hello, i'm ros atkins. welcome to outside source. it's a nail—biting moment for nasa right now. after a seven—month journey to mars, the perseverance rover will attempt to land in less than two hours. after nearly 20 years of conflict, nato looks poised to extend its stay in afghanistan as the violence there grows. the secretary—general tells the bbc that nato faces many dilemmas in afghanistan, where there are no easy choices for the mission. uk scientists say lockdown is working.

infection rates have fallen by two thirds in england since the latest lockdown. and in our weekly video for bbc online, we'll look at what it'll take to reopen schools during the pandemic. we start on mars, because in just under two hours�* time, nasa's perseverance rover will attempt to land on its surface. only 50% of missions to the red planet are successful. it's a nail—biting moment for everyone involved. and for quite a few people watching as well. mars is a70 million km away and it's taken the rover seven months to get there. its mission is to search directly for signs of life — the first nasa mission to do so since the 1970s. rebecca morelle has a simulation of what the scientists are hoping is about to happen.

nasa calls it the seven minutes of terror. an approach to mars at 12,000mph, then, just at the right moment... ..a parachute opens, dramatically slowing it down before a complex landing system brings the perseverance rover down to the ground. that's the plan, but only half of mars landings have worked. there is danger everywhere. there are craters that the rover can't get out of. if you look to the east, there are large rocks. landing on mars is not for the faint of heart. this mission is all about finding signs of life, the best place to do that is here, the jezero crater. today, it's dry and dusty, but billions of years the main aim of the mission is to look for signs of life. perseverance

will collect samples of rock, and the hope is microscopic creatures may still be preserved in them. for the first time, nasa will test a mini helicopter to provide a bird's eye view of the planet. the roads rover will store some of the rocks. dr lori glaze is the director of nasa's planetary science programme. she told the bbc more about the landing. this is going to be the most precise landing the most precise landing we've ever executed, and i'll explain that injust a moment. but we've landed successfully eight times on the surface of mars. this will be our ninth landing, it'll be our fifth rover to land on mars. but this is extremely challenging, and all of our prior missions have had much larger landing areas they were trying to hit, but this particular location that we're going has a lot of hazards so we really tried to narrow that down. so, what we've done is, to bring in some new technologies...

we're still coming into the top of the atmosphere the same way, but then we have something that we call a range trigger that is keeping track of how long it's been since we left the spacecraft and since we came into the top of the atmosphere. and that helps us time more precisely when we deploy the parachute.

there's a nervewracking time ahead for the team. professor sanveej gutpa is a senior scientist working on the perseverance mars rover mission. how are you feeling? nervous but

excited. what _ how are you feeling? nervous but excited. what role _ how are you feeling? nervous but excited. what role did _ how are you feeling? nervous but excited. what role did you - how are you feeling? nervous but excited. what role did you play i how are you feeling? nervous but excited. what role did you play in| excited. what role did you play in this preject? _ excited. what role did you play in this project? i'm _ excited. what role did you play in this project? i'm part— excited. what role did you play in this project? i'm part of- excited. what role did you play in this project? i'm part of the - this project? i'm part of the science team. _ this project? i'm part of the science team. i'll— this project? i'm part of the science team. i'll be - this project? i'm part of the| science team. i'll be looking this project? i'm part of the i science team. i'll be looking at this project? i'm part of the - science team. i'll be looking at the rocks, trying to reconstruct what the landscape was like 3.7 billion years ago, and kind of paint a picture of the landscape and decide which of the best rocks to sample. but i also do a lot of the operations. i work closely with the engineers and working out what strategy we're going to take. it's a very large team of 400 people and hundreds of engineers, so we're going to bring this holding together to find the best places to search —— this whole team together. tell to find the best places to search -- this whole team together.- this whole team together. tell me about the decisions, _ this whole team together. tell me about the decisions, how - this whole team together. tell me about the decisions, how do - this whole team together. tell me about the decisions, how do you i about the decisions, how do you decide which parts of mars you would like to know about more than others? this was chosen after a very long landing site competition where scientists propose landing sites and people consider them, etc.

scientists propose landing sites and people considerthem, etc. since launch, basically, we've been constructing a geological map off the landing site, identifying different rock types, and now we'll be driving the rover to specific locations that we think look good from orbit and then deciding whether the rocks are the right rocks that we want for evidence for ancient lakes and dealt us. we want to find out which of the right rocks that we want to sample to bring back to earth. �* , , , earth. and in the best case scenario. _ earth. and in the best case scenario, what _ earth. and in the best case scenario, what would - earth. and in the best case scenario, what would be i earth. and in the best case | scenario, what would be the earth. and in the best case - scenario, what would be the things that you would find that might point towards previous life on mars? film. towards previous life on mars? 0h, cosh. one towards previous life on mars? oi gosh. one thing towards previous life on mars? (31, gosh. one thing we towards previous life on mars? 1l gosh. one thing we dream towards previous life on mars? cl, gosh. one thing we dream about, i don't think we'll find it, on earth, the earliest life was about 3 billion years ago. we see this evidence for microbial forms who have formed dome like features, and

we would love to find that on mars. i think what's more likely is that in the course that we take and bring those back to earth, there might be chemical traces of life or even micro fossils himself. that's what we're looking for. in micro fossils himself. that's what we're looking for.— micro fossils himself. that's what we're looking for. in and of itself, it's fascinating _ we're looking for. in and of itself, it's fascinating to _ we're looking for. in and of itself, it's fascinating to learn _ we're looking for. in and of itself, it's fascinating to learn about - it's fascinating to learn about mars, but are the things that we can learn from this kind of mission that can inform our understanding of our own planet?— own planet? yeah, actually, it's almost more — own planet? yeah, actually, it's almost more important - own planet? yeah, actually, it's almost more important in - own planet? yeah, actually, it's almost more important in somej own planet? yeah, actually, it's- almost more important in some ways. so, earth has lost its earliest record, basically, because we have these plate tectonics. all these rocks are destroyed and they're very difficult to read. mars have not had plate tectonics. all the oldest rocks are well preserves. i sampling the rock by —— by sampling the rocks

from mars, we might learn more about earth and shed some light on what early earth was life. it will be exactly the same.— early earth was life. it will be exactly the same. early earth was life. it will be exactl the same. ., . exactly the same. en'oy watching the next cou - le exactly the same. en'oy watching the next couple hours. — exactly the same. enjoy watching the next couple hours. thanks _ exactly the same. enjoy watching the next couple hours. thanks for - next couple hours. thanks for joining us at. next couple hours. thanks for joining us at— next couple hours. thanks for “oininu us at. ,, ~ , . let's turn to afghanistan now. after a second day of virtual talks, nato's european and north american members have not reached an agreement about whether troops will remain in the country or be withdrawn. here's secretary generaljens stoltenberg. at this stage, we have made no final decision on the future of our presence. the peace process is the best chance to end years of suffering and violence and bring lasting peace. it is important for the afghan people, for the security of the region and for our own security. but the talks are fragile

and progress is slow, so it's now imperative to re—energize the peace process. the lack of a final decision comes despite this moment last year. this is when the taliban and the us signed a deal that would end us and nato involvement in the country after 20 years at war. under the deal, the us and nato agreed to withdraw all 9,600 troops by may the 1st this year. in turn, the taliban promised to cut ties with al qaeda and end all violence in afghanistan. donald trump touted it as a huge win for all parties. but, as with all trump policies, joe biden's administration is reviewing the details of the agreement, and there's concerns about whether the taliban is keeping its end of the bargain. here's jens stoltenberg again. the taliban must reduce the high

level of violent and live up to their commitment to stop cooperating with terrorist groups. so, let's take a look at that issue of violence. despite the deal, it is still significant and highly targeted. injanuary, two women judges working for the afghan supreme court were shot dead by gunmen on a motorbike. at the start of the year, an afghan journalist was shot dead in the central province of ghor. just before christmas, four doctors working in kabul died after a bomb was attached to the car they were travelling in. and it's thought that so far in february alone, as many as 340 people have been either killed or wounded in security incidents, such as assassinations or car bombings. it's important to note that the taliban hasn't claimed it was behind any of these attacks. the afghan government says the violence is a ploy to stall talks. the taliban have been absent from negotiations for a month. here's nader nadery, who is part of the afghan government's negotiation team.

violence has increased. the people of afghanistan do not believe that the process that began has really given— the process that began has really given them hope for the peace. it was in _ given them hope for the peace. it was in the — given them hope for the peace. it was in the contrary. every day, people — was in the contrary. every day, peoriie are _ was in the contrary. every day, people are losing their lives. innocent_ people are losing their lives. innocent civilians are being targeted and killed, and therefore, the hope _ targeted and killed, and therefore, the hope for the taliban to end the war and _ the hope for the taliban to end the war and engage the hope for the taliban to end the warand engage in the hope for the taliban to end the war and engage in meaningful peace is not _ war and engage in meaningful peace is not yet _ war and engage in meaningful peace is not yet being seen and felt by the people and that hope is diminishing. let's take a look at the background of the conflict. we did this yesterday but it's important to understand the significance of the discussions. the war began in afghanistan in 2001, and more than 150,000 people have been killed since. it started when the us invaded afghanistan in response to the 9/11 attacks in new york and washington. the taliban had been ruling afghanistan since the early �*90s, and had been shielding the leader of al-qaeda, 0sama bin laden, who had planned the 9/11 attacks.

the us—led invasions removed the taliban from power. in 2002, we saw the first deployment of foreign peacekeepers, the nato—led �*international security assistance force'. the aim of the foreign troops was to defeat the taliban in the long—term and rebuild core institutions. what's followed has been a long fight between the taliban and the afghan government along with its foreign backers. by october 2006, nato had assumed responsibility for security across the whole of the country. and in 2008, the us temporarily increased its troop presence in afghanistan to further protect the population from taliban attacks. by the end of 2014, nato formally ended its 13—year combat mission, but nato troops stayed in place but with security leadership handed to afghan forces. at the end of last year, president trump said the us was to withdraw further troops from afghanistan,

leaving just 2,500 there. so, it's a complex issue with a long history, and any decisions on keeping or removing troops have huge ramifications for the region, hence the delay in coming to a decision. 0ur chief international correspondent lyse doucet has been interviewing secretary generaljens stoltenberg. i was going to play you the interview, but you can tell us yourself if you are here. i think ou yourself if you are here. i think you can't— yourself if you are here. i think you can't exaggerate _ yourself if you are here. i think you can't exaggerate just - yourself if you are here. i think you can't exaggerate just what| yourself if you are here. i think. you can't exaggerate just what a difficult moment, a dangerous moment that the need omission by itself in. we spoke for about ten minutes to

jens stoletenberg, and he talked about difficult dilemmas, no easy options. he refused to speculate on how long the need omission will have to stay. —— the nato mission. i pointed out my questions, that could take years. is the nato alliance willing to wait years, and what about the taliban, who are insisting they have kept their commitments under the deal with the united states? they are now threatening violence that they had stopped against the nato forces. nato finds itself nearly 20 years on to topple the taliban, that the taliban are poised to return to power. either through negotiations or the battlefield. it's quite striking that here is the head of a military alliance and his emphasis is on a peace process. as you just heard,

the taliban have not been anywhere neara the taliban have not been anywhere near a negotiating table in the last month. they haven't been taking these negotiations seriously. so, these negotiations seriously. so, the message from jens stoletenberg is that the only certainty now in afghanistan is uncertainty, and no military planner likes to live in that kind of environment. the? that kind of environment. they certainly don't. _ that kind of environment. they certainly don't. i— that kind of environment. they certainly don't. i want - that kind of environment. they certainly don't. i want to - certainly don't. i want to understand what he means when he talks about reenergizing the process, because of some viewers may be surprised that that's necessary after 20 years, but also, wasn't that big announcement last year by nato and the taliban the moment of reenergizing the process? last nato and the taliban the moment of reenergizing the process?— reenergizing the process? last year was a very distorted _ reenergizing the process? last year was a very distorted year. - reenergizing the process? last year was a very distorted year. you - was a very distorted year. you mentioned the deals reached between the united states with the trump administration and the taliban, that paved the way for talks in september. months later, between the taliban and the afghan government,

there was a rare moment where afghans dared to hope that the worst of the war was over, but as you've been outlining, now afghans feel they're really in the worst of moments and it will get worse still with people here fearing what's being described as the worst fighting season that afghanistan has ever seen, and that is saying a lot in afghanistan. your introduction talked a lot about history. let's go back even a bit further to 32 years ago, when soviet union will its troops from afghanistan. years later, cobble collapse and afghanistan was plunged into a civil war. —— kabul collapse. nato knows there are lessons of history and in trying to emphasise a peace process, it is trying to avoid a repetition of that either a collapse of kabul or a descent into civil war. so the peace process is what divides this period of history from the last, but

reenergizing is a very lovely, energetic, dynamic word to use, but there is scepticism that for the taliban for whom the most important thing is the deal that they reach with this superpower, the superpower they've been posting to their fighters, and that superpowers has said to them if you want us to leave, you better get going on a peace process. so their commitment to it has been in question, although they keep saying they're committed to peace but the taliban believe they've won the war and believe it's just a matter of time before they return to power.— just a matter of time before they return to ower. ,, ~ , ., , . return to power. thank you very much indeed. return to power. thank you very much indeed- we — return to power. thank you very much indeed. we always _ return to power. thank you very much indeed. we always appreciate - return to power. thank you very much indeed. we always appreciate your . indeed. we always appreciate your help. let's turn to coronavirus because in england, things are going in the right direction. scientists tracking the virus say there's been a strong decline in infections since january. they took 85,000 random swab samples in february. they revealed that one in 200

people had the virus. that's still high, but infections are halving every 15 days. that's reflected by this graph, which shows us government data for the whole of the uk. you can see the steep fall in cases. here's the bbc�*s head of statistics. the data across all the difference mourns, —— different forms, the epidemic is shrinking every two and a half weeks. it would take another month an a half before we see cases coming back until last summer. two months�* time would be mid—april, but the government is under pressure to outline a roadmap out of the current lockdown restrictions. borisjohnson is going to make a statement on monday. here�*s the view of one scientist on what should come next. it's going to be difficult to get the base levels really low, and

there's— the base levels really low, and there's hardly anywhere in europe thais— there's hardly anywhere in europe that's managed that so far. that i think_ that's managed that so far. that i think is— that's managed that so far. that i think is the — that's managed that so far. that i think is the big question, how low can we _ think is the big question, how low can we go— think is the big question, how low can we go to have some residual infection— can we go to have some residual infection where we can open up safety? — infection where we can open up safely? because getting back to zero is reattym _ safely? because getting back to zero is really... nobody sensible thinks that's— is really... nobody sensible thinks that's achievable in the near future _ next, i want to look at what�*s known as �*long covid�*. around one in ten people who contract coronavirus experience symptoms three months or more after their diagnosis. let�*s hear from three people who suffering from it. been sick for it nearly 11 months now. i have chronic fatigue, breathlessness, chest pains. standing up and breathing and walking is really, really difficult. as the weeks went on, it sort of felt like being slowly erased. my muscles ache all the time, i feel

dizzy every day, i feel like i - want to vomit every day. long covid isn�*t very well understood. the british government says that it�*s funding four studies to find out why some people get long covid and others don�*t, which therapies which could be used to treat it, what the long—term effects are, and finally, what effect it has on children. but there�*s also pressure for the government to give more support to people with long covid. a group of mps say key workers and frontline staff, who can�*t work because of long covid, should get compensation. here�*s one of them. my my sincere hope is thatjust like with the original confiscation scheme that was announced from front light were served —— front—line workers, the government will ensure that our front—line workers, the nhs workers that we went out and clapped for every thursday are able to get that piece of mind that comes with knowing that their livelihoods aren�*t going to be lost because they

did the right thing and save lives. another consequence of coronavirus is that life expectancy in the united states fell by a full year in the first half of 2020. here are the numbers. average life expectancy for the whole population fell by 12 months to 77.8 years, but there were greater falls in ethnic minority groups. in hispanic men, it was 2.4 years, and life expectancy for black men fell by three full years. robert anderson from the us centers for disease control said it�*s "a huge decline. "you have to go back to world war two, the 1940s, "to find a decline like this." this is why. more than 490,000 people have died as a result of covid—19 in the us, the highest death toll in the world, and black americans are three times more likely than white americans to be one of them. a study in austria has given us insight into how long coronavirus antibodies stay in the body. last year, there was a major outbreak in the ski resort of ishgul.

scientists have found that 90% of those who caught the virus are still immune eight months later. let�*s bring in bethany bell from vienna. bethany, this sounds like better news. i5 bethany, this sounds like better news. , ., , , , , news. is a very interesting study. in aril, news. is a very interesting study. in april. after _ news. is a very interesting study. in april, after this _ news. is a very interesting study. in april, after this big _ news. is a very interesting study. in april, after this big outbreak . news. is a very interesting study. j in april, after this big outbreak in the ski resort, scientist went and tested around 1500 people who live in ishgul and they discovered that back then, 42% of people had antibodies, so basically 42 of the local people from ishgul had caught coronavirus. they then did a follow—up study in november which found that 90% of those people still had antibodies, and they say that this study is one of the biggest of

its kind, so it shows that people still have protection quite a long time after the initial infection, and they think this shows up something that could be quite positive, which is that in ischgll, this level of protection of around 45% seems to have protected the rest of the population —— ischgl. while the rest of austria has been going through a big second wave, in ischgl, the number of new infections last autumn was less than 1%. so the scientists are saying that what we could start seeing is once people are vaccinated to around 40 or 50% and with masking and social distancing, you could seek similar levels of protection.— levels of protection. we've only a minute left. _ levels of protection. we've only a minute left, but _ levels of protection. we've only a minute left, but the _ levels of protection. we've only a minute left, but the concern - levels of protection. we've only a minute left, but the concern with|

minute left, but the concern with antibodies wasn�*t that they would be generated, but they would necessarily last for a long period of time. so the significance here is not so much the existence, but they are still there many months on. they�*re still there eight months on. they�*re still there eight months on. they have also protected the rest of the population in ischgl. it seems from getting more cases of coronavirus. these are things which the scientists say are quite hopeful signs, and they say that they could mean quite a lot when it comes to other populations when they start vaccinating them.— other populations when they start vaccinating them. bethany, thank you ve much vaccinating them. bethany, thank you very much indeed. _ vaccinating them. bethany, thank you very much indeed. a _ vaccinating them. bethany, thank you very much indeed. a number- vaccinating them. bethany, thank you very much indeed. a number of- very much indeed. a number of different elements of the coronavirus story for you in the last few minutes. in the next half of outside source, we�*re going to look in detail at one issue which i�*m sure is a concern to many of you wherever you�*re watching. that�*s when schools can reopen, because many schools remain closed in many

different countries and we�*ll look at the criteria to get them open as quickly as possible. good evening. early morning rain cleared away, and for many it was a case of sunny spells and scattered showers. and because it�*s mild out there, this time of year that�*s allowing the spring bulbs to bloom. it was a beautiful afternoon in central london. for many as you could see on the satellite picture. a rash of sharp showers piling into the north and west, but we keep those clear skies over the next few hours, and that�*s going to allow those temperatures to fall away particularly in sheltered eastern areas. by contrast, we�*ll see the cloud gathering and rain arrives into the west, some of it quite heavy with strengthening winds as well. so, temperatures will climb as we go through the night. in sheltered eastern areas with clearer skies, we�*ll see low single figures, and that�*s going to be a little bit of a shock to the system in comparison to recent mornings. but it�*s all going to be about the rain and the wind

first thing on friday, moving in from the west. in fact, wind gusts could be in excess of 55, 60 mph on exposed coasts. and some of that rain really heavy and persistent, and it will linger for much of the day with the heaviest bursts across west facing slopes and tops of higher ground as well. so, we�*re going to start to see rainfall totals starting to tot up before the day is through. sheltered eastern areas particularly through eastern england will stay largely dry and fine, maybe clouding over a little into the afternoon with temperatures peaking between eight and 11 degrees. so, that�*s friday. moving into the start of the weekend, we�*ve got this nuisance weather front which is basically going to wriggle its way east and west throughout saturday and into sunday, feeding in moisture from time to time and still producing a lot of heavy rain, but still producing that southerly flow and that mild air right across the country. you�*ll notice the difference when you�*re outside over the next few days unless you�*re caught underneath this rain.

going to be a bit of a nuisance over the next few days. it will tend to bring heavier rain perhaps into northern ireland and western scotland through saturday. but get some sunshine, you�*ll get some warmth, and favoured spots for that are going to be eastern england and south—east england. moving out of saturday into sunday, that weather front is still with us, perhaps not quite as intense as it has been on sunday. 0n the whole, sunday should be a quieter day. and with a ridge of high pressure building into monday, we keep that dry weather for many of us. take care.

hello, i�*m ros atkins, this is 0utside source. an anxious 90 minutes for nasa. after a seven month journey to mars, the perseverance rover will attempt to land in the next hour and a half. why is the hashtag "delete facebook" trending? we�*ll take a look at a major dispute between the social media giant and the australian government. this is an assault on a sovereign nation. it is an assault on people�*s freedom and in particular it is in utter abuse of big technologies market power and control over over technology. texas suffers it�*s coldest weather in decades —

millions are still without power and people are told to boil their tap water. and in our weekly video for bbc online we�*ll look at what it will take to reopen schools during the pandemic. #deletefacebook has been trending on twitter — the reason is that australians woke up on thursday to find the facebook pages of all local and global news sites unavailable. as part of an ongoing battle between the tech giants and the australian government — facebook has blocked all australian users from sharing or viewing news content. we�*ll get facebooks argument shortly. but first i�*ll show you what happens when you look up an australian news

publisher on facebook. the pages are empty. they can�*t post their work. and australia�*s government is furious. prime minister scott morrison has called facebook "arrogant and dissapointing". and here�*s what minister greg hunt had to say. this is outrageous and unacceptable. we expect that facebook will fix these actions and immediately and never repeat them again. this is an assault on a sovereign nation. it is an assault on people�*s freedom and in particular, it is in utter abuse of big technologies market power and control over technology. this will go around the world but this stops. this is unacceptable. as well as news being banned, several government and community pages are gone including charity and emergency services pages like this one. that�*s caused alarm over public access to key information — facebook later said that part of what it had done was a mistake. here�*s peter lewis, director of the centre

for responsible technology. they had also shut down access to public interest websites, domestic violence hotlines and a whole bunch of civil society pages that support a whole bunch of different activities. it was definitely a show of strength to send a message to australians that facebook is indispensable. the banned facebook pages even included facebook�*s own page. but we can assume this was an error, as it was back up an running a few hours later. 0ne thing�*s for certain — facebook�*s news ban will be noticeable in australia. according to news data from 2020, more australians access news on social media than direct from news websites. some 37% of consumers say they access news via social media, compared with 31% who directly access websites or apps. so why has facebook unfriended australia? well it�*s all to do with demands from australian media and the australian government.

in recent years, most australian news outlets have seen their advertising revenue drop significantly — as advertising dollars have switched to internet and social media advertising. the news companies argue their content drives use of social media — and so facebook and other should contribute to the cost ofjournalism. the australian government has proposed legislation that would force tech giants to enter payment negotiations with news outlets. the proposal was agreed in parliament on wednesday, and just hours later — facebook enacted the news ban. here�*s frances mao from bbc news in sydney. essentially this law is about what the value of news is when it�*s in digital space. so the australian government look at introducing this because concerned about how the media is industry here is really struggling.

and how in looking at where the money was going and where the profits were going. in the inquiry into thousand 19 by the by the market regulator found out that in fact, the bulk of those profits were going to the tech giants. they were going to google, facebook, that�*s where the ad money was going. so the government here is trying to make tech giants pay essentially what they feel is a more fair amount for work which is produced by australian journalists and australian news outlets. the counter—argument from the tech giants is that the australian news websites get more views because of people seeing their content while on their platforms — and that that in turn drives subscriptions, audiences and revenues. facebook�*s regional managing director issued a statement saying

and there are tech commentators who say the law doesn�*t reflect how the internet works. here�*s martin bryant, editor of the geekout social media newsletter. news providers have looked to platforms like facebook and over the years practically facebook and google as sources of traffic. as ways of attracting an audience. and getting that audience back time and time again. so i think you could argue that news publishers and the australian government kind of shooting themselves in the foot a little bit here. because they are trying to take payments from linking, essentially. this is what�*s happening here. they want money so people can link. this kind of breakdown the way the world wide web has worked up until now. another factor here is that this is a test case. if the tech giants agree to pay the australian news outlets — other countries may have the same idea.

here�*s martin bryant again. it's it�*s kind of setting a dangerous precedent in which facebook didn�*t want to get into where it would agree to paying news publishers for the right to every time someone posted a link to an australian news source, facebook would have to pay. 0ther source, facebook would have to pay. other governments around the world would see that and think our news industries can deal with that. and we�*d see that repeated around the world. 0bviously that would cause facebook money. but it also limits the way the web works. suddenly you�*re taking payment for links. and that sets a dangerous precedent for how people might evolve in the future. who else might have to pay for links in the future. and that breaks the way the web works. i think facebook has in argument in its favour here.

another factor here is that this is a test case. if the tech giants agree to pay the australian news outlets — other countries may have the same idea julian knight is the chair of the the uk parliament�*s select committee on digital, culture, media and sport. here�*s his take on it. it's bullying effectively for facebook to unfriend an entire continent. to be honest with you, it gives a line to many of the warm words we've had from since 2018 and our inquiry and our inquiry into fake news and disinformation. and he said they wish to work with legislators. well, it seems to be they fight with the legislator. we all have skin in this game because globally the rules reflect in order to strengthen legislation. if we see australia being bullied in this manner and effectively we end up in a situation where facebook can get its own way then that is going to damage other countries including the uk. and our approach to social media. and some are worried that if people can�*t share credible news on facebook, it will leave a vacuum for misinfomation and fake news stories. on this this dr susannah elliott, ceo of the australian science media centre.

there are some that are extremely concerned about facebook blocking news sites just before we are about to roll out the vaccination, the covid—19 vaccination program. i guess what they are particular he worried about is the idea that by blocking news sites it then by default will bring or emphasise potentially misinformation. it�*s not that facebook is obviously trying to promote misinformation but when you take away the news then by default that�*s what happens. it becomes more higher profile. that�*s a major concern. some experts actually see this as an opportunity. they think that it�*s about time that people started really looking seriously at the news that they are consuming and that they start looking beyond facebook for their news. that they start looking beyond facebook for their news. the decision by facebook took a lot of people by surprise.

not least because go0gle has already made payment deals with several australian news outlets. some speculate that by blocking news facebook has the upper hand in any other future negotiations. facebook has the upper hand in any otherfuture negotiations. that will wait and see. that will wait and see. a major winter storm is sweeping through the us. 100 million people are affected. and three—quarters of the us is covered in snow. the cold snap has already caused chaos in southern and central parts of the us. 38 deaths have been recorded in louisiana, kentucky, north carolina, missouri and texas. texas has been hardest hit. temperatures are currently hovering between 0 and —9. half a million don�*t have power for a fourth day straight — so can�*t generate heat. here�*s a quick recap. earlier this week temperatures dropped to minus 18 — almost 40 degrees below normal. there were widespread outages when these power plants stopped generating electricity — after natural wells, gas pipielines and wind turbines froze.

here�*s the governor, greg abbott. every source of power in the state of texas has access to has been compromised because of the over cold temperature or because of equipment failures. we�*re told that texas lost 40% of its generating capacity. and that�*s had a knock—on effect. fuel pumps at gas stations are empty. this one is in cedar hill. there have been queues for fuel at others. and the outages have forced some gas stations to shut. water too is a major problem. this is lewisville. homes are not normally insulated for cold weather. and heating systems are failing. this is also a problem. frozen pipes have burst — despite attempts to insulate them with blankets. we�*re told around 12 million people either don�*t have drinkable tap water — or only have intermittent supply. and 7 million have been told to boil their tap water for safety. this is affecting hospitals. in houston — some don�*t have water.

the new york times reports "officials at st. david�*s south austin medical center scrambled on wednesday night to fix a heating system that was failing because of low water pressure. they were forced to seek portable toilets and distribute bottles of water to patients and employees so they could wash their hands. temperatures in dallas are expected to drop to —8. cbs correspondent 0mar villafranca is there. i�*m ata i�*m at a power substation behind me we here at generating power. texas has its own power grid. it separate from the rest of the united states, it�*s not regulated by the federal government. it�*s it's not regulated by the federal government-— it's not regulated by the federal covernment. �* , ., , government. it's regulated by the state. set our _ government. it's regulated by the state. set our state _ government. it's regulated by the state. set our state leaders - government. it's regulated by the state. set our state leaders of. government. it's regulated by the| state. set our state leaders of the people who run the grid are pointing fingers at each other to find out what exactly happened. and that�*s all fun and games at baby for later on but right now people need power. some of them need running water. around 24 deaths have been attributed to the cold snap in texas. many died from carbon

monoxide poisoning. the houston chronicle reports up to 300 suspected cases in one county alone — of course, not all of them led to death. 0ne doctor called it a "mini mass casualty event". this isn�*tjust affecting people. look at these pictures. this convention centre — on south padre island — has been transformed into a rescue centre for turtles who�*ve washed ashore, unable to swim because of the cold. over 4,700 have arrived on the beaches in this resort town. we�*re told that at this time of year — usually only 500 turtles come ashore. they�*re being kept in tubs until the water warms up and they can be released into the sea. we do have little snaps of cold here and there. so we trained for anywhere from 800 to 500 turtles a year. certainly prepared for the process and know what it looks like and how to effectively handle it. how i learned never did we assume

would have 4700 turtles. and to add injury to insult we are also without power. so we have taken onto his herculean task with 4700 turtles and no electricity. one person who has seemingly tried to avoid the cold snap is republican texas senator — ted cruz. he was spotted flying to cancun in mexico on wednesday night for a holiday with his family. and as you�*d expect that caused a lot of outrage online. enough that this happened. this is senator cruz — at cancun airport with his suitcase ready to fly home from the popular holiday destination less than 24 hours after arriving. and to explain his movements — he�*s released this statement. saying — "with school cancelled for the week, now it�*s important to note that his wife also flew with them and is staying in cancun. thurman bartie is the mayor of port arthur — which is on the coast of texas.

he�*s currently in houston. thank you forjoining us. tell us what your community is experiencing. right now we have gone through the experience of not having power however we do have electricity and i would say in almost 90% of the city. what we are experiencing now water. we have a mainlines that has burros. we have a mainlines that has burros. we have a mainlines that has burros. we have private contractors as long fleet neck well as city folks working now. the second day seems to be brought on by experiencing no water. we did experience two days basically without power. and this is something that all things could be handled but maybe they covered the whole state. in d regulation and we

are —— i believe electrical regulation committee of texas, they are being policeman of the grid for texas. it�*s something that they did wasn�*t proper. and it�*s caused us to experience what we are experiencing throughout this entire state right now. and there are still several maybe half a million or better without power in the state. in £1 they�*re over formally without power. we wish you and your neighbours and friends and community well. we will leave it there. thank you very much forjoining us. perhaps we can stay in touch with you. stay with us on 0utside source — still to come. in our weekly video for bbc online we�*re looking at what it will take

to reopen schools in the midst of the pandemic. the un is describing this is something close to a catastrophe if it doesn�*t happen soon. sir keir starmer has set out his vision for the uk — pledging a "moral crusade" to address inequalities exposed by coronavirus. here�*s our deputy political editor vicki young. he�*s trying to inspire a party that�*s gotten used to being rejected by voters in the political landscape dominated by a pandemic. labour members can only watch for a distance as ccer keir starmer lays out his vision from an empty room. we can go back to the same insecure and unequal economy that�*s been so cruelly exposed by the virus. or we can seize the moment. he said coronavirus had proved the case for government to play a much bigger role in managing the economy. but working alongside business not attacking it. if were honest, for too long labour has failed to realise that the only way to deliver social

justice and equality is through a strong partnership with businesses. under my leadership that mindset will change. one new policy idea is a british recovery bond offering people a savings account with the government. the cash raised will be used to get the country back on its feet after the pandemic. so what the bond does is it provides a way for people to invest in their fleet neck the future of their country obviously in a secure way. then it releases money for infrastructure projects. for those that haven�*t been able to save their other things that i said the other morning about universal credit, about the pay for workers. it�*s not either/or it�*s both. keir starmer says a labour government would actively support the economy but conservatives of point out that they�*ve spent almost £300 billion doing just that. it shows how difficult it is being distinctive as opposition leader during a national emergency.

elections across the uk in may will be the first test of whether voters like what they�*ve heard so far. this is 0utside source live from the bbc newsroom. 0ur lead story is... the moment of truth has arrived for the us space agency�*s perseverance rover. it�*s approaching mars after a 470—million—kilometre journey from earth. every week on 0utside source — we take an in—depth look one of the big issues in the news. this week, we�*re looking at schools and the virus. i want to talk about covid—19 and children. irate i want to talk about covid-19 and children. ~ ., ., children. we are in a defining moment for— children. we are in a defining moment for the _ children. we are in a defining moment for the worlds - children. we are in a defining i moment for the worlds children children. we are in a defining - moment for the worlds children and young people. the dissaving of

governments and partners take now will have lasting impact on hundreds of young people and on the development prospect of their countries to come. bud development prospect of their countries to come.— countries to come. and so governments _ countries to come. and so governments around - countries to come. and so governments around the l countries to come. and so - governments around the world and having to decide whether kids can be at school. it having to decide whether kids can be at school. , ., , ., ., ., ., at school. it should be a national riori at school. it should be a national priority to _ at school. it should be a national priority to get — at school. it should be a national priority to get our _ at school. it should be a national priority to get our kids _ at school. it should be a national priority to get our kids back - at school. it should be a national priority to get our kids back into | priority to get our kids back into school _ priority to get our kids back into school and _ priority to get our kids back into school and keep them in school. there _ school and keep them in school. there is — school and keep them in school. there is nothing i want to do more than _ there is nothing i want to do more than reopen— there is nothing i want to do more than reopen schools. _ there is nothing i want to do more than reopen schools.— there is nothing i want to do more than reopen schools. those children want to no than reopen schools. those children want to go back _ than reopen schools. those children want to go back to. _ than reopen schools. those children want to go back to. there _ than reopen schools. those children want to go back to. there are - than reopen schools. those children want to go back to. there are lots . want to go back to. there are lots of things that make it really difficult to learn at home. the issue is how _ difficult to learn at home. the issue is how to _ difficult to learn at home. the issue is how to open schools in a way that is safe for children and staff. . ., .. , , staff. among the teachers will still be concerned _ staff. among the teachers will still be concerned and _ staff. among the teachers will still be concerned and perhaps - staff. among the teachers will still be concerned and perhaps feelingl staff. among the teachers will still| be concerned and perhaps feeling a little bit _ be concerned and perhaps feeling a little bit of communities in the main — little bit of communities in the main. , ., ., , ., ., main. the question remains how to educate children _ main. the question remains how to educate children in _ main. the question remains how to educate children in the _ main. the question remains how to educate children in the pandemic? | educate children in the pandemic? it's educate children in the pandemic? it�*s an issue that cannot be more pressing force of this is the un�*s charity unicef. the pressing force of this is the un's charity unicef.— pressing force of this is the un's charity unicef. pressing force of this is the un's chari unicef. , , ., charity unicef. the sheer number of children whose _ charity unicef. the sheer number of children whose education _ charity unicef. the sheer number of children whose education was - children whose education was completely disrupted for months on end is nothing short of a global

education emergency.- education emergency. unicef estimates — education emergency. unicef estimates that _ education emergency. unicef estimates that during - education emergency. unicef estimates that during the - education emergency. unicef. estimates that during the peak education emergency. unicef- estimates that during the peak of the virus 1.6 estimates that during the peak of the virus1.6 billion people in 192 countries were sent home. in december one and five school children, 320 million were still out of school. and we know school closures escalates in equality. this is one student _ closures escalates in equality. this is one student in _ closures escalates in equality. this is one student in kenya. it's very hard _ is one student in kenya. it's very hard for— is one student in kenya. it's very hard for me _ is one student in kenya. it's very hard for me to study. because even as you _ hard for me to study. because even as you can— hard for me to study. because even as you can see, the community is not connected _ as you can see, the community is not connected. , ., ., as you can see, the community is not connected-— connected. trying to learn with out electricity is _ connected. trying to learn with out electricity is evidently _ connected. trying to learn with out electricity is evidently harder. - connected. trying to learn with out electricity is evidently harder. all. electricity is evidently harder. all of which was prompted from the top of which was prompted from the top of the un. ., .. ., ., ., of the un. now, we face a generation of the un. now, we face a generation of catastrophe — of the un. now, we face a generation of catastrophe that _ of the un. now, we face a generation of catastrophe that would _ of the un. now, we face a generation of catastrophe that would waste - of catastrophe that would waste human — of catastrophe that would waste human potential— of catastrophe that would waste human potential and _ of catastrophe that would waste human potential and are - of catastrophe that would waste i human potential and are decades of catastrophe that would waste - human potential and are decades of progress _ human potential and are decades of progress and — human potential and are decades of progress and exacerbate _ progress and exacerbate inequalities. _ progress and exacerbate inequalities. t0- progress and exacerbate inequalities.— progress and exacerbate ineaualities. ., ., ., ., inequalities. to try and avoid that eo - le inequalities. to try and avoid that people leave _ inequalities. to try and avoid that people leave my _ inequalities. to try and avoid that people leave my children - inequalities. to try and avoid that people leave my children need i inequalities. to try and avoid that people leave my children need to| inequalities. to try and avoid that i people leave my children need to be backin people leave my children need to be back in school as soon as possible. that�*s being guided by research. we know how the virus spreads inside school is connected to how it spreads outside of them. here�*s the

who on that. spreads outside of them. here's the who on that-— who on that. there are many countries _ who on that. there are many countries around _ who on that. there are many countries around the - who on that. there are many countries around the world i who on that. there are many i countries around the world where the schools are reopening. successfully. and safely. because countries have dealt with the real problem, community transmission. 50 dealt with the real problem, community transmission. so in countries _ community transmission. so in countries like _ community transmission. so in countries like australia - community transmission. so in countries like australia and i community transmission. so in l countries like australia and new zealand were community transmission is very very low schools can open. but they are the exception. look at the global infection rate. it is decreasing but it still higher than it was from most of last year. so what do you do about schools and countries where the virus is not contained? the us authorities suggest schools can still open. irate suggest schools can still open. we know that most of the disease that comes— know that most of the disease that comes into — know that most of the disease that comes into the school comes into the community _ comes into the school comes into the community. and with universal mask wearing _ community. and with universal mask wearing we _ community. and with universal mask wearing we know that there is very limited _ wearing we know that there is very limited transmission within the schools — limited transmission within the schools. and that that transmission is largely— schools. and that that transmission is largely from staff to staff. the art ument is largely from staff to staff. tle: argument being with is largely from staff to staff. t'le: argument being with the is largely from staff to staff. tle: argument being with the right measures schools are not a particular risk. let�*s unpack that further. this is advice on the risk to children. further. this is advice on the risk to children-— further. this is advice on the risk to children. . ., . , ., . to children. the chances of children bein: to children. the chances of children being catching _ to children. the chances of children being catching covid _ to children. the chances of children being catching covid and _ to children. the chances of children

being catching covid and then i being catching covid and then getting long times during that term serious problems solely due to going to school are incredibly small. theh to school are incredibly small. then there it's whether _ to school are incredibly small. then there it's whether children can there it�*s whether children can transmit the virus to others. there it's whether children can transmit the virus to others. here's the who on — transmit the virus to others. here's the who on that. _ transmit the virus to others. here's the who on that. there _ transmit the virus to others. here's the who on that. there appeared l transmit the virus to others. here's| the who on that. there appeared to be differences in transmission among the youngest children transmitting less to _ the youngest children transmitting less to each other compared to teenage — less to each other compared to teenage children which appear to transmit— teenage children which appear to transmit at the same rate that adults— transmit at the same rate that adults do _ transmit at the same rate that adults do-_ transmit at the same rate that adults do. . ., , , , ., adults do. and that brings us to teacher to _ adults do. and that brings us to teacher to teacher _ adults do. and that brings us to | teacher to teacher transmission. this is particular important as adults are much more likely to be ill with covid—19. this adults are much more likely to be ill with covid-19.— adults are much more likely to be ill with covid-19. this is one union leader in the _ ill with covid-19. this is one union leader in the us. _ ill with covid-19. this is one union leader in the us. ultimately, i ill with covid-19. this is one union leader in the us. ultimately, all. leader in the us. ultimately, all the risk— leader in the us. ultimately, all the risk is — leader in the us. ultimately, all the risk is on _ leader in the us. ultimately, all the risk is on the _ leader in the us. ultimately, all the risk is on the other- leader in the us. ultimately, all the risk is on the other adults i leader in the us. ultimately, all. the risk is on the other adults who are doing — the risk is on the other adults who are doing the _ the risk is on the other adults who are doing the education. - the risk is on the other adults who are doing the education. that's i are doing the education. that's right— are doing the education. that's right we — are doing the education. that's right we are _ are doing the education. that's right we are trying _ are doing the education. that's right we are trying to _ are doing the education. that's right we are trying to make i are doing the education. that'sl right we are trying to make sure that things _ right we are trying to make sure that things are _ right we are trying to make sure that things are say. _ right we are trying to make sure that things are say. if— right we are trying to make sure that things are say.— right we are trying to make sure that things are say. if we look at safety and _ that things are say. if we look at safety and schools _ that things are say. if we look at safety and schools and - that things are say. if we look at safety and schools and the i that things are say. if we look at safety and schools and the cost| that things are say. if we look at. safety and schools and the cost of them being closed, next we need to see this issue as part of a product calculation on the pandemic. take scotland, it�*s currently in lockdown, its first moved out of that will be some schools opening. being able to get children back to education it may mean the rest of us

living with some other restrictions for longer. living with some other restrictions for loner. ., v living with some other restrictions for loner. ., �*, ., living with some other restrictions forlonuer. ., �*, .. , for longer. that's a choice. they mana . e for longer. that's a choice. they manage risk— for longer. that's a choice. they manage risk in _ for longer. that's a choice. they manage risk in exchange i for longer. that's a choice. they manage risk in exchange for i for longer. that's a choice. they i manage risk in exchange for known benefits for children. other countries have also prioritise education in different ways. denmark was one of the first countries to reopen schools and largely they�*ve stayed open. it�*s cases and deaths are below comparable to other european countries. israel, its prioritise vaccinating students so prioritise vaccinating studentsse can sit prioritise vaccinating studentsso can sit exams. : length to korea it went to great length to ensure a crucial university exams went ahead. even bringing exam papers to students in hospital. those are all calculations, they all come with risk. the governments are now making these judgements are made in avalanche of information on the catastrophic consequent to the consequences of closing schools. both now and decades to come. this is the chair of the education committee and west minister. irate is the chair of the education committee and west minister. we need to do everything — committee and west minister. we need to do everything we _ committee and west minister. we need to do everything we can _ committee and west minister. we need to do everything we can to _ committee and west minister. we need to do everything we can to be _ committee and west minister. we need to do everything we can to be safe i to do everything we can to be safe but there could be an epidemic of educational poverty. a growing

digital divide and a safeguarding crisis with vulnerable children to affected by mental health. for these reasons are — affected by mental health. for these reasons are many _ affected by mental health. for these reasons are many more _ affected by mental health. for these | reasons are many more governments are pushing to get schools open urgently. because while there are many elements of this pandemic we don�*t fully understand, the detrimental consequences of closing schools are already in plain sight around the world. schools are already in plain sight around the world. you can now get the analysis that you see on outside source in a range of places across the bbc. our analysis videos are available on the bbc news website, on the bbc news twitter and facebook feeds — and if you�*re in the uk, on iplayer too — you�*ll find them in the news category. if you preferjust to listen — you can hear our analysis of the biggest stories in the world on bbc world service radio — and on the bbc sounds app. if you search my name, you�*ll find it easily. thank you very much indeed. if you want more background on all the stories were covering you can get that online through bbc .com/ news.

a course in the next hour or so will keep a close eye on that nasa mission to mars. good evening. early morning rain cleared away, and for many it was a case of sunny spells and scattered showers. and because it�*s mild out there, this time of year that�*s allowing the spring bulbs to bloom. it was a beautiful afternoon in central london. for many as you could see on the satellite picture. a rash of sharp showers piling into the north and west, but we keep those clear skies over the next few hours, and that�*s going to allow those temperatures to fall away particularly in sheltered eastern areas. by contrast, we�*ll see the cloud gathering and rain arrives into the west, some of it quite heavy with strengthening winds as well. so, temperatures will climb as we go through the night. in sheltered eastern areas with clearer skies, we�*ll see low single figures, and that�*s going to be a little

bit of a shock to the system in comparison to recent mornings. but it�*s all going to be about the rain and the wind first thing on friday, moving in from the west. in fact, wind gusts could be in excess of 55, 60 mph on exposed coasts. and some of that rain really heavy and persistent, and it will linger for much of the day with the heaviest bursts across west facing slopes and tops of higher ground as well. so, we�*re going to start to see rainfall totals starting to tot up before the day is through. sheltered eastern areas particularly through eastern england will stay largely dry and fine, maybe clouding over a little into the afternoon with temperatures peaking between eight and 11 degrees. so, that�*s friday. moving into the start of the weekend, we�*ve got this nuisance weather front which is basically going to wriggle its way east and west throughout saturday and into sunday, feeding in moisture from time to time and still producing a lot of heavy rain, but still producing that southerly flow and that mild air right across the country. you�*ll notice the difference

when you�*re outside over the next few days unless you�*re caught underneath this rain. going to be a bit of a nuisance over the next few days. it will tend to bring heavier rain perhaps into northern ireland and western scotland through saturday. but get some sunshine, you�*ll get some warmth, and favoured spots for that are going to be eastern england and south—east england. moving out of saturday into sunday, that weather front is still with us, perhaps not quite as intense as it has been on sunday. on the whole, sunday should be a quieter day. and with a ridge of high pressure building into monday, we keep that dry weather for many of us. take care.

this is bbc news: the headlines at 8. infection rates have fallen by two thirds in england since the latest lockdown — now a campaign to encourage those who are reluctant to have the vaccine. one of the key issues about vaccine uptake in some immunities is trust. if the vaccine faith? we can set up a safe and effective. back to school for some in northern ireland on march eighth — but for everyone else lockdown is extended in northern ireland until april 1st. this is what should happen this evening on mars — if nasa�*s perseverence lives up to its name. these are live pictures from nasa�*s mission control — we�*ll have a special programme at eight—thirty —

following the final crucial moments of the mission to land a rover onto the red planet.