china joins russia in opposing the expansion of nato as the two countries move closer together in the face of western pressure. president putin was the guest of honour in beijing. the two sides said there were no forbidden areas of cooperation. their meeting came ahead of the start of the winter olympics in beijing, pared back by covid and boycotted by several western leaders. we'll bring you all the latest from our correspondent in beijing. also tonight — downing street insists that borisjohnson is still in control — after the resignation of another aide — and two more tory mps coming out against him. the number of children and young people in england needing specialist support for mental health issues hits a record high during the pandemic. because you didn't really have school, you didn't have

much to wake up for. so it's not very good for your mental health in the long term. i think it's affected me mentally a lot because i struggled a lot in the two years that we've had. i felt very isolated. as tensions in ukraine continue, we have a special report from its eastern region that's for years suffered loss of life on the front line with russia. and the queen begins her platinum jubilee this weekend with a commemoration of accession day, marking 70 years since she became monarch. coming up in the sport later in the hour on the bbc news channel — we'll tell you what happened in the first of the fa cup fourth round ties with manchester united facing middlesbrough at old trafford. good evening.

as the winter olympics got under way in beijing, president putin of russia was the star guest, meeting president xijinping before the official opening. china and russia announced a new partnership, with china saying it'll back russia's foreign policy aims, and saying it supports russian demands that nato halt its expansion. that is seen as an implicit reference to the situation in ukraine. mr putin hailed the agreement as an unprecedented pact of cooperation. president xi and vladimir putin held their talks hours before the opening of the games, which had a relatively low—key ceremony amid concerns about covid and a diplomatic boycott over human rights abuses. from beijing, robin brant reports. china's capital city, an olympic host for the second time. the bird's nest stadium built for 2008 was still glorious. china! the red flags of the hosts still so familiar.

as the president watches on. but there's a different man in charge now and it feels very different in 2022. xijinping promised a safe, efficient games. dozens of participants who have flown in have been quarantined with covid. but so far the bulk of the world's winter olympians are ready. the biggest team at the games, the usa. for the athletes, just getting here is a lifetime achievement. but their leaders have stayed away. britain, like australia, and around a dozen others, hasjoined a us—led diplomatic boycott — a protest over what they claim is egregious abuse, or even genocide, carried out by china against muslim minorities here. but this leader was here. in fact, he was the star guest. a russia's president putin is one of 20 or so presidents, prime ministers, or kings who are keen to show

their support for china in person. but mr putin came for more — face—to—face talks, and he's agreed trade and energy deals, and a new friendship of closer cooperation with china. they used to share communist rule. now what binds russia and china is concern about resurgent us influence, as tension over ukraine increases by the day. this was yet another showcase for a very modern china. but the truth is, almost everyone in this city is cut off from these games. for most people in beijing tonight this is the closest they're going to get to the opening ceremony of the olympic games. watching it on a roadside near the stadium, or on a walkway over the motorway. we are actually being moved away from this area at the moment. now, that's not because there aren't enough tickets on sale. there are no tickets on sale to members of the general public. that's part of those extreme covid restrictions. "i came to feel the vibe," this woman told us. standing at her side, her son asked, "can we see it or not, mum?"

"it doesn't matter," she said, "at least we're trying." the moment the olympic flame was installed was a subtle one. no big cauldron set alight. but not so the other message sent out by the hosts from this stadium, that china and russia are forging a new, much closer relationship. robin brant, bbc news, beijing. the olympics is always used by the hosts as a showcase, and what china wants to do, two years after the pandemic first emerged here, show the world it can put on a good show. it is also something that looks like normal. there is diplomacy to be done as well and it is born out of division. this newly enhanced burgeoning relationship with moscow is a delicate one for xi jinping. burgeoning relationship with moscow is a delicate one for xijinping. if you go back a few decades it hasn't always been a friendly relationship but he and the others around him at the top of the communist party now think they can show more support for moscow, and in return vladimir putin

knows he can increasingly rely on china, the world's second biggest economy. robin, thank you. robin brant reporting. downing street insists that the prime minister is still in control, after another resignation today from boris johnson's team. and tonight the former minister nick gibb has added his voice to those calling on the prime minister to resign. as well as being under pressure over lockdown parties in downing st, mrjohnson has come in for particular criticism over a false claim made in the commons that the labour leader sir keir starmer had failed to prosecute the child sex offender jimmy savile when he was director of public prosecutions. one senior tory told mrjohnson to �*shape up or ship out,�* but the cabinet minister michael gove said he believed �*the best thing' for the country was for mrjohnson to continue. our political correspondent iain watson reports. this is the man who won the conservatives an 80—seat majorityjust two years ago. but now some of borisjohnson�*s own mps want him out of number 10.

they say he's lost voters' trust and that he's losing his grip. she's a fighter and a quitter. elena narozanski has represented england at boxing. today she dealt the prime minister a blow by resigning from his policy unit. she's a close ally of munira mirza, the number 10 policy chief who was one of four stuff to resign yesterday. her departure was seen as the most significant, as she had been one of boris johnson's closest aides. she said she resigned when he refused to apologise for his false claims about keir starmer when he was director of public prosecutions. and today, you couldn't mask the difference in tone between the prime minister and the health secretary. keir starmer, when he was running the dpp, did a good job and he should be respected for it. it's a tough job, and he deserves absolute respect for that. but the prime minister has also come out and clarified those remarks. although some of the downing street resignations were unforeseen,

ministers were putting on a brave face. the people who are going are very distinguished public servants who've done an enormous amount to help, but the prime minister wanted change and he said that there would be change, and we're seeing that change now. but remaining staff in downing street attended another gathering today, a pep talk from the prime minister. i'm told he quoted from the lion king, saying "change is good". but some sceptical mps suggested that either the prime minister himself would need to change, or they might need to change the prime minister. we want this to work, but i think, for myself, i'm deeply troubled by what's going on, and we all know that if a prime minister doesn't ship up then they have to shape out, and that's exactly what happened when this prime minister took over. and tonight, another mp, aaron bell, confirmed he'd submitted a letter of no confidence in the prime minister, saying the breach of trust makes his position untenable. for some conservative mps, it's not a matter of if but when they'll call for a vote of no confidence in borisjohnson. it takes only 5a of them to trigger

that vote, but 180 to win it. so some of the prime minister's long—standing critics are a bit wary about rushing in, because under the party's rules, if they fail to oust boris johnson, then he can't be challenged for another year. so in politics, as in comedy, timing is everything. borisjohnson�*s next—door neighbour, rishi sunak, has distanced himself from the downing street gatherings and the prime minister's comments about keir starmer, but this has provoked accusations of disloyalty from some mps, who believe the ground is being prepared for a leadership bid. borisjohnson has now written to all his mps, promising to work more closely with them and declaring "we will deliver together". but at the end of another difficult week, unity is farfrom guaranteed. just to underline the lack of unity, tonight the well respected former schools minister nick gibb has told me he has submitted a letter of no confidence in borisjohnson, and writing in tomorrow's daily

telegraph he says quite boldly, to restore trust we need to change the prime minister. and coming from a different angle, some mps are resentful that the chancellor seems to be giving too much leeway to distance himself from boris johnson at a difficult distance himself from borisjohnson at a difficult time and distance himself from boris johnson at a difficult time and they say he has to do more to take back control. thank you, iain watson. the government's £9 billion move this week to shore up household finances in the face of a sharp rise in energy bills was a major intervention — adding up to help of £350 a year for the majority of families. but what difference will that sum make to people struggling with the rise in the cost of living — and will it get to those who need help the most? our business editor simonjack reports. george is one of many for whom a 54% rise in the energy cap will force choices they've never had to make before. i'm going to have to start pulling back on certain things, so i might have to shut down my business or, at least, reduce some of the costs that i have on it. i might have to stop using some of the things that i use to help myself

mentally like socialising with friends or going to the gym, and also food — it's going to be difficult to even eat what i want to eat. i'm going to have to randomly select stuff that's cheap. the impact is broad and, for some, it is very deep. you could say we're all in the same store, all in the same storm, but we're definitely not all in the same boat. at this food bank, energy costs are making for tough conversations. increasingly, we are asking everyone, can you afford to heat the food that we give? it's often tinned food. and so often the answer, sadly, is no, and so we will adapt what we get. adapt what we give. these measures will not stop millions falling into fuel stress — defined as households spending more than 10% of their income on energy. currently, there are two million households in that situation. the price cap rise would have seen that rise to six million. these measures bring that down to five million — one million less, but still more than double the current level.

the treasury argue because everyone eligible gets the same amount, it will mean proportionately more to those on lower incomes. and they say they're expanding at the warm home discount to cover three million people who will get a £150 one—off payment. but remember, prices are already rising faster than wages and the government is determined to push through a £6 billion tax hike and these measures won't change the harsh reality that households are facing the biggest drop in living standards since comparable records began 32 years ago. the governor of the bank of england angered unions yesterday when he suggested workers shouldn't ask for inflationary pay rises. the uk's biggest energy boss, who employs 30,000 people, said he could see both sides. if this is a temporary spike in inflation, and wages rise to meet that temporary spike, then, the people paying those wages have to pass on that cost, and that is where you get into the wage—price inflation spiral. but by the same token, if you are trying to figure out how to pay for your groceries at aldi, then it's not enough to sit

and say, well, i'm not going to do this because it will cause some spiral in the economy. you're worried about paying your bills, you're worried about feeding your family, you're worried about heating your home. he described the government help with bills as welcome and necessary, but knows it won't be sufficient to relieve a painful income squeeze. simon jack, bbc news. the government's latest figures show coronavirus cases in the uk remain stable withjust over 84,000 new cases recorded in the latest 24—hour period. on average nearly 88,000 infections have been reported per day in the last week. there are more than 111,500 people in hospital with covid. 254 deaths have been reported — that's of people who died within 28 days of a positive test, though some will have died of other causes. on average in the past week, 252 deaths were announced every day. on vaccinations, more than 37 million people have now had a boosterjab, which means 65.1% of those aged 12 and over

have now had three vaccine doses. the number of children and young people in england needing specialist mental health care hit a record high last year. and schools say they're also dealing with far more cases than they did before the pandemic. the government has promised 400 mental health support teams by 2023, and the bbc understands almost half are up and running. our education editor branwen jeffreys has been speaking to teenagers in barnsley about their experiences if you didn't have school, you didn't have much to wake up for, so it's not very good for your mental health in the long term. gracie is still struggling with anxiety. you cry and have, like, a ball in your chest. it's like that, but constantly. so even if you don't cry, even if you don't get that upset, even just having time to think, you just couldn't make it go away, just calm down.

i was getting used to the habit that we weren't going to school, really. and we weren't doing work. at rock bottom, harley lost his self esteem. it was very uncomfortable. i think some of us had put some weight on because there was nowt to do in the house. how can i help you today? miss sent me down for a wellbeing meeting. it just gives you somewhere to basically sort of breathe. this year, their school has set up a mental health support centre. there is day—to—day advice, but they also assess risk. some are referred for counselling or nhs help. likejoe, who became severely depressed. i think it has affected me mentally a lot, cos i struggled a lot in the two years that we've had. i felt very isolated. and like, hopeless, almost. alone. we're seeing a tripling in numbers at every single level, from the low level intervention all the way up to the nhs intervention. three times as many asking for a mental health support? three times. some of the most vulnerable children have virtually gone missing from the school system.

is mental health a factor in those kids who are just simply not coming back to school, or don't want to? i think there is a significant part. we are probably seeing 2% to 3% of our cohort missing that we would put to mental health concerns. schools might look and sound as though they're back to normal, but a small number of secondary pupils have never fully returned to england's schools since the start of the pandemic. and behind those missing children, it's thought, are some of the mental health problems that are a legacy of all of the destruction. sometimes, my legs go a bit wobbly. i get jelly legs. they teach coping skills here, too, but across england, record numbers are seeking nhs help. how many of you shake? this school, like many others, is dealing with some serious risks. you'd be constantly having that thought that something similar could so easily happen again. forjoe, talking has

helped him look to the future. as much as it has been horrible, now it feels like i have got places to go and talk to, and things to cope with. branwen jeffreys, bbc news, barnsley. and if you've been affected by any of the issues in that report, you can find help and support on the bbc action line website at bbc.co.uk/actionline. as we heard earlier, a possible russian invasion of ukraine is a top international concern, but communities in the east of the country have had to endure a conflict for years. some 14,000 people have been killed, that's soldiers and civilians. and despite an official ceasefire, the deaths continue. the conflict broke out eight years ago when russia annexed ukraine's crimea peninsula. then russian—backed separatists seized parts of eastern ukraine, which is home to many ethnic russians.

our international correspondent orla guerin reports from the city of kramatorsk on one family and their loss. bugle plays. it was a funeral for a hero, a fallen soldier in the war ukraine is already fighting. valery herovkin was just 22. he was killed on the front line in december by russian—backed separatists. mourned by loved ones and by his home town, kramatorsk. his mother, ana, is consoled by one of his brothers in arms who was standing right beside valery when the sniper�*s bullet pierced his helmet. buttressed by her husband, yevgeny. ana remembers their eldest son, a boy who was funny,

kind, a bit naughty, who grew up to love football and defend his homeland. translation: of course we didn't expect it was going to turn out this way, but i'm proud of my son because he gave his life for his country. he gave his life for ukraine. for the people. and for his family. that's why i'm so proud of my boy. valery made this video just weeks before his death. the song says, my heart aches. i don't believe you're gone. his father, a pastor, wonders if somehow he sensed what was coming.

translation: sometimes i feel that perhaps he was expecting to die. - because he spent the last two days of his holiday with us, and he made that video. when he was boarding the bus, he said, i have a heavy heart. i don't want to leave. but i said, son, you have to. you made the decision. so you have to go. now they mourn and worry. their city was shelled in 2015. they fear a new phase of war would dwarf the suffering so far. but for them, the worst has already happened. a beloved son is gone. orla guerin, bbc news, kramatorsk, ukraine.

here, lord ahmed of rotherham, a former member of the house of lords, has been jailed for five and a half years for child sex offences. the 64—year—old carried out the assaults on a boy and a girl in the 19705 when he was a teenager. a farmer has been cleared of dangerous driving and criminal damage after he used a forklift to pick up a car that was on his land and blocking his property. robert hooper said he'd been assaulted by a passenger from the car and felt "frightened and threatened". this sunday the queen will become the first british monarch to celebrate a platinum jubilee, marking a 70—year reign. the day marks the anniversary of the death of her father, george vi, and her accession to the throne. our royal correspondent nicholas witchell reports. the letters, the newest one. she's nearly 96 now, not quite as robust physically as before. a monarch looking back over 70 years and three previous jubilees. simple, but ingenious. they've been decades during which she's given much, but one thing above all.

stability in times of war and peace, in times of social calm and social disruption. stability in times of pandemic. and increasingly, across the world, she has become, i think, a world symbol of stability and strength. and according to the archbishop of canterbury, she has provided leadership by example. at the funeral of her husband of 70—something years, she sat alone. that was leadership. it was doing the right thing, it was duty. it set an example. from the earliest moments of her reign, doing the right thing has been instinctive.

for all the grandeur of her position, she's understood that respect has to be earned. her ultimate quality has been humility. i think the most successful royals nowadays are the humble ones who understand that they're part of something bigger than them. archive: her majesty moves to king edward's chair, - over which a splendid canopy... elizabeth's reign began the moment her father died, but it was at the coronation when she sat on king edward's throne, that she became the anointed sovereign, set apart on the path of duty for the remainder of her life. the britain to whose throne elizabeth ascended on that february day in 1952 was a very different country to the one of today. yet at britain's core, then as now, was the monarchy. and the young woman who was crowned on this ancient throne has done her utmost to uphold both crown and country.

you would never have said in �*52 that in 70 years, the monarchy would actually be, in many ways, more successful and more of a centre of national attention than ever, and the fact that it is is, i think, down to her. the past year has been difficult for her. there has been personal sadness and family pain. now, a milestone no other british monarch has achieved. by most, she is loved. by almost all the rest, she is profoundly respected. and around the world, she has lived a life that has made a difference. nicholas witchell, bbc news. the six nations begins tomorrow, with wales facing ireland in dublin

before england take on scotland at murrayfield. many believe this could be one of the closest tournaments for many years, asjoe wilson reports. in edinburgh you can sense the energy, a new power, new certainty. it comes when you know you can beat england at rugby. it's definitely the best squad i've ever been involved in, put it that way. i think for me the excitement, the buzz, the cohesion that this group has got is the best it's ever, ever been. 12 months ago when scotland beat england at twickenham, there was no crowd. for this game at murrayfield, well, imagine it full of fans, further, passion, against an england team empty of experience. quite a prospect. and it's had england's coach reading from his menu of metaphors. i think every game for england's got plenty of spice in it, mate. you know, it's like going to the indian restaurant and, you know, you look down the menu and the one that's got four chillies

next to it is the spiciest one. people don't particularly like england as a rugby team, so we enjoy that challenge and we're afterthem, mate. did he mention england's new 23—year—old captain tom curry? yeah... well, wales are defending champions but missing for now the ultimate leader. alun wynjones is being repaired. and wales are without other stars in dublin for the tournament's opening game. for ireland, johnny sexton is back for another six nations at 36, inspired by the return of the fans. france, the favourites, start on sunday. all around europe, a proper six nations. you can almost hear the pulses quickening and the seats filling. joe wilson, bbc news, edinburgh. that's it. now on bbc one, time for the news where you are. have a very good night.

welcome to bbc london. iam i am hollins. the pandemic has had a significant impact on patients being able to access a dentist appointment. figures from public health england show more than a million children went at least a year without seeing a dentist. and in parts of london only one in five children has seen one in the last 12 months. it's causing what's been called a "tooth decay crisis" in the capital. tarah welsh reports. getting into good habits earlier. getting into good habits early. at this primary school in north—west london the little ones brush their teeth after lunch. the children have been brushing their teeth in school every

day because we noticed that lots of children were coming

this is bbc news.

our headlines. the winter olympics opening ceremony has taken place in beijing, signalling the official start of the games. but the run—up to the event has been fraught with controversy, with many countries staging a diplomatic boycott. just ahead of the opening ceremony, the leaders of china and russia met in beijing. xijinping and vladimir putin said they support each other�*s security and foreign policy aims. china backed russia's demand that nato halts any expansion. downing street insists borisjohnson is still in control after another conservative mp called on him to go. the prime minister has also seen the resignation of a fifth senior adviser. rescuers in morocco are reported to be getting closer to reaching a young boy trapped at the bottom of a well. the five—year—old, called rayan, fell down the 32—metre well on tuesday.