this is bbc news with the headlines: the kremlin has dismissed comments by president biden that he is willing to speak to vladimir putin if the russian leader signalled he wanted to end the war in ukraine. ukraine says several of its embassies and consulates in europe, including its diplomatic mission in madrid have been sent parcels containing animals' eyes. it comes days after letter bombs were sent to ukrainian— linked targets in spain. the uk's development minister says he fears the war in ukraine has diverted aid and attention away from somalia's worst drought in a0 years. prince william is meeting the us presidentjoe biden in boston, as the prince and princess of wales tie up their royal visit to the city. and the us conspiracy theorist alex jones files for bankruptcy,

months after being ordered to pay more than a billion dollars for falsely claiming the sandy hook school shooting was a hoax. hello and welcome if you're watching in the uk, on pbs in the us or around the world. russia has dismissed president biden�*s suggestion that he would be prepared to engage in talks with president putin — as long as the russian leader showed he'd be willing to end the war in ukraine. russia says the west's refusal to recognise "new territories" seized from ukraine makes peace talks harder — and rejected the west's demand for russian forces to pull out of ukraine. russia illegally annexed four ukrainian regions at the end of september, without controlling any of them. nine months into its invasion, it has lost more than half the land it seized.

just outside kyiv. signs of remembrance. in this area, russia is accused of killing hundreds of civilians during its occupation earlier this year. moscow has denied targeting civilians. the church of england's most senior cleric has seen the destruction for himself and had a robust message for president putin. there will be no peace until you stop lying. you have got to tell the truth, however painful. that cannot be a way forward built on lies. meanwhile, in the south and east, the fighting goes on. ukraine now taking the rare step in giving a number of how many troops have died. it says up to 13,000, but this can't be verified by the bbc. the truth is, we don't know how many people have died during this conflict. what is certain is that this war continues to cost lives and cause tragedy.

meanwhile, russia's repeated efforts to target ukraine's energy grid means daily life is also being affected far away from the front line. across ukraine, he cold is starting to bite. in this bakery, hey suddenly have a blackout. forced to do business in the dark. the situation in ukraine is very difficult, says ludmilla. they work with or without light, but if there's no power, they can't bake. so sometimes it means they can't work at all. generators are popping up all over kyiv as russia's accused of trying to freeze ukraine into submission. lyubov says she's stocked up on candles, water and food. the prospect of further power outages brings fear, but also defiance. translation: of course - we are afraid we are very afraid

of the difficulties that will come this winter, but we agree to get through those difficulties together the main thing is that russia does not win. lyubov is just one life among millions touched by this war. everyone walking their own road. but something you often hear is that steady determination to carry on. jessica parker, bbc news in kyiv. several of ukraine's embassies and consulates across europe have been sent parcels containing animals' eyes, including its diplomatic mission in the spanish capital. letter bombs have also arrived at targets connected to support of ukraine, including the american embasy in madrid which is now cordonned off. blood soaked packages were also addressed to ukrainian diplomatic missions in hungary, the netherlands, poland, croatia, italy, austria and the czech republic. kyiv says these incidents are a well—planned campaign of terror and intimidation. guy hedgecoe gave us

the latest from madrid. well, all we know is what we've been told by the ukrainian government, which has said that they contained animal eyes, they were blood soaked, the contents of the package with blood soaked. it had a characteristic liquid and a corresponding smell was how the the ukrainian authorities put it. and they said that these packages had been sent to eight of its embassies around europe. however, there were other ukrainian embassies around the world, including the united states and also the vatican, which have seen similar incidents. for example, the ukrainian embassy and the vatican, we're told, has been vandalized. now, we don't know much more about these packages. at the moment, the ukrainian government has said it's studying very carefully what this all means. it has tightened security in its embassies once again, because, as you said, in in madrid over the last few days,

there were incidents, one of which involves the ukrainian embassy here. so it had already tightened security, but it's doing that again in all its embassies around the world. the prince of wales is meeting us presidentjoe biden on the final day of his trip to boston, before the awarding of the earthshot prize. but the visit coincides with the release of a trailer for the forthcoming netflix documentary about the duke and duchess of sussex, which suggests they will be making more personal — and potentially damaging — claims about their treatment by some members of the royal household. let's go live to thejfk library in boston, where nada tawfik is waiting for the prince and princess of wales to arrive. welcome to you. what can we expect to happen than than? ml. welcome to you. what can we expect to happen than than?— to happen than than? wl, president biden has arrived _ to happen than than? wl, president biden has arrived here _ to happen than than? wl, president biden has arrived here by _ to happen than than? wl, president biden has arrived here by this - to happen than than? wl, president biden has arrived here by this is - biden has arrived here by this is his first stop in boston and he will be greeting the prince of wales.

what we have heard from the white house is that their discussions will focus on their shared desire to combat climate change, those goals and also on mental health. we also heard from kensington palace, a spokesperson for the prince of wales saying that he will talk about tonight's al shop prize with the president and that he will also share the legacy of last years winners and the impact they have been having globally and he will also thank the president and the american people for their reception they have received here in boston. which overwhelmingly i would say locally has been quite positive. we had the mayor of boston saying they have been delightful and very generous with that time. every stop including at the swan there have been spectators, those helping to get a picture, been spectators, those helping to geta picture, handing been spectators, those helping to get a picture, handing overflowers orjust get a word in with the royal couple. as i say, here at thejfk library here there is a crowd waiting for prince william here as well. while they have been thrown

unexpected surprises and unexpected controversies on this, the third and final day of that visit, it has been going quite well for the couple so far. , . , ., going quite well for the couple so far. , ., , ., ., far. tell us a bit more about the controversies _ far. tell us a bit more about the controversies i _ far. tell us a bit more about the controversies i mention - far. tell us a bit more about the controversies i mention in - far. tell us a bit more about the controversies i mention in the i controversies i mention in the introduction. we have got the release on the netflix documentary on the duke and duchess of sussex there is also the race row that has been playing out involving a former aide at buckingham palace. how is that been playing out? it aide at buckingham palace. how is that been playing out?— that been playing out? it certainly has- before _ that been playing out? it certainly has. before the _ that been playing out? it certainly has. before the princess - that been playing out? it certainly has. before the princess and - has. before the princess and princess of wales even got off the plane here in boston they had issued a statement about that racism controversy saying that race has no place in society. they were clearly trying to make their feelings known but also get ahead of the story. they said they didn't want to be distracted from the strip which had long been in the works for them. that was supposed to be ready than stepping onto the global stage

within their roles, with the new title, prince and princess of wales to show a new younger, modern face of the monarch. and then yesterday, again, another important day of that trip when they were going to visit local companies and trying to combat climate change. and a nonprofit organisation trying to combat racism we had the release of that netflix documentary announcement. so here in the united states, we have princess diana who was loved her by americans, you have her two sons and really, to very faces of the monarchy being presented in terms of the racism row and the allegations that meghan markle, the duchess of sussexis that meghan markle, the duchess of sussex is brought up in the past and then again as i say this different side to the monarchy that william and kate really want to try and show to the world, given that he is the future king. that has certainly

factored into all of the coverage here and it really has somewhat overshadowed their main message. yes and not of course is the awarding of the earshot prize to be announced a few hours. take as to how that play out. , . , , out. yes, that is right they call it prince william's _ out. yes, that is right they call it prince william's super _ out. yes, that is right they call it prince william's super bowl- out. yes, that is right they call it - prince william's super bowl moment. that is how they are addressing that. they will have belly eyelash headlining at. key celebrities like david beckham. handing out prizes. it's really focusing on 15 finalists, australia, ten year, the united kingdom who work on different priorities from cleaning up the ocean, reducing waste, protecting the environment and all of these 15 finalists have come up with new and impressive ways to address those concerns, one company for example in the uk looks to replace plastic with

material made out of seaweed. another in kenya looks to use: a more environmentally friendly way. finalists will be chosen at this reward ceremony and they will get £1 million as part of that prize but they will also be given support to get their projects up and running, scaled to size and that their companies to be supported by the different partners of the earshot prize. that is what prince william says makes earshot prize so different it is notjust about getting a cash prize it is about giving the support that they have globally with their partners to these companies. to really hope, he hopes, a real dent in the effort to address climate change. we hopes, a real dent in the effort to address climate change.— hopes, a real dent in the effort to address climate change. we are 'ust lookin: at address climate change. we are 'ust looking at pictures i address climate change. we are 'ust looking at pictures of i address climate change. we are 'ust looking at pictures of the i address climate change. we are 'ust looking at pictures of the prince h looking at pictures of the prince meeting president biden which happens to short time ago. it is significant, is on to? we know that joe biden has had a long

relationship with the royal family, going back many decades. but the royalfamily with all going back many decades. but the royal family with all us presidents it is notjust between prime ministers and presidents but it is very much between the royal family and president and the people of america as well, isn't it? absolutely. joe biden, the first time he met the queen with was in 19 82 and he has also gone on to meet king charles, he was at the queens funeral and just in the last few months he has had four different meetings with prince william, between the g7 in cornwall, cop26 as i mention that again, the queens funeral. and i think it's really noticeable that president biden was going to be here in boston and that the two sides work together to change their schedules to have a way to have this brief greeting. itjust shows the importance they place on

maintaining those relationships. certainly when you talk about the special relationship goes from everything from the history to trade relations, everything under that umbrella. a key moment have the present biden to show he is a key leader on the —— a key moment for prince william to show he is a global leader. here in the uk, health officials say parents should be aware of an infection called strep a after confirming that since september, six children have died with an invasive condition caused by it. they include five children under 10 years old in england, and a child in wales. colin brown is from the uk health security agency. he says the serious infection is rare, but parents need to be aware of the symptoms. the vast majority of children will recover without any ill effects whatsoever however unfortunately a small number of children each year will go on to develop more serious and invasive disease. it probably in the region of under 5%. of children that will go on to develop that more serious infection. what are the symptoms of that? and how can it be treated? so the symptoms of invasive

group a streptococcus are of someone who's generally unwell, can have a high fever, particularly in children: poor appetite, signs of dehydration, not feeding. no wet nappies, altered behaviour, very sleepy. and what we would say is if parents are concerned at all and there is anything that would make them be aware that something is unusual with their child, and parents know best about what is normal. they should seek medical attention. and for the latest on strep a and information on the symptoms to look out for, you can follow on the bbc news website. stay with us on bbc news, still to come: is eltonjohn saying goodbye to the yellow brick road? he insists his farewell concert will be at the next glastonbury festival.

this is bbc news, the latest headlines: moscow says it's not prepared

to meet president biden�*s conditions on beginning talks over ukraine. mr biden made the offer while meeting france's president macron. ukraine says that several of its embassies in europe have been sent parcels containing animals' eyes. somalia is in the grip of its worst drought for a0 years. the uk's development minister, andrew mitchell, has been on a visit to the east african country and promised 14 million pounds in humanitarian aid and new security. he says large numbers of people are in danger of dying from the drought in somalia if the international community does not respond soon. 0ur diplomatic correspondent, james landale, was travelling with andrew mitchell and sent this report from the town of dollow in western of somalia. this is what drought is bringing to somalia. growing camps of people forced to leave their homes in search of food after four rainy seasons failed. we have come to dollow in the west

amid tight security, to protect us from islamist militants who control much of the country. here, on a rare visit, is a british minister, seeing for himself how uk money has helped girls from the camps get some education, and what more needs to be done. the challenges here are immense, quite apart from the disorder of conflict, it is the challenges caused by the drought, the fact that these people have moved away from where they used to live into these temporary camps. hamdi mohammed is one of those girls. 18 years old and very determined. translation: sometimes i go to sleep hungry and sometimes i cannot buy - the books i need for school but i motivate myself. i tell myself that some day things will not be like this and in the future i will be an important person and help my people.

there are already more than 130,000 internal refugees here, with hundreds more arriving every day, a scene replicated in towns across the country. this is not a normal. drought that we know. this is a real climate change crisis. - so what needs to be done? we have to make sure| that we are saving life. that we are averting the worst to come, in terms of famine. we have to make sure that - the children who are malnourished, who are 1.8 million, _ are rescued and they are not dying. andrew mitchell is promising more money for security and humanitarian needs, but it is less than britain has given in the past. we have got to do two things here. we have got to beat back the terrorists, and we are, and the government of somalia has shown considerable gains in recent weeks on that, and we have got to address the effects of this drought both

in the long term through climate change work and in the short—term, now, going to the aid of desperate people and saving lives. can the british government really make an impact in places like this, when its budget forforeign aid remains cut? it is probably not money that is the key issue here, it is coordination and making sure that everyone else steps up to the plate alongside britain to deliver for people here who, as i say, are in danger of dying in very large numbers if the international community does not react properly. a british minister coming here can make a difference. he can promise a bit more money. he can focus the attention of a world distracted by other crises. but can he stop the fighting? can he slow the climate change that many believe is at the root of this problem? james landale, bbc news, in western somalia. in the us, the conspiracy theorist alexjones has filed for bankruptcy. it comes less than two months

after courts ordered the far right podcast host to pay close to $1.5 billion in damages to the families whose children died in a school mass shooting. 0ur correspondent nomia iqbal is in washington. welcome to you. just explain to us who alex jones says welcome to you. just explain to us who alexjones says and why he has filed for bankruptcy. yes. who alex jones says and why he has filed for bankruptcy.— filed for bankruptcy. yes, this is a man who has _ filed for bankruptcy. yes, this is a man who has made _ filed for bankruptcy. yes, this is a man who has made a _ filed for bankruptcy. yes, this is a man who has made a career - filed for bankruptcy. yes, this is a man who has made a career out l filed for bankruptcy. yes, this is a | man who has made a career out of promoting really paranoid allegations against the us government. he is very right—wing media commentator who came out of the obscurity of public access tv here in america to become this man who really indulges in these conspiracy theories. 0ne who really indulges in these conspiracy theories. one of the theories that he has been promoting for a long, long time is to do with the sandy hook elementary school shooting that happened back in 2012, it is the worst mass school shooting in american history. he wrongfully

claimed the debts was all a government set up, this was a hoax and that this was designed to try and that this was designed to try and curtail american people's rights to own guns and that the families of the victims were actors and therefore he just denied the existence of these children. and the family said that what he did, his behaviour led to years of harassment and death threats by conspiracy theorists, they took him to court to sue him and they won. now he is meant to give the money but he has filed for bankruptcy in which he has basically said that his debt completely outdoes the actual asset that he has said he can't pay them. however, it is worth adding that before the trials happen this summer alex jones had before the trials happen this summer alexjones had in a deposition sad, yes the shootings did happen but he had also been filing for bankruptcy beforehand. so what has happened today has not been a complete shock today has not been a complete shock to the families but of course it is

another blow for them. has there been any reaction _ another blow for them. has there been any reaction from _ another blow for them. has there been any reaction from them? i another blow for them. has there l been any reaction from them? the house. there's _ been any reaction from them? tie: house. there's been a statement released by the lawyers who represent the families. he said that like every other cowardly move alex jones is made, this bankruptcy is —— will not work. basically, proceedings now stop they have to let this case play out in bankruptcy courts. he still faces a third defamation trial later this year in texas. the actor, will smith hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons. after he slapped comedian chris rock on stage at the oscars in front of a worldwide audience. he's apologised on a number of occasions— and he's now promoting the release of his first film since the incident— emancipation— based on a true story of an escaped slave in louisiana. it also marks his return to the red carpet in london and our reporter michael mckenzie has been speaking to him in leicester square.

so i am here at the european premiere for emancipation and i am pleased to say the star of the film, will smith, joins us now. sir, what is the deal? how are you doing? i'm good. so this is a true story and you play patrick, a runaway slave, tell us a little bit more about the film. actually it is the picture was called whipped peter. it actually has a direct connection with great britain. it was the first place that the picture appeared. and, you know, great britain potentially would have entered the war on the side of the south, but the image of whipped peter being plastered all over british newspapers, there was an outcry that was a big part of the end of the american slave trade. and the film, subject matter, slavery, hope, families, survival, how do you prepare for a role like that? you really don't. it was grueling, man, it was clearly the most difficult film that i have ever worked

on and the heat out in the swamps, we wanted to shoot in a lot of the actual locations. and just the depiction of human cruelty, it wears on your psyche. it was difficult for all of us, but i feel like when people get into the movie theatre they will see something special. this is your first film since the oscars, isn't it? yeah, mm—hm. since the chris rock incident. are you afraid that some of the fans might not support this film? i feel very happy that all of the artists that are involved with this film are finally getting an opportunity, the film is coming out, i am ecstatic about the work and the artistry of this film and my heart yearns and hopes that the artist involves will get a fair shot.

how long are you in london for? how long are we in london for? here for a couple of days. we will hang out for a couple of days and hope that we can see some sights, london before christmas is one of the best cities on earth so we will have some fun here. thank you, will. appreciate you, man, thank you very much. the film is out on the 9th of december. sir eltonjohn has been announced as the headline act at the glastonbury festival next summer. the show�*s being billed as the last uk date of sir elton�*s farewell tour the organisers say they are hoping to give him the mother of all stand—offs. —— stand—offs. with the star saying there is no more fitting way to say goodbye. that is all for now you can reach me on twitter and to stay up—to—date

with all of the stories we are covering at our website. 0r download the app. i will see you shortly. thank you for watching. hello there. there's been quite a bit of fog around over the past few days and it has felt particularly cold where it stayed grey and misty. this was the scene earlier on here in worcestershire. there has not been as much fog around today. it is lifting, it is actually getting blown away and this weekend we should see a freshening easterly breeze which will make it feel colder and bring in a mixture of sunshine, but also a few showers. there was some sunshine around other parts of uk today, left us with a lovely sunset, for example, croyde bay in devon. we will find some breaks in the clouds developing across more of england and wales, pushing into southeast scotland, as that band of misty low cloud comes across northern ireland and the northwest of scotland, keeping temperatures up here. elsewhere, temperatures won't be far away from freezing. we'll see the easterly breeze bringing in a few more showers

towards north sea coasts. heading into tomorrow, we have the cloudy weather in northern ireland that should tend to thin and break a bit. it stays cloudy and damp and north—west scotland, but other parts of scotland will see some sunshine. there will be sunshine at times across england and wales, a few more showers coming in on that breeze across eastern parts of england and it looks quite cloudy in the afternoon for southeastern parts of england. temperature—wise tomorrow, similar to where they have been for the possible day, so around 7 or 8 degrees. we stayed in colder air over the weekend and it's going to get colder as the weekend goes on. that weather front takes rain away from the north—west, a few more isobars on the chart. signs that the winds are picking up a bit. and again, we we'll see some sunshine here and there, but also some showers. probably more showers on sunday, mainly for the northern half of the uk not so many in the south, but there will be a covering of cloud here. for all of us, the breeze will be picking up as well. it is not a strong easterly wind, but it will certainly be noticeable. the air�*s getting colder through sunday, so temperatures around 5—7 .

when you factor in that easterly winds, that will be strongest around north sea coasts, then it will feel quite a few degrees colder. however, there's even colder weather to come next week. that easterly breeze that we'll have over that the weekend will be replaced by a northerly wind from tuesday, wednesday onwards, bringing down colder air down from the north. it will feel colder. yes, there will be sunshine around, but you could see how those temperatures are dropping throughout next week, getting particularly chilly out there, and there will be some wintry showers — looks like northern scotland will be in the firing line.

this is bbc world news. the headlines... the kremlin has dismissed comments by president biden that he would be prepared to talk to vladimir putin if the russian leader signalled he was looking to end the war in ukraine. ukraine says that several of its embassies and consulates in europe have been sent parcels containing animals' eyes, including its diplomatic mission in madrid. it comes days after letter bombs were sent to ukrainian— linked targets in spain. the uk's development minister says he fears the war in ukraine has diverted aid and attention away from somalia's worst drought in a0 years. uk health officials issue a warning to parents after the strep a infection claims the lives of six children across england and wales. the head of britain's largest supermarket chain tells the bbc

shoppers are turning to cheaper, frozen goods as the cost of living crisis bites into christmas budgets. you are watching bbc news. uk health officials say parents should be aware of an infection called strep a after confirming that since september, six children have died with an invasive condition caused by it. they include five children under 10 years old in england, and a child in wales. colin brown is from the uk health security agency. he says that serious infection is rare — but parents need to be aware of the symptoms. as we heard it is rare for it to become invasive group a disease. in most people it is a self limiting illness in the key point is, if you have a series of those symptoms we call it a central score so if you have high fever, a rash, inflamed mouth, inflamed top of your mouth

and tonsils than all of those things put together are indicating that you have a streptococcal bacterial infection which can be eminently treated with a pen a single —— penicillin type antibiotic. since september, six people have died from this how unusual is that? it is unusual i think it is all coming together but i don't think that this is something that is an outbreak of something that has gone out of control. it is that time of year where we do see more cases and it is unfortunate that we have six children who have died. the key point here is, if you have those series of signs and symptoms that i mentioned, it would be important to seek medical advice as soon as possible.

gps are aware of this and they always prioritise young children who are unwell to be seen first. what advice would you give to, as he say he does that some of that year where the symptoms may become quite common in children, what would you say to parents who are perhaps understandably concerned or alarmed with our hearing today? one thing, this is a rare set of outcome, what you need to do is look out for these signs and symptoms and let me repeat rapidly developing sore throat, then your tongue and the top of the mouth may be very red, you may have enlarged tonsils and painful to swallow and eat your food. usually there is not reddening of the eyes, usually there is no cough so that distinctions from common viral infections. then you have a sandpaper feel like rash starts in the trunk and then goes on to your arms. if you have the series of signs and symptoms,

fever, rash, painfulthroat and tonsils do go to your doctor and seek help. the boss of the uk's biggest supermarket, tesco, says shoppers are trying to budget for christmas by spreading out the cost and buying more frozen products. it comes as bbc analysis shows the traditional dinner will be nearly 22% more expensive than last year. today we're focussing on the cost of living. let's run through just how food costs are pushing up the price of a christmas lunch. a basic christmas dinner for five people — comprising of a frozen medium—sized turkey, stuffing balls, brussels sprouts, roast potatoes, pork chipolatas, onion gravy and mince pies for dessert — will cost £30.03 compared to £24.67 last year. chipolatas — the crucial ingredient for pigs—in—blankets — has seen the steepestjump of a2.7% to £2.13 for a packet of 12. that's because the pork industry has been hit by a succession of cost increases over the past 12 months. new research suggests that worries about money mean

that nearly half of us — 44% — are cutting back on what we will spend over the festive season. our business correspondent emma simpson reports. it is christmas in the supermarket aisles so what are shoppers up to? we are on the hunt for discounts. tesco is putting in new signs to make the yellow reduced stickers easier to find. looking for the deals and discounts. just making the money stretch. then there is this. not buying branded items. and cutting back. i usually am one who just throws everything into the trolley - and having to think twice now. you are definitely seeing all of those... the boss of britain's biggest retailer says shopping habits are changing fast. you are actually seeing some trade down between the more expensive meats into white meats. you are seeing trading from eating out to eating meals in house. but he also detects a determination by people to enjoy christmas too. they will definitely spend a little less but i think we will have a decent christmas.

this is the time of year when people usually like to splash the cash but many are now on a budget like never before. for instance, tesco is selling double the number of frozen turkeys than they did before the pandemic. people are obviously worried about availability but also looking for cheaper options, spreading the cost of christmas. but it is going to cost a bit more. we have looked at some key staples across the main supermarkets. the average price of frozen turkey is up by 21% compared with last year. potatoes are even higher. brussels sprouts are up 7.5%. pork chipolatas have soared by more than a0%. tesco cannot say when food inflation will peak. it is also the biggest private sector employer in the uk so how worried is the boss about the times we are now in? it feels like we are definitely in times of turbulence and change.

and that always creates uncertainty. and ourjob is to make sure that the little basics feel consistent and reliable and affordable. and that is what we are really focused on. are you putting shareholders before shoppers? i think, we think that shoppers, shareholders, suppliers, communities all need to coexist. myjob is to manage the balance, to make sure that everybody who depends on tesco is looked after. it is the season for giving and tesco's annual winter food donation drive is under way, but will shoppers be able to give like before, when they are watching every penny? union members have announced 12 days

of strike action of a christmas and the new year. of strike action of a christmas and the new year-— of strike action of a christmas and the new ear. .,, ., , ., , the new year. those who plan design and maintain — the new year. those who plan design and maintain the _ the new year. those who plan design and maintain the roads _ the new year. those who plan design and maintain the roads will— the new year. those who plan design and maintain the roads will take - and maintain the roads will take part in staggered strakes from december the 16th through part in staggered strakes from december the 16th throuthanuary december the 16th through january seven. december the 16th throuthanuary seven. bloom says the action risks bringing roads to a standstill, the action will coincide with planned strikes of rmt members of the railways. a greater understanding of how gangs groom and manipulate children is needed — according to an organisation that supports children involced with county lines. that's where children travel across counties up and down the country to deliver drugs. last night on news at six we heard about the huge rise in the number of children being recorded as trafficked and exploited by criminal gangs. tonight we hear from a woman who says she was used and sexually exploited by drugs gangs as a young girl. she has been telling her story to our correspondentjeremy cooke. i was actually only 11 at the time. i think it was just a case of getting in with the wrong people,

the wrong group of friends, not having very many people to support you or talk to. it finds you — you don't find it. nicole is telling her own story. difficult to hear but important to understand the abuse, the exploitation of children, our children, up and down the country. nicole was 11 years old. they offer you, like, £400 or £500. to anyone else, a grown—up that's on a working wage, that's nothing. to a little bairn who was sleeping on a mattress with no food unless they get fed off their friends, that's everything. so i took a lot of drugs from the area we are in, newcastle, to a lot of different places. 0n trains and buses, any sort of transport that they didn't want to go on themselves, i would do. and i'd get paid at the end of it however, more often than not, i would not get paid. every kind of exploitation. so naive, it was yes, yes, yes, 0k.

i literally had an address, a date, a time and a train ticket, and that was me, gone, with a bag, you know what i mean? someone met me with a bag, i took it and i'm gone and came back. i had to go very, very far. it was just past london. it was so hectic and every train station i was getting off and i was going to the toilet to cry. it was so overwhelming. but no words could describe how horrible that was. and then when i got to the location i was supposed to be going, what was planned to happen didn't happen. and i had to do a lot of things that i didn't want to do to get out of that situation alive. if i hadn't have done what i was asked to do, which was sexual, physical, mental, then i don't think i would be here today, i don't think. i still to this day don't understand

how an 11—year—old girl got on the trains unnoticed, not seen, not found, not asked why i wasn't at school, not asked why i wasn't with a mum or dad or anything like that. which is a shame. and i think that is now what mostly affects me day to day, is why someone didn't step in and do what was necessary. i've seen people get kettled, like, with boiling water, i've seen people get stabbed because of the littlest disagreement over things, like £20. £20, people are getting hurt for. it's a dark world, violent and abusive. no one gets out without help. so with any new cases that i get, the first thing i do is obviously i go out and meet them and i start to build that relationship up. these days, nicole has carly from edge north east. she is out there every day, helping vulnerable girls. it's about trying to keep eyes on them, to make sure they are safe.

for nicole, home life was chaotic, dysfunctional. the crucial intervention came five years ago, at school. here you are, you are sitting in front of us now and something happened, something good happened, didn't it? so, thankfully, through a really, really good teacher that i had at school, literally gave me a lifeline. she offered me to start having showers at school, she offered to start paying for my meals outside of school. one day i had went in, and unfortunately i had just that day suffered a miscarriage, i'd just turned 13, my 13th birthday. and she had noticed. she took me straight to hospital and ijust, i'd had enough and i think i'd reached that breaking point of, 0k, i can trust this person and she needs to know that i'm not ok. you are a success story, which is great. in five years' time, if we were having a conversation, what would you like your life to look like then?

i'd love to be working. have myself a house, family. you know, just typical stuff, just... another lovely human being to walk past that says hello on the street, that doesn't turn away if you need help. there will be young people who might catch this on their phones, might see it on the telly, who are living scared right now. what would you say to those kids? i couldn't stress to people enough that they need to take that, it doesn't matter how scared you are. you are valid, your feelings are valid, you are never that stuck. if you are still living and breathing, you are never that stuck past the point of return. you can always end up at the better end of it. and i stand by that. glad i did get here because it breaks my heart, i think about the people who don't and who won't. you are a remarkable young woman, you really are. thank you. it's nice to know that, even if people don't take much from that other than they will be ok in the end, that's enough for me. that was nicole ending that

report byjeremy cooke. for details of organisations that offer advice and support with county lines, you can go online to bbc.co.uk/actionline. you are watching bbc news now newswatch. hello and welcome to newswatch with me, samira ahmed. showing live matches on the bbc is one thing, but should the men's football world cup be featuring so prominently on its news outlets? and more complaints about the bbc�*s use of statistics. it was one of those weeks when a division emerged among audiences — between those happy to see football as part of the news, and those who thought it should be anything but. following on from complaints we aired in our last programme, we received reactions to continued coverage such as this from qatar over the past week.

singing. and on the party bus, english confidence was flowing. # we're gonna score one more than you! england! as i'm talking to you, two crucial world cup| matches are kicking off. the us and iran are old foes on the world stage, - and they are playing each other, vying for one of the _ spots in the last 16. the other two teams with a very close interest in that _ are england and wales. if we do win, we'll be on... we might be on to the knockout rounds, and that will make history for all of wales. so, come on! come on! i think we knew how the first half was going to go, but then we knew wales would really have to go for it, the game would open up. we could then use our players with pace — the likes of rashford and foden. you know, it was... you know, from there on,

i was never in any doubt. well, here's what some of you had to say about all that,