the coalition led by sri lanka's new president is on course for a landslide victory in snap parliamentary elections. hello, i'm sarah campbell. president—elect donald trump has continued to shock the political establishment in washington by naming loyalists from the fringes of american politics to topjobs. among the latest nominations, and perhaps the most controversial yet, is robert f kennedyjunior, a vaccine sceptic, for health secretary. trump said rfkjr has a "great mind". mr trump made the announcement on his truth social platform saying mr kennedy will restore agencies to the traditions of gold standard scientific research, and beacons of transparency to end the chronic disease epidemic and to make america great and healthy again! but there has already been a backlash. the executive director

of the american public health association says he and his organisation will "absolutely oppose" donald trump's appointment of robert f kenneder as health secretary. let's remind ourselves of some of the other key announcements made in the last few days. marco rubio as secretary of state. the former democrat, tulsi gabbard, for director of national intelligence. and the controversial appointment of matt gaetz as attorney general. several of the posts will require senate approval. our correspondent, rowan bridge, has the latest. america could soon have a vaccine sceptic who repeated covid—19 conspiracy theories running its health department. robert kenneder comes from democratic party royalty. his uncle was presidentjohn f kennedy and his father was attorney general. mr kennedy made his own name as an environmental lawyer and activist, but that's been overshadowed by his controversial views on vaccines. do i want children to get measles? of course i don't. why do you spread this doubt? because...

i'm asking you to be responsible and ask the question. the questions have been asked. the vaccines are safe. the vaccines are safe from what? cause autoimmune disease. i'm in court right now arguing the case. there's no evidence they do. well, there's plenty of evidence that they do. you're just not looking at it. last year, he launched an independent bid for the presidency before dropping out and throwing his weight behind donald trump. he was one of the speakers at mr trump's new york rally, where he condemned the party his family had dedicated their lives to. today's democratic party is the party of war. it's the party of the cia. you have kamala harris giving a speech at the democratic convention that was written by neocons. it was belligerent, pugnacious and they talked about the domination of the world by the united

states through our weapons of war. it is the party today that wants to divide americans. it is the party that is dismantling women's sports by letting in men to play women's sports. booing. it is the party of wall street, it is the party of bill gates who just gave $50 million to kamala harris. his loyalty to the trump cause has now been rewarded. in a speech at his mar—a—lago resort, the president—elect praised mr kennedy. ijust look at the news reports, people like you, bobby. don't get too popular, bobby. you know it has reached about that level now. we want you to come up with things and ideas and what you've been talking about for a long time, and i think you're going to do some unbelievable things. nobody�*s going to be able to do it like you. and, boy, does he feel it in his heart! so congratulations also to your family.

during his campaign, donald trump said he would let robert kennedy go wild when it comes to the nation's health. mr trump vowed to shake up the establishment — this latest pick shows he plans to do just that. rowan bridge, bbc news, washington. i spoke to lord kim darroch, former uk ambassador to the us about the trump picks. he said that naming vaccine sceptic rfkjrfor health secretary was the "wildest" announcement so far. this guy is an anti—vax who has said he believes that vaccines cause autism and he is a conspiracy theorist. and putting him in charge of the health department, i mean, i always thought he would get a job, trump always promised it, but i thought it would be something outside the government machinery. but now he is in charge of the health department machinery so it is going to be a bumpy ride. he

has et going to be a bumpy ride. he has yet to be nominated by the senate. it has yet to be nominated by the senate. . , has yet to be nominated by the senate. ., , ., , has yet to be nominated by the senate. .,, ., , ., , , ., senate. it has to be approved b the senate. it has to be approved by the senate _ senate. it has to be approved by the senate although - senate. it has to be approved by the senate although there | by the senate although there are ways around that, by putting the senate into recess. but the senate will challenge a number of disappointments, some of them have already been criticised, and trump will feel that with republican majorities in both houses he would say —— sale on the coat—tails of his election victory that the senate should simply approve his nominations because he is the guy who got them their majority, he is now in charge and this is what he wants to do. so it would be quite a clash if the senate really does attempt to block these appointments.- attempt to block these appointments. let's look at some of— appointments. let's look at some of the _ appointments. let's look at some of the implications i some of the implications outside the united states, some of the other people he has nominated. let's start with his pick for us ambassador to israel, mike huckabee, something which has been welcomed by the far right in israel. how would you say this

might change the way the us has approached israel, gaza and the conflict with lebanon? mike huckabee — conflict with lebanon? mike huckabee is _ conflict with lebanon? mike huckabee is an _ conflict with lebanon? mike huckabee is an evangelical. huckabee is an evangelical christian, so in a sense trump is looking towards the community who voted for him in the election, saying one of yours is going to do this importantjob. he is the father of sarah huckabee sanders, who was the press secretary in trump's first time. he is absolutely committed under total support of israel, to the extent he basically thinks there is no such thing as a palestinian and has implied he would support israel annexed saying the whole of the west bank and gaza as its own territory. so he is right out there in the same place as the far right in israeli politics. but we shouldn't overstate the importance of an ambassadorial

job. the secretary of state marco rubio will be in charge of policy on this underneath of course the white house and i would expect donald trump to take a very close interest in issues like this. he was the strongest of supporter in israel and moved the american embassy from tel aviv to jerusalem and i think he will be throwing lines to netanyahu and they will be much use over the next four years. we and they will be much use over the next four years.— the next four years. we have seen antony _ the next four years. we have seen antony blinken - the next four years. we have seen antony blinken the - the next four years. we have i seen antony blinken the current secretary of state travelling to the middle east numerous times over the last year to try and broker a ceasefire there. how do you think marco rubio might approach thejob? how do you think marco rubio might approach the job? it is how do you think marco rubio might approach the job? might approach the “ob? it is a aood might approach the “ob? it is a good question _ might approach the “ob? it is a good question and h might approach the 'ob? it is a good question and i]— might approach the job? it is a good question and i am - might approach the job? it is a good question and i am not. good question and i am not aware that marco rubio has been definitive about what he thinks except is again a very strong supporter of israel and has supported the israeli military operation in gaza. so he is already out there in that sense

giving more or less unconditional support to israel. obviously trump and his administration would like to do something to stop the fighting there, trump has said that on there, trump has said that on the campaign trail. i think marco rubio will undertake some diplomacy there. he will go there. i am diplomacy there. he will go there. iam not diplomacy there. he will go there. i am not sure i can see this administration put as much pressure on the netanyahu government as the biden administration has tried to do, although all that has been ineffective. so, honestly, i can't see much change in what is happening in the middle east as a result of the change of administration in the us. but you can always expect the unexpected with donald trump. which takes us to the other conflict of the moment between russia and ukraine. donald trump has said he wants to stop it as soon as possible. he said within the first 2a hours. he has made some appointments which are interesting, the new defence secretary pete hegg set and also tulsi gabbard,

director of national intelligence. so what does this tell us about what is likely to happen on that front?- happen on that front? trump will see this _ happen on that front? trump will see this as _ happen on that front? trump will see this as a _ happen on that front? trump will see this as a matter - will see this as a matter basically to be settled through him and putin and him and zelensky. so again let's not overstate the importance of people here, but tulsi gabbard has said some strange things about the ukraine war, notably saying publicly that putin was justified in his concerns about ukrainejoining nato. so that is something we will have to watch. as for the new defence secretary, who was formerly a fox news host, he has been very, very critical of us weapons supplies to ukraine, saying that money should be spent on the american people, not on ukraine. so he will be quite a hard line on stopping that. but in the end the decisions on this will be taken by donald trump.—

by donald trump. lord kim darroch speaking _ by donald trump. lord kim darroch speaking to - by donald trump. lord kim darroch speaking to me - by donald trump. lord kim darroch speaking to me a l by donald trump. lord kiml darroch speaking to me a bit earlier. the uk's economy grew by 0.1% betweenjuly and september, according to the latest official figures. growth was lower than expected and the office for national statistics said activity was subdued across most industries during the three months. with me is our business correspondent marc ashdown. hello, mark. i am glad you said that. hello, mark. i am glad you said that take _ hello, mark. i am glad you said that. take us _ hello, mark. i am glad you said that. take us through _ hello, mark. i am glad you said that. take us through the - that. take us through the figures, why they are like that, i'm presuming this is not what the government would have wanted. , ., what the government would have wanted. , . ., ., , wanted. they have had a couple of aood wanted. they have had a couple of good courses _ wanted. they have had a couple of good courses of _ wanted. they have had a couple of good courses of growth - wanted. they have had a couple of good courses of growth and l of good courses of growth and now it has spluttered and all gone a bit flat. the gdp is a temperature test of the economy, how fast it is growing or not. we get monthly and quarterly figures. the monthly onesjump around a bit, so september went into negative growth, but it is the quarterly

ones, four over the year. if you look at that chart which has just popped up. you look at that chart which hasjust popped up. last you look at that chart which has just popped up. last year we had two consecutive negative quarters of growth and that means we officially entered a recession. but we pretty quickly bounced out of it at the start of this year, 0.7% and 0.5%. the start of this year, 0.7% and 0596-— the start of this year, 0.7% and 0.5%. ~ . ,, the start of this year, 0.7% and 0.5%. ~ . , , ., and 0.5%. we have spluttered a bit. so and 0.5%. we have spluttered a hit so why _ and 0.5%. we have spluttered a bit. so why the _ and 0.5%. we have spluttered a bit. so why the dip? _ and 0.5%. we have spluttered a bit. so why the dip? various - bit. so why the dip? various factors, bit. so why the dip? various factors. the _ bit. so why the dip? various factors, the budget - bit. so why the dip? various factors, the budget in - bit. so why the dip? various factors, the budget in a - bit. so why the dip? various i factors, the budget in a word. leading up to the budget there was all that doom and gloom and businesses put investment on hold, hiring, expansion and the consumer spending dried up because of what might be in the budget. it was a bit doom and gloom really. the general pathway overall is still looking like i% growth this year and it is expected to accelerate in 2026. a lot of the budget was uploaded, a lot of spending in front and then it tells off at the end of the decade. ~ ~' ., it tells off at the end of the decade. ~ ~ ., ., . ., decade. we know the chancellor has ut decade. we know the chancellor has put the _ decade. we know the chancellor has put the emphasis _ decade. we know the chancellor

has put the emphasis on - decade. we know the chancellor| has put the emphasis on growth, so this does not fit the headlines.— so this does not fit the headlines. ., ., , w headlines. not really. rachel reeves was— headlines. not really. rachel reeves was talking _ headlines. not really. rachel reeves was talking last - headlines. not really. rachel reeves was talking last night and the governor of the bank of england grabbed the headlines articulating really for the first time, the strongest he has ever done, the impact of brexit and the trade barriers. he said we need to be alert for the chances to build closer ties while respecting the referendum vote. entering stage left is donald trump talking trade tariffs, 20% potentially on us imports. what impact would that have as well? there is a suggestion the uk might have to make a decision, do we get closer to the eu or the us? look across the world labour�*s mission is to have the fastest growth in the g7 leading economies and be big players in the global market. the target is a bit sketchy. by the end of the parliament they are saying, if you look at it today we are second ahead of the us is still ahead of france and germany, but the government wants a

highway with tail winds pushing us and accelerating towards growth. they may struggle a bit more with the cobbled side streets and the brambles in the way. it is still a pathway. they will have to fight their way through. mark ashdown, thank you very much. south africa s government says it won t help a group of illegal miners inside a closed mine in the country s north west province who have been denied access to basic supplies as part of an official strategy against illegal mining. located in stilfontein, the police closed off the entrances used to transport their supplies underground and they are believed to be suffering from a lack of food, water and other necessities. around the world and across the uk, this is bbc news.

welcome back, to the middle east now. welcome back, to the middle east now. air strikes have hit the southern suburbs of beirut in the past few hours, sending plumes of smoke into the sky. it comes after an israeli air strike on an emergency response centre in the city of baalbek on north—eastern lebanon on thursday night, which killed at least 12 rescue workers. the strike hit a building of the civil defense agency which is linked to the lebanese government and not affiliated with the iranian—backed group hezbollah. the israeli military has not commented on the attack. in the more recent strikes in southern beirut, israeli drones fired two missiles at the beirut suburb of ghobeiry before the air force carried out what was described as a "very heavy" strike that levelled a building near municipal offices. it followed a warning of imminent strikes issued by the israeli military on x. i've been speaking to the bbc�*s hugo bachega

who's in beirut. he began by giving me more details about that attack in baalbek. this attack hit a building being used by the civil defence agency, an agency linked to the lebanese government and it is not linked to his brother. the health ministry reacted to the attack, calling it a barbaric attack, calling it a barbaric attack by the israeli military. again, there has not been any reaction from the israeli authorities. one of the victims in the attack was