this is bbc news, i'm ben brown. the headlines. anti—government protests in china against strict covid restrictions are spreading, with some demonstrators calling for the country's leader, president xi, to go. with further rail strikes expected before christmas, the transport secretary says reform is needed to fund wage rises. what has to happen is we have to agree on a set of reforms. it's the reforms that free up the savings that then unlock the ability for companies to make an offer to the trade unions on pay. but labour argues the government needs to do more to support workers during a cost of living crisis. we think it is unconscionable that nurses and rail workers who went out and kept this country moving

during a pandemic are not being paid enough to put food on the table. two 16—year—old boys have died after being stabbed about a mile apart in south—east london , police say they are trying to establish if the two deaths are linked. we'll be live at the scene as we await a press conference from the police. people who use social media posts to encourage self—harm will face criminal prosecution under new government proposals. rescue efforts are under way to find survivors after a mudslide triggered by heavy rains swept away homes on the italian island of ischia. hello and welcome if you're watching

in the uk or around the world. good afternoon. protests have erupted in cities across china, as people call for an end to strict lockdown measures to curb the spread of coronavirus. in a show of defiance in shanghai, china's biggest city, we just want to go to a news conference on those two stabbings in london. i'm a detective super intendant for southeast pcu in london. this is an extremely sad day for all of us who live and work in greenwich. the police are investigating the tragic murders of two teenage boys and my thoughts and deepest sympathies are with the families and friends. and indeed with local people in the abbey wood and thamesmead who i know are both shocked and appalled by what has happened. as the deputy borough

commander of the met south—east commander of the met south—east command unit, ijoin the community in being deeply saddened and outraged by the senseless murders. on saturday evening, at around ten past five, police were called to reports of two people injured into locations. abbey wood and thamesmead. the locations are approximately one mile apart. emergency services attended immediately and at each location, they found a 16—year—old boy suffering stab injuries, tragically, both boys died of their injuries. i can confirm the two young boys... the families are aware and we asked that the family had the privacy

respected at this time. specialist officers will ensure they are given all the support we can possibly provide. homicide colleagues are investigating and are treating the two murders as linked. i can assure everybody, affected by these murders, that skilled detectives will work tirelessly to discover what happened and provide answers to the young victims families. tackling violence is a priority for the met. days like today show that by our work is so important and why must ask all again, the london communities to work with us and our partner so that we are doing all we can together to prevent such tragedies. officers are especially keen to hear from anyone who may have seen a dark—coloured suv or 4x4 type vehicle with distinctive silver roof bars in the areas around the locations in the days before and prior to the murders. we have

already heard from a number of witnesses and i'm gratefulfor them, i am grateful to them for getting in touch to provide information to the police. i am appealing for any witnesses who may have seen either incident. also interested in speaking with those who knew them and might be able to offer some information or insight into the senseless killings. and we urge you to contact police on 101, giving the reference 4943 of the 26th of november. information can also be provided to crime stoppers anonymously online or by calling oh 805 they do not ask your name or trace your ip address. inquiries are ongoing. they do not —— will not

offerfurther ongoing. they do not —— will not offer further comment ongoing. they do not —— will not offerfurther comment at ongoing. they do not —— will not offer further comment at this time. so that was the deputy commander he was just saying that detectives are treating those two deaths, those two stabbings which he described as tragic and senseless as connected. they were just a mile apart, 16—year—old boy stabbed to death in abbey wood and thamesmead areas of london and police, as you heard there, appealing for anyone who saw either of those stabbings to come forward and also for any information about a dark suv or 4x4. let's go to the scene of one of the stabbings and join our correspondent simon jones he was there and the police the just saying how senseless and tragic these killings are but also appealing for witnesses. yes. tragic these killings are but also appealing for witnesses. yes, you not a appealing for witnesses. yes, you got a sense _ appealing for witnesses. yes, you got a sense from _ appealing for witnesses. yes, you got a sense from the _ appealing for witnesses. yes, you got a sense from the police - appealing for witnesses. yes, you got a sense from the police they i appealing for witnesses. yes, you i got a sense from the police they are of the shock that they are feeling

and also the community are feeling here too. about a killing that happened here and another one just around a mile from here. now, at the start of the day, the police that they were looking into whether these two murders were linked. in keeping with learn from that a news conference, and that statement there, was that they do believe these two deaths linked. in terms of these two deaths linked. in terms of the appeal they say they are looking for a dark 4x4 in the area in the days before the attack. they also want to hear from anyone else who might have any other information and speaking to people herejust might have any other information and speaking to people here just to add to that sense of shock, i spoke to one person who said that yesterday evening at around 5pm, they heard screens in this area and saw a large amount of activity. we then spoke to one he tried to give cpr to one of the boys but ultimately that proved to be in vain. the police stressed

that knife crime is coming down in london particularly they say statistics showing that the number of people being stabbed, particularly young people being stabbed has come down this year compared to previous years and they recently carried out a one—week operation in which they arrested 500 people and said they had seized 130 knives but what we've seen from what happened here last night and just down the road, it is still a problem and that is why you get from the police a sense that this is really a senseless crime. wired mag they were saying that they want more witnesses but they've already had several witnesses come forward and are grateful for them witnesses come forward and are gratefulfor them coming witnesses come forward and are grateful for them coming forward to speak to the police. yes. in cases like this the message you get from the police as this is something the police cannot solve on their own and often they really rely on the local

community to come forward, to give extra information, to provide vital details. it is not clear how many people witness this but certainly it happened yesterday evening just after 5pm here and around a mile down the road. it would have been a busy time so there may well have been people who saw what happened or saw people acting suspiciously and what may have happened in the run—up to this but the key message from the police, if you do have any information and do come forward, however insignificant it might seem. thank you very much indeed. simon jones reporting there. back to china. protesters in cities across the country have been calling for an end to strict covid lockdown measures. end to strict covid lockdown measures. in a show of defiance in shanghai, china's biggest city, protestors were bundled into police cars amid calls for president xi jinping to resign. millions of people have been living with heavy covid restrictions, as the communist government struggles with record infection levels. our china correspondent stephen

mcdonell reports from beijing. it's not unusual to see acts of defiance in china, but this was something different. a crowd of protesters in shanghai chanted, calling for the country's leader xijinping to stand down and for the communist party to give up power. a fire which killed ten residents in changsha last week has prompted widespread anger in china. zero—covid restrictions have been blamed for hampering people's escape and slowing the access for fire crews. whether this is true or not, it's sparked waves of protest in the regional capital, urumqi. this has now spread to other cities and university campuses, as spontaneous memorial services for those who died in the fire have transformed into demonstrations, calling for an end to lockdowns, mass testing and other coronavirus measures.

people are also blaming xi jinping personally for not easing the zero—covid approach which is tanking the economy. protests have been building in china all year, with people here increasingly sick of zero—covid restrictions. the government seems to have drastically underestimated popular discontent, yet for the moment has no easy way out of the zero—covid corner it's painted itself into. stephen mcdonell, bbc news, beijing. joining us now from washington china director at human rights watch sophie richardson. thanks for being with ours. how significant do you think these protests are and how much of a threat to the regime are they? the? threat to the regime are they? they are unprecedented, _ threat to the regime are they? tie: are unprecedented, notjust

threat to the regime are they? tie1: are unprecedented, notjust during his tenure of the last ten years but it is possible these are the largest and most widespread protests since 1989, the tiananmen square protests and it is extraordinary that they are notjust calling for an end to the covid lockdown but, as the setup he suggests, also very frontally challenging the president and the chinese communist party boss mike will. this is an extraordinary set of developments overjust the past week. of developments over 'ust the past week. ., . , of developments over 'ust the past week. . . , , ., week. other grievances 'ust about these covid — week. other grievances 'ust about these covid restrictions _ week. other grievancesjust about these covid restrictions or - week. other grievancesjust about these covid restrictions or other. these covid restrictions or other wider grievances, do you think, that they are protesting about? i wider grievances, do you think, that they are protesting about?— they are protesting about? i think we are hearing — they are protesting about? i think we are hearing much _ they are protesting about? i think we are hearing much broader - we are hearing much broader grievances. restrictions on freedom of expression, there is no accountability for local or national officials about either the abuse and implementation of the zero covid policies and other restrictions that people across the country deal with. and i think what we are particularly concerned about at the moment is how the authorities respond, the

government is not only continuing to commit crimes humanity but also a long track record of arbitrary detention, suppression of peaceful protests. detention, suppression of peaceful rotests. ., ., protests. you mention those in the west, in a — protests. you mention those in the west, in a sense, _ protests. you mention those in the west, in a sense, what _ protests. you mention those in the west, in a sense, what happened l west, in a sense, what happened therefore there was a fire in a residential block, a lot of people died and people there blamed covid restrictions for the fact that people couldn't go in and rescue some of those who were killed, that is ignited a process in that region of the country, hasn't it? yes. is ignited a process in that region of the country, hasn't it?- of the country, hasn't it? yes, it is extraordinary _ of the country, hasn't it? yes, it is extraordinary that _ of the country, hasn't it? yes, it is extraordinary that people - of the country, hasn't it? yes, it l is extraordinary that people across the country are responding to these developments and there is a lot that we still don't particularly know about what and when but the demonstration of sympathy and concern across regional lines, that there are such common complaints about local and central authorities,

is among other things exactly what he doesn't want. this is a government that has worked hard to try to isolate communities from one another and show that the grievances are different and one community is problematic for another, for others. nuts and i think there will be particularly unhappy to see, for example, people in hong kong making gestures of support for people elsewhere and people sympathising across the country. this is not what he has in mind. so across the country. this is not what he has in mind.— he has in mind. so how will he deal with this? i — he has in mind. so how will he deal with this? i would _ he has in mind. so how will he deal with this? i would have _ he has in mind. so how will he deal with this? i would have regime - he has in mind. so how will he deal| with this? i would have regime deal with this? i would have regime deal with this? i would have regime deal with this? will theyjust crack down harder? because they will be worried the sort of protest could spread and intensify? you make absolutely. i mean, the censorship machine went into overdrive fairly quickly trying to take some kind of information off—line. there have been a large police presence is in places like and we are already aware that there have been an a wave of arrests and

we'll see how the authorities behave in the coming 2a hours but let's just be very clear. in the coming 24 hours but let's just be very clear.— in the coming 24 hours but let's just be very clear. everyone has the riaht just be very clear. everyone has the ri . ht to just be very clear. everyone has the right to peacefully _ just be very clear. everyone has the right to peacefully protest - just be very clear. everyone has the right to peacefully protest and - just be very clear. everyone has the right to peacefully protest and we l right to peacefully protest and we urge the chinese authorities to respect that and i still leaders of democracy to take this opportunity to show some solidarity with people across china taking extraordinary risks. ., ~' , ., across china taking extraordinary risks. . ~ , ., ., across china taking extraordinary risks. . ., thank you for your time. the transport secretary mark harper has said unions must agree reforms to the railways before they negotiate a pay rise for their workers. the long running dispute over pay has led to nationwide strikes, led by the rmt and aslef. speaking to the bbc�*s laura kuenssberg, mr harper said there wasn't a "bottomless pit" of taxpayers' money available for the railways. our political correspondent helen catt reports. there have been repeated walk—outs on the railways for months. just yesterday, it was the drivers out on a daylong strike.

guards and signallers are among the staff to hold another series of walk—outs — this time for 48 hours each time — in december and january. this morning, the transport secretary, mark harper, said he wanted to see the dispute resolved but insisted a deal on pay must be funded by reaching agreement on changes to working practices. train operating companies and network rail will have the ability to reach a deal, but we have to be able to have that reform package negotiated because it is only that that throws up the savings. i do not have a bottomless pit of taxpayers' money to throw at the problem. the rmt union general secretary mick lynch met with mr harper early this week in what has been seen as a more conciliatory approach from the government, in tone at least. unions still want assurances ministers are not pulling the strings. what the unions need to know is whether the companies have authority to do a deal

because we know that every train operating company has a clause in its contract written by the government on dispute handling, but the unions do not know what is in it. labour has said it wants to see people paid fairly, but it has not said it would commit to inflation—matching pay increases if in government. you're asking me to commmit - to a specific number without having been invited into the negotiations and seen the books. _ what i can tell you is we think- it is unconscionable nurses and rail workers who went out and kept - the country moving in the pandemic are not being paid enough to put food on the table. i next month will also see nurses go on strike in england, wales and northern ireland, as a winter of more industrial action looms. helen catt, bbc news. germany got a real boost at the world cup this afternoon as costa rica beatjapan1—0 — thanks to a late goal. a result that opens up that group afterjapan surprisingly beat germany in their opening game.

having shocked four—time world champions germany, japan lacked spark for large parts of today's match against a costa rica side who themselves had been hammered 7—0 by spain. the only goal of the game came in the 81st minute with a deflected strike. and it was costa rica's first shot on target at this world cup. let's speak to dan orlowitz, sports writer for the japan times. what do you thinkjapanese fans are going to make of this? a topsy—turvy tournament for them. it going to make of this? a topsy-turvy tournament for them.— tournament for them. it certainly has been- — tournament for them. it certainly has been. funds _ tournament for them. it certainly has been. funds right _ tournament for them. it certainly has been. funds right now- tournament for them. it certainly has been. funds right now are i has been. funds right now are incredibly disappointed, as you can imagine. they came into this game wanting and expecting so much more, especially because of that result against germany but, as it turned out, in some ways, the clock has struck midnight injapan is turned

back into a pumpkin because this was a game that fell below expectations of how well this team could perform. what are the expectations question i can remember covering the world cup injapan when it was there. there were such euphoria, actually, when japan did quite well in the tournament a few years ago but what were their hopes and expectations for this tournament, do you think? i think that for this tournament you have to consider that they were grouped with two former world cup champions especially to recent champions especially to recent champions and that is not an easy group to navigate. but to win against germany and go into this game against costa rica which was on paper supposed to be very winnable. i think that everyone thought a win against costa rica plus a jaw ache in spain or germany would have possibly been a way to get through the group is the second seed and get into the round of 16. at the 20 years ago that was japan's first

time getting into knockouts and that was certainly a special occasion and now they've got into the last 16 three times and the goal was to get through the round 16 and into the quarterfinals and now it is very much injeopardy. quarterfinals and now it is very much in jeopardy.— much in 'eopardy. how big is football much injeopardy. how big is football in _ much injeopardy. how big is football in japan? _ much injeopardy. how big is football in japan? how - much injeopardy. how big is football in japan? how much j much in jeopardy. how big is l football in japan? how much is much in jeopardy. how big is - football in japan? how much is it football injapan? how much is it seized the imagination of the people there? it seized the imagination of the people there? , , _, seized the imagination of the people there? , , ., there? it is the second most popular team sort there? it is the second most popular team sport and _ there? it is the second most popular team sport and has _ there? it is the second most popular team sport and has surpassed - there? it is the second most popular team sport and has surpassed sumo | team sport and has surpassed sumo and is catching up to baseball. the league was founded nearly ten years ago and will celebrate its 30th anniversary with three divisions. football is root here and the fact that 19 out of out of 26 of japan's players are in germany, in europe, three of them in thej league have previous european experience that shows you that japanese football no longerjust produces good players are playing japan, produces players who can go to compete in the global

stage and that is the japan you saw against germany and not the japan you saw today against coaster ricoh. the former german international footballer jurgen klinsmann says he wants to speak to carlos queiroz to "calm things down" after the iran manager said the german's criticism of his team was a "disgrace to football". bbc pundit klinsmann accused iran of gamesmanship and said they "worked the referee" in their 2—0 win over queiroz tweeted that the remarks "undermine our efforts, sacrifices and skills" and invited him to their camp. he also called for him to resign from fifa's world cup let's speak to german football expert, raphael honigstein. first of all, let's just talk about

germany at this tournament. it has been a mixed tournament for them as well. what are people in germany feeling? it well. what are people in germany feelin: ? ., , well. what are people in germany feelina? ., , , , feeling? it has only been terrible. defeat against _ feeling? it has only been terrible. defeat against japan, _ feeling? it has only been terrible. defeat against japan, may - feeling? it has only been terrible. defeat against japan, may be - feeling? it has only been terrible. defeat against japan, may be the | defeat against japan, may be the picture will change when we face in spain later today. each pressure on the team. slightly lessened by the result between costa rica and japan which means germany cannot be eliminated so they would have seen that with a lot of relief. and the feeling that the world cup will not be over come what may tonight but of course, in germany, lots of negativity towards the bad that the tournament is in qatar in the first of pressure to take a moral stance. unnecessary pressure to the extent that it was somehow expected that football does something that politics and the wider society don't seem to do when it comes to dealing with qatar and the middle east. a difficult position to navigate but on the pitch it is just as difficult position to navigate but on the pitch it isjust as bad because it is a very big game.

sometimes the big teams do start slowly, don't they. sometimes they have started slowly and gone on to do well. i have started slowly and gone on to do well. ., , , u, , do well. i hope it will be the case. a lot of peeple — do well. i hope it will be the case. a lot of people are _ do well. i hope it will be the case. a lot of people are drawn - do well. i hope it will be the case. a lot of people are drawn parallel| a lot of people are drawn parallel to when germany lost the first game and got knocked out. maybe things will be different, the fact that they will still have control of their own destiny if they get a point tonight. it makes things a little bit easier but of course that does breed a lot of doubt. it does have people questioning some of their own players, some of the tactics, all the introspection that you don't really want so early at this tournament but may be a much better performance on these results will change the momentum. things can go quickly as we saw with argentina last night. go quickly as we saw with argentina last niuht. ~ ., i. go quickly as we saw with argentina last niuht. ~ ., ,, ~' go quickly as we saw with argentina last niuht. ~ ., ~ , go quickly as we saw with argentina lastniuht.~ ., ~ ,. ., last night. what you think is change because germany _ last night. what you think is change because germany is _ last night. what you think is change because germany is to _ last night. what you think is change because germany is to dominate . because germany is to dominate international football so much.

because germany is to dominate internationalfootball so much. what are the factors that have change that? i are the factors that have change that? ., �* 4' are the factors that have change that? ., �* ~ , a, _ are the factors that have change that? ., �* ~ , ., that? i don't think it is easy to generalise- — that? i don't think it is easy to generalise. the _ that? i don't think it is easy to generalise. the last _ that? i don't think it is easy to generalise. the last couple . that? i don't think it is easy to generalise. the last couple of| generalise. the last couple of tournaments we saw a team that won the world cup slightly overstaying its welcome when it came to one or two players. when it came to the manager who really was, i think, beyond his best needed to step down maybe a couple of years earlier. people look at the first 60 or 70 minutes and say we should have won this game. we didn't. and then as it happens, football can sometimes be a silly sport. i don't think there are these grand lessons to be learned are massive revolutions of the grass roots, it was just a throwing away a game it should never have thrown away. game it should never have thrown awa . �* , ., , game it should never have thrown awa. , away. are people in germany enjoying. _ away. are people in germany enjoying. well. _ away. are people in germany enjoying, well, not _ away. are people in germany enjoying, well, not enjoying l away. are people in germany i enjoying, well, not enjoying the tournament from the team's point of view perhaps, but you talked about the political pressure and the angen the political pressure and the anger, really, that this tournament

is being held in qatar at all. does that mean that people are not really enjoying the football?— en'oying the football? there's been a enjoying the football? there's been a lot of apathy _ enjoying the football? there's been a lot of apathy and _ enjoying the football? there's been a lot of apathy and we _ enjoying the football? there's been a lot of apathy and we see - enjoying the football? there's been a lot of apathy and we see the - a lot of apathy and we see the ratings which are way down compared to what usually happens when world cups, rounder may better to do with a different timing. germans are not used to watch football on the christmas market outdoors with snow and hot wine. mulled wine. they prefer to be elsewhere. i don't think that is is enough to explain why people are born out of love a little bit with this world cup, with this team as well. what i would say is that i think we'll see more attention tonight because of the magnitude of the game, because it is spain. if germany were to win and change the momentum a lot of the people who are sitting on the vans at the moment, have decided this is not so important for them, would come back. but, yes, these political discussions and the sense that the world cup really shouldn't be happening in qatar is put a lot of

people off, there is no doubt about that. a people off, there is no doubt about that. n, , , people off, there is no doubt about that. a, , , ., �* , that. made the best team win. it's auoin to that. made the best team win. it's going to be _ that. made the best team win. it's going to be exciting _ that. made the best team win. it's going to be exciting to _ that. made the best team win. it's going to be exciting to watch. - it's going to be exciting to watch. here in the uk, encouraging self—harm could soon become a criminal offence, under new changes to the government's online safety bill. ministers say the decision was influenced by the case of 14—year—old molly russell, who took her own life in 2017, after viewing content about self—harm and suicide on social media. laura tra nt reports. 14—year—old molly russell from harrow in london died five years ago. the inquest into her death found she took her own life after looking at content on social media relating to self—harm. since she passed away, molly's family have been campaigning for legislation to be passed to better protect young people online. the online safety bill has been in the making for four years with frequent delays and updates. earlier this week, molly's dad,

ian russell, spoke to the bbc and expressed his frustration at delays in changes to the law. i think the online safety bill... it's something i care deeply about because without a change that regulates the companies to operate their platforms more safely, these tragedies will continue to happen. it's too late for me. so in a way, it's not a huge personal investment. i'm just frustrated that an opportunity for change and an opportunity for greater safety for children has been delayed for so long. it's been confirmed the updated online safety bill will be put before parliament with some further changes. now the encouragement of self—harm online is to be criminalised, ultimately with prison sentences and fines, so companies which do not remove illegal content could face fines and perpetrators will be

sentenced through the courts. this is the government trying to show that it is strong, that it can clamp down on this behaviour, particularly when it targets children. but in fact this is a very complex area with lots of grey space in between where a lot of predators and others will continue to act. and frankly, it's going to be very difficult to enforce, both for a regulator and for a government eager to act. the molly rose foundation, set up by herfamily to campaign for better online safety, says the update to the online safety bill is a significant move. but stress it's important other harmful but legal content is also within the scope of the bill. it's expected the amended online safety bill will be put before parliament in early december. laura trant, bbc news. nasa's orion capsule has broken

the record for the furthest distance travelled from earth by an inhabitable spacecraft. the test flight, which does not have any crew onboard, is more than 400,000 kilometres from earth. that's more than 300 kilometres beyond the previous record, held by apollo—13. nasa's artemis mission aims to return humans to the moon by 2025. it'll be the first time anyone has set foot on its surface since the last apollo mission in 1972. now it's time for a look at the weather with alina. keeping an eye on some lingering rain this afternoon. it has been hanging around and we have got a yellow warning from the met office. we have got heavy thunders. some spells of sunshine but there will be

cloud behind this band of rain and temperatures are still on the mild side but not as high as they were. some clear spells of the night. that rain will be lingering across south—east england for a time. showers pushing into western and southern areas. we could see some fog developing particularly across north—east england and may be north—east england and may be north—east scotland, too. in some of these clear skies, the lowest temperatures. a cold start the day tomorrow. dry with sunshine and across north—east scotland. showers to parts of wales, some coastal counties and temperatures in range of 9-12 c.