welcome to bbc news — i'm mike embley. our top stories: the world health organisation declares a global health emergency as china's coronavirus spreads — at least 200 people have now died and there are cases in 18 other countries. a warning from the palestinian prime minister, if israel annexes any occupied territory, under president trump's new plan. if you implement any of this, thatis if you implement any of this, that is the end of us with you. as president trump's impeachment trial nears its close in the senate, a senior adviser to ukraine's

president denies his administration felt pressured into opening an investigation linked to joe biden. and ch—ch—ch—changes — as the countdown to brexit enters its last few hours we look at how britain evolved during its four decades in europe. as the coronavirus continues its spread outside china, the world health organisation has declared the outbreak a global health emergency. at least 212 people have now died and almost 8,000 have been infected. china has now effectively quarantined more than 50 million people in wuhan and the surrounding province — but the virus has spread to every chinese region, and cases have now been confirmed in 19 other countries including the united states, india, japan, australia, germany and france. from beijing, the bbc‘s john sudworth. always dress you

wuhan‘s medics are locked in a daily battle against this epidemic, with infections still rising steeply. but for trapped british residents, at last a way out. yeah, it's a massive relief. can't wait to get back now and just sort of get away from everything and de—stress, i think. from the rendezvous point at a motorway toll booth, those travelling face multiple health screenings, a bus ride to the airport, then a wait for the flight. but for some there's been serious confusion, especially mixed nationality families like adam bridgeman, his chinese wife, sue, and their newborn son, austin, with the uk authorities unable to say if they can get on the flight. they couldn't tell me whether or not my wife or my son would be allowed on the plane. they said that's a matter for the chinese authorities, and the chinese authorities would decide on a case—by—case basis. so that leaves you still stranded in wuhan. what does it mean for the baby?

the main worry is medical care. if he gets sick, then we're in trouble. we've heard from at least one otherfamily in a similar predicament, unable to board the plane. but the confusion seems odd. after we sent our own questions to the chinese foreign ministry, we received this fax saying that chinese nationals would be able to accompany their british family members on the flight. we've passed the information on to the uk authorities. in wuhan, two large brand—new hospitals are being built in little more than a week. but existing hospitals are publishing desperate appeals for medical supplies. and fear is spreading. this unverified video shows a family from wuhan, living elsewhere in china, having their door sealed shut. remarkably, some criticism

of the authorities is being allowed to go uncensored. this doctor lambasts what he calls communists who love to shout out slogans. i'm natalie, this is jamie. natalie francis is british but her son has a chinese passport. shortly after we received our fax, they got a call from uk officials. they called us about 20 minutes ago and said that there's a good guarantee that they will allowjamie on the plane. in a chaotic race to get out, relief for those who make it, further anguish and uncertainty for those who don't. john sudworth, bbc news, beijing. let's go live to hong kong and speak to the bbc‘s mariko 0i. how is always from there? how is always from there ?|j think it's fair to say that people here are worried and

thatis people here are worried and that is because of memories of the sars outbreak of 2003 are still very fresh. you hear about schools running out of facemasks, people fighting over the last facemasks, who can buy it. as of midnight yesterday, the hong kong government has reduced the number of flights to heart, reduce the number of buses and ferries from mainland china would usually arrive behind me, they have all been suspended for now. the citizens have been asking for more drastic measures in order to stop the spread of the virus. now that the who is declared as a global emergency, it could be more countries could take further measures, notjust travel but also trade and that isa travel but also trade and that is a worry for beijing because that quite a significant impact on the chinese economy and why there is criticism for the who

and why took so long to declare and why took so long to declare a global emergency, whether there was pressure on the who not to do so because of this can expect particular concern about the impact on the economy and others would argue they have been assessing the situation carefully and they don't want to cause panic of course. it's worse remember worth remembering normal flu has killed more people than the coronavirus up rake. talking about worries for the who, not so about worries for the who, not so much their announcement, criticism of china but concern about the virus spreading to other low or middle income countries which don't have the capacity to spotted or contain it. indeed, if you listen to the press conference by the head of the who, he was very clear in praising china for his words, chinaextraordinary‘s response in handling the coronavirus out rake but by declaring this a global emergency, the concerns about

this spread, that means 18 countries now have confirmed cases and you are in hong kong, confirmed cases here, that's why people are quite concerned especially because of the sars outbreak, want to show the front page of the newspaper, it's on the front page of every newspaper here in hong kong. virus death toll climbs, and continues to climb. this newspaper has a picture of people queueing up outside a store to buy facemasks. global shortage. attacking how the hong kong government is tackling the situation. citizens are causing chaos. and it shows the empty shelves at stores. people are concerned but there is an economic impact on hong kong and the rest of the world. we heard from various economists that this outbreak would knock off about

1-296 outbreak would knock off about 1-2% of outbreak would knock off about 1—2% of chinagdp ‘s that will have an effect elsewhere. the palestinian prime minister has warned israel if it annexes any territory, the agreement will be terminated. that includes cooperation on security. under president trump's middle east plan, unveiled on tuesday, israel would be free to annex all its settlements on occupied land in the west bank. in ramallah, our correspondent 0rla guerin asked if the palestinians had missed an opportunity by unequivocally rejecting the trump plan. if we accepted the deal we could have been good guys. simply because we stick to our national interests, we are not good guys any more. if that is the criteria for who is good and who is bad, we prefer to be very bad, sticking to aspirations of our people and our legitimate right, in an indefinite palestinian state with jerusalem as its capital, let them call us whatever they want. did you make a strategic mistake in boycotting

the american administration since december, 2017? that basically meant you had no voice at the table, you are not part of the negotiations. it was not we who did boycott the united states. the united states has taken every measure to really push us away from the negotiating table. this surely you must have expected the arab world to come out clearly on your side richard has not done, it has rejected this plan. we can understand the political sensitivity to some arab countries. really we think it is the moment of being decisive. people who are not with us, they will find themselves with the other side andi themselves with the other side and i think that's unusual for arab countries. but doesn't it already look like arab countries have picked a side and it's not yours. we have saudi arabia, and egypt and qatar and uae and bahrain are

no mine who were present in the white house when this document was launched. we received phone calls frankly from arab countries who called us, having oui’ countries who called us, having our ambassador present at the press c0 nfe re nce our ambassador present at the press conference does not and we support the plan so it's may bea we support the plan so it's may be a courtesy visit, people we re be a courtesy visit, people were listening. we have to really differentiate between when it comes to the moment of truth. i don't really think that arab countries will sell at palestinians. is the palestinian authority going to survive this? we did survive many things before and i'm pretty sure that this is not a death of our political dream. i will tell you frankly, yesterday a resident sent a letter to mr neta nyahu yesterday a resident sent a letter to mr netanyahu telling him, if you implement any measure that has to do with annexation of any part of the palestinian territory, that is the end of all agreements we have signed with you including security agreement, economic agreement, politicalagreement.

but we have heard these threats to insecurity cooperation so many times in the past and it has never happened. that's true but now the palestinian leadership has decided that it is on the desk of the president for implementation. he decides when and how to do it. so if the israelis make a move, you will end security cooperation? for sure. do you honestly still have any hope for a viable palestinian state? in the same way that i'm sure that you are standing in front of me today, iam forsure standing in front of me today, i am for sure that there will bea i am for sure that there will be a solution for the palestinian conflict. maybe not this year, maybe not next year but for sure, our kids will see a dignified palestinian state. stay with us on bbc news, still to come: judy dench, you wouldn't mcgregor, joe pesci. —— ewan mcgregor. and she's won the same

number of 0sca rs as meryl streep — we speak to the award winnng costume designer, sandy powell. the shuttle challenger exploded soon after lift—off. there were seven astronauts on board, one of them a woman schoolteacher. all of them are believed to have been killed. by the evening, tahrir square, the heart of official cairo, was in the hands of the demonstrators. they were using the word "revolution". this the earthquake singled out buildings thist buildings and brought them down in seconds. tonight, the search for any survivors has an increasing desperation about it as the hours passed. the new government is firmly in control of the entire republic of uganda. survivors of the auschwitz concentration camp have been commemorating the 40th anniversary of their liberation.

they toured the huts, gas chambers and crematoria, and relived their horrifying experiences. this is bbc world news. the latest headlines: the coronavirus outbreak which began in china has been declared a global health emergency. the number of those who've died has now risen to 213. the palestinian prime minister has told the bbc that if israel annexes any part of the occupied west bank, all agreements between the two sides will end. this at president trump's impeachment trial in the us, senate republicans hope to achieve a quick end to the process, despite pressure from democrats, and from the latest opinion polls, for witnesses to be called, including former national security advisorjohn bolton. in an exclusive interview with the bbc‘sjonah fisher in kyiv, andrei yermak, a senior advisor to ukraine's president has denied they had ever felt pressured from mr trump to open an investigation linked tojoe biden.

i know president zelenskiy for a long time. it is impossible to press this guy. and it is impossible to make and manage him to make some decisions. he's absolutely independent and a very strong leader. you will have, i'm sure, have been following the trial in this and very closely and you will have noticed that the discussion that has moved on from the question as to whether there was pressure put on ukraine. pretty much everyone seems to accept that now. the question is rather more whether that was right or wrong and whether it was something that should lead toa was something that should lead to a president losing their job. is it not now time to level with people and explain what pressure ukraine was under, because it's critically you are under some. our position and our principal position and our principal position of president zelenskiy

and all ourteam, we position of president zelenskiy and all our team, we are always very honest, five, six months ago, and today it is absolutely, we keep the same position. your position is still... crosstalk. i'm sorry, your assistant is trying to interfere here. what you are still saying is no pressure was put on ukraine.|j think, it seems to me, in a nswer to think, it seems to me, in answer to your question, you decided about this interview, you said to my assistant that in focus of your interest it is our... tomorrow's meeting with mr pompeo... our... tomorrow's meeting with mr pompeo. .. crosstalk we said relationship. i prefer if it is possible to discuss and to talk about this issue, because i'm sorry i have limitation of the time. if you have some question about this i will, with pleasure, answer it. i'm a journalist. myjob is to

ask the questions. yeah, please. the biggest story in the news of the world at this time is about the possible removalfrom hisjob of time is about the possible removal from his job of the american president and yet you are still not being very clear about what ukraine's position is here, even after the trump administration officials have said there was pressure on ukraine... excuse me. ithink that ielts already to your questions. please, if you have some question referring to tomorrow's visited mr pompeo, i will it with pleasure. if mr pompeo asks you to start an investigation into charisma all the biden is, what will you say to him? i think mr pompeo will not ask about this. and if he does? you ask me about some potential possibility. it's difficult to me to make comments to this. senior advisor andriy yermak, and

jonah fisher and some noises off there. let's go live to the bbc‘s chris buckler in washington. what is the latest from there? i have to seejoan is not the only person struggling to get a nswe rs only person struggling to get answers about what the relationship between the white house and the ukraine was about the withholding of military —— military aid and whether there would be investigations into mr drum is my political rivals. in many of the questions that have been put forward to mr trump's defence team as well as the democrats prosecution today have focused on whether or not there needs to be witnesses called to give evidence, to give more light about what was happening in that relationship between the us and ukraine under between the us and ukraine undeer between the us and ukraine under mr trump's administration. and there is a key focus on three or four republicans who may vote with democrats. they need four. that is the magic numberfor them. if they get four republicans to vote alongside them in around 24 vote alongside them in around 2a hours' time they could be

able to call witnesses which would extend this impeachment trial. but as we've talked about many times, might, republicans are determined to get this over with as quickly as possible. and certainly this question and answer session thatis question and answer session that is taking place inside the senate at the moment, it is coming to an end in the next couple of hours. and at that stage we are looking towards a final session of the current range of what's happening in an impeachment trial. it will see both sides present two hours of a closing argument and then it will be that key vote on whether or not witnesses should be allowed. if witnesses are allowed, we move into a new phase. if they're not it may even be a final vote on whether mrtrump even be a final vote on whether mr trump should be acquitted or convicted of the charges facing him in the impeachment trial. chris, thank you very much for that. on friday night, the united kingdom leaves the european union, 47 years after itjoined what was then the european economic community onjanuary 1st 1973. the country that leaves is very different from the one thatjoined. our special correspondent allan little reports on how almost half a century in europe's

embrace has changed the nation — which is now seeking a new role in the world. when i have to choose between europe and the wide open seas, said winston churchill, i will always choose the wide open seas. britain is looking to the wide open seas again to redefine its place in the world. archive: from the men of the clyde came our greatest ships. there is a folk memory of the commercial and industrial greatness that those seas once bestowed, of the river clyde as a superhighway of global trade. raw materials shipped from the empire came in, manufactured goods went out to the empire in return. but the empire was dying, its trade dwindling, so britain turned its face to europe. there is not much traffic on the clyde these days.

the long transition from the age of empire to the age of europe changed the shape and character of the country. apartment blocks and retail parks now stand where shipyards and docks once dominated. a service and consumer economy rose to replace industrial giants that fell into dereliction with bewildering speed. when britain turned away from the wide open seas to embrace a european future, places like this, the great empire—facing trading and industrial powerhouses of the country, were already in decline, and that process now accelerated. the centre of gravity and the british economy began to migrate south and east. the manufacturing that thrives in the european age is nimble, lighter, precision—engineered. the modern british car industry has been shaped by its european context. it has adapted to a europe without borders. it has chains of supply and demand across multiple national frontiers. that is its economic habitat.

it, like the rest of the economy, will have to adapt now to whatever new trading habitat emerges this year. but this is perhaps the most graphic symbol of britain's transformation in the age of europe. the warehouses of the london docklands in 1972, abandoned by global trade, had fallen into ruin. what rose in their place would reshape the character of the british economy. where coal and steel and empire trade had once defined british trade, finance emerged as the country's economic colossus. how much of this dizzying expansion does the city of london owe to european markets, and what new barriers to those markets will now arise? i have talked a lot about trade. it is also about values,

about how a country carries itself in the world, the friendships it seeks beyond its shores. in this, too, britain has chosen to steer a new course, still undefined. and there'll be special programme on bbc news. leaving the eu with katty kay and christian fraser in london and ros atkins in brussels, from 1900 gmt until 0030 on friday 31 january. authorities in the australian capital territory have declared a state of emergency for the first time since the canberra fires of 2003. people on the southern fringes of australia's capital have been told to prepare to evacuate over the next few days — as a heatwave and strong winds increase the fire danger. now, these names should mean something to you. shakespeare in love, gangs of new york, the favourite — british costume designer sandy powell has worked on some

of the biggest films of the past 30 years. she's now been nominated for a bafta and an oscar for martin scorsese's mob movie, the irishman. and on thursday she was honoured with the top award for excellence in film by uk film critics. 0ur arts editor, will gompertz, went to meet her. the 0scar nominees' class photo, 2020. packed with famous faces and a few not so familiar, like the acclaimed british costume designer sandy powell, a multiple nominee over the years who has won as many 0scars as meryl streep, and could add a fourth in little over a week for her work on martin scorsese's the irishman. this was worn by stephen graham in the irishman, and funnily enough is the most talked about costume in the film. people really like it. i mean, it's because it comes from such a great scene, where tony pro, the character, is late for a meeting with jimmy hoffa, played by al pacino. and there ensues a row, and then an actual fight on the floor. but what it does, of course, and what you have done with it, is it communicates so much

of the character's personality. yeah, it's a kind of arrogance of the character — sort of not bothering to dress properly for a business meeting. for her deep wisdom in knowing where to draw the line in holding our country together. last year, she won a bafta for her work on the favourite, dressing the actors of the late stuart court of queen anne. all in a day's work for a designer with an impressive range. judi dench, shakespeare in love. ewan mcgregor, velvet goldmine. joe pesci, the irishman. stephen graham, the irishman. emily blunt, young victoria. joseph fiennes, shakespeare in love. i have not said all. by malign fate, the message goes astray which would tell romeo of the friar's plan. generally i've got their measurements in advance, so i'll go armed with various things to try on, just as a trial. you know, prototypes, shapes. let's see what works and what doesn't work. so, you start by trying a bunch of things on. and then you get a feel very quickly, really, of what they're responding to, what i respond to.

you know, what works and what doesn't. it's not about making somebody look fabulous. that character has got to work. and maybe the character is the kind of character that looks fabulous. maybe they're a character that actually looks terrible, and sometimes you have to make people look terrible deliberately. you've got quite a lot of experience at the awards, going up on stage at the baftas and the oscars. what is the whole thing like? terrifying. it's absolutely terrifying. you sit there terrified, and hope your name doesn't get called. well, hers does frequently. she might well hear it again at this year's awards, starting with the baftas on sunday. will gompertz, bbc news. just briefly and finally, a different kind ofjob on offer for a braver volunteer needing to help a saltwater crocodile in indonesia. it managed to get a tire stuck around its neck, which no—one can seem to move. local authorities are offering a cash reward to the brave person who can forget. they are

stressing they are looking for people with a wildlife conservation background. that's it for now. thank you so much we re it for now. thank you so much were watching. hello there. thursday was a very windy day across the north of the uk, into parts of scotland. it stays breezy through the course of today, as well, even windy in some areas. but what you will notice — it's going to feel very mild. and the reason for it, low pressure, always nearby. this front will bring spells of rain which will spread south—east across the country. quite a few isobars on the chart, and we're drawing ourair in from the south—west. this air source from the azores. as you can see, the oranges and the yellows indicates that it's going to feel mild, very mild in fact, for the time of year. but there will be quite a bit of around through the morning. that weather front i showed you, a band of rain spreading southwards and eastwards across england and wales through the day. behind it, skies will tend to brighten up, so there'll be some glimmers of sunshine. well, there'll be plenty of blustery showers across the north and west of scotland, heavy with spells of rain. it will be a blustery day wherever you are.

these are average wind speeds, could be gusting to 40mph or maybe 50mph in some of the windiest spots. but look at these temperatures. for the time of year, extremely mild indeed. the mid—teens celsius, we could be looking at 15 degrees in one or two spots across eastern england. it stays breezy, as well, rather cloudy as we head through friday night. further outbreaks of rain or longer spells of rain across the north—west corner of the country. further south, a few drier interludes, one or two showers around, and again, it should be another frost—free one. those temperatures remaining in double figures across the south to start the weekend. low pressure again nearby on saturday. we'll have this weather front bringing some rain to the north, and this front bringing some rain to the south. in between, a mixture of cloud, one or two showers, but also a little bit of brightness. so one front across the south will allow outbreaks of showery rain to move across southern britain, tending to clear away from the south—east. further north, outbreaks of rain here, northern ireland, scotland, northern england,

with some colder air beginning to push into the north of the country. so single—figure values here, but further south, a cooler day, but still fairly mild for the time of year —10—13 degrees. on sunday we will see another blustery day, particularly in the south. a weather front working its way northwards, taking its rain with it, tending to turn to snow over high ground in the north as it encounters colder air. but further south, another bright day, with a few showers, and once again those temperatures in double figures. now, as we head on into next week, looks like it turns colder. a cold snap for a while, before it starts turn milder again towards the end of the week, with a return to stronger winds and outbreaks of rain.

this is bbc news, the headlines: the coronavirus outbreak, which started in the city of wuhan in china, has been classified as a global health emergency by the world health organisation. more than 200 people have died and almost 8,000 people have been infected. it has spread to eighteen other countries. the palestinian leadership says it has warned israel that if it annexes any part of the occupied west bank all agreements between the two sides would be terminated. the palestinian prime minister told the bbc this would include economic and political deals struck in the past, as well as agreements on security cooperation. the uk will officially leave the eu at 11 o'clock on friday night — that's midnight on mainland europe. the prime minister, borisjohnson is due to make an "address to the nation" around an hour beforehand in which he'll hail the "dawn of a new era". britain has been in the eu since 1973. it voted to leave injune 2016.