this is bbc news with the latest headlines. the rmt union announces more rail strikes to take place over the festive period — including christmas eve — in their ongoing dispute over pay, jobs and working conditions. this inconvenience is being caused by the _ this inconvenience is being caused by the government, who are running the playbook and the strategy for the playbook and the strategy for the railway companies and directing what is _ the railway companies and directing what is going on. they have held back_ what is going on. they have held back even— what is going on. they have held back even these paltry offers to the last minute. they have offered 8% pay rise over two years to the rmt, and they have rejected without even consulting their own membership. it's very disappointing that the rmt think that the way to conduct these negotiations is through holding the country to ransom. have these new strikes affected your christmas travel plans? if so, does this influence

whether or not you have sympathy for the striking workers? get in touchwith me @annitabbc and use the hashtag #bbcyourquestions to let me know. the national farmers' union warns the uk is sleepwalking into a food supply crisis and calls on the government to step in and help its members. labour try to force the government to release documents about the reward of a covid contract to a company with alleged links to the conservative peer baroness mone. paqueta! and in the world cup, brazil go through to the quarterfinals after beating south korea 4—1 in qatar.

welcome to bbc news this morning. rail bosses say the rmt union is "playing fast and loose" with commuters' festive plans after it confirmed more industrial action over christmas. rail bosses say the rmt union is "playing fast and loose" the union is involved in two sets of talks in a long—running dispute over pay, jobs and working conditions. last night the rmt confirmed industrial action at 1a train companies will take place on the 13th and 14th and 16 and 17th of december, as well as further strikes injanuary on the 3rd and 4th, 6th and 7th. talks with the rail delivery group — who represents the 1a train companies — will take place today. the rmt also announced another strike invoving network rail employees — that's staff who maintain the railways — lasting from late on christmas eve to the morning of the 27th of december. you can see the dates in the middle,

we have put them in chronological orderfor you. the rmt union is putting a new offerfrom network rail to its members in an electronic referendum, which will close in a week's time. but the union is urging them to reject the offer, which its general secretary mick lynch said was not acceptable. network rail had said the latest offer was its best and final. it includes a 5% pay rise this year and 4% next year, no compulsory redundancies for workers who are not managers and controllers until 3st1 january 2025 and a 75% discount on leisure travel for staff and their family members. -- until —— until 31st of january 2025. the rmt says this offer is far below the increase in the cost of living, with inflation currently at 11%. this is what mick lynch had to say on bbc radio 4's today show this morning. well, as a generalised attack on working people where they are having their wages lowered against inflation and often their conditions ripped up, you will hear in our industry, in the cwu, in the royal mail

and british telecom that it is not just about pay, they are offering very paltry pay rises in return for chopping up of terms and conditions and changes to working patterns. so it feels like a general attack by the employers and by the government and by organisations that are coordinating what they are doing, clearly. so it would be foolish of unions not to coordinate themselves in response to those attacks, and that is what we are facing, that people are being made poorer and sometimes impoverished while they're working, using food banks and having to live on state benefits. so the price of labour isn't at the right price in this country, and what the unions have got to do is correct that, because if people are living on subsidy and living on food banks and other support mechanisms they are not being paid the right amount of money for their work, and that's exactly what is happening in the railway. so the unions have a duty to coordinate what they do. but plenty of your members are not

living on subsidies and living on food banks, are they? and some of the people who are going to be inconvenienced, possibly very inconvenienced by what you are doing, are. in other words, some of the people you have just referred to going to be the victims in this. my members are living on extremely low wages, some of them. yeah, but not all of them. two thirds or 75... no, not all of them, not everyone is earning the same money, but what everyone is experiencing is a lowering of their conditions. now, we regret the inconvenience that we are causing but this inconvenience is being caused by the government, who are running the playbook and the strategy for the railway companies and directing what is going on. they have held back even these paltry offers until the last—minute, so they know that it is very difficult for us to deal with these offers. we gave them three weeks to make the offer and they hope that back. —— and they have held that back. why did you change your mind on having a strike over christmas? well, the christmas action we have

put on does not largely affect passenger services. the passenger railway runs down and closes in the evening of december the 24th, so what we are targeting is the engineering works at network rail. mick lynch. the schools minister nick gibb says the government has offered a pay rise and accused the rmt of still holding the country to ransom. the transport secretary has facilitated discussions between the employer and the unions, between the rail delivery group and the unions, and they have offered 8% pay rise over two years to the rmt, and they have rejected without even consulting their own membership. it's very disappointing that the rmt think that the way to conduct these negotiations is through holding the country to ransom, and affecting the christmas plans of your listener, your viewer, as well as hundreds of thousands of people up and down the country. it is not a way to conduct negotiations. labour's deputy leader angela rayner accused the government of presiding over what she described as a complete shambles on the railways ahead of further strikes.

they should be getting round the table and discussing it. 4% when, you know, cost of living crisis at the moment, does seem like a low offer, and these reforms as well which the unions have said they are quite happy to negotiate on that, i think there is a deal to be done. every single day that those workers have been on strike, they have lost pay, so they don't want to do this, they want to find a resolution. our political correspondent nick eardley is at westminster. our chief political correspondent. good morning. the transport minister said the government has facilitated what he has described as a new improved offer, all of these offers about what is on the table are very loaded and disputed. is there any more the government can facilitate at this point?— at this point? that is a good question. — at this point? that is a good question. i— at this point? that is a good question, i think _ at this point? that is a good question, i think the - at this point? that is a good question, i think the view i at this point? that is a good question, i think the view in j question, i think the view in whitehalljust now is ministers have a role to play in facilitating this all but there needs to be a bit more

movement in the talks for the government to play any meaningful role. this has always been a bit of a tricky situation because there are different interpretations of exactly what ministers can and should be doing. the government argues it is not its role to be involved in direct talks between the unions and the rail delivery group, the unions say the government needs to do more to make sure the rail delivery group is making a proper offer that can unpick all of them so it is a bit of a tricky picture, but chatting to people in government i think there is probably now an acceptance that the strikes due to happen next week on the 13th and 14th involving the rmt will probably go ahead, it is probably too late to stop them, but on the strikes closer to christmas there is still a hope from some in government that they can maybe find a way through on that and i get the impression that the transport secretary is prepared to have more

talks facilitating these discussions if it looks like there could be some movement. but what ministers are just refusing to do, sometimes to criticism from some quarters, is get directly involved and kind of bash heads together and say this is the solution, here is where the money is coming from. but it paints a wider picture that is quite politically tricky, we are talking about industrial action pretty much everyday at the moment, seems everyday at the moment, there seems to be a new strike or new unrest within different sectors. the argument the government is consistently making is some of the pay demands from some of the unions are unaffordable. the cost of living is a big problem that if the pay demands that some unions are making one night, ministers contest that could just lead to inflation lasting even longer —— if the pay demands that some unions are making were to

be met. this that some unions are making were to be met. �* , ., ., ., , ., , be met. as a negotiating strategy the rmt may _ be met. as a negotiating strategy the rmt may calculate _ be met. as a negotiating strategy the rmt may calculate the - be met. as a negotiating strategy - the rmt may calculate the government might look at disruption to peoples christmas plans, the first regular christmas. years in terms of getting together, travelling, going out and so forth, and think this might be the nudge that is needed to get them further in these discussions? possibly, the calculation unions always make is that they have leveraged and they are prepared to use it if need be. but whether there will be a breakthrough on the rmt talks, i'm not sure is the honest answer. there have been talks for ages now that have not come up with ages now that have not come up with a deal, it has got closer and there has been a slightly better mood in some of the talks but clearly it has not yet got to a place where they think this can be resolved. ihlick think this can be resolved. nick eardle , think this can be resolved. nick eardley. our— think this can be resolved. nick eardley, our chief _ think this can be resolved. nick eardley, our chief political correspondent at westminster, thank

you. joining me now is the ceo of uk hospitality kate nicholls. good morning, thank you for your time. you have done some analysis on what you believe the impact of the rail strikes will be on the hospitality sector over this period, what have you found? this hospitality sector over this period, what have you found?— what have you found? this is our busiest trading _ what have you found? this is our busiest trading week _ what have you found? this is our busiest trading week before - busiest trading week before christmas, the main week for christmas, the main week for christmas parties, people coming into the office for the last time, before people breaking for christmas holidays, it is also when people go shopping, the last big weekend for shopping, the last big weekend for shopping before christmas where people will eat and drink out and collectively and cumulatively the impact of the strike action takes out a week of trading and has a knock—on effect on the christmas period when people are travelling tuesday with family and friends and we think the full collective impact of that on the hospitality sector will be a loss of £1.5 billion in sales revenue to businesses that

desperately need a strong christmas trading period to survive into the new year. iltiuiiiiii trading period to survive into the new year. ~ ,., trading period to survive into the new year. ~ ., ., new year. will some of that revenue to new year. will some of that revenue go elsewhere? _ new year. will some of that revenue go elsewhere? will— new year. will some of that revenue go elsewhere? will people _ new year. will some of that revenue go elsewhere? will people get - go elsewhere? will people get together in locations closer to home? it does not help businesses in city centres, the restaurants that people might ntube otherwise, but will that revenue go elsewhere? we have will that revenue go elsewhere? - have taken into account, we have seen a cancellation rate of 30% or 40%, seen a cancellation rate of 30% or a0%, almost equal to the cancellations due to omicron this time last year, it is hitting the same week, the most valuable trading week. you will see some displacement into neighbourhood locations but it will not replace those larger events, the christmas parties, people coming into go to the theatre, two pantomimes, to do family activities, those are just cancellations and with the cost of living crisis hitting consumers that is money they are not spending, when people cancelled last year they

rebooked in january and the corporate businesses did that, we're not seeing that happening this year so sadly i think that will be a total loss of income rather than a significant displacement. you might have heard nick _ significant displacement. you might have heard nick say _ significant displacement. you might have heard nick say the _ significant displacement. you might| have heard nick say the government might be waiting for progress in the talks before it will consider getting involved again, but i notice uk hospitality is very much saying the government should proactively get involved. why do you say the government sees it role as facilitating talks and progress but it wants more progress in the talks, which seem to be at a logjam? ultimately this dispute is between employers and unions, the government is a stakeholder and we need all sides to come back around the table urgently, try to get resolution, today would not be too late but the government needs to be able to encourage that resolution and address matters arising if we are not to have real economic pain

across town centres and hospital businesses. —— hospitality businesses. —— hospitality businesses. there are businesses at risk, workers who will not be able to work as they would normally do, we think the government, the unions and the employers need to get a resolution as a matter of priority otherwise our businesses will be collateral damage in this.- otherwise our businesses will be collateral damage in this. thank you kate nicolson. _ collateral damage in this. thank you kate nicolson, ceo _ collateral damage in this. thank you kate nicolson, ceo of— collateral damage in this. thank you kate nicolson, ceo of uk _ kate nicolson, ceo of uk hospitality. earlierwe kate nicolson, ceo of uk hospitality. earlier we asked you what you make of this, how it effects your christmas plans and whether it influences how you feel about the strike. bernadette sanders says, "i support the rmt, working people are fed up with not being paid enough to keep up with the cost of living and having to resort to food banks," although the average pay for rail workers is above the average uk wage, i should say. graham says "the rail system is far too expensive and clearly aimed at

those who can write it off against tax. broadly the government is an epic fail mood because so many feel the need to strike." of people cannot write it off against tax, they depend on the railway. martin perry says "i don't suppose the union bosses are losing their pay, it is a disgrace that this pay deal has been turned down." you can in touch with me at twitter. farmers in the uk are warning that yields of crops like tomatoes, cucumbers and pears could hit their lowest level since records began. the national farmers' union says the uk is "sleepwalking" into a food chain supply crisis because of the soaring cost of fuel, fertilisers and feed — as well as a shortage of workers. our business editor simonjack reports. the soaring cost of feed, fuel, fertiliser and the impact of flu are creating a potential food

supply crisis that the uk is sleepwalking into, according to the national farmers union. the ukraine war, the pandemic and the resulting inflation have taken their toll. there are now 7,000 fewerfood producers in the uk compared to 2019, and some fear more could fail. the farmers have had so many bad years that they've ended up having to borrow money or borrow money against the farm. and obviously inflation rates and interest rates have gone up. so interest on big loans... because anything to do with farming is big kit. it costs a lot. it costs a fortune to produce the milk on your table or food on your table. strains already seen in the avian flu affected egg market, where many supermarkets have introduced rationing, are expected to spread. fertiliser prices have more than tripled, while the cost of fuel is up nearly 75% since 2019. since 2019, what the nfu describes as the last normal year, animalfeed is up 75%.

nitrogen fertiliser up 240%. agricultural diesel up 73%. wholesale gas up a whopping 650%. there are now 7,000 fewer agricultural businesses in the uk than before the pandemic. production of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and pears are expected to be the lowest this year since records began in 1985. the nfu is urging the government to lift a cap on seasonal overseas workers and establish a new food security target, including a statutory duty to monitor and report on domestic food production levels and introduce a new target for public sector organisations to buy 50% of their food locally. the government told the bbc that it was in regular contact with the food and farming industries to ensure they're well prepared for a range of scenarios and they continue to take all the necessary steps to ensure people across the country have the food they need. but uk farmers are concerned that less food produced

here increases the uk's reliance on food imported from abroad at a time when global food supplies are stretched. simon jack, bbc news. joining me now is david exwood. he is a beef and arable farmer in west sussex, and he is also vice president of the national farmers' union. thank you forjoining us. standing in front of a silo of wheat, i believe. sleepwalking, why have you use that terminology?— use that terminology? founders are used to uncertainty, _ use that terminology? founders are used to uncertainty, we _ use that terminology? founders are used to uncertainty, we deal- use that terminology? founders are used to uncertainty, we deal with i use that terminology? founders are used to uncertainty, we deal with it| used to uncertainty, we deal with it everyday, but this is uncertainty on an unprecedented scale —— farmers are used to. this is not about now, it is about next summer. the gaps on supermarket shelves of eggs we have seen, we see happening on other sectors and we want the government and people to act to bring some certainty back in.— and people to act to bring some

certainty back in. consumers are lookin: certainty back in. consumers are looking to _ certainty back in. consumers are looking to get — certainty back in. consumers are looking to get the _ certainty back in. consumers are looking to get the very _ certainty back in. consumers are looking to get the very best - certainty back in. consumers are| looking to get the very best value for money with the cost of living crisis, spending less if they can on food even though food prices are going up. what impact is that having on farmers directly? the going up. what impact is that having on farmers directly?— on farmers directly? the impact on farmers is that _ on farmers directly? the impact on farmers is that the _ on farmers directly? the impact on farmers is that the cost _ on farmers directly? the impact on farmers is that the cost of - on farmers directly? the impact on farmers is that the cost of what - farmers is that the cost of what they produce, the cost of this wheat has gone up extraordinarily, and they don't know when to sell, they don't know when to buy, they don't know the cost of production, so it is about risk rather than price and founders are taking all the risk, and their reaction to that risk is to produce less. we have seen unprecedented drops in production. tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers at record low levels as your package mentioned, we are seeing anticipated production drops of around 20% for most fresh fruit and vegetables for next summer, these are serious levels which will have an impact next year. levels which will have an impact next year-—

levels which will have an impact next ear. ., ., , ., , ., next year. how many farmers have one out next year. how many farmers have gone out of — next year. how many farmers have gone out of business _ next year. how many farmers have gone out of business or— next year. how many farmers have gone out of business or are - next year. how many farmers have gone out of business or are on - next year. how many farmers have gone out of business or are on the | gone out of business or are on the brink of going out of business because they cannot absorb the risk you are talking about? you because they cannot absorb the risk you are talking about?— because they cannot absorb the risk you are talking about? you heard the number, you are talking about? you heard the number. 7000 _ you are talking about? you heard the number, 7000 fewer— you are talking about? you heard the number, 7000 fewer farming - number, 7000 fewer farming businesses since 2019. people are not necessarily going bankrupt but they are just quietly stopping production, taking less risk, producing less or quietly moving to the safer option. farmers are producing lessons going out of business and that concerns us most, we are sleepwalking into a production crisis for next year. tell us a bit more about the support you would like to see from the government for the sector and also about establishing a food security target, something the nfu is talking about. what do you mean by that? we about. what do you mean by that? - really want some of that certainty put back in so that farmers know where they are at, certainty on the seasonal workers scheme, we

anticipate there were £60 million worth of fruit and veg left in the field last spring because people were not about to take them, so we want but uncertainty lifted, we want it left on the cap on numbers and visas to be lifted. when you are seeing drops in production on this level, that leads to insecurity, we want the government to understand this and act accordingly.— this and act accordingly. thank you, david exwood. _ this and act accordingly. thank you, david exwood, vice _ this and act accordingly. thank you, david exwood, vice president - this and act accordingly. thank you, david exwood, vice president of- this and act accordingly. thank you, david exwood, vice president of thej david exwood, vice president of the national farmers' union. labour will try to force the government to release documents about the award of a covid contract to a company with alleged links to the conservative peer lady mone. the firm, ppe medro, won the contracts to provide masks and surgical gowns which later went unused as they were found not to meet the required standard. lady mone has previously told the bbc that she had no role in the company, nor in the process for awarding contracts.

—— baroness mone has. a girl who attended a belfast primary school which reported a severe case of the bacterial infection strep a has died. the five—year—old became severely ill last week and was treated at the royal belfast hospital for sick children. health experts and the government are urging parents and doctors to remain vigilant for signs of the illness, which can include a sore throat, high temperature and a rash. a major incident has been declared in wolverhampton after a large fire engulfed a number of derelict factories near the city centre. more than 100 firefighters are working to contain the blaze in horseley fields with witnesses reporting hearing explosions. some trains have been cancelled and roads closed, while residents have been told to shut windows and doors. the fire is so large it was seen more than 15 miles away in shropshire. there have been electricity blackouts in several parts of ukraine after russia fired a new barrage of missiles aimed at disrupting

the country's power grid. the worst cuts were in the east and south — the city of odesa was left without any electricity. those attacks came hours after explosions at two military airfields in russian territory, which moscow has blamed on kyiv. let's go live to the ukrainian capital kyiv and our correspondent there, hugo bachega. hello to you, give us a sense of the hardship these attacks are causing in what is clearly incredibly cold conditions in ukraine. tote in what is clearly incredibly cold conditions in ukraine.— conditions in ukraine. we saw yesterday _ conditions in ukraine. we saw yesterday another _ conditions in ukraine. we saw yesterday another day - conditions in ukraine. we saw yesterday another day with i conditions in ukraine. we saw yesterday another day with a l conditions in ukraine. we saw - yesterday another day with a wave of russian missiles targeting ukraine's critical infrastructure, president zelensky said most of the 70 russian missiles were shot down by the country's as defence systems but some of those missiles hit targets, we saw that odesa in the south of

the country was one of the most affected regions with no water, heating, electricity and today the authorities across the country are warning residents that emergency shutdowns are likely to happen as work is under way to repair the damage caused by those attacks. the authorities have been warning russia was preparing to carry out another wave of missile attacks across the country. it is incredibly cold and windy in kyiv this morning, it gives you a sense of the concern here as these attacks continue under system might not be able to cope and people across the might not have access to heating and power as the temperatures continue to plunge. while russian troops may have pulled out of the areas they had previously tried to occupy in terms of boots on

the ground, this is clearly a strategy, and offensive that russia will look to continue through the winter. is this in some way hargessa for ukraine to address? i winter. is this in some way hargessa for ukraine to address?— for ukraine to address? i think what the ukrainians _ for ukraine to address? i think what the ukrainians are _ for ukraine to address? i think what the ukrainians are saying _ for ukraine to address? i think what the ukrainians are saying is - for ukraine to address? i think what the ukrainians are saying is this - for ukraine to address? i think what the ukrainians are saying is this is l the ukrainians are saying is this is how russia is responding to military setbacks on the battlefield by attacking civilian sites and infrastructure across the country. this has been the strategy for weeks now and the ukrainians are saying that the goal of this strategy is to not only damage critical infrastructure but also to damage people's determination to continue to resist, but i have been speaking to resist, but i have been speaking to ukrainians who have said this will have the opposite effect, it will have the opposite effect, it will make ukrainians stronger and make them feel they need to resist and continue fighting. everybody knows that the next few weeks and

months will be incredibly difficult, especially if these attacks continue again. it is incredibly cold, in parts of the country temperatures can drop to —15 or 20, there is a lot of concern that the infrastructure here may not be able to cope as temperatures continue to drop. to cope as temperatures continue to dro -. ., ., ._ to cope as temperatures continue to dro. ., ., ., to cope as temperatures continue to dro -. ., ., ._ ., ., drop. one more away from that, there is a line coming _ drop. one more away from that, there is a line coming into _ drop. one more away from that, there is a line coming into us _ drop. one more away from that, there is a line coming into us that _ drop. one more away from that, there is a line coming into us that the - is a line coming into us that the russian deputy foreign minister is saying there were positive dynamics in discussions with the international atomic energy agency about creating a security zone around the zaporizhzhia nuclear power plants. what can you tell us about that?— about that? four months rafael grossi, the _ about that? four months rafael grossi, the head _ about that? four months rafael grossi, the head of _ about that? four months rafael grossi, the head of the - grossi, the head of the international atomic energy agency, has been calling for a safety zone around the zaporizhzhia nuclear power plants, a major nuclear facility which has been under russian occupation since the very beginning of the war. negotiations

have been incredibly difficult, rafael grossi has been to kyiv and number of times trying to create this safety zone around this facility. the un secretary—general antonio guterres has also called for the creation of this safety zone but so far negotiations have been incredibly hard with the russians, so i think any suggestion from the russians that they are willing to negotiate and create the safety zone will be seen as a positive step in trying to prevent any kind of accident at this nuclear facility. hugo bachega in kyiv, thank you very much. we've often talked about the decline of the traditional high street, but despite the impact of lockdowns and changing shopping habits, new research by the bbc has found that some businesses are booming. tattoo parlours and take—aways are just some of the places doing well, but traditional retailers are still struggling. our home editor mark easton reports. you can't get a tattoo online.

you can't get a haircut online, you know? in the half a dozen tattoo parlors operating in kendall, one might catch a glimpse of the future for our high streets and town centres. if you go to some cities in england, you know, you can have three, four, five, six studios down the same street. this part of cumbria reflects a national story. during the covid pandemic, while retail declined, service based businesses, such as hair and beauty, emerged stronger. 5,000 more outlets, including a 9% increase in tattoo studios. the findings illustrate the changing face of the british high street, less of a place to buy things, but more of a place to do stuff. jamie is one of 200 surveyors from ordnance survey, keeping an eye on britain's towns and cities. what's shut up shop and the new enterprises

opening their doors? a lot of shops such as this one have been closing down, but lots of other shops and local community shops have been opening up — coffee shops, breweries, hair and beauty. jamie and his colleagues have witnessed the decline of cash—based retail. now, 9,300 fewer retail shops on british streets, including 328 fewer department stores, 800 fewer banks, 6,000 fewer cash machines compared with pre—pandemic. but the eating and drinking sector actually emerged from covid stronger. there are 700 more pubs and bars, 2,000 more cafes and 4,600 more fast foodjoints, including 300 extra chippies. speciality food shops proved resilient during the pandemic. local butchers like this one in kendal were able to weather the covid storm if they offered something not available on the internet. you are providing a service at the end of the day because people aren't very well versed. obviously, it's like any kind of profession. all i think about is meat — you know, literally. local independent traders are seen as a key part of the answer. in kendal, business people

and politicians are working together on how to breathe life into the town centre. i think the most important thing we can do is invest in the public realm. we've got the bones here in kendal. we actually have an amazing medieval town, but like many places, it has been neglected and there's every ample opportunity to bring that back. five, four... the pandemic made many realise the importance of their community spaces and local traders. cheering. everybody, smile! you see the number of people out here tonight. people want to come out. people want to use the high street. the high streets and town centres best able to survive tough times ahead will be those which can bring fun and magic to our public spaces. merry christmas to one and all. mark easton, bbc news, kendal.

i will be speaking to a businesswoman in kendal in the next hour to find out what she is doing to help the area. you can see how your local high street has been affected by changes by using the bbc�*s new postcode search engine — just head to the bbc news website. now it's time for a look at the weather with carol. i felt at getting up this morning. really chilly. and it is going to get more chilly as we go through this week. that's the forecast, turning colder by day and night. it was a cold start and a frosty one for some. showers across scotland increasingly wintry to lower levels in the north. showers down the east coast, on hard ground in the north—east of england they will be wintry and showers across the english channel and coming through the irish sea. inland, a lot of dry weather and some sunshine, more than yesterday but still

feeling cold. through this evening and overnight greasy showers continue at low levels across the northern half of scotland. we will see wintry showers at low levels at times across the east coast of england but under clear skies in the west it be cold with widespread frost. tomorrow, a cold and frosty start but where we have the clear skies we will see some sunshine. still wintry showers at low levels in the northern half of the country. at times showers down the east coast once again, and wintry even at low levels. the temperatures, 2—6 but it will feel colder than that when you factor in the wind. hello, this is bbc news. the headlines... the rmt union announces more rail strikes to take place over the festive period, including christmas eve, in their ongoing dispute over pay. as well as jobs and working

conditions. this is being caused by the government, who are running the playbook and the strategy for the railway companies, and directing what's going on. they've held back even these paltry offers until the last minute. they have offered an 8% pay rise over two years to the rmt and they have rejected without even consulting their own membership. it's very disappointing that the rmt think that the way to conduct these negotiations is through holding the country to ransom. the national farmers union warns the uk is "sleepwalking" into a food supply crisis and calls on the government to step in and help its members. labour try to force the government to release documents about the reward of a covid contract to a company with alleged links to the conservative peer baroness mone. sport now, and a full round—up from qatar.

we have been speaking about how cold it is in the weather forecast but look at you on the beach, john watson, a perk of the job. another beautiful morning here in doha. this is the west bay area, this corniche wraps around the bay and fans have been gathering here through the tournament. more quiet this morning, some brazilfans who watched their team reach the quarterfinals of the world cup are probably giving themselves a rest this morning because it's fair to say they have been bringing the colour and atmosphere and a real samba party atmosphere to the world cup and their players have been delivering on the pitch, as stated emphatically beating south korea 4—1 yesterday to book their place in the last eight. they'll play croatia who beat japan in the first penalty shootout of this world cup. jane dougall reports. this team may be filled with world—class players, but they stand

in the shadow of pele. the three—time world cup winner tweeted from his hospital bed that he was watching. and he saw a brilliant display against south korea. viniciuer had so much time, and the carnival had begun. minutes later, talisman neymar, back from injury, cheekily converted a penalty, one short of pele's record. richarlison's turn. hejuggled, then passed, and the defence was split. brilliant, brilliant, brilliant, brilliant. even their coachjoined in the signature pigeon celebration. for the fourth, lucas paqueta produced a thing of beauty. south korea fans were in for a long night. job done, thought brazil, but korea were waiting and pounced. paik seung—ho's strike a crowd pleaser. but it was too little, too late. a 4—1win with the promise of more to come from a breathtaking brazil.

waiting for them is croatia. they couldn't be separated from japan. 1—1 after 120 minutes. for the first time this tournament we saw penalties. but japan missed three. it was left to mario pasalic, who calmly sent croatia through. devastation for japan. croatia will need their composure when they play the five—time champions in the quarterfinals. jane dougall, bbc news. today marks the end of the second round, with portugal taking on switzerland, and before that, morocco face spain. morocco caused one of the shocks of the tournament by winning their group and now they want to make history and reach the quarterfinals for the very first time.

translation: we have got 24 hours to re are for translation: we have got 24 hours to prepare for the — translation: we have got 24 hours to prepare for the game _ translation: we have got 24 hours to prepare for the game and _ translation: we have got 24 hours to prepare for the game and to _ translation: we have got 24 hours to prepare for the game and to make - prepare for the game and to make history and to be the only team to have done so in morocco. therefore it's worth a shot. we are going to give it our all it's worth a shot. we are going to give it ouralland it's worth a shot. we are going to give it our all and we don't want to leave the competition with any regrets. and then from an emotional point of view i think we need to take away the drama from all this. we are trying to find a balance within ourselves so the players feel it's a game that can go down in history but without putting too much pressure on my players so they are not up to the task. translation: we know morocco have many talented — translation: we know morocco have many talented players _ translation: we know morocco have many talented players who _ translation: we know morocco have many talented players who play - translation: we know morocco have many talented players who play at - many talented players who play at the highest level so this will be a tricky— the highest level so this will be a tricky game. achraf hakimi is one of the mainstays of their team and we all know_ the mainstays of their team and we all know how he plays at paris saint—germain so we will have to pay our utmost— saint—germain so we will have to pay our utmost respect to them. we also know_ our utmost respect to them. we also know morocco came top of their group so they— know morocco came top of their group so they will— know morocco came top of their group so they will be a tough opponent. there are four days to go until england's eagerly awaited quarterfinal with champions france.

bukayo saka says he's more than happy to take penalties if the need arises. saka has scored three goals already for england here. he was one of three players who missed spot—kicks in the euros final defeat to italy last year, and was subjected to online racist abuse following the match. he's moved on... i've obviously matured and progressed a lot as a player and person since that moment. i wouldn't have stepped up the times i've stepped up for arsenal to take a penalty if i wasn't confident. so obviously if the moment comes and i'm set to take it, i'll be more than happy to. coming out here and scoring those three goals, of course lifted me a lot. like i say, and i keep saying, the love from the fans that i keep receiving lifts me a lot as well,

gives me a lot of confidence. he has been instrumental to england's success so far. away from the world cup the england rugby union head coach eddiejones will find out his future later this morning. it's being widely reported that he's going to be sacked, after overseeing england's worst year since 2008. it's a big decision for the rfu, with the rugby world cup less than a year away. england beat pakistan in their opening test match, their first there in 17 years. the england cricket captain ben stokes says their dramatic first test win in pakistan for 17 years is "mind—blowing". they won by 74 runs in what ended up as a bit of a nailbiter in rawalpindi. jack leach claiming the final wicket of the match with just

minutes of light remaining. it's their first test tour there in 17 years. the next test starts on friday. everyone just threw themselves into the challenge. there was no complaints about the wicket, there was no complaints about anything that didn't go our way. we just got on with it and we dealt with it, even the things before the test match started, with the illness going round the camp. it's amazing the way this group operates. and as i said before, everyone plays for the person next to them, and, yeah, a really special group of men. what a win and you just wonder, if you are talking about big english wins at the moment, will we see another this weekend with england in action against france. we were just talking about the weather and it makes you feel better, there is a small chance of rain here in doha in the coming days. studio: it doesn't make me feel better. it's ok, i like winter. john watson in doha, thank you.

voters in the us state of georgia will go to the polls for the fifth time in four years today. that's because of a state law which means election winners need to get notjust the most votes — but at least 50% of those cast. neither of the two main candidates managed to pass this threshold in last month's mid—term election for one of the state's seats in the senate, which means they're having to fight it out again. our washington correspondent gary o'donoghue reports. herschel walker! the final push on the election trail for the first ever black republican candidate for senate in georgia. hello. despite facing allegations of violence against women, hypocrisy over abortion and lies about his past, the former football star, endorsed by donald trump, is still right in the race, just a couple of points behind his rival. i love you all. and we're going to win this election and get georgia back together because we together can make anything happen. for his supporters, herschel walker is a local hero, who's owned up to his past errors

and deserves a chance. but i've always been a fan because he's a christian. i'm a christian. he stands for all the values that i stand for. we've got to save our country. and herschel walker- is the only one that can. how you doing? for the incumbent democrat, pastor raphael warnock, georgia's election rules mean this is the fourth time in two years he's had to face the voters. and i promise you guys, if you stand up with me just one more day, i'll stand up for you for the next six years. and warnock thought no—one was watching when his ex—wife called police to report his abuse. in a sign ofjust how tight this race is, both sides have turned to negative attack ads, spending tens of millions of dollars in the process. walker pointed a gun to her head. walker threatened to kill her. the democrats have brought in some of their heavyweights to try to close out this race, thouthoe biden himself has stayed away, as he's not popular right now. hello, atlanta.

but while the outcome here won't change his control of the senate, it could strengthen it. democrats will now have a solid majority in the senate, which means that they can arrange the committees within the senate to also reflect their majority status. so things that have trouble getting out of committee now will not have that same trouble because the democrats can just vote on the straight party line to get things out, to get them to the floor, so that they can be dealt with. so that should grease some of the wheels of the biden agenda. this race is still too close to call. that's why herschel walker and raphael warnock are crisscrossing the state to turn out their voters. the challenge for herschel walker is to get those republicans that didn't vote for him last time to do so this time. gary o'donoghue, bbc news, gilmore county in georgia. joining us from atlanta now is skyler henry of cbs news. hello, first of all give us a sense of what the campaign has been like

since last month.— since last month. absolutely, good to see ou since last month. absolutely, good to see you as _ since last month. absolutely, good to see you as well. _ since last month. absolutely, good to see you as well. they _ since last month. absolutely, good to see you as well. they are - since last month. absolutely, good i to see you as well. they are ramping up to see you as well. they are ramping up the rhetoric, both sides. incumbent senator raphael warnock asking his supporters to stick with him and see this through. meanwhile his republican challenger herschel walker has come out swinging, essentially saying now is the time to replace the long—time pastor. we are in atlanta and have spoken to voters all day yesterday and i have talked about what they want to see from their senator. for those supportive of herschel walker, they say he is a christian man and they believe in his values. they also think he can do some things in terms of impacting everything from health care costs to the state of the economy and working with his republican colleagues. on the other hand we heard from the supporters of senator raphael warnock who have talked about some of the things he was able to do, including lowering

some of the health costs, specifically around diabetic medication and things like that. it'll be interesting to see what the top issues will remain to be, especially for that significant number of voters who will head to the polls later today. poll is expected to open in a few hours. election officials say more than 1 million voters are expected to turn out, which will be interesting because the weather will be a big factor, as rain is expected in the forecast. 1ng factor, as rain is expected in the forecast. �* , , factor, as rain is expected in the forecast. a , ., forecast. as gary o'donoghue was ”ointin forecast. as gary o'donoghue was pointing out. _ forecast. as gary o'donoghue was pointing out, the _ forecast. as gary o'donoghue was pointing out, the outcome - forecast. as gary o'donoghue was pointing out, the outcome will. forecast. as gary o'donoghue was pointing out, the outcome will not change control of the senate but it will be hugely symbolic. is absolutely well. and it will go to show much of what president biden wants to do in terms of his legislative agenda. we know democrats will be in control of the senate but with the losing control of the house there are still key pieces of legislation that i think will be very important for this

administration in terms of wanting to move forward. we talked about what the majority could mean in terms of setting up committees and the like up and down the senate, so that will be something democrats will have in their back pocket as they look to move forward with this agenda in the next few years. skyler hen in agenda in the next few years. skyler henry in atlanta. — agenda in the next few years. skyler henry in atlanta, thank— agenda in the next few years. skyler henry in atlanta, thank you. - a group of people with disabilities are taking the government to the high court today, over emergency evacuation plans for residents. the plans are known as "peeps" — a tailored plan for someone who can't get themselves out of a building in an emergency, and the grenfell tower inquiry recommended that they should become a legal requirement. but earlier this year the government decided not to implement that, as our disability news correspondent nikki fox reports. hello, adam! i first spoke to adam injuly this year. nice to see you, too. how are you? we were discussing personal evacuation plans on our disability podcast, access all. at the time he'd been stuck in his flat for 11

days straight because both lifts were broken. turns out that was just one occasion he'd been stuck at home. it's been a very testing year. you know, 62 days i've been trapped. to get in and out, adam had to be carried up and down several flights of stairs. it's not the most ideal situation. the train sound engineer and disability campaigner was offered this flat ten years ago, around the time he became disabled. it was purpose built, but in the time he's been living here, he's made it fully accessible and he loves it. but he lives on the sixth floor, and if there's an emergency, he has no way of getting out on his own. it's why he needed an evacuation plan. i'm very happy they've done it for me. but look what it's taken. and what has it taken? me to get on your podcast, the bbc, you know, london radio, other channels, people getting involved.

they've taken my life into consideration and they've put some value on me as a human being, which is great. you can see for miles! a big part of the reason why i don't want to go anywhere, to be honest. what would you say, adam, to people that were like, "listen, adam, you're disabled. shouldn't you be living on the ground floor?" it's a very idealistic question in a sense, where people talk like there's an abundance of accessible housing on the ground floor, and there isn't. so it's a case of, you know, i took the first property that was shown to me. it's on the sixth floor, and it's my human right, now that i've done the flat and made the flat a home, i should be able to live here. so why are we talking about peeps now? well, the grenfell tower inquiry recommended that peeps should be a legal requirement for anyone who lives in a high rise building, who cannot self evacuate independently in an emergency. so the disability action group, claddag, are taking the government to court.

its co—founder georgie has a peep, but she still had to crowdfund for this evacuation chair. the amount of disabled people who died in the grenfell fire was disproportionate. they had no plans. people panicked and tried to help their neighbours and relatives to get out. many did not succeed. a plan, so people know what to do, would reduce panic and risk. and with so many people living in known fire traps, this could happen again. the home office says it's committed to delivering proposals that enhance the safety of residents, and is working closely with fire chiefs to test evacuation strategies. adam's housing association says it's agreed an evacuation plan, but adam is worried about the chair he's supposed to use, and who will help him use it. he won't feel fully protected until fire—safe lifts are installed, and they're due in the summer of 2023. god willing, this doesn't

happen here, yeah? but i would just say my prayers, then, you know. it worries me, and it shouldn't be like that. until there's a fire lift, as i said, i'm not — my legs don't work, my brain works. nikki fox, bbc news. prince harry has described the royal family as playing a "dirty game" in a new trailer for his upcoming netflix documentary series with his wife meghan. the prince accused unnamed members of the royal household of collaborating with the media, and said women who married into the institution were subjected to "pain and suffering". our north america correspondent nada tawfik reports. no—one knows the full truth. we know the full truth. it's been billed as a netflix global event with a never before seen look at one of the most discussed couples in history. the six—part series, harry and meghan, promises an intimate look at their courtship and their decision to step back from the royal family, all from their viewpoint.

there's a hierarchy of the family. you know, there's leaking, but there's also planting of stories. if the trailer is any guide, it's expected to be highly critical of the royal family and the british press. while it's unclear if there will be any new revelations, the timing of its release has already caused controversy. while the prince of wales was in boston last week to present his earthshot prize, the first teaser of the series dropped. that, combined with a racism row in buckingham palace, which echoed comments previously made by the duchess of sussex, overshadowed william's first trip to the united states in eight years. the relationship between the brothers has been strained for a while now, and the two did not meet during william and catherine's visit. royal watchers believe any hope of reconciliation is remote for now. i spoke to many people, many friends of prince william's, who said that he's just devastated by what harry has done to the extent that he doesn't know how

he will ever forgive him. i mean, he literally sees his brother and sister—in—law as having thrown them under the bus. buckingham palace has not yet commented on harry and meghan's documentary. the royal family will no doubt be bracing themselves for more potential fallout when the first three episodes of the series airs this week, and when prince harry's memoir is published injanuary. even here in the united states, harry and meghan are criticised by some and celebrated by others. in fact, tonight, they are being honoured by the robert f kennedy human rights foundation for speaking out against structural racism and misunderstandings about mental health. they will accept their award at a red carpet gala here in manhattan. nada tawfik, bbc news, new york. the actress kirstie alley — best known for her role in the comedy series cheers — has died aged 71.

she picked up an emmy and a golden globe for her role as the bar manager rebecca howe — and her "will they won't they" romance with barman sam malone won millions of fans around the world. kirstie also appeared in several hit films, including look who's talking. friends, family and former colleagues have been paying tribute on social media. john travolta said... her cheers co—star ted danson said... while in a statement, herfamily said... the bbc�*s annual 100 women series launches today. now on it's tenth anniversary, it lists 100 influential and inspirational women

from around the world. the theme this year is progress and yalda hakim has more. bbc 100 women was created following the horrific delhi gang rape in 2012, with an aim to share more women's stories from around the world. ten years later we are seeing what progress women have made over the last decade.

we are talking to women you'll know... ifeel the most powerful when i feel masculine in my life. ..and otherfemale trailblazers making history. basketball was life. for me it's been healing, coming from where i came from, where i didn't have the privilege of playing basketball. what i do for the raptors is manage the african scouting. being the first woman doing this on the continent, it's important because for some kids, representation, especially for the girls, it's very important that they see somebody like them doing this. there have been huge steps forward for women's rights, from the number of female leaders to the #metoo movement. however, for many women

there still feels a long way to go. this year's list highlights war in ukraine... ..and iranian women fighting for their rights. see their stories and more across the bbc this week. yalda hakim, bbc news. and a reminder — you can see all the women who make the list for 2022 on the bbc news website. just go to bb.co.uk/100women. now it's time for a look at the weather. carol kirkwood is back with us. you have some latest temperatures for us. it's cold, you were right when you said it was cold on your way into

work and it still is cold. prestwick is still below freezing and the rest of us are just above. wrap up warmly if you are heading out. over the next few days it will turn even colder by day and night and some of us will see some snow. the highest chances across the north of scotland where the met office has a yellow weather warning out for wednesday. we are looking at between two and five centimetres at lower levels and between five and ten centimetres on high ground above 200 metres. the snow will be drifting and blowing with blizzards in strong wind. for the rest of the country, the chance of snow showers in the west, through the central lowlands and the east coast. some of those at times will get to lower levels. inland, little or no snow but there is the chance of seeing snow in the irish sea clipping wales and cornwall later in the week. but still there is a lot to play for in the exact detail. it'll be cold for the rest of the

week. you can see the blues moving across the british isles, coming in on a brisk northerly wind. this morning we have seen quite a few showers, mostly rain but over high ground in scotland they been snow. as we go through today, increasingly those snow showers will be to lower levels in the north of scotland. down the east coast, rain showers on high ground in the north—east. there could be some wintriness and rain showers across the english channel and showers coming across the irish sea. a lot of dry weather with more sunshine around today than yesterday. 4—8 will be the maximum temperatures. adding in the wind it feels colder than that. through this evening and overnight, some showers along the east coast will be wintry and at times even at low levels. we continue with low—level snow showers across the north of scotland, still windy here. showers coming across the west and the south. a lot of clear sky so we are looking up once again a cold and frosty start to the

day tomorrow. talking of tomorrow, you might have noticed in the south—east temperatures are holding up south—east temperatures are holding up above freezing. that's because we have a weather front clearing away. it will still produce cloud and the odd shower first thing in the morning and down the east coast tomorrow, again showers, some wintry at times at low levels. snow falling at times at low levels. snow falling at low levels across the north of scotland and accumulating. for the rest of us, a lot of dry weather, snow flurries in the west but again it will feel cold.

mark easton, bbc news, kendal. this is bbc news — these are the latest headlines in the uk and around the world. the rmt union announces more rail strikes to take place in the uk over the festive period — including christmas eve — in their ongoing dispute over pay, jobs and working conditions. this inconvenience is being caused by the government, who are running the playbook and the strategy for the railway companies and directing what is going on. they have held back even these paltry offers to the last minute. they have offered 8% pay rise over two years to the rmt, and they have rejected without even consulting their own membership. it's very disappointing that the rmt think that the way to conduct these negotiations is through holding the country to ransom. have these new strikes affected your christmas travel plans?

if so, does this influence whether or not you have sympathy