welcome to newsday, reporting live from singapore, i'm karishma vaswani. the headlines... a court in melbourne begins hearing the appeal lodged by tennis number one novak djokovic into the cancellation of his visa by australian authorities. at least 19 people have died, including nine children, after a fire in an apartment in new york city. the smoke spread throughout the building, thus the tremendous loss of life and other people fighting for their lives right now in hospitals all over the bronx. 1a million people in the chinese city of tianjin are being tested for coronavirus after an outbreak of the omicron variant. and lost in the chaos

of the afghan evacuation — and no word on his fate — a family's worst fears are over as they're reunited with their missing baby live from our studio in singapore — this is bbc news. it's newsday. it's 8am in singapore, and ”am in melbourne where a court hearing has got under way — to decide on novak djokovic�*s appeal against deportation from australia. there was a delay to the proceedings because of problems with the live online link. the men's tennis number one has been holed up in a government detention hotel in melbourne since he arrived in the country on wednesday. the australian government says he is not exempt from the requirement for visiting foreigners

to be vaccinated. from melbourne, shaimaa khalil reports. for days, they've been showing their solidarity on the streets of melbourne. no court appearance for novak djokovic, who is still in an immigration detention hotel six days after flying in. oh, man, i haven't slept since he's come off the plane. we're all sick to the stomach. it's a very unfortunate situation for australia, it's becoming very embarrassing. the prospect of djokovic�*s deportation has sparked a sporting and diplomatic storm, and today, former wimbledon champion andy murray weighed in, saying the row is really not good for tennis at all. the anger continues in his home country of serbia, with another day of protests in the capital, belgrade, and fury from his family. his mother, dijana, criticised the living conditions where he's being kept. translation: they locked him up, because it is a prison, - the place he is in right now.

it's not a detention facility, it is a prison. they are not giving him breakfast. he only gets lunch and dinner. for breakfast, nothing. this was djokovic arriving on wednesday. his legal team say he was granted a vaccine exemption from tennis australia because he tested positive for covid—19 on the 16th of december. that was also the day when these pictures were taken — showing the tennis player maskless at a ceremony in serbia where he was honoured with his own postage stamps. it's unclear at which point he took the pcr test and when he knew he had covid. djokovic�*s lawyers have said that onjanuary 1st he received a document from the government's home affairs department telling him his travel declaration responses indicated he met the requirements for a quarantine—free arrival into australia. but in its court submission, released hours before the hearing, the government said it had not given the tennis star an assurance

about his vaccine waiver, adding that an e—mail from the home affairs department was not a guarantee that his so—called medical exemption would be accepted. the legal document also challenged djokovic�*s claim for a medical exemption on the basis he contracted covid—19 in mid—december, saying there was no suggestion he had acute major medical illness. just a week before the australian open begins, a judge will now decide whether the nine—time champion will be able to defend his title. shaimaa khalil gave me this update a short time ago. i can show you the mood, karishma. if i move out of the shotjust for a second, novak�*s supporters have been out here all morning. as you can probably hear, they are chanting the world number one's name. some people holding pictures and also saying "let him play".

they have been protesting for days now calling on the government to allow novak to take part in the australian open and defend his title. the judge will imminently be hearing arguments on both sides. djokovic's lawyers argued that he had every reason to believe that he was allowed into the country and was allowed to compete because he'd received an exemption from tennis australia and the victorian government, and also a document from the home affairs department that his travel declaration answers meant that he met the requirements for entry into australia. the government in submitting their presentation to the court, they did that, actually, hours before the hearing, and said he given no guarantees about his exemption and that an e—mailfrom the home affairs department doesn't mean that it was going to be accepted. this is what the judge will hear in detail today, and this is what he has to weigh.

novak djokovic will not be at the court. he will probably be following this from the immigration detention hotel where he's been held since he arrived here in melbourne. indeed, and just to say that that strength of feeling very evident with the people behind you, and how they are trying to make their voices heard, shall we say. just talk us through that, about the controversy that this case has had an australian with people there. there are so many strands to this story. it started off, if you will, as straightforward. the initial anger happened when novak djokovic announced on social media that he was being given an exemption and that he was flying down under. australians, of course, who have been under the most

stringent covid—i9 rules who have been urged by their politicians for months now to get the vaccine were angry that he was public about his reluctance to get the vaccine, but when he arrived and it was revealed that his visa was going to get revoked and that he faced deportation, his supporters came out in anger asking why he was told that he could come all the way to australia to then be turned back. that is that update. i've been speaking to sports journalist scott spits from the age newspaper in melbourne. he explains what could happen next. there are a range of outcomes that could happen. my best bet right now is that the deportation order will probably stand. what was most interesting in the released documents from both sides on sunday was that home affairs our federal government have flagged the prospect of detaining him again should the appeal be successful. my best feeling now is the deportation order will stand and he will end up

leaving the country. the court hearing that's under way, it is likely to have a huge impact on his career going forward. what is at stake for him as a tennis player? it's enormous. the timing of where he stands in his career is fascinating. he's a nine time winner in australia, going for number ten remarkably. the prospect of him being forced out of the first grand slam of 2022 is significant. he went so close last year to winning the grand slam but stopped at the us open. should he miss the australian open, this is his first chance to win another major. what happens beyond that in tennis remains to be seen, but a lot to play out still. we have just seen those scenes outside that courtroom where our correspondent has been, the strength of support for novak djokovic,

is that your sense of how the narrative is changing in australia on this story? perhaps to some degree. as mentioned earlier, when novak flagged on social media that he was on his way to australia, that he received an exemption, the outcry, the negativity around that was overwhelming. i suspect there is a little sympathy for his situation now in this the circumstances he's in, staying at hotels, been there for four nights, overwhelmingly the majority of australians believe in fairness and an international world number one tennis player shouldn't be given what some say is favourable treatment in order to enter the country. 19 people — including nine children — have been killed in a fire that's being called the worst for thirty years in new york. it happened in a 19 floor apartment building in the bronx.

it's thought to have been caused by a portable electric heater. our correspondent nada tawfik has more. it is the worst fire the city has seen in decades, as this high rise building in the bronx went up in flames, and no part was spared. firefighters arrived within three minutes after a blaze broke out in a duplex apartment. the crews found victims on each floor, some in cardiac and respiratory arrest. in those terrifying moments residents were rescued from their windows and in smoke—filled hallways. i had to grab my dogs and one got stuck on the steps and i had to let the firemen come past because he had a kid with no shoes on. dozens are in hospital with life—threatening injuries. tragically, among the dead are children. this is horrific, horrific, painful moment for the city of new york. and the impact of this fire is going to really bring a level ofjust

pain and despair. the true extent of the devastation is still unknown. nada tawfik, bbc news, new york. well a short time ago the commissioner of the city's fire department has been giving more details about what led to the fire. the fire began in an apartment that spans two floors, on the second and third floor of the building. it started in a malfunctioning electric space heater. that was the cause of the fire. the fire consumed that apartment that is on two floors and part of the hallway. the door to the apartment, unfortunately, once the residents left, was left open. it did not close by itself. the smoke spread throughout the building. thus, the tremendous loss of life and other people fighting for their lives right now in hospitals all over the bronx. for the latest on the fire i've

been speaking to our north america correspondent nomia iqbal. this is one of those situations which is just a nightmare situation. we are hearing so many awful stories already people have been on social media talking about how they try to escape with their children, with their pet animals. one american media outlet spoke to a women who said she saw people from her childhood dying. she saw women crying, losing their children, really horrific stories. as we heard there from the commissioner, they think they've discovered what the source of this is. authorities had always said from the beginning that they didn't think this was suspicious. this fire had broken out in a particularfloor, in a particular apartment. the smoke had just extended through the entire building,

this high—rise block. as we have been hearing there, this is the worst fire in decades. the last fire of this nature, you could say, was in the bronx was back in march, that social club called the happy land social club in the bronx, and that fire was started intentionally, unlike this one, 87 people died. we heard that from eric adams, the mayor, on the job for nine days saying that this is a really painful moment moment for the city. you're watching newwsday on the bbc. still to come on the programme... it's should be one of the biggest nights in hollywood but this year — there will be no celebrities to collect the awards and the ceremony won't even be shown on tv. we'll explain why in a moment. day one of operation desert storm to force the iraqis out of kuwait has seen the most intense air attacks since

the second world war. tobacco is america's oldest industry, and it's one of its biggest. but the industry is nervous of this report — this may tend to make people want to stop smoking cigarettes. there is not a street that is unaffected. huge parts of kobe were simply demolished as buildings crashed into one another. this woman said she'd been given no help and no advice by the authorities. she stood outside the ruins of her business. tens of thousands of black. children in south africa have taken advantage of laws passed by the country's new— multiracial government - and enrolled at formerly white schools. tonight see the 9610th performance of the long—running play, the mousetrap. when they heard of her death today, the management considered whether to cancel tonight's performance, but agatha christie would've been the last person to want such a thing.

this is newsday on the bbc. i'm karishma vaswani in singapore. our main story: a court in melbourne begins hearing the appeal lodged by tennis number one novak djokovic into the cancellation of his visa by australian authorities. a stay at home order has been issued to the entire population of the chinese port city of tianjin: 14 million people. it comes as health officials conduct mass testing following at least twenty cases of covid. tianjin is only 150 kilometres from beijing, where the winter olympics will be held next month. the bbc�*s asia pacific editor celia hatton reports here is the situation in chinese leaders had hoped to avoid. people living in the centre of one of china's busiest port cities lining up for covid testing following the discovery of the omicron variant here.

translation: after screening the focus groups, a total of 18| coronavirus infections were detected among the close contacts in tianjin, and all of them have been transferred to designated hospitals for treatment and quarantine. technically, the city of tianjin isn't under lockdown, but some districts have already been sealed off. the residents inside have been told they must get tested quickly if they want to leave. the prospect of a full omicron outbreak in tianjin will raise alarm bells in beijing. tianjin isjust 150 kilometres from china's capital, in less than a month's time. and the lunar new year travel season is also due to start soon. it's usually the biggest holiday of the year. several chinese cities have already instituted strict lockdown is as they attempt to eliminate covid. the northern city of xi'an has been dealing with the biggest outbreak of the virus since it first emerged in the city of wuhan, marking the start

of the global pandemic. officials there say they've stopped the spread, but there's no talk of lockdown lifting yet. some are still struggling with their illness. translation: these patients are still mainly with respiratory - symptoms such as a cough, and some patients also have shortness of breath. the city of yuzhou is also under lockdown, with more thani million confined indoors after three cases of the virus were found. like xi'an, some are reporting they have little food at home, leaving the authorities are scrambling to provide the necessities. translation: we usually get what we need after we tell- the head of the community. we understand that everybody in this city is very busy, and we understand if supplies can't be delivered. and still, the chinese government is sticking with its zero covid strategy. and that's forcing health officials to move quickly, especially in tianjin. the virus was only confirmed in the city on friday evening, but they aim to test all of tianjin's 14 million

residents within 48 hours. some on chinese social media platforms are already predicting stricter measures ahead. just before chinese new year, many say it feels like there's little to celebrate. a popular hill resortjust outside the pakistani capital islamabad has become a disaster zone after a blizzard and heavy snowfall trapped 100,000 people in their cars. day trippers had headed towards murree to see the snow on friday — at least 22 died after trees came down on the road or freezing to death in their vehicles. our correspondent farhat javed reports. they thought it would be a family outing in the snow. but for many, it turned into a tragedy. most of the dead are members of the same families.

officials say despite the warnings of dangerous weather, thousands of tourists distended on the small hill station here. many ended up with their cars trapped in an metre of snow. this woman's terrified family was stuck in their car all night. translation: it was stuck in their car all night. translation: it was very difficult. i could _ night. translation: it was very difficult. i could send _ night. translation: it was very difficult. i could send step - difficult. i could send step everywhere. there was a mountain of snow all around us, and we werejust mountain of snow all around us, and we were just praying for god to help us.— and we were just praying for god to help us. pakistan armies units are now _ god to help us. pakistan armies units are now clearing _ god to help us. pakistan armies units are now clearing the - units are now clearing the roads clogged with snow and stranded cars. at least 500 families are in shelters, but there is anger at the authorities. many roads like this are still blocked, and while road clearance operations are being carried out, there is massive criticism against local and provincial authorities can even federal government has been criticised and held responsible, especially for the loss of life, and many say that

these lives could've been saved had the government taking action in time.— had the government taking action in time. electricity was lost, communication - action in time. electricity was lost, communication was - action in time. electricity was lost, communication was not| lost, communication was not proper. traffic was so jammed and people were not able to get here, along with the staff or along with the staff that they needed. ~ , ., , needed. the prime minister has ordered an _ needed. the prime minister has ordered an inquiry _ needed. the prime minister has ordered an inquiry into - needed. the prime minister has ordered an inquiry into what - ordered an inquiry into what went wrong. more snow is expected next week. many want more than just a weather warning to prevent a similar tragedy again. we wa nt we want to bring a special report now. in the chaos at kabul airport last august — as thousands of families tried to escape the taliban — a six week old baby boy became separated from his parents. they ended up in the us — knowing nothing of his fate. now he has been found — in the care of a taxi driver in kabul. our correspondent there — quentin somerville — has the story.

amid afghanistan's thousand tragedies, a small beam of sunshine. sohail was only a0 days old when he was lost as his family escaped kabul. he is now back in his auntie's arms. "sohail is in good health," his aunt says. "we're a bit unfamiliar for him, but he's been very good and he hasn't cried. he's been sleeping well. he's onlyjust woken up." in the chaos that followed the taliban's takeover here in august, an exodus as families fled the country. sohail�*s dad was a security guard at the us embassy. they joined the flood of people rushing to leave. like others shown here, he was handed to us marines guarding the airport fence. once inside, the family couldn't find him. they left for the united states. taxi driver hamid safi says he found the boy all alone by the roadside inside the airport. unable to find the family, he says, he took him home.

"as a father i know how it feels to have children," mr safi tells me. "i couldn't leave him alone, so i saved him and took care of him and my wife fed him." but mr safi was reluctant to let the boy go. it took weeks of negotiations and some time in taliban detention before he handed him back. he, his wife and daughters are distraught without the boy. the last five months have been enormously difficult for many afghan families, but none more so than this family. having sohail back is an enormous relief, and the hope is now that he willjoin his brothers and sisters and his mum and dad in the united states. now in michigan, he has asked the government to to fly him to him. after so long apart, the baby

only responds to mohammad, the name mr safi gave him. but now he's back with them, his family says sohail will soon rediscover who he is. quentin sommerville, bbc news, kabul. what a remarkable story that was, indeed, from our correspondent quinton there. moving on another story for you today. it's usually one of the biggest nights in hollywood but sunday's golden globes ceremony in la will take place with none of the nominees present and behind closed doors. colin paterson explains why. # it all began tonight... tonight, west side story is one of the big favourites to win at the golden globes. but none of its stars or its director, steven spielberg, will be there. the same goes for belfast, which is tied for the most nominations — seven. we're looking to cleanse the community. you wouldn't want to be the odd one out in this street.

touch my family and i'll kill you. | it is based on the childhood of its director, sir kenneth branagh, who has never won a golden globe. if he does tonight, the way he will find out is on his computer. it is doubtful that he will even care. the golden globes are normally a star—studded event, but they have been beset with problems for the past year. an los angeles times expose revealed that they have not had a single black voter for almost two decades, and there are accusations of unethical practices. this prompted tom cruise to send back the three golden globes he had won. the rights holders, nbc, said they would not broadcast the ceremony, and despite radical changes being introduced, hollywood en masse decided to boycott the event. this week, the golden globes announced that the ceremony at the beverly hilton hotel in los angeles will be a private event and will not be

live—streamed, with winners simply being announced on social media. this prompted us talk show host conan o'brien to ask: and ricky gervais, who has hosted the golden globes five times, has even suggested there is a chance this could be the last time they are held. you're the number one topic ahead of tater tots, and the pope followed you... as to who could win, when it comes to the tv categories, there could be a procession for succession. the media family drama series has the most nominations, with five. is he going to watch? could we make a note in the minutes that he is watching us? but with no—one able to watch the globes and with things as they are, it is fully expected that tonight's winners will not even acknowledge that they have won. i'm a good guy. i'm betterthan you. that's all for now —

stay with bbc world news. thanks for watching. hello again. sunday brought us a mixed picture of weather. there was a bit of rain across northern areas. we had some lovely winter sunshine across parts of the midlands, east anglia, southern england, parts of wales for a time as well. but towards the end of the day, we did rather lose the bright skies in wales, replaced it with some thicker cloud and started to lose the visibility as well. now, right now, we're seeing cloud increase from the west. there's a warm front that begins to push its way in. that is starting to push a bit of patchy light rain and drizzle in across these western areas, but temperatures are rising hour by hour, so it is increasingly turning mild. heading into the first part of monday morning, 10 degrees there in plymouth, but cold in rural aberdeenshire. in some of the deeper valleys,

about —5 degrees or so. through monday, this area of milder air is going to slowly creep its way a little bit further eastwards. with that, there could be an odd spit of drizzle just about anywhere through the day, but it will be mainly focused across the west. some heavier rain, though, for western scotland, with strengthening winds here during the course of the afternoon. it is for these western areas that the temperatures will be at their highest — 13 degrees in belfast. further east, not quite so high temperatures, but they're still above average. highs of 7 to 9 degrees. through monday night and into tuesday, our warm front gets chased down by this cold front. behind the cold front, we get the colder air moving back in. so for tuesday, the murky weather will be across the south — mist and hill fog patches, a bit of light rain or drizzle from that system. further north, a fair bit of sunshine, northern ireland, northern england, wales, the midlands too. a few showers, though, for the northwest of scotland. the temperatures just dropping away again across most parts of the uk, but mild in the south this time. from wednesday onwards, high pressure builds to the south of the uk.

and with this high pressure, winds are going to be coming around that from quite a long way south. the mildest air will be heading in across these northern areas. but there will be quite a lot of cloud around, thick enough to give some spots of drizzle. no great amounts, but it could be quite damp at times for the highlands and the western isles, perhaps the northern isles as well. but it's here where we'll see temperatures in double figures. after a frosty start elsewhere, should be some sunny spells. but as the week goes by, a lot of quiet weather. there will probably be some dense patches of fog around as well across parts of england and wales later in the week. that's your latest weather.

this is bbc news. we'll have the headlines and all the main news stories for you at the top of the hour, as newsday continues straight after hardtalk. welcome to hardtalk. i'm stephen sackur. black and white americans have always had vastly different experiences within their country's justice system. you see it in so many different data sets, from police violence to incarceration to sentencing. it's impossible to understand without reference to america's history of institutionalised racism. understanding it is one thing, the real challenge is how to change it.