this is bbc news, i'm maryam moshiri. our top stories: us media reports that donald trump has decided to nominate federal judge amy coney barrett to the supreme court. but the president remains tight—lipped. so that decision will be made, it is made in my own mind but we will be announcing it tomorrow, five o'clock. the nominee will fill the seat made vacant by the death ofjustice ruth bader ginsburg; today she became the first woman in american history to lie in state in the capitol building in washington. two people are wounded in a knife attack outside the former offices of the french satirical magazine charlie hebdo. and look away if you don't like rodents, this rat is officially a hero —

and he's got a gold medal to prove it. hello and welcome to bbc news. us media reports say president trump has decided to nominate the federaljudge amy coney barrett to fill the supreme court seat left vacant by the death of ruth bader ginsburg. the bbc‘s us partner cbs has been told by multiple sources involved in or familiar with the selection process that she will be nominated by mr trump tomorrow. supreme court justices are nominated to the bench by the us president, but must be approved by the senate. with the death ofjustice ginsburg, a liberal stalwart, mr trump was given the chance to cement a rightward ideological tilt of the nine—member court by replacing her with a conservative.

so, what do we know about his reported pick, amy coney barrett? she's a judge on the circuit court of appeals, a position she was nominated to by president trump. she's 48 years old, was born in new orleans, and has seven children. previously, she served as a clerk for the conservative supreme courtjustice antonin scalia, who died in 2016. and she's described as a devout catholic, making her a favourite among religious conservatives. speaking to reporters earlier, president trump said he'd made his decision but refused to confirm who it was. well i haven't said it was her, but she is outstanding, they are all outstanding. they are all very outstanding people. top—of—the—line academically, and every way possible. so...

our north america correspondent david willis told us more about amy coney barrett. amy coney barrett is a devout catholic, she is the mother of seven, and a8, if indeed this does proved to be the case, then she would be the youngest member of the united states supreme court panel. she would be replacing ruth bader ginsburg, a liberal icon, and the two women could not be more diametrically opposed as far as their political views are concerned. ms ginsberg of course was profoundly and unequivocally pro—choice, amy coney barrett has called abortion "illegal", i'm sorry, she has called it "immoral", and twice since she was appointed to the us court of appeals back in 2017 by president trump she has voted in favour of restricting access to it, hence liberals are concerned that her appointment to the highest court in the land could

lead to fundamental changes in american life, not least overturning that landmark ruling back in 1973, roe v wade, which legalised abortion nationwide here in the us. and of course even if she is nominated it is not a done deal, is it — or is it? it's not, but it is more or less, because the republicans hold the majority, albeit a slim majority in the senate, and it will be up to the senate to approve donald trump's nominee. they want to do it, the republicans that is, as quickly as possible, possibly even before the presidential election in november, and president trump has thrown his hat in the ring, saying he would like to see whoever he nominates approved in that sort of timeframe. that's significant because as well as such issues as abortion rights, immigration, universal healthcare and so on, the us

supreme court could be called upon to weigh in to decide or determine the outcome of the forthcoming presidential election, should the outcome prove contentious, and disputed, as of course it may well. meanwhile, senior officials, friends and family paid their respects today to the late supreme court justice ruth bader ginsburg. she became the first woman to lie in state at the us capitol building. our correspondent ba ra ba ra plett usher reports from washington. ready, step... this was a solemn pause in the political tumult that has engulfed the capitol since justice ginsburg died a week ago. and she was still breaking barriers — the first woman ever to lie in state here, her casket placed on the platform that supported america's most famous president, abraham lincoln. i have the high honour to welcomejustice ruth bader ginsburg to lie in state in the capitol of the united states.

singing the democratic speaker of the house arranged the memorialfor this liberal icon. it was a simple service, punctuated by the music she loved. a family friend, rabbi lauren holtzblatt, led the tributes, praising the life and work of someone who changed the course of american law. justice did not arrive like a lightning bolt, but rather through dogged persistence all the days of her life. real change, she said, enduring change, happens one step at a time. justice ginsburg made groundbreaking advances in securing women the same rights as men, systematically eviscerating the obstacles thrown up by a male—dominated legal profession. on the supreme court, she established a reputation

as a strong liberal voice. amidst all the goodbyes, a brutal partisan battle has taken shape overjustice ginsburg's vacant seat which is set to cement the supreme court's conservative shift for a generation. notably absent here were republican leaders, who are plunging forward with president trump's controversial plan to move quickly in an election year. and from female members of congress, an honour guard of women, acknowledging that their world was shaped by her pioneering work. this marks the end of the mourning period forjustice ginsburg, and president trump is ready to nominate her replacement on saturday, setting off an unprecedented sprint to get a justice on the supreme court by the election, and triggering a political and cultural battle that will continue no matter who wins the presidency. barbara plett usher, bbc news, washington. let's get some of the day's other news.

a military plane's crashed in ukraine's eastern kharkiv region, killing at least 22 people. tthe state emergency service of ukraine said in a statement rescue workers are on the scene. israel has tightened restrictions on its population in the fight against coronavirus, just a week after a second lockdown came into effect. from friday afternoon, businesses not officially considered essential are ordered to close, and travel restricted to ikm from people's homes. the united states has now recorded more than 7 million cases of the coronavirus, according to statistics from johns hopkins university. the tally is reached on the same day that the the governor of florida lifted nearly all coronavirus restrictions on businesses with immediate effect. tributes have been paid to a police officer shot dead by a detainee at a custody centre in south london. he has been named as 54—year—old sergeant matt ratana. a 23—year—old suspect,

who was being processed in croydon after being arrested, is believed to have turned the weapon on himself. daniel sandford reports. examining the scene of the murder of one of their own colleagues. forensics officers working at the croydon custody centre in south london today. a suspect was brought here at around at around 2:15 this morning in a police vehicle, but he was carrying a concealed revolver and, still handcuffed behind his back, appears to have shot the custody sergeant in the chest before shooting himself. the dead officer, 54—year—old matt ratana, who'd served his whole career in the metropolitan police and was about to retire, was rushed to hospital, but couldn't be saved. he gave 29 years of his life to the public of london. he has now tragically been killed on duty. his service will never be forgotten and we are deeply gratefulfor it, and it is a really distinguished service from a lovely, lovely,

much respected police officer. welcome to east grinstead rugby football club. i'm matt ratana, head coach. sergeant ratana, who was originally from new zealand, was a much loved colleague, but was also well known as a first—class rugby player and the coach at east grinstead rugby club in sussex. just before last night's shift, he whatsapped about how great the last training session had been. his assistant said that was typical of his enthusiasm. he affected so many people positively. so many people have gained something great from matt. and he's going to be a huge loss to the gym, to the rugby club, to just anyone that knew him, yeah. matt ratana leaves behind a partner and an adult son from a previous relationship. his colleagues knew him as a big guy. big in stature, big in heart.

friendly, capable. a lovely man, highly respected by his colleagues. we begin our minute's silence for our fallen colleague. this afternoon, the metropolitan police held a minute's silence in tribute to the dead officer, led by the head of the force and the mayor of london. the prime minister sent his deepest condolences to his family. i think that a police officer can be killed in a police station is a source of huge concern notjust to the police, notjust to those of us politicians who are charged with giving the police the tools they need, but everyone. the suspect is in a critical condition in st george's hospital, tooting, after having surgery. he was originally arrested on suspicion of possession of class b drugs and possession of ammunition. how he then managed to smuggle a gun into the custody suite is at the heart of a police conduct investigation. but today all those involved

in policing are in deep shock. once again, an officer has been killed on duty. once again, they remember the hidden risks they face when they come to work each day. daniel sandford, bbc news, croydon. there's been reaction from new zealand where matt ratana was born. police there paid their tributes. commissioner andrew coster said: and prime ministerjacinda ardern has also issued a statement: while here in the uk, this is the east grinstead rugby club with their flag flying at half—mast in tribute to the life of their much—loved head coach. let's turn to paris, where two people have been wounded in a knife attack outside

the former offices of the french satirical magazine charlie hebdo. the victims — a man and a woman who are staff members of a television company — were seriously wounded, although both are reportedly out of danger. two people have been ta ken into custody. our paris correspondent, lucy williamson reports. sirens wail in central paris today, the familiar scenes of a recurring nightmare — a knife attack that left two people seriously injured at a building once occupied by the satirical magazine charlie hebdo. the victims are employees of a television production company with offices there. translation: outside the metro, i saw a machete with lots of blood and people shouting. it was a bit of a panic. in the passageway that is right next to my work, i saw a victim lying there covered in blood. that's when i panicked, and then people started panicking and shouting. the police arrived and asked us to stay locked up. all in all, on the way, i saw

two victims and lots of blood. one man, believed to be the attacker, has been arrested, and a suspected accomplice has also been ta ken into custody. police told the bbc that one of those detained was found with blood on his clothes. the sight of police cordoning off these streets will bring back painful memories for france. just around the corner from here, the former offices of the satirical magazine charlie hebdo, target of a deadly terrorist attack five years ago. those suspected of involvement in that attack are currently standing trial at a court here in paris. the place and timing of this attack has meant prosecutors are treating it as a terrorist inquiry. charlie hebdo, which now operates from a different location, has tweeted its support to the victims. "the entire team offers its support and solidarity to our former neighbours and colleagues and to the people affected by this

odious attack," it said. arriving after a government crisis meeting, the prime minister, jean castex, said the symbolism of this attack, its location and timing, was clear. translation: this is the time for the government of the republic to reiterate its unwavering commitment to freedom of the press, its resolute will by all means to fight against terrorism, and to affirm to the nation that we are fully mobilised. france has been reliving the horrific attack on charlie hebdo five years ago as survivors give testimony in the trial of those suspected of involvement. earlier this month, charlie hebdo reprinted the cartoons of mohammed that originally made it a target for islamist violence — echoes of an attack that continues to leave its mark on france. lucy williamson,

bbc news, paris. stay with us on bbc news. blinded by the light: why authorities in chile are taking action to try to helpjohn is see the stars. —— help astronomers. ben johnson, the fastest man on earth, is flying home to canada in disgrace. all the athletes should be clean going into the games. i'm just happy that justice is served. it is a simple fact that this morning, these people were in their homes. tonight, those homes have been burnt down by serbian soldiers and police. all the taliban positions along here have been strengthened, presumably in case the americans invade. it's no use having a secret service which cannot preserve its own secrets against the world and so, the british government

has no option but to continue this action even after any adverse judgement in australia. concorde have crossed the atlantic faster than any plane ever before, breaking the record by six minutes. this is bbc news. our top story this hour: us media reports that president trump has decided to nominate federal judge amy coney barrett to the supreme court. the nominee will fill the seat made vacant by the death of ruth bader ginsburg. the first woman to lie in state in the washington capitol building. the annual un general assembly got under way this week, with world leaders giving recorded video messages. president xi jinping says china has no

intention of entering a cold war with any country. this, after president trump said the chinese must be held accountable for unleashing covid—i9 on the world. what is the current state of the relationship between beijing and washington? our world affairs editorjohn simpson gives his assessment. china's new—found strength is everywhere, confronting taiwan and hong kong. taking on australia, japan, india. sparring with donald trump. they let the plague out. they shouldn't have done it. china uses its economic muscle right around the world. this week it was accused of ordering barbados to ditch the queen. in the years when china was building up its strength and wealth, its official slogan was a modest one, "hide your light and bide your time." but in the past ten years as china's strength has grown, the official slogan has changed. now it's, "strive for achievement". should we be worried? the leading chinese dissident, ai weiwei, now in exile in cambridge, thanks the west

is so dependent on china, it's incapable of resisting. the west should really worry about china from decades ago. and now is already be too late. it's almost no way for the west to stop this, kind of, profit—making business ind to simply cut it off, it will hurt, deeply. that's why china is very arrogant. china sees it differently. it regards itself as a developing country, only now taking its rightful place in the world.

hello, john. sorry for the wait. mr hu is here. hu xijin, a newspaper owner closely linked to the top chinese leadership. translation: the situation is tense. that's a fact, but we're not confronting not confronting the west as a whole, the west does not equal the usa. i think the hardline attitude of the usa is, in part, caused by its election politics. yet hu xijin is pretty hardline himself. he told me that under certain circumstances, china could use military force to invade taiwan. as for hong kong... translation: if the violent protesters threaten police lives by throwing projectiles and petrol bombs, i believe the police should be allowed to use their guns and they should open fire. power is being fragmented between nations...

do such threats imply a new cold war? one former british foreign secretary thinks not. there are areas where china needs to be confronted, but there are other areas where there is room for cooperation. we have to take very seriously, a robust analysis, but one which doesn't fall for the easy, but i think false idea that a "cold war" is the right way to analyse and understand china's rise. the key seems to be the us election. directly that over, we'll see if the winner wants further confrontation with china oi’ more coexistence. john simpson, bbc news. environmental regulators insulator threatening legal action to try and reduce the level of light pollution in the country. the growing urban and steppers are potentially damaging on astronomy. chile has become an international hub

oi’ has become an international hub or scientists wanting to explore the cosmos, tim allman explains. if you want to gaze at the stars. here is where you come. chile's does that, with its bone dry air and crystal—clear atmosphere, it's the perfect ways to look up. —— to the growing urban sprawl of nearby cities is making stargazing just that little bit more difficult. translation: when i arrived here, there were around 2000 people living here. there are around 12,700 in the last census. the city has grown and the northern sky has gotten worse and worse every year. you have to understand that light pollution is a serious problem for astronomers. new buildings, new roads, new shopping centres, bring illumination or pollution, depending on your point of view. for some, this

isn't just about science, it's about national pride. translation: in chile, we have a natural heritage which is this natural laboratory and the desert, which is unique in the world. it's the place where humanity studies the universe and tries to understand the origins of life stop and we have a very strong duty to care for our country's heritage. lawsuits have already been filed against some companies with claims they have exceeded limits on light emissions. in the government is considering new laws and stricter enforcement not a moment too soon, sadie astronomers, who insist action is needed before the stars fade out of sight —— say the astronomers. tim allman, bbc news. now, his name is magawa. he's a rat, an african giant—pouched rat. he's also a life—saving hero. he's just been awarded a gold medal for his work detecting

landmines in cambodia. he's the first rat to receive this honour. duncan kennedy tells his story. this is magawa, the mine—clearing, medal—winning, mind—blowing rat. he is actually a giant african pouched rat, capable of clearing an area the size of a tennis court injust 30 minutes. something that would take a human four days to do. and now for the first time in their 103—year history, one of britain's leading animal charities has given him their highest award. magawa is a true hero rat and we're thrilled to celebrate his life—saving devotion by awarding him the pdsa gold medal. it took a year to train magawa to work in cambodia. he walks up—and—down sniffing out the chemicals in the mines

and gently taps it when he finds one. he's discovered 39 mines and 28 bits of explosive ordnance, making him a most reliable rodent. tell me, why is magawa so special? magawa is, year after year, he searches the biggest amount of square metres, he finds more mines than any other rat. like i said, he is the one of these rats that each handler wishes to work with. magawa is one of 45 rats who've cleared enough land in cambodia for a million people to live on. so his handler, says he is due to retire in november but is fit enough to work for another year. a cuddly rat? well, perhaps. an effective one — certainly. magawa, the mega mine clearer. duncan kennedy, bbc news. i want to say cute right, but i just can't say it. anyway. that is it from me. —— cute rat. if you want to get in touch

with me, i'm on twitter. and of course our website, bbc.com/news. all the latest news headlines to be found there. bye— bye. hello. the last weekend of september won't be a particularly warm one, but for much of the uk, it'll be dry, there'll be some occasional sunshine. but there is one significant fly in the ointment — this area of low pressure which has pounded parts of eastern england, especially norfolk, with wind and rain to end the week. it will still be close by over the weekend, it will still be windy and still a chance of seeing a bit of rain. it'll be cloudier compared with elsewhere. so, this is how the weekend is shaping up, on the chilly side. some sunshine, but those strong winds particularly across parts of eastern england. they'll still be there as we start saturday. still with some outbreaks

of rain lincolnshire into east anglia. elsewhere, clear, chillier, maybe a touch of frost to start the day in parts of scotland, northern england and northern ireland. but across much of the uk, well, winds are reasonably light in comparison compared to eastern england. there'll be some sunshine. the cloud, though, across eastern england delivering some showery outbreaks of rain at times, especially the further east you are. and temperatures, well, mid to low teens, just maybe a few spots along the south coast reaching as high as 16 degrees celsius. the white arrows are the average speeds here. of course, they are higher the further east you are. we'll turn the arrows black and look at wind gusts, and 50—60 mph right along the coastline, just maybe easing a little later in the day, but make no mistake — these will still be strong winds with big waves and again cloud with some outbreaks of rain. and there'll be more cloud generally across central and eastern parts of england on through saturday night into sunday. could see a bit of drizzle,

maybe south—east england, out of that. where you're clear, it'll be chilly again, and again parts of northern ireland, scotland and northern england will get close to freezing or a touch of frost as we start sunday. but again with some sunshine to follow. on sunday, we'll keep a fair amount of cloud across the midlands, across the eastern side of england, you could see a few spots of light rain. there's still a noticeable wind right along that coast in particular, just not as strong as it's been. the lighter winds elsewhere, you get to see a bit of sunshine, maybe turning hazy later in northern ireland. the temperature may be a degree or so higher. but as winds turn south—westerly into the start of next week, it will turn a bit milder. a bit of rain heading to northern ireland on monday, and further spells of wind and rain across the uk coming our way from midweek.

this is bbc news.

the headlines: us media reports say president trump has decided to nominate the federal appeals court judge amy coney barrett to fill the supreme court seat left vacant by the death of the liberal icon ruth bader ginsburg. the nomination comes weeks before the us presidential celection. the late us supreme courtjustice ruth bader ginsburg has become the first woman in american history to lie in state in the capitol building in washington. she was honoured during a private ceremony that was attended by family members and some officials as well as invited guests. french investigators say seven people have now been arrested in connection with an attack outside the former offices of the satirical magazine charlie hebdo in paris. reports say the prime suspect is an 18—year—old pakistani. now on bbc news: the week in parliament.