this is bbc news. i'm mark lobel. our top stories: at least 45 people are dead after record rainfall causes flash flooding across the north—east of america. a british—born member of the islamic state group pleads guilty to charges of conspiring to murder american hostages in syria. in afghanistan, a new normal with the taliban setting up a government, as those who still want to get out await their future. and thank you for more music: it's abba's first album of new material for a0 years, backed up by a series of virtual concerts.

welcome to our viewers on pbs in america and around the globe. hello to you. severe weather and flash flooding in the north—eastern united states has now killed at least 45 people, with states of emergency in place in new york and newjersey. it's prompted president biden to call for the united states to be better prepared for the climate crisis and to take action after the unprecedented rainfall brought by storm ida. our correspondent nada tawfik reports. cascading waterfalls rushed through the platforms down to the tracks of new york city's subway. the sudden deluge from ida's move up north shut down the network and didn't stop there.

a state of emergency was called as the city became paralysed by record—breaking rain and flash flooding, turning wide boulevards quickly into waterways. good god! motorists and a few out working, despite the obstacles, waded through the water to get home. officials warned residents to remain indoors but in parts of new york, houses were no longer a place of safety. today, some were urgently saved from the rising waters on their doorsteps. we're homeless right now but, you know, we're all gonna come together and we are going to figure out a solution and we'll go from there. it was the same story in philadelphia, where there was no telling where the delaware river ended and suburbs began. rescuers went door to door by boat, helping people escape who took shelter in the upper floors of their homes and on their roofs.

others weren't so lucky and today, officials are still discovering the true death toll. after a year of extreme climate events that have shocked the nation, a warning from the president. the past few days of hurricane ida and the wildfires in the west and the unprecedented flash floods in new york and newjersey, it is yet another reminder that these extreme storms and the climate crisis are here. we need to do this better prepared. we need to act. this storm, for many, is a wake—up call that nowhere is safe from extreme weather. powerful tornadoes, the likes seen normally in the midwest, obliterated multiple homes in newjersey. with the devastating impact of these events coming into view, it does feel like this is one of the greatest challenges of this generation. nada tawfik, bbc news, newjersey. we can now speak to disaster and climate expert klaus jacob,

whose research focusses on rising sea levels and disaster resilient megacities. it's especially good to be talking to you because as i understand it your pal was cut during the storm? flat understand it your pal was cut during the storm?— during the storm? not during the storm. — during the storm? not during the storm, actually _ during the storm? not during the storm, actually in - during the storm? not during the storm, actually in the - the storm, actually in the aftermath. i had the power cut out when the sun was shining and a blue sky because they had to get a tree that had fallen into the wires out of the wires and the only way to do that was to cut the power. we and the only way to do that was to cut the power.— to cut the power. we are glad it is back _ to cut the power. we are glad it is back un- _ to cut the power. we are glad it is back up. you _ to cut the power. we are glad it is back up. you were - to cut the power. we are glad it is back up. you were able i to cut the power. we are glad | it is back up. you were able to predict the effects around nine years ago of storm sandy, before it hit. did you have any inclination about this one? —— any inkling. inclination about this one? -- any inkling-— any inkling. well, it was clear from the _ any inkling. well, it was clear from the path _ any inkling. well, it was clear from the path and _ any inkling. well, it was clear from the path and the - any inkling. well, it was clear| from the path and the forecast of reciprocation that there would be clearly impacts. it is

my experience before it is by experience known that when there is more than two inches of rainfall in new york city within a few hours, then there is trouble for the transportation system and in particular for the subway. that's right, and tell us a bit more about how the subway system was meant to be prepared for this type of eventuality and how it has turned out. well, that is an interesting point because a lot was changed after super storm sandy in october of 2012, nine years ago. but the main difference there is that the flooding came from a coastal storm surge, that means all the low—lying elevation subway entrances just

a few feet above sea level were the ones that were affected. today, all last night, rather, the water came not from the ocean, it came from the sky. so it collected in entirely different locations for which the transportation department has made no serious preparations to prevent the water from flowing from the streets to the subway. think that's the — streets to the subway. think that's the big _ streets to the subway. think that's the big question, - streets to the subway. think that's the big question, how| that's the big question, how are we as a world with all that is going on meant to go from being so reactive to suddenly get proactive about these extreme weather events? well, it needs political _ extreme weather events? well, it needs political leadership, - it needs political leadership, it needs political leadership, it needs political leadership, it needs technical leadership and administrative leadership in the organisations that run these transportation systems.

and we like, unfortunately, despite all of the wonderful talk about true will to get this thing done and make it a priority. this thing done and make it a riori . ., ., this thing done and make it a riori . . ~' ,, this thing done and make it a riori . ., ~ i. this thing done and make it a riori . ., ~ . ., priority. thank you so much for “oininu priority. thank you so much for joining us. _ priority. thank you so much for joining us, class— priority. thank you so much for joining us, class jacob. - priority. thank you so much for joining us, class jacob. you'rel joining us, class jacob. you're welcome- _ —— klaus jacob. an alleged member of the notorious isis group that were dubbed �*the beatles' by their captives, because of their british accents, has plead guilty in a hearing in a us court. alexanda kotey, originally from the uk, had been charged with conspiring to torture and behead hostages in syria. acting us attorney raj parekh spoke at a news conference after alexanda kotey accepted the charges. contrary to the propaganda perpetuated by isis, we have given alexanda kotey the opportunity to face justice. kotey has been afforded due process and, in the face of overwhelming evidence, he made the independent

decision to plead guilty to his crimes. the justice, fairness and humanity that this defendant received in the united states stand in stark contrast to the cruelty, inhumanity and indiscriminate violence touted by the terrorist organisation that he espoused. our washington correspondent nomia iqbal has more on the background to this case. we have to go all the way back to 2014, which is when the isis, the specific cell of the isis, the specific cell of the isis terror group nicknamed the beatles, because there was four of them, the prisoners that they held hostage had nicknamed them that because of their english accents, now if you go back to 2014, we saw those terrific videos being disseminated by isis, which

showed four hostages, remember james foley, a journalist and steven sotloff, in these orange jumpsuits being abused by the group. alexanda kotey accepted the charges in court, thejudge that he is now going to be cooperating with prosecutors which, i guess, cooperating with prosecutors which, iguess, means cooperating with prosecutors which, i guess, means he could start giving important details about what happened and what he knows and even where are buried. so there another man as well in this case, el shafee elsheikh, up for trial, well in this case, el shafee elsheikh, upfortrial, but well in this case, el shafee elsheikh, up for trial, but no word yet on whether he has reached a plea deal and it's worth mentioning as well that alexanda kotey is part of this arrangement has said that he will not be testifying, he is not obligated to testify against el shafee elsheikh if he goes to trial, which is due next january. he goes to trial, which is due next january-— next january. the trial, what other punishments - next january. the trial, what other punishments they - next january. the trial, what | other punishments they could face and why is the death penalty the table?- face and why is the death penalty the table? they were extradited — penalty the table? they were extradited from _ penalty the table? they were extradited from the - penalty the table? they were extradited from the uk - penalty the table? they were extradited from the uk to - penalty the table? they were | extradited from the uk to the us and of course the uk does not agree with the death

penalty and it was part of the guarantee that if the uk does deport them to america, the death penalty will not be an option. basically both of them face a maximum sentence of life injail. face a maximum sentence of life in “ail. ., . let's take a look at some other stories making the news. hundreds of firefighting and emergency service volunteers have been drafted in to help contain a coronavirus crisis in the australian state of new south wales. they will set up testing clinics and vaccination centres. more than half of the australian population is in lockdown as case numbers continue to surge. the federal aviation authority in the united states has grounded the virgin galactic spaceship while it investigates a deviation in its flight to the edge of space in july. the spaceshiptwo's pilots are reported to have received yellow and amber alerts for flying too low while it was carrying the british billionaire richard branson. in the democratic republic of the congo, the environment minister says nearly 4,500 people have fallen sick

following a toxic leak from a diamond mine in neighbouring angola. eve bazaiba said 12 people had died. she said the drc would ask for reparations for the damage caused. there has been no response so farfrom the mining company. china's broadcast regulators have banned public voting on reality tv shows and actors with political views they deem "incorrect". the move is part of the chinese government's newest media crackdown. authorities also pledged to promote more masculine images of men. regulators say only programmes that foster a patriotic atmosphere and celebrate traditional chinese culture will be broadcast in the country. british foreign secretary dominic raab has suggested the uk needs to engage with the taliban in afghanistan. on a visit to qatar, he said britain needed to "adjust to the new reality" following the withdrawal of western forces.

he also signalled that kabul airport might be able to reopen and allow some remaining british citizens and eligible afghans to leave the country. our chief international correspondent lyse doucet is in kabul and has been speaking to one contractor who worked at the british embassy there. 0h, oh, various christmas! —— oh, there is christmas! christmas parties, diplomatic dinners, daily meals — head chef hameed was part of british embassy life in kabul for 13 years. this was the last meeting of kitchen staff with the british ambassador, sir laurie bristow. he spent days at kabul airport overseeing the massive airlift. hameed and about 60 others were left behind because they weren't employed by the foreign office, but through a private contractor. translation: we worked so hard, i even during the covid lockdown, l and we were left behind. ifeel i have been betrayed.

if they don't take us out of here, it is a big betrayal. now this family of five young children is hiding at home. many are doing the same. today in the gulf state of qatar, the bbc asked the foreign secretary about the contractors. he admitted many need help. indie contractors. he admitted many need help-— need help. we will not be recognising _ need help. we will not be recognising the _ need help. we will not be recognising the taliban i need help. we will not be l recognising the taliban any time in the foreseeable future and— but i think there is an important scope for and engagement and dialogue and test the intentions and indeed the insurance —— the assurances that have already been made by the taliban, safe passage out of the taliban and i am afraid to my friend to the bbc that i did not mention it but those afghan workers or contractors who may want to come to the uk or indeed other countries. there is a battle at home. brave women take to the streets in the western city of herat. "don't be scared. "we are all together," is their rallying cry,

worried the taliban will stop them from working or studying as they did before. mariam has moved from one safe house to the next, ever since the taliban swept into kabul. she had been working on issues like gender and human rights. the taliban told her "don't come to the office for now". many fear they will never be allowed to go back. as a human, it's my right to get education. it's my right to have a good job. unfortunately, this situation that came in in afghanistan, all of my dreams destroyed. kabul looks much the same, but it's not. a nation at war now seems to be a nation in waiting. so many afghans wondering, worrying what kind of new government will emerge with all of its rules and regulations?

many others still asking ever so anxiously how they can escape. for now, so many lives are on pause. lyse doucet, bbc news, kabul. stay with us on bbc news. still to come: we'll tell you about the young french boy trying to save the environment, one piece of scrap at a time. she received the nobel peace prize for her work with the poor and the dying in india's slums. the head of the catholic church had said mother teresa was a wonderful example of how to help people in need. we have to identify the bodies, then round the coffins and takej them back home. parents are waiting. and wives are waiting. hostages appeared, some carried, some running, trying to escape the nightmare behind them.

britain lost a princess today, | described by all to whom she reached out as irreplaceable. an early—morning car crash in a paris underpass ended | a life with more than its share of pain and courage, - warmth and compassion. this is bbc news. the latest headlines: at least 45 people are dead after record rainfall causes flash—flooding across the north—east of america. poland has declared a 30—day state of emergency along the border with belarus because of an influx of migrants.

poland, lithuania and latvia have accused belarusian authorities of flying migrants into belarus, then pushing them across the border. courtney bembridge has this report. polish troops gathered on the border as nearby regions entered a state of emergency. measures mean people can't gather in groups and must carry identification in public. it's an unprecedented move in response to a surge in migrants coming across the border which poland says is being engineered by belarus. translation: what's happening at the border on the part - of the belarusian authorities is difficult and dangerous. poland is responsible for its borders but also for the eastern borders of the eu. we have to take such decisions to ensure the full security of poland and the eu. it comes after videos like this surfaced, allegedly showing belarusian officers in full riot gear trying to push a group of migrants across the border with lithuania.

thousands of migrants, iraqis and afghans have crossed from belarus into neighbouring countries in recent months and the eu has accused the belarusian president alexander lukashenko of using migrants as a weapon and response to sanctions imposed on his government over his crackdown on opposition. it is a claim the president denies. poland says it is also preparing for potential provocations during military exercises being run by the russian army along the border next week. translation: yes, we are under attack and the security _ of our state and our citizens is under threat. our actions are adequate to the scale of the threat. the european commission says it s preparing fresh sanctions against belarus because of the ongoing situation at the border. japan is the first country in olympic history to host

the paralympic games twice, but what is it like to be a disabled person living injapan today? it is one of the few countries that requires companies by law to hire a certain percentage of employees with disabilities. discovers, prejudice against people with disabilities is still widespread. natsuko izena calls herself the tiny 100 centimetre mum. she was born with brittle bone disease and that means she cannot stand and has repeatedly broken numerous bones. but natsuko has given birth to two children, something almost unheard of for someone with her disability in japan. and something she says many people here still do not accept or approve of. many people are surprised and do not believe that i have children. if people say their honest feelings, they think it is not good. many people think it is not

good to have children for disabled people. natsuko's experience shows how farjapan has to go, but also how far it has come. because last time the paralympics was held here in tokyo back in 1964, japan was still forcibly sterilising disabled people to prevent them from having children of their own. that so—called eugenics protection law was only finally repealed in 1996. and to this day, the japanese government has not fully recognised the role it played in violating the rights of more than 20,000 disabled people. yumi suzuki is one of those victims. she was born with cerebral palsy. and when she was 12 years old, her womb was removed without her knowledge or consent. "when i found out i can never be a mother, it

broke my heart," she tells me. suzuki—san and other victims are now suing the japanese government, demanding it compensate them for what was done. "i don't want money," she says. "i want people to know what happened to us. "to make sure it never happens again. "i want disabled people to be treated equally. "we are not things, we are human beings." close to the paralympic village, japanese schoolkids are learning what it's like to have to use a wheelchair to get around. this is a start. but natsuko thinks the real barrier to acceptance for people like her is that mostjapanese people have never actually met a disabled person. i use a wheelchair and people just walk the other way. many people see me and look at me strangely. and if i watch them, they ignore me because they

don't have the chance to live with people with disabilities. paris is undeniably one of the world's great capital cities — renowned for its charm, its history and its beauty. but nowhere is perfect. paris has problems with waste and pollution. now, one 11—year—old boy is trying to do something about it. the bbc�*s tim allman explains. meet raphael and his unusual aladdin's cave. no magic lamp, but plenty of rusty telephones and discarded bits of metal. the young boy, along with his friends, has taken to fishing in the seine. but he's looking for scrap and junk rather than aquatic life forms. translation: | feel like i'm | doing something for the planet in my own little way. some 10 and 11—year—olds stay

at home and play football, well, i know i'm cleaning up. not the entire planet, but i'm cleaning up. raphael began his crusade to clean up the riverways of paris less than two years ago. in that time he estimates he's fished out around 300 bikes, 100 shopping trolleys, and 200 electric scooters. translation: my goal is to raise awareness i so that people do something. they don't have to do what i do, but at least do something. it could just be picking up cigarette buts. last october he was awarded the medal of paris, in honour of those who have performed a remarkable deed for the city. not just the city, the world, too. raphael is saving the environment, one rusty bike at a time. tim allman, bbc news. now, abba is getting the band back together. a new album is also on its way

— and they'll appear in concert — kind of. david sillito, reports. # i still have faith in you # i see it now.. 40 years after recording their last album, a new abba song. indeed, a new abba album. and there's video of the group finally back together. first it was just two songs, and then we said, well, maybe we should do, i don't know, a few others. what do you say, girls? and they said, yeah. then i asked them, well, why don't we just do a whole album? # waterloo! # i was defeated, you won the war.. it's 47 years since the band hit the big time with the eurovision—winning waterloo, the beginning of a series of number one hits and global success. # you can dance # you can jive ladies and gentlemen, abba. eight years later, this

was their final tv appearance on british television. every year since then, a question. will they ever perform again together? and the answer, finally, is yes. sort of. and the reason the announcement is taking place here in the olympic park is because this is where the abba concerts are going to be taking place — but you won't be seeing abba as they are today, but rather with a degree of digital youthful enhancement. the group has been performing in a studio, and with the aid of motion capture digital effects, the image we will see and hear on the stage will be the band members in their �*70s heyday. to create, after the musicals and movies, another abba experience. but what makes this moment different is the new music. the new album. the reunion, 40 years on.

david sillito, bbc news. ican i can hardly wait! from the rest of the team and mean. thank you so much forjoining us. hello there. we're finally going to see some changes to the weather this week and into next week things look quite different. but in the short term, we are ending the week on a similar note with this area of high pressure continuing to bring in a lot of cloud. on a similar note with this area of high pressure will continue to bring in a lot of cloud across the uk with limited clear spells. there will be a few glimmers of brightness around, particularly western scotland in the morning but generally a cloudy start. in to the afternoon favoured spots to see some sunshine developing more widley wil again be across scotland, northern england and parts of northern ireland and also southern england towards south wales and this is where we will see the highest temperatures in the low 20s.

otherwise where we hold onto the cloud, it will be around the mid to high teens for most. as we head through friday night it looks like it's going to be another cloudy one. across central and northern areas with clear spells across the south. but temperature wise, no more than ten to 14 celsius. we are starting to importing our winds from a more southeasterly direction to start the weekend as our area of high pressure finally begins to retreat eastwards. it looks like it will bring some slightly drier air in from the near continent. we should see will see some holes in the cloud from the word go across central and southern areas. some sunny spells here with further north varying amounts of cloud and a little bit of sunshine but generally a lot of cloud. could see a few showers across southern and western areas into the afternoon but many places will be dry. temperatures around 21 or 22 for the high around the high teens though further north and east with the cloud. for sunday we see this feature runs to the northwest of the country. that's going to bring thicker cloud, more of a breeze, out breaks of rain, northen irleand, northwest

england and northwest wales later in the day. some of this ring could be quite heavy. further south, it is a drier picture for sunday afternoon, lighter winds coming in from france. and we should see increasing amounts of sunshine into the afternoon. temperatures responding to 24 degrees in the south. obviously because of more cloud the wind and the rain in the north and not quite as warm. and next week, we'll will start to import some warmer air the continent and some southern areas across the south on monday and tuesday, given some sunshine we could see those temperatures creeping around the mid 20 celsius and a little bit warmer and further north too.

this is bbc news. the headlines: severe weather and flash flooding in the north—eastern united states has now killed at least 45 people. in new york, most of the dead drowned while trapped in their basement apartments. most of the two dozen people killed in newjersey were in vehicles overwhelmed by floodwaters. a british—born islamic state group member has pleaded guilty in the us to charges of conspiring to murder american hostages in syria. alexanda kotey�*s group, known as the beatles for their british accents, allegedly kidnapped, tortured and killed their victims, including journalists and aid workers. one of the most successful pop groups of all time, abba, are reforming. the swedish superstars have revealed their first new song in decades. they've also announced that their avatars will be performing with a live ten—piece band in concerts at a purpose—built arena in london from may.

now on bbc news, it's hardtalk with stephen sackur.