welcome to bbc news. my name's mike embley. our top stories: hundreds of passengers quarantined over coronavirus on the diamond princess cruise ship are preparing to leave shortly. new york's former mayor, michael bloomberg, surges in the polls, qualifying for his first democratic presidential debate. thejudge in harvey weinstein‘s rape trial has warned his defence lawyer not to court publicity until thejury reaches its verdict. malaysia's battle against terrorism. tough police tactics and an emphasis on deradicalisation programmes in prison. music and politics at the brit awards — we'll have a full round—up of

the winners and the reaction. hello. more than 2,000 people have now died in china from the coronavirus outbreak. authorities have confirmed a total of more than 7a,000 cases, and announced new measures, including incentives for health care staff, and the building of another 10 temporary hospitals. let ta ke let take you to live pictures from yokohama in japan. let take you to live pictures from yokohama injapan. people leaving the ship but likely heading forfurther leaving the ship but likely heading for further quarantine. they've been quarantined

on board for more than two weeks as those on board grappled with the biggest outbreak of the virus outside mainland china. we'rejoined from hong kong by our correspondent, nick beake. this has become a real cluster outside mainland china? it certainly has, the biggest cluster outside mainland china and we have been watching this in slow motion as it were, the fate of this ship. the people on board time has passed extremely slowly. they have been there since the third of february. some respite it seems. we have seen february. some respite it seems. we have seen pictures of the buses lined up, waiting to ta ke the buses lined up, waiting to take people away and it demonstrates how different countries have been dealing with this crisis in different ways. already many americans have left but other citizens from other countries have not been able to leave. it has raised the question of how effective the quarantine has been on board? absolutely.

scientists and people with a biology akron have been questioning the wisdom of keeping people in a confined space where you know people are testing positive for the coronavirus by the authorities have been adamant they needed to stay on board. for the americans, it wasn't long enough and they moved that citizens off. we are told the british, canadians, israelis, italian are looking to take people off the ship. it has been a big operation for the japanese authorities but also across the region but, really, we have been focused on the ship because it has been playing in slow motion in front of us. you have been following the story for a while. what you make of the new figures and new measures announced by authorities in china? it is difficult because they do not talk with any confidence about the way the graph is heading.

sadly if you look at the latest figures from china overnight, the number of new reported deaths have increased after a few days of falling, not in if you could wave but clearly the sad reality is people continued to die from this virus. 0utside wuhan province, and hubei province, there has—been hope from the chinese authorities and the world health 0rganization but it is difficult to make bold predictions. 0n the weekend we saw a chinese citizen, an elderly man died in france after making his way to europe. i think the health experts on a global level are saying it is far too early to be confident oi’ far too early to be confident orsay far too early to be confident or say with any sort of confidence that this is going ona confidence that this is going on a particular direction. thank you very much for that and we will keep across the story as it develops and bring

you all the latest. the former mayor of new york city, michael bloomberg, has qualified for the democratic presidential debate in nevada on wednesday. so far, in the campaign to choose who will be the pa rty‘s candidate to fight donald trump, the billionaire has not been tested live on a debate stage, alongside his rivals for the nomination. live now to our north america correspondent, peter bowes. michael bloomberg has not been physically present in the campaign but his ads have been everywhere, his money has been everywhere. he is a huge philanthropist for causes close to democrats but the money comes with complications? the money will be a huge issue. he has reportedly spent $400 million already on national television advertising. it is difficult to sit down in front of your tv of an evening and not see a commercial of michael bloomberg. in part that is why he has managed to qualify for

the debate on wednesday night in nevada, going up for the first time against his main opponents for the democratic nomination to challenge donald trump. bernie sanders is in the lead in that race so far. he has done so far very well anything caucus and primary election we have had today but what has not been tested is who would come off better in terms of the two of them arguing about policy and inevitably that question, is he buying himself into the presidency? something bernie sanders feel strongly about. interestingly, donald trump has also been tweeting about that. michael bloomberg and the president have been involved in a war of words already on social media. it will be fascinating to see how he feeds into the campaign which of course has a long way to go. interestingly, he has not had his name on a ballot paper yet. that will not happen until super tuesday when 14

states around the country, including california will have their say and he will be one of their say and he will be one of the candidates. we should know more on wednesday night at least. peter, thank you very much. let's get some of the day's other news: president trump has commuted the 14—year prison sentence of a former democratic governor of illinois, rod blagojevic. he was convicted for trying to sell the senate seat vacated by barack 0bama when he won the presidential election 12 years ago. the authorities in mexico city have offered $100,000 reward for information about a suspect connected to the murder of a 7—year—old girl. the body of fatima aldrighett was discovered in a plastic bin bag over the weekend. her death, and that of a 25—year—old woman have sparked angry protests. low—skilled workers will not be granted uk visas under the british government's post—brexit immigration rules. ministers have announced their plans, and urged businesses to move away from relying on cheap labour from europe. the opposition has attacked the proposals.

the boy scouts of america, one of the largest non—profit youth organisations in the us, has filed for bankruptcy protection. they face a surge in lawsuits, over claims of sexual abuse spanning decades. the group, with more than two million members, says the move will allow it to build a compensation fund for victims. the lawyer defending harvey weinstein in his rape case, has been warned by thejudge not to talk to the press until the jury's reached a verdict. an opinion piece by donna rotunno, written as if she was addressing thejury in the first person, was published at the weekend by newsweek magazine. the five women and seven men have now begun deliberating on their verdict. nada tawfik is in new york with the latest. mr weinstein's lawyers have really hit at not only the credibility of the women, trying to poke holes in their story, but also the whole public interest in this case, and its connection to the #metoo movement.

so when it comes to the women, they have produced e—mails that they say shows that they say shows that they say shows that the relationships we re that the relationships were consensual, showing that the women wanted to stay in touch with harvey weinstein. and from their perspective, they're hoping that that convinces the jury these we re convinces the jury these were loving relationships, oi’ were loving relationships, or at the very least that these women thought they could use harvey weinstein to get ahead in their careers. donna rotunno, the lawyer, during cross examination was very stuff on the women. jessica mann actually started sobbing and broke down on the stand. she had to read a letter written to harvey weinstein speaking of him in glowing terms. but she said it was a relationship that was degrading and he held the power in. with hundreds of thousands in a desperate situation in north west syria,

and conditions getting worse, a senior united nations official is calling for safe corridors to be set up, to give people a chance to escape the fighting. president assad's forces, backed by russia, launched a new offensive last december in idlib province, the last major rebel stronghold. government airstrikes have recently hit hospitals and refugee camps. the bbc‘s 0rla guerin gave us the latest from across the border in turkey. event by the long and brutal standards of syria's for this is an agonising chapter and possibly the final one. president assad is talking about pushing on to complete victory. what that means on the ground is that a ferocious offensive is taking place in idlib province. civilians have been fleeing from shelling, air raids, barrel bombs being dropped by the syrian regime and their russian allies. the numbers are staggering. the un is talking about a million

people on the move since the first of december, half of those are children. in recent days, i have not been safe even as they fled. they were shelled in areas where they were trying to protect themselves. conditions are dire. a camp on the border is overflowing and many people are sheltering under trees. if you want a tent, you have to pay for it. i have no heating, fuel or medical assistance and more and more people are cramming into that area up against the turkish border which remains closed stop turkey already has 3 million syrian refugees and says it cannot afford another influx. there is a terrible human cost in this. there have been a sub zero temperatures in the region in the past few days and aid workers have been reporting that children have been freezing to death. 0rla guerin with the latest from across the border

in turkey. let's ta ke let's take you back to the scene in yokohama. passengers tested negative have been expected to disembark the diamond princess. we are not clear if those are passengers in the bus orjust approaching. more people have tested positive but those free of the disease have been hoping they have spent their last night on board before disembarking. the total is now 542 infected patients, easily the biggest cluster outside the centre of the disease in china. the cruise ship proved avirulent breeding ground for the virus. we will bring you more as we receive it. stay with us on bbc news, still to come:

shaken, but not stirred, billie eilish debuts the newjames bond theme, and picks up the award for best international female artist nine years and 15,000 deaths after going into afghanistan, the last soviet troops were finally coming home. the withdrawal completed in good order, but the army defeated in the task it had been sent to perform. malcolm has been murdered. that has a terrible effect on the morale of the people. i'm terrified of the repercussions in the streets. one wonders who is next. as the airlift got under way, there was no let—up in the eruption itself. lava streams from a vent low

in the crater flow down to the sea on the east of the island, away from the town for the time being. it could start flowing again at any time. the russians heralded their new—generation space station with a spectacular night launch. they called it mir, the russian for peace. this is bbc news, the latest headlines: hundreds of passengers are set to leave the diamond princess cruise ship after a two—week long quarantine. and new york's former mayor michael bloomberg qualifies for the democratic presidential debate on wednesday, his first appearance with his rivals. is it possible to reintroduce former extremists safely back into society? malaysia has been battling islamist terrorism for many years and police claim a 97% success rate for a de—radicalisation programme, carried out in prisons.

but as anna foster reports, the programme is very controversial. don't move, don't move, hey! moving in against islamic state. the group is malaysia's biggest threat, and these anti—terror forces have foiled 25 attacks so far, many planned and organised from syria. but now, police want to bring members of the failed caliphate home, to keep people safe. if we abandon them in syria, they will travel to other countries. what if they conduct attacks in other countries? so, for us, it's better to bring them back. at least 116 malaysians lived under the caliphate in syria and iraq, leaving destruction in their wake and terrorising their homeland from thousands of miles away. from here, they were free to wage war, groom new members

over social media, and plan attacks. lydia was married to two islamic state fighters. now, she wants to return from syria with her three children. people in malaysia would worry that if they bring somebody like you back to malaysia... that we would do something... ..that they would not be safe, that you would attack them, that your boys would grow up and attack them. do you understand that? there is little public sympathy for malaysians who travel to syria. those who return home will face detention under laws which human rights groups have criticised as harsh. but the government says it has decades of experience at rehabilitating prisoners with extreme ideologies. since 2001, only 3% of those

convicted of terror crimes have returned to violence after deradicalisation. the debate here in malaysia is the same in countries right around the world. which is the best and safest option, to leave people in syria, or to bring them home and try to combat the violent ideology that sent them there? suleiman recruited new members ot islamic state and channelled funds to syria. now, he works as a taxi driver, after spending two years in prison on the programme. dr ahmad el—muhammady worked to deradicalise suleiman while he was imprison, and he says continuing to monitor and support former is members after their release is necessary to keep the country safe. in my capacity as the person

involved in rehabilitation, i regularly meet with them, try to talk with them — is there any way i can help, in terms of connecting him with a certain individual, agencies, finding a job? things like this. go, go, go, go! malaysia's plan to bring people home is a bold one, and not without its critics. but, as police prepare to tackle the dangers that lie ahead, it proves that inaction is not the only option. anna foster, bbc news, kuala lumpur. a single—mother in russia is facing six years in prison for her political activism. for more than a year, anastasia shevchenko has been under strict house arrest awaiting trial — banned from communicating with anyone other than officials and her relatives. those conditions have just been eased slightly, allowing her to talk

about her case to the bbc for the first time. she's accused of links to a pro—democracy group, 0pen russia uk, which has been banned in russia as undesirable and a threat to state security. sarah rainsford went to meet her. walking the dog is a big deal for anastasia shevchenko, and for anastasia shevchenko, and for bailey. under house arrest for bailey. under house arrest for over one year, the opposition activist has just been allowed out for a daily walk. that means meeting her eight—year—old at the school gates again. nisha has missed that. has mum has missed a lot. the sun and fresh air as well. how wind touches your skin even, because you don't feel it at all. the new rules mean we can talk too for the first time. it is like a nightmare, you know, but if you are a political activist in russia you just have to be prepared somehow for it. for prison.

single mom is accused of links toa single mom is accused of links to a pro—democracy group based in the uk that is banned here as undesirable. she now has the electronic tag. that is how they control me. the cases based on a political debate and protest with a banner against vladimir putin. translation: protest with a banner against vladimir putin. translationzlj think they want to frighten activist, to show that if people are politically active, they will end up like me, in custody and suffering. the family has been trying to keep life as normal as possible under house arrest, although measure has been having nightmares. and while vlad is happy her mum a gets two—hour walk now, she wants to go shopping with her and two they used to. and despite the housework and homework as

usual, timetables the ironing board, they have all been on edge since they discovered investigators installed a spy camera in the aircon unit of their last flat. i saw the photos and realised there had been a camera. i photos and realised there had been a camera. i was photos and realised there had been a camera. i was there in my pyjamas. it was clearly by my pyjamas. it was clearly by my bed, for six months. what do they think i do? plan a coup in my they think i do? plan a coup in d? they think i do? plan a coup in my bed? there has been tragedy too. her eldest daughter lived in care, she had been damaged. when she fell sick, her mother wasn't allowed to visit until it was too late. she wants to scatter her ashes at sea but it is impossible under arrest. anastacia is making the most of her new limited freedom. the trail is soon and the activist could be facing up to six years behind bars. a

bit of weather news, homes have been evacuated in the west of england because of fears of further flooding. england because of fears of furtherflooding. houses england because of fears of further flooding. houses and apartments near the ironbridge gorge have been submerged by rising water than there are areas flood barriers could be breached. across the uk there are now six breached. across the uk there are now six severe breached. across the uk there are now six severe flood warnings meaning danger to life. harry styles is reporting he was robbed during a night out on valentine's day. he handed over cash when he was confronted by a mugger. police confirmed they are investigating a knifepoint robbery in the area. the biggest names in the music industry have been out in force, in london, for the 40th brit awards. billie eilish, lewis capaldi, and stormzy were among the winners, but the night will be remembered for some political performances, notably by the rapper dave, who won best album. in his song black, he paid tribute to the grenfell tower victims, criticised the media's

treatment of the duchess of sussex, and called the british prime minister a racist. david sillito reports. voiceover: welcome to the brit awards 2020. # i'm overyou, and i don't need your lies no more... welcome to the 40th brit awards. the big winner tonight... lewis capaldi! ..lewis capaldi. popular, but his brief speech lead to a swift pressing of the mute button. but others were here to be heard, such as the mercury prize—winning artist dave, in a performance that was impassioned, angry and political. # the truth is our prime minister's a real racist. downing street says it won't be commenting. # i say the least racist is still racist. # and if somebody hasn't said it, equality‘s a right. # it doesn't deserve credit. # now, if you don't want to get it # then you're never gonna get it. # how the news treats kate versus how they treated meghan. meanwhile, five years ago, tyler the creator was prevented

from entering britain because of what was said to be unacceptable behaviour, by making statements that could foster hatred. tonight, not only was he here, he had a brit and a statement. someone who i hold dear to my heart, who, who — who made it why i couldn't come to this country five years ago. i know she's at home, pissed off. thank you, theresa may. # hair toss. # check my nails... this 40th anniversary show something of a contrast with how it all began, as a musical tribute to the queen's silverjubilee. and the list of winners in that first show in 1977 included the beatles, procol harum, benjamin britten. # there's just no time to die... these days, the artists are rather more contemporary and increasingly, speaking out. i felt very hated recently. 18—year—old billie eilish — 54 million followers on instagram, and her welcome here a relief from the online hate.

it genuinely made me want to cry, and i want to cry right now, so thank you. david sillito, bbc news, the brits. back to yokohama just near tokyo, those live as from the cruise liner, the diamond princess which has become the biggest cluster of the coronavirus outside the centre of the outbreak in mainland china. we are seeing passengers disembarking, about 500 people expected to disembark, people tested negative for the virus stopping about 88 people on board have stopping about 88 people on boa rd have tested stopping about 88 people on board have tested positive and authorities say they are being taken to specialised hospitals copy no further details at the moment on their nationalities. more than 2000 people according to the latest riggers have now died in mainland china from the coronavirus outbreak. a confirmed total of 74,000 cases in total and from hong kong,

some isjust coming in, hong kong has recorded its second death caused by the corona virus, a 70—year—old man. that's it for now, thanks for watching. hello there. the weather doesn't look like it's going to be settling down anytime soon, u nfortu nately. we have more rainfall in the forecast, which could exacerbate already existing flooding problems. we still have several severe flood warnings in force. we saw record river levels monday and tuesday across southern and western areas, although those levels have subsided somewhat. however, with more rain in the forecast, piling in during wednesday and thursday, we're likely to see those river levels rising again, and we could be looking at more flooding issues. and the heavy rain over the next few days will be focused more across north—western parts of england and north wales, northern and western wales. now, today it starts off fine and dry, quite chilly, little bit of ice around, but some sunshine, before the cloud thickens up ahead of this weather system

which will arrive, bringing outbreaks of fairly persistent rain for northern ireland, western scotland into north—west england, northern and western wales. further south and east, some dry interludes, although it will be rather cloudy, and temperatures generally nine or 10 degrees in the south, cooler across the north. now, it continues to stay wet through wednesday night, and this weather front continues to bring rain particularly into northern and north—west england, northern and western wales. this is where we'll start to see problems arising again. it will be quite a mild night for england and wales. something colder, though, across certainly the northern half of scotland. so the weather fronts then still with us as we head on through thursday. the good news is, as it starts to move through fairly quickly, it will allow for a little bit of sunshine through the day on thursday. but quite a temperature contrast from thursday morning to what we will expect later on as the colder air moves through. now, the good news is this weather front will move through fairly quickly across the country through the day, eventually clearing the south—east, with some sunshine returning behind it.

so a dry afternoon, with some sunshine. that should help issues there. but there will be lots of showers across the north. these will be wintry on the hills, as it will be chilly, but even a chillier day for the south as that front moves through. notice the isobars increase as we head on into friday. it's going to turn windy and there will be more weather fronts piling in. we're thinking areas to the north of north wales seeing most of the rainfall. particularly northern ireland and western scotland could be very wet, but again, into north—west england and north wales. to the south, should see some sunny spells, but the wind gusts mean it's going to be a very blustery day, 40—50 mph winds. 0n the plus side, temperatures in double figures for most, 11 or 12 degrees in the south—east. so that's how it's looking up until friday, into the weekend. u nfortu nately it stays unsettled, more windy weather with showers, but also longer spells of rain for some.

this is bbc news, the headlines: hundreds of passengers are leaving the diamond princess cruise ship. they've been quarantined on board for more than two weeks as the vessel grappled with the biggest outbreak of corona virus outside of mainland china. so far 542 passengers have been infected. the former mayor of new york city, michael bloomberg, has qualified for the democratic presidential debate in nevada on wednesday. it's the first time the billionaire will appear on stage alongside his rivals. a national opinion poll has placed him in second behind bernie sanders. the jury in the trial of harvey weinstein has begun its deliberations, after the judge delivered a warning to the hollywood producer's lawyer following a magazine article in which she wrote jurors should "do what they know is right". she said the piece was not intended to address the jury directly.