live from london, this is bbc news. biden approves the provision of anti—personnel landmines to ukraine, in yet another reversal of his own policy. the pro—democracy media tycoonjimmy lai testifies for the first time in his national security trial in hong kong. and donald trumpjoins elon musk for spacex's latest test flight in texas, the launch of the starship megarocket. hello. welcome to the programme. the bbc has confirmed reports that the biden administration will soon provide ukraine with anti—personnel landmines, to support efforts against russian advances within

ukrainian territory. a us official has said ukraine has committed to not deploying the mines in densely populated areas. it comes a day after ukraine said it struck an ammunition warehouse about 100 kilometres inside russia, in what the us says is the first time the american—provided atacm missiles have been fired at russian soil. let's cross live to washington and our correspondent david willis. david, what more can you tell us about this development? well, we know that the use of landmines is controversial. more than 160 countries signed an international treaty back in 1997 that banned the use of the sort of weapons. and although the united states and indeed russia were not signatories to

that aggression, president biden recently revived a banned dating back to the 0bama administration. but russia has been making inroads in the east in ukraine and the outgoing biden administration is keen to arm ukraine sufficiently so that it can overcome that advance, amid concerns that an incoming trump administration might look to press for a ceasefire in ukraine, which could perhaps lead to ukraine having to forfeit some of the territory that it has gained. so us defence officials have confirmed to the bbc that there will be this provision for landmines to ukraine, something that president zelensky has been calling for for some time. russia is known to have been using landmines liberally in this war since the start. there are, however, conditions, the

defence officials are telling us. and the landmines will not be permitted for use in highly populated areas. and they will be short—lived in the sense that they can only be active for a certain amount of time. thus potentially limiting the risk of civilian casualties. but of course, you don't need me to tell you the use of landmines in any circumstances is as i say highly controversial, sally. is as i say highly controversial, sall . �* , controversial, sally. and this comes the — controversial, sally. and this comes the day _ controversial, sally. and this comes the day after - controversial, sally. and this | comes the day after american provided missiles have been fired across into russia. another controversial step, of course. russia will see this as a further escalation, no doubt. absolutely. and the agreement or the authorisation for those long—range american made missiles coming at the weekend, or word of it coming at the weekend, also controversial. and on tuesday came news that

the first of those weapons have been used again. president zelensky had been calling on the us to authorise their use for several months. and joe biden, as part of the outgoing administration's pledged to do as much as they can to leave ukraine in a good position militarily, agrees to authorise their use. but you are already seeing the threat of retaliation from russia, which is regarding all this as an escalation on the part of the united states and of nato. david willis, thank you very much for bringing us the latest. 0ur correspondent in washington. let's speak to michael bocuirkiw, global affairs analyst and senior fellow at the atlantic council. michael, thank you for talking to us and bbc news. so give us your reaction to this latest development that the president have approved the use of

antipersonnel landmines to ukraine. ., ., ,, ukraine. your thoughts? sure. i coloured -- _ ukraine. your thoughts? sure. i coloured -- i— ukraine. your thoughts? sure. i coloured -- i think _ ukraine. your thoughts? sure. i coloured -- i think a _ ukraine. your thoughts? sure. i coloured -- i think a couple - ukraine. your thoughts? sure. i coloured -- i think a couple of l coloured —— i think a couple of things. one is it is recognition on the part of the biden administration that ukraine does need a lot of help right now. i would say it is a little too late, but it is also recognition of what is happening on the front line. according to the institute of the study of war, russia has gained six times more territory this year so far then it has last year, that is quite a bit. and by the way, as we are talking right now, literally seconds ago, i heard anti aircraft fire. we are under air attack fire now in kyiv, so there is no letup in the violence in the past few days. the other thing of course, the obvious one is president biden is trying to future proof or trump proof aid to ukraine in the weeks left. i don't know how big of a difference it will make. and finally, they are

controversial, yes, the landmines. but having said that, both sides have been using cluster munitions for the past ten years. i know that from my time monitoring munitions here in ukraine, we did see cluster munitions used on the ukrainian side, also very controversial.- on the ukrainian side, also very controversial. and your reaction _ very controversial. and your reaction as _ very controversial. and your reaction as well _ very controversial. and your reaction as well to - very controversial. and your reaction as well to the - very controversial. and youri reaction as well to the other major development, being us provided missiles being fired into russia, russia claiming that they intercepted five out of six of the missiles, ukraine saying that is not the case. your thoughts on that development as well? yes, i don't think— development as well? yes, i don't think russian - development as well? yes, i don't think russian claims i development as well? yes, i l don't think russian claims are credible on this one. that would take a lot of skill and firepower to bring down so many atacms. but for sure, firepower to bring down so many atacms. but forsure, i firepower to bring down so many atacms. but for sure, i think atacms. but forsure, ithink they atacms. but for sure, i think they have more of a political and diplomatic heft than they do militarily. we have to remember as well that it looks like the americans have limited the geographic area that ukrainians can use these atacms and indeed, they were fired

close to the kursk region. so how big of a difference this late in the game they will make is not certain. but i can tell you that there is probably a lot of anticipation on the ukrainian side to use these atacms to strike for example the southern military district of russian headquarters which is in range, as well as the putin pet project, the kerch bridge, which is an important military conduit for russia to bring supplies from the mainland to crimea. so given the timing — mainland to crimea. so given the timing of _ mainland to crimea. so given the timing of all _ mainland to crimea. so given the timing of all of _ mainland to crimea. so given the timing of all of this - mainland to crimea. so given the timing of all of this as - mainland to crimea. so given the timing of all of this as we are waiting for the new trump presidency to begin injanuary, what do you think might happen between now and then, russia and ukraine of course keenly aware of the timing?- and ukraine of course keenly aware of the timing? yes, well, havin: aware of the timing? yes, well, having been _ aware of the timing? yes, well, having been based _ aware of the timing? yes, well, having been based in _ aware of the timing? yes, well, having been based in ukraine i having been based in ukraine for most of the war, i can tell you that i have never felt as anxious or worried as i do right now. and i think i voiced

the feelings of a lot of ukrainians right now. in 0desa where i am usually based, in the past week, we have had two very, very heavy hits, apocalyptic scenes, really. so it looks like from the russian side, no holds barred. they are going to fight with whatever they can. and let's not forget that they do have a lot of help from what i call the axis of autocrats, the leaders in tehran, pyongyang and to a certain extent china. so whatever assistance, heightened assistance comes in at this late stage in the game, i don't know it will make that big of a difference. i think we are all help —— hoping some type of diplomatic means will bring an end to this. but i think it will require massive intervention from third parties, maybe it is turkey, saudi arabia or qatar or maybe even china to bring the parties together. because there is very little meeting points between the two sides at the moment.

michael bociurkiw, thank you for talking to us and bbc news once again from the atlantic council. ., ., once again from the atlantic council. ., ,, , ., prosecutors in new york say they're open to delaying sentencing in donald trump's hush—money case until after he completes his upcoming presidential term. prosecutors did, however, object to his criminal conviction being dismissed. mr trump was found guilty in may of falsifying business records to cover up payments to the porn actress stormy daniels. the president—elect was due to be sentenced next week. 0ur north america correspondent nada tawfik has more from new york. prosecutors have now outlined what they think are the appropriate next steps now that donald trump, a convicted felon, will be the next occupant of the white house. now, they've made clear to the judge that they oppose dismissing this case and donald trump's conviction. they argue that there's no established law that suggests a president's temporary immunity means this case should be dismissed, as the defence claims. the defence has argued

that this would impede donald trump's ability to govern. now, prosecutors have acknowledged that there are competing constitutional interests here. there is a necessity to preserve the integrity of the criminaljustice system and the independence of the presidency. so they have floated one potential remedy, which is to freeze the sentencing and this case until the end of donald trump's upcoming presidency. now, ultimately, it is up to the judge to decide how to move forward, now that he has heard from prosecutors. the defence are going to eagerly push still to have this case dismissed, so they can clear president—elect donald trump's record before he takes office. but the defence has said that this is a victory for them, kind of prematurely declaring this as a win. as i say, it is now in the hands of the judge to decide if donald trump's

sentencing will again be pushed and how this case will proceed. donald trump has added three new names to his cabinet choices, nominating the tv doctor and renowned heart surgeon dr mehmet oz to lead the centers for medicaire & medicaid services. the former small business administration head and long—time trump donor linda mcmahon has been nominated for education secretary. andd he's picked howard lutnick, the chief executive of the wall street firm cantor fitzgerald, to be the us commerce secretary. we'll be bringing you much more on that nomination and what it could mean for the us department of commerce and global trade in business today. that's coming up in around 15 minutes' time.

around the world and across the uk, this is bbc news.

the trial of the pro—democracy media tycoonjimmy lai has resumed in hong kong, with mr lai testifying in court for the first time in his years—long battle on charges of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and publishing seditious materials. the 76—year—old — whose apple daily tabloid had been openly critical of beijing — was frogmarched out of his newsroom in a police raid in august 2020, two months after the national security law took effect. the resumption of mr lai's trial comes a day after 45 pro—democracy activists were jailed in hong kong under the national security law. let's speak to our correspondent martin yip, who is following the trial in hong kong. tell us more aboutjimmy lai

and what he has said so far in court. , ,., and what he has said so far in court. , , , ., and what he has said so far in court. , , ., court. yes, so jimmy lai has been telling _ court. yes, so jimmy lai has been telling the _ court. yes, so jimmy lai has been telling the court - court. yes, so jimmy lai has been telling the court this i been telling the court this morning that he had never asked anyone to do any things. but he also confirmed with the meeting with the then vice president of the usa mike pence in the 2019 hong kong anti—government protests, you might remember those months of protests in the street, he asked mike pence to voice out support for hong kong. but then he also denied allegations that he and his publications, especially macro too, have been supporting hong kong independence. he denied that, and he said they are against the idea and called the idea of hong kong independence a conspiracy —— especially

macro too. jimmy lai has been publishing apple daily for way over a decade. some 20 years, it started from before the handover and ran all the way into 1997. pro—democracy voices. and this time, prosecutors are accusing him of trying to get foreign support to lay sanctions against chinese and hong kong officials, and that amounts to this charge of collusion with foreign forces.— this charge of collusion with foreign forces. martin, i know we have a _ foreign forces. martin, i know we have a colleague - foreign forces. martin, i know we have a colleague inside i foreign forces. martin, i know| we have a colleague inside the courtroom who is updating you on the situation. there has been a lot of concern about jimmy lai's health, how does appear today?— jimmy lai's health, how does appear today? yes, jimmy lai was arriving — appear today? yes, jimmy lai was arriving with _ appear today? yes, jimmy lai was arriving with a _ appear today? yes, jimmy lai was arriving with a white - was arriving with a white shirt, a greenjumper and a brown shirt and he looks quite all right and quite in the

spirit, as our colleagues have seen. he has been waving, smiling to people in the public gallery, including members of the press. he used to be a force in a media company himself anyway. and then as he took the stand, he took his oath in english, holding a bible in his hand because he is a roman catholic. he did the testimony in english, looking in good 1525 00:16:30,450 --> 00: