welcome to bbc news. i'm ben boulos. our top stories: the worst drought somalia has seen in a0 years: the stark warning from the united nations, as aid camps admit a starving child every minute. you get a good idea here of how quickly this crisis is starting to accelerate. three, even 400 people now, arriving at this one small camp every day now. more than 1,000 towns and villages across ukraine are left without power after russia's latest bombardment targets power plants. president biden promises a national law on abortion rights, if democrats keep control of congress in the mid—term elections. with your support, i will sign a law codifying roe injanuary.

together, let's remember who we are. we are the united states of america, there is nothing beyond our capacity! netflix reverses a drop in customer numbers as a stream of new programmes helps it sign—up almost 2.5 million new households. and as the bbc celebrates its 100th anniversary, we look ahead at the challenges it faces. the head of the un children's agency, unicef, has warned that the drought currently gripping somalia could lead to the deaths of young people on a scale not seen for 50 years.

climate change and conflict have contributed to severe food shortages across the horn of africa. 0ur africa correspondent, andrew harding, reports from the border town of dolow where people walk for days to come in search of life—saving help. we're heading out into somalia's drought lands, with an armed escort on the lookout for islamist militants, but all we encounter are dying villages. a solitary camel, too weak to stand, marks the entrance to a place called kaharai. a 56—year—old farmer, ibrahim, takes us to see what's become of his goats. the last of his herd now dead from hunger. did you ever imagine your life would end up like this? "never," he says, "but when there's no rain, there's no future for this "kind of life."

and it's notjust the animals that are dying. which is why most villages are emptying fast. small convoys like this one setting off in search of food and water. after a long trek, these families have reached the outskirts of a border town called dolow. nine days, they have been walking for the last nine days. the local authorities have organised tea for the new arrivals. and someone else registers them on a list that is growing by the hour. you get a good idea here of how quickly this crisis is starting to accelerate, with 300 or even 400 people arriving at this one small camp every day now. and the international aid effort lagging far behind. there's been a lot of lethargy,

actually, help hasn't been coming. i guess the international community's also looking at other areas where you know there is a lot of other things going on in the world. distracted? absolutely, they have been distracted with a lot of other things going on everywhere. some aid is reaching some parts of somalia. so, you all have these mobile phones now? these women are getting cash from the united nations, sent directly to their phones. a handy system in a country where a long—running conflict makes humanitarian access so difficult. but it's not enough. right now the world is providing less than half of what's needed to save hundreds of thousands of lives. i mean, i think we are in a completely unprecedented situation here. so we describe the situation here as completely historic in terms of the combination of climatic and conflict effects in the context of something that is so severe, so protracted, it needs a significantly different level of response.

that means a massive push now to save somalia from another famine and a much longer struggle to help it cope with the accelerating ravages of climate change. andrew harding, dolow, somalia. unicef spokesmanjames elder who is in dolow told me about the greatest challenges they were facing. the two biggest things there, nutrition, nutrition, water, water, and in the last few months we have reached 500,000 people with clean water and when you see a child so malnourished you see the mothers go for days and weeks and it is often unclean water, it is disease or diarrhoea that will kill that little boy or girl. so clear water and this one wonder food. this highly nutritious paste and we have treated about 300,000 children this

year but these numbers just have to keep growing because as you just saw there, the numbers of children, mums and babies coming into the place across the country and to places where we cannot reach because of instability, these numbers keep growing. i was going to ask about that, the challenges your team is based on the ground. how difficult is it for them to reach the people who need their help most? i mean, as he saw there, hundreds of people have been arriving today, again in dolow with nothing, and, yet, they tell you stories of the livestock and livelihoods they had. good, rural lives, and it is gone, there is no safety net for them anymore so they come to places like this, and, yes, there is support that unicef gives on the front line but in other areas, children are dying on the way. that insurgency you talk about, al—shabab,

makes it difficult to reach areas and now we are doing find and treat, we have mobile teams that unicef sends out to try and find the children before they get to an absolutely desperate stage, before they need hospitalisation, before their mothers bury them on the way. those mobile teams are critical but, again, there are insurgents and it is a very difficult place to operate across the country. this is a crisis unlike the famine of 2011, which is starting to spread across somalia. looking back to that famine of 2011, what lessons are there from that and have they been applied this time round you try to avoid any unnecessary loss of life? yeah, look, i think several lessons and some have replied and some haven't. the biggest lesson we keep yelling about in trying to respond to is that a famine has not been declared yet even though people are living in those sorts of conditions. the declaration of famine in 2011, by the time that happened, more than 100,000 people had died, tens of thousands of children had died. that is why we are trying

to move like this for months and months but money needs to come and come early because supply chains take time. so, those lessons are being applied and money is filtering in now and the uk government and us government have commissioned and the money is coming but the level of the crisis is still outstripping the supply. that is a key one as your correspondence there, climate. that was not a big message of 2011 but there is no doubt, beyond rising food prices because of the invasion of russia of ukraine and what that is done to fuel and food, we have to look at the impact the climate crisis is having and look at the excesses that have gone on in the west and how they are being paid for by the world's poorest children. james, thank you for highlighting that. now the latest on russia's onslaught of ukraine and the impact on civilians. there are now more than 1,000

towns and villages across the country without power. president zelensky says 30% of ukraine's power stations had been destroyed in the past eight days. tom brada reports. russian airstrikes continue to bombard ukraine's energy grid, and millions now face the prospect of a freezing winter with not enough power to keep warm. translation: it is scary. i don't know how to prepare. we do not have an autonomous generator in the building. it seems like we will be sitting without light, and in the cold. in kyiv, recent attacks mean there are already blackouts and the water supply is faltering also. we calculate a scenario in the next winter but we see the russians are trying to destroy the critical infrastructure and they want the people to freeze in the winter. it is a familiar picture across much of ukraine. a series of defeats on the battlefield mean russia has a new objective away from the front lines — the devastation of ukraine's electricity supply.

one of the chief architects of the strategy is this man, general sergei surovikin. nicknamed �*general armageddon�*, the kremlin hopes he contain russian fortunes around but in his first televised interview since being appointed to the top commander in ukraine, he seemed to offer a rare acknowledgement of russian difficulties. troop positions. february.

its current tactics. civilians and now critical infrastructure are now squarely in the firing lines as russia attempts to maximise chaos and re—establish its footing in the war. tom brada, bbc news. in other news, the british prime minister, liz truss, has been trying to bolster support for her leadership by meeting mps to try and get them on side. downing street insists that her full focus is on the challenges facing the country. she is likely to face difficult questions in parliament on wednesday. the florida county devastated by hurricane ian last month has seen a surge in cases of flesh—eating bacteria illnesses and deaths. lee county recorded 29 illnesses and 4 deaths due to vibrio vulnificus infections. the bacteria lives in warm brackish water, like standing floodwaters.

a french cement company has pleaded guilty in the united states to charges of supporting the islamic state group. lafarge admitted that its syrian subsidiary paid armed groups to help protect factory staff. it's been ordered to pay nearly $780 million. it's three weeks to go until the us midterm elections. at stake is which party will control congress. democrats are hoping that abortion will be a major issue for voters, after the supreme court overturned the national right to have one. president biden has called for abortion rights to be codified in us law. 0ur north america correspondent, peter bowes, explained how the democrats are hoping to shift the focus and the debate in these midterms onto the issue of abortion. the president is certainly trying to shift the interest of voters onto those issues where he feels as if he has an advantage and certainly opinion polls since the supreme

court acted several months ago would suggest that most people believe in the right of a woman to have an abortion, if she chooses. the challenge for the president and the democrats is to get the attention shifted away from the problems that most people are facing, and that is the cost of living crisis, rising inflation, you only have to drive down a high street in california in los angeles and look at the petrol prices and realise that those are the issues that most people are struggling with, can they pay rent, meet mortgage at the end of the month? as you indicate, those traditionally are the issues that people will vote on at any election and especially in a mid—term election. the governing party, the party that holds the white house, the democrats, in this case, are likely to lose seats in congress and the same would apply to republicans. this is a big challenge forjoe biden and that is why clearly he is speaking out now, some three weeks before the election.

this is blatant electioneering but he wants to try to focus on those people around the country, especially younger people and especially women, from different political persuasions. the republicans and independents as well who may well be sympathetic with his views on the views of the democrats on abortion. we can now speak to robin swanson who's a democratic strategist, she joins us from sacramento. what do you make of this pledge by the president to codify the right portion nationwide if the demo let's take control of congress?— demo let's take control of concress? ~ . . demo let's take control of concress? ~ ., . ., congress? we are closing in on october and — congress? we are closing in on october and voting _ congress? we are closing in on october and voting has - congress? we are closing in on october and voting has begun i october and voting has begun across the country and a lot of states, income of cornea we have mail and ballots, we bailed —— mail ballots a couple of weeks ago, voting has started and he needs to motivate voters in the mid—term election. doesn't usually bode

well for a mid—term incumbent president as you know, but there is a lot at stake on this ballot, primarily abortion, possibly gay rights, contraception, i mean it's an extremely conservative us supreme court, and we have seen injust revert 50 supreme court, and we have seen in just revert 50 years on women's reproductive rights, and so i think, using that as a motivator to get people to the ballot is critically important, and they have seen it even work with conservative voters in states like kansas, i think this is a really important mantra for the president to follow through on. is mantra for the president to follow through on.- mantra for the president to follow through on. is there not an inherent — follow through on. is there not an inherent danger— follow through on. is there not an inherent danger in - follow through on. is there not an inherent danger in tying - an inherent danger in tying that commitment to codify on the right to abortion with the result of control of congress after the midterms, because presumably, the republicans could potentially, if they were in control of congress a common

lot, you put it to the country and they have effectively said they don't want it codified because they didn't give democrats control of congress? i would stay look at any poll now two—thirds of americans support codifying roe versus wade and more, i don't think that would be an effective argument on their part, think the president is pulling out all the stops, here in california we had hillary clinton come visit last week, which would enshrine the right to abortion in the state of california which would make it a century state for women seeking abortions and abortion providers, knowing how critically important that was evenin critically important that was even in california, hillary clinton came out here because there are five competitive congressional seats, even in california. congressional seats, even in california-— congressional seats, even in california. . , , , california. what is the biggest weakness that _ california. what is the biggest weakness that the _ california. what is the biggest weakness that the democrats| weakness that the democrats have going into this, how do they need to address it to

avoid losing votes? i mean, it's tough — avoid losing votes? i mean, it's tough out _ avoid losing votes? i mean, it's tough out there, - avoid losing votes? i mean, it's tough out there, james| it's tough out there, james cargo says the economy is tipping, as does a large portion of the world right now, there are tough pocketbook issues we have to overcome, but people don't like the right stripped away, and i thinkjoe biden is tapping into something there, that is a visceral reaction for people. robin, we must leave — reaction for people. robin, we must leave it _ reaction for people. robin, we must leave it there, _ reaction for people. robin, we must leave it there, thank- reaction for people. robin, we must leave it there, thank you very much for your thoughts. robin swanson democratic strategist, joining us from sacramento. stay with us on bbc news, still to come: how netflix reversed a drop in customer numbers, with a series of hit shows, and millions of new subscribers. a historic moment that many of his victims have waited for for decades —

the former dictator in the dock, older, slimmer and, as he sat down, obedient enough. dawn, and as the sun breaks through the piercing chill of night on the plain outside korum, it lights up a biblical famine now, in the 20th century. the depressing conclusion — in argentina today, - it is actually cheaper— to paper your walls with money. we've had controversies in the past with great britain but as good friends, we have always found a good and lasting solution. concorde bows out in style. after almost three decades in service, an aircraft that has enthralled its many admirers for so long taxis home one last time.

this is bbc news. the latest headlines: the united nations has issued a stark warning that somalia is facing the worst drought in 40 years — with aid camps admitting a starving child every minute. more than a thousand towns and villages across ukraine are left without power after russia's latest bombardment targets power plants. clean up efforts are continuing in venezuela, after at least three people were killed in a landslide. it's the latest disaster to hit the country — heavy rains have killed dozens and left hundreds homeless in recent weeks. emer mccarthy reports. a torrent of muddy water, from above the damage from weeks of intense rains in malachi is laid bare. this landslide which killed at least three people in the city less than 100 miles south—west of the capital caracas, is the latest disaster

to hit venezuela. i caracas, is the latest disaster to hit venezuela.— to hit venezuela. i saw water coming. _ to hit venezuela. i saw water coming, branches, _ to hit venezuela. i saw water coming, branches, cars, - to hit venezuela. i saw water coming, branches, cars, was| coming, branches, cars, was horrible and the order came to the shop and i was there with two employees we barely managed to get out, thank god, it was horrible stop.— to get out, thank god, it was horrible stop. wading through half dee- horrible stop. wading through half deep mud _ horrible stop. wading through half deep mud her _ horrible stop. wading through half deep mud her home - horrible stop. wading through half deep mud her home is i horrible stop. wading through | half deep mud her home isjust one that was destroyed. the downpour — one that was destroyed. the downpour of _ one that was destroyed. the downpour of rain _ one that was destroyed. tue: downpour of rain came one that was destroyed. tte: downpour of rain came down one that was destroyed. "tt2 downpour of rain came down and we heard the rumble, we saw the garage go on the street and an avalanche making sounds. all the rubber came in and filled our house, in side house we had a meet of a half of water and mud, we arrived to see what can be salvaged from inside the house. . , be salvaged from inside the house. ., , ., ~ house. heavy rains have killed dozens and left _ house. heavy rains have killed dozens and left hundreds - dozens and left hundreds homeless in the state of aragua state in recent weeks, for nervous residence, rubble and rocks have now become makeshift flood barriers as they try to

protect every they can salvage. emer mccarthy, venezuela, bbc news. netflix says it has stopped losing customers due to competition and pressures from the rising cost of living. the streamer gained 2.4 million subscribers worldwide between july and september. i've been speaking to market watch�*s tech editor jeremy 0wens about whether this growth in subscribers can continue. they seem to think so. they predicted 4.5 million new subscribers in the fourth quarter, the ceo afterwards said, "thank god for the end of shrinking quarters." they've instituted all these new terms and programmes to turn this around so they seem to think they are good for the rest of this year and that the new ad—supported tier and password—sharing crackdowns they are instituting will help go into 2023 and keep momentum going. so the field is increasingly competitive, there are new players entering the market all the time fighting for those subscribers. with the cost—of—living pressures people

are facing, is there a danger, do you think, that actually maybe some of those other smaller entrants to the market will be the ones that just don't survive? oh, i think you can pretty much guarantee that is going to happen. you just can't sustain this money. if you think, as a consumer, how many streaming services are you going to subscribe to and are you going to churn through them enough to get different ones to keep them alive? it's very unlikely we will end up with just a plethora of streaming services. now, there are some deep pockets in this. i don't see nbc dropping peacock, i don't see disney, disney is doing great with its efforts, so i think there will be some of these smaller ones that kind of fall off and eventually hit a wall. obviously, i don't think that will happen with netflix, that is the first one, that is the biggest one right now along with disney and its offerings but, yes, you are going to see eventually, as the streaming market matures, you will see

some of these not make it. the bbc is 100 years old today. it started in 1922 as the british broadcasting company — with just four employees and a promise that there would be no news broadcasts before 7pm. a lot has changed since then. 0ur media editor amol rajan reports. 2l0, marconi house, london, calling. a century ago, this country did a curious thing. it set up a company that would use wireless communication to engage the public. and so the bbc was born. put the statement in. get everything off. 0ver that century, it has faced few bigger tests than the death of her majesty queen elizabeth ii. do we have the go? yeah. we can go, chris. 0k. let's do it. yeah. a few moments ago, buckingham palace l announced the death of - her majesty queen elizabeth ii. bbc is interrupting normal programmes. for 100 years now,

the bbc has been a mirror to the nation. from the announcement of war... this country is at war with germany. ..reflecting every aspect of our lives, from sporting glory... they think it's all over. it is now. it's four. ..to the birth of local radio... we've had the postmaster general to open the station. the lord mayor of leicester... after hours of shooting... gunfire. ..and facing a line of troops, the crowd is still here. ..and the unfolding of world history. i'm going to give you i a damn good thrashing! the corporation has created countless smaller cultural institutions, from shows across genres such as comedy... laughter. dr who theme. ..and programmes in drama... dr who theme. ..to national treasures. ..meaning and mutual understanding in exchanging a glance.

along the way, the bbc has made a habit of annoying prime ministers... thank you for what the bbc, if they are true to their usual form, will tonight describe as a hostile reception. laughter. ..and been responsible for some appalling scandals. new technologies allow the bbc to reach ever bigger audiences and secure its emotional contract with the people. but today's new technologies — the internet, smartphones, social media — have weakened the bbc�*s grip on our culture, and, together with political pressure, threaten its future. in an age of super—abundant choice, there is a generational divide in consumption of bbc shows. to remain relevant, vital and loved, it needs to use the latest technology to secure a new contract with the people, and persuade them

that it is worth paying for. you can meet each —— reach me on the team on social media. hello again. yesterday, once the early morning mist and fog patches had cleared out of the way, most parts of the uk had plenty of sunshine but there were some big contrasts in the temperatures from north to south. across england and wales, very mild weather. in parts of sussex, temperatures as high as 20 degrees but even though we had sunshine across the north of the uk and scotland, here, it was much cooler, with temperatures in shetland just reaching 10 degrees. the reason, well we had this cooler air mass underneath this area of high pressure and that will be slipping eastwards over the next few days and this area of low pressure to our south—west really is going to dominate and will be very slow—moving so we will transition to even more unsettled weather conditions, really, and that transition is taking place right now. we are seeing outbreaks of rain arrive with strengthening winds

and look at this, towards the start of wednesday morning, the end of the night, we're looking at temperatures of 16 degrees in plymouth and those temperatures are higher than they should be during the middle of the afternoon, let alone at the end of the night. through the west of wednesday, these bands of rain are going to erratically work their way northwards and a little bit further eastwards as we go through the day. i suspect parts of east anglia, north—east england and scotland will stay dry but there will be more cloud around, a few bright or sunny spells and a windier kind of day, gusts running into 30s of miles per hour but still very mild, 15—19 for england and wales, those temperatures a bit below average for scotland and northern ireland. for thursday, another band of rain comes up and this one is going to be heavier, perhaps with some numbers are funded as it swings across all of the country. just tending to clear, the skies brighten up there could be certain hefty showers arriving late in the day from further south. temperatures are still mild, 16—19 for england and wales, temperatures rising a bit

and northern ireland but still close to average really in scotland. on friday, the low pressure is still firmly in charge. there will be plenty of showers around, potentially merging to give some lengthier spells of rain towards parts of wales, western england and northern ireland, closest to that centre of low pressure but it's mild again, temperatures are starting to rise a little bit in scotland with highs heading to 15 degrees or so through the central belt. that low pressure, though, is stuck with us through the weekend, so it's a case of further rain or showers, but it does stay on the mild side. that's your latest, bye—bye.

this is bbc news, the headlines: the united nations has issued a stark warning that somaila is facing the worst drought in 40 years. aid camps have been admitting a starving child every minute, often from families who have spents days walking in search of life—saving help. climate change and conflict have both contributed to the severe food shortages. the authorities in ukraine say the latest russian air strikes have left more than 1,000 towns and villages without power. president zelensky criticised moscow's widespread use of iranian—made drones in the current spate of attacks, and said the situation was now critical, with water supplies also affected. president biden has promised that the first bill he will sign into law next year if the democrats retain control of congress will be

to reinstate nationwide abortion rights. the democrats have made reproductive rights a central part of their campaign for the midterm elections. now on bbc news, panorama. it was supposed to be a celebration, the biggest day in european football. liverpool will take on real madrid for what they hope will become their seventh european cup victory. but for thousands of liverpool fans, the dream ended before the game had even begun. they fired tear gas. people were getting crushed at the front. it was like a war zone. i am layla wright, a journalist from liverpool. five months ago, chaos in paris echoed one of my city's darkest chapters.