this is bbc news. the headlines at seven. ministers in the uk are strengthening legislation that will force global social media companies to take down harmful content more quickly. a parent whose daughter took her own life wants the heads of these firms to be held to account. this is talking about human lives and you can't excuse anything that doesn't prevent that. emergency workers in morocco inch closer to rescuing the five—year—old boy who's spent five days trapped in a well. here's the scene there now. the prime minister names a new number ten chief of staff, steve barclay, after resignations over downing street parties. according to the press association, prince andrew will give evidence

under oath next month as part of the civil sex assault case against him. the controversy over china's winter olympics intensifies as beijing is accused of using a uighur athlete as a propaganda tool. the uk government wants tougher laws forcing global social media companies to take down illegal content without having to wait for users to report it. it's an issue politicians across the world have been trying to deal with. last year, g7 leaders agreed a set of internet safety principles to improve online safety. here in the uk, the new legislation would compel the removal of material under a wide range of categories, including drugs and arms dealing,

and forums that encourage suicide. here's katie prescott. frankie was 15 when she took her own life in 2018. afterwards, her parents had her laptop forensically checked. and realised that, back earlier in the year, january, february, march of 2018, she had been accessing sites about self—harm, suicide. just appalling stuff. and we had no idea and the school had absolutely no idea. stories like these are behind plans to toughen up regulations online. tech companies will face fines of up to 10% of their turnover if they don't take down material relating to... those sending threatening messages, like the racist abuse of england's footballers last year, will face prosecution, as will people at the companies themselves. the organisations will have to name

| individuals who will be responsible | within those organisations - for complying with the legislation. if they continue to flout that - legislation, those named individuals will be responsible and could face up to five years' imprisonment. . social media companies have been tight—lipped about the changes today, but, in the past, facebook has said that it welcomes more guidance from government about what it should and shouldn't do, and that it also wants to see the internet become a safer place, while not losing the economic and social benefits that it brings. other important industries... experts say the challenge will be putting it into practice. on facebook platforms alone, people are posting more than 100 billion times a day. in 2017, facebook and instagram were taking down 35,000 posts a day about self—harm and suicide alone. so, this is regulation not at a minor scale, but at an industrial scale.

while there is criticism about whether the plans go far enough, they will mean a revolution in how the online world is policed. katie prescott, bbc news. there's been a number of calls for mandatory age verification in order to to protect children online. let's speak to the executive director at age verification providers association, who represent organisations who provide age assurance services, iain corby. good to have you with us. do you think these proposals would do enough to protect children from the harms that they face?— enough to protect children from the harms that they face? doesn't really attack all the — harms that they face? doesn't really attack all the issue _ harms that they face? doesn't really attack all the issue of _ harms that they face? doesn't really attack all the issue of children - attack all the issue of children being online, and the problem with someone going on the internet is no one knows how old you are, so if you want to offer better protection for children and preserve the freedom of adults, then we need to have a system in place that allows websites to know the age of their users so

they can apply appropriate levels of protection. while it's welcome to hear the government is taking on board some of the recommendations of the committee who've been scrutinising the bill, this isjust one of their recommendations and we hope the government will put age verification into the face of the bill so within primary legislation because they said today one of the reasons they're putting these other offences into law is it will allow ofcom to enforce them more quickly. that rather implies if things are not in the primary legislation, if they're left not in the primary legislation, if they�* re left for not in the primary legislation, if they're left for later decisions that will come may be years down the line, we could be waiting even longerfor age line, we could be waiting even longer for age verification online. when it comes to implementing protections like this, how easy is it for an individual country to act alone, in this case, the uk? presumably, if a website or a content provider doesn't like the rules in one country, it could move

its surface elsewhere. it’s its surface elsewhere. it's something _ its surface elsewhere. it's something like _ its surface elsewhere. it's something like 1 - its surface elsewhere. it�*s something like 1 million or more something like1 million or more commercial pornographic websites which are a key risk for children being exposed to that material. but the government already passed a law in 2017 that the digital economy act, which was quite clever. instead of trying to perhaps find overseas companies, it put in place the ability to talk to the services who supplied those companies —— fine overspray �*s companies. that's going to be the only way you can really enforce what is the world wide web. one thing i suppose any parent will be familiar with is however much you put passwords and barriers to stop children getting access to harmful content, they will often be able to find a way around more effectively than the parents know how to put the barriers on in the first place. so what can actually be done to make

sure that any limits and protection is effective? stage sure that any limits and protection is effective?— is effective? age verification is a resonse is effective? age verification is a response to _ is effective? age verification is a response to just _ is effective? age verification is a response to just that _ is effective? age verification is a response to just that problem i response to just that problem because we know very few parents will use any parental controls. even if they're aware of them, it may be simple as switching a safe search device on. so they're not really taking advantage of that. it's going to take a number of different interventions. educating children to when they see things they're not comfortable with the go and find an aduu comfortable with the go and find an adult and talk about those, through to putting some pressure on the platforms themselves. but we can't really do is leave it to the platforms to judge the age of their users. we know already from ofcom that some 42% of kids under the age of 13 already have social media accounts, so the platforms can't on the one hand and tell us they're able to work out the age of their users very accurately. on the other

hand, allowing 42% of children who are under the age of which their own terms of conditions allow kids on these platforms to be gaining access. we need independent, verified and certified audited age verification through third parties to protect the privacy of the users, and then simply say to a website yes or no as to whether that user is old enough. we're also working across europe to create a single interoperable system. you can reuse that age check on many other websites. it's not going to become like the new cookie pop up. qm. like the new cookie pop up. 0k, iain corb , like the new cookie pop up. 0k, iain corby. many — like the new cookie pop up. 0k, iain corby, many thanks _ like the new cookie pop up. 0k, iain corby, many thanks indeed. - like the new cookie pop up. 0k, iain corby, many thanks indeed. thank. corby, many thanks indeed. thank ou. rescue workers in morocco have entered a tunnel, are believed to be less than a metre from a five—year—old boy who's been trapped in a well for the last five days. rayan awram is stuck

35m below ground. mechanical diggers have been working round the clock to try to reach him. as you can see, the scale of that effort to try and reach him. a race against time. he has been down there forfive days. we against time. he has been down there for five days. we understand they're entering the final stages of their operation. they are about a metre away from reaching him. there have been other complications, fears of a possible landslide, have made the complicated task even more complicated. but as we can see, this huge effort to rescue the young boy, rayan. he fell 35 metres. we will return to that and keep across the detail of that. let me just explain a bit about the complications. but the narrowness of the well has

been hampering efforts. the hole diameter is very small at just 25cm. at the depth of 28 metres, the hole is even smaller, making it impossible for an adult to pass through. so, rescue crews have come up with another technique — digging a horizontal tunnel and clearing earth at the side of the tunnel pocket using bulldozers and front—end loaders. the final two metres are proving to be the most difficult because of the risk of landslides. morrocan journalist hassan alaoui is following the story from the capital rabat. he gave us an update from officials at the site of the rescue operation. lately, 20 minute ago, a senior member of the rescue team came to the media there and said there were hundreds ofjournalists working for media and abroad, and he told them everything you hear is just fake news.

what i can assure you about is rayan has not been reached yet. we still have to dig 80 cm to reach him, so any news about him so any news about him being seriously injured or having problems or anything like that is absolutely fake news. we haven't reached rayan yet, and when we reach him, you will be the first to know the truth and the whole truth. thank you for that. it's very hard to tell people exactly how far it would take, but they have to manage the work very, very carefully because as you said in your report, they are scared we may have landslides or we may harm the child there, so that's why this task is very difficult in the rescuers are very careful with this 80 cm. hopefully, they will finish this work tonight, and all the indications are that rayan certainly will be out

of his hell tonight. when exactly, nobody can say. there is an ambulance waiting in a helicopter waiting nearby. in a helicopter waiting nearby, just in case he needs medical assistance. the whole of the world, mainly the arab and muslim world, is following this story. everyone is praying for this child and everyone is hoping we will have a happy ending for this story. everyone knows it's very difficult spending four days there under the rubble in the dark, and it was not easy for this child. but still, lots of hope is around and lots of prayers and everyone is hoping that we will have a happy

end for this difficult story. ijust want i just want to return to the scene and morocco. a great deal of activity. there has been some cheering and quite a lot of noise, but there has been at various points over the past few hours, so we mustn't read too much into this. but we know rescue workers have lowered an oxygen mask, food and water into the well. it's unclear whether the boy who is trapped was able to use the supplies. among those people there, there is an expert medical team on site ready to treat the five—year—old boy when they hopefully managed to pull him out of the ground. helicopters also on the scene. this rescue effort, as you can imagine, gripping notjust the north african country, but many

around the world for days. thousands gathering and wishing him a speedy and safe rescue. we'll bring you any details as we get them right here on bbc news. borisjohnson has appointed two new members of his back—room staff at downing street in a move he said would "strengthen the role of my cabinet and backbench colleagues and accelerate our defining mission to level up the country". the conservative government minister steve barclay becomes the prime minister's chief of staff, while formerjournalist guto harri is made his director of communications. it follows the departures of five senior members of borisjohnson�*s staff in the last few days. to discuss this, i'm joined by columnist from the article and former conservative adviser, ali miraj. what do you make of these appointments? lets us take steve

barclay. he is someone i've known for many, many years. he's an exceptional candidate for thisjob, many years. he's an exceptional candidate forthisjob, highly candidate for this job, highly credible, candidate forthisjob, highly credible, very hard—working. hasn't really put a foot wrong. he was the cabinet office secretary, so he's been doing a very importantjob trying to deal with multiple issues. before that, he was also brexit minister and he also worked for rishi sunak�*s chief secretary to the tech treasury. i think you the highly credible candidate —— he's a highly credible candidate —— he's a highly credible candidate and the prime minister is finally getting a grip of things. prime minister is finally getting a grip of things-— grip of things. steve barclay, correct me — grip of things. steve barclay, correct me if _ grip of things. steve barclay, correct me if i'm _ grip of things. steve barclay, correct me if i'm wrong, - grip of things. steve barclay, correct me if i'm wrong, his i grip of things. steve barclay, - correct me if i'm wrong, his cabinet office minister. has he got time to do both thatjob and his newjob? i'm not sure exactly how it will work. it's all very hot off the press, so we have to wait and see,

but certainly bringing in someone of his calibre into the heart of downing street in the cabinet office — he's in daily contact with the pm and manages a number of key committees already. but he's certainly a really credible figure, and also someone who's done there hard politics. the charge against dan rosenfield, x treasury civil servant, not someone with political... steve barclay is the opposite. he not only has got serious experience in the private sector from serious experience in the private sectorfrom his serious experience in the private sector from his time at the fsa, but he's also got significant political experience and is someone who didn't get elected in 05, got elected in oh ten, —— in 2010. get elected in 05, got elected in oh ten. -- in 2010.— ten, -- in 2010. what about the new director of — ten, -- in 2010. what about the new

director of communications? - ten, -- in 2010. what about the new director of communications? it - ten, -- in 2010. what about the new director of communications? it looksj director of communications? it looks like boris johnson _ director of communications? it looks like boris johnson is _ director of communications? it looks like boris johnson is returning - director of communications? it looks like boris johnson is returning to - like borisjohnson is returning to people who he trusts. guto harri, someone credible, someone from his old days who worked hand in glove with the prime minister. i was surprised that guto did not play of more prominent role in number ten earlier. it again looks like he's going back to trusted confidant who he knows he can —— who can deliver. formally on your patch of the bbc, a huge amount of background steeped in dealing with these issues, and i think a credible addition to the team to lead the communications effort. ., . , effort. how much did these appointments _ effort. how much did these appointments really - effort. how much did these appointments really affectl effort. how much did these - appointments really affect people beyond downing street and westminster? what difference does this make to the lives of people up and down the uk? thea;r this make to the lives of people up and down the uk?— this make to the lives of people up and down the uk? they don't make any direct difference _ and down the uk? they don't make any direct difference because _ and down the uk? they don't make any direct difference because they're - direct difference because they're not really public facing roles. guto

harri will be dealing with the press, so he will be more public. he's not trying to be the pm's spokesperson, but he does make a difference to everyone's life and that this mess that's been going on, this pantomime has to end. if the prime minister is finally looking like he's getting a grip by appointing really credible figures, that's a step in the right direction. a lot of his mps will be mailing over whether they will put their letters to the 22 committee chairman this weekend, as they have been for the last six weeks, and it looks like there aren't enough to get to that 5a number. at the prime minister is on notice. he's had a very torrid few weeks. we had sue gray's redacted update, cressida dick still out to standing with her report, and the resignation of the prime minister's head of policy, which was a deep blow. so it looks like he has taken this on board.

i've been very critical of the prime minister recently, and ifelt i've been very critical of the prime minister recently, and i felt the whole party gate fiasco has played very badly and is continuing for far too long. one thing guto harri will know from his time is you have to not give the story legs. unfortunately, this story will run and run and guto harri will have to marshal all his skill to manage the message and manage the way the prime minister's dealing with himself. over the keir debacle which was total self—inflicted issue. could have been avoided. the story has gone on to that now. that has to be controlled and managed. {lila gone on to that now. that has to be controlled and managed.— gone on to that now. that has to be controlled and managed. 0k, take you ve much. controlled and managed. 0k, take you very much- they _ controlled and managed. 0k, take you very much. they can _ controlled and managed. 0k, take you very much. they can get _ controlled and managed. 0k, take you very much. they can get you _ controlled and managed. 0k, take you very much. they can get you on - controlled and managed. 0k, take you very much. they can get you on the i very much. they can get you on the papers from time to time. if they want more of your analysis, they probably won't have to look wait long. thank you very much, ali miraj. a date has been set for prince andrew to give evidence as part of the civil case

against him for sexual assault — that's according to the press association. pa reports that he will give a deposition to lawyers representing virginia giuffre on the 10th of march in london, in what has been described as a neutral location. the prince has strenuously denied the allegations against him. borisjohnson has held a telephone call with the french president, emmanuel macron, about the situation in ukraine. downing street says the two leaders updated each other on their discussions with other international partners, including the prime minister's visit to kyiv last week. they also agreed that nato must be united in the face of russian aggression, and a diplomatic solution to the current tensions must remain the overriding priority. well, staying with ukraine, additional us troops have arrived in poland as part of a new deployment to bolster nato forces as tensions with russia remain high. the soldiers from the 82nd airborne division of the us army landed in the south—east of the country not far

from the ukrainian border. the biden administration announced this week it will send 3000 additional american soldiers to eastern europe. russia has massed more than 100,000 troops on its border with ukraine, but the kremlin denies it's planning to invade. adam easton has the latest. well, what we've seen so far is the first elements — actually, mostly equipment — for this deployment has arrived in poland, and that's come from germany, from us bases in germany. the 82nd airborne division, which you mentioned, is based in north carolina, and 1,700 troops from that division will be arriving in poland over the coming hours and days. and this deployment, while that number, 1,700, is not particularly large if you compare it to the 100,000 russian troops that have massed on the borders with ukraine,

it is a significant political gesture to send this many troops to poland, because it actually increases the number of american troops in poland by more than one—third, and if you compare that to 2014 when russia annexed the crimea, president obama then was thinking of sending just 100 soldiers to poland. so, this is 1,700, significantly more, so a significant gesture that's been welcomed extremely by polish leaders. the polish prime minister mateusz morawiecki saying that this is an important signal of nato's unity against the threat of russian aggression. adam easton there. the controversy over china's winter olympics has intensified over beijing's decision to get a uighur athlete from xinjiang to light the olympic cauldron during the opening ceremony. china has been accused of using the cross—country skier

dinigeer yilamujiang as a propaganda tool to undermine criticism of its policies in xinjiang. beijing is alleged to have carried out human rights abuses against the region's ethnic uighurs. an international olympic committee spokesman has also commented. this is an athlete who is competing here. she's competing as of this morning. she has every right, wherever she comes from, to compete and she has every right, wherever she comes from to take part in the opening ceremony. i think it was a lovely concept. our analyst michael bristow says this is china's way of hitting back at the west's criticism. well, the response has been essentially, this is a political ploy by beijing essentially to cover up what it's doing in xinjiang. remember that it's being accused of really egregious you to human of really egregious human rights abuses against uighur people,

put in camps. a whole series of other measures introduced against the uighur minority there. without explicitly saying so, this is china heading this is china hitting back and saying, "look, we're a nation of 56 ethnic groups, "uighurs are among them, and this uighur athlete taking part "in this ceremony," that is their way of showing the world that uighurs are treated well. it's got to be seen in terms of the promotion by the chinese government because if you look on twitter, chinese diplomats overseas are promoting this and sharing videos of this athlete's family. back home in xinjiang, celebrating lighting the cauldron and the family being really proud of the fact she's part of the chinese nation and hoping

she does well in the olympics. how well—known is she in china? i think her father was a national cross—country ski champion as well. she's well known in china, but many famous athletes are in china. she's just one of them. i think the main point is that she was the person with another athlete chosen to light the olympic cauldron. if you think about it, a moment where the olympic star, having a uighur athlete do that is really china saying to the world, "we really want to show you that "uighurs are treated well in china and all the accusations "and criticism that we face over human rights abuses really "count for nothing." michael bristow there. a greater manchester police officer has been charged with sexual assault. pcjames holt, who's 32, has been placed on restricted duties.

he's due to appear in court next month. the comedianjimmy carr is facing criticism for a joke he made about europe's traveller communities being murdered during the holocaust. he made the joke in a comedy special released on netflix. travellers groups, mps and the holocaust memorial day trust are among those to express their disgust. david banks is a media law expert and told us why, despite the launch of the petition for the content to be removed from netflix, it might be hard to achieve. netflix is european based, a us company, but based in the netherlands, so they are under the remiss of ofcom, the regulator of the uk that regulates bbc. that makes this issue complicated. the ofcom code does include reference to the european convention on human rights, but also, it accepts that in certain

circumstances, it is going to impose limits on that free speech. that's in some instances, this might be one of them, ofcom might deem the content to be offensive, and the broadcaster will censor it. will censor it if they were regulated here the uk. that remains to be seen. in previous instances, netflix have been robust in leaving the content off, particularly of comedians. there have been previous rows about content of comedians, but netflix haven't been particularly quick to respond to social media storms about the content. they may well view that the storm creates greater audiences. scientists say the highest glacier on mount everest,

nearly 8000 metres above sea level, is now melting 80 times faster than it formed. the study of our planet's highest ice core, called south col, is the first to indicate how vulnerable the himalayan glaciers are to climate change. a billion people depend on the himalayan mountain range for their drinking water. now it's time for a look at the weather with alina jenkins. hello. snow is likely to become a hazard across scotland through this evening and overnight, all driven by this cold front. we've seen rain pushed its way southwards, milder air ahead of it, but behind a colder air and those snow showers continuing to crawl into scotland. it's going to mean blizzards potential for ice, and we have this band popping up through parts of the midlands and milder for many, but temperatures at or below freezing. that ice risk and a yellow warning

from the met office for snow across a large swathe of scotland. could see ten to 15 cm. this band of rain across east anglia, will clear away, but for their snow showers for scotland and into northern england pushed through quickly on those gusty winds. it will be a cold feeling day for all. hello this is bbc news. the headlines... ministers in the uk are strengthening legislation that will force global social media companies to take down harmful content more quickly. a parent, whose daughter took her own life, wants the heads of these firms to be held to account. emergency workers in morocco inch closer to rescuing the five—year—old boy who's spent five days trapped in a well. here's the scene there now.

according to the press association — prince andrew will give evidence under oath next month as part of the civil sex assault case against him. the prime minister names a new number 10 chief of staff — steve barclay — after the recent resignations over downing street parties. sportsday will be coming up shortly, but first on bbc news, it's time for the film review. hello and a very warm welcome to the film review on bbc news. i'mjane hill and mark kermode is with me, as ever. hello again, mark. and what have you been watching? well, this week we have the eyes of tammy faye withjessica chastain. you've just seen it.

i'm dying to know what you think of it.