tonight at ten: gary lineker says he will keep speaking up for those with no voice, after criticism of his comments about the government's asylum plans. the match of the day host claimed the language used to describe the illegal migration bill was "not dissimilar to that used by germany in the 30s". a former bbc editor says it's a difficult situation. clearly, this is damaging for the bbc. it undermines trust in the organisation and undermines its reputation for impartiality, but gary lineker can argue that, as a freelancer, he is entitled to say what he wants when he not broadcasting for the bbc. also on the programme: the new weight loss drug soon to be available on the nhs in england.

a rise in the number of dog attacks in england and wales. this postal worker lost a finger after being bitten. and coming up in the sport on the bbc news channel. we'll have all the goals from tonights champions league ties including at tottenham hotspur stadium as spurs take on ac milan with a quarter final place at stake good evening and welcome to the bbc news at six. the bbc presenter gary lineker has said he will continue to try and speak up for those who have no voice after being criticised by downing street and some conservative mps for making negative comments about the government's new illegal migration bill. yesterday he said the government's

language regarding its asylum plans was not disimilar to that used by germany in the 1930s. the bbc has impartiality guidelines that requires bbc staff and presenters to keep personal views private. this includes making public comments, including on social media, that could compromise perceptions of bbc impartiality. today the corporation said it is having a "frank conversation" with him about the tweet. here's our culture editor katie razzall. has gary lineker, one of the bbc�*s most high—profile presenters, broken bbc impartiality rules? terming the government's new immigration plans "beyond awful" on twitter, the match of the day presenter then responded to a critic, calling the policy "immeasurably cruel," adding that the language used "is not dissimilar to that used by germany in the 1930s" — that, of course, was when the nazis were rising to power. the home secretary hit back. i'm disappointed, obviously. i think it's unhelpful to compare our measures,

which are lawful, proportionate and compassionate, to 1930s germany. the director—general, tim davie, is having what is termed a frank conversation with the match of the day presenter. i wouldn't reveal anything. i think it's totally appropriate we speak privately to members of the team. but the tweets are problematic for the director—general, who has put impartiality at the heart of his leadership as a way to try to ensure that everyone feels the bbc represents its views. impartiality is the expectation that bbc staff and on—air talent must leave their personal views at the front door. it applies particularly to people who work in news. because gary lineker works in sport, the risks of comprising impartiality are deemed lower. some, though, say the guidelines are not clear enough. clearly this kind of row that's erupted, not for the first time, damages the bbc and its reputation for impartiality and trust in the bbc, yet gary lineker would argue he is perfectly entitled to say what he wants

in his private life so, until this gets sorted out, the relationship between the bbc and freelancers, and the relationship with impartiality guidelines, it's going to go on being damaging to the bbc. gary lineker has previously explained his approach, here on the bbc�*s media show in 2021. when i write a tweet, i will read it through and if i have a 1% doubt about it, i won't send it. last year, though, the presenter was found to have broken bbc rules over a tweet about the then foreign secretary, urging premier league teams to boycott the champions league final in russia. he asked if "her party will hand back their donations from russian donors." the bbc complaints unit ruled he had "additional responsibility" as a high—profile bbc presenter and should "avoid taking sides on party political issue." with the bbc under scrutiny, high—profile names offered gary lineker their support, including labour's former director of communications, now a presenter of a podcast made

by lineker�*s production company. he is a football presenter, 0k? the idea that because he works for the bbc he shouldn't be allowed to tweet occasionally what he thinks is a nonsense. with some conservative mps demanding the bbc sack him, gary lineker took to twitter again today to say he was getting a lot of praise for his stand, adding that he will continue to try and speak up for those poor souls that have no voice. katie razzall, bbc news. meanwhile in westminster the prime minister has defended his plan to reform the uk's asylum system, saying it shows his government is "on the side of the british people". the proposed legislation would ban people who arrive in the country in small boats from claiming asylum or seeking british citizenship. the labour leader sir keir starmer accused the government of delivering "utter failure" and called the latest plan a gimmick. here's our political editor chris mason. no sign of any migrant crossings at dover this morning, in the horrible weather,

as the home secretary explained why she claims a new approach on the issue is crucial at westminster. and why she thinks it will be lawful, but can't be certain. we are testing novel interpretation of the law but we do not consider that we have crossed the boundary and we do not consider we are in unlawful territory. labour don't want to appear soft, as some might see it, but they reckon the approach continues to be hopeless. after 13 years, small boat crossings higher than ever, claims unprocessed, the taxpayer paying for hotel rooms, criminal gangs running all the way laughing to the bank and an asylum system utterly broken on his watch. the prime minister said labour had opposed many of his plans, including sending asylum seekers to rwanda. it is the people's priority. we wanted to, in his words, scrap the rwanda deal. -

he voted against measures to deport foreign criminals, mr speaker, - and he even argued against deportation flights. - he is just another lefty lawyer standing in our way. - talking of criticising lawyers and others, look at this, an e—mail that didn't come from the home office, but the conservative party, suggesting previous policies on small boats were blocked by an activist blob of left—wing lawyers, civil servants and the labour party. it's all in the name of the home secretary, even though she claiming she knew nothing about it. civil servants are furious. if she or the conservative party make a mistake, admit it and apologise people you have insulted those people are working on some of the most difficult things and they deserve better than this. the conservative party says it is looking into it.

in the commons, the snp accused government of exaggerating. yesterday this was a tory government who said 100 million people could be coming to these shores, and this is a tory government that this morning said that number could in fact be billions. complete and utter nonsense. may i ask the prime minister, from whom his government taking inspiration, nigel farage or enoch powell? the figure of 100 million doesn't come from the government but from the un, mr speaker. it illustrates the scale of the global migration crisis. and this is the government's the latest response to what it called a former raf base in essex that will be used to house migrants. there is another one in lincolnshire too they will open and initially they will house migrants, rather than detain them. the argument we will hearfrom the than detain them. the argument we will hear from the government is that they believe they are grounded in fairness, that it is unfair that people are trying to skip the queue

to get into the uk by crossing the channel in small boats. but the challenges for ministers are huge, turning these ideas into law and then the legal challenges that will follow after that. the legal challenges could finish these plans off entirely and even if they don't, think about the time line. it could take at least this calendar year we are in now before these plans could possibly properly see the light of day. of course next year, in all anticipation, is going to be the general election year. so the big question is, how much noticeable difference can these plans deliver before polling day? that is far from clear. so will the government's new plans deter migrants from trying to cross the channel? 0ur correspondent lucy williamson reports from calais. in the sudanese migrant camp in calais, they understand determination. you don't end up here without it.

the prime minister's own resolve to stop the boats shrugged off around the camp fire. "we'll never stop, we'll never give up," they said. salah has been trying to reach the uk since last summer. we showed him the home secretary's speech to parliament yesterday and explained what the new policy means. yes, i go uk, that's my ambition, my dream. he told us he would rather be in prison in the uk than stay free here in france. they can took me in prison, no problem, i can stay in england. even in prison? yes, no problem. i will come england. but he said he would take extreme action, perhaps even take his own life, if he was faced with deportation. i will not return in rwanda. if that happens, i can kill myself. but i'm not returning rwanda.

police now routinely clear tents from sites like this and patrols stopped 40% of small boat crossings last year. the vast migrant camps you used to see here in northern france have now largely gone. they have been replaced with these smaller scattered groups. uk immigration policy may have got tougher in recent years, but conditions here in the camps have also got much harder — an added incentive to leave. aid workers say that suicides in the camps here have risen. for the refugees it is the french police who is very bad and it is the calais who is a very bad place to be. but if we tell them, it is the uk government who gives the money to make those fences and to pay those police, mostly they don't believe it, they say, "no, no, uk will never do that". many cling harder to the lure of life across the channel. the uk wants to make the price

not worth the passage, but caution is a luxury many here say they can't afford. lucy williamson, bbc news, calais. thousands of people are expected to be offered a weight loss jab on the nhs in england after what's been described as a �*game changer�* in the treatment of obesity. semaglutide is a weekly injection which suppresses appetite. wales is likely to follow and scotland is considering its approval. 0ur medical editor fergus walsh reports. this new drug for weight loss is definitely not a miracle cure, but it has produced some dramatic results while patients are on it. the compound is called semaglutide. it's available under two names, wegovy — which has just been approved for weight loss by the nhs in england for patients with a body mass index of at least 30 — and ozempic, a diabetes drug which is also

available privately for weight loss. alex guevara has been taking semaglutide for three years and has lost three stone. he says it's been a great help. it's given me that biological support to lose weight. there are downsides, there are negative side—effects for a good number of people who use it, including myself, mainly gastrointestinal, you know, nausea, vomiting, constipation, fatigue. so, like any drug, it has to be a risk versus benefit. so how does semaglutide work? the weekly injection suppresses the appetite by mimicking a hormone which is released after eating, making people feel full. in a trial lasting 15 months, obese patients on wegovy lost an average of 15% of their body weight — around 16 kilos or two and a half stone — compared to 2.5% for those who received a dummy injection.

both groups were given diet and exercise advice. but once patients come off the drug, most put the weight back on, and the nhs is funding treatment for a maximum of two years. we know that some people will put the weight on after they stop treatment, but there is still a benefit to that person for having lost the weight for the time they are on semaglutide — it can take longer to put the weight back on and also there are other benefits. the drug has already been popularised by celebrities in the us. but doctors are warning it shouldn't be seen as a quick fix solution, and that it could fuel eating disorders. several more weight loss drugs are on the horizon and it seems these will increasingly be relied on to treat obesity.

a court has been hearing how the parents of an identical baby triplet begged for their son to be transferred to a different hospital, after his two brothers both died within 2a hours at the countess of chester hospital. a neonatal nurse lucy letby denies murdering both baby boys injune 2016. she's accused of injecting them with air. 0ur north of england correspondent judith moritz reports from manchester crown court. lucy letby�*s job as a specialist neonatal nurse brought her into contact with the most vulnerable of babies. infants like a set of identical triplets who were born at the countess of chester hospital in june 2016. when they were two days old, one of the boys suddenly became ill. at manchester crown court today the jury heard evidence from their parents, who described the baby as looking very swollen. the triplets' father cried as he said his son's tummy was like the film character et, and his veins were prominent and physically bright blue.

—— physically bright blue. it was said to be like pandemonium as staff tried unsuccessfully to resuscitate the baby. then, 2a hours later, the next triplet fell drastically ill too. their mother said it was like deja vu. the babies died within a day of each other. to another hospital. their father said... the parents said lucy letby was in floods of tears after the two deaths and almost as upset as they were. she is accused of injecting them with air. the nurse denies killing the brothers, murdering anotherfive babies and attempting to murder a further ten. her trial continues. judith moritz, bbc news, manchester.

detectives investigating the murder of elle edwards in wallasey on christmas eve have arrested three people. police say she was not the target of the attack and was shot outside a pub. thomas wearing from the wirral has been charged with the possession of an offensive weapon and assisting an offender. a man and woman were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder and both have been released on bail. there are 82,000 children in care in england, which is a record number. removing them from their families is the decision of a family court. yet until now we've had little opportunity to report or scrutinise their activity — hearings are almost all held in private. except over the last few weeks in leeds, carlisle and cardiff where an experiment in open justice is taking place. journalists can report from hearings, as long as they keep families anonymous. 0ur reporters have heard cases involving appalling child abuse and neglect, where children were taken away, but also hearings where children were reunited with their parents. sanchia berg spoke to one mother, who we are calling jessie.

jessie is a mother of five, but freddie is the only baby she's been able to keep. it's really hard, like, to think what's going to happen in the future. because i'm still so used to what happened in the past. it's all completely new. it's like having my very first child. it was the family court here in leeds that decided jessie's children should be placed in care. social workers feared she couldn't keep them safe because of her own risky relationships, poor mental health and what court documents called chaotic behaviours. the courts try to keep children with their families. there has to be strong evidence to remove them for good. over the last few weeks we've followed jessie's case, and around a dozen others. hearings here at the family court are normally private, but thanks to an experiment in open justice, we have been able to report. it's happening here in leeds and cardiff and carlisle and, for the first time, we can talk

to families involved in these cases. in court, expert witnesses said jessie needed therapy before she could look after her baby safely. it wasn't available. the fourth time i got told that i needed therapy i tried going through the nhs, and they said that's not something they'd get involved with. i was happy to try and get a bank loan. i was going to try to go to someone dodgy to get some money, just so i could go private. because i pleaded with the local authority if they could fund me for it, and they said no. how did you manage to make this change without doing therapy? when i met my partner, i will say, i did all the checks on him, and when it came back squeaky—clean, i thought, "you know something, "this is my shot at being happy." supported by her partner, jessie stayed off drink and drugs, studied for a new career. baby freddie is now back home, thanks to a new positive assessment and a familyjudge. thejudge congratulated

you on your achievements. she said the baby, freddie, is thriving in his parents' care. and i looked at you then and i could see you nodding, smiling. what were you thinking? it was like having someone turning around to the local authority and saying to them on my behalf, "i told you so." researchers sayjessie is unusual, getting her baby back after losing four others from her care. once one child's been removed, councils are likely to go to court if the mother gets pregnant again. there's been a sharp rise in the number of newborn babies in care proceedings of this kind. in fact, the rate has doubled in the last ten years. and in a good proportion of cases, even as many as half, the parents involved have already had children taken into care. so it's remarkably common. social workers will still monitor the family thanks to a supervision orderfor the next six months. this was jessie's first chance

to talk about family courts, to tell her own story and help open up a part of our system that's been operating largely behind closed doors. sanchia berg, bbc news. now a look at some other stories making the news today. borisjohnson has given evidence to an inquiry investigating bullying claims against dominic raab, the bbc has been told. there are eight formal complaints against the deputy prime minister, involving at least 2a complainants. hundreds of riot police have moved in on demonstrators outside parliament in the georgian capital tbilisi. tens of thousands of people carrying georgian and eu flags are protesting against a bill which would label some organisations as foreign agents. they say it is based on russian measures aimed at stifling opposition. the daughter of the duke and duchess

of sussex has been christened at the couple's home in california. the ceremony for princess lilibet diana was held last friday. it's the first time she has been publicly referred to as a princess since charles became king. businesses are facing the prospect of higher costs and higher taxes from april as government support with energy bills is scheduled to be cut and corporation tax is set to rise sharply. with a week to go to the budget, our business editor simonjack has been to slough to ask what the chancellor can do to get businesses investing and the economy growing again. a50 acres, 350 businesses, thousands of employees. the slough trading estate is one of the largest in europe and hosts a huge cross—section of the businesses that government wants and needs to see grow and invest. but many, like this gym, are working hard just to stand still. it has been really tough for us over the last couple of years. we have had five gyms close in the local area because of rising bills and because people feeling the pinch their pocket. what are some of the things the chancellor can do to help your business? we need continued help

with the energy rates, number one. number two, corporation tax stays still, and we need a reduction in business rates. round the corner is one of the uk's biggest food wholesalers. hospitality is its biggest customer so it has been right at the sharp end of rising cost pressures. there is food, fuel, energy and wages. bidfood operates in a0 countries and wants a clear and stable sense of direction here in the uk to help investment. the main thing you want is stability and understanding of how and where and when you can invest for the future, so we would like to see a coherent strategy rather than what we see at the moment, which is sort of individual policies that seem to pass cost and complexity onto business. at the end of march, businesses will be hit with higher taxes and lower support. barriers to confidence, investment and growth. one of the prime minister's five main targets was to get the economy growing by the end of this year

but that is a tall order when your customers have less money in their pockets, you've got energy support for businesses being radically scaled back, tax breaks on investment being phased out. if you do make a profit, they are going to be taxed at 25% rather than 19%. all things likely to dent rather than boost confidence and that is what business would like the chancellor's help with in the budget. lunchtime on the slough estate. customers will see help with energy bills continue after after march. that bakery itself will see that help cut back, putting paid to mark priestley�*s plans to grow from four to ten outlets. now we are reluctant to commit ourselves. we were hoping to employ at least another 50 people this year on top of what we are doing but at this time, we are thinking we have got to stay still because we just don't know what costs are coming. have you got many empty units? very, very few. we are running at historically low vacancy rates. despite the many pressures, not many keys are being handed back to the estate landlord who expects this new space to have a new tenant soon. when you have over 350 businesses

on a trading estate like slough and also covering multiple sectors, we do see customers who do struggle but at the same time, the numbers have been very limited, both during the pandemic and in the post—pandemic period, because what we are seeing is a significant degree of resilience from our customer base. the government said business taxes will still be internationally competitive and smaller firms would pay lower rates, but farfrom slough, the us and the eu is offering billions in subsidies to companies investing there. the hunt for investment and growth is international. simonjack, bbc news, slough. a bbc investigation has found the number of dog attacks recorded by police in england and wales has risen sharply in the last five years from more than 16,000 cases to nearly 22,000. there were more than ten million dogs in the uk last year — numbers rose during lockdown. nearly 3,500 dogs were seized by police from their owners last year. danny savage reports. whoa, whoa!

the aftermath of a dog attack in london. police try and contain the animal with a fire extinguisher. but look at the strength in its pull. a 13—year—old child is being treated on the ground nearby. this is a growing problem in the uk. it was a cross between a rottweiler and a shar—pei. it was behind the letterbox waiting for me. it heard me coming down the path and it was ready, as soon as i lifted the lid of the letterbox, snout was there. didn't see the snout, i wasn't expecting it. but it was there, and it were a clean bite. sarah king started 2022 with ten fingers. she finished it with nine. still hurts, very numb, very sensitive. there are things i can't do. holding your phone, your mobile, you actually use your full hand span. little things, definitely, it has affected me.

we are a nation of dog lovers, but there are too many irresponsible owners. last year there were more than 20,000 dog attacks on people and assistance dogs, and the number of dangerous dogs being seized is soaring. people are looking towards what aesthetically is the sort of dog they want to own, and i don't feel people are particularly always looking at the breed characteristics and really researching the breed. it was millimetres from my eye. it has gone through my nose and then, like, it has - kind of moved my eye across because it was| quite a big gash. lily was 17 when a three—second—long attack left her with horrendous injuries, inflicted by a dog at a friend's house which had a dangerous past she wasn't aware of. it was an ex fighting dog that had been brought over from abroad, i and that had also previously- attacked someone else as well. i would never say a dog needs to be

put down if it has bit someone, - but this dog hasn't been provoked. dangerous dogs are a growing problem and all too often animals are left to bite again, with little meaningful action taken against owners. danny savage, bbc news. football now and in tonight's champions league tottenham have been knocked out of the champions league, only managing 0—0 girl against champions league, only managing 0—0 girlagainst ac milan. 0k, harry. you know the situation. bring the glory to tottenham. career defining? season—defining? well, it would, certainly, the second leg ac milan, who began at 1—0 up and got close here. tottenham's manager is recovering from major surgery. there's antonio conte. taking it easy. while spurs got to half time creating half chances, just a glimpse of harry kane was not enough for their eyes. 64 minutes gone and here was a sign

of life from the home side. the stadium needed hope. players needed fans. tottenham had to score. even kane seem to get himself into a muddle with a header at ground level. look out here for cristian romero, who'd already been booked. right. injured, and sent off. good night. at least the weather got it right. match the mood. one last chance, it was their best chance. but 180 minutes against milan, no goals scored. so, spurs out of europe is the only result. joe wilson, bbc news. time for a look at the weather. most snow on the way? an amber warning in force for thursday and friday across northern areas so there is likely to be significant disruption. the snow at the moment is covering much of england and wales, south of the m4 courage or milder air moving into any

precipitation will be rain. you can see the sleet and snow further north but it will peter out, the first area of low pressure clearing into the near continent and we expect a new one to arrive, bringing troubled some areas through thursday and friday. clearer skies and if you snow showers northern scotland, it could be minus double digits across the snowfields of scotland plus cloud for the south coast. the low pressure will bring rain and as it bumps into the cold air we see significant snowfall. rain across southern england, south wales, some heavy, thundery bursts, turning regularly to snow across the northern half of wales, north wales very cold indeed. the north midlands and northern england also, very heavy over the pennines but it will be rainy closer to sea level. moving through the day the snow pushes northwards. notice how mild it is across the south, ten to 13 degrees.

much colder further north. through thursday