this is bbc news with the latest headlines and around the world. despite a covid—19 surge, donald trump says no lockdown for america, as he finally comes close to admitting he's leaving the white house next year. this administration will not be going through a lockdown. hopefully whatever happens in the future, who knows which administration will be? i guess time will tell. joe biden wins the state of georgia, putting increasing pressure on mr trump to admit he lost the presidential election. the uk prime minister's most senior adviser, dominic cummings, quits his job after days of turmoil within the government. loss and grief in nagorno karabkh. we have a special report from the disputed region following six weeks of fighting.

and we'll be looking at how families plan to celebrate diwali during lockdown. hello and welcome to bbc news. president trump has made his first public comments since president electjoe biden was declared the winner of the election. despite a record number of new coronavirus cases, he said he would not put the united states into lockdown. the president avoided any comment on the recent election in his speech but came close to admitting that he's leaving the white house next year. here's our north america editor, jon sopel. after a record long period of silence — eight days — donald trump is approaching

a microphone. the news conference has been called to talk about the search for a vaccine at a time when coronavirus cases seem to be spiralling out of control across the whole of the us. the past nine months, my administration has initiated the single greatest mobilisation in us history, pioneering, developing and manufacturing therapies and vaccines in record time. donald trump insisted he would not shut down the us economy again. but... i will not go. this administration will not go into lockdown. hopefully, whatever happens in the future, who knows which administration it will be, i guess time will tell. but i can tell you this administration will not go to a lockdown. this is the first acknowledgement from the president that he might not be there come january. but the specific question, would he now concede tojoe biden, he didn't hang around for questions from reporters.

much to their frustration. his battle to overturn the result is going badly. on this friday the 13th in michigan, a judge threw out a case brought by his campaign over the way voting was conducted in detroit. joe biden will win arizona. he is the winner of 11 electoral votes. in arizona, the networks today finally called the result forjoe biden, and, significantly, the trump campaign aren't going to challenge it. and the pain's been compounded in georgia, another long—time republican citadel that has gone tojoe biden. although this state will be subject to a recount. so, we'll be counting every single piece of paper, every single ballot, every single lawfully cast legal ballot. the president—elect, who's busy working on his transition, hasn't made any comment, but maybe he feels he doesn't need to. his attitude has been, since last saturday, that it's done, it's over — he's the next president.

john topol, bbc news, washington. —— sopel our washington correspondent lebo disekojoins me now. what sort of reaction has there been to what he said when he spoke?” think from a lot ofjournalist, they been thinking it's the closest they've come to any hint that he's accepted or might be on the road to accepting defeat, but it's been six days since the election was called and we have not as yet had any proper admission from donald trump that yes, he was defeated, yes, joe biden is going to be the next us president. that in itself is quite something and it's almost in a way like we're letting these straws —— clustering. this is where we are now. it's interesting because the

conference really focused on the development of vaccinations and therapeutics, that was from president trump. meanwhile, president—electjoe biden was talking about how serious things actually are in a statement that came out earlier, so he was really breaking down the details. and i got the impression that he was kind of saying look, my hands are tied for the moment. he said "i'm not the president yet, i'm the president elect." he did call out the current administration and say they should be doing more, but he basically was saying people, you need to take care of this. things you can do to keep safe. and we have seen almost every state except four with increasing numbers on coronavirus debts averaging around a thousand a day. it really is not a good situation and almost every public health expert says particularly with the holiday season coming up in the number of people indoors and wanting

to gather with love ones, there is a danger ahead. we know that there was this transition body, covid transition body that joe this transition body, covid transition body thatjoe biden has been speaking to. in terms of the shape of his administration, when can we hear next about any further announcement, any key names that he's thinking about? this is the thing. i thinkjoe biden is kind of limited by the fact that so much of what he might want to do has been hampered by not being given basic things like access to security briefings and that's sort of thing. he does seem to be trying to give the impression that look, i'm going to rise above this and be presidential regardless, but it does put a rather difficult situation. we don't know when his next announcement will be, but i'm pretty sure that it won't be long before he tries again to show he's saving up

his government and he is going ahead despite the obstacles put in his way —— shaping up his government. despite the obstacles put in his way -- shaping up his government. on a final note, we had the statement from the cia say they have legal lock suits in six states across america. —— lawsuits. any victories for president trump and those lawsuits? there is a sort of victory in pennsylvania about the time given to adjust any mistakes on people's boats. the secretary of state, i think it was in that state, was given further extra time after extra time had been given and the court said that extra extra time was not allowed but the number of votes that affects is really small —— people's votes. that's not really going to change the outcome of that state. what i found really fascinating is donald trump's legal team gave a

briefing to journalists and said essentially, what they are hoping to do is force a recount in the state of pennsylvania. i don't really see that happening, but also, they were speaking to our us partner cvs and saying actually what they really wa nt to saying actually what they really want to do is get cases in front of the court, not necessarily with the hopes of winning in the court, but hoping to win in the court of public opinion. and allow donald trump to continue with this narrative that he's been cheated out of this electoral win. we shall see how it goes over the next few weeks. for now, thank you very much indeed. let's turn to the united kingdom. the prime minister's most senior and influential adviser, dominic cummings, has left downing street for good. he walked out of number ten very publicly this afternoon

after clearing his desk. infighting at the heart of government spilt out into the public eye this week as downing street's director of communications lee cain resigned. dominic cummings, a close ally, was expected to stay on until the end of the year. but after a conversation with borisjohnson today, it was decided he should go immediately. this report from our deputy political editor vicki young contains flash photography. leaving for the final time. one of the most influential figures in westminster propelled out of the door after a power struggle that erupted publicly and left downing street in turmoil. dominic cummings has been at borisjohnson's side for years and made plenty of enemies. the prime minister has been persuaded he needs a different style of government, which means no place for some of his most loyal advisers. dominic cummings made his name as a formidable campaigner, first against the uk joining the euro. it was the eu referendum that forged his relationship with borisjohnson, and he was credited with the winning slogan, "take back control."

but the move into government threw up different challenges. mr cummings was ruthless with those he didn't consider to be loyal. he was dismissive of the cabinet, conservative mps and the civil service. parliament was controversially suspended when it tried to block a no—deal brexit. although he wasn't a member of the conservative party, he masterminded a huge election victory, appealing to leave voters in the north of england. well, he was always someone who would sort of shake things up, he didn't take things as, just cos they had been done that way they couldn't be done any other way. just cos they had been done that way and it's always good, i think, to have people who challenge the system and challenge the way things are done. he's obviously been very influential in that way. but the covid pandemic left little room for his ambitious reforms and then there was the infamous trip to barnard castle. while millions followed the rules and stayed at home, mr cummings drove hundreds of miles

to county durham and was later forced to explain his actions. we agreed that we should go for a short drive to see if i could drive safely. there was uproar, but mr johnson stuck by him. today, many tory mps are glad he's gone. mr cummings was a liability. i would like the prime minister to see this as an opportunity to muck out the stables, to get in a team of people that he really needs and deserves behind him. every day, the people working in that building make important decisions that affect every one of us and, this week, the prime minister's decided he wants a new team to do that. conservative mps hope that it will mean a different tone from the government, less division, less aggression, what we don't know is whether it will mean a change in policy direction, and only the prime minister can decide that. the influence of borisjohnson's fiancee has also played its part in this drama. carrie symonds worked for the conservative party for years and was said to be unhappy with the team around him. others are already

enjoying the limelight. this is a face we will all be seeing much more of, formerjournalist allegra stratton will speak for the prime minister at new daily press conferences. the aim is a smoother operation. that was a report from our political editor vicki young. the un has called for urgent measures to protect civilians in mozambique's cabo delgado province, where islamist militants have stepped up attacks and there have been reports of beheadings and kidnappings. the un says over the last three years more than 350,000 people have been displaced by the violence. since mid october over 14,000 have fled by sea to the provincial capital, pemba, with dozens drowning when their boat capsized. with more, here is david campanale. on the sandy beaches of northern mozambique, villagers huddle for safety.

risking the dangers of travel by sea, these refugees have fled attacks by violent islamists and gone south along the indian ocean coast to find sanctuary in the regional capital pemba. translation: because of the war, i left marconia as i was seven months pregnant. i hid in the bush forfour days without food and water. i just left the bush when the rebels had left. translation: they tell a sad story. i would say that up to the day before yesterday, about 230 craft boats arrived full of people with their humble possessions. and with them have come tales of unspeakable crimes. a village football field reportedly turned into a site for beheadings and butchery. civilians fleeing say homes and infrastructure have been burnt, girls and young women abducted in large numbers and young

men decapitated in the dozens for refusing to side with the insurgents. the onslaught is the work of islamist fighters affiliated to so—called islamic state who are steadily expanding their control over this impoverished province. the un has called on the government to guarantee unhindered access for humanitarian agencies. the situation is desperate, and for those track in conflict affected areas with barely any means of surviving and those displaced across the province and beyond. those of remain have been left deprived of basic necessities. they are at risk of being killed, kidnapped or beheaded and those that are fleeing may die in the process. mozambique's feuding security forces are now lost control of key towns. appear unable to halt an insurgency that fuels

local grievances. the islamist have a exploited property —— exploited poverty and the conflict is already levitated the process —— devastated the province. david campanale, bbc news. now to ethiopia where reports of mass killings of civilians in northern tigary region have prompted the un human rights commissioner, michelle bachelet, to call for a full inquiry into possible war crimes. human rights campain group, amnesty international, had reported that possibly hundreds of people had been murdered in may cadera, a town in the west of the region. eyewitnesses have blamed forces loyal to tigray‘s ruling party, the tplf, but tigray‘s leader said the accusations were "baseless".

our reporter kalkidan yibeltal who is in the capital, addis ababa, has more. every day, it seems we are learning more about the human cost of this conflict. we learned from amnesty international that there has been... the report says there have been hundreds of civilians. they were killed by armed forces in the northern state of tigray. they said they haven't confirm who was behind they haven't confirm who was behind the attacks, but they say that eyewitnesses are describing forces might have caused these atrocities. the authorities are also blaming the federal government of killing civilians and air strikes, but what is clear the human cost is tragic. we are hearing of more displacement and people fleeing and seeing refuge

in other areas across the border to sudan as well as other places inside ethiopia. stay with us on bbc news. still to come... wailing grief and loss in nagorno—karabakh. we have a special report from the disputed region following six weeks of fighting. the bombastic establishment outsider donald trump has defied the pollsters to take the keys to the oval office. i feel great about the election results. i voted for him because i genuinely believe that he cares about the country. it's keeping the candidate's name always in the public eye that counts. success or failure depends not only on public display but on the local campaign headquarters and the heavy routine work of their women volunteers. berliners from both east and west linked hands and danced around their liberated territory. and, with nobody to stop them,

it wasn't long before the first attempts were made to destroy the structure itself. yasser arafat, who dominated the palestinian cause for so long, has died. the palestinian authority has declared a state of mourning. after 17 years of discussion, the result was greeted with an outburst ofjoy. women ministers who'd long felt only grudgingly accepted among the ranks of clergy suddenly felt welcome. this is bbc news. the latest headlines... despite a covid—i9 surge, donald trump says no lockdown for america as he finally comes close to admitting he's leaving the white house next year. joe biden wins the state of georgia, putting increasing pressure on mr trump to admit he lost the presidential election.

russian peacekeepers are deploying in the breakaway region of nagorno karabakh, following a deal to end six weeks of war between azerbaijan and armenia. map under the agreement, armenia will withdraw under the agreement, armenia will withdraw from districts held since 1994. azerbaijan will keep territory in nagorno karabakh — and the surrounding areas — retaken during the fighting. the enclave is internationally recognised as part of azerbaijan. but victory has come at a cost, as our international correspondent, orla guerin, reports from the city of terter in azerbaijan. "get up and let's go," lalazar begs. a mother's lament at the grave of her only son. 25—year—old mehdi joined the azerbaijani army to fight

for nagorno—karabakh. he was killed last month. buried by his side, his 17—year—old cousin melek. mehdi's uncle says they both took a secret to their graves. we were welcomed to the family home, near the front city of tartar... ..and to a room full of anguish, generations grieving for what might have been.

the women sing lullabies to those who died in battle... ..and who are revered as martyrs. we don't know how many families are grieving. azerbaijan has not revealed its military losses. but lalazar mamedova, who is widowed, has lost her greatest support. she says mehdi chose to put his country first. she is proud of him and of melek. melek‘s name means "angel". relatives say that described her in life.

the son was quiet. mehdi was quiet, he worked the land and he couldn't wait tojoin up, according to his cousin. mehdi returned a hero to his bleak resting place. azerbaijan is the winning side in this war. it has reclaimed part of its territory, but mehdi and melek didn't live to see it. orla guerin, bbc news, terter, azerbaijan. here in the uk, more than a million hindus, sikhs, and jains will be celebrating diwali. but how are families coping under the covid restrictions?

our correspondent rajeev gupta has been finding out. diwali is one of the most celebrated times of the year for hindus, sikhs and jains. but this year, the coronavirus means that things will be quieter, with families making do with festivities from home. and for some, they may not even be celebrating at all. mum was all about my family. that is something this woman from bolton knows all too well. the cruel reality of the virus has disproportionally affected families. her mother died just two weeks ago after contracting the virus in the second wave. she was only 63. she was self—isolating. we didn't expect what happened to my mum and we took all the precautions and it would just take an event

where people get together for it to go rife, and we wouldn't wish that on any family. diwali is very special in everyone's hearts and we can still celebrate and get dressed up but i think all within our own homes without mixing. with diwali falling on a weekend this year, extended families would have expected to come together for large gatherings. instead, preparations are now being made for diwali from home. and for me, that includes a video call with my mum and the kids instead of seeing her in person. we will miss all the love and cuddles. actual presence of the grandchildren and my children which, send next year we are together and able to celebrate it. as the chancellor lit candles outside downing street

to welcome in diwali, the government had put out a plea asking people to respect the strict covid rules. there are thousands of nhs doctors who celebrate diwali every year with their families but this year will be different for them as well with many staffing nhs wards instead. i can't celebrate with friends or family, diwali is all about giving, it is all about resilience, it is all about victory. and if i'm working on that day and i can help people, that isjust as much a celebration in some ways for me. so despite diwali being celebrated in a different way, this year perhaps the festival's central message of triumph in the face of adversity is a more pertinent one. aren't they gorgeous? that's it for

now but you can find me on social media. see you shortly. hello there. we ended the working week on a fine note. we saw quite a bit of sunshine on friday, but that won't be the case this weekend — it'll be a lot more unsettled thanks to low pressure. it'll be windy for most of us, and there will be spells of heavy rain at times — all courtesy of this new area of low pressure, which will stick around both saturday and sunday, bringing strongest winds to the southern and western areas through the day on saturday, and there'll be bands of rain spreading from south to north across the country. so the rain can be quite heavy in places, maybe a rumble of thunder for england and wales, and very windy around the southwest, around irish sea coasts, up to 55 mph. probably the best of any dryer interludes will be across central northern scotland and northeast england for a time. but a milder day to come, 12—16 celsius across the southeast. but that rain gets into northern and northeastern areas

through saturday evening, followed by further blustery showers or longer spells of rain moving up from the south. though again, there will be some dryer interludes, but it'll be a blustery night with gusts of wind around 20—30 mph widely, more than that around the southwest — up to 50 mph there. temperature—wise, single—figure values across the north, but again, i think a fairly mild night to come for england and wales. now, as we head on into sunday, here's our area of low pressure to the northwest of the uk, spinning across the country, bringing further bands of pretty heavy rain and strong winds. but it looks like the strongest of the winds on sunday will be across more southern parts of britain, gales running through the channel, 50—65 mph here. bands of rain spreading from west to east, again with some dry, maybe brighter interludes in between. it won't be a complete wash—out. a little bit cooler on sunday, temperatures of 11—14 celsius. now our weekend, the low pressure begins to slip away as we had on his next week.

a brief ridge of high pressure for a while before this next feature starts to run in, bringing strong winds and some rain through the day. so we could start a dry and bright across most of the country, away from northern scotland on monday. but then it goes downhill through the day with more rain piling into southern scotland, northern ireland, england, and wales. those temperatures will range from around 9—12 celsius. now as we move through the week, it stays changeable with further spells of rain, followed by sunshine and showers. then there's a chance that all areas will be turning much colder by the end of the week.

this is bbc world news,

the headlines... donald trump has given his first public acknowledgement that he may not be president afterjanuary. in an address on his government's covid response, he said he would not impose a lockdown, but said he did not know which administration there would be in the future. as the remaining votes in the us election are counted, joe biden is projected to win the state of georgia. lawyers for the trump campaign have dropped a lawsuit challengoing the count in arizona, where mr biden is also on course to be confirmed winner. the most senior adviser to the british prime minister, borisjohnson, has left downing street for the last time. dominic cummings was a key figure behind the successful brexit campaign. india's golden temple has been illuminated with a sea of multicoloured lights as the country gears up for its biggest festival, diwali, this weekend.