prince harry has flown out of the uk tonight after making clear his sadness at stepping back from being a senior royal. it comes after an emotional speech in which he said he'd had "no other option" but to give up his official royal duties and forge a new life with his wife and baby in canada. our hope was to continue serving the queen, the commonwealth, and my military associations but without public funding. unfortunately, that wasn't possible. it's thought he's heading to vancouver island to be reunited with meghan and their son archie. also tonight. the high speed rail link that comes with a high cost. the price of h52 has now trebled to more than £100 billion. the search for a new director general of the bbc begins as lord hall quits after seven years

in the topjob. chanting the death toll continues to rise amid more demonstrations in iraq protests driven by young iraqis calling for new elections and an end to corruption. they say their government isn't listening, so these young iraqis are piling on the pressure here in baghdad, and in cities across iraq. england take the lead with a third test victory over south africa in port elizabeth. and coming up on sportsday on bbc news — the most remarkable scandal in domestic rugby. as saracens come to terms with relegation, many of the squad move their focus from club to country. good evening. prince harry is on his way to canada

tonight after expressing his great sadness at the way things things have turned out since he announced he was stepping back as a senior royal. it's thought he is heading to vancouver island tojoin his wife meghan and their son archie. last night in an emotional speech prince harry said the uk was his home and a place he loves but after months of talks he said the couple had been left with no other option than to step back from being working roles. here's our royal correspondent nicholas witchell. at buckingham palace tonight, a royal reception for african leaders hosted by the duke and duchess of cambridge. normally prince harry would be expected to be there, but tonight there was no sign of him. he was on a flight to canada. harry did do his bit this morning during the working section of the government conference on africa. are you looking forward to the next chapter,

sir. he had a meeting with the british prime minister and several african leaders. it seemed like business as usual, but of course, it wasn't. last night, at a private dinner for wasn't. last night, at a private dinnerfor hiv charity wasn't. last night, at a private dinner for hiv charity he co—founded in southern africa, he relaxed with friends and talked about his future and the sadness he felt he could no longer serve as a royal. our hope was to continue serving the queen, the commonwealth and my military associations, but without public funding. unfortunately, that it wasn't possible. i have accepted this, knowing it doesn't change who iamor this, knowing it doesn't change who i am or how committed i am. i hope it helps you understand what it had come to, that i would step my family back from all i have ever known to ta ke back from all i have ever known to take a step forward into what i hope will be a more peaceful life. for the royal family it has been a bewildering i2 the royal family it has been a bewildering 12 days as their departure has been negotiated. it was on the 8th of january that harry

and his wife issued their personal statement saying they wanted a progressive, new role. buckingham palace said the issues were complicated but the queen wanted to proceed apace to find workable solutions. by last saturday, an agreement had been reached and buckingham palace issued a statement saying, they are required to step back from royal duties. that, and the requirement to stop using their royal highness styling was to proof the palace was not going to allow them to define the meaning of royal service. there is regret and sadness they are stepping back, but i don't think there are any second thoughts over the uncompromised decision over the deal that was done. the queen had tried to soften the agreement with warm words, but constitutional experts say she acted wisely to protect the monarchy.”

experts say she acted wisely to protect the monarchy. i think it is right, after these negotiations that they have concluded a halfway house will not work so for the next 12 months at leeds, harry and meghan will be out. as harry flies to canada tonight to rejoin meghan and their baby son, he is facing what he called a leap of faith. it may be more challenging for him than it will be for her, which is why the door is being left open, just in case it doesn't work out. nicholas witchell, bbc news, at buckingham palace. let's speak to our correspondent sophie long, who's on vancouver island, and that's where it's assumed he is heading. yes, one can only imagine the mixed emotions that harry must be feeling as he makes hisjourney across emotions that harry must be feeling as he makes his journey across the atlantic. he has been very clear, this is not the result the couple wa nted this is not the result the couple wanted and what a huge leap of faith they are taking. meghan has been seen on vancouver they are taking. meghan has been seen on vancouver ireland and on the main lines carrying visits to

women's charities, looking relaxed. but this has been a turbulent time for the couple. it does seem they will be reunited along with their young son, archie. there are many questions about how their life a lot here, how they will live and who will pay the security costs. but i think when they wake up tomorrow morning it will be a momentous day for the couple, a real sense it will be the first day of the rest of their lives. sophie long in canada, thank you. the cost of the high speed rail link hs2 from london to manchester and leeds could rise to as much as £106 billion. that's triple the original budget. the figures come from a leaked review into the project. the transport secretary, grant shapps, says he's asked for more information so ministers can make a decision within weeks on whether or not to go ahead with it. 0ur transport correspondent tom burridge reports. packed in from birmingham to leeds. a high—speed line would cut thejourney time in half.

but the fate of hs2 is in the balance. where i live, we will probably stand to gain in term of property values, so i should be a supporter of it, but i still think it's too much money. who wants to travel at a slower pace when you can get to where you need to go quickly, more efficiently? itjust makes complete sense to me. there is not even a spare seat on this midday service between two major english cities. it tells you why the suggestion that the second phase of hs2 should be put on hold for several months while other options are continued is proving very controversial. that suggestion comes in the latest leak of a government review of the project and it has angered politicians in the midlands and the north of england. we are seeing the benefit in leeds of the promise of hs2 coming here, businesses wanting to relocate here and that greater

connectivity notjust to london. the idea that this is just about travel to london is absolutely ridiculous and needs nailing right now. at euston, where hotels and office blocks once stood, the site is clear. the project has made progress, but the cost keeps on going up. the budget for the project five years ago was £56 billion. last summer, that rose to 88 billion, but today's leaked report adds almost 20 billion to that. a total of £106 billion. huge amounts of work, costing £8 billion, has already been done. but a growing number of conservative mps, including some newly elected in the north of england, have nowjoined calls from those whose constituencies are directly affected. they all want the prime minister to rethink. i think we can build a very strong

case to the prime minister that says scrap hs2 and spend some of the money instead on northern powerhouse rail, on east—west rail in my constituency, and other transport infrastructure projects that will make a positive difference to people's lives. everyone agrees that links to cities like leeds have to improve, but constructing a new railway is a long—term project. they've been working on hs2 for years. now the government has to decide whether high speed with a high price tag is part of the answer. tom burridge, bbc news in leeds. in iraq, four more protesters have been killed today as demonstrators continue theircampaign for new elections and an end to corruption. most of the protesters are young iraqis who want an end to american and iranian interference in the country. more than 500 have been killed by security forces and pro—iranian militia during months of demonstrations. 0ur middle east correspondent quentin sommerville and cameraman nik millard have

spent the past few days following the protesters in baghdad. iraq is both a country in gridlock and coming apart at the seams. for months, young iraqis have been on the streets, intent on sweeping away the old guard. they say their government isn't listening, so these young iraqis are piling on the pressure — here in baghdad and in cities across iraq. they say their demands won't be forgotten and their protests won't end. they've already brought down the last government, but it's not enough. in a country of fierce division, they've emerged united — sunni, shia, christian, rich and poor. translation: we want a life, like the life others have, in europe, america and elsewhere. we want politicians who are of the people,

not men who are supported by iran, saudi or the united states. but old iraq hasn't vanished. nearly 500 protesters have died, killed by security forces and pro—iranian militia since 0ctober. today's push is to bring iraq to a standstill. they want a new prime minister and fresh elections, and they mightjust get their way. but not without a fight. after a long stand—off, the security forces are now coming down the off ramps. it looks like they're just using tear gas for now. they are also sick of iran and the united states fighting their battles on iraqi soil.

chanting. both be damned, they chant. three more young protesters were killed today. more names for a crowded memorial wall. this revolution already has too many martyrs. safaa al—saray is one of them. he wanted an iraq without corruption and sectarianism. an idealist and a revolutionary, safaa's face is now everywhere. he was shot on this bridge — unarmed, his brother says, and clutching only the iraqi flag. translation: safaa was a painter, a poet. he loved iraq very much and sacrificed his life for it. we were not surprised by his martyrdom, and we are all willing to sacrifice for iraq.

there is a struggle now is to stop the movement being hijacked by those they oppose. in iraq, power — religious, political and foreign — lies in the shadows. these protests may look familiar, but they're not — they transcend social class and religious sect. that and their scale make them unprecedented for iraq. the odds are stacked against these young people, but they say they have no choice. their lives and their future will depend on what happens on the streets. so tonight they're back at the barricades, resisting — and waiting for the new iraq. quentin sommerville, bbc news, baghdad. the director—general of the bbc is to leave the corporation in the summer. tony hall said leaving after seven years was a hard decision to make. there are many challenges for whoever succeeds lord hall — competing with streaming services

like netflix, the future funding of the bbc, including the future of the licence fee, and the ongoing issues over fair and equal pay. here's our media editor, amol rajan. there have been countless crises for the bbc since lord hall, seen here at a staff leaving do today, was appointed in the aftermath of thejimmy savile scandal — from the corporation being co—opted into welfare policy through free tv licences for the over—75s to a spate of equal—pay grievances. we've always proceeded in good faith that the leaders would participate... but, as ever with the bbc, politics is the greatest source of peril. in the recent election, the bbc showed an empty chair when the prime minister declined an interview. four days later, this... i think the system of funding out of what is effectively a general tax, isn't it, on everybody who has a tv, it bears reflection. today, the bbc faces unprecedented competition for eyeballs. given that millions of people

are choosing to subscribe to a range of different services, like netflix, like amazon, like apple, the case for continuing to fund the bbc through a compulsory licence fee becomes weaker. the rise of the streaming giants provides cover for the bbc‘s political opponents, allowing them to question the very basis of the licence fee without appearing to be engaged in an ideological war. and yet with younger audiences flocking to other digital offerings, the future of the licence fee has to be in question. so the perfect candidate to be the next director—general to combine political nous with commercial experience, editorialjudgment, and an intuitive understanding of what young people want. that means the perfect candidate doesn't exist. how can the next director—general win the argument for the licence fee? well, em... has anybody come up with a better system? you know, the bbc is in pretty rude health creatively, a lot of people are still consuming it. what's surprising, actually, is that it has managed to compete.

i think people were predicting, ten years ago, that the bbc would be on its knees now, and clearly it isn't. but with young people tempted elsewhere, frequent hostility from government, and a revolutionised media landscape, this is a moment of high danger for the bbc. amol rajan, bbc news. let's take a look at some of today's other news. three men have been stabbed to death in east london. the police say they believe the men, who were in their 20s and 30s and all from the local sikh community in ilford, are known to each other. two people have been arrested. the government has suffered three defeats over the eu withdrawal bill in the house of lords. peers voted to overturn plans for eu nationals to have a digital code to prove their right to live in the uk instead of a physical document. then later they voted against the government over two amendments on the role of the courts after brexit. ministers will aim to reverse the move when the brexit bill returns to the commons. malaysia has revealed it's sent

150 shipping containers of illegally imported plastic waste back to developed countries where it originated, including the uk. richer countries have been sending plastic to malaysia since 2018 after china banned most waste imports, but malaysia has taken a stand, saying it doesn't want to be the world's garbage dump. it has been confirmed that a new virus that has killed three people and has been spreading across china can be passed from person to person, not just from animals. more than 200 people have been infected with the virus that causes breathing problems. the world health organisation has said it will hold an emergency meeting on the outbreak later this week. 0ur medical correspondent fergus walsh reports. it's official — china's mysterious new virus can pass from person to person. health authorities there are urging the public not to panic. most cases have come as a result of direct contact with animals, but human—to—human transmission

means this virus is potentially a far bigger threat. the outbreak centres on the city of wuhan, population 11 million, where the source is thought to be a seafood market. 170 people in wuhan are being treated in hospital. several are critically ill and three deaths have been confirmed. there have been a handful of cases of the virus in south korea, thailand and japan, all travellers who had come from wuhan. the infection is a new type of coronavirus which originated in animals. although person—to—person transmission has been confirmed, it does not, thankfully, spread easily. signs of infection include breathing problems, fever and cough. now, it is the height of the flu season, meaning it's hard to know initially what infection patients have. hundreds of millions of chinese are expected to travel over the coming week to celebrate the lunar new year,

making further spread inevitable. at train stations and airports, temperature scanners are being used. some airports in the united states, singapore and japan are screening travellers, and some experts think that may eventually need to happen here. i think the uk authorities need to start thinking about introducing some screening for passengers who are coming from china. the most obvious thing to do would be to institute some sort of thermal screening, so that we identify people who have got a fever, but that could be supplemented with some questionnaires. the outbreak is a reminder of the sars epidemic, also caused by a coronavirus, that killed nearly 800 people worldwide nearly 20 years ago. then, there was an initial cover—up by the authorities. this time, global health officials say china has learned from past mistakes. it may be weeks or months, though,

before we know how big a threat this new virus poses. fergus walsh, bbc news. one of britain's oldest department stores, beales, has gone into administration after failing to find a buyer. the chain, which began trading in bournemouth in 1881, employs more than 1000 people in 23 shops across the country. it's understood that none of the shops will close immediately and it will continue trading for the time being. our business correspondent emma simpson reports from bournemouth, where beales began. beales — it's stood been on this same spot for nearly 140 years. rebuilt after the war, a cornerstone of bournemouth‘s high street. and also in other provincial towns, 23 locations from the south of england all the way up to the city of perth. well, there are 400 attentive staff here... it was once at the top of its game, a go—to destination from fashion

to homewares, but beales failed to move with the times. it's very sad, it was part of our childhood. you know, we both grew up locally, and it's always been here, and we worked locally, and it was somewhere we came frequently. but we haven't been for a long time. i think it's another nail in the coffin for bournemouth high street, because once a store like this goes, who's going to take it? this business was losing money and looking for a buyer, then christmas brought all its long—running problems to a head. beales is the first big casualty of weak festive trading, but it was also grappling with high rents and huge business—rates bills. it's another sign ofjust how much pressure our retailers are under, especially these big department stores. just a few doors down, there's a house of fraser. the question is, do we still need as many as we used to? department stores are not going to be wiped out completely, but there are going to be far, farfewer of them,

and that reflects shopping patterns and the changing economics of retailing — it's getting much, much harder to operate a department store profitably. take debenhams — it's already closed 19 shops this month. house of fraser will also be shutting stores. our high streets are changing, and many will have to adapt to survive. beales will continue as normal for now as administrators assess all options. could a buyer come to the rescue, or has this business really had its moment in the sun? emma simpson, bbc news, bournemouth. thousands of gun owners have converged on the american state of virginia, heavily armed, to protest against proposed tightening of the gun laws there. they claim their legal right to bear arms would be violated by the new gun laws. aleem maqbool reports from virginia. usa, usa, usa! they came from all over

the country, bearing arms. after this state, virginia, decided it's going to try to push through what are very limited gun—control measures. we're just on a regular street in downtown richmond, virginia, and yet almost everyone around us is carrying a handgun or a rifle, and that is all perfectly legal. but they're out here to say they won't allow that right to ever be taken away from them. no—one's even talking about that happening, though — politicians here just want to introduce rules that would, for example, only allow people to buy one weapon a month and allow guns to be banned at some public events. it's too much for everyone here. if this saves one life, is it worth it? i mean, not if it's going to impede on my right to defend me and my family. that person also should have had a gun in their hand and should have taken

their responsibility and had their second amendment exercised, and it would have saved their life. you don't just get to say there is mass shootings, i think it accounts for less than 0.001% of the population, but we are going to make it... tens of thousands die as a result of, you know, gun violence. hundreds of thousands die of heart failure, like, come on. for all the arms on the streets and all the fears of violence, the protest did pass off peacefully, but with the promise that if any other states try to introduce even the smallest of measures to curb gun ownership, more shows of strength are to come. aleem maqbool, bbc news, in richmond, virginia. australia has been suffering more extreme weather, this time in the shape of a massive red dust cloud which enveloped parts of new south wales. whipped up by strong winds, the cloud stretched for over 180 miles. it consisted mainly of top soil from drought stricken farmland. fortunately, it was followed by a rainstorm.

england's cricketers have won the third test against south africa in port elizabeth by an innings and 53 runs. 0lly pope scored his first century for england and took six catches. he was named man of the match. joe wilson reports. unfurl your flags and paint your face fast — south africa weren't going to last long on monday morning. out! there we go! 0ne wicket, three more needed. mark wood bowled as quick as he could — always does. rabada batting and the ball... taken. check the weather — bright and encouraging, which brings us to dom bess. gone. another one, england's 22—year—old spin bowler was just too much for south africa in this match. yeah, but now watch keshav maharaj — big hitting was possible. south africa had been waiting five days for this kind of thing,

so huge credit to the batsman and to the spectator who stayed alert. yeah, got it. well, for now, as south africa slogged, skied and survived... close, close, close! ..it was fascinating, it was a bit infuriating — for england. well, what settled it was a throw, from sam curran. england won without needing their second innings, withoutjofra archer, without james anderson — with a very satisfied captain. brilliant, clinical performance, and i couldn't be more proud of the group, five days, orfour and a bit days, we've been excellent, right from the start. england are 2—1 up with one match to come, and one of these sides can't wait forjohannesburg. joe wilson, bbc news. that's all from me. now on bbc one, time for the news where you are. have a very good night.

welcome to sportsday. i'm holly hamilton for some coming up i'm holly hamilton for some coming up on tonight's programme as the reigning champions of europe are relegated, what does this mean for the players as they turn their attention from club to country? england claim their biggest away win in nine years as they take the lead in south africa. and new season, different grand slam, same result. coco gauff knocks venus williams out of the australian open.

hello, thanks for joining hello, thanks forjoining us. it's been described as the biggest scandal in domestic rugby union. saracens the most dominant team in england and multiple champions of europe relegated next season after repeatedly paying too much in wages. this has become a bit of a headache for england head coach eddiejones. who today named seven sarries players in his squad for the upcoming six nations tournament. our sports editor dan roan has more. saracens players formed the core of the england team that reached last year's world cup final but the club now finds itself plunged into turmoil. despite the cheating scandal that's engulfed the champions, eddiejones today named seven of their stars in his six nations squad. and, today, the england coach told me the image of the game can recover. it's been a difficult time. they've obviously made some mistakes, saracens. and now is the time to fix it, but ourjob is to make sure people

remember the good things about english rugby so we've got a great opportunity against france to put rugby back on the back pages for the right reasons. despite finding out they'd be automatically relegated from the premiership at the end of the season after repeatedly failing to comply with the league's salary cap, saracens managed to win a crucial european match yesterday. the squad will now be dismantled, some of these players will be sold, others face the prospect of life in the division below butjones has faith they can handle the crisis. you sign for a club with a perception of what's going to happen and then then gets taken away, so it's a difficult time but if we can solve this problem and relationships get stronger because of it, because the binding factor for all the players is they all want to play for england, they are all desperate to play for england, they want england to win. so that is a unifying force. today's england squad announcement here at twickenham was all about trying to look ahead towards the new international season, but the club game finds itself in the grip

of an unprecedented crisis and with premiership rugby refusing to publish the full report into the affair, many fear there could be more damaging revelations still to come. the lack of transparency doesn't end there. saracens apparently choosing to accept automatic relegation rather than grant full access to their financial accounts. i think if saracens are serious about becoming open and trying to sort of claw back some of the goodwill or whatever you want to call it, then they need to make this public, they need to get all the dirty laundry out there and i think that will go some way to letting people start to forgive them. the dominant force in the english game, saracens' dramatic downfall has sent shock waves through the sport. their players must somehow now shift their focus from club to country but moving on from the sport's greatest cheating scandal will not be easy. dan roan, bbc news, twickenham.