this is bbc news with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. i'm lukwesa burak. president trump says he won't put the us into lockdown, despite a surge in covid—19 as he comes close to admitting he's leaving the white house next year. i will not go. 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 hisjob 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 light up their diwali celebrations 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 comejanuary. 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. jon sopel, bbc news, washington. donald trump has spoken publicly after a long silence. what's the reaction been? lebo diseko is the bbc‘s washington correspondent. well, i think from a lot of journalists, we've been looking at it and thinking this is the closest we've come to any kind of 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 president of the united states. that in itself is quite something and it's almost, in a way, like we're kind of clutching at the straws. is he admitting it? is quite something but this is where we are almost a week on from the election being called. 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 that, "my hands are tied for the moment, i'm not yet the president, 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, there are things you can do to stay safe. we have seen almost every state except four with except increasing numbers of coronavirus deaths are averaging around thousands a day. it really is not a situation —— a thousand a day. almost every health expert saying, particular with the

holiday season coming up and the number of people wanting to be indoors and gather with loved 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 and key names that he's thinking about? well, this is the thing. i thinkjoe biden is the thing. i thinkjoe biden is kind of limited by the fact that so much of what he might wa nt that so much of what he might want has been hampered by not giving bacon six things like access to security briefings and that's one of things —— basic things. 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 shaping of his government and going ahead despite the obstacles in his way. we hear that statement from the cia say there are legal lawsuits in six states across america. any victories for president trump in those lawsuits? there is a sort of victory in pennsylvania about the time given to adjust any m ista kes the time given to adjust any mistakes on people's boats. the secretary of state had given some extra time after some further extra time after extra time and been given —— people ‘s votes. the court said that extra extra time is not allowed but the number of votes was really small, and it's not really small, and it's not really going to change the result or the outcome of that state. what i found really fascinating is that donald

trump's legal team gave a briefing to journalists yesterday, and they said essentially what they are hoping to do is force a recount in the state of pennsylvania, but also they were speaking to oui’ but also they were speaking to our us partner cvs and saying actually, what they really want to do is get cases in front of the supreme court, not necessarily with hopes of winning in court, but hoping to winning in court, but hoping to win in the court of public opinion and allowed donald trump to continue with his narrative that he's been cheated out of this electoral win. the uk 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 death. infighting at the heart of government spilt out into the public eye this week as downing street's director of communications lee cain resigned. 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. 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 boris johnson'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, former journalist allegra stratton will speak for the prime minister at new daily press c0 nfe re nces . the aim is a smoother operation.

vicki young, bbc news, westminster. 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 my home 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, both for those trafficked in conflict—affected areas with barely any means of surviving and for those displaced across the province and beyond. those who remain being left deprived of basic necessities and they are at risk of being killed, sexually assaulted, abused, kidnapped or forcibly recruited by armed groups, and those that are fleeing may die in the process. mozambique's feuding security forces have now lost control of towns and appear unable to halt an insurgency that's fuelled by local grievances. the islamists have exploited poverty and unemployment to recruit youth in their fight to establish islamic rule in the area. the conflict has already devastated the province and could well affect the future of a multibillion—dollar project to explore newly discovered offshore gas fields. david campanale, bbc news.

now to ethiopia where reports of mass killings of civilians in northern tigray 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. our reporter kalkidan yibeltal who is in the capital, addis ababa, has more. every day, it seems there learning about the human cost of this conflict. we learn from amnesty international that there have been dozens of civilians and probably hundreds of civilians that were killed by armed forces in the northern

state of tigray. we have confirmed that independently and amnesty international said they haven't confirmed who is behind the attack, but they say eyewitnesses are describing forces loyal to the grand people's liberation. they authorities are also blaming the local government of killing civilians and air strikes, but what is clear is that human costis what is clear is that human cost is tragic. we're hearing more and here —— hearing a more displacement and people fleeing the area. as well as inside ethiopia in different places. stay with us on bbc news. still to come... we have a special report from the disputed region of nagorno karabakh 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 main story this hour... president trump says he won't put the us into lockdown, despite a surge in covid—i9 as he comes close to admitting he's leaving the white house next year. russian peacekeepers are deploying in the breakaway region of nagorno karabakh, following a deal to end six weeks of war between azerbaijan and armenia. 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. mehdi was quiet, he worked the land and he couldn't wait to join 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. let's just take a look at some spectacular aeriel shots of diwali festivals from uttar pradesh in india. diwali, popularly known as the festival of lights, is normally celebrated with parties, gifts and religious ceremonies. but with many places of worship closed and restrictions in place, traditional celebrations aren't possible this year. but here you can you see the festivitites have continued outdoors with a fantastic array of colour. and food! 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 family. the cruel reality of the virus has just brushed but disproportionally affected families. —— has disproportionately affected families like hers. her mother died just two weeks ago after contracting the virus in the second wave. she was only 63 and 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 and 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 will stop 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. i wish next year we are together and able to celebrate it. as a chance outside downing street to welcome in diwali, the government had put out

a plea asking people to respect the strict covid rules. —— as the chancellor. there are thousands of nhs doctors who celebrate diwali every year but this year will be different for them as well with many staff in 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. rajeev gupta, bbc news. that's how you dance! you've been watching bbc news. don't forget there is plenty more

coming up on our website as well. in the meantime, you can get a hold of me on twitter. i'm @ lukwesa burak. 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 news, the headlines...

donald trump says he won't put the us into lockdown, despite a surge in covid—i9 cases. mr trump came close to admitting he's leaving the white house next year, saying he didn't know which administration would be in charge in the future. meanwhile, joe biden is projected to win the state of georgia. the result gives mr biden a victory of 306 electoral college votes to trump's 232 — far more than the 270 needed to secure the presidency. it puts increasing pressure on mr trump to admit defeat. the uk prime minister's most senior adviser, dominic cummings, has quit hisjob after days of political turmoil. infighting at the heart of the government spilt out into the public eye this week as downing street's director of communications, lee cain, resigned.

a lovely story