this is bbc news with the latest headlines. members of the rail workers�* union the rmt begin fresh industrial action today — they're striking on four days this week, meaning a near total shutdown of the uk's railway network. the negotiation is getting to a position where both sides can accept a deal. on the government, the dft and all the way up to number ten had put conditions on the train operating companies that will blow up operating companies that will blow up any chance of a deal. it is up any chance of a deal. it is important — up any chance of a deal. it is important people _ up any chance of a deal. it is important people realise we have made _ important people realise we have made a _ important people realise we have made a reasonable pay offer, in line with what _ made a reasonable pay offer, in line with what people get in the private secton _ with what people get in the private secton it _ with what people get in the private secton it is — with what people get in the private sector. it is important we also deliver— sector. it is important we also deliver reform as well as dealing

with dative make sure we have a sustainable rail industry the future~ _ do get in touch with me today about the strikes or any of the other stories we're covering today. you can do that on twitter @ annita bbc and use the hashtag bbc your questions. official figures suggest 417,000 working days were lost to strikes in october — the highest in more than a decade. today's figures also suggest the unemployment rate has risen to 3.7% in the three months leading to october. ofsted's chief inspector tells the bbc that delays to support for children with special education needs in england are an �*acute concern�*. a community comes together in a vigil for the three boys who died after falling into a frozen lake n solihull. a fourth boy, who�*s six, remains in a critical condition in hospital. the founder of the collapsed cryptocurrency exchange ftx, sam bankman—fried, is arrested for �*financial offences�* in the bahamas.

hello and welcome to bbc news this morning. a fresh wave of strike action that�*s expected to cause major disruption to key services in the run—up to christmas has begun this morning. around 40,000 rail workers — who are members of the rmt union — are taking part in the first of two 48 hour stoppages as part of a long—running dispute aboutjobs, pay and conditions. only about 20% of the country�*s normal rail service is expected to run — that means four out of every five trains will be cancelled. many parts of britain, including most of scotland and wales, will have no trains at all. and there are unlikely to be any trains running anywhere after 6.30 this evening.

network rail has warned that trains that are running are likely to be very busy and its urging passengers to travel only if absolutely necessary. our transport correspondent, katy austin has the details. at york�*s christmas market, festive cheer is in good supply. but for people hoping to get here by train, more travel misery is in store. local hotels worry strikes have put some visitors off. they�*ve had individual bookings cancelled, conferences, meetings cancelled. this happening just in the week before christmas, this obviously is going to hurt because everybody is trying to bolster their bank balance in order to deal with the first quarter of next year. on strike days this week — that�*s today, tomorrow, friday and saturday — only about 20% of britain�*s usual train services will run. and trains will start later and finish much earlier

than they normally do. there will also be some knock—on disruption on thursday and sunday mornings. rail workers in the rmt have already walked out on eight days this year in a dispute the union says is over pay, protecting jobs and working conditions. passengers now face four weeks of disruption. there are two 48—hour train strikes this week, an overtime ban at 1a rail companies from sunday is expected to cause some cancellations, and a strike at network rail will see services finish even earlier than usual on christmas eve and start late on the 27th. and more national walk—outs are planned injanuary. the rail industry says changes to working practices are needed to fund higher pay. rmt members have now voted to reject what network rail called its best and final offer. the union called it substandard. and rmt leaders have already turned down an offer from the train operating companies group and blamed the government for insisting on conditions it said

were not acceptable. the rail minister said the government had played its part in trying to resolve the dispute. we want an end to these strikes. they will damage the railway, they will damage workers�* security. and we are offering security — there will be no compulsory redundancies for the workforce, there will be a generous pay rise for them. the modernisation approach has been accepted by some unions. our message to the rmt is, come on board. a new year is coming swiftly into view but an end to disruption is not. katy austin, bbc news, in york. the general secretary of the rmt union, mick lynch, is blaming the government for a lack of progress on reaching a deal. we understand the anger that is caused by the disruption of the stoppages, of course. but we are getting a lot of support from the public and we continue to get messages, people continue to visit

the picket line. why are the government subsidising the strike? at the end of this current phase, the government will have absorbed £320 million worth of losses in order to keep this strike going. there is an opportunity to develop solutions, but the government, i am afraid, is preventing that from happening. we havejust heard hugh merriman talking about a very generous offer, it is not generous, it is way below inflation, cut by 50% and conditions changes on our members by network rail is unacceptable. it is bringing in driver only operation they know we will never accept. the negotiation is getting to a position where both sides can accept the deal and the government, the dft and all the way up government, the dft and all the way up to numberten government, the dft and all the way up to number ten has put conditions and the train operating companies know will blow up any chance of a deal. the rail executives know that,

andrew haynes from network rail knows what he�*s got to do but they are not being allowed to do that because of some ideological stance by the government at the moment. the transport secretary mark harper has told bbc breakfast he believes a fair and reasonable offer is on the table. we try to facilitate a deal. after i met with trade unions and offer was made to them by the train operating companies and an improved offer was made by network rail building on a certain level of reform, improvements to outdated working practices and an improved pay offer. i think it is a very fair and reasonable offer that i think most people listening to this if they look at what is being offered. it is comparable to deals being done across the rest of the economy, across the rest of the economy, across the rest of the economy, across the private sector. i hope the rmt reflect on it and think again. the rmt reflect on it and think aaain. ., i. the rmt reflect on it and think aaain. ., �* ,., again. you say you didn't block a better pay _ again. you say you didn't block a better pay deal— again. you say you didn't block a better pay deal but _ again. you say you didn't block a better pay deal but has - again. you say you didn't block a better pay deal but has the - again. you say you didn't block a . better pay deal but has the treasury put parameters on the limits of a potential pay deal? ibis i

put parameters on the limits of a potential pay deal?— potential pay deal? as i said... yes? yes? _ potential pay deal? as i said... yes? yes? a — potential pay deal? as i said... yes? yes? a fair— potential pay deal? as i said... yes? yes? a fair and _ potential pay deal? as i said... | yes? yes? a fair and reasonable offer has been made. we? this is offer has been made. no? this is about reform _ offer has been made. no? this is about reform and an improved pay offer. i met with the unions and an improved pay offer was made. there isn�*t a bottomless pit of taxpayers money. isn't a bottomless pit of taxpayers mone . , ~ isn't a bottomless pit of taxpayers mone. , . ., isn't a bottomless pit of taxpayers mone . , . ., ., isn't a bottomless pit of taxpayers mone. y ., ., ., isn't a bottomless pit of taxpayers mone. , ., ., ., ., money. so, yes? we have to have a -a rise money. so, yes? we have to have a pay rise that — money. so, yes? we have to have a pay rise that is _ money. so, yes? we have to have a pay rise that is fair _ money. so, yes? we have to have a pay rise that is fair to _ money. so, yes? we have to have a pay rise that is fair to the _ money. so, yes? we have to have a pay rise that is fair to the workers . pay rise that is fair to the workers in the industry, but there isn�*t a bottomless pit. i in the industry, but there isn't a bottomless pit.— in the industry, but there isn't a bottomless pit. i think there is a fair offer on _ bottomless pit. i think there is a fair offer on the _ bottomless pit. i think there is a fair offer on the table, _ bottomless pit. i think there is a fair offer on the table, 30 - fair offer on the table, 30 taxpayers and 30 people who work in the industry and 30 passengers and i have the rmt reflect on it and change their position. ben boulos is at london euston for us. we can see mick lynch just behind you there. normally an incredibly busy hope, i suspect it is not the case today apart from the picket line. mick lynch has been saying the

government needs to facilitate a deal. do you think there is any room for manoeuvre on either side at this stage? they are pretty entrenched, aren�*t they? stage? they are pretty entrenched, aren't they?— aren't they? they are. it is quite hard to see _ aren't they? they are. it is quite hard to see how— aren't they? they are. it is quite hard to see how they _ aren't they? they are. it is quite hard to see how they resolve - aren't they? they are. it is quite | hard to see how they resolve this dispute. at the start of november i stood here on a saturday morning outside euston on the 5th of november when they was meant to be a strike but it was called off because it was seen there was progress, hope of some goodwill in the air. i have to say in the subsequent weeks, that seems to have melted rather more quickly than the snow on the pavements here outside the station. the sticking points are around pay and reforms to working practices. those go to the very heart of this dispute. it is worth pointing out that two separate disputes the rmt union is locked into. one dispute is with network rail which looks after the infrastructure, tracks and signalling. the other dispute, a separate dispute is with the rail

delivery group, representing the train operators that run the trains and the services. the union rejected and the services. the union rejected an offer by the train operators last week, an offer which included a pay award of 4% this year and another 4% next year. just yesterday, union members voted to reject a pay offer from network rail as well. that was 5% pay award this year and 4% next year. in both cases the union said there were conditions and issues around jobs and working practices that it simply could not accept. it also wants a pay award that keeps up with inflation. the average price rises at the moment running at ii.i%. the rises at the moment running at ii.i%. the government says inflation linked wage rises are not possible and are unaffordable. with the two sides so far apart it is hard to see how this dispute can be resolved. it is worth saying that although today we are at the start of the 248—hour

strikes in this week alone, passengers are being warned, look at the calendar, look at the outline of how many days of disruption lie ahead and it looks as though there are no normalfunctioning days on the uk rail network between now and the uk rail network between now and the 9th of january at the very earliest. , , , ., earliest. unless there is a breakthrough, _ earliest. unless there is a breakthrough, of- earliest. unless there is a breakthrough, of course. | earliest. unless there is a i breakthrough, of course. we earliest. unless there is a - breakthrough, of course. we are earliest. unless there is a _ breakthrough, of course. we are not sure if that will come, or when it will come. you talk about various conditions that the rmt says are being attached to any pay offer. it seems to me the one that is really standing out amongst those conditions is the issue of driver only trains, why is that so important from the union perspective?— important from the union --ersective? ~ ., ~ ., perspective? when i was talking to mick lynch. _ perspective? when i was talking to mick lynch. the — perspective? when i was talking to mick lynch, the rmt _ perspective? when i was talking to mick lynch, the rmt general - mick lynch, the rmt general secretary earlier, he said it is something they have resisted for a0 years. forthe something they have resisted for a0 years. for the union, there are issues around safety, for

reassurance around passengers and people travelling alone. on the other hand, on the other side of the argument from the train operators is that this is part of modernising practices. if the trains can be operated by a driver alone and they say it can be done safely, they are saying those sorts of changes would free up money in order to fund wage rises to help the workers with the cost of living. the pay rises that at the moment are not keeping up with the rate of inflation and average price rises. same issue there, but seen from two very different angles.— there, but seen from two very different angles. there, but seen from two very different anales. ., ~' , ., , different angles. 0k, thank you very much. the first nationwide strike by nurses in england, wales and northern ireland looks set to go ahead on thursday. the government said it would continue to engage in negotiations but the royal college of nursing is expected to press ahead with the walk—out. pat cullen, the rcn general secretary spoke to us earlier...

i asked them several times in the meeting to please discuss pay with me. in fact, meeting to please discuss pay with me. infact, i lost meeting to please discuss pay with me. in fact, i lost count of the number of times i asked it. each time we returned to the same thing, there was no extra money on the table and he would not be discussing pate with me. i am extremely disappointed at the belligerence that was shown. they close their books and walked away from the nursing profession this afternoon. let�*s get some more analysis on this with our chief political correspondent nick eardley at westminster. that is a pretty damning assessment from pat: representing a profession which is hugely admired, saying ministers had to little to say to her. you are back to the rmt union saying the government is putting in conditions that they never blow up any chance of a deal. how much pressure as the government feeling about all of this? i pressure as the government feeling about all of this?— about all of this? i think there is cuite a about all of this? i think there is quite a lot _ about all of this? i think there is quite a lot of— about all of this? i think there is quite a lot of pressure _ about all of this? i think there is quite a lot of pressure on - about all of this? i think there is i quite a lot of pressure on ministers to try and find ways out of this. not least because the last thing the

government wants is to end up in a situation early next year when it feels like things just aren�*t working. that could be hugely and politically damaging, particularly for a prime minister who has tried to build his brand on competence. if large parts of the public sector are grinding to a halt, that is not going to bode well for rishi sunak. however, i am going to bode well for rishi sunak. however, iam not going to bode well for rishi sunak. however, i am not all that sure what they are going to do differently to avoid that happening. we just heard then talking about the real dispute and ministers are adamant they will not get involved in specific pay negotiations. when it comes to nurses, they are involved in the pay negotiations but they are not budging. they have said, these independent pay bodies come up with a figure, we are accepting it, we will talk about conditions and other things but on pay, there is a red line. because the royal college of nursing is saying we need pay to be

on the table, we need to come up with a better offer if we are going to avoid nurses strikes, it is really hard to see where the room for a solution is there. it feels like both sides are waiting for the other to blink. at the moment the prospect of either doing so is pretty slim. prospect of either doing so is pretty slim-— prospect of either doing so is re slim. , , ., , ., pretty slim. there seems to be a fundamental _ pretty slim. there seems to be a fundamental argument _ pretty slim. there seems to be a fundamental argument over - pretty slim. there seems to be a fundamental argument over to l pretty slim. there seems to be a i fundamental argument over to what extent the government should be involved in all of this. more in the discussions with the nurses unless in the rail strikes. but i guess the unions saying that something bigger and can be sorted out by direct negotiations with the rail companies. this is something that needs to be sorted out at a government level? needs to be sorted out at a covernment level? . ., , , government level? fundamentally they are sa in: government level? fundamentally they are saying there _ government level? fundamentally they are saying there needs _ government level? fundamentally they are saying there needs to _ government level? fundamentally they are saying there needs to be _ government level? fundamentally they are saying there needs to be more - are saying there needs to be more money put on the table by ministers to get these pay deals agreed. what seems clear is that is something the government absolutely does not want to do. for two reasons, it doesn�*t think the money is there and if you

offer it to one industry, ministers would say you would have to offer it to others as well. so they don�*t want to end up spending tens of billions extra to get these deals over the line, even though that means that for many workers it means a real terms pay cut. the second is inflation. rishi sunak has made getting inflation down his number one priority. it is the thing many ministers think this government is going to bejudged on. they do fear that high pay deals could lead to inflation staying higher for longer. i think they want to avoid that at all costs. but it all comes back to the point of, how do you solve these crises? how do you stop the strikes from happening? if you are one of the workers affected the fundamental question they are asking is, how are we going to make ends meet with these pay deals which amount to a real pay terms cut at the moment. the truth of the matter is, there is

no point sugar—coating it, it is a pretty bleak situation at the moment and it is really hard to see in some industries more than others, where a solution is coming from. ihlick solution is coming from. nick eardle , solution is coming from. nick eardley. our— solution is coming from. nick eardley, our chief _ solution is coming from. nick eardley, our chief political correspondent. the headlines on bbc news... members of the rail workers�* union the rmt begin fresh industrial action today — they�*re striking on four days this week, meaning a near total shutdown of the uk�*s railway network. official figures suggest ai7 thousand working days were lost to strikes in october — the highest in more than a decade.today�*s figures also suggest the unemployment rate has risen to 3.7% in the three months leading to october. ofsted�*s chief inspector tells the bbc that delays to support for children with special education needs in england are an �*acute concern�*. official figures show ai7,000

working days were lost to strikes in october a making it the month most affected by industrial action in more than a decade. today�*s data from the office for national statistics also reveals the unemployment rate has risen to 3.7% in the three months leading to october. with energy bills, food bills, transport costs, caring duties on the rise, more and more people are feeling like christmas is coming and they can�*t keep up. our cost of living correspondent colletta smith has been talking to staff at a nursery in huddersfield to find out how far their wages are stretching. katie loves herjob and tells me she would not want to be working anywhere else. but at the moment, she is working more than a5 hours a week to cover staff shortages and pay the bills at home. it is hard and has taken a toll. i am absolutely shattered.

i don�*t really want to do anything at night when i get home. my electric bill has gone up to £290 a month and i am not even in the property of the time. this year, with christmas and everything, just, you don�*t feel you can enjoy the experience because you worry if you can get presents, if you are going to be able to do anything. with running costs on the up, nurseries are struggling to pay more because the money they get from the government has not increased to match. nurseries would love to pay staff more but unfortunately the funding they're getting from the local authority to actually deliver the 30 hours and the 12 hours is not even covering their costs. i am taking calls almost every week, people so upset because this is coming to the stage where we cannot manage any more. i have qualified staff leaving the sector and people not coming into the sector because they can find betterjobs in aldi or tesco or being amazon drivers and get paid more. today�*s figures highlight the theme

we�*ve seen across this year that wages are not increasing nearly as much as inflation. the prices we pay for everything else. that is why in lots of sectors workers have taken things into their own hands. we have seen strike ballots on the railways, royal mail and everywhere from nurses, to teachers, bus drivers and barristers. just checking if you need lunch cover? leanne is the owner here. she has huge bills and wants to pay staff well so feels like she has no choice but to increase fees. we normally put them up in april. we put them up in september this year and will put them up again in april and i do not have a choice. i do not want to do that. i normally do them annually butjust with everything as it is, we do not have a choice at all. it will be a decision i make and it will be passed onto parents and that is sad. only this last couple of weeks, we have had parents who have

changed their hours, due to just not being able to afford the childcare. but for staff, it�*s only working extra hours that is plugging the gap in their finances. it does help out. i have a wedding to pay for so trying to save up at the same time. congratulations. thank you. it is really difficult. with christmas coming up, that's going to be a tricky one. not really doing presents this time, just trying to save up and then bills have gone up quite a lot at the moment, so it is really tricky. coletta smith, bbc news in huddersfield. let�*s get more on this from victoria scholar, who is an economic expert and head of investment at interactive investor — a subscription based investment platdorm. good investment platdorm. to have you with us. it feels like good to have you with us. it feels like it is never a more important time to talk about the economy, talk about whether people are in work, out of work, how much they are

earning relative to inflation? yes. earning relative to inflation? yes, that is right _ earning relative to inflation? yes, that is right and _ earning relative to inflation? yes, that is right and it _ earning relative to inflation? yes, that is right and it is _ earning relative to inflation? yes, that is right and it is a _ earning relative to inflation? yes, that is right and it is a busy - earning relative to inflation? yes that is right and it is a busy week for the economic calendar because we had the growth figures yesterday and the unemployment rate today. the all—important inflation figures tomorrow and the bank of england on thursday. essentially what we have seen from these figures is a slight worsening in the overall unemployment rates. we have seen job vacancies decline for the first time since the start of last year and we have seen real pay, which is wages once inflation is accounted for actually fall. that highlights the squeeze on consumers and the cost of living pressures many individuals and households are facing. the unemployment _ and households are facing. the unemployment rate still, although there is a slight rise in those three months to october, it is still pretty close to its historic low. what pressure is their own employees at the moment with regards to wages because we know looking at the data that the ons are saying regular wages excluding bonuses rose by

6.1%, but once you take into account rising prices they actually fell in real terms by 3.9%.— rising prices they actually fell in real terms by 3.9%. yes, so wages are very important _ real terms by 3.9%. yes, so wages are very important at _ real terms by 3.9%. yes, so wages are very important at the _ real terms by 3.9%. yes, so wages are very important at the moment. obviously we know there is a whole host of strikes going on in many industries. i think it is 12 industries. i think it is 12 industries in total and that is essentially because although regular pay is rising and it rose stronger than expected inflation is in double digits, around 11%, the affordability of goods and services by wages in the economy is still struggling. so real pay has been really lagging behind and that has been prompting industrial action. you mentioned the unemployment rate is still very low. that is because of a number of factors, including the great resignation after covid. we have a lot of people who are long—term sick after the pandemic and because of the pressures on the nhs and also because of brexit. essentially there aren�*t enough

workers in the economy to do the jobs that are required. so that is giving workers a lot of bargaining power within negotiations and it is prompting them to be more emboldened and ask for higher wages from their employers. the difficult thing here, if employers were to grant higher wages that could potentially turn into even higher prices as visitors try to pass on those costs. —— businesses. and this can add to the inflationary pressures over time. inflation is the biggest economic problem we are facing right now. the chancellor is saying in order to get the economy on track inflation needs to be more than half of next year. on the point of a wage price spiral you allude to, it is interesting talking to various economists because some will say wages increasing is not as inflationary as others. where are you on that point? do you think the sort of increases

being asked for by various unions actually represent something that will increase inflation? it actually represent something that will increase inflation?— will increase inflation? it really de-ends will increase inflation? it really depends on — will increase inflation? it really depends on the _ will increase inflation? it really depends on the individual- will increase inflation? it really - depends on the individual business, because it depends on the extent to which those businesses are able to pass on those extra wage costs in terms of higher prices. if they can do that then that would mean prices would go up in the supermarkets or at the petrol pump or where ever that business is. if they cannot, they will have to take in those extra wage costs themselves, which will put pressure on businesses by squeezing their margins. it is either a case of putting up prices in the economy, which will add to inflation or it will dampen business activity by making it much harder for them to be profitable. tibia activity by making it much harder for them to be profitable. 0k, good to talk to you- _ the time is now 9.25. hundreds of people gathered at a vigil overnight for three boys who died after they fell into an icy lake in solihull.

the children, aged eight, ten and 11, were pulled from the water by emergency services on sunday afternoon, but couldn�*t be revived. a fourth boy remains in hospital in critical condition. our correspondent aruna iyengar has the latest. the silence said everything. a tragedy beyond words. in the frozen evening, hundreds came. they laid flowers, lit candles and said a prayer for the young lives lost. emergency crews were called on sunday afternoon after reports that children had been playing on the ice on babbs mill lake and had fallen through. there was a massive response from the emergency services. one policeman tried to punch through the ice to get the youngsters. the first emergency call came at 2:3apm. an ambulance arrived within seven minutes, shortly after police and firefighters. by the time darkness

fell that afternoon, the boys had been pulled out. they had all suffered cardiac arrest, due to the freezing temperature of the water. then on monday, the terrible news that three of the children had died. yesterday, firefighters were applauded as they lay flowers to honour the children. it�*s a very, very close—knit community. we have families that have been here for five generations. everybody knows everybody else. and everybody i have spoken to — i have spoken to hundreds of people — arejust in an utter state of shock. everyone here wants to make sure the same accident doesn�*t happen again, but, for now, thoughts are with the families of the boys and how to help them. our prayer and our thoughts are for them and we are here to support them as much as we can. and all the other church leaders and the group leaders in the community, we want to get together and maybe come up with a plan to somehow help them, and to be a support for them. the grief is raw in this community.

they are holding their loved ones close, mourning the loss of innocent children out playing in the snow. aruna iyengar, bbc news. now it�*s time for a look at the weather with carol kirkwood. good morning. it has been a bitterly cold start to the day. temperatures fell away to —17.3 last night. we have some snow pushing south across scotland, some rain with hill snow in the south—west but the snow will increasingly fall to lower levels and the wind will strengthen in the south—west. a lot of dry weather across much of the rest of the uk with some sunshine. the sunshine is hazy across the south—east and we still have some freezing fog to lift. wind will be picking up across the northern isles were further snow

showers here. wherever you are today, it is going to feel cold. through this evening and overnight snow showers pushed south into northern england and pushed south into northern scotland and with the into northern scotland and with the in strengthening there will be blizzards here. we will see rain, sleet and snow pushing eastwards across southern england. it is going to be cold, frosty and there will be a widespread frost as well across much of the uk. tomorrow we still have the snow showers across northern scotland, we do have blizzard conditions in the north. a few wintry showers getting in across north—east england and the rain, sleet and snow pushing south into the channel islands but a lot of dry weather. if you want to find out what the weather is doing where you are or where you are going, check out the bbc weather app. hello this is bbc news. the headlines... members of the rail workers�* union the rmt begin fresh industrial action today ——

they�*re striking on four days this industrial action today, they�*re striking on four days this week, meaning a near total shutdown of the uk�*s railway network. the art of negotiation is getting to a position where both sides can accept a deal and i think all the way up to no 10 they have put conditions on the train operating companies which they know will blow up companies which they know will blow up any chance of a deal. thea;r companies which they know will blow up any chance of a deal.— up any chance of a deal. they will reco . nise up any chance of a deal. they will recognise that _ up any chance of a deal. they will recognise that we _ up any chance of a deal. they will recognise that we have _ up any chance of a deal. they will recognise that we have made - up any chance of a deal. they will recognise that we have made a i recognise that we have made a reasonable pay offer, in line with what _ reasonable pay offer, in line with what people are getting in the private — what people are getting in the private sector but we also want to deliver— private sector but we also want to deliver reform as well as dealing with pay— deliver reform as well as dealing with pay to make sure that we have a sustainable _ with pay to make sure that we have a sustainable rail industry for the future — official figures suggest a17,000 working days were lost to strikes in october, the highest in more than a decade. latest data also shows the unemployment rate rose to 3.7% in the three months leading to october. ofsted�*s chief inspector tells the bbc that delays to support for children with special education

needs in england are an acute concern. a community comes together in a vigil for the three boys who died after falling into a frozen lake n solihull. a fourth boy, who�*s six, remains in a critical condition in hospital. the founder of the collapsed cryptocurrency exchange ftx, sam bankman—fried, is arrested for financial offences in the bahamas. time for the sport. let�*s joinjane dougall. good morning. the first of the world cup semifinals takes place tonight in qatar. argentina play croatia in a match between two icons of world football, lionel messi and luka modric, who have eight ballon d�*or titles between them. joe lynskey has been looking ahead to the game. for one great of the game, the last

four will be their last stand. lionel messi is 35 and luka modric, 37. still, for argentina and croatia, so much depends on them. for argentina it has been a world cup on a cliff edge. defeat to saudi arabia meant no room for more slip—ups. and messi said it�*s his final chance. but in four games since then, a nation swirled around its star. a nation swelled around its star. messi, it had to be! they beat australia 2—1 and then the netherlands on penalties. in a heated quarterfinal. now they are two games from the one messi is missing and argentina has waited since the days of diego. diego maradona, the world�*s greatest player, receives the world�*s most important football prize. there has been this enormous pressure on messi to be the new diego after the quarterfinal match when messi slightly lashed out a little. people said it is diego taking over messi. so all of this is giving us a closer

look at what the real messi is like and he is a different kind of leader from maradona and a very different kind of player. croatia�*s population is half the size of london yet for two world cups running, they are in the semis. last time at this stage they beat england and luka modric won the ballon d�*or. this time it has been hard work. croatia have broken hearts on penalties. inside 90 minutes they have won just one game, but they have knocked out brazil. and he hasn�*t done it, croatia has yet again! modric as yet has no goals and no assists, but his team have found a way. 16 years on from their first world cup, two stars have a last chance. for the team who lose, there will be one more match too, but neither modric nor messi want to play for third place. next week�*s carabao cup ties at newcastle and southampton will be played a day early because of planned strike action by medical services.

that�*s just two days after the world cup final. the championship is back in action already. west brom moved out of the relegation zone last night after coming back to win 2—1 at sunderland. that�*s four wins in a row for the baggies under new manager carlos corberan. coventry city have agreed a deal with mike ashley�*s frasers group to stay at their stadium for the remainder of the season. the club had been served notice after ashley�*s company bought the stadium out of administration. but after negotiating revised terms the team will play the rest of this championship season at the ground. pakistan have received a warning from the international cricket council for the flat pitch which produced the high—scoring win for england in the first test in rawalpindi. it�*s the venue�*s second de—merit point this year, three more would result in the ground losing internationals. and the big bash has got underway in australia this morning. notts batsmanjoe clarke hit the first ball for four as he opened

for melbourne stars against sydney thunder. he was out for 11. they are currently 103—7. that�*s all the sport for now. you can find more on all those stories on the bbc sport website. more now on a fresh wave of strike action that�*s expected to cause major disruption to key services in the run—up to christmas which has begun this morning. network rail has urged passengers to travel only if necessary. i�*m joined now by summer kelly, a student whose travel plans have been disrupted. we can see you in manchester and where are you trying to get to? i am t in: to where are you trying to get to? i am trying to get — where are you trying to get to? i am trying to get to _ where are you trying to get to? i —n trying to get to cambridge. where are you trying to get to? i am trying to get to cambridge. that - where are you trying to get to? i am trying to get to cambridge. that is l trying to get to cambridge. that is home? yes. _ trying to get to cambridge. that is home? yes. it _ trying to get to cambridge. that is home? yes, it is. _ trying to get to cambridge. that is home? yes, it is. i— trying to get to cambridge. that is home? yes, it is. i was— trying to get to cambridge. that is home? yes, it is. i was going - trying to get to cambridge. that is home? yes, it is. i was going on l trying to get to cambridge. that is home? yes, it is. i was going on a direct train — home? yes, it is. i was going on a direct train from _ home? yes, it is. i was going on a direct train from manchester - home? yes, it is. i was going on a direct train from manchester to i home? yes, it is. i was going on a| direct train from manchester to ely and i booked it at the beginning of

november, i had booked it for the thursday which was the planned date when there wasn�*t any strike action and then last week they decided to cancel my training when there was no other option is for me to get back to cambridge. 50. other option is for me to get back to cambridge-— other option is for me to get back to cambridge. other option is for me to get back to cambridae. i. ., , to cambridge. so, you had booked it in lots of time, _ to cambridge. so, you had booked it in lots of time, what _ to cambridge. so, you had booked it in lots of time, what does _ to cambridge. so, you had booked it in lots of time, what does that i to cambridge. so, you had booked it in lots of time, what does that mean in lots of time, what does that mean in practice now, are you looking for an alternative way to get home? will there be any extra cost involved? yes, so, i have had to book different trains, it took me a good couple of hours to find a train that was anywhere near the vicinity of cambridge itself, so i have had to pay extra for another train and i am waiting for a refund on my old train. ., , ., waiting for a refund on my old train. ., i. ., , train. so, when are you actually hoinu train. so, when are you actually heping to _ train. so, when are you actually heping to get — train. so, when are you actually hoping to get home, _ train. so, when are you actually hoping to get home, later- train. so, when are you actually| hoping to get home, later today train. so, when are you actually i hoping to get home, later today or later in the week? it is hoping to get home, later today or later in the week?— later in the week? it is for friday, so hoinu later in the week? it is for friday, so hoping that — later in the week? it is for friday, so hoping that the _ later in the week? it is for friday, so hoping that the train _ later in the week? it is for friday, so hoping that the train still- later in the week? it is for friday, j so hoping that the train still runs, but it is to coventry so it is still quite far out of the way from where i was originally heading. what

quite far out of the way from where i was originally heading.— i was originally heading. what is our view i was originally heading. what is your view on _ i was originally heading. what is your view on the _ i was originally heading. what is your view on the strike - i was originally heading. what is your view on the strike action, l i was originally heading. what is your view on the strike action, i | i was originally heading. what is i your view on the strike action, i am sure you will have been listening to coverage of all of the industrial action which is taking place, nurses, train drivers, railway workers, signallers and so forth, what is your view, do you still support what they�*re doing? i support what they're doing? i support what they're doing? i support it to an extent, i think it is quite difficult when there are so many people who have been affected by the trains and are so many people i know that can�*t get home until very close to christmas and i know it has put a lot of their parents through a lot of stress that they have got to drive all the way rp are and a lot of them live quite far away. i completely understand where the strikers are coming from but i think something needs to be done so that this isn�*t happening throughout the christmas period and people can�*t get home for christmas. good can't get home for christmas. good luck with your _ can't get home for christmas. good luck with yourjourney. _ police in the bahamas have arrested sam bankman—fried,

founder of the collapsed cryptocurrency exchange ftx. he will appear in a magistrates court in the bahamas today according to the authorities in the caribbean country. police said mr bankman—fried was arrested for "financial offences" against laws in the us and the bahamas. joining me now is the bbc�*s cyber—security reporterjoe tidy. good morning to you, joe. for anyone who does not know very much about ftx or sam bankman—fried, tell us a bit about him and what his company did? ~ 1, ~ ., .,, did? well, sam bankman-fried was seen as a bit — did? well, sam bankman-fried was seen as a bit of— did? well, sam bankman-fried was seen as a bit of a _ did? well, sam bankman-fried was seen as a bit of a hero _ did? well, sam bankman-fried was seen as a bit of a hero in _ did? well, sam bankman-fried was seen as a bit of a hero in the - seen as a bit of a hero in the cryptocurrency industry, he ran the second biggest cryptocurrency exchange, ftx, and this is a business which allows you to change your dollars or pounds or euros for bitcoin or theory or any of the other thousands of crypto coins out there, and it had become a giant of

there, and it had become a giant of the industry, and he also ran a hedge funds, a cryptocurrency hedge funds called allevinah research and it has been a really tough time in the last six months in the cryptocurrency industry because the price of bitcoin has collapsed and people and companies have gone bankrupt, but sam bankman—fried was doing handouts and the company seemed very strong, that was until it was revealed that the finances of his companies were extremely unstable and everything came crashing down, customers tried to pull their money out and he declared bankruptcy. there are about 1 billion people now who can�*t get access to their cryptocurrency wallets, they are out of pocket and waiting to find out whether or not they are going to get paid back, there is billions of dollars missing and there has been locks are valued that accusations around sam bankman—fried and his company around a misuse of customer funds. over the last few weeks at first he stayed quiet then he started giving media interviews, i went to see him last wednesday and interviewed him in the bahamas and he said he was innocent

of any bahamas and he said he was innocent ofany criminalto, bahamas and he said he was innocent of any criminal to, you did admit that he has handled the company very badly, the finances were a mess, he admitted to making huge mistakes and he said sorry multiple times but he was convinced he would not be arrested, he was convinced he was innocent of any criminal wrongdoing. this is what he said to me. i didn�*t this is what he said to me. i didn't knowingiy— this is what he said to me. i didn't knowingly commit fraud, i don't knowingly commit fraud, idon't think— knowingly commit fraud, i don't think i_ knowingly commit fraud, i don't think i committed fraud, i didn't want _ think i committed fraud, i didn't want any— think i committed fraud, i didn't want any of this to happen. i was certainly— want any of this to happen. i was certainly sort not nearly as competent as i thought i was. it was a really— competent as i thought i was. it was a really bad — competent as i thought i was. it was a really bad mistake, and it hurt a lot of— a really bad mistake, and it hurt a lot of people. and that is on me one way or— lot of people. and that is on me one way or another. i think at the very least _ way or another. i think at the very least i _ way or another. i think at the very least i have — way or another. i think at the very least i have a duty to ftx's users to do— least i have a duty to ftx's users to do right — least i have a duty to ftx's users to do right by them as best i can. you mean — to do right by them as best i can. you mean somehow make money to pay them back? i you mean somehow make money to pay them back? ., ., , ., them back? i would give anything to be able to do _ them back? i would give anything to be able to do that. _ them back? i would give anything to be able to do that. so _ them back? i would give anything to be able to do that. so you _ them back? i would give anything to be able to do that. so you want i them back? i would give anything to be able to do that. so you want to l be able to do that. so you want to net this be able to do that. so you want to get this clear _ be able to do that. so you want to get this clear and _ be able to do that. so you want to get this clear and you _ be able to do that. so you want to get this clear and you want - be able to do that. so you want to get this clear and you want to i be able to do that. so you want to | get this clear and you want to start some sort of new voucher so you can make lots of money to pay back ftx customers? iii make lots of money to pay back ftx customers?—

customers? if i could do that, that would be great. _ customers? if i could do that, that would be great. you _ customers? if i could do that, that would be great. you see _ customers? if i could do that, that would be great. you see there i customers? if i could do that, that| would be great. you see there how confident he _ would be great. you see there how confident he was _ would be great. you see there how confident he was that _ would be great. you see there how confident he was that he _ would be great. you see there how confident he was that he would i would be great. you see there how confident he was that he would be | confident he was that he would be ok, he wouldn�*t be arrested, he was convinced that everything would sort of be ok and off—camera and on camera with myself and producer emmerdale is he was saying that he is looking forward to getting all those away and as you heard there, potentially starting a whole new company to try to pay back the customers of ftx. but as you point out, he has been charged, arrested at least, in the bahamas, and will appear in a magistrate�*s court to face charges, what does all of this assay about the regulation of businesses involving cryptocurrency? well, i think for once, cryptocurrency is not really to blame here, because if it transpires he is charged and he is convicted and the company is found to be in some way fraudulent, this isn�*t necessarily a cryptocurrency issue,

this was an issue potentially, allegedly, of the misuse of customer funds, and those funds happen to be in cryptocurrency. the accusations that we are hearing, and we don�*t know what the specific charges are going to be but we are hearing that the allegations are that customer funds for ftx were used by this sister company that sam bankman—fried also owned, to make risky bets on the hedge funds style risky bets on the hedge funds style risky bats. so if you put money into ftx, let�*s say i spend $100 buying bitcoin, my funds should have been safe inside my cryptocurrency wallet for when i wanted to withdraw them, the accusation is that that money was then siphoned off to the other company in orderfor them to make these bets on the financial markets, which ultimately didn�*t work and thatis which ultimately didn�*t work and that is why there is this big gap, blackhole, around $8 billion, which is missing from customerfunds. jae

tidy, thank you very much. the headlines... members of the rmt are striking on four days this week, meaning an total shut down of the rail network. figures suggest a17,000 working days were lost in october, the latest data also shows the unemployment rate rose to 3.7% in the three months leading to october. and ofsted�*s chief inspector tells the bbc that delays to support for children with special educational needs in england are an acute concern. education inspectors say too many children with special needs are facing delays in being assessed. the annual report from ofsted which is published today will say that last year, only 60% of education, health and care plans were issued by local authorities within the statutory limit of 20 weeks. here�*s our education

correspondent, elaine dunkley harry is three—and—a—half. trying to navigate the system to get him the right help for his needs has pushed his mother to the edge. it�*s affected my mental health in a major, major way. he never gets dizzy. it�*s like being on a merry—go—round. you just can�*t get off. you can�*t get a straight answer. it�*s hard. leanne is desperate for harry to get an education and health care plan. without it, he won�*t get a place at a specialist school in the area that takes children from the age of three. everything he needs is in the hands of professionals. his needs are so much more and i cannot meet those. because that is impossible for me to do. and that�*s what�*s hard. he could be in a setting now, but he�*s not. over in liverpool, the brain charity

is putting on workshops to help families understand and apply for education and health care plans. it sets out what a child's special educational needs are, and the provision necessary to meet each and every one of those needs. a lack of educational psychologists, funding and the right support in mainstream schools, and the pandemic is all in mainstream schools and the pandemic is all part of the problem. there are massive pressures. and what that results in on the ground is waits for assessment, waits for provisions to be put in place, often a real battle between the parents and what they believe their child actually needs to thrive and what is then offered to them. what this means for the generation that are coming through school at the moment is, life is going to be that much more difficult for them. this is casey. i like designing and building computers. i do also love engineering

and electronics and physics. despite his intelligence, he struggled at primary school. he has autism and dyslexia. ready, steady, go, highest goes first. his first application for an education and health care grant was rejected. eventually casey got the support he needed but only after waiting eight months. he was really struggling, getting very anxious and upset, struggling to go into school in the morning and having quite a lot of meltdowns. the change was massive. a few small things were put into place so someone into place so having someone that he could check in and outwith, having some one—to—one support in english, looking at getting support for the sats. we went from a child who was at school refusing to a child who wanted me to walk him to school. ofsted says the system needs an overhaul. it's hard getting children assessed and getting them the right services, families are getting frustrated

and some are turning to private assessment, schools are picking up the gaps with things like speech therapy out of their own budgets. it's a system which is leaving a lot of people unsatisfied at the moment. the government has promised improvements to special educational needs in the new year, with £a00 million of investment. ofsted says early intervention is crucial, with too many families caught in a system failing them from the start. elaine dunkley, bbc news. joining me for more on this is the incoming general secretary of the association for educational psychologists, thank you forjoining us. just explain to us what these education, care and health plans are, why are they so important?— care and health plans are, why are they so important? education, health and care plans _ they so important? education, health and care plans describe _ they so important? education, health and care plans describe the _ they so important? education, health and care plans describe the needs i they so important? education, health and care plans describe the needs of| and care plans describe the needs of children and young people and what kind of resources they would need in order for kind of resources they would need in orderfor them kind of resources they would need in order for them to thrive within school. the difficulty with education, health and care plans, and i think that was referred to in

your report, they come sort of at the end when there is a high level of need and only a small proportion of need and only a small proportion of children usually have that level of children usually have that level of need that requires an education, health and care plan. ideally, we would like that earlier intervention so that they support and access to specialist services is done way before a child might need something like an education, health and care plan, whereby actually support provided within the school for additional needs, and the range of different needs which children and young people might experience as they go through the system... 50. it they go through the system... so, it is that early — they go through the system... so, it is that early intervention _ they go through the system... so, it is that early intervention which i they go through the system... so, it is that early intervention which is i is that early intervention which is crucial to get that child, their education setting, their family, crucial to get that child, their education setting, theirfamily, on the right track. why are we seeing these delays in sorting this out? so, at the moment i think there are delays because there has been an exponential growth of requests for

an education, health and care needs assessment, i think because the education system is failing our children and young people more generally, so there needs to be a review of the education system, really rethinking the curriculum and how it is inclusive and adapts and encompasses all children and young people�*s ambitions and requirements, just to make sure that they thrive. but on top of that there is a lack of funding in terms of accessing the specialists who would provide the reports including educational psychologists, there is a national shortage of educational psychologists, so for example i can say between 2021 and 2022, there are 93,322 requests for assessments and there are only 3200 educational psychologists within england. so you can see the maths is quite pressured in terms of responding to those

requests. 50 in terms of responding to those reuuests. ., , ., ~ requests. so do you think the education _ requests. so do you think the education system _ requests. so do you think the education system is - requests. so do you think the education system is too i requests. so do you think the| education system is too much requests. so do you think the i education system is too much of a one size fits all approach, is that what you�*re saying? it is one size fits all approach, is that what you're saying? it is absolutely a very narrow _ what you're saying? it is absolutely a very narrow one _ what you're saying? it is absolutely a very narrow one size _ what you're saying? it is absolutely a very narrow one size fits - what you're saying? it is absolutely a very narrow one size fits all- a very narrow one size fits all approach which doesn�*t at all meet the needs of children and young people. educational psychologists have called for a review of the education system and the curriculum on numerous occasions and we are still fighting to make sure that that education system changes so that education system changes so that it focuses on the holistic child, focuses on being inclusive, thinking about behaviour and communication, relationships, providing choices, and at the moment we are not really meeting the needs of our children and young people and i think our education system in many ways is failing our children and young people in the future of our country, really. the young people in the future of our country. really-— young people in the future of our country, really. the £400 million that the government _ country, really. the £400 million that the government has - country, really. the £400 million i that the government has promised, are you clear what that is going to be used for and how those resources are going to be directed? i am be used for and how those resources are going to be directed?— are going to be directed? i am not clear how that _ are going to be directed? i am not clear how that money _ are going to be directed? i am not clear how that money is _ are going to be directed? i am not clear how that money is going i are going to be directed? i am not clear how that money is going to l are going to be directed? i am not. clear how that money is going to be spent. i imagine it may be spent

sort of fixing the current system rather than thinking about how it could be completely different. and i think we are very appreciative of some of that money going towards training more educational psychologists but we definitely need a lot more, we need at least twice the number of educational psychologists that are available to support children and young people at early stages as well as to respond to the times when there is an education, health and care plan required for them. dr education, health and care plan required for them.— education, health and care plan required for them. dr cath lowther, thank ou required for them. dr cath lowther, thank you very _ required for them. dr cath lowther, thank you very much _ required for them. dr cath lowther, thank you very much for _ required for them. dr cath lowther, thank you very much for your - thank you very much for your thoughts today. the woman at the centre of corruption allegations at the european parliament has denied any wrong—doing. lawyers for eva kaili told greek television that she had nothing to do with money coming from qatar. investigators have said that a large amount of cash was found at her home in the belgian capital, brussels, where she serves as a member of the european parliament.

ms kaili had been a strong defender of qatar and its government. she�*s currently being held in custody and is due to appear in court on wednesday along with three other people. later this morning, the european parliament will vote to strip her of her role as vice president. our brussels correspondent jessica parkerjoins me now. so, that vote is taking place even though she would say she has not had a fair hearing get but as we were discussing yesterday, the parliament is very concerned about reputational damage? is very concerned about reputational damaue? , ~ , ., ., damage? yes, i think there is a lot of damage — damage? yes, i think there is a lot of damage control, _ damage? yes, i think there is a lot of damage control, or _ damage? yes, i think there is a lot of damage control, or efforts i damage? yes, i think there is a lot of damage control, or efforts at i of damage control, or efforts at damage control, going on here at the european parliament. meps who are gathered here in strasbourg for their regular plenary session, with this scandal completely overshadowing proceedings, will also debate what has happened over recent days, what has emerged, later this afternoon. i would expect a lot of condemnation and criticism and calls

for reform, because to try and tackle lobbying rules, discuss how to tackle corruption as well. as you say, a family lawyer for eva to tackle corruption as well. as you say, a family lawyerfor eva kaili earlier today telling television in greece that she is declaring her innocence and has nothing to do with bribery from qatar. qatar itself through its foreign ministry has also denied any misconduct. but i think they will want to try to recover a bit of their reputation because of course members of the european parliament, publicly elected and paid for, roberta metsola, the european parliament president, last night gave an address where she said that democracy was under attack from malign actors from third countries, and she outlined a number of measures that she wants to see to try and tighten up the rules here. but this has been embarrassingbut the european parliament and i think people who before have found themselves being criticised by meps here, for example the hungary intro

minister viktor orban, they have actually been ridiculing the european parliament given the revelations that have emerged over the past few days. and the details that have come from the belgian prosecutors have stunned quite a lot of people, one detail we got yesterday from the belgian authorities was that among the hundreds of thousands of euros that they had seized was a suitcase full of cash from a brussels hotel. i think a lot ofjaws have been dropping over some of the allegations that have been emerging, as you say, four people due in court in belgium tomorrow.— as you say, four people due in court in belgium tomorrow. jessica parker, thank ou. much of the world is experiencing a housing crisis. too many people and too few places to live. but building new homes isn�*t easy — in part due to a lack of trained workers. in the netherlands they�*re trying a new and innovative way to solve the problem, as the bbc�*s tim allman explains.

this is a skilled and venerable tradition. for more than 9,000 years humanity has been laying bricks. but what happens when you run short of people who can do the job? well, how about this? a robot bricklayer, working with precision, accuracy, and most importantly, speed. translation: he can lay bricks better than a bricklayer, - i did a competition and it won. this metal mason operates under human supervision and can do the job around three times faster than any normal brickie. it never tires, never falters, never needs to take a comfort break, and believe it or not, it may also be good for the environment. translation: it's a solution - to build faster and without errors, saving time and money, it's also an opportunity to build much more sustainably, with fewer materials and fewer c02 emissions. this company has bought two of these machines and for now they are only

in the testing phase. the hope is that they will soon be bricklaying in earnest, a robot revolution, house building for the 21st century. tim allman, bbc news. dance routines to pop songs are pretty popular on social media but they don�*t often catch the attention of the original artist. # some of them want to be abused... annie lennox, however, did see this routine by canadian duo funkanometry. she praised the pair for their moves to the eurythmics hit sweet dreams. they were very pleased with the compliment, although they did have to ask their parents exactly who annie lennox is. let�*s have a look at the weather. carol kirkwood is with us. how are things looking? wow, —17.3! that is

right, annita, it was cold last night in braemar, that is the lowest temperature recorded in the uk this year. the cold weather is set to prevail over the next few days and nights, as you can see from the blues indicating the cold air. not until we get till sunday will we start to have an outline to influence coming our way as represented by the yellows this morning we have had snow showers across the north and west of scotland and northern ireland. and we have got a band of rain coming into the south—west with some snow on the hills. but increasingly today you will find that the snow will get down to lower levels. in between the showers there is a lot of dry weather with some sunshine. we have seen the freezing fog moving away but across the south—east there is a fair bit of cloud. whichever way you look at it, to date is going to be another cold day. this evening and

overnight, further snow showers moving south across scotland. lizards in the northern isles. some snow coming inland across the far north—east of england. and we will have rain, sleet and snow across southern counties of england potentially as far east as west sussex. once again, the risk of ice on untreated surfaces. from midweek onwards, we still hang onto the ice risk, we are putting in a cold northerly wind, visibility will improve but we are looking at wintry showers especially across parts of scotland. on wednesday, we continue with the wintry showers and in the northern isles, with gusts of wind to gale force, even severe gales, once again we are looking at blizzards. some snow showers getting in across parts of lincolnshire and northumberland and parts of yorkshire. and the rain, sleet and snow in the south of england will

push into the channel islands during the day. in between all of this it will be mostly dry with a fair bit of sunshine but still feeling cold. on thursday starting off with a risk of ice and frost, wintry showers piling in from the north. and then after that, we continue on this cold note until we get to sunday, when temperatures will lift a bit, but with the atlantic influence we have got a weather front coming in which will bring rain and on the leading—edge as it bumps into the cold air we�*re likely to see some snow for a time before it turns back to rain.

this is bbc news — these are the latest headlines in the uk and around the world. members of the uk rail workers�* union the rmt have begun fresh industrial action today, bringing a near total shutdown of the country�*s railway network. do get in touch with me today about the strikes or any of the other stories we�*re covering today. you can do that on twitter @ annita bbc and use the hashtag bbc your questions. the european parliament will vote later this morning on whether to remove its vice president eva kaili amid a corruption scandal and allegations that qatar bribed eu officials. official employment figures suggest a17,000 working days were lost to strikes in the uk in october — the highest

in more than a decade. a vigil is for the three boys who died after falling into a frozen