this is bbc news. i'm julian warricker. the headlines at eight. the world has just experienced its hottest decade on record with last year one of the warmest ever seen. the duchess of sussex's first public appearance in canada since last week's shock announcement as it emerges herfather could testify against her in court in her privacy battle with the mail on sunday. growing backlash over the government's rescue plan for flybe rival airlines line up to complain about what they call a misuse of public funds. russia's government resigns just hours after president putin proposes consitutional changes that could prolong his stay in power. democrats vote to send two articles of impeachment against donald trump to the senate. and in search of answers a once in a generation clinical trial

he has been held accountable. he has been impeached and they can never erase that. and in search of answers a once in a generation clinical trial is announced to find new treatments for motor neurone disease which devastates lives and families. good evening and welcome to bbc news. the past decade was officially the warmest on record. new figures paint a stark picture of rising global temperatures and the impact that human activity is having on the planet. the data, compiled by british and american scientists including the met office and nasa,

not only found that the past ten years were the warmest since records began. but also that the past five years were the hottest since the mid 19th century. temperatures reaching 1.05 degrees above preindustrial levels. the science correspondent now reports. from the heatwaves across europe that saw the uk hit an all—time high of 38.7 degrees, to greenland, which broke the record for the most ice lost in a single day, and our oceans, which are now the warmest they've been in human history, 2019 was a year of extremes. and this map shows how global temperatures have changed over time. each decade from the 1980s has been warmer than the decade before. the last ten years have now been confirmed as the hottest

since records began. scientists say humans are to blame. carbon dioxide levels are at the highest that we've ever recorded in our atmosphere, and there's a definite connection between the amount of carbon dioxide and the temperature. we are seeing the highest global temperatures in the last decade, and we'll see more of that. as carbon dioxide continues to grow, we will see global temperatures increasing. measurements taken at observatories like this one show that our planet is heating up fast. already, the world's temperature has risen by 1.1 degrees above preindustrial levels. scientists though say we need to stop temperatures from rising above 1.5 degrees to stop the worst effects of global warming but, with our current climate policies, we are heading for more than three degrees, and that would bring unprecedented changes. higher temperatures will mean more heatwaves and droughts, sea levels would rise and rain

would intensify, bringing more floods like the ones that hit yorkshire last year. what we have to remember is that the climate crisis is going to affect our economy across so many different dimensions, so it's going to impact on health and already it's impacting on health, it's going to impact on food supply and food security, it's going to impact on infrastructure, so we talk about critical infrastructure, the impact on electricity, the impact on schools and hospitals. climate awareness is now higher than ever before, but scientists say it's action that's needed, by cutting greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050. this, though, will require huge changes, from swapping fossil fuels to renewables to drastically reducing how much we fly and rethinking the food we eat. but the extreme conditions show no signs of letting up, especially with australia's fires, which continue to burn. the met office is already forecasting that 2020 could be another record—breaking year.

with me is doctor gavin schmidt, a climatologist and director of the nasa goddard institute for space studies, who is in boston. and also i'm joined by professor tim 0sborn, who is the director of the climatic research unit at the university of east anglia. to you first of all, what does this tell us? this group of studies that we did not know already? the world is warming because he predicted it and we can protect it because we understand what causes climate change. so that is not a surprise. 0n the other hand, it is very important to monitor how much and how fast the globe is warming. because these projections stop by from your point of view, how is it for for international organisations to be as heavily involved in the

combination of information that we have here? it is essential. the data we are putting them together is coming from other services all across the world, from internationally coordinated ocean monitoring networks and ocean ships so monitoring networks and ocean ships so without that international component, we really would not know what is going on. we are doing it in multiple different ways and so, we have the met office and we are working with another and also working with another and also working with another and also working with remote sensing and satellites to understand what is going on and all of these independent efforts give us the same picture of what is going on. and that gives us the power. there is no ambiguity about what is happening to the planet right now. no ambiguity. in which case, what do you say the planet should be doing about it that it is not at the moment. it is not up it is not at the moment. it is not up to the planet to deal with its

owi'i up to the planet to deal with its own climate. the occupants of the planet than. humanity to adjust what it is that they are doing to create this situation and as your story pointed out, the dominant trend right now is the increases in greenhouse gases and they are responsible for the trends that we have seen over the last decade and even 100 years. all of the trends that we have seen are due to human activity. this is where science clashes with politics, isn't it? how do you get around the difficulty? every extra amount of warming increases the risk of climate change and civil we need to do is try and slow down the rate and reduce the amount. and we do have a say as a society how much use of energy and

how much generation of energy leads to the emissions of greenhouse gases and climate and to achieve this, it is down to how we generate energy. use of fossil fuels, away from coal and gas. we hear that a lot but are we acting upon it? there has been movement in that direction but action needs to be ramped up further and it is important that society, who will all be involved in this transition, it is important that society knows what is important that society knows what is happening to the claimant into a contribution of human activity there is. if the surprise of some people,

if you ask what the best estimate of the contribution in the resin temperatures would be in the past five decades, it is all of it. human activity. is you and i continue the conversation, breaking into the pictures we are showing, showing you some nasa pictures from space, one of the astronauts on the international space station posted these pictures on twitter and these are way up above the fires currently burning in australia. how much is that, went off a appalling incident illustrating what you are both getting at here? i do not know if it isa getting at here? i do not know if it is a one—off, they are warmest years oi'i is a one—off, they are warmest years on record and also driest. so the tender for these buyers samir singh, the smoke is actually rising so high that it the smoke is actually rising so high thatitis the smoke is actually rising so high that it is getting into the stratosphere with this is a very

unusual event but it is the kind of thing that we are seeing in many parts of the world. california, the mediterranean, the borneo forests in british columbia last year and these are increasingly happening as we push the system further away from where we were use to. push the system further away from where we were use to. @ did not mean that it's not time that sentiment is happened, but tim, a final point to you as to what lies ahead. because reading courtesy of what is been published today. warnings about what lay ahead in 2020. how should timmy be of the next 12 months? it depends upon the range of factors, the underlying trend from our increasing carbon dioxide emissions but our

ability and it could be a big volcanic eruption that could impact. every brought estimate of that, and oui’ every brought estimate of that, and our influence in the future trajectory of our climate comes into play. that is when the changes to the systems and hopefully our reduction of fossilfuel the systems and hopefully our reduction of fossil fuel usage and carbon emissions can ultimately have an effect and lower us from the projected warming that you showed us and bring us closer to the past change agreement. well below 2 degrees. thank you both very much indeed. and we'll find out how this story

and many others are covered in tomorrow's front pages. at ten forty and eleven thirty this evening in the papers our guests joining me tonight are the daily mirror columnist, susie boniface and chief political correspondent at the telegraph, christopher hope. the number of cases being investigated into newborn infant and maternal harm and hospitals. it has risen to 900 cases in the previous public figure aired back in november which was around 600. this new figure from the there is a review going into this that is been shared bya going into this that is been shared by a clinical expert and maternity. the original terms of reference was handled with only 23 cases but the numbers have risen significantly. quoted as saying this in front of

the house of commons, this is been found for a number of reasons, looking at previous incidents, pa rents looking at previous incidents, parents that have been brave enough to have come forward to tell their own experience and the former health secretary has spoken and said the minister revealed that which is deeply shocking because the scale of potential avoidable death may in fa ct potential avoidable death may in fact be no different to that and mid staffordshire. the owner of british airways has filed an official complaint with the european commission over the government's rescue plan for the uk's troubled regional airline flybe. the plan could mean that the airline defers payment of a substantial air passenger duty bill. flybe's rivals are branding that a misuse of public funds. the government says any changes to taxes would apply to all airlines. our business editor, simon jack, has more. flybe's rescue by the government was greeted with relief

and gratitude by workers, travellers and regional airports. today came a backlash from the rest of the industry. although airline companies have long argued for the newly promised reduction in airport passenger duty, allowing flybe to delay payment of millions of tax arrears drew fire from competitors. we would not support any state funding or state support to any carrier, any airline at all, because we believe that that is misuse of taxpayers' money. particularly when the company are, you know, backed by well—funded companies also in the first place. you've been calling for apd, passenger duty to be cut for some time. they've done you a favour, haven't they? i don't see it in that way. we have always argued that, for instance, apd should be revised to more and better reflect the efficiencies of the operations that different airlines have. it is one of the highest passenger taxes in the world. we don't think that is designed

in an appropriate way. and it's not linked at all in how you decarbonise the aviation industry. ba supremo willie walsh has lodged a complaint with the eu, saying the taxpayer was picking up the tab for the mismanagement of the airline, adding, this is a blatant misuse of public funds. the government insisted the deal was fully compliant with state aid rules and preserved regional connectivity across the uk. flybe is the biggest operator from these airports, spanning scotland's north—east, to england's south—west. reducing taxes on domestic flights could make those journeys cheaper, but, at a time when many argue we should be flying less, should we? no, i think that connectivity around the country is incredibly important. take the flights to the scilly isles, for instance. it's very hard and takes a long time to get to the scilly isles if you are not in an aeroplane. and being able to connect different parts of the country is important. at the same time, flying has

already decarbonised and can decarbonise more. but flying still uses a lot of fuel and emits a lot of carbon. climate scientists say ministers are sending mixed messages. the government has been deeply inconsistent because you have to remember that they are mandated by uk law to reduce the carbon footprint of this country to zero by 2050 or earlier if possible. and actually, flying is one of the most carbon—intensive forms of transport we have, so they should be doing everything they can to reduce the amount of flying we do. the flybe rescue poses more questions than it answers. how did it get in such trouble less than a year after its last rescue? how did it rack up such massive tax arrears? the government thinks it has done what it can and what it should have done, and will hope that this deal will be enough to keep it aloft long term. the headlines on bbc news.

the world has just experienced its hottest decade on record with last year one of the warmest ever seen. the duchess of sussex's first public appearance in canada since last week's shock announcement as it emerges her father could testify against her in court in her privacy battle with the mail on sunday. growing backlash over the government's rescue plan for flybe rival airlines line up to complain about what they call telford hospital trust. it rises to 900. sport, and for a full round—up from the bbc sport centre, good evening. we start with the fa cup because manchester united are taking on wolves at old trafford in their third round replay. it's goalless so far. wolves did think they'd taken the lead after ten minutes, though. pedro neto being gifted this chance to score. but as we've seen so often this season, var intervened, spotting a handball in the build—up

with the goal being disallowed. in tonight's other replay, carlisle lead cardiff 1—0. it's been a bit of a mixed day for the australian open. qualifying for the tournament continues to be affected. first, it was delayed because of the poor air quality from the fires that continue to rage. and then it was cancelled altogether because of heavy rain. former world number one kim clijsters, who is set to make her comeback to the sport at the age of 36, says she would have spoken out. try to think about solutions honestly, it is not possible to play and then what's the point. what is the point if you cannot bring good tennis and played two hours in this environment. it is a very tough situation to be in.

so, problems remain ahead of the tournament, but today saw some legends of the game playing a charity fundraiser to aid the relief efforts. rafa nadal, serena williams, roger federer and novak djokovic all helped to raise over £2.5 million. jofra archer looks set to miss out on the third test against south africa, which starts in port elizabeth tomorrow, after failing to fully recover from an elbow injury which saw him miss the win in cape town last week. england won't name their team until the toss tomorrow, with chris woakes and mark wood vying replace the injured james anderson. with the series delicately poised at 1—1 with two tests to play, it will make it is really important that that we do not live off that victory for the rest of the store. after exceeded and make sure that we ta ke after exceeded and make sure that we take this opportunity and we drive

it home and after the first innings, when we got opportunities to do that, we are excellent added. ireland have named fly half jonny sexton as their new captain for the six nations. he takes over from rory best following his retirement despite being an injury doubt for the championship, having not played since december for leinster because of a knee problem. while fullback stuart hogg will captain scotland. he replaces stuart mcinally, who led the team at the world cup injapan. there are also recalls for hquones and rory hutchinson, who both missed the world cup. newly crowned bdo darts world champion wayne warren will receive £23,000 for winning the title, the lowest amount in over 30 years. he became the oldest world darts champion after beating jim williams in sunday's final, but a lack of sponsorship for the event has been blamed for the reduction in prize money. last year's champion won £100,000.

and fernando alonso escaped a serious injury after rolling his car at the dakar rally in saudi arabia. here is the crash. the two—time f1 world champion had to continue without a windscreen and dropped tenth to 14th by the end of the stage. his fellow spaniard carlos sainz won it and has a lead of more than 18 minutes with just two days to go. luckily, alonso was able to dust himself down and continue. kyren wilson is through to the quarter—finals of the masters, but there was a sting in the tail during his win over jack lisowski at ally pally. as you can see here, a wasp made its way onto wilson's collar, which he had to take evasive action from. referee ben williams then intervened to remove it from the table, but was stung for his efforts despite his gloves being on. at least he was able to see the funny side.

well, the snooker is continuing this evening. mark williams is taking on barry hawkins, a match you can watch via the bbc sport website and app. that's all the sport for now. i'll have more for you in sportsday at 10:30pm. there is no exactly a week after the duke and duchess of sussex took the world by surprise by announcing their plans for the future, there's no sign of the controversy surrounding them abating. the latest twist is because of legal action she's taking against the mail on sunday. meghan is suing the paper for publishing a letter she wrote to her father, which she says breached her privacy and copyright. but it has now emerged that her father, thomas markle, is prepared to testify against her in the court case. here's our royal correspondent nicholas witchell. markle versus markle. as if the events of the past week haven't been enough, there is now the prospect of the relationship between meghan markle

and her estranged father, thomas, being dissected at the high court in london. the reason — meghan is suing the mail on sunday for breach of privacy after the newspaper published a letter she had sent her father. mr markle had given the letter to the newspaper. unsurprisingly, in preparing its detailed defence, the mail on sunday regards thomas markle as its principal defence witness. meghan‘s half—sister samantha has told the bbc, if he is called to give evidence, he will come. meghan‘s relationship with herfather reached crisis point at the time of her wedding. mr markle, who lives in mexico, developed heart trouble and was unable to attend. now the mail on sunday's lawyers have revealed text messages between the two of them. in one, mr markle says... i've done nothing to hurt you, meghan, or anyone else. so what should meghan do? media lawyers say

the answer is obvious. you really don't want to go down this particular road. whoever is advising them is frankly not doing them any service whatsoever. and it's, i think, important to note that the queen's solicitor started off dealing with this case and he's no longer dealing with this case. so, in snowy vancouver in canada, where meghan was photographed yesterday at a women's centre, there are decisions to be made. in 2022, the invictus games... harry, who appeared in an invictus games video, which was released tonight, is expected to join her in the coming days. then the couple must take a view. do they really want to begin their new life with a court case which would make headlines around the world ?

for wounded armed forces personnel said 500 competitors from 20 nations will be involved for an incredible week of sport. a devastating illness affects the nerves and spinal cord in your rain and there is no cure. tells your muscles what to do. it's nearly always fatal, and there is no known cure. but now people with the disease are being invited to sign up for one of the most comprehensive clinical trials in a generation. across britain the chance to test potential treatments. about 5000 people have motor neurone disease in the uk, but some 1500 people are diagnosed with it each year. the reason more people aren't living with it is that about 50% die within two years of their diagnosis. our health correspondent dominic hughes has this exclusive report. for three—year—old anna,

life with mum and dad must seem pretty normal. a loving family, safe and secure, but there is a deep sadness here, even fear. mum ruth williamson has motor neurone disease, an illness that, day by day, is stealing her future.

ruth was an active runner and cyclist when she was diagnosed a little over two years ago. now, the illness is affecting not just her speech but also her ability to walk. but, at edinburgh university, scientists are preparing to launch one of the biggest mnd drug trials ever seen in the uk. motor neurone disease sees muscles waste away after a loss of nerve cells that control movement, speech and breathing, so this trial will test new treatments, but also look at drugs already being prescribed for other illnesses. this research matters because, as it stands, there is currently no effective treatment for motor neurone disease, let alone a cure, but repurposing existing drugs that are used to treat conditions such as alzheimer's disease or even anxiety and depression, well, that opens up new possibilities. these are medicines which have been shown to be effective in other brain disorders and,

because they share common ways in which the brain doesn't work properly, we can look at these drugs and see if they work in motor neurone disease. and, for patients like alan, diagnosed three years ago, taking part in the trial offers the chance to contribute towards a better understanding of the disease. the hope is something that's a real positive, so i think, with having a trial now, we can see something that we can get some hope and strength from, so i think, as participants, we can help move science forward, so that's the one thing — there will be learning. for this family, ruth, her husband, scott, and anna, there will be some tough days ahead, but this trial at least offers something positive in the face of a cruel and indiscriminate disease.

well, it was a real privilege to meet ruth and herfamily earlier this week, and i don't mind admitting that it was a very emotional interview for all of us. and that's because when someone receives a diagnosis of motor neurone disease, they know, without wanting to sound blunt or unkind, that this is the disease that's going to take their life. and that's what this trial is so important. yes, it's a trial. yes, it's very early days, but it does offerjust that glimmer of hope. and it's designed to last for years. and here on bbc news, we intend to follow that trail and bring you the results as and when they come.

let's speak to lawrence cowan, who is chair of the charity mnd scotland, which provided almost half of the funding for these trials. he joins us from our glasgow studio. how much difference you think these trials could make? this is a game changer, really. this is one of the biggest, most comprehensive drug trials that the uk has ever seen. and one of the big differences while this is so innovative is that usually you would have a normal trial testing a placebo versus one treatment. now, this trial takes a placebo on and test a number of treatments alongside it. so what it does is it actually increases the chance if you were on this trial of receiving a new treatment but what it also does it means that the information that comes from this trial we can act on really quickly.

so we can act on it in real time. and that is why this trial is so important. because what it does is it helps us manage that information and actually meet the patient‘s needs better. and it also increases oui’ needs better. and it also increases our chances of eventually curing this thing. this is our chance to really push efforts to be motor neurone disease. i want to ask you about the different drugs. you might add want to take another one away. it is that sense of experimentation that clearly at the moment is so important we know so little about this. you were right. motor neurone disease is one of those conditions where there are so many questions. but that is on the say this trial has not involved years of preparation and years of research. so actually the drugs that are being tested through this drug trial

actually have been selected through very rigorous processes of data analysis. and essentially what has happened is that every conceivable publication about a number of drugs has been assessed, analysed, rea nalyzed has been assessed, analysed, reanalyzed and what is essentially happening is they have come up with a shopping list. a list of drugs that they think are most appropriate and could actually either help with some of the symptoms or could potentially target some of the areas of disease or halt the disease. so these are really strong candidates in terms of drugs and actually one of the best things about this trial is that it is open to almost eve ryo ne is that it is open to almost everyone with motor neurone disease right across the uk. so if anyone is watching this right now who know someone watching this right now who know someone who has the disease, please get them to sign up to this trial. it is so innovative, it is ground—breaking. and it is the

biggest boost to our fight against motor neurone disease in the uk just now. and what is your personal interest in the disease? this is a really emotional day for me, you are right. because my best friend gordon died of motor neurone disease a few yea rs died of motor neurone disease a few years ago. and i miss him every day. so this trial is so important. i never really got a chance to say goodbye to him properly because he died so suddenly. but i did promise him that we would do everything that we could to bring trials to this country. and with this trial, this is for him and for so many people living with this disease and who have lost someone. and we will not stop until this disease is beaten once and for all. this trial is big, it's bold and it is coming to beat motor neurone disease. it's bold and it is coming to beat motor neurone diseaselj it's bold and it is coming to beat motor neurone disease. i can see how much it matters to you and no doubt many others as well. thank you very much, lawrence, and glasgow. now the

weather. good evening. this evening brought us good evening. this evening brought us something quieter than the storms this week. but pushing into northern ireland and western sky when if the knot goes on the knot goes on a company broad strengthening winds. elsewhere lengthy clear skies we are drawing up mild southerly air so actually the temperatures begin to rise especially towards the west as the night goes on. perhaps a touch of frost in some sheltered spots of northern scotland. through thursday, a wet and windy tape and the wind strong down i received coast and up to the west coast of scotland where we are expecting gales. the way and windy weather transfers eastwards as the day goes on. temperatures are still above average for the time of year. friday will be a quieter day, a clearing update and still quite blustery for the far north of scotla nd blustery for the far north of scotland where we are closest to the area of low pressure. otherwise lots of sunshine around and any showers

down towards the south gradually fading as the day goes on. hello, this is bbc news. the headlines: the world has just experienced its hottest decade on record with last year one of the warmest ever seen. the duchess of sussex's first public appearance in canada since last week's shock announcement as it emerges herfather could testify against her in court in her privacy battle with the mail on sunday. the number of cases being looked into at a shropshire hospital rises to 900. growing backlash over the government's rescue plan for flybe. rival airlines line up to complain about what they call a misuse of public funds. democrats vote to send two articles of impeachment

against donald trump to the senate. let's stay with that last headline. the us house representative has voted to send those to impeachment articles to the senate where he will be put on trial. he denies wrongdoing. the hearing will only be the third ever impeachment trial of an american president. the house also approved seven democrats as prosecutors. it is a solemn moment in american history, democrats say. what is at stake here if the constitution of the us. this is what an impeachment is about. the president violated his oath of office. undermines our national security. jeopardised the integrity of our elections. try to use the appropriations process as his private atm machine to grant or withhold funds granted by congress

in order to advance his personal and political advantage. that speak to our washington correspondent who is following the story for us. that was nancy pelosi earlier. what does today mean? it means that the house has handed over the impeachment to the senate and had triggered the trial. it is momentous as only the third time a president will have been tried in an impeachment trial in the senate. the last on this happened was 1999 and bill clinton. so it isa happened was 1999 and bill clinton. so it is a big deal and nancy pelosi was trying to give a sense of the importance of it as you heard in the chamber of the house earlier. shortly after that, the house voted entirely along party lines within those articles of impeachment to the senate and they will actually be carried there we think later today and presented and read out to senators. the trial itself will begin next tuesday. there is going to bea begin next tuesday. there is going to be a rental before than about

whether or not witnesses and documentation will be called. the most seniorjustices documentation will be called. the most senior justices —— justice documentation will be called. the most seniorjustices —— justice in the country will be some up in the supreme court over to the senate and he will be the person presiding over this trial. which we think could la st this trial. which we think could last three or four weeks, not really sure because this has happened so a few times before. there is not very much president and convention to draw upon. it is a senate republican leader mitch mcconnell who has a lot of power in this. he establishes the rules and will decide how this trial will proceed. in the senate can but there is currently republican majority so every indication that in the end, nothing will come of this, is that fair? in terms of the final decision of the senate, yes, that is the working assumption in washington. you need a two thirds majority to find the president guilty and to force them out of office. it is republican controlled is no sense to any republicans are going to vote with the democrats come that final vote. to turn him

out. so in a way of it us feel at this stage as if this will go nowhere. but if nancy pelosi was saying, the house has impeach the president. that remains on his re cord president. that remains on his record and it is one reason the republicans are so irate really at president trump and he is keen to say this is a sham and is disparaging it. the question is what the effects of this trial will have on the electorate over the next few months. it is of course an election year. the democrats certainly hope that even if at the end of it the impeachment is thrown out and donald trump remains in office, that it reveals more about his character and his actions and how he approached his actions and how he approached his dealings with ukraine in light of his reelection bid in a way that may make a difference as both republicans and democrats make their case to voters over the next few months. but i think it will be a pretty gripping few weeks. ben, thank you very much from washington.

the us and china have signed a partial trade deal, aimed at easing the 18—month trade war between the world's two largest economies. president trump and china's vice premier, liu he, put their names to the accord at a ceremony at the white house. the hope is that this deal will also help calm tensions between the two superpowers. mr trump said it was a momentous step. this is an unbelievable deal for the united states. and ultimately is a great dealfor united states. and ultimately is a great deal for both countries and it's going to also lead to even a more stable peace throughout the world. china is helping us with north korea. china is helping us with a lot of the things that they can be helping us with, what you don't see in a deal but they have been very helpful with respect to kimjong—un who been very helpful with respect to kim jong—un who has great respect for president she. and it is all a very, very beautiful game of chess or game of poker or i cant use the word checkers because that's far greater than any check again that i've ever seen. but it is a very beautiful mosaic but china is giving

us beautiful mosaic but china is giving usa beautiful mosaic but china is giving us a lot of help and we are giving them a lot of help on things that we help them with. one of the things that we are also talking about is fe nta nyl that we are also talking about is fentanyl and president xi has already arrested large numbers of people who have sent fentanyl indoor cutter that happened before. applause .so applause . so china has made substantial and enforcea ble . so china has made substantial and enforceable commitments regarding the protection of american ideas, trade secrets, patents and trademarks. this was not according to most, they did not know we covered any of this. we have covered a lot of this. it is phase one but they are doing many more things in face one anyone thought possible. president trump speaking in washington a little earlier. let's take you to russia now, where earlier today, the government has resigned en masse. it came after of a state of the nation speech given by the russian president,

vladimir putin, in which he outlined a series of changes to the constitution. these could prolong his hold on power beyond this next term when he is due to stand out in 202a. he has limited his head of the tech service as his new prime minister. steve rosenberg has more. in most countries when a prime minister resigns that is a symbol of a lack of power. but not in russia. the kremlin does all the managing here and all the power is concentrated in the kremlin, not in the cabinet or government. in a sense it does not matter who the ministers are or the prime minister is. having said that, the resignation of the prime minister who is been here for the last eight years should mean something. and it certainly feels as if it is part of some kind of operation, some kind of plan which has been started by the kremlin, the aim of which ultimately is to leave

vladimir putin in power after 202a. in 2024, he vladimir putin in power after 2024. in 2024, he is constitutionally obliged to leave the kremlin, to leave the presidency and there is a lot of speculation here for months now that he may try to find some way of remaining in power if not us president then in some other form. and what we have seen today with these constitutional proposals with these constitutional proposals with the resignation of the government, it feels as if these are the first pieces of some kind of important jigsaw that will lead to or eventually reveal vladimir putin continuing to lead russia in some form. that was steve rosenberg. we are joined now by professor of russian and east european politics at oxford university paul chaisty. what is your reading of all this?” agree with steve. this is part of a plan clearly to manage the transition of power when vladimir putin leaves office in 2024. the

resignation of the government is pa rt resignation of the government is part of that because what putin is a point a promise to who has no political baggage in order to imagine —— manage what could be quite a tricky process of constitutional change.” quite a tricky process of constitutional change. i thought he and mr medvedev were supposed to be good friends. yes, they are good friends. but medvedev has his political allies. and of course they will want to have their say in the succession of power. so by choosing a new premier who has no factional base, that premier is not going to be batting for particular interests when this transition takes place. and as for the transition itself, in the introduction, i referenced the possibility of his going beyond 2024. with vladimir putin still

pretty much where he is now. is that how you see this potentially? potentially yes. not sort of vladimir putin who wants to stay on but all his supporters as well. there is very real concern within the ruling elite that when putin leaves office, his successor will bring in his own or her own people and that will lead to a redivision of the spoils. so there is a lot of pressure for putin to stay on. and this always happens when presidents come towards the end of their second terms in russia. it happened when boris yeltsin was approaching the end of his second term. and it happens when let me put in was approaching the end of his first second term. —— putin was approaching. look at some of the other announcements he made today. is there anything in that list that stands out for you ?

is there anything in that list that stands out for you? you mean the constitutional reforms? the reform, the most significant announcement todayis the most significant announcement today is about the role of the parliament. the parliament will be significantly strengthened under these constitutional reforms. it will change the nature of the constitutional regime in russia. significant power will move fruit —— to the parliament. this will mean that the prime minister will become a much more powerful institution in russia because he will have an independent base of political power separate from the president. the co nve rse separate from the president. the converse of course is that these reforms will weaken the power of the president. and one reading of the announcement today is that vladimir putin like many post—soviet presidents is using constitutional reform as a way of binding the hands of his successor. so for instance in

the future, no president will be able to serve more than two terms. putin is now in his fourth term. he is able to do that within the confines of the russian constitution but in the future no president will be able to do that. and it's so if vladimir putin is to stay on and power, he will not return as the president. unless of course there is more constitutional reform in the future. a good thought i was to leave it, thank you very much, paul, in oxford. time for the headlines. the world has just experienced its hottest decade on record with last year one of the warmest ever seen. the duchess of sussex's first public appearance in canada since last week's shock announcement as it emerges herfather could testify against her in court in her privacy battle with the mail on sunday.

the number of cases of death or serious injuries being looked into at a shropshire hospital rises to 900. those number of cases of death or serious injuries looked at into an inquiry in baby deaths at shrewsbury until furred inquiry in baby deaths at shrewsbury untilfurred hospital inquiry in baby deaths at shrewsbury until furred hospital trust has risen to the figure of 900. —— shrewsbury and telford. the health minister has confirmed this in the house of commons tonight. the review tea m house of commons tonight. the review team will be in touch over the following weeks with the affected families to ensure that they are appropriately supported throughout the process because i am afraid i have to inform the honourable lady and the house that the additional cases have been identified and a total number stands at now 900 cases. and that may be relevant to review. a small number of those are

going back 40 years. these have been found for a number of reasons looking at previous incidents as that were reported at the hospital to my parents who have been brave enough to come forward and tell their own experiences. but i am sure their own experiences. but i am sure the honourable lady will understand that unlike morecambe bay, which i think was a small number of cases, 900 cases in terms of a review will ta ke 900 cases in terms of a review will take considerably longer in terms of time. and that is why there have been no reports so far. they're from the house of commons. police in west yorkshire invested in the murder of one of their officers 15 years ago say a man has been arrested in pakistan. a 38—year—old pc was shot and she responded to reports of an armed robbery at a travel agency in bradford. a71—year—old suspect is suspected to have been behind the raid. he appeared in court in

islamabad and faces extradition the uk. fiona trott has more.” explained is only 15 years since the pc was murdered. she was called to this travel agency in bradford to respond to a robbery and she was shot dead outside. because of the memorial stone there which stands here in her memory. that murder sent shock waves around the country. she had only been a police officer for nine months. the mother of five children, she was killed on her daughter's fourth birthday. her shift partner was also shot that day. but she survived. well, six men have already been convicted in connection with what happened but west yorkshire police have always said that they wanted to capture a seventh man. and in fact they offered a reward of £20,000 for his ca ptu re. offered a reward of £20,000 for his capture. he was in his 50s at the time of the attack and he is now 71. they have confirmed that he was

arrested in pakistan yesterday and he appeared in court in islamabad today and discussions are already beginning about his extradition and he will appear in court again at the end of this month. what shorter police and they worked with officers from the national crime agency in pakistan and also with staff and the british high commission in the form of bod to make this happen. and they have told the widower of the pc about the arrest and he is told the bbc tonight that he was shocked to ta ke bbc tonight that he was shocked to take that phone call but he is welcoming the news of this latest arrested people —— police say it is arrested people —— police say it is a major development in their long—running investigation. a major development in their long-running investigation. judith moore it's there. members of the european parliament have expressed "grave concern" about aspects of the government's plan to safeguard the rights of eu citizens in the uk after brexit. anyone living here by the end of the year can apply to stay,

and the government says their rights to live and work will be protected by law. but meps have warned of continued uncertainty and anxiety among more than 3 million eu citizens living in the uk. our political correspondent alex forsyth has more. london has been katya's home for almost 17 years. a german citizen, she's built a life here with her british husband and children. she has the right to stay after brexit, but she's planning on leaving with her family, fearful about the future. i honestly cannot see how i can live my life every day, every year, year on year, waiting for something to happen to my rights. i feel literally that i've built my life on sand. we all know about the terrible things that have happened to various other migrant groups, for example, the windrush generation. all eu citizens living in the uk have to apply to a government settlement scheme designed to protect their rights if they want to stay. charities and support groups are holding sessions to raise awareness, like here in warwickshire, and helping people apply,

such as irena, who's from poland. yeah, she's been sort of worried, haven't you? yes. she was worried coming here today. yes, i am worried. do you feel better now? i'm better that they've sorted everything in here, my documents. so far, 2.8 million people have applied to the scheme, but there are worries not everyone will before next year's deadline. and it's all digital, so there is some concern about proving rights to landlords or employers in the future. there is a lot of concerns with those that, once they get the status, it's about how to access their rights and entitlements. the easiest thing to do to show someone your rights and entitlement is to pull out your wallet or your purse and show them a piece of paper. having a digital—only status is going to be a major obstacle for lots of groups in the future. more than 3 million eu citizens living here have been told their rights will be protected, but today, members of the european parliament expressed concern. they want, among other things, an assurance that there will be a properly independent body to keep

a check on citizens' rights. the government says it is committed to providing that, and its digital system will be permanent and secure. we are absolutely clear, we want those citizens to stay. they play a hugely important part, they contribute massively, notjust to our economy, which they do, but also to our communities. they are our friends, they're our family. we want them to stay. that's why we've put this scheme in place. it protects their rights forever. but for some, like katya, no assurance is enough. the last three and a half years have been pretty grim for us. the uncertainty has had a real impact on our everyday lives and ijust can't imagine living the rest of my life like that. alex forsyth, bbc news. a leading italian restaurant chain has been fined £40,000 for serving

ordinary fish disguised as luxury lobster. swansea magistrates' court heard that the dish being served at the city's branch of ask was actuallyjust over a third lobster and an equivalent amount of whitefish formed to look like shellfish. the chain was found to have misled customers and were caught out by a trading standards officer. ask apologised for what it described as a "labelling mistake". you might not expect that an antiquarian book shop would have much to think social media for but it has had a major effect on a shop in hampshire. a member of staff tweeted yesterday because i had one of their quietest days ever, not selling a single book. that tweet was seen selling a single book. that tweet was seen and shared by thousands of people and retweeted by the author neil gaiman, triggering a huge response and lots of orders and sales. the book shop we did again today that in the public for turning a very quiet day into one of their busiest ones. the managing director

of the book shopjohn at busiest ones. the managing director of the book shop john at westwood spoke of his surprise at the response. what is happening today is amazing and it's fantastic. i can see the benefits and i can see the love and goodwill that has come from the internet. it's fantastic. i mean come gaiman, thank you for what you have done and the power for what you've done is incredible. —— neil gaiman. i know you are an author and love books and we cannot thank you enough as a shop personally. if i'm honest, it is absolutely blowing me away. the partner of one busy book shop. the second spacewalk in history to be conducted entirely by female astronauts has taken place today. astronautsjessica meir and christina koch conducted a spacewalk to replace batteries on the international space station. as you can see here, it appears to be a successful walk and mission. the two 25th spacewalk completed at the iss. —— the two 25th spacewalk completed at

the iss. -- 225th. some might say it's one small step for women, one giant leap for womenkind. there they are going about their business. now it's time for a look at the weather with mel. compared to the stormy conditions we had earlier in the week, it has been quite a story. blustery especially for the northern parts of the uk, some showers around but many areas got to see some sunshine. this evening, the next system will start to work its way in. it is an area of low pressure developing in the atlantic. for many, we finished the day with clear skies and gradually as the night progresses this band of rain pushes into northern ireland and western scotland, the showers was fading before this rain pushes in. while we have clear skies, it will be chilly initially out of the west, particularly temperatures will start to rise as we draw up milder southern air. this is how thursday looks like it's shaping up. it is going to be wet and windy across the board,

heavy rain accompanied by gales for irish sea coasts and up through the west coast of scotland, windy everywhere as this rain travels eastwards through the day. perhaps staying fine and dry during daylight hours for east anglia and the far south—east. temperatures remain above average. that band of rain clears eastwards as we head through thursday night. we are under the influence of this area of low pressure and it is closest to that area of low pressure through friday where we will have blustery conditions. away from that, it is a clearing up through the day. a lot of fine and dry weather, especially in the south, some showers there could be quite lively. but they should ease and fade as we head through the afternoon. temperatures down on thursday's values, but we've got sunshine to compensate. there is change on the cards as we head into the weekend, it is going to turn settled. that means drier, lighter winds. for saturday, here is the game changer, an area of high pressure that is going to be building in and becoming established over the uk through the weekend.

through saturday, we've got a north—westerly flow bringing in one or two showers which could be wintry over the hills, parts of scotland, but otherwise it is largely dry, lengthy spells of sunshine around, frost and patches of fog will be an issue as we head into the weekend. a good deal of fine weather around, temperatures a little down from where they have been, but plenty of sunshine. he joins us from our glasgow studio.

hello, i'm ros atkins, this is outside source. the articles of impeachment against president trump are being been sent to the senate. president trump's trial there next week will be only the third of a us president in history. he will be held accountable. he has been held accountable. he has been impeached and impeached forever. they can never erase that. meanwhile at the white house, president trump was signing a partial trade deal with china. he said it will mean "fair and reciprocal trade" — but it does nothing to remove the huge tariffs the countries have on each others' goods. scientists from three global agencies have given another climate change warning — confirming that the past decade was the warmest on record.