this is bbc news with the latest headlines. energy regulator ofgem tells energy companies to suspend the forced installation of prepayment metres. it's one week since nicola bulley went missing in lancashire — her family make an appeal for her safe return. anything that you can remember that just doesn't seem right, then please, reach out to the police. please, just get in touch and get my sister back. china urges calm after the united states said it's tracking a suspected chinese surveillance balloon seen over sensitive sites in recent days. deserted railway stations as train drivers in england stage their second walk—out this week. australian tennis star nick kyrgios admits assaulting his ex—girlfriend but avoids a criminal conviction — we'll have the latest from canberra.

the energy regulator ofgem has asked suppliers to pause the forced installation of prepaid metres. it follows revelations that a debt collection company working for british gas broke into the homes of vulnerable people to install the metres. prepayment metres require customers to pay for their energy in advance. it's more expensive than paying by direct debit, but are sometimes the only option for people who have struggled to pay and are in debt to a supplier. ben king has more. an undercover reporter from the times newspaper joined a team of debt collectors,

entering the home of a single father with three young children. they count as vulnerable. but, these workers from arvato financial solutions, working for british gas, opened the door and installed a prepayment meter anyway. installing prepayment meters by force is legal, but it's meant to be a last resort, and should not be done to vulnerable households. if people cannot afford to top up the meters, they will be left without power. the boss of british gas has apologised, suspended arvato, and paused forced installations. arvato said it respected and adhered to the rules. the energy regulator ofgem has now stepped in. the chief executivejonathan brearley said in a statement... suppliers need to reassure us that all the processes for customers being moved on to prepayment meters

are compliant with all ofgem rules, and until the system this is done, we have asked them to a pause forced installations. i would also ask them to look at their relationships with any third party contractors and examine incentives that could give rise to poor and unacceptable behaviours. there are clear rules. they have obviously not been followed, and therefore i need the regulator, i need the companies to do the right thing by people who are in the most difficult of circumstances, and have been treated, on this evidence, appallingly. the energy industry will now have to find a better way to treat vulnerable customers, in this most difficult of winters. ben king, bbc news. we'rejoined now by simon francis, the campaigns co—ordinator at the end fuel poverty coalition, who campaign for energy efficient homes. looking at that film, it's a bit shocking, isn't it? it’s looking at that film, it's a bit shocking, isn't it? it's terrific. last night _ shocking, isn't it? it's terrific. last night on _ shocking, isn't it? it's terrific. last night on newsnight, - shocking, isn't it? it's terrific. | last night on newsnight, there

shocking, isn't it? it's terrific. - last night on newsnight, there was a story of a woman who was broken into by these people coming to fit prepayment meters while she was asleep. this is absolutely horrifying behaviour that we have known about for months and years, we've been trying to raise with government and with the regulator and with energy firms, but all the time, they kept on telling us, no, we don't do this to vulnerable households, it only done as a last resort. the investigations by a newspaper revealed that it is not a resort. over 5000 court warrants were applied for and almost all of them were granted in magistrates courts, in closed hearings, in back rooms which are the latest revelations today. this is a deeply flawed process, it's deeply worrying, justice has not been done and people have been forced to become the victims of the energy firms and these core processes. things are just getting worse now because energy is so expensive, just

to explain to viewers at home, putting in these prepayment meters, basically, it means you are paying extortionate amounts of money compared to people who prepay. you are -a in: compared to people who prepay. 7m. are paying more than you would typically. people on prepayment metre this winter would have paid £200 more than those in a direct debit, but what's really worrying, is that when you run out of credit they click. so if you're in a vulnerable household such as you are using disabled services so you might be using electricity to charge your wheelchair or run medical equipment or keep medicines called in a fridge, that willjust or keep medicines called in a fridge, that will just stop immediately. if you have young children in the house or you are elderly or you have a pre—existing health condition or lung condition, that heating going off, meaning that your home becomes cold and damp, can cause problems with this health condition. that's why the rules were supposed to be in place to stop this sort of behaviour that has been

revealed. the energy firms are saying that this wasn't happening and this just proves it has been happening. people need to be listened to.— happening. people need to be listened to. ~ �* ., , listened to. we've had some comments from ener: listened to. we've had some comments from energy firms. _ listened to. we've had some comments from energy firms, british _ listened to. we've had some comments from energy firms, british gas - from energy firms, british gas saying it's going to suspend forcefully installed prepayment meters until after the winter, edf saying it's also confirmed that it is suspending the forced insulation of prepayment meters, octopus energy saying it's not installing any at the moment and it really has done so, do you feel that now, maybe, you can look at this and think there is a bit of a change happening amongst some big energy firms? 0r a bit of a change happening amongst some big energy firms? or not? does it reassure you?— it reassure you? we're definitely seeinr it reassure you? we're definitely seeing change — it reassure you? we're definitely seeing change and _ it reassure you? we're definitely seeing change and that - it reassure you? we're definitely seeing change and that is - it reassure you? we're definitely seeing change and that is clearly welcome, off gem stepping in and the minister and the secretary of state stepping in over the last 48 hours, that has changed the game. however, it is not a full ban. we can't trust these energy firms to do right by vulnerable customers, we need a full, legally enforced ban, on

installing prepayment meters by court order. and also, crucially, by switching smart meters on it to prepayment mode, which is another thing that the energy firms are doing, which again, is causing a similar problem. but is kind of being less reported at the moment. there are two bands that we need to see in place. but we also need to now see action for those people who have been wronged by this. we need an investigation into this court process, what evidence has been presented to magistrates? what have measures been doing? how has that process been done? what can be learned by that? and for those customers who are in vulnerable situations, who have been forced onto these prepayment meters, and who often therefore mean that they are not necessarily as easy for them to get the energy bill support scheme that the government has introduced, so they have been missing out on that as well, is there compensation that can be given to these groups? because they will be the ones who have spent a miserable winter and many will have suffered health consequences as a result of the actions of energy

films. , ., ., result of the actions of energy films. ,., ., ., i. ., films. good to get you on the programme. _ films. good to get you on the programme. i— films. good to get you on the programme, i thank - films. good to get you on the programme, i thank you - films. good to get you on the j programme, i thank you once films. good to get you on the - programme, i thank you once again. the family of a woman who's gone missing in lancashire has made an emotional plea for people to come forward with information. 45—year—old nicola bulley disappeared a week ago, while walking her dog in st michael's on wyre. we can speak now to our reporter, dave guest, who joins us from that area. dave, how extensive has the search been so far? it's been very expensive. it's gone on for the past seven days, but sadly, as yet with no result. behind me, you can probably see people with posters bearing nicola bulley�*s photograph. these are neighbours, friends, people that didn't know her but feel that they want to help in the search for this missing mother of two. this time last week, this exact time last week, nicola bulley was down on the river bank walking her dog. she connected to a work conference call, at ten past nine, someone who knew nicola saw her. five minutes later, that phone was

found abandoned on the bench, it was still connected to the work call, her dog, willow, was still wondering on the weather but there was no sign of nicola and there has been an extensive search but the nightmare for the family continues. seven days of searching, but still no sign of nicola bulley. the wait for news is as agonising as it is frustrating for her family. people don'tjust vanish into thin air, there's got to be somebody that knows something and all we are asking, no matter how small or big, if there's anything that you can remember that just doesn't seem right, then please, reach out to the police. please, just get in touch and get my sister back. 45—year—old nicola dropped her children at school last friday morning, went for a walk with her dog by the river wyre, and hasn't been seen since. her springer spaniel was found

wandering on its own near the place where nicola was last seen. her phone was abandoned on a park bench, still connected to a business conference call. the police have been looking for her since she was reported missing last friday. this is a very beautiful rural area with lots of wooded areas and the river, clearly. so there's a lot of complex terrain to search. back home, nicola's two little girls and partner paul are left bewildered. paul says they're living in a perpetual hell. friends, neighbours, fire and rescue and mountain rescue teams have joined the police in searching for nicola. nicky's got two beautiful children at home, wanting to know- where their mummy is. and as anybody would, - we've had so many, many offers of support and help, _ which is amazing, and we thank you and i know the family thank you very much _ yesterday, the police asked for a dog walker dressed in a red coat to come forward as a possible witness. they traced her last evening, but so far, no sign of nicola. detectives say they're keeping an open mind about what's happened to nicola bulley. and for now, speculation about what might have happened remains just that.

the us department of defence says it's tracking what's believed to be that's the point the police are making, they don't want speculative, they want facts. they are appealing to anyone who was in the st michael's on wyre area who was around this time last week who may have seen the dog to come forward and say what they have seen. even the most insignificant thing could prove very helpful. in the meantime, of course, the community are doing their best to help in this. the search teams are due to arrive here again later today as they have done every day over the past seven days but for now the nightmare for her family continues. you but for now the nightmare for her family continues.— the us department of defence says it's tracking what's believed to be a chinese surveillance balloon that entered american airspace two days ago. the military considered shooting it down over the state of montana but was concerned that falling debris could hit someone. the canadian authorities have also

released a statement about a high—altitude surveillance balloon and say they are working with us partners. this is the first image we've received— believed to be of the balloon— but it's not been independently verified. the department of defence says it was "most certainly launched" by china. the chinese government has called for calm and warned against the artificial "hype" regarding the balloon. 0ur north america correspondent, peter bowes, has more. this is an unusual but not unprecedented situation. what the pentagon believes is a chinese surveillance balloon hovering over the northern united states after previously hovering in a similar way over canada. and we're hearing similar statements from the ministry of defence in canada, as well as the pentagon, and that is that there is no danger posed to members of the public on the ground. indeed, civilian aircraft are not in any danger either, given the high altitude of this balloon — it is in the stratosphere.

given its high altitude, it might therefore be surprising to hear, but apparently some pilots of civilian aircraft have actually seen it. and moving forward, it looks as if the strategy is wait and see. there was some consideration given to shooting it down and there was some manoeuvres involving military aircraft to try to make that happen. but it was decided against it because of the threat of debris falling from the balloon and potentially hitting people on the ground. it was just considered too dangerous. so moving forward, it is still somewhere, the pentagon believes, over the united states. they're not saying where. and clearly, given the current tensions between the united states and china that have been going on, of course, for many months now, in many respects concerning security issues, this is another awkward situation, perhaps even more awkward with the visit of anthony blinken, the us secretary of state, to china. he's planning to go to beijing to meet president xi in the next few days.

chase doak has seen the ballon above his home in billings in southern montana i was actually at work and i was getting ready to leave for the day and just a few minutes earlier, i had seen news reports of some airspace restrictions here in billings so i thought that was a little suspicious and i was looking out the window like i normally do and ijust happen to spot it out of the corner of my eye. at first, i thought it was a star, but i thought that was kind of crazy because it was broad daylight and when i looked at it it was just too big to be a star. let's cross to beijing now and to our correspondent stephen mcdonell. that looks quite an obvious thing to send up, doesn't it? the

that looks quite an obvious thing to send up, doesn't it?— that looks quite an obvious thing to send up, doesn't it? the whole thing is re send up, doesn't it? the whole thing is pretty bizarre. _ send up, doesn't it? the whole thing is pretty bizarre. i — send up, doesn't it? the whole thing is pretty bizarre, i have _ send up, doesn't it? the whole thing is pretty bizarre, i have to _ send up, doesn't it? the whole thing is pretty bizarre, i have to say. - is pretty bizarre, i have to say. firstly, i think many people wondered why this type of technology is still being used. we have satellites, sophisticated aircraft, what does a balloon bring that those other types of technology don't? and yet, here we have this alleged spy balloon floating over north america, just two days before us secretary of state, antony blinken, is due to arrive here in beijing for a series of high—level meetings. these are meetings designed to somehow ease tensions between washington and beijing, so why this timing? i mean, the interesting thing is that i'm no expert on spy balloon technology but perhaps it was launched sometime ago, i'm not sure. it does seem incredible and yet, in beijing, today, we had the foreign ministry saying they are still actually trying to verify whether or not this really is a chinese balloon, and the

foreign ministry spokesperson said that all sides should remain calm. and urged against speculation and artificially generated hype, saying that these things would not lead to a solution to this fresh crisis, i suppose, these fresh tensions between the us and china. [30 suppose, these fresh tensions between the us and china. do you think that if _ between the us and china. do you think that if it — between the us and china. do you think that if it does _ between the us and china. do you think that if it does end _ between the us and china. do you think that if it does end up - between the us and china. do you think that if it does end up being l between the us and china. do you think that if it does end up being a chinese made balloon and chinese release balloon, do you think the chinese would admit to that? potentially. i don't know. it's funny because there is no secret that the us and china are spying on one another, us spy planes are flying over china all the time, at high altitudes, watching things, everybody knows this is going on so it's no secret. of course, the point is that it's just a bit embarrassing

to have to face up and say that you are doing it because, again, the foreign ministry and in china said again today that it doesn't interfere with the airspace in a foreign countries, this type of thing, and yet if this is a chinese spy thing, and yet if this is a chinese spy balloon, flying over the us and over canada, clearly that is an interference of this airspace. maybe they won't have any choice. if the americans are able to bring it down and show that it is of chinese origin, perhaps we will have no choice. but then again, in the past, we have seen the chinese government displayed just a remarkable ability to deny things will not speak about them. we'll have to see. certainly, it's going to be interesting, you'd love to be a fly on the wall when anthony blink and speaks to president g.— anthony blink and speaks to president g. ., ,, , ., , .

passengers have been warned to expect another day of severe disruption on the railways, as more than 20,000 train drivers go on strike. our correspondent, vinney mcaviney is at euston station for us. what's the picture? london euston is one of the nation's _ what's the picture? london euston is one of the nation's busiest _ what's the picture? london euston is one of the nation's busiest stations l one of the nation's busiest stations but it is definitely quiet here this morning and this will be a scene replicated across stations in england and parts of wales and scotland as well because for the second time this week the train drivers for 16 operators are going on strike, as part of this long—running dispute between the unions and the train bosses over pay and conditions. if things are the same as we expect, which was what happened on wednesday, in the last right, around one third of services will be running. so the advice, as we have had for many months, is simply to check with your operator before going to the station, and many lines are just simply going to full quiet today so don't expect to

travel via the trains. there isn't any update on the state of the negotiations, last month, the unions rejected a pay offer which would have seen them get two years of 4% pay rise increases, but they said, the condition changes attached to that were unacceptable to them. there is also on some buses up bus routes in the south on the west of the city disruption because they are striking as well. there is some good news for train passages, relatively, for the foreseeable future, until at least the 19th of february, there are no planned train strikes. the unions could try and bring some more in, they say they have a mandate, but at the moment, none are planned which means this weekend on the following two weekends, people will be able to travel freely on the rail network. the only slight caveat to thatis network. the only slight caveat to that is tomorrow morning, we might still see a few hours of hangover of disruption from today's straits. thank you.

we can speak now to simon calder, travel correspondent of the independent, who is at paddington station. what's the view from paddington? it's a slightly different picture to london euston and what vinnie is seeing because here we've got great western railway running one train every hour from here to read western railway running one train every hourfrom here to read in swindon, two bath anti—bristol. it is the only departures on the screen behind me but it is fairly reliable and it will be until about 7pm tonight. that is a similar picture across at king's cross station, the herb for the east coast main line to yorkshire, north—east england and to edinburgh. lner is running trains generally about once an hour, as are the so—called open access operators, thatis the so—called open access operators, that is lubo from edinburgh, whole trains from hull and grand central from teesside and west yorkshire.

elsewhere, it's a very mixed picture. south western railway isn't supposedly having any problems on its mainland services, although the isle of wight line is completely close, however, they say that some drivers are refusing to cross picket lines at depots and as a result we have a scene at 300 cancellation so far. wales and scotland, so far, things running well, although there are speed restrictions in the north and west highlands in scotland due to the severe weather.— to the severe weather. thank you very much — to the severe weather. thank you very much for— to the severe weather. thank you very much for that _ to the severe weather. thank you very much for that update - to the severe weather. thank you very much for that update from . very much for that update from paddington. a summit between ukrainian and european leaders is getting under way in kyiv — as ukraine tries to push forward with its bid tojoin the eu. president zelensky said his country deserved to start talks this year, and that closer ties would inspire his forces to resist the russian invasion. but eu officials say much still needs to be done before ukraine is ready for accession. instead, they're likely to offer more arms and money and better access for ukrainian products to the eu market. the meeting comes as russian forces step up their offensives in the south and east

of the country. here's our correspondent, james waterhouse. this summit is about substance as it is symbolism for ukraine. the head of the european commission, ursula von der leyen, was having meetings with president zelensky yesterday. you can hear the sirens on what is a significant day. it's a reminder of the threat which kyiv and most of ukraine faces on a daily basis with this invasion. nevertheless, eu officials are in the city. they've already discussed continued russian sanctions, economic punishments, help with ukraine's infrastructure as russia continues to strike power stations across the country. and it's also talked about ukraine's european path. now, what president zelensky is saying is that his country deserves to start negotiations

with the eu on possible membership. last year it became an official candidate. butjoining the european union takes years, if not decades. it also takes the approval of the 27 member states. but the very subject of the european union for ukraine is so loaded because it's about ukraine demonstrating its sovereignty despite it becoming under continued attack. and it's also about ukraine's political will to lean further to the west and further away from the clutches of moscow. the long running inquiry into the contaminated blood scandal of the 1970s and 80s will hear closing statements later today. it's been called the biggest treatment disaster in nhs history, with 30,000 people thought to have been infected with hiv or hepatitis c. 0ur health correspondent, jim reed, has more. nobody in the threackall household thought that they could be affected by aids. in 1991, the bbc broadcast this landmark documentary

about the aids crisis. i had a blood test which the hospital confirmed was hiv. bob threackall was infected after being given contaminated drugs for the blood disorder, haemophilia. you see things on television, it is so far removed from everything you know, you don't even consider that you could be part of anything like that, but you can. now a retired teacher, sue has spent decades trying to find out what happened and what was known about the risks. 0ver that time, we have battled mps, various parliamentarians, civil servants, the medical profession, pharmaceutical companies, itjust goes on and on. bob died just months after that programme is filmed. so, in about �*87, �*88? yeah. about '87. he was one of thousands infected with hiv or hepatitis after taking drugs imported from abroad,

or being given a transfusion. it isjust sad, because it is this life that i was living perfectly happily, and then it went. everything went. long—running protests eventually lead to a government apology and the launch of a full public inquiry. i would like to say sorry on behalf of the government for something that should not have happened. since 2018... i swear by almight god... prime ministers and health secretaries have all been questioned under oath. it became more and more real and more and more scary. and those directly affected, including sue, have been given the chance to have their say. we are fed up with hearing people say how sorry they are. later today, the last witness will take the stand with a final report expected in the summer. i would like the truth out there. i would like to know that proper measures were put in place to make sure that this can't happen again. it was cataclysmic, you know, and itjust ripped families apart, including mine.

late last year, the first compensation payments were made to some of those affected. after 40 years, though, many families are still hoping for answers, as this long—running public inquiry draws to a close. jim reed, bbc news. the australian tennis player, nick kyrgios, has pleaded guilty to assaulting his ex—girlfriend. the court in canberra heard he pushed chiara passari to the ground during an argument in 2021. kyrgios avoided a conviction because the magistrate said the offence was a "single act of stupidity". the wimbledon finalist says he deeply regrets what happened. 0ur correspondent phil mercer, who is outside the court in canberra, told us more. well, nick kyrgios arrived at court on crutches after recent knee surgery. he went in to the court to learn his fate and the magistrate, beth campbell, said that she would be treating him exactly the same

as she would treat any other young man who came before her. so essentially, she was giving nick kyrgios a second chance. she said that he was guilty of a single act of stupidity in the heat of the moment. nick kyrgios had admitted assaulting his former partner in 2021 and no conviction was recorded because the magistrate said that the offence was a lower level offence and, as a result, no criminal record for nick kyrgios, no good behaviour bonds. so he will be able to continue his international tennis career without any impediments on his travel entering countries such as the united states, for example. the association of british insurers says drivers saw a sharp rise in premiums at the end of last year. the price of insurance went up by an average of 8% in the final three months of 2022. it says the rising cost of car parts and paints used in repairs,

as well as soaring energy bills, were some of the factors behind the increase. now it's time for a look at the weather with matt. a bit more sunshine to expect this weekend but also a drop in temperature as i will show you. at the moment, a fair bit of cloud out there this morning as you can see here just to the north of glasgow, if you brighter breaks but the cloud is thick enough or some rain or drizzle which we will see across parts of scotland and northern england and north wales. it is edging its way eastwards so much more cloud across eastern areas and for one or two a bit of dampness in the air, especially across 0rkney. many will stay dry through the day, a bit more sunshine times in the west this afternoon but with the wind is coming all the way from the mid—atlantic, easing down relative to what we saw first thing this morning, just look at these temperatures. fora morning, just look at these temperatures. for a february afternoon, 14—15 c possible, is of century above where we should be and

if you get some sunshine it will have the feel of early spring. tonight, we will stay dry, some clear skies for a time, thickening cloud in the west will and one or two later in the night. if not as mild as last night, for saturday, we are going to see more cloud and eventually some rain across scotland and northern ireland, but a weekend of two house. look at that for sunday. lots of sunshine but a

sport and time now for a full round—up from the bbc sport centre. here is lizzie greenwood hughes. charges of rape and coercive control were dropped against mason greenwood yesterday. he had been expected to face trial in later this year and he

said he was released in time his family and friends for supporting him. united said there will not make any further comment until their own process is complete. the bbc understands he will not train or play for the team until that line that my time in the club makes its decision. as wales prepare for their opening six nations game against ireland tomorrow most of the attention has been on the sports management. it follows allegations of a toxic culture of sexism and misogyny within the welsh rugby union and during a culture of media and sport hearing, the wru admitted there had been warning signs which were missed. i there had been warning signs which were missed-— were missed. i was shocked by the ersonal were missed. i was shocked by the personal stories _ were missed. i was shocked by the personal stories highlighted - were missed. i was shocked by the personal stories highlighted by - personal stories highlighted by former staff in the programme. and i can only apologise once more to them and say not only to them by people elsewhere are affected by the allegations in the programme and to say i will work night and day to ensure all our staff feel safe and valued. ., , ~ ensure all our staff feel safe and valued. . , ~ ., ., ,., valued. last week we heard about the former welsh — valued. last week we heard about the former welsh football _ valued. last week we heard about the former welsh football star _ valued. last week we heard about the

former welsh football star gareth - former welsh football star gareth bale impressing professional golfers ahead of a bend in the usa so they had been warned of his talent and now he is handling the pressure of the actual tournament in the same manner showing the kind of precision that made him so good at free kicks when digging himself out of trouble. his partnerjoseph bartlett, shot a 67 .5. he'sjust his partnerjoseph bartlett, shot a 67.5. he'sjust ahead of his partnerjoseph bartlett, shot a 67 .5. he'sjust ahead of the his partnerjoseph bartlett, shot a 67.5. he's just ahead of the actor bill murray and former politician kaunda rice. i bill murray and former politician kaunda rice.— bill murray and former politician kaunda rice. ~ , ., ., kaunda rice. i think every amateur will tell you — kaunda rice. i think every amateur will tell you they _ kaunda rice. i think every amateur will tell you they are _ kaunda rice. i think every amateur will tell you they are used - kaunda rice. i think every amateur will tell you they are used to - will tell you they are used to playing in front of millions of people on tv but this is a different sport, it's different and it's a great experience. i hit one of my best shots down the fairway. from ni . ht best shots down the fairway. from night shifts — best shots down the fairway. from night shifts in _ best shots down the fairway. from night shifts in motorways - best shots down the fairway. from night shifts in motorways and now

premier league darts, chris dobie beat peter wright and nathan aspinall on his way to the final a face the world number three michael bangemann and the management down to the wire with chris dobie winning and putting him top of the table after the first week. there is a really big test for the british male players today are over the weekend. not only are the davis cup team playing at altitude near bogota in colombia but they are having to use special tennis balls called pressure live sports to combat then air. dan evansis live sports to combat then air. dan evans is expected to play in the singles and doubles, great britain have the stronger line—up of players had talked about issues of playing out height of over 2500 metres and as well as those different bolts, the matches are being played on clay which is not the preferred surface for the british team. you can watch it on the bbc iplayer this evening at apn. after conquering europe the

poor man bobsleigh team in great britain are hoping to secure a world title in switzerland, led by their driver bra told they will compete tomorrow lunchtime and the final run is taking place on sunday. it has been a record—breaking season for the bath team. winning the first gold medal at the european championship last month in britain does not have any ice tracks for the team to train on but they are on brilliant form, joint top of the world rankings with a genuine chance of a medal which would be a first men's bobsleigh medal in the world championships since 66. and you can read more about them and the rest of the sport on the website but that is it for now. thank you. the uk is expected to enter recession this year but it may not be as bad as previously feared, according to the governor of the bank of england. andrew bailey says the economic slump may now last a year, shorter than feared. it comes after yesterday's interest rate rise from 3.5 to 4% — its highest

in almost 15 years. ben boulos is at a bakery in greater manchester for us this morning. well, it's busy as ever here at robinson's artisan bakery. it's been operating from this site in manchester since 1968. these fresh loaves just out of the oven. but of course, the ingredients to make these are getting more expensive. the energy to keep the ovens nice and hot, to bake the bread and all the various treats they make, it's costing them more, so costing them more in energy to keep the fridges nice and cold for all those ingredients as well. and that is one of the reasons the bank of england has put interest rates up to try and rein in soaring prices. let me run through the decision they made. they put interest rates up yesterday to 4%, raising them by half a percentage point. that's because inflation, the rise in average prices, is currently running at 10.5%. that's nearly a 40—year high

and it's about five times above the target that the bank of england has of inflation of 2%. the imf, the international monetary fund, has warned the uk economy is one of the or is the only major economy that it's expecting to shrink over the coming year. but a bright spot in the forecasts from the bank of england, it now thinks that the recession the uk will face will be shorter and less severe than previously expected. let's find out how it's affecting businesses like this. we can speak to david, who is the owner, as well as having been a baker all your life. what are you noticing in terms of the pressures on businesses like yours? well, for the last 12 months, we've had incessant price increases on all our ingredients. flour has gone up 50%. other ingredients have gone up north of 30%. of course, the interest rates went up yesterday. this will affect our customers, of course, because they've got mortgages to pay, leaves them less disposable income. we want them to still come in the shop and buy

essential products, but also for the treats, as well. but it's more difficult if you've got less money to spend. 0k, david, thank you for talking about your experiences and the business with us. i'm going to call over grace, who is actually david's daughter, who works here. grace, i know you've got the ovens going off. have you got a sec to have a quick chat... a quick chat with us? just about interest rates, the pressures the businesses like this are facing? and actually, you know, you have a household yourself. how are you affected by the interest rates changing? well, i recently remortgaged and now i'm paying double interest that i was at the beginning of the year, which is awful. but it's notjust me. it's everybody. well, the poorer people, shall we say, up and down the country. and what do your customers say when they come in? well, everyone's in the same boat, aren't they? so we understand where they're coming from. and they understand that we've got to work really hard to create a product. but i think they respect that. i think they enjoy the quality of product we make. and for now, we're really lucky and grateful that they've stuck with us. 0k, grace, i know you've got

plenty of work to do. we'll let you get on. thanks for speaking to us. and, you know, getting the economy right is like getting the recipe right for baked goods. and let'sjust finish. let me show you some of the delicious looking items they have here. i call these rolls, but depending on where you're watching in the country, to you, they may be barms, barm cakes, or i'm told, even muffins! pope francis, and two other key figures in the christian church are visiting south sudan — a country which has been fractured by civil war and political instability since gaining independence in 2011. a predominantly christian country, there has been a lot of preparation and excitement to receive the holy see, with people travelling from all over the country to come and see him. the bbcs merchuma is injuba and reports on the role of the catholic church in the country. just outside the city ofjuba,

a caravan approaches. they are from rumbek in western south sudan. for nine days, they have been on the road. their mission — to welcome the pope. congregants from the local catholic church receive them and join in song and dance and offer them refreshments. we came here to get the blessing from the pope. we call him a prophet. he's now the prophet for us. he will see what is here. he will pray for it and the country will change. south sudan has been fractured by civil war and political instability since gaining independence in 2011. pope francis will be injuba for three days alongside the archbishop of canterburyjustin welby, and the moderator

ian greendhields on what they are calling a pilgrimage of peace. this is the first time the leaders of three different parts of the christian church will be in the country at the same time. the church is looked at as a symbol of hope by many people. and here in south sudan, the catholic church is a centre of refuge for many. when times were turbulent and it has continued to play a leading role in the social wellbeing of the people of south sudan. the beating hope home injuba is run by the catholic church and provides shelter to young boys who have fled violence and are separated from theirfamilies. most have been preyed upon by gangs and armed militias. 18—year—old francis lado has been here for seven years. i came here because of the war of 2016. i lost my father. i lived in the streets and the church picked me. i have found a lot of support here. i started school from here. my biggest challenge now is that ijust turned 18 and i'll have

to leave the orphanage at the end of this month, since that is the maximum age. i'm scared. i don't know how i'll move on. the home also offers meals to young children from poor households and those affected by climate related disasters. this is a safe haven for many of them and a place where they can just be children, play and eat. the administration says their aim as a church with such initiatives is to restore dignity to a people whose resilience is waning. and the pope's pilgrimage of peace, they believe, is the boost that their efforts really need. merchuma, bbc news, juba, south sudan. inspectors have raised concerns about a women's prison in gloucestershire, after they found some mentally unwell inmates were being held in cells with scratches and bloodstains on the walls. the conditions at eastwood park prison were described as appalling. the prison service insisted some cells had already

been refurbished and that it was appointing more staff. it's been almost four months since russia began a systematic campaign of targeting ukraine's energy infrastructure — its power stations and distribution network. ukraine's state and private energy companies have been working around the clock to repair the damage and keep electricity flowing during the tough winter months. and they seem to be succeeding. the bbc�*s paul adams has been granted rare access to the network and the teams involved. ukraine's energy war. a constant battle for heat and light. a race to keep up with russian attacks. siren wails. for a week, we follow the teams fighting this war. what the missiles destroy, they rebuild. in places where people are living on the edge.

for months, russian missiles and drones have rained down on ukraine's civilian infrastructure, causing untold damage all across this vast country. so what happened here? this power plant in central ukraine has been hit repeatedly. it's a huge place, but this is what well—aimed russian missiles have done to its transformers. vital links to the world outside. for security reasons, we've been asked not to identify the plant or its manager. these. everywhere across here. translation: every time | the equipment is damaged, it gets all of us right here in our soul. because it's our life. it's our second family. millions of people depend on this coal fired power station. built in the soviet era. fantastic machine!

its great turbines churning away at the heart of ukraine's sprawling power grid. but the staff here know they're in russia's sights. so there's the siren. we have been expecting it this morning. we have to get out of the turbine hall and head straight for the shelter. on days like these, hours are spent underground. anxious moments as news comes in of a fresh wave of attacks. their colleagues at a power station in the west have taken a direct hit. they know this could have been them. and closer to home, word is spreading of something much worse. sirens. across town, a tragedy is unfolding. a missile almost certainly aimed at the power station has struck an apartment building instead. the rescue effort is frantic. 46 people have died here.

we travel south towards communities under fire. ukraine's army of engineers racing from one repairjob to the next. "this happens all the time", vladimir tells me. we're on our way to a village shelled just last night. the power lines are down again. the repairs won't take long, but the men know they'll be back. translation: this is pure terror, terrorising the population, - causing maximum damage to the infrastructure. this is a tactic of the russians on the other side of the reservoir. explosions. in the village, the sound of artillery has the mayor ducking for cover. how long do you think you can carry on living here in this situation?

translation: those who wanted to leave left already. _ those who can't leave stay. as long as we have even a bit of electricity and water, we'll carry on living. russia thought it would break ukraine. but this energy war isn't working. half the grid may be in tatters, but in helmets and body armour, these men are keeping it alive. paul adams, bbc news, eastern ukraine. bill gates has said that he was surprised to be at the centre of so many conspiracy theories during the pandemic. the philanthropist, who has donated tens of billions of dollars to the causes of global health and tackling climate change, was accused of profiting from covid—19, or even spreading it. from kenya, amol rajan reports. for most of his life, bill gates has

been the richest man in the world. but the founder of microsoft has, somehow, gone from being the face of american computing and capitalism to the front man for endless conspiracy theories. he's given tens of billions to philanthropy, focusing on climate change and global health. particularly that of children. i travelled to kenya to question him on a range of issues, including those raised by critics of his philanthropy. who made you god? i'm not god. i mean, as a percentage of the world economy, i'm kind of rounding there, but, yes, i decided that the death of children, when i read that diarrhoea was killing half a million children and that the vaccine to stop those deaths was being given to the rich kids but not to the poor kids, isaid, "wow. now i know the area of inequity most of my money will go on." during the pandemic,

gates became the subject of countless conspiracy theories. i did not expect that but, you know, during the pandemic, there were tens of millions of messages about, that i intentionally caused it or i'm tracking people, which... it's true i'm involved with vaccines but i'm involved with vaccines to save lives. you know, i guess people are looking for the bogeyman behind the curtain, the oversimplistic explanation, that its malevolence is a lot easier to understand than biology. greta thunberg credits her asperger�*s as her special power. what is your special power? defining whether somebody is on the asperger�*s spectrum is a pretty big thing but my ability to concentrate... is very high. and when i was young, it was weirdly high. you know, to memorise things and try out my thinking, which made science and maths super interesting.

and then i discovered software and was able to throw all my energy into that. you're going to turn 70 in three years, that's a big milestone for some people. how do you feel about it? no, it's strange to be an old person. i don't think of myself that way. you know, ifeel young but i have limited time. my life is two thirds done. can i get malaria eradication done? i think so. bill gates... thank you. ..a real pleasure to talk to you. amol rajan, bbc news, kenya. back to one of our main stories this hour. the family of 45—year old nicola bulley who disappeared a week ago in lancashire has made an emotional plea for people to come forward with information. in the last half hour her partner paul ansell spoke to the media. ido i do not really have anything to say apart from what the family said

yesterday. my focus is on the two goals, staying strong for them. i am scared that if i put any focus into anything else, it's going to take my focus of that so i've got to be very careful. just hoping to goodness that anything comes out from the interview yesterday, no matter how tiny. just say a massive thank you to the community, friends, for everything that they are doing, absolutely incredible. ijust cannot believe that we are a week on and as yet, it seems like we are no further on, itjust seems, just seems absolutely impossible. just, just like a dream i cannot get my head around any of that.— around any of that. you're left t in: to around any of that. you're left trying to make _ around any of that. you're left trying to make sense - around any of that. you're left trying to make sense of- around any of that. you're left trying to make sense of the i trying to make sense of the senseless, it'sjust

trying to make sense of the senseless, it's just a trying to make sense of the senseless, it'sjust a mystery? yeah, it is. every single scenario comes to a brick wall, and then all we are doing is sitting there going around and around and around, going through every scenario and then going back to the first scenario again and do the whole thing again and it'sjust all day again and do the whole thing again and it's just all day long, again and do the whole thing again and it'sjust all day long, that's all you're doing, we are doing. hagar all you're doing, we are doing. how are ou all you're doing, we are doing. how are you coping. _ all you're doing, we are doing. how are you coping. it — all you're doing, we are doing. how are you coping, it must be so difficult, you say you're focuses on the girls and it has to be but it must be so difficult? i do the girls and it has to be but it must be so difficult?— the girls and it has to be but it must be so difficult? i do not know how i'm must be so difficult? i do not know how i'm coping. — must be so difficult? i do not know how i'm coping. i— must be so difficult? i do not know how i'm coping, i do _ must be so difficult? i do not know how i'm coping, i do not— must be so difficult? i do not know how i'm coping, i do not want - must be so difficult? i do not know how i'm coping, i do not want to i how i'm coping, i do not want to actually think about it. just like i say, it is about the girls, that is it, i am there for them. i do not want to elaborate on that. i do not want to elaborate on that. i do not want to elaborate on that. i do not want to take my eye off that. it must be heart—warming to see the public response, hundreds of people trying to help. it is

public response, hundreds of people trying to help-— trying to help. it is amazing, it is the only thing — trying to help. it is amazing, it is the only thing we _ trying to help. it is amazing, it is the only thing we can _ trying to help. it is amazing, it is the only thing we can take, - trying to help. it is amazing, it is the only thing we can take, that l the only thing we can take, that level of support is out of this world. it gives us a great amount of comfort knowing that that is going on. we do not have anything else, do we? there is hope. we are never ever going to lose the hope, of course we are not but right now, it is as though she has vanished into thin air. yeah. just insane. that though she has vanished into thin air. yeah. just insane.— air. yeah. just insane. that is an interview— air. yeah. just insane. that is an interview we _ air. yeah. just insane. that is an interview we have _ air. yeah. just insane. that is an interview we have just _ air. yeah. just insane. that is an interview we have just got - air. yeah. just insane. that is an interview we have just got at - air. yeah. just insane. that is an interview we have just got at the bbc from paul ansell, and just to reiterate, the family of nicola have made an emotional appeal for her safe return. a week ago she disappeared in saint michael somewhere in lancashire, while she was walking her dog. the leaderfor dog and collar were found on a bench but nicola was nowhere to be seen. a

major research involving police divers, drones, helicopter, sniffer dogs has been ongoing and its continuing but police say no trace of nicola has been found so far and her sister, of nicola has been found so far and hersister, during of nicola has been found so far and her sister, during that emotional appeal, said wejust her sister, during that emotional appeal, said we just want her her sister, during that emotional appeal, said wejust want her home, we need to home, her children need her home, it is heartbreaking. and there are you saw an interview with her partner paul ansell. detectives are of course asking anyone who has any information about nicola or her whereabouts to contact them as soon as possible. experts say it's one of most important ancient sites in britain — and yet it's almost completely unknown to the general public. the thornborough henges in yorkshire — a huge monument described as the stonehenge of the north — will be opened to visitors from today. john maguire reports.

they were built more than 4,500 years ago and in recent times they have been locked away on land owned by a construction firm, but now, the thornborough henges can be visited by the public, from today. they have been gifted to english heritage. it describes them as the stonehenge of the north, probably the most important prehistoric site between wiltshire and the 0rkney islands. the three huge mounds are 200 metres across and, in places, up to four metres tall. it is believed they were once topped with gypsum, making them almost illuminous against the landscape and visible from miles away. one theory is that they are aligned to mirror the constellation of orion with the henges representing the belt in the night sky. like stonehenge they represent a physical link to our neolithic history, one with so many unanswered questions, but one that exemplifies

how important this site was that created it, thousands of years ago. john maguire, bbc news, ripon. meet bobi, a record—setting dog from portugal who is now well into his fourth decade. bobi hasjust been named by the guinness book of records as the world's oldest dog — at 30 years and 226 days. he beats a record set by bluey, of australia, who died in 1939, aged 29. absolutely incredible! a stargazer has captured the moment a newly—discovered green comet began its approach to earth. george chan photographed the object over several hours from his back garden in nottinghamshire yesterday, and stitched the images together to form this timelapse video. astronomers say the comet's journey towards earth took around 50,000 years.

not long at all then! now it's time for a look at the weather. here's matt. thank you and good morning. starting with a teaser of what is to come this weekend. lots of blue sky and sunshine to come by sunday pub temperature is dropping back to where we should be at this stage. well above average at the moment, temperatures already around 7—13 . the milder air gets squeezed away, blue colours indicating cooler air about on the flip side, lots more sunshine because out there at the moment it is grey in most areas. patchy rain and drizzle coming from the cloud, tracking eastwards, hit and miss, some places staying dry. more sunshine possible to the west

compared with this morning, the thicker cloud bringing heavy rain towards 0rkney but across shetland, the wind is easing with winds over night at 70—80 miles an hour. the winds from the mid—atlantic shows what happens to the temperatures with highs of 15 degrees, and if you get sunshine it will feel like spring. tonight, clear skies initially, cloud developing into tomorrow morning, drizzle on the western coast and hills, 5—8 , possibly nine in the morning, not as mild as this morning but mild for february but it's fairly cloudy. some sunshine will come and go, burst across the east and to the south—east later on, the west of scotland and northern ireland sees rain developing and the outbreaks of rain developing and the outbreaks of rain developing and the outbreaks of rain developing into the eastern coast of scotland and the borders of england by the end of the afternoon. temperatures are mild but down on what we see today and the area of

cloud pushes southwards, this weather front diminishes with very little rain but it sweeps away the cloudy skies and introduces clearer skies. sunday, lots of sunshine from dawn to dusk, chilly start with frost around, there could be early cloud across the channel islands and cloudy across scotland but for most of us, sunny sunday on the way, feeling cooler compared to today, 6-9 , feeling cooler compared to today, 6—9 , a little bit above what it should be at this time of year but feeling quite pleasant. the area of high pressure in charge into next week, slipping further south, around the centre for england and wales we see mist and fog, the greatest chance of frost, scotland and northern ireland, things turning cloudy, still up to debate how cool it will be next week.

this is bbc news — these are the latest headlines in the uk and around the world. china urges calm after the united states said it's tracking a suspected chinese surveillance balloon seen over sensitive sites in recent days. it would be ridiculous if the government didn't retrieve it. i mean, obviously i think that's the first course of action, is to get it out of the sky. the partner of a woman who vanished while out walking her dog in north west england a week ago says he's living in a 'nightmare' and wants her home. we are never going to lose the hope, of course not. but right now, it is as though she has vanished into thin air. as european union leaders prepare for a summit on ukraine —