this is bbc news, i'm kasia madera. the headlines at 7pm... a nine—year—old boy has been killed and a man is in hospital in staffordshire after a tree fell on them during storm malik. a woman has been killed — and thousands have been left without power as storm malik batters northern parts of the uk , and as forecasters warn storm corrie will bring further high winds tomorrow. in the united states — warnings of historic blizzards — as a fierce winter storm bringing heavy snowfall hits the east coast. as the ukraine border crisis continues, borisjohnson is to travel to eastern europe — and will telephone the russian president in the coming days. senior conservative mps join the opposition in calling for the report on downing street parties, during lockdowns, to be published in full.

a more detailed study is under way after initial research finds some people with long covid may have hidden damage to their lungs. and ash barty wins the australian open tennis to become first home winner in 44 years. a nine—year—old boy and a 60—year—old woman have died after they were hit by trees as storm malik swept the uk. the boy was killed after a tree fell in winnothdale, staffordshire, on saturday afternoon, while the woman was killed in aberdeen. let's take a look at the other developments. power lines have been affected with thousands of homes in scotland and england without electricity. an amber weather warning is in place along the east coast of scotland

and north—east england. and a major incident has been declared in county durham. catrina renton reports has the latest. widespread destruction as storm malik swept its way into northern parts of the uk. the northeast of scotland was particularly affected. emergency services in aberdeen were called at 10:30 this morning to the place where this tree had fallen. but, sadly, a 60—year—old woman had died. much of scotland experienced blustery conditions, gusts of 85 mph were recorded on the aberdeenshire coast, leaving tens of thousands of homes without power and transport disrupted, with cancelled train services and road closures. even stronger winds were recorded in the northeast of england. and near bradford, lee warner and his friend, richard nutter, had been packing up their gear after a bike ride.

i sat between the two backseats just crouching down, really, yeah. it pushed me further down, and then laid on the floor, my friend pulled me out of the back of the van. and almighty crash, to be honest, i thought my friend were dead, and he's been really lucky. a second storm, storm corrie is now on its way, expected to bring further high winds, especially to scotland tomorrow. catrina renton, bbc news. a fierce winter storm bringing heavy snowfall is sweeping across the us east coast with forecasters warning of "historic" blizzards, hurricane force winds, power outages and travel chaos. this is newjersey, which is among five states to have declared emergencies. more than 5,000 flights have been cancelled. and in new york's times square, tourists braved the conditions to take pictures in the snow. (read 0n)

kathy hochul is the governor of new york, and gave this update a short while ago. just because the snow stops doesn't mean life goes back to normal. that's when the true clean—up is going to continue and that's when we need just a little more time to take care of the road safely and we all know everyone knows to do that. let's see if you can follow that. our wind—chill, this is what the 0ur wind—chill, this is what the dangerousness we are talking about, we are expecting single digits. this is when frostbite kicks in. look how serious that can be. so we are trying to remind everybody, take this very seriously. ashley baylor is a meteorologist for wtnh and joins me now from connecticut. we are seeing those single digits when it comes to the temperature. just bring us up to date where we are with the storm. we just bring us up to date where we are with the storm.—

are with the storm. we are still deafinu are with the storm. we are still dealing with — are with the storm. we are still dealing with the _ are with the storm. we are still dealing with the storm. - are with the storm. we are still dealing with the storm. we - are with the storm. we are stilll dealing with the storm. we have are with the storm. we are still - dealing with the storm. we have been tracking very heavy snow for several hours, especially in eastern sections of our state. since we are talking about that finds no, it piles up very easily, when you factor in these heavy snow bands, winds that are blowing between 50—80 kph causes blowing and drifting snow so that contributes to poor to poor visibility, poor conditions on the road, the roads that are absolutely snow—covered, it's a tough task for our crews and our ploughs to keep up with the storm, because this has been going on since about nine o'clock last night. this is a solid 24 o'clock last night. this is a solid 2a hours storm for us. it's difficult to keep up with mother nature in these conditions. i did certainly is. when it comes to the way it's being described, there are areas that will be and have been impacted, hearing words like they are getting walloped. just talk us through the amount of snow that is falling. with these northeaster is, the coastal storms that have that

prevailing northeast winds, we are talking about a lot of snow, you think of a true winter walloped, this is one of those. when you get the prevailing northeast winds, it impacts the coastal areas like connecticut like rhode island. certainly down towards cape cod, they get that strong wind that comes off the ocean. in addition to having to deal with borderline historic amounts of snow, the winds just push all of that water onshore. 0ut there southeastern massachusetts, they have been dealing with the wind gusts anywhere between 115—120 kph. talking bout 60—80 cm of snow on top of that and all the water getting pushed on shore. some of our sister stations. it'sjust unbelievable. we are new englanders. we deal with these. sometimes storms are stronger than others. as sun is definitely on the stronger side of things. what makes it that little bit where is as

you kind of mentioned was the fact that we have been watching temperatures fall through the afternoon, so right now we are dealing with temperatures anywhere between 10—15 celsius below zero, unfortunately we are going to see the winds continued to ramp up, so that will put the temperature anywhere between 70 — 22 degrees below zero. anywhere between 70 - 22 degrees below zer0-— anywhere between 70 - 22 degrees below we— anywhere between 70 - 22 degrees below zero-— below zero. that puts it into perspective. _ below zero. that puts it into perspective, doesn't - below zero. that puts it into perspective, doesn't take i below zero. that puts it into | perspective, doesn't take his below zero. that puts it into - perspective, doesn't take his neck and hearing experts talk about this, talk us through what this means. mal; talk us through what this means. may ou've talk us through what this means. may you've heard — talk us through what this means. i— you've heard the term bomba genesis before, sometimes people referred to it as a bomb by cyclone. itjust means that the storm undergoes rapid intensification. we talked about this with hurricanes, we sometimes even get into it with winter storms like this one. that means it rapidly intensifies of the pressure drops 2a millibars within 2a hours. 2a hours ago, this wasjust

millibars within 2a hours. 2a hours ago, this was just barely developing low off the coast of the carolinas, and now it's this massive storm system, almost a double barrel low that's bringing snow all the way from maine. from northern new england stretching all the way down into south carolina and getting into the carolinas and virginia and washington, dc. they don't have the same type of resources that we get here in new england. so for north carolina, south carolina, take some days to actually recover from storms like this. we days to actually recover from storms like this. ~ , ., , , like this. we wish them all the best that they do — like this. we wish them all the best that they do recover. _ like this. we wish them all the best that they do recover. really - like this. we wish them all the best that they do recover. really good i that they do recover. really good have you to talk us to read. 0ur meteorologist for wt nh joining us from connecticut. 0ne 0ur meteorologist for wt nh joining us from connecticut. one of the states that was very badly hit. borisjohnson is to speak to the russian president vladimir putin — and visit eastern europe in the coming days — in an effort to resolve tensions over ukraine. russia has gathered 100,000 troops, tanks and missiles at the border with ukraine, but denies plans to invade. 0ur chief international correspondent lyse doucet has more from kyiv. ukrainians have long lived with war.

dozens of british soldiers here since 2015, not long after russia first invaded. but with more of moscow's troops and weapons now massed along the border, diplomacy builds, too. next week, borisjohnson�*s visit to this region takes it up a notch. here in kyiv, there is concern that too much talk of war can be risky, too, but they need their friends. it's a good signal for us, not only for us, not only for ukraine, but also to russian federations, that we have strong partners, we will not be alone with this if the invasion comes to be, so it is a good signal. moscow sends conflicting signals. more troops, more weaponry moving in but its doors still open to find a way out.

washington does the same, talking to allies in moscow, too, while readying military reinforcements and warning about any war. it would be horrific, it would be terrible and it's not necessary and we think a diplomatic outcome is the way to go here. this is what it looks like now. russia released these images of its anti—aircraft missiles arriving in neighbouring belarus for next month's military exercises. a month fraught with ever—growing risk. from kyiv we're joined by vasyl filip—chuk, a former ukrainian diplomat. vasyl you were a spokesperson for the ukrainian foreign ministry and former director of the department for european integration. you now serve as a senior adviser at the independent ukrainian think tank, the international centre for policy studies. we seem to have these two narratives

coming from what is happening. we have the troops amassing some of the british prime minister making phone calls with the president of russia, an effort to de—escalate, where as ukrainian authorities are saying that efforts to take out diplomats, foreign diplomats, are premature. where's the reality? where is the line between these two narratives? well, the reality is that russians have attacked ukraine since 2014, and since 2014, we have always had 190,000120,000 russian troops. 0ne 190,000120,000 russian troops. one year ago, 190,000120,000 russian troops. 0ne yearago, oursecurity 190,000120,000 russian troops. one year ago, our security service recorded about 200,000 troops for military exercises going to 120 something or something like that, there is a point actually which we all here in ukraine wonder is why now? what happens because meg what is different? what two months ago when suddenly some people woke up

and discovered that the russians are on our border. they have always been there, and what president zelensky is saying, there is no need for diplomats, it's true, correct and supported while ukrainians traditionally are sceptical about their own governments and would trust more uk or us government. i would say that the ukraine government is telling the truth. there is nothing dramatically different. russia technically is unable to make fully fledged invasion today and even if the decision was taken today, because infrastructure for invasion is a compass, you cannot hide it, they can't and late today or in the next two or three weeks, but they can do is some local provocation. but they can do a psychological war and what is actually happening now is psychological were and an attempt to destabilise the country, cyber

attacks and so on and so forth. there is a point here would be to more strong... to avoid panicking and endless newspaper headlines, russia will attack tomorrow, russia will not attack tomorrow. we are ready to fight and there is no doubt ukrainians will fight. it's not 2014. we have a strong army ready to fight. it's not crimea where russia, the occupation of crimea was a surprise, this isn't. it will be a real nightmare of russians invade ukraine. it will be months long fight with hundreds of thousands of losses. so i don't see russia invading now. it will not be as it was in 2014 with crimea. i think it will be not supported in russia even

by russian imperialist forces because they drag in and they might face consequences not only for them but for everyone. we face consequences not only for them but for everyone.— but for everyone. we will pick up on some of that _ but for everyone. we will pick up on some of that in _ but for everyone. we will pick up on some of that in a _ but for everyone. we will pick up on some of that in a moment, - but for everyone. we will pick up on some of that in a moment, but - but for everyone. we will pick up on i some of that in a moment, but i want to say goodbye to our viewers on bbc world news who are leaving us now. thank you forjoining us. just while we speak, so in that case, you are saying that these troops have been and there for some time. why do you think it is that the west is finally picking up on this? is it more the case that they are worried about the energy crisis that is going on in western europe? what do you think has got the spotlight now? well. western europe? what do you think has got the spotlight now? well, we are movin: has got the spotlight now? well, we are moving on _ has got the spotlight now? well, we are moving on to _ has got the spotlight now? well, we are moving on to conspiracy, - has got the spotlight now? well, we are moving on to conspiracy, but. has got the spotlight now? well, we are moving on to conspiracy, but it i are moving on to conspiracy, but it really is a big question. why suddenly come if you google russian troops presents to ukrainian border you will find 2016, 2018, reports, even from the uk ministry of defence, you can find their report

about 100,000 or about russian forces, then suddenly, 0ctober, it appeared these headlines, we first fight may be it's like in april of last year before geneva, biden called the meeting, all the headlines where basically picking up on the opinions that biden would meet with vladimir putin. maybe they are about to meet again. but it seems to be quite more serious, and what is waste, russia has decided to participate in this information warfare as well as the ridiculous demands on ukraine's no nato accession. you have a play with russians and americans on something, or maybe both sides are trying to get their own political gains by using each other. it's a big secret

about how this campaign undermined us forces, us intelligence, it's not a big secret about uk internal problems and reports about you you get a certain feeling that we are used to this information campaign as a way to distract attention from internal problems while real problem is there. we have to deal with it. not in a way into every day threatened ukrainians that the russians will attack tomorrow because the first two months the ukrainians didn't really care about it, but last week or so, it's led to some serious internal turbulence, prices went up. the ukrainian currency went down, investors are leaving the country. so we have a high price to pay even for this misinformation today. so high price to pay even for this misinformation today. so there are curowin misinformation today. so there are growing concerns _ misinformation today. so there are growing concerns and _ misinformation today. so there are growing concerns and that - misinformation today. so there are growing concerns and that has - misinformation today. so there are growing concerns and that has to i misinformation today. so there are i growing concerns and that has to get de—escalate it. it is really good of

you to speak to us. thank you so much for your time. thank you. we do of course have much more on the background to the escalating tension between ukraine and russia. it's thought that 1.3 million people in the uk are living with long covid — and hundreds of thousands of them experience breathlessness. traditional lung scans often appear to be normal though. but researchers in oxford are using a different technique in a clinical trial — which does show problems in these patients' lungs. they hope that understanding the problem will lead to better treatment options. 0ur health correspondent catherine burns has the story. flo van diemen van thor was never one forjust sitting down inside. but she says long covid has been a horror show. it was not just the breathlessness that was really hard, it was muscle weakness, legs like jelly and just thinking if i try to go down the stairs, they might not carry me. but this is the ct scan of flo's lungs and, like so many long covid patients, everything looks normal and healthy.

these are my lungs, i've had them all my life. i know there's something wrong with them. flo is taking part in a study in oxford. breathe in and out. researchers think they're the first in the world to be able to show abnormalities in the lungs of long covid patients. flo and the other volunteers have an mri scan as they suck in xenon gas. it behaves like oxygen and should cross from their lungs into their bloodstream. the numbers are small so far. 36 patients, 11 who didn't need hospital care when they were first infected but went on to get long covid. it's a very exciting and very encouraging first step. so what we have here is one of the patients from our trial and the ct scan is entirely normal. they have then gone on and had a xenon gas mri. this is the xenon getting through normally into their bloodstream from their lungs and the blacker areas are where the xenon

gas or oxygen would struggle to get through. it's early days for this study and there are still lots of questions, including exactly what is causing these abnormal lung scans. in the meantime, there aren't many of these specially adapted mri scanners across the country. if this research proves they are worthwhile, it would take some serious investment and several months to scale them up across the nhs. and breathe out... lovely, really good. flo says this was the turning point for her, learning breathing techniques with a respiratory physiotherapist. ijust want you to try and slow... it might take her longer to recover after exercise now, but she's moved up a level in karate. she's not back to normal yet, but thinks she will get there. catherine burns, bbc news. the actor emma sammsjoins us. she's had long covid since contracting coronavirus in march 2020 and now campaigns for more awareness and research

into the condition. i wonder how are you feeling now? well, i have good days and bad days, but even the good days are nowhere nearas but even the good days are nowhere near as good as they used to be. i still really feel it all the time. i have heard interviews where you have been extremely breathless. you sound all right now. been extremely breathless. you sound all right now-— all right now. yes, hopefully that will maintain _ all right now. yes, hopefully that will maintain whilst _ all right now. yes, hopefully that will maintain whilst i'm _ all right now. yes, hopefully that will maintain whilst i'm talking i all right now. yes, hopefully thatj will maintain whilst i'm talking to you, but it is always there. it is so frustrating. it's frustrating to get tests and the doctors say to you well, the x—ray and scan are fine so you are fine and you think no, i'm really not fine. you haven't done the right tests yet, surely. these new tests coming out, it's encouraging. it used to feel like it was as if somebody said, right, we have done a pregnancy test on you, but you haven't had a heart attack, we can tell you that. it's the wrong

tasks, basically. now they are coming up at the right test, and this isn't the only one that's been developed recently. there is a test that's being done now in south africa which is showing microclimates in the lungs which don't show up on scans, and other tests are being done in the states that are showing viral persistence, so we still have it in us even though it's not showing up on tests, normal tests and iron markers are showing now that are unique to long covid, so that will help hopefully with the diagnosis, but it has been a real battle. it with the diagnosis, but it has been a real battle-— a real battle. it must be so frustrating _ a real battle. it must be so frustrating knowing - a real battle. it must be so frustrating knowing that. a real battle. it must be sol frustrating knowing that you a real battle. it must be so - frustrating knowing that you are experiencing it, but you cannot get the kind of confirmation as to what it is. i wonder in terms of techniques that you use to help with that, to help alleviate it, can you share some with us? for that, to help alleviate it, can you share some with us?— that, to help alleviate it, can you share some with us? for me, the only thin that share some with us? for me, the only thing that actually _ share some with us? for me, the only thing that actually really _ share some with us? for me, the only thing that actually really helps - share some with us? for me, the only thing that actually really helps is - thing that actually really helps is rest. that's it. i have to force

myself to rest, which doesn't suit myself to rest, which doesn't suit my nature at all. for me, that is the only thing, because of course fatigue is one of the other big symptoms. then there are so many other symptoms that these lung scans are not going to help with like brain fog and gi. things and the hope is, of course that because of the sheer volume of long coated patients now, 1.3 in the uk —— or two, hope is the that all of this research, that they are going to have to do now even if it's just for economic reasons. —— long covid. they hope it's going to help other people who for years have been suffering from autoimmune conditions, post viral conditions, thatis conditions, post viral conditions, that is the hope that it will shine brighter light on those things. you have been campaigning to raise awareness given your experience. i wondered if people genuinely understand, especially those who may have had coronavirus it be at the omicron variant and to have had

lesser intense symptoms. well, i am ve luc lesser intense symptoms. well, i am very lucky because — lesser intense symptoms. well, i am very lucky because i _ lesser intense symptoms. well, i am very lucky because i have _ lesser intense symptoms. well, i am very lucky because i have an - very lucky because i have an incredibly supportive understanding family. so i haven't been questioned by them. they know me and they know that i'm not the kind of person who would, you know, sit around if they didn't have to. it is the doctors who have not known anything about coronavirus, understandably, it's the new disease, but have been very loath to say, well, we just don't know. and that has been the frustration for me. we know. and that has been the frustration for me.— know. and that has been the frustration for me. we wish you all the best. frustration for me. we wish you all the best- our— frustration for me. we wish you all the best. our love _ frustration for me. we wish you all the best. our love to _ frustration for me. we wish you all the best. our love to you - frustration for me. we wish you all the best. our love to you and - frustration for me. we wish you all the best. our love to you and your| the best. our love to you and your family. thank you very much for sharing your experience and it's good to see you having a better day today. thank you so much. senior tory mps have joined opposition parties in demanding that the report into lockdown parties at number ten should be released in full. the report by civil servant sue gray is expected in the coming days. the metropolitan police, who launched their own inquiry, have been strongly criticised for asking for key details to be

left out of her published report. there are concerns that major changes to the highway code that come into force today haven't been sufficiently publicised. the new rules are designed to offer greater protection to cyclists, horse riders and pedestrians — giving them more space and priority atjunctions. a third of drivers surveyed by the aa were unaware of the changes. graduates in england are facing a "stealth" tax rise, because the earnings threshold for student loan repayments is being frozen — according to a leading think—tank. the institute for fiscal studies says a graduate earning £30,000 will now repay £113 more a year than expected. the government said it was necessary to have a system that provided value for money at a time of rising costs. the freeze comes in in april. in the italians parliament, sergio mattarella has been elected to serve a second term as president.

the 80 —year—old mr mattarella had repeatedly said he wanted to step down. lets speak to our rome correspondent mark lowen. bring us up—to—date. a number of these attempts to get a new president. pm these attempts to get a new president-— these attempts to get a new resident. �* , ., president. an interesting thing that has finally led... _ president. an interesting thing that has finally led... they _ president. an interesting thing that has finally led... they are - president. an interesting thing that has finally led. .. they are still- has finally led... they are still counting the votes, needing to be reelected and there's just been a round of applause breaking out, i'm watching inside the italian parliament. i have to say he has been reelected against as well. he could not have been clearer when he said he did not want a second seven—year term. said he did not want a second seven—yearterm. he's said he did not want a second seven—year term. he's why they become as hugely popular and competent, but he felt that it was time to pass it over to another

president. italian politicians proved incapable of uniting around an alternative figure. they were fearing fresh elections had the parents prime minister been elected president and the government could've collapsed. really, many of them had feared they would lose theirjobs in a fresh election, so there will be a lot of critics i think tonight that will see this as proof of italian mps inability to think beyond the status quo and to pass the reins to frankly a younger president or indeed the first woman president or indeed the first woman president that italy would've had. the heart of this is the stability of italy, that is what the prime minister was trying to get the president sergio mattarella to stand briefly if you would, mark. . president sergio mattarella to stand briefly if you would, mark.— briefly if you would, mark. , they are still in _ briefly if you would, mark. , they are still in the _ briefly if you would, mark. , they are still in the middle _ briefly if you would, mark. , they are still in the middle of- briefly if you would, mark. , they are still in the middle of a - are still in the middle of a pandemic. they are trying to

navigate a recovery fund post covet, many felt that it was a real need for stability, many felt that it was a real need forstability, but, many felt that it was a real need for stability, but, you know, italy has opted for most of the same, and it will calm the political waters here but it will disappoint many who would have hoped for a change of direction and for a younger figure in a country. we direction and for a younger figure in a country-— direction and for a younger figure in a country. we are watching that live. in a country. we are watching that live- thank _ in a country. we are watching that live. thank you _ in a country. we are watching that live. thank you very _ in a country. we are watching that live. thank you very much - in a country. we are watching that live. thank you very much for - live. thank you very much for bringing us up to date with that developing straight from italy. now, as and when we get more reaction from italy, we will bring that to you. let's bring you up—to—date with all of the weather. hello there. what a storm he started to the weekend it's across northern britain. these winds associated with star malik which was named by the danish met service. the winds of malik now easing and we look to storm corrie which will impact northern britain again as we move through the latter part of sunday and into the early hours of sunday. the winds associated with storm malik easing down quite quickly

tonight, high pressure builds in from will be dry with clear skies and it's going to be a much colder night than it was the previous night with a touch of frost, but that means it's going to be in a lovely bright start to sunday morning. through the day, we will start to see storm corrie race into the northwest of the uk bringing heavy rain and gail's, scotland, northern ireland, snow over the hills and a chilly day right across the board. storm corrie spreads across the north of the uk into the early hours of monday, a real squeeze in the surprised, met office with a blanket yellow warning for northern britain to my 50—60 mph, and an amber warning issued for northern scotland with some damaging gusts here. stay tuned.

hello this is bbc news. our main headlines...

and nine—year—old—boy and a woman have been killed — and thousands have been left without power as storm malik batters northern parts of the uk, and as forecasters warn storm corrie will bring further high winds tomorrow. in the united states, warnings of historic blizzards as a fierce winter storm bringing heavy snowfall hits the east coast. as the ukraine border crisis continues, borisjohnson is to travel to eastern europe, and will telephone the russian president in the coming days. senior conservative mps join the opposition in calling for the report on downing street parties, during lockdowns, to be published in full. a more detailed study is under way after initial research finds some people with long covid may have hidden damage to their lungs. and ash barty wins the australian open tennis to become first home winner in 44 years.

i'll be back at the top of the hour.