this is bbc news. the headlines at 8pm: the death toll from the coronavirus in china rises to 56 — officials warn the spread of the virus is accelerating and the country faces a "grave situation". today, the chinese government has said there is evidence that it is actually getting stronger in its transmission. and because of that, many specialists are seeing it is already too late. the foreign office is urging britons to leave the province where the outbreak began — and is advising against further travel there. a member of the grenfell tower inquiry panel resigns over links with the firm that supplied the tower block's deadly cladding. a child is pulled from the rubble as emergency teams search for survivors in the aftermath of the powerful earthquake that struck turkey on friday. the dangers of smart

motorways which operate without a hard shoulder — ministers are set to act after dozens of deaths in five years. and coming up: the travel show heads to spain's culinary capital, san sebastian, where some tourists are being overcharged for the local dish. good evening and welcome to bbc news. the government has said it is "looking at all options" to help britons leave areas of china where the coronavirus has killed 56 people and infected at least 2000 more. the united states is flying its consular staff out of wuhan, where the virus first emerged. china has stepped up travel restrictions and banned the sale of wildlife, as it attempts to control the spread of the disease.

0ur correspondent rupert wingfield—hayes has sent this report. 0n the outskirts of wuhan, the race is on to beat the coronavirus. every bulldozer and excavator that can be found is being used to clear land for a 1,000—bed isolation hospital. it must be finished in two weeks. the trouble is, it's needed now. chinese officials today admitted the virus is spreading faster and that it can be passed on by people who show no symptoms. there are now growing calls for the british government to evacuate its own citizens from the city as the us is already doing. i think the uk government is aware now that all the transport links are closed so i find it a little bit surprising that we're being told to leave if we can when there is no possible route. chinese state tv is showing scenes

like this, of people treated in modern intensive care units. but videos like this one uploaded to the internet claim to show a different picture of hospitals overwhelmed and staff unable to cope. in beijing, reporters mobbed the head of china's cdc as he tried to calm the growing sense of panic. this virus is not as strong or as dangerous as the sars virus was, he says, but it's a new virus so we need time to develop treatment. while the chinese government is now taking decisive measures to contain the spread of this virus, many experts think it is already too late. 0nce study suggests that in wuhan city alone by the end of next week there will be nearly 200,000 infections and that is why senior doctors in hong kong are calling on the government to close the border with mainland china. many places in mainland china are not waiting. these pictures on the internet appear to show villages and towns putting up their own improvised

borders, shutting themselves off, making sure travellers from wuhan cannot come in. wuhan itself is now a ghost town. today this was the centre of a city of 11 million people during the biggest holiday of the year. and rupert also explained how wary we should be about the spread of the virus. certainly people should be watching the development of this virus closely, but panicked, no. there are always two things with novel viruses like this that jump from animals to human. two questions to be asked — one is how easily do they spread from human to human? and the other is how fatal, or how deadly, are they? in the case of this coronavirus, it seems to spread very easily from human to human. that's why we are seeing it spreading so fast in china. but the good news is the mortality rate seems to be very low, around 2—3% of people who catch it.

so it is possible we will see it spread across china and it is possible it will spread around the world. but the good news, as i said, the mortality rate seems to be low and there are doctors now working on a vaccine. we do have good viral treatments now, much better than in previous pandemics, if you think back to the 1918 flu virus that killed upwards of 20 million people. it's not going to be like that. so, people should be concerned and should watch out for the developments, but no need to panic. meanwhile, here, the department of health says that it has carried out 52 tests for coronavirus. all have come back negative. the government says it is monitoring the situation closely and will continue to work with the world health organization and international community. and we'll find out how this story, and many others, are covered in tomorrow's front pages at10:30 and 11:30 this evening in the papers.

0ur guestsjoining me tonight are martin bentham, the home affairs editor at the evening standard, and rachel cunliffe, who's the comment and features editor for city am. some breaking news now. we are hearing from multiple places that the nba star kobe bryant has died in a helicopter crash in california. amongst others, the la times is reporting this, saying kobe bryant, nba and mvp who spanned a 20 year career with the la lakers, died in a helicopter crash. there is also much more on the la times website as well, talking about the legendary basketball player who was a household name in the united states. he spent his entire career with the los angeles lakers, broke all sorts

of records in the process of doing that. he was well known for flying ina that. he was well known for flying in a private helicopter and we understand from the reports we are reading that the crash occurred shortly before 10am local time on sunday, so not so many hours ago, with los angeles being behind us. a p pa re ntly with los angeles being behind us. apparently the conditions in the hills above cala basas apparently the conditions in the hills above calabasas and california we re hills above calabasas and california were rather foggy. we hills above calabasas and california were ratherfoggy. we also understand there were other people on board and the authorities are investigating this crash which is said to have killed everybody who was travelling. we can speak to hugh hopkins, who is the lead brighter on the basketball website double clutch. talk to us about what you we re clutch. talk to us about what you were hearing regarding this crash.

like you, the new seems to be developing as we speak but it appears on multiple websites and by one of the mba's for most reporters, adrian would do nicely, kobe bryant was on the helicopter that crashed and he has died. we understand there may have been five people on board and it appears there were no survivors. talk to us about kobe bryant, the word legend is often used about sport stars but in his case no exaggeration. now, he has been one of the greatest players in the last 25 years. he retired a couple of seasons ago but he finished with five nba championships, and mvp trophy. he

averaged 25 points and many other incredible stats, finished as one of the highest scoring players of all time but all that seems quite irreleva nt time but all that seems quite irrelevant at the moment as this news breaks. yes, it does. there will be such incredible shock and we are hearing his wife vanessa was not on board. he leaves for daughters, one of whom i believe is a rising basketball star herself. yes, she has often been pictured with him at nba games and wnba games. he has been quite supportive of that wnba in getting involved with women's basketball, as well as being very vocal about the national basketball league in recent years and he is an ever present being in the basketball

community, and he will be sorely missed. like you said, the word legend gets thrown around a lot but it is fairto legend gets thrown around a lot but it is fair to include him in that category. what made him such an extraordinary player? he was incredibly dedicated. there were stories of him turning up several hours before any other player, leaving practice several hours after any other player and he was an incredibly driven humid being and that didn't always endear him to certain people but one thing he had is absolute respect for basketball players and basketball fans. he could be quite divisive, his personality, because he was quite a force of a human being but he

certainly used that personality trait to drive him towards being one of the best players ever. how unusual is it for those of us who don't follow basketball, for him to have spent his entire career with the la la kers have spent his entire career with the la lakers at that level? it's quite rare especially these days. the freedom of movement players have come that developed in the first half of his career and there were moments where people thought that kobe bryant may have moved on to other teams and there was a lot of drama during his career but he ended up drama during his career but he ended up staying and i think that has added to his legacy. there are players who have stayed with one tea m players who have stayed with one team and their legendary status has increased because of it, there are some players who could have reached

that legendary status but may have moved around more and their status in the game has slightly diminished because of that but that helps kobe brya nt‘s status because of that but that helps kobe bryant's status within the nba community and i think more than anything his dedication to the game is the thing that will be remembered. i was reading that he won an oscar for a short film he made a couple of years ago about his sport so his accomplishments were beyond the sport itself. yes, he did spend a few years trying to figure out what he was going to do after basketball and something he wrote a letter to the game of basketball and that ended up being inspiration for a short film but he is a very driven

personality so i think whatever he set his mind to, it was going to happen and that's why he was able to rise to the very heights of the game. hugh hopkins, we appreciate you talking to us, it's awful that it's in such tragic circumstances but thank you very much. chris buckler is in washington for us now. tell us what you are hearing about this helicopter crash. the helicopter went down in calabasas, which isjust outside los helicopter went down in calabasas, which is just outside los angeles and the sheriffs office there is planning to give a news conference in the next couple of hours to give details but what we know is that five people have been killed in that crash. kobe bryant was on board with three other people and a pilot is also dead and the suggestions are that his wife vanessa was not on

board, neither were his daughters and that will be some relief to the family but this has caused a huge degree of shock in the united states. it is difficult to give an idea of how well known kobe bryant was. he was a celebrity who eclipsed the sport of basketball that made him famous. he may have played for 20 years but he was known outside that sport and built a reputation that sport and built a reputation that bled into the us media and when you look at his life since basketball, he went very hard to build businesses, he had a venture capital company, he took a huge interest in health and education, especially of children, and worked for them and this will cause immeasurable shock. the news was first reported by the website tmz and they only have limited details

of that but it seems clear that other us news agencies have picked up other us news agencies have picked up on this and are confirming that kobe bryant has died and it is difficult to give an idea of how much this will cause america. 0utside america he is known to a lot of people but a household name and asa of people but a household name and as a consequence of his success at that extraordinary level for all those years, he had amassed a lot of wealth and was trying to do something useful with it. wealth and was trying to do something usefulwith it. it wealth and was trying to do something useful with it. it is a lwa ys something useful with it. it is always the case when you talk about sports there are international sports there are international sports stars and sometimes that basketball league here can't beat something that is only now inside america but kobe bryant was known around the world and the nba has been building popularity in various companies —— countries but in some respects he was ahead of them, he

was incredibly well known and famous and he used that. he had a special interest in china where the nba is expanding and there is a lot of interest and he had concerns about health and education and he worked in the us on developing after—school programmes. he was committed to that. he was, i have to say, somebody who was dedicated to sport and his playing career came to an end as a result of injuries which was great frustration to him but during his time he was incredibly competitive. he joined the during his time he was incredibly competitive. hejoined the la lakers and became almost a force of nature in that team, he is legendary and there are people who will remember kobe bryant as being someone who on the court was in a position he seemed to know exactly what other teams were doing, he was able to

read them and he had this dedication to the sport that played out on the court. kobe bryant in terms of la la kers fans, court. kobe bryant in terms of la lakers fans, he is a complete legend, they will talk about a number of different people, at the moment it's lebron james, number of different people, at the moment it's lebronjames, in the past the likes of magicjohnson and kobe bryant is perhaps that the name of those three people who will be remembered forever as being basketball greats of this era. thank you, chris buckler, talking to us from washington. there has been confirmation of this helicopter crash from the city where the accident took place, which is calabasas, as accident took place, which is cala basas, as chris accident took place, which is calabasas, as chris was saying. let's look at what the authorities have been sent from the city of calabasas saying it is with great sadness we learn of the deaths of

kobe bryant and four others. the aircraft went down in the remote field around 10am. nobody on the ground was hurt. the faa and the ntsb, the civil aviation authorities, investigating, so that confirmation from the of calabasas. more on this from bbc sport centre with gavin. yes, kobe bryant in that helicopter crash has died in california. the investigation is under way but sources in the us site with helicopter burst into flames after hitting the ground, killing all passengers on board. kobe bryant one of the most famous names in basketball history, starring in a golden era for the la lakers, 20 yea rs, golden era for the la lakers, 20 years, one of the legends of the

game. the 41—year—old was a five—time nba champion and won two golds for the us in the olympics games in 2008 and 2012. (pres) not many would have fancied shrewsbury town's chances in today's fa cup fourth round — hosting the runaway premier league leaders liverpool. but the side who sit 16th in league one, had other ideas. with liverpool 2—0 up, and looking all set to go through, they staged one of the most incredible comebacks, to seal a replay at anfield. nick parrot reports. the fourth round of the fa cup is tricky territory. he has never got beyond it while shrewsbury can only dream of winning it. they knew they would be up against it even before curtis jones put the would be up against it even before curtisjones put the premier league leaders ahead but 27 seconds into

the second half, the optimism vanished, donald love causing heartbreak as he turned the ball into his own net. a more experienced liverpool side would probably have seen this out but the 19—year—old making his second appearance gave shrewsbury a chance and jason cummings took it. that restored the home side's belief and ten minutes later they were level, to give jurgen klopp a headache, the last thing he wanted as a replay in a congested fixture list. he threw on roberto firmino and mo salah but neither could produce some magic. in the end liverpool had adrian to thank for keeping them in it and shrewsbury will be relishing their big night at anfield. that is all the sport for now. already those in the sporting world

have begun paying tribute to kobe brya nt have begun paying tribute to kobe bryant who was among five people who have been confirmed as dying in a helicopter crash in california at 10am local time. nba hall of fame star dennis rodman has tweeted to... and the football club ac milan, you can see this on the screen... reflecting there that there were four other people on board that aircraft which came down, we understand the conditions in that pa rt understand the conditions in that part of california were foggy. let's

speak to ade adepitan, the travel show presenter and former basketball player and paralympian. thank you for joining player and paralympian. thank you forjoining us to reflect on the life and achievements of kobe bryant. this will send incredible shock waves through the sport?” bryant. this will send incredible shock waves through the sport? i am just devastated, i echo the words of ac milan, my thoughts go to his family and the four other victims in the helicopter crash. i'm still other shock. —— i'm still in shock. i'm trying to understand how this has happened. i looked at my whatsapp about 20 minutes ago and it flashed up and i couldn't believe it, i thought it was a hoax but kobe brya nt it, i thought it was a hoax but kobe bryant is a legend, an icon, he

surpassed basketball, he took over the mantle of michaeljordan at the point where the mba was probably worried they had lost a golden star, who could take his place and in comes kobe bryant, straight out of high school, the first nba player to come from high school into the nba, signed by the charlotte hornets and they pass into the la lakers and he goes on to win five titles and becomes this global icon, most people know him by his first name. tell us what impressed you come what you admired about him, as a basketball player your self what did you add mac about his style of play? his will to win, he had everything you need and there were lots of players you have everything from who can shoot, who were athletic, who

we re can shoot, who were athletic, who were strong but it's that 1% which is that mental edge and he had that on all his opponents. when the clock is going down and the team need someone to carry them, to make them wina someone to carry them, to make them win a basket, to make them when in play, they looked at him. they had shaquille 0'neal in the team with him for three of those years but kobe bryant was the man at the lakers, he is the person who retired, he will be up there alongside magicjohnson as one of the great players to ever grace the basketball court. i was reading that the lakers basketball court. i was reading that the la kers famously basketball court. i was reading that the lakers famously retired both kobe bryant's journeys, the lakers famously retired both kobe brya nt‘s journeys, number the lakers famously retired both kobe bryant's journeys, number eight a number 2a, the only player in the history of the team who had that

honour. how extraordinary is it to have maintained a career at that level with a team like the lakers for 20 years? he only retired in 2016. it's just for 20 years? he only retired in 2016. it'sjust extraordinary because you think the likes of someone like michaeljordan who is arguably the greatest basketball player of all—time, even he had to a breakfrom player of all—time, even he had to a break from basketball and player of all—time, even he had to a breakfrom basketball and come back a bit later because of the pressures of the sport but kobe bryant was there for 20 years at the top of his game, playing some of the greatest basketball for the most exciting basketball for the most exciting basketball ever and this is among some of the top players in the mba that they have ever seen and he was head and shoulders above the dung, head and shoulders above the dung, he inspired this next generation.

lebronjames he inspired this next generation. lebron james was he inspired this next generation. lebronjames was interviewed yesterday and he spent four minutes talking about how much of an inspiration kobe bryant is. there will not be a basketball player in the world who hasn't been touched by kobe bryant's the world who hasn't been touched by kobe brya nt‘s legacy. the world who hasn't been touched by kobe bryant's legacy. we appreciate you talking to us, good to get the perspective of somebody who has played basketball at a high level and hear your insights into what made him such a remarkable player. thank you, adding adepitan, travel show presenter and former basketball player. joe wilson is here. so many tributes pouring in, there will be many more. it's difficult in this country where basketball isn't the same sort of game that it is in america, to understand just what kind ofan america, to understand just what kind of an impact and legacy he

created. it's a good point, within the 20 years he was around the nba almost became more of a global sporting more players from outside the us arejoining nba sporting more players from outside the us are joining nba franchises and lets look at the fact the nba has held regular season matches in the uk this year, it's going to paris. my experience of kobe bryant is one occasion trying to interact with him... you met him. this was in 2008 at the beijing olympics when the usa were desperate to win the gold medal, they had brought all the stars into the team, they called the redeem team so they were desperate to achieve this and kobe bryant was the captain, lebron james to achieve this and kobe bryant was the captain, lebronjames was there at the of his career and quite unusualfor a at the of his career and quite unusual for a british journalist, you go on to the court and

approached the players and if they wa nt to approached the players and if they want to talk to you they will talk to you and i was nervous about approaching kobe bryant, first because he was such a big start but also, we have to bridge this, there was a lot of notoriety around his life because of the sexual assault allegations which never came to court and were settled in a civil lawsuit so he had been in the news a lot and approaching him to talk was awkward but he did it and that's the way the mba really almost encouraged its players to engage with the media and to be open and try and do interviews in that context and remember, about the 20 year period the nba was competing with baseball and american football for attention and american football for attention and building up the stars in the mba and building up the stars in the mba and building up the stars in the mba and building their media profile was one rightly aims to get market

share. but going that puts pressure on them, they have to deliver and he did that 20 years. basketball players have long careers, some of them, we think about michaeljordan who went and came back but 20 years at one club or one franchise as they put it in america is quite remarkable and you would still say that the la lakers are the most glamorous of the basketball franchises, the most glamorous us sport. you mentioned the olympic games in 2008, they won the gold medal and then again in 2012, how much of that was down to the drive that everybody talks about that kobe brya nt that everybody talks about that kobe bryant has, to the point where he was difficult to be around? just being around a team for that date you got the sense of intensity and i remember that nervousness, i really

going to go up to the sky in sight can you do an interview, but they did in the way basketball developed at the olympics was you can go back to the way it was with amateur teams and a match between the usa and the soviet union back in the day, but at that time there was a sense of bring the stars in and have them represent the stars in and have them represent the usa rather than theirfranchises and they took advantage of that but with their strong personalities buying into a team ethic. joe, stay with us, we will talk to roland lazenby, the author of the book showboat, the life of kobe bryant. hejoins us now showboat, the life of kobe bryant. he joins us now from the blue showboat, the life of kobe bryant. hejoins us now from the blue ridge mountains in virginia. thank you for talking to us, i'm sorry it's under these circumstances.

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