hello. this is bbc news. i'm lewis vaughanjones and these are the headlines. britain's chancellor defends his tax cuts aimed at boosting economic growth, saying they're fair for all. world powers condemn the self—styled referendums being held in parts of ukraine on whether to join russia. hurricane fiona makes landfall on canada's atlantic coast, leaving hundreds of thousands without power. and meet the parky blinders as they use the power of boxing to help improve the lives of people with parkinson's.

now on bbc news, click. this week, we're back in berlin as europe's largest tech show powers up. yeah, we'll glide through the halls to see what's big, what's new and what's bonkers. what are you doing? multitasking. meanwhile, lara has been to the british seaside. not on holiday, though. i have been looking at how 56 is hoping to make our coastline safer. and it's robot floors! chris has been making a right mess to put vacuum bots to the test. our robot now has a tail. yeah, i'm not sure that was the aim.

it's big, brash, bright, bold, really big! and it's back. did i mention it's big? set in the heart of berlin, ifa is europe's largest tech expo, and for the first time in such a long time i got to come back to the coolest city in the world to see what's cooking. ifa is back to its heady mix of showiness and practicality, a place where your fridge can be part of a massive light show, with colour—changing panels and a party mode. your garden is also now portable and lives indoors. those could do with the water, though. and, yes, they do go big on their washing machines, either that or i've shrunk in the wash. disinfection robot. all right, i'm disinfected, thank you.

here's a tip — if you're ever asked to do an action photo, do launch yourself into the air, it always makes you look good. i've really missed this place. we used to come here every year to take the temperature of the tech world in mid—summer. i'd say after a couple of years on ice it's definitely warming up again, with a few old favourites being reheated. although, some do have a new twist. here's samsung's odyssey arc, a curved oled screen that can be used in landscape or portrait mode for a different all—encompassing view. and for those who don't know whether they actually want the curved screen or not, the lg oled flex will be out later this year, promising to bend to your will. we have been wondering how big events like this would fare post—pandemic. i mean, would we still want to fly in from all over the world and gather in one place, or are we happy to do our business and product

launches online these days? injanuary, the us equivalent of the show, ces, was decidedly smaller and quieter, but i would say that while ifa definitely had fewer visitors, its chairman told me the show was up to about 85 or 90% of its pre—pandemic size. we all have learned in the pandemic that those online tools work very well, but we have also learned that we missed the handshake. there is a longing for personal interaction, especially when making new contacts, especially at ifa where you have a need for haptic and tactile products, actually, and this is the reason why we're doing ifa. yeah, the show is back on its feetjust in time for the next crisis. here in germany, energy is a big question as well, cost—of—living is a big issue. and i think for the consumer electronic companies here, they were just starting to get to grips with the supply chain issues, component shortages

is starting to ease up, and now we've got another body blow for them. yeah, the biggest issue hanging over a massive trade show that's trying to persuade us to spend money on stuff that uses energy is... right now, we're we are a bit short of money...and energy. around ten halls�* worth of ifa were dedicated to the smart home, which traditionally gas meant plugging in bits of your life that didn't previously need to be plugged in. and that's why many of the big names here were keen to attach a particular word to the product. sustainability. the argument is that the bits that are now connected to the grid can help you monitor and control your energy consumption in a way that ultimately leads to smarter power management. we see at ifa manufacturers of devices who help you control the climate. when a window is open,

it automatically sends a message to the smart phone and turns down the heating. great idea, perhaps, but let's not forget they're not new ideas. but they do seem more relevant right now. one of the big overarching themes of the show has been the environment and sustainability, but we shouldn't lose sight of the fact that we've come here on an aeroplane, we're all sitting in air—conditioned buildings. i do feel for the first time it is a story that is starting to get more prominence and therefore every company has to have a story. but the problem is, you have to cut through this kind of desire to do green—rinsing or greenwashing on what's actually real. there are definite attempts to be green here. well, there's some greenery about, anyway. i'm just not sure it's enough to solve the energy crisis. but, in amongst the weeds, there were some definite energy positives. this is the ecoflo delta, which consists of this solar panel here and one

of these three boxes. what's interesting is on a bright, sunny day, the solar panels can charge this box here in about four hours and give you 3600 watt hours, which means you can keep yourfridge running for about a day and a half, maybe even two days. it uses a fast—charging lfp four—battery system, like those used by tesla, and, like many ideas that originated before the current energy crisis, its time mayjust have come. so people are looking for these renewable, safe, sustainable solutions to generate their own power, to store it and to use it. we have the global situation, right, of higher energy costs, everywhere of energy and security, ——energy insecurity, so in a lot of regions in the world, power isn't a very secure

a feature, you have outages a lot, you have prices everywhere in the world, so it more and more it becomes, let's say, consumers and people start to think, "0k, what other way do i have to have my own secure power generation, independently from any grid, from any provider?" so you could keep your essentials going for a few hours during a blackout, but with a maximum output of 1800 watts, you could blow it all — literally — on some high—powered necessities. just don't get these two the wrong way round. i bet that's the closest you've been to either of those two tools. you know me too well. we will be back at ifa later in the programme. the only thing i really missed this year was you, but you've been to the great british seaside instead, haven't you? yeah, i've been to dorset, which is beautiful and is hopefully being made safer thanks to sg. every year, around 22 million people flock to the spectacular jurassic coast in the south of england. so public safety

is a serious concern. whether it is hiking along the coast or swimming in the sea, huge crowds and a wild location means serious incidents are inevitable. it wasn't so long ago that if you got yourself into trouble, you needed to make your way up here to use this, but now 56 has connected the coast. and the initiative to save lives starts out at sea, with the world's first 56 connected buoys. the data they collect includes current, wave height and tidal conditions. and that's all fed back to shore, with speeds claimed to be 8,000 times faster than current technology used out of sea. it's so vital, it enables real—time decision—making. so any changes or sudden changes in the weather, can be notified, and people are kept up to date to help keep safe, and make sure people are utilising the coastal environment sensibly.

these buoys offer more than just sensor data. aquaculture — farming at sea — is a growing part of dorset�*s economy. add sg—connected cameras underneath the buoys offer continuous monitoring of seaweed growth, and also make sure that no—one steals it! believe it or not, people do steal that kind of crop along the jurassic coast, and we're feeding those images via high definition cameras into an ai algorithm, which is analysing the growth rate and saying, "is the seaweed developing at the rate we would expect it to?" and the sea data connected by the buoys is also transmitted via 56 to connected signs dotted along the coastline, providing potentially life—saving, real—time information for visitors. the buoy is sending information like the sea temperature, the sea state, wave height to connected signs. the whole point really

is to give people a now—cast rather than a forecast of what conditions are like in the water. the connected signs also have footfall counters to relay real—time data back to emergency services to prevent overcrowding. and with millions of annual visitors coming to a spot with limited connectivity, the 56 network could make a vital difference. if you come down to the beach here, there is no cellular connectivity, which is quite annoying. if you've just come here for the day to play with your kids or whatever, actually, from a public safety point of view it presents real challenges and can really be the difference between saving lives or not. and whilst erosion has helped shape this stunning coastline, it can also be dangerous, so sensors have been installed along the coast that use the sg network to track ground movement. we also using 56 technologies to connect sensors along the jurassic coast.

it's very unstable, it erodes quite quickly. that's what makes it so stunningly beautiful. if we can use that connectivity to monitor the movement of the land and make sure that we can make changes to the way we manage the coast as a result of that information, that data, that's good for local people and it's good for the visitors who come here. so, with a 56 network that connects sensors out at sea in the cliffs and onshore, this coastline has been revamped for the 21st century, letting visitors enjoy and explore this beautiful landscape, safely. in this week's tech news, ride—hailing giant uber is investigating a hack to its computer networks. it says several internal communications and engineering systems have been compromised after a hacker

showed the new york times evidence they had access to e—mails, cloud storage and code archives. videos and images from the next instalment of the grand theft auto franchise have been leaked online. the long—awaited game will be the next in the series following 2013's grand theft auto v, which is the second bestselling video game of all time. the hacker claims to have the game's source code, too. the source code is literally the thing that runs the game, the nuts and bolts of the game, if you like, and if that has been leaked then it means that rockstar's rivals could potentially look under the bonnet of the game and see how it works, potentially steal some of the trademark ideas that make it so successful. streaming site twitch has announced it will be banning gambling sites including slots, roulette or dice games from mid—0ctober unless they're licensed in the us or other jurisdictions that provide sufficient consumer protection.

and, finally, sony's announced plans to start developing its own brand of hearing aids. the devices, which will be available over the counter, are designed to be able to pick up and use as naturally as contact lenses. at tech expos like ifa, in berlin, you will find all sorts, big and small, weird and wonderful, and while there was not a lot that was brand, brand—new this year, we were able to check in on some technologies we have had our eyes on for a while. we have seen glasses like these get better and better over the years. i'm currently playing a playstation 5 game. it's completely occluding my vision so i cannot see you but if i want to see what is going around, i can go full sci—fi bug eye. this is not augmented reality, no motion tracking, so i cannot

walk around the room and see objects hanging and sticking in space, but this is compatible with pretty much anything that you can connect through a usbc cable, so i am off for a drive! yet, over time, you will see previously groundbreaking technology becoming mainstream at these events. you mightjust come across the next big thing, too, if you walk the floors for long enough. mind you, they are darn clean floors these days! this is what happens when these things breed! look, they are all over the place! but how do the latest robot vacuums shape up? time to compare some of the best. here is chris fox with a �*sweeping' review! rock music. welcome to top of the bots! we're putting four robot vacuum cleaner like this

through their paces on our assault course to see who cleans up! let's have a look at the contestants: we have the eufy robovac x8 hybrid. the miele scout rx3. the irobot roomba j7. and the proscenic m8 pro. we will be testing them against a hand—held unit, the dyson vis detect absolute. can the bots beat it? there are many different features built into each of these vacuums that can be used to tailor your cleaning experience, but today we are only planning to test their most basic functions. completely unscientifically, we willjust turn them on and press go! let's check out the obstacle course. first up we have some pet hair and we've trodden that into the carpet. over here, we have soil. over here, a little obstacle, a chair, and we will see if the bots will get

under there. and then a few extras over here, some toys and a phone charger. as one final challenge, we will cover the whole course in glitter! chimes. let the challenge begin! and they are off! the eufy has made a beeline for the messiest corner with dirt and glitter. we are not testing it here but this vacuum also has a setting that helps it detect areas that need more suction to clean, and it can mop the floor, too. the suction on the miele looks very strong. this vacuum has two types of attachable arms for cleaning different surfaces and cameras that help navigate obstacles. the irobot maps out the space on its first run around the room, not picking up too much dirt in the process. this vacuum can deposit dust into a bin on the base station.

it also uses al to help it avoid obstacles when they are detected through its inbuilt camera. the proscenic has run into trouble pretty early on. it gobbled them up like pac—man! this vacuum has mopping and dust collection features. but it wasn't the only one tripped up by the toys. it hasn't actually sucked them up. onwards. the eufy ran into trouble, too. our robot now has a tail! and the miele ran into the same problem. ok, let's take that out. the irobot did not attempt a full clean until we set up the companion app. and that is the proscenic heading back to base, and it's taking the charging cable with it, too. come on, give it back! not a very good clean. ok, so the eufy has finished

but there still is a lot of glitter, fur and mud. and that is the miele done and even though it got caught on pretty much every obstacle we left out here, it has done a very good job of cleaning. the irobot has gone back to base and it has taken the charging cable all the way with it, and even sent me a photo of the charging cable to the phone, to say it detected an obstacle. you can see a lot of glitter in the corners over there, and a bit of dog hair. rock music. now we're going to pit all the robots against this hand—held dyson. i'm cleaning up really quickly and effectively here. sometimes if you want a good job doing, it is best to do it yourself! i feel like it was quicker than using the robots. i didn't get anything tangled up in the obstacles but my back is sore! rock music.

i feel like all the vacuum cleaners actually did a fairly good job at picking up a lot of the dirt. there was always a bit of glitter left over but these were never going to be as strong as one of these hand—held vacuum cleaners. chris there, proving the robots are not taking over, unfortunately for his back! just before we leave you, let's go back to ifa, in berlin, where spencer has found a friend? yeah, do you think she likes me? how could she not? well, as long as she doesn't leak oil on the sofa and, at ifa, there was even something to you if you are one of those old—fashioned types who likes yourfurry friends to be...er...real! it is a pet dryer, a dryerfor your pets. yeah, i'm not convinced either. but seeing these crazy ideas on the show floor did give me a warm, fuzzy feeling. ahhhhh, that is soooo good! stop, don't stop! stop it now, don't stop!

look, it is hard work, alright? as i said, you can find everything at ifa, from the frivolous to the much more important. if i were to say to you jabra, you might think earphones and earbuds. that's what the company's normally associated with. but it actually has its origins in hearing aids and that is what i'm wearing right now. these are the enhance plus and they are some of the first self—fitting hearing aids, meaning you don't have to go to a specialist to get them configured for you. you set them up using a hearing test in the my phone app and, unusually for self—fitting hearing aids, these let you stream music and calls using your bluetooth from your iphone, too. they are designed for people who should wear hearing aids but don't really want to. so you wear these out and about and it looks like you are just being funky. just wish i had shaved my ears this morning! now, does everyone want you to be everywhere at once? do you need a virtual customer service assistant

who looks a bit more human? i'm having my photo taken because i'm about to be cloned. this korean company specialises in avatars that speak different languages and perform different gestures on the fly. when you are making a video, you have to hire a model, and do the filming and editing. now we can reduce all of that process. all you need is one photo of your face and the system will map it onto a virtual version of you which can then step in when you are out. it isjust yourface. mind, you just have to hope that it fits to one of the preprogrammed body types and styles. i am imagining it is a dark, rainy night. my car has broken down and i knock on the front door of the nearest mansion and it is opened by that lady, and ijust run! the result, i would say, needs more work.

avatar's voice: now i have a clone, i can take the rest i of the week off! and while that totally believable version of me fields my call, i head off to the vr multisensory dome. there is a giant mining truck going by... and i can feel it rumbling. thanks for the vest. yes, it is a haptic vest which vibrates when the experience demands more sensation. also... now i am sitting with a lady on a chair. she is asking me to sniff a piece of chocolate cake. ok, i will! i can certainly smell something. is that chocolate? i think that is probably chocolate. i'm having all my senses stimulated here! my nose is being tickled by scents emitted by the smell ball which only slightly reminds me of the interrogation in starwars. droid in star wars.

imagine you are home or the office any put on the vr and you have the wind and the smell and you have the feeling you are in the maldives. if you really do need transporting somewhere else, here is the city transformer cti micro car, an electric vehicle that can change shape to squeeze into tight parking spaces. and for those who have to pull heavy loads around an industrial setting, here is the soflow mover, possibly the coolest way to carry goods around the warehouse. pulsing blue lights are not included! oh, it really has been a wild ride this year! now, there are plenty of challenges ahead for all of us, so i don't think it is wise to make any predictions at the moment. but i'm sure, whatever happens, some entrepreneur somewhere will have an answer for it!

and i'm afraid that is it from ifa 2022. it is so good to be back. i keep on saying it, keeps on being true. thank you for watching. we will see you soon. hello there. a quiet start to our weekend's weather, but it was certainly a morning of mist and mellow fruitfulness for some of us. quite an atmospheric picture sent in this morning from cheshire east. yes, some poor visibility, but also some lovely morning sunshine as well. light winds, too, so in devon, the sea was like a millpond first thing this morning.

we did see some heavy rain easing away. that's now moved off to the near continent. and here's the clearer skies. so it's a case of sunny spells and just a few showers as we go through the rest of the day. perhaps the showers driven in on that northerly breeze off the north sea coast, and they'll move a little further inland as we go through the afternoon. but they'll be very hit and miss. many of us will keep just some sunny spells throughout the day, and top temperatures peaking between 12 and 16 degrees in scotland and northern ireland, perhaps highest values of 18 celsius further south. the showers will tend to fade through the evening and actually overnight, particularly across england and wales, we'll have some clearer skies here. a little more cloud into northern ireland and western scotland will hold temperatures up into double figures. but elsewhere we're likely to see single figures. quite a chilly start to the morning on sunday, but hopefully, again, compensated by a lot of sparkling sunshine for sunday. now, the cloud will continue to bring a few scattered showers and as we go through the morning,

north west of the great glens, some rain, quite heavy at times, will gradually drift its way steadily south and east. 15 degrees in the rain, highest values of 18 degrees, perhaps, further south and east. as we move into monday, those weather fronts will sink their way steadily southwards and the winds will strengthen. a blustery day awaits and the wind direction important. it's coming from the north and that's going to drive in this cooler air. so the blues penetrating far south as we go through the next few days ahead. so there'll be some early morning rain to clear away on monday. a trail of showers behind, a windy afternoon for many in comparison to of late. and that's just going to make it feel a little bit cooler perhaps than the temperatures suggest. so we're going to see highs in scotland around 8 to 13 degrees, maybe 16 celsius in the far southeast. and that cooler, fresher and more unsettled theme will continue as we move into tuesday and wednesday. take care.

good afternoon. the government has defended its sweeping range of tax cuts from criticism that they favour the better off. the chancellor kwasi kwarteng's package of measures include scrapping the top rate of income tax for the highest earners and reducing the basic rate by a penny — moves the government says will promote growth. the institute for fiscal studies says the richest — who pay the most tax — will benefit the most from a cut. our political correspondent helen catt reports. it's an all—out attempt to grow the economy with the biggest tax cuts in four decades.