this is bbc news, the headlines: officials in the us, canada and britain have indicated iran mistakenly fired missiles at the ukranian plane that crashed outside tehran on wednesday. president trump says the strike may have been a mistake. iran denies the claims. everyone on board was killed, including dozens of canadians. authorities in australia have warned nearly a quarter of a million people to evacuate their homes, or risk being trapped. temperatures are expected to shoot well above a0 degrees celsius and accompanied by strong winds, are expected to fan bushfires across the east coast. it's been confirmed to the bbc that meghan, the duchess of sussex has left the uk for canada. the news came as the queen summoned an urgent family conference to find a way to accommodate prince harry and meghan‘s wish to go it alone. the queen, prince charles and prince william have instructed their staff to find a solution within days.

now on bbc news, thursday in parliament. hello again, and welcome to thursday in parliament. sport and gambling — the government under pressure to break the link. too many times i've listened to heart—wrenching grief of a partner, a sibling or a parent whose loved one has taken their own life. the minister for sport says he's angry and hints he could hit the beautiful game in the pocket. we've committed over £500 million in terms of grassroots football, and i can assure my right honourable friend that that will very much be on my agenda next week when i meet with the fa. also in this programme, a moment of history

as the withdrawl agreement bill clears the house of commons. the ayes to the right, 330. the noes to the left, 231. and it may look like the fa cup draw, but it's even more important than that. clerk assistant, would you please draw the first number? all that to come and more, but first, should football matches be broadcast on gambling websites? mps say a deal struck by the football association could mean fans can only watch games after they've placed a bet, which could lead to problem gambling and mental health problems. since the start of last season, seven bookmakers have had rights to show fa cup ties on their websites and apps. the deal was struck in early 2017, before the football association announced that it was cutting its ties with gambling firms.

the government is urging to fa to review the deal, and the minister for sport was summoned to the commons to answer an urgent question from a labour mp. problem gambling in the uk is now so endemic that it should be treated as a public health crisis. it causes untold misery to those affected and their families. too many times i have sat with women and women who are cursed with an addiction and are battling mental health issues. too many times i've listened to heart—wrenching grief of a partner, a sibling or a parent whose loved one has taken their own life because the demon became too big to fight. carolyn harris said the deal effectively forced fans to place a bet if they wanted to watch their team. and to watch the matches on bet365‘s site, fans had to either place a bet before kick—off or open an account and deposit £5. bet365 heavily promoted the matches on social media beforehand, offering tips to lure

potential gamblers. betting odds then accompanied the live footage, tempting viewers to gamble more. everything about this deal is shameful. everything about this deal needs to be dealt with. everything about the gambling act needs reform, and certainly the gambling commission needs reform. the minister said he would meet the football association next week. we're very angry as a government as well with this arrangement, especially on a weekend when the fa very worthily had their heads together mental health campaign. i can tell the honourable lady that, as you can imagine, i have spoken at some length to the fa since this broke. this is an arrangement that has been in place for some time, and the 2017 contract was a rollover of a deal. i have been very clear that the government has asked the football association to look

at all avenues to review this element of their broadcasting agreement. there was cross—party criticism of what one mp called the "gamblification of sport". the football association should return as soon as possible to working closely to reduce the links between football and gambling, do away with this deal and avoid the proven risks of relentless online marketing on young men in particular. my honourable friend is right. i've spoken with my honourable friend about the concerns that he has in his own constituency on this issue. and it's absolutely right that the football association, all sporting bodies who have links... rightly, they have links with sponsors across all sectors, need to be very mindful about the impact that such deals have on vulnerable people.

even gary lineker and the prime minister are in agreement that the fa should reconsider. so, has the prime minister spoken to the fa in the last 2a hours? will they listen to the wishes of the prime minister? bet365 has stated those who wish to watch the matches didn't need to gamble, but did need to deposit money into an account, which means viewers are bombarded with live ads throughout the match. so, what protections have been put in place for gambling addicts? conservative former ministers, including a former minister for sport, joined in the criticism. the deal with bet365 is distasteful, it's naive and it's a long way short of what i think good governance of sport, particularly football, looks like. but it's also contradictory to previous fa decisions disassociating themselves as the sport's regulator from betting companies,

which not only recognised public concern about gambling in football, but it also dovetailed nicely with their mental health work. it's not good enough that the fa says we didn't mean this and we'll review it. the government does give the fa financial assistance. i would urge my right honourable friend as sports minister to say to the fa unless they move on this pretty down quickly, we're going to review their financial support. in terms of the finances the government gives the football association, i understand it's around £18 million in terms of the football foundation. he'll be aware in our manifesto, we've committed over £500,000 in terms of grassroots football, and i can assure my right honourable friend that that will be very much on my agenda next week when i meet with the fa. some mps did speak up for the betting companies. does my honourable friend agree that we should be working with banks as well as betting companies to ensure that we spot the sort of behaviour that suggests somebody is developing a gambling edition? i raise this because as the mp for stoke—on—trent central, bet365 is a major employer employing 7000 people in my constituency.

and they are a well—respected and responsible employer, so i think that we need to get the balance right between how we tackle this, who we talk to and recognising that there are other issues at stake here. what's important are our measures that actually tackle problem gambling rather than virtue signalling in this house. people don't have to place a bet in order to watch these matches. and is it not typical of the metropolitan privileged outlook of people in this house that there's no urgent question on people having to pay £100 a month to a sky subscription to watch football matches, there's no urgent question on people paying £35 a month to bt to watch football matches, but there is one on something that allows working—class people to watch these matches free of charge because some people in this house don't like gambling?

an snp mp said the deal could put those who'd had a problem with gambling in a vulnerable position. i would ask this government to stop asking the gambling industry to meet these motions. we have to tell these people what to do, we have to legislate, we cannot come down to them and their authority on this. this place legislates and makes a law that gambling has to be brought in line with a completely new gambling act, and i would ask that during that we consult with people who've suffered from gambling—related harm. the honourable member is spot on, and that is another reason we're going to be reviewing the gambling act, and as far as i'm concerned, the sooner the better. nigel adams. now, a brief moment of history. the ayes to the right, 330. the noes to the left, 231. so, the ayes have it, the ayes have it.

unlock. the moment the european union withdrawal agreement bill cleared the house of commons, paving the way for the uk to leave the eu at the end of the month. the bill now goes to the lords for further scrutiny. mps spent most of this week looking at the fine details of the bill, but with a majority of 80, all opposition amendments were defeated. some conservatives also tried to change the bill to ensure brexit is appropriately marked. as we leave at a precise specified time, those who wish to celebrate will need to look to a clock to mark the moment. it seems inconceivable to me and many colleagues that that clock should not be the most iconic timepiece in the world, big ben. will he make representations to the house of commons commission, whose decision this is, that big ben should bong for brexit?

the brexit secretary gave a sympathetic response. earlier, an snp mp took a slightly different tack when he asked him for some clarity. can the government confirm whether or not it is going to request for the chiming of big ben to mark 11pm on the 31st ofjanuary? because this is not going to be a moment the celebration for many people across the uk, it's going to be a moment of considerable concern, not least my constituents who are a citizens of or nationals of the european union. and perhaps what we should be asking on that side of the house if they do want to hear the bells chime is for whom the bell will toll? well, i welcome this late conversion from the snp to celebrating our exit and having big ben chiming. as he will know, a decision as to whether big ben should bong or not is a question for the house authorities, and i won't dare to step into such terrain. but the wider point, as i think the mood of the house has

demonstrated, is this is a historic moment and many members of the house will wish to celebrate it. steve barclay was speaking at the last question time he's likely to face as brexit secretary. hisjob and his department are expected to be abolished after the 31st of january. but for a man who's working himself out of a job, he seemed to be in good humour amid a series of questions on how to mark brexit day. would my right honourable friend agree that, to mark us leaving the european union, ourfantastic local breweries in burton—on—trent should brew a celebratory brexit beer? i think, mr speaker, from the reaction of the house, my honourable friend strikes an extremely positive note in one of her first contributions, and i again welcome her to the house. i know her constituency is famed for its beer. i'm sure many of members of the house would welcome them celebrating this occasion in such a way, just as i will myself

with a fantastic brewery which sits in my own constituency. one labourmp urged against popping the champagne. could i urge the government to be careful about the tone that's adopted at the end ofjanuary? they'll appreciate there are many who do not see this as a moment for celebration. can i ask the secretary of state what measures are being put in place for the large numbers of non—uk eu nationals? there are many in cambridgeshire who will feel particularly vulnerable on that point? the honourable member for cambridge is right, and i would hope colleagues across the house would always see that i always try to take a tone that does reflect that. i've often talked about my own family, notwithstanding my personal role, my eldest brother is an official working for a european institution. i know many families themselves were split on this issue. to answer his question directly, one of the things that we have done is a £9 million fund to support outreach groups, to support charities,

to support those. we've worked with embassies in particular. within that 9 million, £1 million particularly, as the minister of state for the home office i'm sure detailed in the committee stage debate, has been specifically around the settlement scheme. 2.6, 2.8 million or so applications into that, so that is working very effectively free of charge. but he's right, there will be people that have had concerns, and i think one of the things the withdrawal agreement bill does is it guarantees the rights of citizens and addresses many of the concerns that i know some of his constituents have shared. sir keir starmer also loses hisjob as shadow brexit secretary at the end of the month. he lamented that the opposition had failed to change the bill this week, particularly on rights for child refugees which labour had wanted to enshrine in law. labour will continue to fight to protect the most vulnerable. we may not win many votes in parliament just now, but we can win the moral argument. and i would urge everyone who cares about this issue to put pressure

on the government and urge ministers to rethink this disgraceful decision. a legal obligation on this government has been converted into reliance on this prime minister's word. surely the secretary of state can see why that raises anxiety on these benches. sir keir‘s hoping to replace jeremy corbyn in his party's forthcoming leadership election. the brexit secretary appeared to wish him the best with that. during the three years the department has been in place, it has had three secretaries of state and three permanent secretaries. but since the first departmental questions, just one shadow brexit secretary. throughout my interactions with the right honourable member from holborn and st pancras, he has always been both professional and courteous whilst probing and challenging. without in any way wishing tojinx his next steps, may i... laughter ..place on record his contribution to the scrutiny of the government, which i am sure will continue in whatever role he plays in the house moving forward.

stephen barclay. you're watching thursday in parliament with me, david cornock. don't forget that if you miss our daily round—up of westminster life, thanks to newfangled technology, you can catch up via the bbc iplayer. the recent conviction of a british woman in cyprus in a controversial rape case prompted questions in the house of lords, with peers pressing the government on its response to events there. the 19—year—old returned to britain earlier this week, after the court in famagusta handed down a four—month suspended sentence for lying about being raped by a group of young israelis last year. but the woman at the centre of the case has vowed to clear her name. peers were concerned about how the case had been handled by police and prosecutors. media reports of this young woman convicted in cyprus has caused alarm in many circles.

what is her majesty's government doing to ensure this won't deter victims in this country coming forward to the police when they need to report something? and secondly — and more specifically on the case of the cyprus woman — we were in touch with her lawyers yesterday. they are very positive about the support given by her majesty's government. but there is the question about what support she's now going to be given for her appeal to clear her name. what can her majesty's government do to help her with that? my lords, on the second question that the right reverend raises, i cannot go into specific details because it is ongoing. but he raises important issues of ensuring that, because of the experience that we've seen from this case, that any victim of sexual violence, be it at home or abroad, feel that there is a barrier or they are reluctant to come forward.

what is clear, if someone is sexually assaulted, if someone is raped, then they should come forward. abroad, we will offer full support, as we've done in this case. and if it's here in the united kingdom, i know my colleagues at the home office will take this issue very seriously. if you have been assaulted, come forward and report it. for three months, bushfires have been raging in australia. the state of victoria has again declared a state of disaster after a forecast of "dangerous, dynamic" conditions in a massive bushfire zone. the blazes have claimed 27 lives. the prime minister, scott morrison, has warned the situation might continue for months. in the commons, a foreign office minister expressed sympathy with the people affected, and updated mps on what britain was doing to help. the australian government has agreed an offer by the foreign secretary for the deployment of an expert support and assessment team of specialists from defence, health and fire. we have deployed this team to meet australian officials, and they will be there within the coming days on site.

it will include a senior member of the uk fire and rescue service, a medical specialist in trauma and mental health, and a military liaison officer. the team will work with australian colleagues to establish what type, extent, and duration of support will be of most use to australian emergency responders, and ensure that such contributions are fully integrated with australian efforts. the snp‘s deirdre brock was born and grew up in western australia. i mean, it's difficult for most people here to appreciate the size of the fires, to appreciate the size of australia to begin with. these fires have covered an area twice the size of wales. the fire front in one state, new south wales, is thousands of miles long. there is always a bushfire season, but not like this. labour said the fires were clearly caused by global warming — and yet there were still individuals who denied climate change was a real issue. these individuals, sadly,

include the current president of the united states, donald trump, the current president of brazil, jair bolsonaro, and — i say this with great regret, given what his country's currently experiencing — the current prime minister of australia, scott morrison. but there is something bitterly sad that these three leaders i mentioned have all seen the raging wildfires in their countries over the last year — in california, the amazon, and now on the eastern coast of australia. so the question we all face is how we address the challenge of climate change ? how we keep the paris agreement on track, and how we stop our world reaching the point of no return on global warming — where events such as those we are currently seeing in australia become the new normal? another labour mp raised december‘s climate change conference, cop 25. i was actually really quite shocked that the minister, in her statement, didn't mention climate change once.

surely this is the context in which this is all happening. and when my honourable friend did raise the issue very eloquently, she had to start rummaging in herfolder to think of something to say. the fact is, australia is the largest emitter per capita of any major nation, and yet the government is still not committed to decarbonization. cop 25 talks were a complete failure, we haven't even had a written ministerial statement on it. when is the government going to step up to the plate and show leadership, and talk to australia to say they have got to get with the agenda? well, please forgive me for suggesting that talk is cheap. australia is a signatory to the paris agreement, and it is committed to a 26—28% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions on 2005 levels to 2030. and in addition — and i'm sure because there are intelligent people in this room — a number of australian states have already committed to net zero by 2050. so ahead of cop 26, we will look forward to working

with all paris agreement signatures to increase global climate ambition in line with the paris agreement. suffering and australia is almost unimaginable. scott morrison has finally committed around $2 billion for bushfire recovery, but that is dwarfed by the $29 billion that is being spent on fossil fuel subsidies every year by the australian government. public money is essentially being spent turbo—charging the climate emergency, and we do it here in the uk too. we spent around £10 billion on fossil fuel subsidies last year. so will she agree it's time to stop throwing money on the fire, and will she commit to ending public financial support for the fossil fuel industry? i'm afraid the right honourable lady is asking the wrong person that question. a conservative had a question about the current situation. what travel advice is the foreign commonwealth office issuing? because there'll be large numbers of uk citizens who will go on tours of australia over the coming

weeks and months. and these will be potentially disrupted, they may be going to areas of danger. so could the minister update the house on what advice is being given to travel companies and individuals? we have not advised against not going to australia, tourism and visiting families, or business, indeed, but we do request that visitors pay close attention to updated advice from local authorities. one of the great things that's happened with the connections that we have with all our different groups, the embassy and the consul general, is that there is really good local advice being offered. so we ask people to keep abreast of that advice, as well as obviously the fco advice. heather wheeler. and finally, to an event that makes the heart of a backbench mp race just a little bit quicker — the chance to change the law offered by the private members' bill ballot. no fewer than a39 mps entered the ballot, and the 20 whose names

are drawn out of the hat get parliamentary time to bring forward their own legislation. presiding over the process — the voice of the balls, newly re—elected deputy speaker dame eleanor laing. clerk assistant, would you please draw the first number? it will be observed that the clerk assistant is wearing white gloves, and that the ball containing the numbers is transparent. this process is therefore utterly clean and transparent. 45. number 20 in the ballot draw is a5. who is... ..carol monahan! and on it went, until those with a higher chance of getting their bill through saw their names drawn out of the hat. dame eleanor explained the process for new mps. all 20 of these bills

will be presented. but because of the way time pressures work, and the way that procedures on fridays, when private members bills are debated, work in practice rather than in theory, the bills which really expect to succeed and become law are the top few bills. so we are now coming to the top seven bills. and so, these are the ones which you will find, if you are drawn in the top seven, that every lobbyist in the country will be approaching you to ask you to take on the bill that they want to see. and this is where it really gets interesting. and finally, clerk assistant, which is the very first private members bill to be presented in this new parliament? it is number 402.

number 402, the first private member's bill to be presented in this parliament, will be presented by number 402, who is... ..mike amesbury! and mike amesbury, the labour mp for weaver vale, has a few weeks to decide which draft law he'd like to introduce. he says it's time to get his thinking cap on. well, that's it for thursday in parliament. i do hope you canjoin me on bbc parliament on friday evening at 11pm for the week in parliament. bye for now. hello there.

it looks dry, with sunshine across much of the country on friday. we have seen some heavier rain for central and eastern england earlier on, but that's continuing to push away, together with that weather front. before this one arrives in from the atlantic, that ridge of high pressure means skies are clearing. it will be chilly start to friday, noticeably colder than we've seen for a while across much of england and wales, with a frost more likely further north. but some sunshine to start the day. one or two early showers in western parts of wales, into western scotland, maybe into east anglia, but those won't last long, and we'll see plenty of sunshine. it will tend to cloud over more in the north—west as the winds pick up through the day, that rain holding off until hopefully after dark. ahead of that 6—9 degrees — cooler than of late in southern england and wales — but a pleasant day in the sunshine. as we head into the night, we see that weather front making further inroads into scotland and northern ireland, bringing with it some outbreaks of rain. at the same time, the winds will pick up in many areas and we will draw our air all the way

from the azores again, so turning milder, i think, for the start of the weekend. windy, strong to maybe gale force winds. still rain in scotland, northern ireland, maybe cumbria. wettest over the hills, drier to the east of high ground. eastern parts of england seeing the best of the sunshine here. strong and gusty winds quite widely, perhaps easing off in the north—west later on as the rain starts to clear and temperatures drop away. ahead of that, we're looking at 11—13 degrees. very mild once again. now, that weather front will eventually take that rain across the whole of the country on saturday night, and then we'll introduce this showery airstream coming in from the atlantic, and that will bring in with it some cooler air as well. not too cold to start the second half of the weekend because there'll be a fair bit of around. we've still got temperatures perhaps in double figures across the south—east. colder air in scotland certainly. we've still rain to clear from south—eastern england first thing on sunday, and then a fair bit

of and showers coming in, even pushing eastwards across england and wales. that's the morning. in the afternoon, most of those have gone. the showers restricted more towards the north—west of scotland, where it is quite a bit colder. temperatures 5—6 again and potentially double figures in the south—east in the sunshine. as we head into next week, well, we've still got a strong jetstream pushing right away across the atlantic, picking up these areas of low pressure. you can see a lot of isobars on the chart as well. it is going to windy still into next week, which means it's likely to be mild, although there will be rain at times.

welcome to bbc news, i'm mike embley. our top stories: is this the moment a ukraine passengerjet was shot down with 176 people on board ? the us, britain and canada say there's evidence it was accidentally targeted by iran. the us house of representatives votes to limit president trump's war powers against iran, without the approval of congress. leave your homes or risk being trapped, authorities warn residents in victoria, as australia braces for more hot weather and strong winds. a day after the duke and duchess of sussex announce they're stepping back from royal life, meghan leaves the uk for canada.