�*welcome to newsday, reporting live from singapore, i'm karishma vaswani. the headlines. britain's prime minister is battling for his future, facing calls to resign, because of parties at downing street during lockdown dramatic scenes in parliament, as a conservative mp defects to labour, and a former minister joins the calls to quit. also in the programme: us presidentjoe biden marks his first year in office with a press conference — defending his record and warning president putin of the costs of invading ukraine. and making formula one history — 22—year—old guanyu zhou will become

the first ever chinese driver to take up a spot on the starting grid next season. hello and welcome to the programme. the british prime minister borisjohnson is fighting to save hisjob. a former conservative cabinet minister has joined the calls for mrjohnson to resign. one conservative mp even defected to the opposition labour party a few hours ago. mrjohnson is under huge pressure over parties held at downing street during lockdown, but he's determined to fight on. our political editor, laura kuenssberg, reports. the atmosphere in the prime minister's neighbourhood is full of risk. danger dangles all around for borisjohnson, uncertainty

hanging in the air. downing street confronting the truth that some of his own mps want him gone. as ministers gathered to agree to ditch some covid rules this morning, some of his own side waiting and watching, thinking about ditching him. is it under control, chief whip? yeah. all is calm. all is calm 7 do you think you might be in denial about that if you think this is calm? i think we need to focus on propping up the country and dealing with covid and making sure we've got that right. but can it really go on like this? some of your mps are putting letters in. is it all over for the prime minister, do you think? don't be ridiculous. it is not, perhaps, ridiculous, despite his allies�* claim to suggest their boss could be gone before too long. is it time to resign?! it was no ordinary wednesday. pressure on borisjohnson after weeks of claims about what went on in number ten during lockdown. 20 mps who discussed sending letters of no confidence in their leader,

then a shock. political chat interrupted. hearing christian wakeford, the bury mp, is defecting to the labour party. a huge surprise for his colleagues, and the rest. that is quite incredible. the first tory mp since 2007, christian wakeford, cheered to the rafters in the commons as he defected and took a seat for labour instead. can i start by warmly welcoming the honourable member for bury south to his new place? cheering. and to the parliamentary labour party. mr speaker, like so many people up and down the country, he has concluded that the prime minister, the conservative party have shown themselves incapable of offering the leadership and government this country deserves. a sting from keir starmer at a vulnerable moment for borisjohnson. and as for bury south, mr speaker, as far as for bury south, let me say it...

in a unionjack mask, the new labour mp opposite, not behind, the prime minister this time. we will win again in bury south at the next election. there was more energy from the prime minister today in a chaotic prime minister's questions as he sought to stand and fight, mocked by the labour leader. doesn't the country deserve so much better than this out of touch, out of control, out of ideas and soon to be out of office prime minister? mr speaker, when the history of this pandemic comes to be written and the history of the labour party comes to be written — and, believe me, they are history and will remain history, mr speaker — it will show... it will show... it will show that we delivered while they dithered and we we vaccinated while they vacillated, mr speaker. then, just when he thought he might have got through without a new wound, a brutal blast from his own side. a prominent tory quoting cromwell to try to oust

the leader of the tories�* 21st century revolution. i expect my leaders to shoulder the responsibility for the actions they take. yesterday, he did the opposite of that, so i'll remind him of a quotation. "you have sat there too long for all the good you have done. "in the name of god, go." david davis and borisjohnson used to be allies of a sort. "what a day," you hear the speaker, aghast. what a day. what else to say? hi. it's good to see you again. so a senior tory, the latest to call for the prime minister's exit, the smiling labour leader welcoming a conservative to his fold. yet there have been more public efforts from conservatives to get out and defend. well, he is the bounce back king. i've always supported boris and i wouldn't be an mp here if it wasn't for him.

mps and ministers who want borisjohnson to stay have been falling over themselves to call for cool heads all round. one loyal cabinet minister even claimed the threat to borisjohnson wasn't real. it is true to say no one can be sure in a secret process how many conservative mps are really willing to try to oust him. yet today's chaos demonstrates clearly there are members of different tory tribes who want to see him gone. mr cummings, are you going to provide sue gray with evidence that boris johnson lied? the prime minister has always had political detractors and has gathered enemies along the way. he may not want to rest until this is over. and tory tradition shows when the party concludes the leader is out of line, they are removed. but only two years after a huge election victory, borisjohnson will resist attempts for a changing of the guard.

let's take a look at some other stories in the headlines. the man behind the deaths of thirty—nine vietnamese migrants in twenty—nineteen has been given fifteen years in prison. vo van hong led a gang of people—smugglers, who would charge twenty—seven thousand dollars a head to get into the uk. the migrants had suffocated on the journey and were found dead inside a lorry in england. eighteen other men were also imprisoned for their involvement. a court in indonesia has sentenced a top islamist militant leader to fifteen years in prison for his role in the 2002 bali bombings which killed more than two hundred people. aris sumar—sono, was a former military commander ofjemaah islamiyah. a growing number of airlines are cancelling flights to the us, because of safety concerns about 56 mobile networks. british airways, emirates and,

air india — are among those to cancel flights. others have changed which model of plane they fly to the us. it comes despite at&t and verizon agreeing to a partial delay, to the turning on, of some new 56 services. just a couple of hours ago — the us presidentjoe biden warned that it would be a "disaster" for russia if it invades ukraine, and that it would suffer "heavy human losses". russia has around 100 thousand troops deployed at the border, but denies it's planning military action. earlier today the us secretary of state anthony blinken arrived in ukraine and urged president putin to choose diplomacy. our diplomatic correspondent paul adams has more. british military equipment arriving in ukraine. short—range anti—tank missiles, with a small team of trainers to follow.

the latest western gesture of support for a country facing a mounting threat from russia. diplomatic support, too. the us secretary of state antony blinken flew to kyiv, promising relentless american efforts to prevent russia from invading. washington's message to ukraine's president, volodymyr zelensky, there will be no talks about you without your involvement. and tonight, another expression of support direct from washington. if they actually do what they are capable of doing with the force they have massed on the border, it is going to be a disaster for russia if they further invade ukraine, and that our allies and partners are ready to impose severe cost and significant harm on russia and the russian economy. and all the while, russian troops maintain their menacing presence on ukraine's northern and eastern borders. now, in neighbouring belarus, too, preparing for what are called joint military drills. american officials say these

could be used as a cover for an invasion of ukraine. kyiv says it has what it takes to withstand an attack. we have 261,000 in our ukrainian army. we have the options to have territorial defending forces, 130,000. we have 400,000 veterans of ukrainian—russian war, so i'm sure that we have a capacity to deter this activity from moscow. last week, we saw a diplomatic trail that crisscrossed europe, from geneva to brussels and vienna. at the end of it, the russian foreign minister, sergei lavrov, appeared to throw in the towel. "our patience," he said, "is at an end." but here we are, four days on, and the process is actually shifting up a gear. mr lavrov and antony blinken are due to meet on friday, once again in geneva.

the talking, it seems, is not quite over. but the tremors of this crisis are being felt right across europe. on the baltic island of gotland, sweden is beefing up its presence, concerned about nearby russian activity and what it calls russia's direct threat to europe's security. paul adams, bbc news. president biden�*s warning on ukraine came as part of a press conference — marking his first year in office. mr biden�*s approval ratings are hovering just above forty per cent, as he faces rising inflation, a pandemic that isn't over, and narrow democratic majorities in congress. earlier i spoke to the bbc�*s washington correspondent gary o'donoghue to help us break down biden�*s powerful words towards russia... i think some the strongest rhetoric we've heard from the president so far arisha, really talking about threatening

serious consequences and talking about economic sanctions and also warning russia there were they to him freed the ukraine would have huge consequential loss of life on russia and while they may overwhelm the country that in the long term, there will be a price to pay. some pretty strong rhetoric and indication of the presidents view that the diplomacy up until now, the meetings in vienna and geneva and brussels have produced nothing and that is what he said today. they have not produced anything in some kind of decision point is about to be arrived at and there is going to be more talks on friday, but there's no indication that there's any give. and that build—up continues on the ukrainian border. notjust that, but the troops that we saw the package in belarus as well.— in belarus as well. gary, let us move — in belarus as well. gary, let us move away _ in belarus as well. gary, let us move away from - in belarus as well. gary, let us move away from the -

in belarus as well. gary, let. us move away from the foreign policy points of those remarks that he made and focus a bit more on the domestic issue that he tackled. he is obviously listening to the press conference earlier and under great pressure to defend his record. also really bad approval ratings at this point. what is your sense of how he is doing? what is your sense of how he is doinu ? �* , , ., , what is your sense of how he is doinu? h , ., ,~ what is your sense of how he is doinu? h, . ., doing? it's been really a year of two halves. _ doing? it's been really a year of two halves. no _ doing? it's been really a year of two halves. no question . of two halves. no question about that. the first half was pretty good and the approval ratings held up pretty well and he got the american rescue plans through which is a huge piece of legislation, $2 trillion worth of aid for covid—19, etc. and then we had the summer there two things in particular, the question of the pull—out from afghanistan and the way that was handled, seen as something of a debacle and the delta variant of omicron and really, since the summer, the approval ratings have been plummeting and as you pointed out, not onlyjust under a0%, that's the lowest of any recent

president except donald trump and his first year. so, he is taking a big kid despite what he said are some achievements, notably, the unemployment numbers coming down, which is going up but inflation is a threat and other elements of the programme for helping american families are completely bogged down in congress, not least by his own party. there is significant challenges for him and he is suggesting in some ways that is a communications problem going on here, but he goes deeper than that. some of the solutions he believes are necessary for raising children at of child poverty and for creating the economic environment tied up with legislation that simply cannot get done at the moment. )you're watching newsday on the bbc.

still to come on the programme. making motor racing history — we speak to guanyu zhou formula one's first—ever chinese driver donald trump is now the 45th president of the united states. he was sworn in before several hundred thousand people on the steps of capitol hill in washington. it's going to be only america first! america first! demonstrators waiting i for the rebel cricket team were attacked with tear gasl and set upon by police dogs. anti—apartheid campaigners say they will carry on the protests l throughout the tour. they called him the butcher. being held fraud charge in bolivia. the west germans want to extradite him for crimes committed more wartime france. there, he was

the gestapo chief. millions came to bathe as close as possible to this spot, a tide of humanity believed by officials to have broken all records. this is newsday on the bbc. our headlines britain's prime minister is battling for his future, facing calls to resign, because of parties at downing street during lockdown president biden has warned vladimir putin that the us will do significant harm to russia if he decides to invade ukraine. the united nations says, it is stepping up its response to the volcanic eruption and tsunami in tonga. a thick coat of ash has been removed from the main airport runway in tonga, clearing the way for emergency aid to be delivered by air to the island nation. the tongan government has released more pictures —

they say, many houses on the islands, have been destroyed. our correspondent, howard johnson sent us this update. today, we heard from the foreign ministry that said this us cable company were looking at the severed internet cable beneath the sea. they said it would take at least four weeks for that cable to be repaired and that is what is causing all of these delays with communications, the internet is obviously still down on the love the islands. or will be hearing today is that the cloud above the islands, the ash cloud is dissipating and so medications have improved. in the red cross, specific chapter for getting in touch with the red cross team today, they sent a message telling the world that we are here and doing our best to serve our tongue and people who have lost so much

and also related information that there's been an extensive damage in the island. and flights will be landing on the main island tomorrow and on thursday. that has been confirmed by officials and it has been cleared to such an extent that a large plane can land there now. you're also hearing the days ahead that these two naval ships, new zealand will carry too l of clean water and that's an issue for islanders at the moment and so that is contaminated water supplies. history will be made in next season's formula one championship when for the first time ever, a chinese driver will be on the grid. 22—year—old guanyu zhou will line up alongside valtteri bottas for the alfa romeo team. it is hoped his inclusion will boost the sport's popularity in the country. this is what he had to say when i spoke to him earlier.

s formula 1 was always my dream. it was the reason i started my racing career and movin: started my racing career and moving out _ started my racing career and moving out from _ started my racing career and moving out from my - started my racing career and moving out from my country out to the _ moving out from my country out to the uk— moving out from my country out to the uk to go to formula 1 and — to the uk to go to formula 1 and compete against maximum level_ and compete against maximum level of— and compete against maximum level of the drivers and then, last year— level of the drivers and then, last year has been sensational that we — last year has been sensational that we finally achieved our journey— that we finally achieved our journey to become formula 1 drivers— journey to become formula 1 drivers in_ journey to become formula 1 drivers in the first ever chinese _ drivers in the first ever chinese driver. so, i'm really proud — chinese driver. so, i'm really proud of— chinese driver. so, i'm really proud of the work we are putting _ proud of the work we are putting together and the people back home are proud of what i have _ back home are proud of what i have achieved. i'm looking forward _ have achieved. i'm looking forward to the season to get it all started and giving me opportunities. it all started and giving me opportunities. it certainly is something _ opportunities. it certainly is something to _ opportunities. it certainly is something to see _ opportunities. it certainly is something to see the - opportunities. it certainly is something to see the kind i opportunities. it certainly is| something to see the kind of excitement, i imagine that you must be receiving in china. how popular is f1 in china right

now? it popular is f1 in china right now? , , popular is f1 in china right now? , _., ., now? it is very popular. formula _ now? it is very popular. formula1. _ now? it is very popular. formula 1, the - now? it is very popular. formula 1, the recent . now? it is very popular. - formula 1, the recent years. and — formula 1, the recent years. and in— formula 1, the recent years. and in the _ formula 1, the recent years. and in the first grand prix, the — and in the first grand prix, the grampian —— grand prix in shanghai. i was— —— grand prix in shanghai. i was looking at how things were happening in china. and building up the fact that it was — building up the fact that it was very popular now, formula 1. motorsports, we started a few years — 1. motorsports, we started a few years late behind other countries. but, in general, there's— countries. but, in general, there's a— countries. but, in general, there's a lot of people watching the races, particularly of the season they had last— particularly of the season they had last season and yes, i think— had last season and yes, i think with me signing to a formula _ think with me signing to a formula 1 team and becoming the first driver— formula 1 team and becoming the first driver for the country, there — first driver for the country, there witt— first driver for the country, there will be a lot of eyes watching me and a lot more pressure _ watching me and a lot more pressure. but i love dealing with — pressure. but i love dealing with pressure and just focusing on my— with pressure and just focusing on my car— with pressure and just focusing on my car and do myjob,

reattv _ on my car and do myjob, reattv |_ on my car and do my “ob, reall . ~ ., really. i think dealing with pressure _ really. i think dealing with pressure as _ really. i think dealing with pressure as a _ really. i think dealing with pressure as a prerequisite j really. i think dealing with i pressure as a prerequisite for thejob. but, you have talked about your own success and do you think that will work to inspire other chinese drivers to make it to formula 1? hopefully there will be more chinese _ hopefully there will be more chinese drivers, chinese basis in the — chinese drivers, chinese basis in the motorsports area. it is great — in the motorsports area. it is great to— in the motorsports area. it is great to have the dream and to achieve — great to have the dream and to achieve that and get close to that is— achieve that and get close to that is very difficult because i've been to this journey from the beginning of karting, from formula — the beginning of karting, from formula four all the way to formula _ formula four all the way to formula 1 and i know how hard it is. _ formula 1 and i know how hard it is, how— formula 1 and i know how hard it is, how much stuff you have to forgive and compromise your lifestyle — to forgive and compromise your lifestyle and, to really believe in yourself and the word — believe in yourself and the word of— believe in yourself and the word of never give up paid off in my— word of never give up paid off in myjourney. that is for sure _

in myjourney. that is for sure yes. _ in myjourney. that is for sure. yes, it is intense but we finally— sure. yes, it is intense but we finally made it and for me, there — finally made it and for me, there is— finally made it and for me, there is still a long way to go in formula 1. so, hopefully, i can— in formula 1. so, hopefully, i can prove _ in formula 1. so, hopefully, i can prove myself and do well in the formula 1 world.— the formula 1 world. yes, that tenacity and — the formula 1 world. yes, that tenacity and persistence - the formula 1 world. yes, that tenacity and persistence that l tenacity and persistence that you talk about her key skills that are required forjob. and just this thinking about the conclusions of some the most famous races we have seen, what did you make of that dramatic ending to last seasons championship? i am ending to last seasons championship? iam keen ending to last seasons championship? i am keen to hear your thoughts. i championship? i am keen to hear vourthoughts— your thoughts. i think it's re your thoughts. i think it's pretty crazy _ your thoughts. i think it's pretty crazy at _ your thoughts. i think it's pretty crazy at the - your thoughts. i think it's| pretty crazy at the season your thoughts. i think it's - pretty crazy at the season went because _ pretty crazy at the season went because all these years i've been — because all these years i've been watching formula 1 and the same _ been watching formula 1 and the same weekend, i never expected firstly— same weekend, i never expected firstly to— same weekend, i never expected firstly to be equal on points because _ firstly to be equal on points because formula to is very difficult _ because formula to is very difficult to get equal on points— difficult to get equal on points because the last round and this— points because the last round and this sounds like impossible to happen, like it's my imagination, but it did and it

was — imagination, but it did and it was super— imagination, but it did and it was super crazy that the championship was deciding the final lap — championship was deciding the final lap of the final race. so. — final lap of the final race. 50. it's— final lap of the final race. so, it's pretty insane to be honest _ so, it's pretty insane to be honest. yeah, there was some dramatic— honest. yeah, there was some dramatic things happening in the race. _ dramatic things happening in the race, but it is up to them to decide _ the race, but it is up to them to decide what i am just super happy. — to decide what i am just super happy. or— to decide what i am just super happy, or super proud of to decide what i am just super happy. or super proud of them because — happy. or super proud of them because they did an amazing job to get— because they did an amazing job to get me — because they did an amazing job to get me as a young driver, this— to get me as a young driver, this inspirational, giving the fans— this inspirational, giving the fans all— this inspirational, giving the fans all of this excitement. the classic children's show fraggle rock is being revived, with a fresh reboot more than thirty years after the last series was made. originally devised by the muppets creatorjim henson, the programme will see the return of favourites like gobo, boober, and uncle travelling matt.

tim muffet reports. # dance your cares away! # worries for another day. # let the music play. # down in fraggle rock! # sound familiar? fraggle rock. first broadcast in 1983. a muppet show spin off that itself became an international tv hit. # each day's a party if you hadn't noticed...# and now, nearly a0 years later, it is returning. overseen by muppet creator jim henson's daughter. it's not cynical, and it feels like its special for today because you know, parents and kids are dealing with stress and anxiety and you know, why notjust revel in the joy and innocence of these characters? as they did in the original series, the furrry cave dwellers will be celebrating silliness, friendship, and a curiosity about the society they live in.

and of course, i'm out of radishes! i don't know what happened to them all! and the voice of the original boober, david goelz, has also returned. he also voiced gonzo in the muppets. if someone's got to face certain doom, might as well be the soup guy. what's interesting is the show is infectious. it's not really like a children's show. it's a show for everybody. and the whole crew bought into it the first time, and i think they did this time too. for some, classic tv is best left alone. but for a new generation, an updated world of fraggle rock awaits. tim muffet, that's muffet, not muppet, bbc news. that's all for now — stay with bbc world news.

hello there. we've got a much colder day of weather coming up today. it was yesterday that we had a cold front bring a bit of patchy rain southwards. as that cleared, we had a fine end to the day in hampshire — a lovely sunset here. for northern scotland, though, it was quite a turbulent day, gusty winds. and those winds have been bringing in some snow showers to shetland, we've seen some in orkney and more recently across the north of the mainland as well. that will leave a risk of some icy patches here as we get into the first part of thursday morning, with the frost otherwise pretty widespread. for many of us, though, the skies will be clear. now, any showers in northern scotland very quickly will lose their wintriness and turn back to rain. some very slightly less cold air works in here. and for most of the uk,

although a cold and frosty start, there will be sunshine pretty much from dawn till dusk. it's going to be a lovely, if somewhat chilly winter's day. now, there will be some showers coming down the north sea. they'll be affecting eastern parts of scotland. and with the winds blowing more or less parallel to the eastern coasts of england, most of the showers will stay offshore. the greatest risk of a shower will be across norfolk. you might see one or two coming into the north york moors as well. another cold night to come on thursday night, if anything, even colder across parts of england and wales, plumbing the depths. temperatures could get down to about —5, —6 degrees in the coldest spots, but it will be turning milder in the northwest. that's because we've got some thicker cloud here. that'll probably give us quite a nice sunrise for some, but the best of the sunshine through the day will be across eastern wales, central and eastern england, eastern scotland, probably eastern counties of northern ireland. whereas in the west, you're likely to see some of the higher temperatures, but you will also see the thickest of the cloud, perhaps with some mist and fog patches developing around the coasts and hills at times. little overall change, really, into the weekend.

high pressure stays firmly with us, the same one that's been with us for ages now. and for the most part, that will keep weather fronts at bay, this one just skirting into northern scotland, but it will be a weak affair. so, for saturday, mist and fog and some frost patches around first thing in the morning. again, it's western areas that will keep the thickest cloud. and here's our weak weather front bringing a little bit of light rain or drizzle, no great amounts. for the western isles and the highlands, temperatures could reach double figures here, but otherwise still quite chilly across the southeast — 5 or 6 celsius here. and to be honest, looking at the long—range forecast through the rest of the week and most of next week, the weatherjust stays dry thanks to that same area of high pressure.

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. time is running out for negotiators trying to break the impasse between the united states and iran and revive the deal curbing tehran's nuclear ambitions. iran is still enriching uranium.

the biden administration is talking of giving up on the current diplomatic track.