertz, bbc news. now on bbc news, in a special oscars preview of talking movies, top british actress felicityjones sits down with tom brook to discuss her latest film, the aeronauts.

hello and welcome to talking movies, countdown to the oscars. 0ur early ta ke countdown to the oscars. 0ur early take on the race to the academy awards 2020. the oscars are still weeks away, but already we have some idea of the likely contenders. we will be looking at the front runners in the major categories, as well as hearing from some big—name stars vying for hollywood's top prize. but first, our sitdown interview with the talented felicityjones, who is about to light up cinema screens around the world for her performance in the period adventure the aeronauts, set in the 19th century, in which she plays the pilot of a hot—air balloon. jones is an oscars contender, but by no means is she at the front of the pack. what's that? dinner. perhaps you could turn it into something else. the 36-year-old jones began acting as a child. she

made herfirst jones began acting as a child. she made her first screen appearance in the british family tv movie the treasure seekers in 1996. since then she has made some 20 films in which she has made some 20 films in which she has made some 20 films in which she has tackled very different roles. she played a key member of the alliance to restore the republic in rogue one, a star wars story. she appeared in the romantic comedy chalet girl. i would not wish any companion in the world but you. and then there has been shakespeare in a roll of miranda in the screen adaptation of the tempest. she also took on the supreme courtjustice ruth bailey ginsberg in the biographicalfilm on ruth bailey ginsberg in the biographical film on the ruth bailey ginsberg in the biographicalfilm on the basis of sex. two films have been pivotal in her career. what have you been doing? waiting for you. one was the 2011 largely unscripted drama like crazy, where she played a british girl in los angeles who falls for an american boy. why did you just shout at me? i am sorry i shouted at you. don't raise your voice at me. people are going to come round if you keep

shouting. it is really important if people come round. who is going to come around? simon? like crazy brought her critical acclaim and prizes and put her on the map, especially in the us where studios took note. the other significant film in her career was portraying jane hocking, the wife of physicist stephen hawking played by eddie redmayne in the theory of everything. the film was what widely praised, as was her performance, which brought her an oscar nomination. yes, physics is back in business. and so it gens. now she is starring in the aeronauts, heavily fictionalised account of a record—breaking flight by two hot—air balloon ‘s in 1862. it has reunited jones with eddie redmayne, who plays the meteorologist on board the hot—air balloon. felicityjones is the pilot amelia wren. what i loved about her is that she is someone loved about her is that she is someone who acts before she speaks, thinks. she is incredibly strong

physically. i just love that she was a total wildcat, and really wanted to throw myself into playing her. you have worked with eddie redmayne before really beautifully on the theory of everything, so it must have been something you welcome, this opportunity to work with him again. yes, we have built up such trust from making the theory of everything that it made the project much more appealing, doing it with someone much more appealing, doing it with someone that you already had that relationship in place. and because so much of it is just the two of them ina so much of it is just the two of them in a tiny little basket for hours on end, you know, you felt like you had to do that with someone you really liked and got on with and respected. shooting this film with a hot—air balloon, did that place physical demands on you as an actress ? physical demands on you as an actress? it was a physical experience like nothing i have ever experienced before. it was one of the most demanding films i have ever shot, and partly because of the style of trying to get something that felt very visceral, very naturalistic, and to achieve that, you kind of have to go through the

mill. don't you wish to be up there with them? some reach for the stars, some push others towards them.|j have read that you believe the film is about hope and anything is possible. in what way?” is about hope and anything is possible. in what way? i think there's just a possible. in what way? i think there'sjust a huge, hugely optimistic, the film. and there is an element of looking beyond, you know, looking beyond the sort of difficult times that we are having at the moment, in the sense that, you know, rainbows are going to come. we hope. when you look at back at your body of work, which is pretty impressive, how do you view a film like crazy, because they brought you a lot of attention, didn't it? i think that film really gave me a sense of an acting style, andi gave me a sense of an acting style, and i think it was something i have all always carried through because they were so much improvisation. an improvisation is a bit of creating

anarchy. and so that little bit of anarchy. and so that little bit of anarchy you have to take with you wa nt anarchy you have to take with you want everything, and often when you are shooting it can get very repetitive and suddenly there can be a sort inertia. and i always rememberfrom like a sort inertia. and i always remember from like crazy you have got to throw caution to the wind and you have got to try things out and don't be scared. and i think like crazy really emboldened me in that approach. i read that when you are young your mother repeatedly showed young your mother repeatedly showed you gone with the wind. how did that affect your aspirations as an actress ? affect your aspirations as an actress? did it have an impact? yes, i think enormously. i think growing up i think enormously. i think growing up around cinema, i am a massive sinner fail up around cinema, i am a massive sinnerfail myself, up around cinema, i am a massive sinner fail myself, and up around cinema, i am a massive sinnerfail myself, and i think it is just sinnerfail myself, and i think it isjusta... it sinnerfail myself, and i think it isjust a... itjust sinnerfail myself, and i think it is just a... itjust gave me the love of filmmaking that i have now —— cinephile. from being around it at such an early age. is no question. stephen must live. you got oscar nominated for theory of

everything. did that affect your career at all? did it result in you getting more work? well, it's funny old business, because you definitely... you sort of... i think it was james gordon said that some actors like maybe brad pitt or angelina jolie have this consistent level of fame that never changes, and then for the rest of us it is kind of pea ks and then for the rest of us it is kind of peaks and troughs —— james corden. and that is definitely true. as soon as you do something that people respond to, the offers do flooding, definitely. you notice that you are getting more attention, and then everyone sort of sits up and then everyone sort of sits up and takes notice. though i definitely was given, you know, amazing opportunities from theory of everything. oscar season is rapidly approaching. do you keep up with the oscars race and the ups and downs of it? yes, everything. because i get sent the films, so... and you start being sent them in sort of late august, early september, and there are hundreds to get through for

voting. so yes, i am fully committed and spend a lot of time watching all the films. i love seeing what the new thing is. unfortunately we are kind of in this world where all the really great stuff comes at the end of the year, so you sort of have to pack it in. won't make you are pretty diligent about it, though, aren't you? yes, well, i love doing it, doesn't feel like a chore. don't this rope. i don't know how everything works. what are you doing? we fly. the sky awaits. would you like to have more authorship in your work, and be a director? yes, i mean, it is something i wouldn't ever rule out, and definitely i love every aspect of filmmaking, and i studied english literature at university, so i am always reading and looking for stories, and that's what a lovely sort of part of the profession, is being able to be involved a little bit earlier on,

without a doubt. and do you think you would be good at directing a film? i don't know if i... i don't know. i think directing takes enormous skill. it is not for everyone. i always feel like the director is the most put upon person, despite the title, director. there is a lot of indirect — ing. they are dealing with issues from every direction stop but it is not something i would ever, ever rule out. but we will see. this is absurd. it is what they call entertainment, mr glaisher. absurd. it is what they call entertainment, mr glaisherlj absurd. it is what they call entertainment, mr glaisher. i don't find it particularly entertaining. it requires a sense of humour, which you seem it requires a sense of humour, which you seem to lack. now let's move onto our countdown to the oscars, our admittedly early take on the race to the academy awards, although preliminary oscar go voting does ta ke preliminary oscar go voting does take place as soon as next month. first, the best actress category, where rene zellweger is widely

perceived as a front runner for her portrayal of late showbiz legend judy garland in the film judy. emma jones went to meet her. # somewhere over the rainbow. # way up high... as performances go, it is a comeback to rival any one ofjudy garland's. rene zellweger took a six year break from the film industry. bridget jones reprisals aside, her role as judy garland towards the end of her old to brief life is the first major one for a decade. portraying one of hollywood's greatest legends offered all the satisfaction and terror for an actor looking for a challenge. all the satisfaction and terror for an actor looking for a challengelj an actor looking for a challenge.” was curious immediately, because i knew so very little about this chapter in duty‘s life, and it seemed like certainly there is more to it than what was written about her after her passing. so i came over to england. they said just come, we willjust chat, we will

talk about it. and then maybe we will try some songs, and we will see where we are and where we might want to go. and we started experimenting, with a black wig, and let'sjust to go. and we started experimenting, with a black wig, and let's just try her stage make up. just went on like that. i read that you started preparing for the role a year before rehearsals, rene is that true? yes, thank goodness. yes. critics raving that zellweger manages to embody the ethics ofjudy —— essence ofjudy garland, it is no surprise she is a front runnerfor the garland, it is no surprise she is a front runner for the prize. hollywood loves an actor who transformed successfully into a real—life character. last year there was little doubt that gary oldman which i and for his portrayal of winston churchill. there is a kick, don't eat it. hollywood also loves to talk about itself, and judy dives back into the golden age of the studios, when garland was making the wizard of oz. finally, hollywood likes to reward effort. zellweger brings more than total transformation. she brings her own live singing, though she didn't plan

on it. mum, please don't go to sleep now. rene, how do you feel about singing live, and particularly singing live, and particularly singing over the rainbow, as well? well, i could lie to you. i could tell you that it was fantastic and i couldn't wait. i was horrified, i couldn't wait. i was horrified, i couldn't believe it. in the actual experience of it, it was so fun, it was so special. the character ofjudy the character of judy garland, the character ofjudy garland, a woman deeply scarred by her experiences of being psychologically abused by her studio in the 1930s. it resonates deeply because of hollywood's recent self—examination. it is really hard to deny that she had very little say in the course that she was being sat on at the time. i don't know that she would look at herself as a victim. the movies is what united us. it shaped

conversations, it shaped fashion, it shaped the decisions you would make about what a good life looks like, what you aspire to have ought to be. it was shaped by film and to be part of that, to be a start of cinema, you know, what would you do. at 50, age is no barrier to her success. last year was a surprise wind for olivia colman in the favourite over glenn close for the wife. other recent winds include meryl streep, julianne moore and cate blanchett. but much has been made of the actress stepping away from the spotlight for years, not months. actress stepping away from the spotlight foryears, not months. she previously won a supporting actress oscar in 2004 for cold mountain. much of her body of work belongs to the 19905 and the turn of the millennium. ultimately, though, the story of one of their own triumphing after being written off is one that the industry find5 hard to resist. and that might apply as much to rene zellweger a5 and that might apply as much to rene zellweger as to judy and that might apply as much to rene

zellweger a5 tojudy garland. # dream5 that you dared to dream really do come true... now let's move onto the front runner in the best actor category, where adam driver has had a very good year. i'm thinking zombies. what? you know, zombies. he was at cannes where he won some prai5e you know, zombies. he was at cannes where he won some praise for his role in the gym jarm5uch zombie movie thejudge don't role in the gym jarm5uch zombie movie the judge don't die. he also appeared as a senator investigating the use of enhanced interrogation techniques in the wake of september 11 in the film the report. but he made the most impact playing the husband in the divorce story marriage story upset scarlett johansson. his performance in marriage story has given him frontrunner status. we caught up with him to discuss his current wave of success. your career is going really well right now. you are being embraced for your work in different

films and the performances you give. you are getting a lot of positive feedback. does that mean a lot to you? i mean, it always means a lot getting the respect of your peers, and, you know, people you admire. but it is also surreal. at a certain point i don't know what good it does to try to attach a meaning to it, because in a way, there is no meaning to it. i work really hard, but there are a lot of actors who worked really hard. i'vejust but there are a lot of actors who worked really hard. i've just been extremely lucky in the people i've got to work with, and things like this that have come along, and the timing has worked out. there is a whole other pull of reasons why i'm lucky. so i try to keep it in perspective. clearly lots of people are very impressed by your acting. when you reflect on your own work, do you see yourself developing as an actor? i hope. i mean, i hope. sometimes it is hard to gauge because i also try not to watch the things that i do. you know, sometimes you pick things, well, i a lwa ys sometimes you pick things, well, i always pick films because of the

director first. but then within the character or the movie you want to work on something personal. and it is hard to gauge whether you have got it right. because sometimes you think things that are operating aunt, and the opposite is true. i have met older actors, who had been doing this for a lot longer than have, and have learned that they all seem have, and have learned that they all seem to share the same youthful ambition in trying to get it right, which i find comforting. it is a good lesson for me to realise, you don't ever kind of get it right. you hope you get better, but even that is subjective. you never mastered anything. you just make the attempt. so as long as i tried to get better at being comfortable with failure, then i think that would be a good gauge of improvement. well, you do a pretty good job. thank you very much! i'll never really get to be his parents again. he needs to know that i fought for him. so far, we've looked at the likely frontrunners in

the best actor and best actress categories. what about some of the other races? talking movies reached out to a group of critics to get their predictions. for best supporting actor i think it is really a battle between tom hanks, who is playing mr rogers in it's a beautiful day in the neighbourhood and cliff both, played by brad pitt in once upon a time in hollywood. they are both big movie star is doing slightly offkilter roles which really play to their strengths. that said, brad pitt has had a good year and that role is one which i think people adored, you know, watching him as the sidekick who looks more like a movie starred in the movie star does. so i think he is probably the frontrunner. i would not be surprised if most people right now are really talking about al pacino for his role in when it comes to best supporting actor. his

he plays jimmy hoffa he plastimmy hoffa in this huge scenery he plastimmy hoffa in this huge scenery eating performance. pretty unforgettable. the first time he has ever worked with martin scorsese. it isa ever worked with martin scorsese. it is a big moment for him and for the movie. if not al pacino, i would say willem dafoe in of the lighthouse is bonkers and fantastic. he has been nominated a couple of times. i think a lot of people really want to award him. he would be this boiler, i think, in that category. ten, 15, even 20 years ago, we would probably be surprised if we were talking aboutjennifer be surprised if we were talking about jennifer lopez is a potential oscar nominee, but it seems like thatis oscar nominee, but it seems like that is definitely the way it is going right now. her performance in hustlers as a stripper who is part ofa hustlers as a stripper who is part of a ring of women who basically drugs meant for their money, i think it isjust filled

drugs meant for their money, i think it is just filled with layers. all of the things that we love about jennifer lopez as a performer. jennifer lopez as a performer. jennifer lopez as a performer. jennifer lopez 55 performance is unbelievable. it is fully memorable, kind of the j—lo that everybody remembers from years ago, just com pletely remembers from years ago, just completely exploding onto the screen. hustlers is not a great movie. it is a very fun movie, and the reason it is fun is because of jennifer lopez. she plays a stripper with a heart of gold. she really owns the movie in the way that you wa nt owns the movie in the way that you want a great actor to own a movie. she makes it thrilling.” want a great actor to own a movie. she makes it thrilling. i think jiao‘ in the farewell stands a good chance. she is pretty wonderful. i would love to see it in the mix. obviously this would be a great year to see jennifer lopez in hustlers get in there. i think a lot of people are rooting for that. it was great to see her in a good role again, you know? she is such a movie star in that movie. i am rooting for

her. it is the irishman. it is a historical mobster movie about a fixer for the historical mobster movie about a fixerfor the mob historical mobster movie about a fixer for the mob and jimmy hoffa and also it is about ageing and coming to the end of your life and looking backwards and wondering what it all amounted to. it is a big, bold, career defining film, scorsese, and it has amazing actors in it. giving amazing —— amazing performances. it has everything but the academy really loves. sol performances. it has everything but the academy really loves. so i think that that is a sort of powerhouse media, a powerhouse cast, a powerhouse special effects, that is definitely going to be a frontrunner. i really do think it is going to boil down to two frontrunners for best picture, it is going to be once upon a time in hollywood and it is going to be the irishman. they are both very strong, but i think of the two, the want to beat is going to be once upon a time in hollywood. there is lots of love and support not just in hollywood. there is lots of love and support notjust for quentin tarantino, but the idea of shooting

on film, shooting in hollywood, supporting the industry, and i think hollywood loves to celebrate hollywood loves to celebrate hollywood and i think this isjust going to be a slam dunk. realistically, i think it is probably between once upon a time and hollywood and marriage story. my gut tells me may be marriage story could get in there and when. on the side of once upon a time in hollywood, you've got that it is a story about hollywood, which always goes over well. you've got quentin tarantino. but goes over well. you've got quentin tara ntino. but i goes over well. you've got quentin tarantino. but i think also, it is so tarantino. but i think also, it is so divisive. whereas marriage story is this almost classically well made movie with incredible acting, the writing is so good, it is just this really beautiful story about a relationship falling apart. and i think that is hard to resist. so, we didn't have a host of this year, in pa rt didn't have a host of this year, in part because of the cabin heart buckle of 2019, and i am all for not having any host award shows ever. —— kevin hart. i think they should totally be a host. it is an awards show. but some somebody come out and say, welcome, and hear some people who will give out awards, and then

good night. it doesn't take much. just get anybody, who cares?” good night. it doesn't take much. just get anybody, who cares? i would be surprised if they went with a single host. if they do, it should bea single host. if they do, it should be a casino. the other thing i keep seeing in my mind is the oscars making a just had to bid for young people, going for youtube stars or something. logan paul, ninja, a streaming star. i really think, you know, just go full force. try and get that market, you know. the oscars can stay relevant forever. well, that brings this edition of talking movies to a close. we hope you've enjoyed the show. please remember, you can always reach us online and you can find us on facebook as well. so, from me, tom brook, and the rest of the production crew here in new york, it is good by, as we leave you with oscars frontrunner rene zellweger singing over the rainbow from the film duty. # somewhere over the rainbow

# somewhere over the rainbow # skies are blue # skies are blue # and the dreams that you dared to dream # really do come true... hello there. winds have already been picking up across parts of the uk. there is some stormy weather to take us through saturday. gales and also heavy rain, which for some of us will cause some disruption to travel and potentially some damage as well. your bbc local radio station will keep you up to date. you can see the swelling area of cloud on our earlier satellite picture. this is an area of low pressure which has been deepening as it has been approaching the british isles. on the southern flank, you can see these isobars washing together. that shows a swathe of strong winds continuing to develop right now

across parts of wales and the south—west of england. some very heavy rain to be had here as well. but there are met office yellow warnings in force for the strength of the winds. the strongest winds through the first part of the morning across the south—west of england and south wales, gusts of 60, 70, maybe 80 miles an hour on exposed coasts. as the day wears on those strong winds will transfer further east across southern england, the south midlands and up into east anglia. 50, 60, maybe 65mph gusts. those winds could be quite damaging. there will also be some heavy and persistent rain slowly pushing east and north. but at the same time there will be parts of northern england, southern scotland and northern ireland that see precious little rain. sunny spells, the winds here will be lighter. not a bad day. further north in scotland, they will be happy and persistent rain which could cause flooding and easterly winds gusting to 50 or 60 miles an hour. there is lots going on across the uk through the day ahead. top temperatures of 10—13. if you are planning to head out and about during the evening, those winds will only slowly ease. it will certainly stay blustery for a while. into the first part of sunday it should be a little, out there. some rain at times and lows of 7—9 degrees.

sunday, low pressure still very much in charge. notice, not as many white lines. not as many isobars on the chart. winds will be considerably lighter. around the centre of that area of low pressure we will see showers or longer spells of rain spiralling around across the uk. it isn't all doom and gloom if you are heading out and about because you can see some breaks in the cloud as well. there will be some spells of sunshine, and those top temperatures, 10 degrees in aberdeen, 14 in cardiff. staying unsettled with further heavy downpours into the start of the new working week and then for the middle of the week, it will pick up a northerly wind that is going to feel rather chilly.

welcome to bbc news, i'm reged ahmad. our top stories: schools closed, construction grinds to a halt. india declares a public health emergency in delhi, with air pollution at dangerous levels. beto o'rourke out of the race. the texan democrat hopeful announces he is giving up on his american presidential dream. and the countdown is on for the rugby world cup. england take on south africa.