live from london, this is bbc news. joe biden agrees to give anti—personnel landmines to ukraine, in another reversal of policy. the use of mines is banned in most countries. the us closes its embassy in kyiv because of threats of a potentially significant air attack. it's urging its citizens to shelter if an air alert sounds. higher energy bills push up uk inflation to its highest level since april. official figures show a greater—than—expected increase. the pro—democracy media tycoon, jimmy lai, testifies for the first time in his national security trial in hong kong. nearly 2,000 people in the uk launch legal action, claiming talcum powder caused their cancer. and we head to the canadian arctic to see how the un climate conference decisions will drastically impact polar bears.

hello, i'm lewis vaughanjones. welcome to the programme. the bbc has confirmed reports the biden administration will soon provide ukraine with anti—personnel landmines. the widely—banned explosive devices will be used to help prevent russian advances within ukrainian territory. officials said kyiv had committed to not using them in built—up areas. in other developments, ukraine says it's struck an ammunition warehouse about 100 kilometres inside russia — in what the us says was the first time the american—provided long—range missiles have been fired at russian soil. and the us embassy in ukraine has closed its embassy in kyiv after receiving information of a potential air attack. in a statement, the embassy said it had instructed all its staff to evacuate

to shelters if an air alert sounds. anti—personnel landmines are electrically fused and require battery power to detonate. they're designed to go off when a person comes in close proximity. they will not detonate when the battery runs out. the mines are banned in most countries under the 1997 ottawa treaty, which prohibits their use, stockpiling, production, and transfer. 164 countries are signatories to the treaty. ukraine is one of them — raising questions over the potential use of the weapon. the us — along with china, india, and russia — have not signed the treaty. in 2014, barack 0bama expressed an intention to sign up — banning the production of anti—personnel landmines. donald trump reversed that in 2020. butjoe biden restored the 0bama stance — until this major policy shift. let's speak to our eastern europe correspondent, sarah rainsford,

who is in warsaw. just talk us through what difference this change in us policy could make. it is interesting, _ policy could make. it is interesting, i— policy could make. it is interesting, i think, - interesting, ithink, because it comes after that other change in policy, which was to allow the use of longer range us missiles for ukraine to fire at targets within russia. hot on the heels of that rapid change in policy is this one, which isjoe biden reversing his position that he wouldn't provide antipersonnel landmines to ukraine, suddenly seeing that they will be supplied. we don't know how many, but we do know this is controversial. that is whyjoe biden has avoided taking this step until this point, but both the pentagon and the white house have told the bbc that this will happen, that they are what they describe as nonpersistent landmines, which are the type that will lose charge over a

period of time and therefore not be dangerous for long, prolonged periods of time. the problem with landmines is the large civilian casualties they can cause huge amount of time it takes to clear territory where landmines have been deployed in front line areas of wires and elsewhere. it is a controversial move. the americans are saying they believe this will help ukraine to blunt the russian advance. there is extreme concern at the moment about how quickly russian forces are taking territory inside ukraine, particularly in the east of the country, and the decision to allow ukraine to use these landmines, despite all the controversy, is aimed at trying to slow that advance stop of course, that move comes when there is so much concern about what donald trump will do when he returns to the white house, and whether or not he will be pressuring ukraine to come to

some kind of arrangement with russia on ending this war. figs russia on ending this war. as we have been chatting, we have been getting some lines through from the kremlin via the reuters news agency and afp news agency. ijust reuters news agency and afp news agency. i just want to bring you one of them to get your thoughts on it. the kremlin says that us minds for ukraine, the us providing antipersonnel mines, shows it is doing everything to prolong the war. what you think is the response and will be the response and will be the response in russia to these two changes? i response in russia to these two chan . es? ,., response in russia to these two chances? h, , response in russia to these two chances? , _, , changes? i saw those comments from dmitry _ changes? i saw those comments from dmitry peskov, _ changes? i saw those comments from dmitry peskov, the - changes? i saw those comments| from dmitry peskov, the kremlin spokesperson, vladimir putin's spokesman. he said the show is that the west is hell—bent on pursuing and continuing this conflict. what more would you expect from the kremlin? that of course will be there line. they would dispute, but the facts are that it is russia

that started this war, russia that started this war, russia thatis that started this war, russia that is continuing the war, and ukraine is attempting to defend itself. certainly, russia at this point is trying to up the pressure on ukraine's western allies, particularly over the use of those longer range missiles, because that is something that does worry russia. in response to that, we have seen vladimir putin signing his updated nuclear doctrine, essentially suggesting and hinting and threatening that there could be some kind of very serious response if western allies of ukraine go too far stop we should bear in mind that britain, if you really wanted to use our nuclear weapon, doesn't need a piece of paper to do that. this is all about the messaging. i don't think we are any closer to a nuclear strike than before, but certainly vladimir putin wants the world to believe that and take that into consideration when it is considering how it supports ukraine.— when it is considering how it supports ukraine. thank you for that.

let's speak to dr alexander rodnyansky, who is an adviser to ukraine's president zelensky. thank you for coming on the programme. thank you for coming on the programme-— thank you for coming on the rouramme. ., ~ i. ., ., programme. thank you for having me. how significant _ programme. thank you for having me. how significant is _ programme. thank you for having me. how significant is the - me. how significant is the chan . e me. how significant is the change of _ me. how significant is the change of the _ me. how significant is the change of the us - me. how significant is the change of the us allowing i me. how significant is the - change of the us allowing the use of landmines and ukraine? it is significant, but i have to say, in terms of the military aid, we are getting a lot, but timing and execution and delivery at this point, making sure that everything thatis making sure that everything that is promised is getting delayed, there is no hiccups in the process. there are very few tools which we don't have at this point when it comes to a land war, we have most of the tools... ., i. ., land war, we have most of the tools... ., ., tools... you say you have most ofthe tools... you say you have most of the tools. — tools... you say you have most of the tools, but _ tools... you say you have most of the tools, but is _ tools... you say you have most of the tools, but is there - tools... you say you have most of the tools, but is there a - of the tools, but is there a frustration amongst some in ukraine that it is taking too long for them to arrive? there is certainly _ long for them to arrive? there is certainly a _ long for them to arrive? there is certainly a frustration - is certainly a frustration about delays, things that have been promised that have not been promised that have not been delivered. there is a frustration about that, for sure. there is also an issue, they must be honest about this, with production capacity. there is a lack of manpower when it

comes to trained and militated military personnel —— motivated military personnel —— motivated military personnel, who would be able to implement many of the western advanced technologies, let alone in an integrated manner with the nato doctrines. we have a lot of challenges.— doctrines. we have a lot of challenues. ~ . , , challenges. we have seen this chance challenges. we have seen this change in _ challenges. we have seen this change in the _ challenges. we have seen this change in the nuclear- challenges. we have seen this change in the nuclear doctrine i change in the nuclear doctrine in russia, changing the circumstances under which they would deploy nuclear weapons. how do you assess that threat? russia is always threatening nuclear escalation. we have seen this before. no they are trying, as you've reported correctly, to be more serious about it, betray this as a credible threat other than an un—credible threat. the risk is always there that there will be an escalation, but at the same time, i would an escalation, but at the same time, iwould have an escalation, but at the same time, i would have to say that russian leaders, they do want to live and prosper, otherwise they would not be loving their lavish lifestyles and their mega— yachts, protecting their offspring. we need to strengthen our bargaining

positions. no way around that. that is done through military might, unfortunately. additional deliveries, extra weapon systems, and strikes within russia.— weapon systems, and strikes within russia. these moves by the biden _ within russia. these moves by the biden administration - within russia. these moves by the biden administration in - within russia. these moves by| the biden administration in the us are seen by many as effectively trying to do as much now before donald trump's regime comes in and the uncertainty that brings with regards to ukraine. that is just analysis at this point. is it an analysis that you share? to some extent, of course. we have to improve our bargaining position, so the biden administration is trying to give us all the available tools at their disposal at this point before they leave office to make sure ukraine is as strong as possible militarily, and that should give us headway when we potentially going to some negotiation processes. that is what this is really about, a change in the course of action when the trump administration arrives as

possible, but generally, as i already said, there is no way around this. we need to make sure that russia is not on the advance, but the pace of its advance, but the pace of its advance will not increase as it is currently, and therefore we need to have all the tools at our disposal. thank you new; our disposal. thank you very much for _ our disposal. thank you very much for coming _ our disposal. thank you very much for coming on - our disposal. thank you very much for coming on the - much for coming on the programme. the uk inflation rate has risen to its highest level since april. the office for national statistics says it climbed to 2.3% in october — the sharpest month on month increase for two years. higher energy bills were the main driver, sending inflation back above the bank of england's 2% target. the chief secretary to the treasury darrenjones gave his reaction to the figures. we know the cost of living continues to be a problem for working families across the country, but gone are the days when inflation was at 10% or ii%, driving family bills through the roof. inflation is stable, it's around target, and the key driver of inflation statistics today is that expected increase in the energy price cap set by the regulator 0fgem.

but the good news is that inflation is stable, it's close to target, and that will be good for working families across the country. we will get more reaction to that later in the programme. around the world and across the uk. this is bbc news.

this is bbc news. the funeral of the former 0ne direction member — liam payne — will take place today. the 31—year—old singer died last month when he fell from a hotel balcony in the argentine capital, buenos aires. his family said the ceremony will be a private occasion for family and close friends. an inquest will open today into the death of harshita brella, whose body was found in the boot of a car in east london. a postmortem examination suggests the 24—year—old was strangled. an international manhunt has been launched for her husband,

pankaj lamba, who detectives named as the prime suspect in her killing. china has accused pro—democracy media tycoonjimmy lai of being an "agent and lackey for anti—china forces", as his trial resumes in hong kong. mr lai has testified 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 was marched 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 is 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.

martin, just talk us through what we have heard from mr lai. you can make yes, jimmy lai, since this morning, has been discussing about his political views,, but also says he denies allegations that his apple daily magazines have been supporting the idea of hong kong independence and taiwan independence, and he even said that he thought but hong kong independence suggestion was conspiracy, although obviously to the prosecutors and people from the pro—beijing camp, they just don't believe that is the case. he also discussed how he knew various international trays, how his network was built, including how he introduced some retired us generals to the event taiwanese

president. he also discussed a meeting to be —— between him and the us vice president at the time, mike pence, as well as meeting with the then secretary of state, mike pompeo, injuly 2019. that is during the height of the anti—government protest in hong kong. he said he asked vice president p to voice support for hong kong, but he denies that he has ever asked anyone to do anything anti—china, which of course is not something the prosecutors believe. a something the prosecutors believe. ., ~ , ., something the prosecutors believe. ., ., believe. martin, thank you for that. israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu has visited central gaza, vowing to eliminate hamas from the territory. he also announced a $5 million reward and safe passage for anyone who brings out a hostage. 97 hostages are still

believed to be in gaza. let's cross to jerusalem and speak to our middle east correspondent, yolande knell. just talk us through this visit ijy just talk us through this visit by benjamin netanyahu. this just talk us through this visit by benjamin netanyahu. by ben'amin netanyahu. this was a by benjamin netanyahu. this was a visit to that _ by benjamin netanyahu. this was a visit to that the _ by benjamin netanyahu. this was a visit to that the prime - a visit to that the prime minister made yesterday with the defence minister, the head of the army, and other security officials. he was in what they call a corridor that divides the top third of the gaza strip from the rest of the territory, and is underfull from the rest of the territory, and is under full israeli military control. this area, which palestinians know by a different name. sensibly, by the video different n