this is bbc news. i'm david willis. our top stories: the us announces it will require negative covid tests for travellers from china, as alarm grows at the rapid increase in chinese infections. tighter measures are also announced by italy, japan, taiwan and india amid concern china's case numbers aren't accurate. it's sparked an angry response from beijing. translation: the argument. you mentioned is a biased smear campaign and political manipulation with a hidden agenda, which does not stand up to scrutiny or facts and runs counter to the truth. as people flee the ukrainian city of kherson, kyiv says russia has carried out more than 30 rocket attacks in the past 2a hours alone. pope francis asks people

to pray for his predecessor, benedict xvi, who he says is very ill. and us politicians are ordered by congress to delete the chinese owned app tiktok from their phones saying it represents high risk to its users. america has become the latest country to impose mandatory covid tests on chinese tourists, after beijing announced it would reopen its borders next week. it comes as china's covid cases surge. tighter measures have also been imposed by italy, japan, malaysia, taiwan and india. our diplomatic correspondent

paul adams reports. from the world's most populous nation, alarming scenes — china's hospitals overwhelmed, covid infections soaring. the country's abrupt decision to dismantle much of its strict covid regime apparently yielding worrying results. wards full of desperately ill people. outside this hospital in chengdu, a queue for emergency services. government officials say the situation is under control. that's not what these pictures suggest. at this funeral home, one of the city's biggest, more evidence of the scale of the problem. one funeral procession after another — workers here say they're so busy they have no time to eat. and yet china is opening up — about to relax rules for inbound travellers and making it easier for chinese citizens to travel abroad.

welcome news for travel companies after three bleak yea rs. translation: since this morning, we have had i lots of inquiries from our customers. they're asking whether they can travel abroad normally again, whether they will need to quarantine on their return, and when international tourism will return. it's hard to knowjust how bad china's coronavirus situation really is. china says it recorded 5,231 new covid cases yesterday and just three deaths nationwide. but people are no longer required to declare infections to the authorities, so the official figures are unlikely to tell the full story. and so neighbouring countries — japan, malaysia, taiwan and india, all worried about the possibility of importing covid cases — have already announced tighter measures for chinese travellers, including the requirement for negative tests. tonight, american officials, citing a lack of chinese transparency,

have followed suit. in a week's time, all people arriving from china will have to have proof of a negative test. and in europe, italy has become the first country to say it's making coronavirus tests mandatory. back in beijing, officials are rejecting any suggestion china has lost control. translation: the argument. you mentioned is a biased smear campaign and political manipulation with a hidden agenda, which doesn't stand up to scrutiny and runs counter to the truth. after last month's nationwide protest, this is the image china wants to project — a country finally turning its back on the virus and on its own draconian response. but china's long, hard battle with covid is far from over. paul adams, bbc news. harry nelson is a healthcare lawyer and author — hejoins us now from michigan. welcome to bbc news. how effect do you think these travel bans

will be? i think in some ways the cat is already out bag in the north—east of the united states the chinese variant now accounts for 15% of all cases. little under 20% in the rest of the country or in the rest of the country or in the whole country so i think this is going to slow things that it will not fundamentally altered the situation. it is just buying a little time. china says that this is all some sort of smear and, of course, it has a point. there is politics involved, isn't there? it is politics involved, isn't there? , ., ., is politics involved, isn't there? , ., m ., there? it is hard to know. i think there _ there? it is hard to know. i think there are _ there? it is hard to know. i think there are many - there? it is hard to know. i - think there are many domestic chinese politics in the sense that the chinese government has ended zero covid policy and does not want the population to turn on it so it is easy to point to the us and all these other countries but i believe this is not political or a political decision in the us. i think this is reallyjust trying to get ahead of another

winter with a fast spreading variant to can try to contain a pandemic. it looks more like a real public health decision in the united states to me. could these travel _ the united states to me. could these travel restrictions - the united states to me. could these travel restrictions lead . these travel restrictions lead to other restrictions in other parts of the world making this more and more a geographical solution or attempted solution to the problem? it is solution or attempted solution to the problem?— to the problem? it is a risk that we will _ to the problem? it is a risk that we will see _ to the problem? it is a risk that we will see rising - to the problem? it is a risk| that we will see rising covid rates around the world and fast translating strains lead to more restrictions. this was a little unusual because australia — may china was keeping a tight rap on cases and has no allowed to open it up and has no allowed to open it up adding chaos but i think it is on the horizon, i think we will see more of these kind of restrictions as new variants start to spread quickly. ultimately, though, it is endemic. there really is no way of keeping this virus under control so why bother? i think that is a great _ control so why bother? i think

that is a great question. - control so why bother? i think that is a great question. we i that is a great question. we are living in a time now where are living in a time now where a significant part of the population and i am probably in this camp think that this is something we have to live with and we have to get back to life and treated as endemic. not everyone feels that way and many people will make decisions to postpone travel will be more conservative and i think we will live in that divide for a little while to come. ultimately doesn't come down as well in part to greater supply of vaccines, particularly in china? ~ , ., , ., china? absolutely. that is a hue china? absolutely. that is a huge issue. _ china? absolutely. that is a huge issue, making - china? absolutely. that is a huge issue, making sure - china? absolutely. that is a i huge issue, making sure that, first of all the vaccines work against this variant and that we have enough of them and i think this is a wake—up call that china was a little flat—footed after it lifted these restrictions. we flat-footed after it lifted these restrictions. we must leave it there, _ these restrictions. we must leave it there, thank - these restrictions. we must leave it there, thank you i these restrictions. we must| leave it there, thank you for joining us here on bbc news. ukraine says russia has stepped—up mortar and artillery attacks on the recently liberated city of kherson,

in the south of the country. kyiv�*s armed forces said 33 rockets had targeted the city in the last 2a hours. russian forces abandoned kherson last month in one of ukraine's most significant gains of the war. but it's since come under renewed attack. on saturday, a russian strike on kherson killed at least 10 people and wounded nearly 60. from kyiv, our correspondent, hugo bachega, sent this report. tears in kherson. a final goodbye for another life lost to the war. this city was liberated by ukraine just last month. but liberation hasn't brought relief. russia's bombing has been relentless. it doesn't stop — even for the dead. natalia was in her flat when a shell hit.

she was a7. ukraine's advance pushed russian forces out of kherson. they're now on the other side of the dnipro river, from where they've been pounding the city, day and night. in the last 2a hours, more than 30 missiles were fired at civilian targets. this was one of the places hit — the maternity ward of a hospital. luckily, no—one was killed. the road leading out of the city used to be clear just days ago. now, it's full of families fleeing. "we stayed all this time, but when the home next "to ours was hit, we became scared", this woman says. the danger is not only kherson. here, in kyiv, the air raid alert sounded again this morning. on the battlefield, neither russia nor ukraine have made significant gains in recent weeks, but away from the front lines, people are being warned

of the russian threat coming from the sky. hugo bachega, bbc news, kyiv. well, that's the latest on the ground. meanwhile, ukraine's president, vlodimir zelensky, has been making his annual address to parliament. here is some of what he said. translation: ukraine hasj united the european union. now, europe is defending itself. europe is overcoming the crises despite the enormous amount of resources that russia is deploying to break our continent. everything russia has tried to do against europe has not worked. at the vatican, pope francis has urged people to pray for his predecessor, pope—emeritus benedict, whose health has worsened. pope francis was speaking at wednesday's general audience. officials say the former pope's health has deteriorated overnight. benedict xvi — who is 95 —

left office in 2013, the first pope to resign in six centuries. joining me now live from washington dc is matthew bunson, executive editor with ewtn news service. welcome to bbc news. what do we know about the former pope's condition?— condition? based on our reporting _ condition? based on our reporting we _ condition? based on our reporting we also - condition? based on our reporting we also have l condition? based on ourj reporting we also have a condition? based on our- reporting we also have a number of sources in rome that tell us that as pope francis himself pointed out earlier today in his general audience that the pope and writer's �*s condition is serious. we understand he is gravely ill from what the vatican itself refers to as the advancing of old age. we were able to report that the pope

emeritus has kidney failure as well as complications from a pacemaker. so looking at all of these different conditions we certainly need to keep the pope emeritus in our prayers. benedict's resignation caused an unprecedented situation, really, in which both he and his successor were in the vatican at the same time and his papacy, benedicts was beset by infighting. what do we know of the relationship between benedict and his successor? that is been one of those interesting developments in the hundreds of years in the life of the church. we had the unusual circumstance of a pope, a reigning pope in pratt francis and then a pope emeritus in pope benedict xvi. by every measure the two of them that we are aware of have cordial relations. pope benedict has been very careful however in always acknowledging that pope francis is the legitimate pope, the reigning

pope and i think that has been reflected in many of the decisions he has made in his retirement to keep a very low profile. always acknowledging that pope francis is in fact pope and i think that has been a great assistance to pope francis. francis himself acknowledges as well the pope an addict is one of the various few people, the only other person on the face of the earth you can give him advice from the very, very unique position of having been a supreme pontiff of the catholic church. we can bring you some pictures now live from the vatican as we continue and an addict has been active, hasn't he, in retirement despite adopting that low profile which you just spoke of. he writes daily homilies for his masses on a daily basis, i am told?- daily basis, i am told? that is right- in his — daily basis, i am told? that is right. in his retirement- daily basis, i am told? that is right. in his retirement whilel right. in his retirement while he is still able to say mass on a daily basis, one of the things that pope and orators an

addict love to do was to write addict love to do was to write a daily homily. for those of us who follow him for many years those will be a treasure at some point and hopefully will be published but he has also responded from time to time to some of the controversies that have surrounded the church, in particular in defending his own reputation, his own record on how he handled the clergy sexual abuse crisis in the time before he became pope and then as pope benedict xvi after his election in 2005. so those letters themselves i think are important milestones in what has been, i think we can safely say, one of the most remarkable theological and ecclesiastical careers in the history of the 20th century and certainly in terms of the catholic church. thank you very much indeed for your insight and forjoining us here on bbc news. to myanmar now — and a story of one family split

down the middle by a coup and a violent civil war. bo kyar yine leads a faction of the pro—democracy fighters there, and four of his sons are fighting alongside him. but two of his other sons are fighting on the side of the country's military — meaning there is a very real chance of meeting their loved ones on the battlefield. we have changed the names and some of the voices in this report by rebecca henschke to protect the family involved. these men used to be farmers. now, they are fighting their country's military. they want democracy. bo kyar yine, the group's leader, is fighting

alongside four of his sons. two other sons are in the military. one is a source of great pride. now, their enemies. he calls the younger of the two the elder who no longer answers. translation: if you come to fight me i will not speak you. will only stand with the people. i stand with you. the campsite _ people. i stand with you. the campsite just _ people. i stand with you. the campsite just one _ people. i stand with you. the campsite just one hours' drive campsitejust one hours' drive from each other. translate: the arm sets from each other. translate: ii�*uéi army sets people on fire, kills people, rapes women. you might not know that.— not know that. this is your view, father. _ not know that. this is your view, father. we - not know that. this is your view, father. we don't - not know that. this is your| view, father. we don't see not know that. this is your i view, father. we don't see it that— view, father. we don't see it that wax _ view, father. we don't see it that way. citizens should live like citizens. they have to follow _ like citizens. they have to follow the rules. translate:

don't say our _ follow the rules. translate: don't say our views _ follow the rules. translate: don't say our views are - follow the rules. translate: | don't say our views are wrong. come look at the village. it is all in ashes now. in come look at the village. it is all in ashes now.— all in ashes now. in this fight they have — all in ashes now. in this fight they have suffered _ all in ashes now. in this fight they have suffered severe . they have suffered severe losses. the memory of one day is particularly vivid for this family is one of his sons remembers. translate: translate: we came under fire. there was _ translate: we came under fire. there was no _ translate: we came under fire. there was no way _ translate: we came under fire. there was no way to _ translate: we came under fire. there was no way to take - there was no way to take cover. there were no big trees or anything. we were in a killing field. they shot at us like popcorn popping. the gunfire sounded like _ popcorn popping. the gunfire sounded like rain. _ popcorn popping. the gunfire sounded like rain. i— popcorn popping. the gunfire sounded like rain. i thought. sounded like rain. i thought they— sounded like rain. i thought they are _ sounded like rain. i thought they are in trouble. my sons are under— they are in trouble. my sons are underfire. it are under fire. it was not until that _ are under fire. it was not i until that evening when the army posted pictures of those they had killed that the family knew they had lost their mother's favourite son. translate: i am angry at the

loss of 15 people including my son. ifeel it loss of 15 people including my son. i feel it more because loss of 15 people including my son. ifeel it more because i can't pick up their bodies. they are still washing the bodies. ., they are still washing the bodies. . ., , ., they are still washing the bodies. . ., . ., bodies. the father has a clear messa . e bodies. the father has a clear message for _ bodies. the father has a clear message for his _ bodies. the father has a clear message for his sons - bodies. the father has a clear message for his sons in - bodies. the father has a clear message for his sons in the i message for his sons in the military for when they meet in battle. translate: kiiiii military for when they meet in battle. translate:— battle. translate: kill me if ou aet battle. translate: kill me if you get the — battle. translate: kill me if you get the fire first. if- you get the fire first. if i get to fire first i will kill you. you may give me a chance but i will not.— but i will not. this divided family is _ but i will not. this divided family is a _ but i will not. this divided family is a symbol- but i will not. this divided family is a symbol of- but i will not. this divided family is a symbol of a - but i will not. this divided - family is a symbol of a divided nation. stay with us on bbc news. still to come: we will tell you how this belgium is playing a small part in saving the environment. the most ambitious financial and political change ever attempted has got under way with the introduction of the euro. tomorrow in holland,

we're gonna use money we picked up in belgium today and then, we'll be in france and again. _ it'll be the same money. it's just got to be the way to go. crowd yelling george harrison, i the former beatle, is recovering in hospital after being stabbed - at his oxfordshire home. a 33—year—old man from - liverpool is being interviewed by police on suspicion of attempted murder. - i think it was good. just good? no, fantastic. big ben bongs this is bbc world news.

the latest headlines: the us has announced it will require negative covid tests for travellers from china following growing alarm at the rapid increase in chinese infections. in the united states, congress has ordered all its members and staff to delete tiktok from their phones. they've been advised that the social media app poses "high risk to users due to a number of security risks." the social media app is owned by the chinese tech company byte da nce. our news reporter azadeh moshiri joins us in the studio. what moshiri joins us in the studio. actually is the conce about what actually is the concern about tiktok?— what actually is the concern about tiktok? the headline is there are _ about tiktok? the headline is there are concerns _ about tiktok? the headline is there are concerns around - about tiktok? the headline isj there are concerns around the upper being used for surveillance by the chinese government. given the tensions that exist now between the united states and china that is obviously something big government is not going to take

lightly. it is also why in countries like the united kingdom, australia, taiwan, there have been concerns raised as well and why india banned the ab outright two years ago. specifically what the fbi director told congress last month is that there are concerns that personal data is being shared with the chinese government — things like accusers location or mobile phone data, and they are also concerned that perhaps the chinese government would want to use this to influence users in the united states. now, bytedance, the chinese company that owns tiktok, insists that data is not stored in china, but the problem is millions of people use this app. in america, 100 million people do and two—thirds of american teenagers do as well and that is probably why politicians are so tempted to use it, because they want to reach voters where they want to reach voters where they are and they are on tiktok right now. we have the same issue in the united kingdom. parliament set up their own tiktok profile and it was met

by a lot of criticism from several members of parliament who have been sanctioned by the chinese state. eventually they did delete that profile but they said they were just trying to educate younger citizens. this is not the first time of course that american officials have sought to take moves against tiktok. so, what does this actually mean for government staff now? that's ri . ht. government staff now? that's riht. it government staff now? that's right- it was _ government staff now? that's right. it was under _ government staff now? that's right. it was under the - government staff now? that's right. it was under the trump | right. it was under the trump administration that the first serious steps had been taken. president trump tried to stop new users from downloading the app and that was blocked by the courts and overturned by president biden but several states don't let government employees use the app and a federal bill has been signed by the senate which will eventually be signed into law by biden but the problem is — how do you stop average citizens, your everyday citizens, your everyday citizens, from using it when it is so popular, especially when you are not talking about cold, hard proof that you are showing them, you arejust hard proof that you are showing them, you are just talking about a lack of transparency

about how that data is used. that is a very good question. thank you forjoining us. let's get some of the day's other news. bolivian police have detained the governor of santa cruz on charges of fomenting a coup. luis fernando camacho, a prominent right—wing opposition leader who helped oust president evo morales from power in 2019, is believed to have been taken to the administrative capital la paz. his supporters have condemned his arrest as a kidnapping. for the second day running an iranian woman has taken part in an international chess tournament without wearing a headscarf. sara khadem is competing at the event in kazakhstan. going without a hijab is a violation of iranian laws governing the female dress code. there have been months of demonstrations in iran following the death of a young woman in custody who was arrested for what the authorities called her �*inappropriate attire'.

scientists have been warning us for years that we face potential disaster unless we do something about climate change. governments have tried to reach agreement — not always successfully — to reduce carbon emissions and combat pollution. but in belgium, the mission to help the environment has taken an unusual turn, as the bbc�*s tim allman explains. marie has heard good things about this beauty salon in brussels but she is notjust getting her hehir done. she may, in a small way, be helping to save the environment. you see all those discarded locks? well, they are brushed up, bags and given to patrickjansen well, they are brushed up, bags and given to patrick jansen who takes them away, puts them through a machine and you end “p through a machine and you end up with this. translation: here, we manufacture carpets that measure about 60 centimetres square. that

requires about one kilogram of hehir. that can absorb around 7- hehir. that can absorb around 7— a metres of hydrocarbon, or oil. that is handy for absorbing oil linked to pollution. here are the hair carpets in action. here, a longer snake like version that can be used to clean up waste underground.— can be used to clean up waste| underground._ i underground. translation: i find it environmentally - find it environmentally friendly investments that normally richer care away. you, we use it to collect hydrocarbons at the wastewater treatment plant.— treatment plant. no-one is under any _ treatment plant. no-one is under any illusions - treatment plant. no-one is under any illusions this - under any illusions this is only a very small part of a big crusade, but hopefully, eventually, when it comes to carbon emissions, it will be hair today, carbon emissions, it will be hairtoday, gone carbon emissions, it will be hair today, gone tomorrow. carbon emissions, it will be hairtoday, gone tomorrow. i don't know about you, but i am hanging onto all the hair that

i still have left. you can get more on this and other stories on our website, thanks forjoining us. hello there. new year's eve just around the corner and if your plans involving outside please keep watching the forecast. there is a lot of rain and the winds will be a feature. gale force gusts on exposed coast. the only snow is in the tops of the mountains in scotland so we are not concerned about that. plenty of ice advise on the southern flank and the wind is a feature so that will be blowing in plenty of showers from the word go, most frequently across scotland and northern england but they will be some across west coast in face of wales.

the only good news is with the strength of the winds, gusts in excess of a0 to maybe 50 miles an hour in exposed coasts, it's going to push those showers through at quite a pace. top temperatures as we go through the day on thursday ranging from six to 10 degrees, so just a degree or so down on what we've seen just recently, but still not too bad for the time of year. there's more wet weather to come, though, as we move towards the end of the week. as you can see, these weatherfronts pushing in. they will for a time on the leading edge bring some snow, but that moves away quite quickly and turns to rain across scotland as that frontal and then it will leave a trail of showers through friday afternoon for many. highest values of 13, perhaps, in the southeast. as we head towards the new year's eve and the weekend, well, we're going to see this milder air clinging on across england and wales, the cold air sitting in place in scotland. that's in some ways where the driest and the brightest of the weather, any showers here to higher ground still wintry, but these frontal systems still open to uncertainty as to exactly where they'll be

sitting through new year's eve and into new year's day. so keep abreast of the forecast if you do have outdoor plans because the rain mightjust be that little bit further north or south. but it looks likely that it is going to be unsettled, wet and windy at times for england and wales, crisper and a little bit colder but drier into scotland. but then those frontal systems will start to push their way steadily north for the start of 2023. so, lots to play for at the moment. but look at the temperatures, still on the mild side by new year's day, with highs of 12 degrees. happy new year.

this is bbc news, the headlines: the united states has announced it will require negative covid tests for travellers from china, following growing alarm at the rapid increase in chinese infections. tighter measures have also been announced by italy, japan, taiwan and india amid concern china's case numbers aren't accurate. as people flee the ukrainian city of kherson, kyiv says russia has carried out more than 30 rocket attacks in the past 2a hours. president zelensky has told lawmkarers at his end—of—year address that ukraine would continue fighting to recover all its territory and free those held captive by russia.