welcome to bbc news, i'm freya cole. our top stories: thousands arrested in russia as supporters ofjailed opposition leader alexei navalny take to the streets. these scenes of riot police and detentions suggest the kremlin is more worried than they are letting on. dutch police arrest tse chi lop — the alleged head of one of the world's biggest drugs gangs. italy accuses coronavirus vaccine companies pfizer and astrazeneca of serious contract violations. and, tributes are paid to larry king, the american broadcaster and talk show host, who has died aged 87.

russian police have detained more than 2,000 people at protests in support of the jailed opposition leader, alexei navalny. large gatherings have been taking place across russia, including the eastern cities of vladivostok and kha barovsk. in the siberian city of yakutsk, protesters braved temperatures of minus 50 degrees. the main demonstration was in the capital, moscow, from where our correspondent steve rosenberg reports. in moscow, you can feel the anger. police had warned people, any protest would be broken up. any protester risked arrest. but thousands came to pushkin square to support

the kremlin�*s fiercest critic, alexei navalny. "freedom to navalny", they cried, "and russia without putin". on her way to the protest, mr navalny�*s wife, yulia, was detained by police. so were hundreds of others, for taking part in what the authorities called an unsanctioned gathering. for years, the russian authorities made out that alexei navalny had minimal support across the country, that he was in no way a threat to them. but these scenes of riot police and detentions suggest the kremlin is more worried than they have been letting on. in a direct challenge to vladimir putin, whom he accuses of ordering the nerve agent attack on him, alexei navalny returned to russia last weekend and was arrested for an alleged parole violation.

russia isn't investigating his poisoning, it is investigating him. the kremlin denies any involvement in the attack. there were pro—navalny rallies across russia today. things heated up in vladivostok. in yakutsk, it was —50 but there were protests here, too. but the kremlin rarely gives in to pressure, especially from the street. instead of compromise, expect a crackdown. steve rosenberg, bbc news, moscow. it's estimated that more than 10,000 protestors also gathered in russia's second largest city — saint petersburg. you can see here riot police detaining people, as protestors chant "we are the power here!" let's take a listen to what they have to say. translation: i came to protest because i am worried _ about the future of my country. i love my country and i love my people and i do not want my people to be so cruelly deceived by a person who imagines himself to be

a czar, a person who is simply robbing our country. translation: | don't want| there to be people who cling to their positions of power and don't let ordinary citizens breathe. if we manage to get things to change, i think that russia would be able to reach a higher level of development like that of the west and poverty would finally disappear. anna borshchevskaya is a senior fellow at the washington institute who specialises in russian politics — she told me what this might mean for president putin. certainly, president putin feels threatened, otherwise there would not be such a massive crackdown, otherwise he would not have tried to poison alexei navalny to begin with. it's too early to say if this poses a fundamental existential challenge to his regime but certainly these protests showjust how much frustration has been bubbling up underneath the surface, and frankly this is a culmination of a whole

host of other issues that are now coming up to the surface. let's talk a little bit about social media, just how much have platforms like youtube played a huge role in navalny�*s rise to power, in some sense, and these protests? they have played a key role. really, if you think back to the original rise of alexei navalny, back in late 2011, early 2012, massive protests broke out in russia and it was really social media and the internet that, among others, has given these protesters and alexei navalny that platform. it was really at that point that the kremlin began looking more seriously at censoring the internet and social media. and you said earlier that it is perhaps too early to tell but there are problems bubbling under the surface, what do you think the kremlin will do now? i expect a massive crackdown and we already see this happening, we've seen thousands of protesters

detained and beaten. i imagine more of that, unfortunately, will be coming and certainly the big question is, what is going to happen to alexei navalny himself? and anna, tell us a little bit more about, the huge numbers we are seeing right across the country, just how significant is that? it's very significant because, for one thing — two points here. first, there have been really quite sustained protests in russia's far east all the way back in the summer and the length for which they have been sustained is really quite remarkable. and second, typically, protests in russia usually happen in moscow and st petersburg but not the far east, and the fact that really if you think back months ago, that this is spreading much further throughout the country is quite significant. let's bring you some breaking news now.

the first miner has reportedly been rescued and has been taken to hospital after being trapped in a gold mine with around 20 others in eastern china. rescue workers have been drilling new shafts to reach the group trapped below the surface, at the hushan gold mine, in the north—eastern shandong province. it follows an explosion at the mine two weeks ago. small holes have also been drilled to supply food and medicine to the men. the condition of the freed miner is not known. we miner is not known. will be following this story and we will be following this story and we will bring you the details as they come into the newsroom. two tremors have been felt in chile a few minutes apart. the first was a quake of magnitude seven off antarctica, the second quake with a magnitude of 5.6 struck near the border with argentina, about 30 kilometres east of the capital santiago. chile's national emergency office said no major damage was reported. dutch police have arrested

the alleged head of an asian drugs syndicate on a warrant issued by australia. tse chi lop, a chinese—born canadian national, is listed as one of the world's most wanted fugitives. he was detained on a stopover in the netherlands on friday. 0ur correspondent, phil mercer says it's a significant moment for australian investigators. this man is the alleged head of one of the biggest drugs gangs in the world. this is an individual, as you say, born in china with canadian citizenship who has been tracked by australian authorities from as early as 2008. australian investigators believe that the syndicate this man allegedly leads is responsible for 70%, 70%, of all the drugs, all the illicit drugs coming into australia, so tse chi lop was detained, as you say, at schiphol airport in amsterdam on friday at the request of australian authorities, and they are now expected to request that he be

sent back here to australia to face trial. and phil, the australian government spends a huge amount of money on cracking down on illicit drugs entering its country, this will be considered a huge win for them? this is a man who was one of the most wanted men in the world and investigators believe that the organisation he allegedly leads, it's known as the company or the grandfather syndicate, is the dominant force in the drugs trade not only here in australia but more broadly across asia. across asia, the illicit drug market is estimated to be worth $70 billion, so this is a man who police believe what happens now is that australia will formally request that tse chi lop is sent back to australia to face justice, but those wheels can

turn very, very slowly. but as far as australia is concerned, this is a significant moment in law enforcement. italy has accused pfizer and astrazeneca of serious contract violations after the companies announced they would not be able to deliver their coronavirus vaccines as agreed. prime minister giuseppe conte said the delays were unacceptable. the two companies have said production problems have forced them to cut the amount of vaccine doses they can deliver. the bbc�*s tim allman reports. salvation in a syringe. the covid vaccination program is being rolled out across the world, millions of people have already had theirfirstjab. billions more awaiting their turn. but are enough doses being provided? in italy, the answer to that question is apparently no.

the country's prime minister insists that is unacceptable. giuseppe conte said: and it's notjust italy. belgium's vaccine task force says it will receive fewer than half the number of covid—19 vaccines it had expect in the first three months of the year. pfizer and astrazeneca have warned they won't be able to deliver the amounts promised due to production problems. and in a new twist, the new york times is reporting that pfizer plans to provide fewer vials because they discovered they could extract an extra dose from each vial which was only supposed

to contain five. at the end of the day it's important to recognise that pfizer and other large pharmaceutical companies are for—profit companies, and they have a responsibility to their shareholders to try to extract as much profit as they can. the company insists it is fair as the contract is based on doses, not vials, and the lucky discovery means it can stretch the doses even further, meaning more doses reach more people. but until the majority are vaccinated, the fight against the virus will have to take other forms. in the netherlands, a nighttime curfew has been introduced. the wait may mean more lives are being lost. tim allman, bbc news. new zealand health officials are investigating their first case of community transmission in five months. it relates to someone who was recently released from the country's strictly managed hotel quarantine system for people arriving from abroad. new zealand has been one

of the most effective countries at managing the pandemic, with many people able to live their lives largely as they did before the outbreak began. this is bbc news, the headlines: russian police have arrested thousands of people — in dozens of cities across the country — to halt protests in support ofjailed opposition leader alexei navalny. dutch police at schiphol airport have arrested tse chi lop — the alleged head of one of the world's biggest drugs gangs. senior doctors in the uk have called on the government to shorten the gap between the first and second doses of pfizer—biontech coronavirus vaccinations. the doctors union, the bma, said the gap of a maximum 12 weeks is "difficult to justify" and said it could potentially undermine the effectiveness of the jab. however, the government argues it could save more lives by allowing more people to receive a firstjab.

0ur health correspondent anna collinson reports. they are used to taking care of others, but they are now today, thousands of health and social care workers, like here in glasgow, had been receiving their coronavirus vaccine. you get the vaccines out. 0bviously, do your dosage counting. and from scotland to south wales and the llyn peninsula, this pilot aims to reach those who are unable to travel to the larger sites. very pleased, and looking forward to the next one. but while the rollout rolls on, so do questions about the gap between the first and second dose. siren wails. as pressure intensified on hospitals in december, the dosage gap was extended to 12 weeks. the uk's chief medical officer said millions of the most vulnerable were more likely to become severely ill without a jab, and this was the best way to reach more of them quickly. but some senior doctors want the intervalfor the pfizerjab reduced to six weeks. that would still allow many more people to have a first dose, compared to a three—week interval, but at least it

would be in keeping with international best practice guidance. there is no other nation internationally that has adopted a 12—week delay. data suggests the oxford—astrazeneca vaccine is still effective when doses are given 12 weeks apart, but pfizer only has data for the first three weeks. even so, many scientists have defended the uk's current approach, calling it "a balance of risks". i totally support the decision to extend the gap between doses. i think looking at the evidence in total, i think that is strongly supportive of that. and i think on this particular occasion, the bma has probably got it wrong. ministers say the current process is the right move and will be particularly keen to reassure anyone who has concerns. this mosque in birmingham is the first in the uk to become a vaccination centre — one more measure to try and reach the most vulnerable.

anna collinson, bbc news. thousands of hong kongers have been ordered to stay in their homes as authorities battle an outbreak of covid—19 in one of its poorest and most densely packed districts. the order injordan, kowloon is unique because it will last until all those living in the area have been tested. hong kong's coronavirus infections surpassed the 10,000 mark, with 81 new cases reported on saturday, as aruna iyengar reports. this is the district ofjordan, home to around 10,000 people. high population density here combined with old, decaying buildings and inadequate sewage may have created the perfect conditions for a covid hot spot. 160 cases have been discovered here since the start of the year. now, the government has moved in. residents living in multiple housing blocks are banned from leaving their apartments until every single resident has been tested. it's the most dramatic measure

the hong kong government has taken since the pandemic hit the city. we would like to minimise the inconvenience that will be caused to the residents and the store owners. that's why we would like to make sure that this operation can finish in 48 hours. many living here are ethnic minorities from south asia, a community that often faces discrimination and poverty, but there's broad support for the move. for me, it's positive response because if you find out, it's good for whoever gets positive — they can have treatment. once the compulsory testing for the entire area has been completed, then the order will be lifted and people will be allowed to go out. officials will only lift the restrictions once everyone is tested and results are returned.

more than 3000 officers have been mobilised to enforce the measures. those who don't comply could face a fine of over us$3000 and six months behind bars. aruna iyengar, bbc news. one of the giants of american broadcasting, larry king, has died. he was 87. larry king is best known for hosting a nightly talk show on cnn, which ran for 25 years. he was being treated in hospital after testing positive for covid—19. daniella relph looks back on his life. for more than 60 years, he interviewed everybody who was anybody. tonight, the legendary liza minnelli on marriage. would you marry again? are you nuts?! ..0scar winners. .. start spreading the news — the legendary liza minnelli is here. tonight, exclusive... ..presidents. .. ..a candid conversation with president george w and laura bush from the white house. will they ever get you to say "maybe — maybe i was wrong?" ah, the decision to remove saddam hussein was the right

decision. ..not friends any more! ..if you were in the public eye, you came to the court of larry king. were you with the president at times, when — intimately — and he would also be conducting affairs of state? the story that he was on the phone, talking to congressmen? uh, yes. it's the witching hour, miami beach's midnight flyer programme. . . born in brooklyn, he rose to fame in his 20s as a disc jockey in florida, spoofing his role in this 19605 tv crime series based in miami. hey! creep! voice-over: from the nation's capital, you're listening - to the larry king show. by the 19705, he was broadcasting his late—night radio show coast to coast... across the united states, this is the larry king show, ..preferring not to prepare too much for an interview and simply let the conversation unfold. i like spontaneity — that's the kind of broadcaster iam. i'm coming on the air, saying, "good evening. my guest tonight is..." i have no idea what that question's going to be.

five great reasons to check out larry next week. in the 1980s, king joined a new 24—hour tv news station, cnn, gently probing everyone from donald trump... rumblings in the trump camp point as far as the presidency. could the manhattan magnate be eyeing the white house, or is he just calling a bluff? i have no intention of running for president but i'd the point to get across that we have a great country but it's not going to be great for long if we continue to lose $200 billion a year. ..when the man says... ..to frank sinatra. i tremble every time i walk — take the step and i walk out of the wing onto the stage because i keep thinking to myself, "i wonder if it'll be there." after leaving cnn, those famous braces could be seen until recently on larry king now. they go, "cut! cut! what is she doing? !" his new talk show was criticised for being syndicated on the russian—sponsored tv network rt... people don't expect you to be sitting at certain board tables.

you sense that? ..but with guests like 0prah, larry king proved that, even in his 805, he still had unrivalled pulling power. i spoke to celebrity lawyer mark gerago5. he explained how he became friends with larry king. i think i must have gone on his show hundreds of times and he became a — what i would consider a close friend, over the years, in both his time at cnn and after. and he was fiercely loyal to his friends. and the guy that you saw on tv, part of what his charm wa5 that he was authentic. and i haven't talked to him for a couple of weeks, since he went in, but the fact that he lived such a rich life,

and had such an outpouring of support, i think, speaks volumes about it. and you've mentioned in the past that he, too, wanted to be a criminal defence lawyer. why do you think that is? i think he had a wonderful identity or affinity for the underdog. and that really is what criminal defence is. he told me on multiple occasions that one of the things that he — if he had to live another life and choose another profe55ion, it would have been as a criminal defence lawyer. i think he loved the idea of defending the indefensible, or being the david to the corporate goliath. and larry claims to have played a part in your career. we have an old photograph which i believe you have sent through to our producers, of — of — after a big case you won. can you talk us through — we have that on—5creen — can you talk us through that moment? i won a jury trial back in 1999 with bill clinton's erstwhile partner su5an mcdougal, and right after that, i appeared on the show and then

he sent me an autographed picture, if you will, that said "mark, i made you. love, larry." mark geragos, there. the decline of honey bee colonie5 has alarmed expert5 around the world. but in bolivia, a vet and his wife are doing their best to save several species threatened by deforestation in the andes. gail maclellan reports. it is humoured, subtropical, and high on the andean slopes. it is also vulnerable. as in many areas in bolivia, deforestation has become an issue. in this case the trees are cut down to grow coca. in its most innocent form, used to alleviate the symptoms of high altitude, but also used to produce cocaine. this deforestation is a huge blow,

particularly for one of the littlest of creatures dependent on the vegetation. that eric paredes says the number of bees in the area has been halved and this endangers food production. —— vet. this endangers food production. -- vet. translation: this endangers food production. -- vet. tuna/mom- this endangers food production. -- vet. translation: bees are incredibly important _ -- vet. translation: bees are incredibly important for- -- vet. translation: bees are incredibly important for our - incredibly important for our planet. it has been shown that bees are responsible for 70% of food production around the world. from that point of view we put greater importance to the work we do.— we put greater importance to the work we do. and that work is looking _ the work we do. and that work is looking for _ the work we do. and that work is looking for beehives - the work we do. and that work is looking for beehives to - the work we do. and that work is looking for beehives to save | is looking for beehives to save and creating safe habitats for the bees. wouldn't beehives keep the bees safe and the vet and his wife have saved ten native species. you will be relieved to know the species does not sting quite as well. convincing local farmers to assist with the conservation has been difficult. if their crops are not fruits, farmers see bees as a nuisance, not an aid to agricultural production. eric paredes is not going to give up. translation: the

ob'ective give up. translation: the objective of— give up. translation: the objective of this _ give up. translation: tue: objective of this place give up. translation: tte: objective of this place is give up. translation: "tte: objective of this place is for it to become a big research institution for native, stingless bees, and we want to be able to transmit this knowledge to different regions so they are valued more. our mission is simply to save the bees. �* ., mission is simply to save the bees. ~ ., ., bees. and at the same time to su ort bees. and at the same time to suoport a _ bees. and at the same time to support a delicate _ bees. and at the same time to support a delicate ecosystem. | support a delicate ecosystem. gail maclellan, bbc news. before we go, reminder of the revenue story. the first miner has reportedly been rescued and has been taken to hospital after being trapped in a gold mine with around 20 others in eastern china. rescue workers have been drilling new shafts to reach the group trapped below the surface, at the hushan gold mine, in the north—eastern shandong province. it follows an explosion at the mine two weeks ago. small holes have also been drilled to supply food and medicine to the men. the condition of the freed miner is not known.

you can reach me on twitter — i'm @freya?cole. thank you for your company. after one of the coldest nights of the winter so far, sunday brings some significant and disruptive snow to parts of england and wales, and some of us in northern ireland as well. a very cold, frosty start to the day. icy patches, a few fog patches out there, too. and an area of sleet and snow initially for south—west england, parts of wales, northern ireland, but will push further east across southern england towards the south—east, across more of the midlands during the day as well, before stalling and then just pulling away southwards on into sunday evening and clearing. this is ten o'clock in the morning, though. south—west england, some may brighten up here with a few wintry showers but as the snow moves east and within the zone of falling snow here, and again into parts of northern ireland, several centimetres, even to low levels, more into the hills, so certainly some difficult travel conditions.

northern england and scotland seeing some sunny spells, a scattering of wintry showers towards the north—west of scotland. but it is scotland, northern england, perhaps northern counties of northern ireland that sees sunday's driest and sunniest weather. but for the rest of england into wales, southern parts of northern ireland, cloud, some outbreaks of snow here, again, some difficult travel conditions. some uncertainty about how far north into the midlands and perhaps east anglia the snow is going to reach so we'll need to watch that as well. temperatures just hovering close to freezing where you've got the snow. get some sunshine around, 2—4 degrees. and then the outbreaks of snow gradually clearing away during sunday evening. icy conditions following on behind. where you get the showers pushing in towards scotland, perhaps northern ireland and northern england, icy places going into monday morning. and another widespread frost as monday begins. one or two fog patches potentially towards south east england. some sunshine on monday. plenty of wintry showers towards northern and western scotland, a few for northern ireland, north—west england, north wales. some will push a little further south—eastwards during the day

but driest and sunniest towards the south and east of the uk on what will be another cold day. and then, changes. tuesday, weatherfront from the atlantic coming into the cold air so, again, some further rain, sleet and snow pushing and then further weather fronts coming our way from midweek, introducing milder atlantic air, but the winds are going to pick up and we will see further spells of rain, so all parts from midweek will be turning milder but also windier and wetter. and if you are in a flood—affected area, that is something you are going to need to follow very closely as we go through the week ahead.

this is bbc news, the headlines: russian police have detained more than 2,000 people at protests in support of the jailed opposition leader alexei navalny. large gatherings took place across the country, from moscow to cities in the far—east. riot police dragged away demonstrators who pelted them with snowballs. navalny was almost killed in a nerve agent attack last year. dutch police have arrested the alleged head of one of the world's biggest drugs gangs, on a warrant issued by australia. tse chi lop is a chinese—born canadian national, said to be the head of a syndicate known as the company. italy has accused pharmaceutical companies pfizer and astrazeneca of serious contract violations, after the companies announced they would not be able to deliver their coronavirus vaccines as agreed. the italian prime minister says the delays are doing enormous damage to italy and other european countries.