welcome to bbc news. i'm david eades. our top stories: the united states and as a diplomatic boycott of the beijing winter olympics because of china �*s record on human rights. china calls a week and insists it is against the spirit of the games. new york's mess is all private—sector workers in the city must be vaccinated against coronavirus. the strictest mandate yet. also, more evidence is given in the trial of ghislaine maxwell, the trial of ghislaine maxwell, the woman of helping to the disgraced financierjeffrey epstein. and we talked to the hollywood legend mel brooks who, at 95, is taking stock of his extraordinary career.

hello and welcome to our viewers on pbs in america and around the globe. the white house has delivered its well expected solo against china. it has announced a diplomatic boycott of the winter olympics and prolific games in protest at the country by the human rights record. the move has been broadly welcomed across the political divide in the us although it does only apply to diplomatic and political figures, certainly not to athletes who have been given the white house seal of approval to take part. beijing 2022. as the snow settles, olympic venues are taking shape, but the pinnacle of sport is no stranger to politics. the us has drawn a line,

saying it won't contribute to the fanfare, nor pretend it's business as usual in the face of china's egregious human rights record. the biden administration will not send any diplomatic or official representation to the beijing 2022 winter olympics and paralympic games given the prc�*s ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in xinjiang and other human rights abuses. there is precedent here, but the move falls short of the 1980 us—led boycott of the moscow games where team usa athletes were pulled from the competition. the athletes will be participating, we will be rooting for the athletes from home. i am an olympics obsessed person so i'm looking forward to doing that, but i think this isjust an indication that it cannot be business as usual, that not sending a diplomatic delegation sends that message. but is beijing paying attention? judging by the reaction of the foreign ministry

in a press conference prior to official confirmation from the us, labelling it wishful thinking, grandstanding, and politically manipulative, the answer is yes. translation: what the us should do is to correct its attitude, - practice a more united olympic spirit, and take china's concerns seriously. do not politicise sports and stop calling for the so—called diplomatic boycott of the beijing winter olympics so as not to affect the dialogue and cooperation between china and the us in important areas. if the us insists on wilfully clinging to its course, china will definitely take resolute countermeasures. the uk and australia are among other nations considering a beijing boycott. the move backed by human rights organisations, which have long argued china should never have been awarded the games to begin with. as they edge closer, it seems concerns

are reaching a crescendo. tanya dendrinos, bbc news. the senior research on china with human rights watchjoins me now from new york. thank you very much forjoining us. i just want to talk to you about the response of the decision taken by the white house. it is a welcome _ taken by the white house. it is a welcome move. _ taken by the white house. it 3 a welcome move. many activists are anticipating it and working hard for this to come. the chinese government is using the olympic games to showcase the country to validate its policies, its governing models, including the human rights abuses. it including the human rights abuses. , . , including the human rights abuses. , ., , ., including the human rights abuses. , ., ., ., ., abuses. it is a bit of a hollow gesture. _ abuses. it is a bit of a hollow gesture, isn't _ abuses. it is a bit of a hollow gesture, isn't it, _ abuses. it is a bit of a hollow gesture, isn't it, if— abuses. it is a bit of a hollow gesture, isn't it, if the - abuses. it is a bit of a hollow gesture, isn't it, if the us. gesture, isn't it, if the us perhaps stands alone in saying we're not sending diplomats and it doesn't change much. i we're not sending diplomats and it doesn't change much.- it doesn't change much. i don't think it is _

it doesn't change much. i don't think it is a _ it doesn't change much. i don't think it is a hollow _ it doesn't change much. i don't think it is a hollow gesture - think it is a hollow gesture because apparently the chinese government is responding using those very language, the government is angry and feeling the pressure. i think it is important other governments follow suit. there are already votes in the eu parliament urging their parliament to also join the diplomatic boycott. i think there will be effect. i suppose my point is it enough to have countries saying, we don't like what you are doing, we're not going to come and watch, but, hey, we're rooting for all our athletes. i watch, but, hey, we're rooting for all our athletes.— for all our athletes. i think this is the _ for all our athletes. i think this is the first _ for all our athletes. i think this is the first step, - this is the first step, diplomatic boycott. i understand they want to go, and they should go because they have trained their lives for this event so it is unfair for them not to go. but all the other people should stay away because you shouldn't be you'll —— used as a tool to legitimise

human rights abuses. i -- used as a tool to legitimise human rights abuses.- human rights abuses. i was auoin human rights abuses. i was going to — human rights abuses. i was going to say. _ human rights abuses. i was going to say. it _ human rights abuses. i was going to say, it seems - human rights abuses. i was going to say, it seems a . going to say, it seems a slightly strange situation where you have a government which talks about genocide carried out by the chinese on the uyghur community in particular, and yet, allows athletes to compete, and even you at human right watch, they have solid condemnation to what you believe is going on in china. , ., , ., china. there should be other actions beyond _ china. there should be other actions beyond the _ china. there should be other| actions beyond the diplomatic boycott. we hope the us government will pass the uyghur forced labour acts to ban forced labour acts to ban forced labour acts to ban forced labour is coming to the us, we hope eu governments also do the same and there should be sanctions against chinese government officials and the chinese companies committing the human rights violations. it is the first step. and do you think that other countries effectively step in line with the us? ~ 4'

effectively step in line with the us? ~ ~ ., the us? well, i think there are already momentum _ the us? well, i think there are already momentum is - the us? well, i think there are already momentum is in - the us? well, i think there are already momentum is in the i already momentum is in the country. the community wants the government to do that. thank you very much indeed, joining us there from new york. out of a scheduled video call between the russian and american presidents, a senior us official has a joe biden will want vladimir putin of severe economic consequences if he should decide to invade the ukraine. the white house has been working with european allies to co—ordinate a strong response. intelligence reports indicate in the past few weeks russia has amassed tens of thousands of troops on the border with ukraine, and it has pondered fears of an invasion early next year. call it what you will, a primitive strike, a vaccine mandate. eitherway, primitive strike, a vaccine mandate. either way, the message for new yorkers is clear. even if you are in the private sector, you have to get vaccinated if you want to go to work. the mayor of new york

announced workers have until december 27 to have the jab. this is our all and if it stopped rising cases of covid—i9 is new variant has been gaining a foothold. it is time. this is how we put health and safety first, by ensuring that there is a vaccine mandate that reaches everyone, universally in the private sector. a lot of folks say they believe in vaccination, but they are not quite sure how they can do it themselves. we are going to do it. the rules on how it will work will come out december 15 but the mount hotham office is calling is the most sweeping vaccine mandate that we have seen anywhere else in the country. we have on zane vaccine mandate by public the worker here in new york city and they have also been rules about being able to dine indoors i go to the movie

theatres or even be able to go to the gym, that you need to show proof of vaccination. so now the city is going one step further and is going to mandate this for private sector employees, and it is really going to affect some roughly hundred and 84,000 businesses here in the city. —— 184,000. looking at the situation here in the uk, it is less than two hours away before everyone arriving in the uk is going to have to have taken a covid test at least 48 out before they travel. people will be able to buy lateral flow tests, they are cheaper than a pcr test. it is latest in a series measures from the british government in slowing the spread of omicron. me and my positive military rulers are facing international condemnation after the deposed civilian leader aung san suu kyi was given a four year prison sentence. she was convicted of inciting unrest and violating covid restrictions during last year's

election campaign. state mediated her sentence has been reduced from four to two years after a partial pardoned by the head of the military dreamt of. but it does face further charges, as our southeast asia correspondence reports. it has been an extraordinaryjourney. aung san suu kyi has gone from acclaimed human rights icon to elected leader unrivalled in her popularity and then something of a fallen idol when she defended her generals against charges of genocide at the international court ofjustice. those same generals overthrew her government in february. they've now imposed to the first of what is expected to be a series of dubious criminal convictions on her. these fleeting courtroom photos are all we've seen of herfor more than ten months. today is simply a shameful day for law and justice and accountability in myanmar.

the brutal militaryjunta has today confirmed that they see themselves as above the law. respect for the woman they still call �*amay�*, or mother suu, is undiminished in myanmar. but the huge rallies seen earlier this year in support of the democracy that she'd hoped to build have long gone, driven off the streets by volleys young activists are now arming themselves instead, conducting drive—by shootings and bombings. actions that might horrify aung san suu kyi with her non—violent beliefs. a few brave souls came out today to show their anger over the verdict, but quickly dispersed. peaceful protest is no longer possible in myanmar is the country slides ever deeper into armed conflict. jonathan head, bbc news, bangkok.

the prime minister of the solomon islands has survived a no—confidence motion in parliament. riots broke out in late november over government policies fuelled by poverty, unemployment and interisland rivalries in this nation of 800,000 people. his administration has already faced popular anger over its decision to switch diplomatic allegiance to beijing from taiwan. a second woman who says that jeffrey epstein sexually abused her has been testifying in the ghislaine maxwell trial in new york. ms maxwell who was a close confidant of epstein, has pleaded not guilty to eight counts of sex trafficking and other charges. jeffrey epstein, who was a convicted sex offender, died in a new york prison cell in 2019 as he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges in a federal case. we have been following events in court.

any of the sex act she testified about not to be considered illegal acts. prosecution really used her to lay out their argument about how ghislaine maxwell really was central to jeffrey epstein's world, and specifically this effort of grooming young girls for sexual abuse. locate detailed how she first met ghislaine maxwell 17 years old at her townhome in london. she went there for tea and so they immediately really felt at ease with each other. she said she wanted to be like ghislaine maxwell when she was older. ghislaine maxwell allegedly told her that her boyfriend, jeffrey epstein, would help her with her music career. but kate says that when she went back the next time and all the times after that, ghislaine maxwell allegedly instructed her to givejeffrey

epstein a massage, which turned into a sexualised massage. she says at that point, the alleged abuse continued for years, and she was even asked by maxwell to recruit other young cute girls, she says she put it. she said she didn't do that, but ms maxwell also denied all the allegations and in cross—examination the defence really tried to pick holes indicate positive memories, saying at the time she was under the influence of alcohol and cocaine and questioned whether her memories could be trusted. she said that she remembered everything very well because they were significant moments in her life. they also questioned whether she was in this for money, so that she got millions of dollars from the epstein victim compensation fund. but kate, again, that she had no financial stake in this trial. stay with us on bbc news. still to come:

there is a special focus on afghanistan. we have the list. john lennon was shot at the entrance to the dakota building, in the centre of new york. there's been a crowd here standing in more or less silent vigil and the flowers have been piling up. the 14th ceasefire of this war ended at the walls of the old city of dubrovnik. this morning, witnesses said shells were landing every 20 seconds. people are celebrating the passing of a man they hold responsible for hundreds of deaths and oppression. elsewhere, people have been gathering to mourn his passing. imelda marcos, the widow of the former president i of the philippines, hasi gone on trial in manila. she's facing seven charges of tax evasion, estimated i at £120 million. she pleaded not guilty.

the prince and princess of wales are to separate. a statement from buckingham palace said the decision had been reached amicably. you are watching bbc news, our main headlines this hour colon the united united states announces a diplomatic boycott of the beige in winter olympics. because of china's record on human rights stop in new york's mouth is all private—sector workers in the city be vaccinated against the coronavirus. it is the strip mandate yet. every year, the bbc names 100 inspiring and influential women as part of the bbc 100 women season. and this year, for the first time, 50 of these women are from one country. afghanistan.

this year's season will recognise the stories of afghan women. the scope of their bravery and their achievements. after the taliban took control of the country earlier this year. over the next four days, the bbc 100 women will also share the stories of women around the globe who are hitting the reset and creating lasting change. 2021 has been a year where many women, especially those in afghanistan have had to reinvent their lives. women's rights activist and one of the women named on today's list spoke to me in kabul. the trouble that afghanistan is in right now, apart from the whole political whatever, is poverty, it is brain drain, a collapse of society in a country on the verge of becoming in pieces, of being destroyed.

you've become the public face of afghan women afghanistan. someone who has remained and calling on others to come back. but what are they coming back to? what they're coming back to is not really very, very different from what they have left. that is something i want to tell them. but by not working on it and by not being around and by not raising our voices and by not asking the right questions at the right time, and by not bringing everything to the attention of the ones that are taking care of things, whether they are the taliban, afghans, the international community, it can get a lot worse. for them to come back now, we can start working again and make things happen again for afghanistan. because i'm sure there's going to be a day when taliban are going to realise that without women, it's just not going to happen.

and are you willing to work within the sharia system? they are saying, we allow anything, as long as it's within sharia. we really want to make sure that whatever it is that the sharia says, it is not the interpretation only of a group of people. that's not what we want. there's a lot of islamic countries that have women in there and how do they thrive? we want to be a thriving, beautiful, a successful muslim country. what is wrong with that? and if the taliban don't listen? well, they have to listen if they want to survive. do they want to survive? afghanistan is a country and we have to keep it as a country and make it better. do they want to understand this? if they do, then they will work at it. if they don't, then though do with the doing right now and afghanistan will disappear.

i have just been i havejust been having i have just been having a i havejust been having a look through the full list, it is on the website, so if you want to know more and see the website, so if you want to know more and see some the website, so if you want to know more and see some of the website, so if you want to know more and see some of the inspiring stories laid out then just go to the website. the opening ceremony of the first everfilm the opening ceremony of the first ever film festival held in saudi arabia, this was about four years after the ban on cinemas was lifted. it is going to show more than 130 films from around the world and run for ten days. this all looks very familiar. red carpet, posh frocks, plenty of glitz and glamour. but it may seem a little more unusual when you realise the location. this is saudi arabia, enjoying its first ever major film festival. translation: it’s

its first ever major film festival. translation: it's a historic moment. _ festival. translation: it's a historic moment. we - festival. translation: it's a historic moment. we are - festival. translation: it's a historic moment. we are so i historic moment. we are so happy with the launch of the first edition of the international red sea film festival in the historic city ofjudah. festivalshows festival in the historic city ofjudah. festival shows a big support for saudi artist. it’s support for saudi artist. it's been nearly _ support for saudi artist. it's been nearly four years since cinemas were reopened to the public in saudi arabia, just one of a series of reforms introduced by crown prince mohammed bin salman aiming to portray the country in a new light. portray the country in a new liuht. �* , . . , light. i'm 'ust glad that they are light. i'm just glad that they are having _ light. i'm just glad that they are having a _ light. i'm just glad that they are having a film _ light. i'm just glad that they are having a film festival- are having a film festival here, i think is a brilliant way of ringing people together. translation: i way of ringing people together. translation:— way of ringing people together. translation: i will speakers a saudi woman. _ translation: i will speakers a saudi woman. to _ translation: i will speakers a saudi woman. to see _ translation: i will speakers a saudi woman. to see a - translation: i will speakers a saudi woman. to see a movie l saudi woman. to see a movie used to be a dream so imagine how it feels to be in this event for cinema. of course cinema gives us a voice and makes the world closer to us and us closer to the world. the festival will _ and us closer to the world. the festival will last _ and us closer to the world. the festival will last until the middle of december, showcasing films from 67 countries in more than 30 languages. i wonder if mel brooks has got

one at the saudi film festival. the hollywood legend is still going strong, he is 95 years old now. he is the man behind blazing saddles and the producers and he's got a new autobiography called all about me and he recounts the highlights of the life and showbiz and has long marriage to the legendary actress and bancroft. mel brooks has been speaking to the bbc. i kow the word can be overused but mel brooks is a legend. oscars, emmys, baftas, tonys, grammys, he has won them all many times over. # springtime for- hitlerand germany... mel brooks was fearless, he broke every rule, but he kept to the ones for lockdown, even telling his son max to go away. go home. i'm going. go. love

ou. he's been locked in writing his autobiography and after some persuasion, let me into talk about it. it all starts in brooklyn. everybody in my building worked in the garment centre and ifigured i would probably end up there too. my unclejoe looked a little like you. a little better looking. changed my life. he said melvin, and i said "yes unclejoe?" he said, how would you like to see a cole porter musical on broadway called anything goes? what an experience! when the show was over i said "joe, i'm not gonna go into the garment centre! i'm gonna go into show business. i want to do what they were doing on that stage and i never deviated from that plan, show business. i was going into show business. don't you ever want

to become a butterfly? don't you want to spread your wings and flap your way to glory? you're gonna jump on me. you are gonna jump on me, i know you are going - tojump on me. filming the producers taught mel a valuable lesson about how to handle studio executives. after the third or fourth day, he turns to me and says i'll give you another $25,000 if you get rid of that curly haired guy. he said, he's just funny looking, is not, there is no leading man here. and i said ok, i said he's out. you didn't say that? he's out, he's gone. and that was a lesson, a great lesson for me. lie to the studio. mel met anne bancroft in 1961. his life changed forever. there she was, on stage singing beautifully.

i saw her backstage and we talked and i never stopped seeing her and talking to her for the next 45 years. one of his most cherished awards is a medal of arts he received from barack obama at the white house. the president was a big fan of blazing saddles. he loved the film. he loved the film and he cheated. yeah. well he wasn't supposed to, he was 12 years old, it was listed for 16 and above, and i think he cheated. mel brooks fell in love with words and music when he was five years old. he chose this for his first performance. and he's been singing it ever since. # because baby, look at you now. | the inimitable mel brooks sharing some of his life story.

i should also say that the full interview is going to be on the bbc on the 31st of december, thatis bbc on the 31st of december, that is one way to bring out the old year and start the new. that is bbc news, thanks for watching. hello there. we await the arrival of the second named storm of the season. storm barra will bring the worst of the weather during tuesday as windy weather develops widely. added to that later on snow and blizzards over some of the hills in the north. this is the centre of the storm approaching western parts of ireland. it will push a band of heavy rain northwards and eastward across the uk. but ahead of that we start the day with a frost widely and some icy patches in western scotland and the northwest of england. a very cold start then. we got that rain sweeping its way across northern ireland, wales and the southwest in the morning, the winds picking up as well. that will be followed by some sunny intervals in heavy, blustery showers in the afternoon as that band of weather weather continues to push its way northwards and eastwards. may make double figures again in the southwest but it's much colder elsewhere, especially north of england and scotland

where into that cold air the rain will fall as snow. particularly in the hills, a couple of centimetres, peak district, pennines, cumbria and the fells. heavier snowfall, blizzards likely in the southern uplands and that snowy weather will work its way up into the highlands later on in the day as the main rain band sweeps away from eastern parts of england, heavy showers follow and it stays very windy. strongest winds are likely to be through the irish sea, english channel, gust 70, 80mph near coast. generally 40 or 50 or so but could get windier around some north sea coast in the evening. now, after steaming into the uk storm barra isjust going to stall overnight and into wednesday. and it will weaken as well. wednesday is still a windy day, just not as windy. the strongest winds are going to be in south wales and the southwest of england. and around that area of low pressure showers or longer spells of rain rotating with some brief glimpses of sunshine.

but it's still cold, temperatures around five to 7 . by the time we get to thursday our storm really is no more. it's continuing to weaken, the winds are continuing to drop. this band of rain from the atlantic will arrive into northern ireland later in the day. but otherwise, it's a much quieter day on thursday. a fair bit of cloud around, many places are going to be dry, some sunshine at times but we are still in cold air, temperatures typically at sixes and sevens.

welcome to bbc news. i'm david eades. our top stories: the biden administration has announced it will not be sending any diplomatic or other official us representation to the beijing winter olympic games in february next year. the white house press secretary says the decision had been taken in the light of china's women rights abuses. new york's mess is all private sector workers in the city must be vaccinated against the coronavirus in the strictest vaccine mandate to be imposed anywhere in the us. city employees are already required to be vaccinated. this latest rule will come into effect on december 27. the trial in new york for sex trafficking, the witness said the defendant told him to collect two underage girls and take them to the underage —— the house of jeffrey epstein. ms maxwell pleaded not guilty of the

charges against her.