tonight at ten, the crackdown in china, as protests grow against the tough covid restrictions. police are out in force as protests against endless lockdown have spread to some of china's biggest cities. translation: we want freedom, not unlimited government power. | we don't want the next generation to live in this era of horror. the president and the authorities have never faced protests on this scale before, and there are renewed fears about the fate of those being detained. one of the problems in china is that nobody knows when zero—covid will end. we'll have the latest from china. and in london because the prime

minister, rishi sunak, has criticised the actions of the chinese government in a speech tonight. also tonight... millions seized in assets as police in several european countries dismantle what they call a drugs �*super cartel�*. in the philippines, action against the mass exploitation of children — often abused online by relatives wanting to make money. and in qatar, england and wales prepare for tomorrow night's big match to decide the knockout stages. on bbc london, tributes to two 16—year—olds fatally and coming up in the sport on the bbc news channel — it's raining goals at the world cup. we'll have all the action, including some wild celebrations from cristiano ronaldo, but the goal awarded to bruno fernandes! good evening. chinese authorities have taken tough action to try to suppress the

widespread protests against the country's covid restrictions. president xi has not faced a challenge like this before and it's the first time since the zero covid policies that have marched against the president and the government with protests spreading to some of china's biggest cities. police are out in force and there are renewed fears about the fate of some of some of those being detained. china has beenin of those being detained. china has been in almost perpetual lockdown for over two years. several people detained in shanghai china's biggest city, where police have been placing barriers to block further demonstrations. where did this start? the latest protest began in the north west in the city of urumqi where ten people died in a fight amid claims the lockdown had hampered the rescue efforts. the protests spread quickly to other cities including chengdu, wuhan, nanjing and the capital beijing. our china correspondent stephen mcdonell

has deleted and there is flash photography coming up. the chinese capital became the latest city with a demonstration calling for an end to the country's covid restrictions. the symbol of this movement has become white sheets of paper, with protesters holding them up to signify the way in which people are silenced here by official censorship. they are chanting that strict lockdowns and compulsory testing should stop. but dissatisfaction with the government's handling of the crisis is also spilling over into calls for press freedom and democracy. translation: we want freedom, not unlimited government power. | we want the rule of law. we don't want the next generation to live in this era of horror. zero—covid in china has meant trying to return each outbreak to zero infections, using strict stay—at—home orders, travel bans and phone apps tracking people's movements. entire cities are sometimes

officially locked down or effectively closed with businesses shut. yet covid—19 continues to spread. the country posted record new case numbers over the past five days in a row. last month the country's leader, xijinping, said there would be no swerving from the current approach, as he entered a historic third term in power. now protesters in the south—western city of chengdu are blaming him personally for allowing the covid crisis to continue. they've criticised his lifetime leadership entitlement and said their country doesn't need an emperor. this followed earlier calls in shanghai for xijinping to step down, and for the communist party to give up power. at the site where protesters clashed with police, barriers have gone up to stop crowds gathering again. passers—by taking photos are being forced to delete them and there is a heavy police presence in the area.

waves of anger initially spread across china following an apartment block fire in xinjiang last week, which killed ten residents. people have blamed covid restrictions for hampering the access of firefighters and blocking escape routes. the chinese government says this isn't true. translation: forces with ulterior motives have used social media i to link the fire to the zero—covid policy, but the local government has combated these rumours and smears. either way, these protests have unleashed a discontent which has when zero—covid will end. if the government has a plan, and so the belief that this could go on forever is causing a lot of consternation among the general public.

xijinping's administration has had years to prepare for an eventual opening up but spent that time telling its citizens how lucky they were to live in china. now there is widespread unrest and it doesn't seem to have a clear way out. stephen mcdonell, bbc news, beijing. our world affairs editor, john simpson, is with me. given your long experience of reporting on china, how does this challenge to authority compare to others that you've seen in the past? the obvious example is the tiananmen demonstrations in 1989 but this isn't much like that. then a group of essentially students took over the centre most part of the capital city, beijing. and they held it and they paralysed china for an entire

month. this is not anything like this. what it is is over a vast area at any rate, a demonstration which seemed to show the discontent that people have with the government itself, and it is really the result of the rigidity, perhaps you could say the arrogance, of xi jinping himself, and his determination to force everybody to do precisely what he says. and so you have this reaction to it, which is already damaging to the chinese economy. and which will somehow or other reinforce that difference, that separation between people, particularly young people, and there is such a high youth unemployment in china that is starting, and the chinese communist government. xi

jinping has to stamp it out, you cannot say, look, i'm sorry, i understand your viewpoint, we can modify it a bit. he cannot afford to do that because it is his own position on the line. and this means really, essentially, the beginning of the end for that old social contract in china where the communist party say to the people, we will make you rich but you must not get involved in politics in any way. not get involved in politics in any wa ., ., . y not get involved in politics in any wa ._ ., not get involved in politics in any way. john, many thanks, john simpson. _ way. john, many thanks, john simpson. our— way. john, many thanks, john simpson, our world _ way. john, many thanks, john simpson, our world affairs - way. john, many thanks, john - simpson, our world affairs editor. staying with this story. downing street has described the detention of a bbcjournalist who was covering the protests in shanghai as "shocking and unacceptable. " ed lawrence was arrested yesterday and held for several hours before being released. the bbc says during that time he was beaten and kicked by police. chinese officials have disputed the claims. the prime minister, in his first major speech on foreign policy,

has criticised the chinese authorities for what he called their authoritarian response to the protests. mr sunak has been addressing the lord mayor's banquet tonight at the guildhall in the city of london, where he promised "new support" for ukraine, and then addressed the situation in china. we recognise china poses a systemic challenge to our values and interests, a challenge that grows more acute as it moves towards even greater authoritarianism. instead of listening to their people's protests, the chinese government has chosen to crack down further, including by assaulting a bbcjournalist. the prime minister speaking a short our political editor, chris mason, is at the guildhall. did this tell us something about the likely direction of foreign policy,

especially with regard to china under mr sunak?i especially with regard to china under mr sunak?— especially with regard to china under mr sunak? i think it did and it is a change. _ under mr sunak? i think it did and it is a change, a _ under mr sunak? i think it did and it is a change, a change _ under mr sunak? i think it did and it is a change, a change yet - under mr sunak? i think it did and | it is a change, a change yet again, if you rewind seven years and four prime ministers and there was a very different approach when david cameron was prime minister. he invited president xi for a pint in the pub in buckinghamshire during a state visit pondered the relationship between london and beijing was talked about as entering a golden era. that phrase was used by mr sunak tonight and directly rejected by him. but mr sunak is also trying to define his approach to beijing as being different from what followed that era of david cameron, where things went into the deep freeze somewhat conduct there was an 18 month period where a british prime minister and the president of china did not even speak on the phone. what we're hearing from mr sunak in this speech this evening is that he wants what he is describing as a robust pragmatism as far as the relationship with china is

concerned. what does that mean? it's not immediately obvious, frankly, but he is trying to make the case, i think, that china is a world power, growing in significance and nothing can get done on the world stage without a mature relationship with beijing. but there are those, including on its own site like this are iain duncan—smith, former conservative leader, sanctioned by china for his remarks about the country was like a human rights record which means he is banned from the country, who feel this is naive, and you feel that it amounts to appeasement. we wait to see in precise terms exactly how mr sunak�*s approach will work out. precise terms exactly how mr sunak's approach will work out.— approach will work out. chris, many thanks, chris _ approach will work out. chris, many thanks, chris mason _ approach will work out. chris, many thanks, chris mason at _ approach will work out. chris, many thanks, chris mason at the - approach will work out. chris, many| thanks, chris mason at the guildhall in the city of london. china has some of the most rigorous anti—covid measures in the world, with tens of millions of people living under some kind of lockdown and a regime of endless testing. local authorities are under instructions to impose strict rules, even if only a handful of covid cases are found. our medical editor, fergus walsh, explains the situation.

china's population is trapped in the midst of an unwinnable war. zero—covid has kept cases and deaths very low so far, but at relentless cost to personal freedoms and livelihoods. zero—covid means zero tolerance of any coronavirus infections. that looks increasingly unsustainable in the face of the highly contagious omicron variant. china has relied almost entirely on its own vaccines. they are reasonably effective. a study in hong kong found that two doses of the chinese coronavac vaccine gave 70% protection against severe illness or death. but that compares to 90% protection from the us—german vaccine of pfizer—biontech. a key problem is china's low vaccination levels among older people. just over half of the over—60s have had three doses of vaccine. among the over—80s,

that falls to just 20%. that low uptake seems partly down to a suspicion of modern medicine among many older chinese people. compare that with the uk, where 80% of the over—80s have recently had their autumn booster with an updated omicron—specific vaccine, and most of them will have had five jabs. early on in the pandemic, china built several covid hospitals in a matter of days. but nearly three years since coronavirus emerged, its vast population now has almost no natural immunity against it. they can't keep the virus out forever. it's a slippery eel, this virus, it's evolving and changing are getting more infectious and harder to control with lockdowns and segregation in the way it has been in the past. i think the way out for china is to get highly effective vaccines against the current variants into the elderly population as fast as they possibly can.

modelling suggests ending zero—covid without more vaccination would allow omicron to tear through the population, overwhelming intensive care units, causing an estimated 1.5 million deaths. while most of the world has returned to pre—covid normality, china has yet to show it has an exit plan from the pandemic. fergus walsh, bbc news. police in several european countries have dismantled what they've described as a drugs �*super cartel�* responsible for around a third of the continent�*s cocaine supply. the european union�*s police agency, europol, said it had made more than a0 arrests in spain, france, belgium and the netherlands. a number of other people were detained in dubai. among those being held are a british national suspected of being one of the leaders. our correspondent anna holligan sent

this report from the hague. the alleged ringleaders rounded up in raids — the result of a coordinated clampdown on a super cartel. more than £21 million worth of assets were seized, including supercars... ..luxury villas... ..and stashes of cash. the main suspects were using specially encrypted communication devices to organise their shipments, mostly from south america, in through the ports of antwerp in belgium and rotterdam, here in the netherlands, flooding the continent with cocaine. police hacked into the sky global crypto phone platform last year and secretly listened into conversations between suspected drug traffickers. as well as 43 arrests across europe, six men, described as "high—value targets", were detained in dubai. among them, a british national, who spanish police said had been living on the costa del sol. but after a kidnap attempt, fled

to dubai from where he allegedly continued directing and coordinating this criminal enterprise. alongside another man with links to spain, two french and two dutch nationals, including an extremely big fish in the illegal narcotics industry. europol said a new agreement with the united arab emirates enabled detectives to access intelligence and arrest criminals once beyond reach. so far, the emirates were a safe haven for criminals, they could hide in the emirates and this time — it�*s over. the safe haven doesn�*t exist any more. there�*s excellent cooperation with dubai police, so criminals have to look for some different spot to hide. officers warn their two year population, codenamed desert light, should send a signal to those seeking sanctuary in the sun that there is no safe haven for drug lords.

anna holligan, bbc news, in the hague. the philippines has become one of the world�*s largest centres of child sexual exploitation online, and charities say there�*s been a sharp increase in reported incidents since the pandemic, when many vulnerable children were exploited during lockdowns, often by close family members keen to make money. much of the abuse is filmed on webcams, paid for by customers in the us, the uk and other european countries, and australia. our correspondent laura bicker has been investigating, and her report includes some distressing details. this is manila�*s new front line... ..in a war the police are not winning. a young boy is led out of the room by a social worker. he and his two sisters have been

forced to act out live sex shows on camera, by their mother. this home in a graveyard is where the children had to stay during a prolonged pandemic lockdown, with a parent desperate for cash. it�*s absolutely tiny. so are you taking evidence now? yes. this is the subject, the mother. she�*s the mother? yeah. so the mother is there still? yes. it is thought the mother was paid around $20 by a paedophile in australia to exploit her own children. police gather evidence — sex toys, smartphones. they are coming under pressure to deal with a drastic increase in these cases. singing there is some help for those who have gone through this trauma. at this children�*s home, they discuss the fairy tale cinderella.

ten—year—old maria speaks up. "she didn�*t give up, even during hard times, "she still has hope," she says. "just like us, even though our parents abused us, "we should copy her." maria and her brothers john and eric were raped on camera by their mother, their aunt and uncle. the money their family made came from accounts in the uk and europe. today, all three are safe. and now seven—year—old eric loves to sing. singing however, this is the emotional cost of that abuse. it may be distressing to hear but this is their

therapy, their release. "why me?" is the most common cry. "why your own flesh and blood?" eventually the pandemic contributed to the exploitation and abuse of children. since they are isolated, they thought that this is the only means of getting income and feeding their family. so these children are influenced by their families that this isjust an easyjob, they don�*t need to do anything, just be naked in front of the video and they can earn something. and yet these young people do have hope. they are taught ways to stay strong, coping mechanisms. they are encouraged to play, to be children again. while the adults who�*ve spent decades fighting child exploitation here take on a bigger battle. there has to be international law, this is the only way. and the un should be involved

in this and all national governments, they must cooperate together to restrict the passage of the child abuse material and the online streaming of the sexual abuse of children. one arrest in one home. these officers are getting international help to trace abusers around the world, but charities believe that more needs to be done to prevent millions of children being abused by those they should be able to trust. laura bicker, bbc news, manila. if you have been affected by child sexual abuse, details of help and support is available at bbc.co.uk/actionline, or you can call forfree, at any time, to hear recorded information on 0800 077 077.

there are at least 40,000 asylum seekers staying in hotel accommodation in different parts of the uk, according to the home office. most migrants claim asylum on arrival in the uk and many are then housed in hotel rooms while they wait for the outcome of their applications. that process is plagued by delays. 0ur correspondentjenny kumah has been looking at the impact of the policy on the resort of torbay in devon. this resort has a long tradition of welcoming visitors, are you getting all your bits ready? this family have lived and worked in this hotel for over a year. but now they are packing up with nowhere to go, so asylum seekers can move in. fundamentally, we've lost ourjobs, our livelihoods and our accommodation in the run—up to christmas. don�*t forget baby peter. the home office took over this third hotel in the area this month. the couple say they and other long—term residents

were told they had to go. how do you feel about the fact that you�*re having to move out so that asylum seekers can move in? well, we understand that the government has a duty of care to anybody who lands on our shores, basically, but it also has a duty of care to the people already here. you know, it's got to be justice for everybody, you know? what�*s it been like since you got here? this couple told me they fled to the uk earlier this month in fear of their lives. they didn�*t want to reveal their identities. translation: i feel safe now because no one will come - to arrest me or my husband. but living in a hotel room with young children has been challenging. my kids, every single day, they are asking me about school. "when do we go to school? "mum, did you choose the right place to come?" i told them, "yes, this is the great uk." we need some help right now. after that, we can work. we will not burden others. torbay council says it is focusing

on providing the right support, but it�*s facing costs it can�*t afford, so it�*s taking legal action against the home office. it estimates it will spend over £1 million assessing around 20 asylum seekers placed here who have identified themselves as under 18. but for some, it�*s a win—win situation. the owner of this hotel says the home office contract means it can stay open in the winter. it's plainly better to have asylum seekers in my hotel than being empty. we are not making vast amounts of money. it's not a bonanza, because of course there are other hotels competing with me for the job. the home office says the use of hotels is a short—term solution while it works with councils to find suitable accommodation, but councils here and elsewhere warn they are struggling to cope. jenny kumah, bbc news, torbay.

let�*s turn to the football. england and wales are preparing to face each other tomorrow evening. both can qualify for the knock—out stages if they win — but wales would also need a favourable result between iran and the usa. in a moment, we�*ll hear from hywel griffith on the welsh hopes — but first, natalie pirks on the england preparations. people have been brilliant, everything�*s been good about it. a bit of winter sunshine — can't complain! it might not be what football fans are used to, but this winter world cup is is growing on them. 0n the sands of doha today, england supporters were clear about what they want to see against wales. just attack the game straight out, straight away, give it their best. we were quite surprised about foden, cos was it six weeks ago he scores a hat—trick in a manchester derby? and i think any other team in the competition — he starts. gareth southgate said phil foden will play a key part at this world cup,

a tournament in which england remain top of group b knowing a win, draw or even narrow defeat would see them advance. the opponent is wounded. we�*ve got to play at our very highest level. we�*ve got to be composed, but we�*ve also got to be ruthless within the game. commentator: but that it is. after a brilliant victory over iran, it was back down to earth with a lacklustre goalless draw against the us. but this is not time forfans to panic. you know, i still believe in the manager that, you know, we don�*t want to go overboard about an indifferent performance, much as we went overboard about england winning it after the very first match. southgate tonight attempted to explain anglo—welsh rivalry to a global audience. well, basically, they're here and we're right there. laughter despite wales�* predicament, there�*ll be no room for sentiment tomorrow. natalie pirks, bbc news, doha. searching for souvenirs, knowing the journey back

to wales could come soon. for the adams—lewis family, all the way from aberdyfi, doha has delivered memories but not the results they�*d hoped for — especially losing to iran. we�*re devastated. the kids were crying, it was tough, it was a tough game. but as usual, we dust ourselves off and we crack on. after that defeat to iran, wales looked tired and a little lost on the global stage. but there is still a narrow path through. beat england and hope usa—iran is a draw, and they can still qualify for the next round. there is another route — beating england by four goals would guarantee qualification. wales simply want to show what they can do. we have to go and perform and give our supporters, irrespective of what happens in the other result and whether we go home or whether we go through, we have to give the performance that our supporters are proud of. commentator: jones is up. hu~hes! and how well directed!

it�*s 38 years since wales last beat england. they�*ll need to be a lot more agile to do it again. if wales can utilise their pace, especially in behind the gaps where the fullbacks will leave, because they like to push the fullbacks on, i do see us having a little bit ofjoy. but we have to earn the right to play first and foremost, and we have to be up to the physical levels to be able to allow us to play and compete. so, while england expects, wales wonders — maybe, just maybe, if this is finally their time to shine. hywel griffith, bbc news, doha. that is tomorrow, but what about today? in this evening�*s match, two goals from bruno fernandes helped portugal to a 2—0 win over uruguay to qualify for the knockout stages, but the game was interrupted by protest. here�*sjoe wilson with that and the best of the other games. portugal versus uruguay here featured one extra disappoint.

0nto the pitch, pursued. as the uk�*s sports minister says he will wear a 0nelove armband in qatar, the referee removes this rainbow flag, but the issue remains. the protester�*s t—shirt displayed support for ukraine and for iranian women. here is how portugal won the game. the ball from bruno fernandes flew in just above cristiano ronaldo, it seems. fernandes�* penalty confirmed the victory. if you could picture the perfect winning goal, it might look like this — casemiro for brazil, enough to defeat switzerland. brazil, like portugal, through to the last 16, and imagining more. to south korea versus ghana, five goals here, including the quintessential centre forward�*s header. watch out! south korea fought back from 2—0 down only to be undone. mohammed kudus calmly scored ghana�*s winner, and then fought his way to the camera. 3—2, world cup, and why hold back? serbian supporters, some

exhausted by the anthem, experienced a staggering game against cameroon. at 53 minutes, with serbia able to move the ball at will, it was 3—1. cameroon�*s reply featured this from vincent aboubakar. seriously? what a scoop! and replays proved that he was onside, which means this counted as the jaw—dropping goal of a 3—3 draw. joe wilson, bbc news. time for a look at the weather. here�*s susan powell. good evening. clear skies and a chilly aberdeenshire at the moment and the northern lights are putting on a cracking show. look out of the window, though, in east anglia and you won�*t be seeing too far. it is the floodlights trying to battle through the fog which is thickening up through the fog which is thickening up in norfolk. it is fog i think will increasingly take hold across east anglia, drifting to parts of the south—east and midlands

overnight. also anticipating some dense