this is bbc news, the headlines: the former us vice—president mike pence has said he could not have overturned the result of the 2020 presidential election — his strongest rebuttal so far of claims by donald trump. mr pence said it was "un—american" to think that any one person could choose the president. ahead of the opening ceremony of the winter olympics, china's president xijinping met his russian counterpart vladimir putin and gave his support to moscow's security and foreign policy aims. the official opening in beijing was toned down due to covid restrictions. emergency workers in morocco say they're hopeful that they'll reach a five—year—old boy trapped for four days in a deep well. the child, who's called rayan, slid more than 30 metres into the narrow shaft on tuesday while his father was repairing it.

now on bbc news, bitcoin has become big business and a major talking point around the globe. our world investigates kazakhstan�*s cryptocurrency boom. bitcoin is a growing part of modern day life. i bitcoin is a growing part of modern day life.— bitcoin is a growing part of modern day life. i start now by talkin: modern day life. i start now by talking about _ modern day life. i start now by talking about bitcoin. - modern day life. i start now by talking about bitcoin. it - modern day life. i start now by talking about bitcoin. it is - modern day life. i start now by talking about bitcoin. it is a i talking about bitcoin. it is a virtual currency _ talking about bitcoin. it is a virtual currency that - talking about bitcoin. it is a virtual currency that only i virtual currency that only exists _ virtual currency that only exists on the internet. the value of— exists on the internet. the value of bitcoin _ exists on the internet. the value of bitcoin has - exists on the internet. the value of bitcoin has soared more — value of bitcoin has soared more than _ value of bitcoin has soared more than tenfold - value of bitcoin has soared more than tenfold this - value of bitcoin has soared i more than tenfold this year. everyone _ more than tenfold this year. everyone wants _ more than tenfold this year. everyone wants a _ more than tenfold this year. everyone wants a piece - more than tenfold this year. everyone wants a piece of l more than tenfold this year. i everyone wants a piece of the pie. but there is one place where the boom has hit big. within two years, kazakhstan has become second only to the us as a global leader in bitcoin mining.

the complex technological process that powers this digital money. the industry consumes 1.8 megawatts of power, 8% of kazakhstan�*s total generation capacity. but kazakhstan�*s crypto boom has come at a cost. i cannot understand why they should sit on coal here, and why i have to breathe with this pollution, while they are generating their income and... and with recent political unrest, is the country falling out of favour with mining businesses?

kazakhstan, the richest central asian country, known for its vast oil and coal reserves. space launches. and nomadic heritage. it is also now world famous for another reason. there is no place that symbolises kazakhstan�*s crypto boom more than this. just outside the windy city of ekibastuz, they have built one of the largest crypto mines in the world. this highly secured facility hosts equipment worth hundreds of millions of dollars. the manager of this

crypto mine is yersain, it is owned by enegix, kazakhstan �*s biggest crypto mining company. how many machines? what is happening inside these powerful computers is the backbone of cryptocurrency is like bitcoin. the decentralised digital money can be spent on an increasing amount of things online and off—line. there is no middleman or banks involved, the money is sent directly to the money is sent directly to the wallet of the personal shop. in orderfor a payment be

successful, a huge network of volunteers around the world are required to use computers to check and verify automatically. the process involves extremely complex mathematical problems. volunteers are randomly rewarded with new bitcoin �*s.

wow, even with all the ventilation and the giant fans, these are still hot. that is because they are doing extremely complex maths calculations, and solving problems. and they use six times the amount of electricity as normal computer. these mining machines come from investors around the world. energix host and maintain them 24/7. in energix host and maintain them 21w. in november 2021, the global crypto market reached a cap of $3 trillion, growing fivefold from a year ago. the booming industry offers a new career path to young kazakhs.

which one should i pick? (laughs). no chance. do you ever aet (laughs). no chance. do you ever get lonely _ (laughs). no chance. do you ever get lonely or _ (laughs). no chance. do you ever get lonely or bored - (laughs). no chance. do you| ever get lonely or bored here?

yes! (laughs). they are all installed now... yes. 800 miles away in almaty, company founder yerbolsyn watches over operations. he set “p watches over operations. he set up the first crypto mine for enegix four years ago.

does it make you proud that kazakhstan has become so famous the crypto mining? 0ne one of the only kazakh women in crypto mining is setting up a new facility in almaty, next to a power substation.

busy? yeah. is that work? the c to busy? yeah. is that work? the crypto rush _ busy? yeah. is that work? the crypto rush means _ busy? yeah. is that work? the crypto rush means moldir- busy? yeah. is that work? the | crypto rush means moldir barely has time for her family or her hobby, horse riding. today she is taking a break. it is easier running a crypto mine then riding this horse, isn't it?

0h, oh, wow! is it nice one? really aood. in oh, wow! is it nice one? really good- injust— oh, wow! is it nice one? really good. in just two _ oh, wow! is it nice one? really good. in just two years, - good. in just two years, kazakhstan has risen to become the second most important country for bitcoin mining. so how has the boom happened? well, firstly, it has some of the cheapest electricity in the world. but it was actually events over the border in china that really boosted the industry here.- that really boosted the industry here.— that really boosted the indust here. , , ., , industry here. the big story cominu industry here. the big story coming out _ industry here. the big story coming out of _ industry here. the big story coming out of china's - industry here. the big storyl coming out of china's central banks crackdown on crypto �*s,

calling all crypto related activities illegal. it calling all crypto related activities illegal. it looks like they _ activities illegal. it looks like they have _ activities illegal. it looks like they have gone - activities illegal. it looks - like they have gone absolute. injuly— like they have gone absolute. in july 2021, like they have gone absolute. injuly 2021, china, the former epicentre of crypto mining, introduced a strict ban. bye! goodbye! — introduced a strict ban. bye! goodbye! see _ introduced a strict ban. bye! goodbye! see you. - introduced a strict ban. bye! goodbye! see you. mine - introduced a strict ban. bye! goodbye! see you. mine is l goodbye! see you. mine is flooded out _ goodbye! see you. mine is flooded out of _ goodbye! see you. mine is flooded out of the - goodbye! see you. mine is flooded out of the country| goodbye! see you. mine is l flooded out of the country to relocate their businesses in kazakhstan. 0ne chinese miner we spoke to has been working in the industry for over a decade. he asked us to protect his identity.

have you seen many chinese mining companies tried to move to kazakhstan? this box came from china. it is our chinese client and it is already running.— our chinese client and it is already running. how many minin: already running. how many mining rigs _ already running. how many mining rigs came _ already running. how many mining rigs came from - already running. how manyl mining rigs came from china already running. how many - mining rigs came from china and this stack?— this stack? more than 1000. more than — this stack? more than 1000. more than 1000. _

but the exponential growth has put pressure on energy supplies in the country. the government says it is now using 7% more electricity than it did last year, and industry insiders say that crypto—mining activity alone uses 1000 megawatts per hour, more than half it takes to power almaty, kazakhstan's largest city. kazakhstan is now trying to manage the impact of its burgeoning new industry. starting in january, its burgeoning new industry. starting injanuary, the government introduced an additional tax levy for energy used by crypto—miners. but the restrictions haven't stop there. dida had to shut down this mind because of restrictions on energy

supplies. restrictions on energy sunplies-_ restrictions on energy supplies. restrictions on energy su lies. ., ., supplies. here we have our software — supplies. here we have our software team. _ supplies. here we have our software team. but - supplies. here we have our software team. but dida i supplies. here we have our. software team. but dida and supplies. here we have our- software team. but dida and his team i software team. but dida and his team i giving — software team. but dida and his team i giving uo _ software team. but dida and his team i giving up on _ software team. but dida and his team i giving up on expansion i team i giving up on expansion and are looking up for areas to expand. they even bought to make build a small mine in the office in this luxury apartment complex in central almaty. irate complex in central almaty. we have here _ complex in central almaty. we have here our _ complex in central almaty. - have here our gpu mining rigs. this whole thing mind is approximately 125 dollars a day. approximately 125 dollars a da . , . , approximately 125 dollars a day-_ every - approximately 125 dollars a day-_ every day- approximately 125 dollars a l day._ every day. it day. every day? every day. it allows us— day. every day? every day. it allows us to _ day. every day? every day. it allows us to pay _ day. every day? every day. it allows us to pay our - day. every day? every day. it allows us to pay our rent. - day. every day? every day. it| allows us to pay our rent. and something is left. internet is stable, it's cheap, but most important, at least it is not expensive. 50 important, at least it is not “pensive-— important, at least it is not expensive. so you have built all of this — expensive. so you have built all of this in _ expensive. so you have built all of this in the _ expensive. so you have built all of this in the last - expensive. so you have built all of this in the last seven i all of this in the last seven months? it all of this in the last seven months?— all of this in the last seven months? , . . months? it is booming. we are buildin: months? it is booming. we are building more. _

months? it is booming. we are building more. despite - months? it is booming. we are building more. despite the - building more. despite the recent restrictions, - building more. despite the recent restrictions, the - recent restrictions, the increasing domestic and international demands have put pressure on kazakhstan's energy supply and the government is surprisingly open about the situation. what is the government position on economic, electricity shortages, and will people have blackouts in their homes? has it happened? when energy supplies are put under strain, things can become tense. injanuary, massive protests erupted across kaza khsta n after a

protests erupted across kazakhstan after a sudden increase in fuel prices. there was no direct link to crypto—mining, but the impact of the unrest was huge for minors. the government shutdown the internet nationwide, which took the entire industry off—line for five days. —— miners. it slowed the global network by 18% and caused a dip in the price of bitcoin. kazakhstan's cheap electricity comes at an environmental cost, too. just 20 minutes drive from energix, to other crypto—mines apply directly into this coal—fired power station. this is an interesting sort of penny drop moment for me. i myself have bought bitcoin. i have a

little bit of this currency thatis little bit of this currency that is futuristic, but now i am here and seeing the physical, real—world side of bitcoin. very noisy, very warm. this is how the whole thing works. without this, bitcoin wouldn't exist. it works. without this, bitcoin wouldn't exist.— wouldn't exist. it is a miracle. _ wouldn't exist. it is a miracle, especially . wouldn't exist. it is a miracle, especially if| wouldn't exist. it is a - miracle, especially if you're talking about the energy generation and heat generation. this woman is sceptical about the growth of bitcoin in kazakhstan.

i cannot understand why they should sit on the coal here and why i have two breeds with this pollution while they are generating their income, and this is...? it generating their income, and this ism?— this is. . . ? it is estimated that crypto-mining - this is. . . ? it is estimated l that crypto-mining globally that crypto—mining globally consumes around 120 terawatts hours a year. it is more than argentina, a country with more than 45 million people. are you concerned about the carbon footprint of bitcoin mining?

kazakhstan's mining growth has clearly had a big impact on the country. we originally came here to cover the country's crypto boom, but like many booms, could a bus to be following? 0r booms, could a bus to be following? or will a balance be struck? have reached the peak of kazakhstan's crypto—mining, or can it grow?

there is no doubt kazakhstan has grabbed the crypto revolution with both hands. the excitement about this blossoming industry was palpable during our time in the country, with fortunes being made and businesses build from nothing. but clearly the growth has come at a cost. such is the importance of this country to the world of bitcoin, now, that tough decisions taken here, not only affect kazakhstan, but the

future of cryptocurrency is the world over. —— cryptocurrencies. hello there. snow was a feature of the weather for some parts of the uk on friday, and it continues to feature as part of what is actually quite a varied weekend weather menu. snow and ice continuing to be an issue, particularly in scotland. elsewhere, some rain at times, some brisk winds, but there will also be some spells of sunshine. the big weather maker for the weekend is this weather front extending all the way from north america across the atlantic towards our shores. this front will bring some outbreaks of rain. there will be some quite strong winds, but also this front dividing cold air which will be returning from the north

from this mild air, staging a temporary comeback down towards the south. so this is how saturday shapes up. a touch of frost for some to start off. dry to start for much of england and wales, but you can see this wet weather on the move southwards as the day wears on. some particularly heavy bursts of rain developing over hills in the west. the south of england likely to stay dry for a good part of the day. northern scotland brightening up, but with some increasingly frequent snow showers and a windy day for all. those are the gusts — gusts of 40, 50 or maybe 60 mph in exposed places in northern scotland. afternoon temperatures — well, quite a range. three there for stornoway, ten for london, plymouth and st helier. through saturday night, our weather front continues to journey southwards across northern ireland. it will cling on for a good part of the night, i think. certainly some wet weather crossing england and wales. for scotland, frequent snow showers. we could see up to 15 cm of snow accumulating over high ground. a mild night in the south, a colder one further north. and then we look ahead to sunday. well, this rain could well drag its heels. it could actually turn heavy

for a time on sunday morning, and it may struggle to clear the south of england. but elsewhere, we should see some spells of sunshine through the day. showers continuing, snow showers across high grounds in scotland, but those showers even wintry to quite low levels. strongest winds at this stage could well be down towards the south, with gales likely through the channel. and temperature — again quite a range. four in the north, nine or ten further south, maybe 11 for the channel islands. now, as we head into the start of the new week, an area of high pressure not too far away, trying to build its way northwards. a weak frontal system but it is a warm front, so that will bring some milder air returning from the west. so quite a mild start to the new week. we will see some rain at times, but particularly the further south you are, the week should start on a mostly dry note.

this is bbc world news — i'm nuala mcgovern. our top stories: mike pence criticises donald trump for saying the ex us vice—president could have altered the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. president trump is wrong. i had no right to overturn the election. the presidency belongs to the american people and the american people alone. a meeting of minds ahead of the winter olympics: china's president xi backs his russian counterpart in opposing the expansion of nato. fireworks explode. the games open officially in beijing, amid chinese pride and international controversy. emergency workers in morocco are hopeful of reaching a five—year—old boy who's been trapped for four days

in a deep well.