forensic teams have found shell casings with messages written in marker pen. could they provide a motive? also tonight — the prime minister launches his plan for change — with six milestones to achieve over the course of this parliament. a big surge in flu cases in hospital compared to this time last year as nhs england bosses warn of what they're calling a quad—demic — we'll explain what that is. and the bitcoin boom — from $16,000 each two years ago — to 100,000 now — where's this crypto currency going? and the american rugby player and social media superstar ilona maher is heading to england — why the bristol bears are having

to find bigger stadiums. and coming up on bbc news... george russell sees red — the mercedes driver calls the formula one champion a bully and alleges that max verstapen threatened to intentionally crash into him in qatar. good evening and welcome to the news at six. police in new york have released new images of a man they are searching for after the head of the biggest health insurance company in the us was shot and killed in the street yesterday morning. police have called it a �*targeted attack�*. let's go straight to new york — nada tawfik is at the scene. sophie, the last time the suspect

was seen here in new york was yesterday morning as he was riding an electric bike through and out of central park several blocks from here. in the meantime police have been searching other locations here in the city and have a wealth of clues to try to piece together a motive and who the suspect is. the fevered hunt continues for brian thompson's killer. investigators have been interviewing witnesses and piecing through evidence to understand why the 50—year—old ceo of one of the country's largest insurance companies was gunned down in broad daylight. this afternoon the nypd released a new photo of the suspect with his full features visible on the cctv. police are using facial recognition technology to identify him. 0n the scene, recovered shell casings offered some clues. investigators found the words "deny", "defend", "depose" written on them, giving more weight to the police�*s belief that this was targeted. the words appear to be a reference to an american saying

about the tactics used by insurance companies to try to avoid paying people's health care claims. the suspect visited several locations including starbucks. police collected what they believe was his water bottle and coffee cup, which could provide dna evidence. additional footage shows the suspect on a cell phone as he walked to the midtown hilton hotel. detectives found a phone that they believe is his in an alley that the gunman ran through after he escaped the scene. this is a fairly well thought out crime. you see him with the suppressor in the video, he has a shooter's stance, he is masked and he has thought about his escape route. all these things make it challenging, but far from out of the ability range of the nypd. they have great resources to be able to nail down a crime like this. this murder mystery of a relatively unknown executive and the graphic video of the brazen incident has captured attention. as chilling as it was,

not all of the reaction has been sympathetic. brian thompson led unitedhealthcare, based in minnesota. a successful insurance company notorious for denying people's medical claims. to some, he represents everything wrong with america's for profit health insurance system, where companies can make huge sums of money while many people go without basic care. nada tawfik, bbc news, new york. our analysis editor, ros atkins, has been looking more closely at how the attack unfolded. brian thompson was shot dead on wednesday morning. he was attacked a few blocks from times square and central park, just outside the hilton hotel in manhattan. the first known sighting of the man who shot him as by the 57th st subway station. this cctv image obtained by the washington post is time stamped

6:15am. the next sighting according to us media is at starbucks. police released this image from inside the cafe. then at 6:30am we see the same man in this video published by the new york times. he appears to be on the phone. nearby is the hilton hotel. brian thompson was attending a conference they are and according to police at around 6:1i0am the gunmen arrived and waited. minutes later this video shows mr thompson by the hotel. the gunmen approaches and takes aim at. he ignores a bystander close by who flees as the shooting begins. also as we zoom in, after the initial shot the gun appears to temporarilyjam and one firearms expert told us the gun may have a silencer. after the shooting brian thompson that is left lying on the floor. his assailant runs across the floor. his assailant runs across the street. police say he walked

into an alleyway and headed north across central park on a bike. we have this image from the police showing someone in the same outfit with at the same rucksack. according to police he then rode into central park. at this time it is 6:48am. the final possible sighting is on w. 85th st. 0ur final possible sighting is on w. 85th st. our us partners cbs reports police are analysing this footage from just before seven o'clock. 13 minutes later at the mount sinai west hospital, brian thompson was pronounced dead. across new york the search continues for his killer and police have now released more images. they say this man is a person of interest. britain is broken but not beyond repair — that's what the prime minister has been saying as he set out what he's calling his plan for change with a focus on improving living standards, notjust boosting growth. five months after winning the election, he set out six targets —

including building affordable homes, reducing nhs waiting times and making streets safer and explained how he intends to achieve them. the conservatives have called it a �*desperate attempted relaunch. 0ur political editor, chris mason, reports. they filmed mission impossible here and there is plenty of 007 heritage as well but the extras today are a little bit less glamorous. as the ushers move in the supporting actors flick through the script and the main man takes to the stage. it i main man takes to the stage. if i keep coming main man takes to the stage. it i keep coming back here, i could be the next james keep coming back here, i could be the nextjames bond. this keep coming back here, i could be the next james bond.— keep coming back here, i could be the next james bond. this event at pinewood studios _ the next james bond. this event at pinewood studios in _ the next james bond. this event at i pinewood studios in buckinghamshire looked, felt and sounded like a pre—election doer, not one in five months afterwards. we

pre-election doer, not one in five months afterwards.— months afterwards. we face an almi . h months afterwards. we face an almighty challenge _ months afterwards. we face an almighty challenge to - months afterwards. we face an almighty challenge to hit - months afterwards. we face an almighty challenge to hit these milestones by the end of this parliament. we are starting from ground zero. fix, parliament. we are starting from ground zer0-_ parliament. we are starting from round zero. �* , ., ., ground zero. a repeated theme today was an impatience _ ground zero. a repeated theme today was an impatience to _ ground zero. a repeated theme today was an impatience to get _ ground zero. a repeated theme today was an impatience to get things - ground zero. a repeated theme today was an impatience to get things done | was an impatience to get things done and get stuff built. the was an impatience to get things done and get stuff built.— and get stuff built. the nimbys, the reuulators, and get stuff built. the nimbys, the regulators. the _ and get stuff built. the nimbys, the regulators, the blockers _ and get stuff built. the nimbys, the regulators, the blockers and - regulators, the blockers and bureaucrats, the alliance of naysayers. we say to them you no longer have the upper hand, britain says yes. the longer have the upper hand, britain sa s es. ~ , ., ., says yes. the prime minister had two audiences, says yes. the prime minister had two audiences. the _ says yes. the prime minister had two audiences, the country _ says yes. the prime minister had two audiences, the country at _ says yes. the prime minister had two audiences, the country at large - audiences, the country at large but also the civil service. this audiences, the country at large but also the civil service.— also the civil service. this plan will land on — also the civil service. this plan will land on desks _ also the civil service. this plan will land on desks across - also the civil service. this plan - will land on desks across whitehall with the heavy thud of a gauntlet to being thrown down the. i do think that too many people in whitehall are comfortable in the tepid bath of managed decline. you are comfortable in the tepid bath of managed decline.— managed decline. you want to be surrised managed decline. you want to be surprised when _ managed decline. you want to be surprised when i _ managed decline. you want to be surprised when i tell _ managed decline. you want to be surprised when i tell you - managed decline. you want to be surprised when i tell you plenty l managed decline. you want to be| surprised when i tell you plenty of civil servants don�*t think much of that remark. this event was all

about the prime minister wanting to prioritise and point to what matters to him but prioritising some things means not prioritising others. you set out these milestones this morning. immigration is not one of them but you have talked about it and it is in the document so people might wonder if it is a priority or not. ~ , ., ., ., not. we will bring immigration down, both le . al not. we will bring immigration down, both legal and _ not. we will bring immigration down, both legal and illegal, _ not. we will bring immigration down, both legal and illegal, but _ not. we will bring immigration down, both legal and illegal, but i _ not. we will bring immigration down, both legal and illegal, but i take - both legal and illegal, but i take that as the basis of security that any government must deliver and we have built the five missions and plan for change on that. bill have built the five missions and plan for change on that. all this, the staging _ plan for change on that. all this, the staging and _ plan for change on that. all this, the staging and promises - plan for change on that. all this, the staging and promises and . plan for change on that. all this, - the staging and promises and answers and attempt to talk about things that matter to millions and put they are a bumpy start behind them. farmers complaining about inheritance tax, plenty of pensioners complaining because... they will no longer receive the winter fuel payment from this year onwards. �* , ,, , winter fuel payment from this year

onwards. , ,, winter fuel payment from this year onwards. �* , ,, , ., onwards. businesses paying more tax... it onwards. businesses paying more tax- -- it is — onwards. businesses paying more tax... it is catastrophic. _ onwards. businesses paying more tax... it is catastrophic. and - onwards. businesses paying more tax... it is catastrophic. and the l tax... it is catastrophic. and the chief of staff _ tax... it is catastrophic. and the chief of staff out _ tax... it is catastrophic. and the chief of staff out the _ tax... it is catastrophic. and the chief of staff out the door - tax... it is catastrophic. and the chief of staff out the door only l chief of staff out the door only three months in the.— chief of staff out the door only three months in the. perhaps little wonder opponents _ three months in the. perhaps little wonder opponents see _ three months in the. perhaps little wonder opponents see today - three months in the. perhaps little wonder opponents see today is - three months in the. perhaps little wonder opponents see today is a i wonder opponents see today is a relaunch. it is all very well coming up relaunch. it is all very well coming up with a bunch of pledges today but they have a track record of not doing what they say they will do so why should we listen to them now? for the prime minister he hopes this amounts to a licence to be listened to. the big challenge, turning the script into reality. chris mason, bbc news at pinewood studios. so will the government be able to hit these targets? ben chu from bbc verify is here to tell us. ben. yes, sophie. those new "measurable milestones" are to be achieved by 2029 which the pm says voters can use to judge the performance of this labour government. they are growing household incomes, building more houses, delivering more neighbourhood police, improving early years education, decarbonising power and getting hospital waiting times down. of these targets, its the ones on housing, hospitals and power which most expertsjudge will be

the hardest to meet. target that 92% of patients in england waiting for elective

sophie. ben, thank you. hospitals are busier than ever at this time of year with the nhs facing what�*s being called a "quad—demic" — flu cases are four times higher than at this point last year — more than 1,000 patients in hospital beds with flu every day this week in england compared tojust under 250 at the same time last year. and there are also rising numbers of cases of covid, norovirus and another respiratory virus called rsv. hugh pym is outside a hospital in south london. so hospital bosses are sounding a warning? yes, they are, sophie. busierthan everat yes, they are, sophie. busierthan ever at this time of year. winter has come early essentially is what they are saying. and those four

viruses are causing concern, particularly nodal virus, the winter vomiting bug in hospitals, that has gone up a lot, and flu, four times more cases in hospital than this time last year. covid cases are relatively stable but on the increase as well. the worry about flu, is this an early flu wave which might subside byjanuary when it normally takes hold out is it the beginning of something more sustained, like two years ago when they were really big increases in flu, causing pressures in december. health chiefs are saying given how busyit health chiefs are saying given how busy it is right now they are concerned, occupancy levels in hospitals are about 95% which is quite high and they are urging anyone who is eligible for a vaccination for these viruses to go out and get it done. it�*s thursday. it�*s question time — here�*s fiona with what�*s coming up. tonight. tonight we have the leader of reform uk, nigel farage,

along with tony blair�*s former spin doctor, alastair campbell, joined by the government and the conservatives, all along with an expectant audience here in lincoln in the east midlands. we are on iplayerfrom 9pm and bbc one after the ten 0�*clock news. fiona, thank you. a medicine known as the "king kong" of weight loss jabs is to be prescribed on the nhs in england. but it could take 12 years for everyone to receive it. the healthcare watchdog, nice, says that length of time is necessary so health services aren�*t overwhelmed by demand for the drug. our health correspondent, sophie hutchinson reports. maya winter was turned down for nhs weight loss treatment, despite having severe obesity with a bmi ofjust over 53. she bought the weight loss drug mounjaro privately from an online pharmacy and has since lost five stone. it feels amazing. ifeel so, so, so much better, and my body, just had my six—monthly bloods done, and my body is coping a lot better, and all my bloods are looking very good. around 60% of adults are either

overweight or obese in england, risking their health and putting pressure on the nhs. but only 40,000 are treated by nhs weight—loss services each year. to improve that, the health watchdog nice has given the green light for several million obese people to be treated with tirzepatide branded as mounjaro. it is an appetite suppressant that affects two hormones and makes you feel fuller. but the drug�*s roll—out will be over a record 12 years so as not to overwhelm the nhs. the drugs are expensive and therefore we cannot treat several million people with these drugs at this moment in time. and also, the nhs is not ready to treat several million people with these drugs. we have to develop the systems, as it were, to be able to prescribe these drugs in a safe and appropriate manner within the nhs. that�*s because nice has only agreed to the roll—out if prescriptions are accompanied with diet and exercise support services. so, who will get this weight—loss drug first? 220,000 people with the highest

clinical need will be part of an initial three—year phase. they must have obesity with a bmi higher than 35 and at least one weight—related illness, such as cardiovascular disease. but some experts say they are appalled by the 12—year roll—out for the drug and are dismayed by the current state of england�*s weight loss services. access is very difficult. it's the old postcode lottery that some areas of the country where you simply can't get access to weight loss services and there are others around 50% of the country where you can. but the waiting lists have gone up hugely in the last year or so, and this is something which is also an issue in terms of delivering the service. more details of the drug�*s roll—out will be published next year, but most agree, getting weight loss services right is crucial for our future health and the nhs. sophie hutchinson, bbc news.

the time is 6:16. our top story this evening... new york police release new images of their suspect after the head of one of america�*s biggest health insurance companies is shot dead in broad daylight. and we�*ll bring you the latest weather forecast ahead of storm darragh this weekend. the stations visually mapped so passengers can check them out before travelling, we take a look around as well. and underwear made from seaweed — the french president, emmanuel macron, will address the nation tonight after the prime minister was ousted yesterday in a vote of no confidence. michel barnier, who�*d been in office forjust three months, has resigned but will stay in post until a successor is chosen. mark lowen joins us from paris.

mark, the stakes are very high for the president tonight. very high for france and also for president macron personally. for france because it has been thrown into political turmoil and a terrible time where there are concerns about its economy, its deficit is currently double that of the limit imposed by the european union. there are wars on europe �*s doorstepped and donald trump is about to enter the white house, when europe is a whole will be called to be a strong counterbalance to the trump presidency. and frank is proving anything but. also stakes high for macron personally because he is widely blamed for leading france into polarisation, dividing france into polarisation, dividing france into polarisation, dividing france into the far left and far right. french media are reporting resident macron when he speaks here at the elysee palace in 45 minutes were not actually name a successor. it is hard to imagine someone who

can unite this extremely divided and fragmented french parliament and also hard to imagine how president macron can rescue his tattered reputation and legacy at the moment. the day after tomorrow, mr macron is due to inaugurate notre dame, but for many people looking at that inauguration, five years after it was ravaged by fire, they will not be admiring a cathedral, they will instead be despairing that france can�*t get its political house in order. can't get its political house in order. ~ ., ., , ., ,, order. mark lowen in paris, thank ou. a couple who buried their three—year—old son in their back garden have been convicted of causing or allowing the death of a child. it�*s believed the toddler died from starvation. his remains were found in a shallow grave at the former family home in birmingham. his parents will be sentenced next week. this report from our midlands correspondent phil mackie contains details of that abuse. he babbles abiyah was a smiling, happy little boy before things spiralled out of control. his apparently doting parents�*

increasingly strange beliefs ultimately cost him his life. three years after they filmed those videos, his parents were arrested. they shout there was also a young child living in their cramped, squalid caravan. they were so badly malnourished, they could barely walk. leave now! if they hadn�*t been taken to hospital, at least one of them may have died. the child, who we can�*t identify, survived and is being cared for. it was after their arrest abiyah�*s fate was discovered. he died two years earlier and been buried in the garden in theirformer home in birmingham. his remains were found in this shallow grave. is it still recording? uh—huh. while they lived there, the couple posted increasingly bizarre videos of themselves. although yasharahyalah had studied medical genetics at the university, he rejected modern medicine after reading online conspiracy theories.

they drew on west african religion and new age mysticism and practised a very strict form of veganism. it�*s been impossible to establish the exact cause of abiyah�*s death, but experts said he was severely malnourished. tai is an extremely arrogant man who placed himself as the head of a fictional country, to the extent that they had even made their own passports, such was the extent of their delusion. and his only one disciple, as she described herself, was naiyahmi, being abiyah�*s mother, who i think is an incredibly weak—minded individual and has gone along with whatever he�*s said. one of the many tragedies in this case is that there were lots of people raising concerns about what was going on inside the house, neighbours confronted the family, the police visited, but there was no intervention, and abiyah died and was buried in the garden without anyone knowing. do you have a child here? now you can get out! it's none of your business! in 2021, the police did look for abiyah, but by then, he was already dead, and they didn�*t find his makeshift grave. my child's name is abiyah. where is he? _ that's none of your business! later, there was a mix—up

when they checked records, and so it wasn�*t followed up. during their trial, they showed no remorse. a safeguarding review is being carried out to see whether procedures can be improved. phil mackie, bbc news, birmingham. the three—time olympic gold medallist charlotte dujardin says she fully respects the decision by the dressage governing body to ban her from the sport for a year. she pulled out of the paris 0lympics after video emerged of her repeatedly whipping her horse. ms dujardin says she�*ll "forever aim to do better". a nun is among 32 people arrested in italy as part of an investigation into the mafia. authorities allege sister anna donelli, who volunteers in prisons, passed messages between the criminal group and its members behind bars. the price of bitcoin has hit a record high, breaking through the $100,000 mark for the first time. it was worthjust $16,000 two years ago.

it�*s been surging in value since donald trump�*s election victory last month. he�*s widely expected to ease regulations around cryptocurrencies, as our business editor simonjack reports. bitcoin has baffled some and bewitched others, but few things, if any in history, have risen faster in value. worth next to nothing ten years ago, it�*s now worth over $100,000 per coin, making some people very rich along the way. investing in bitcoin has completely changed my life. i was given a $1000 cheque from my grandmother back in 2011 and i put that all into bitcoin, back when bitcoin was $10 a pop. with each bitcoin now worth over $100,000, eric�*s 100 bitcoin is now worth $10 million. around £8 million. but it�*s not been a smooth ride, anything but. have a look at this. it was worth next to nothing

for years, then it started rising, and then basically gets very volatile. if you bought in 2022 it fell 50% very, very quickly, very uncomfortable. but look, it recovered and here it�*s risen 50% since donald trump, a big advocate of bitcoin and cryptocurrency, won the us election, and he�*s proposed other bitcoin fans to key financial positions in the us government. so what is bitcoin? well, for a start there are no physical coins or notes. each coin or fraction of a coin is basically a computer file that you keep in an electronic wallet, accessible via a device like a phone. bitcoins are created when powerful computers solve complex mathematical problems and are rewarded with bitcoin, which they can keep or sell. this process is called mining. the bitcoin founders set a maximum of 21 million bitcoins that will ever exist, and they get harder and harder to obtain, so like gold there is a finite supply. and bitcoin can be transferred anonymously and internationally, meaning it works outside the usual

regulated banking system. we don�*t know where it�*s necessarily going to go next... for some that�*s part of the appeal. but it�*s also a risk. some people have made money. a lot of people have lost money over the years. people have to make up their own minds, but they�*ve got to be aware that it doesn�*tjust go up. it is also incredibly volatile. it�*s fallen more than 50% in 2022, so it doesn�*tjust move up in a straight line. added to that, it�*s unregulated. if you lose your money in bitcoin, that�*s it, no one is going to protect you. whether you think it�*s a dangerous bubble, a currency perfect for criminals, or a revolution in how money works, bitcoins in circulation now total $2 trillion, making it hard to ignore. simon jack, bbc news. in the last few minutes the metropolitan police have asked the bbc to pause the publication of its report into what the corporation did and did not know about allegations about the behaviour of former bbc radio1 about the behaviour of former bbc radio 1 and one extra dj tim

westwood. he has denied claims of misconduct. 0urwill westwood. he has denied claims of misconduct. 0ur will correspond in joe inwood is with me now. tell us more about this development. it goes back to an investigation _ more about this development. it goes back to an investigation the _ more about this development. it goes back to an investigation the bbc- back to an investigation the bbc published along with the guardian in 2022 foot that they found 18 women had allegations against tim westwood of predatory behaviour, unwanted behaviour and touching. those events were alleged to have taken place between 1992 and 2017. in the wake of that the bbc got an external qc, gemma white, to put together a report into what they did and didn�*t know, which was supposed to take six months. we found out today that the met, who are obviously also looking into these serious claims, have asked the bbc to pause any publication of that. in a statement the met have said that while consultation with the cps is ongoing we have asked the bbc to pause the publication of their report to consider any potential impact on the investigation. it is understood that tim westwood has been spoken to under caution four times since the initial publication of the

investigation. the police have said the things they are looking into took place between 1982 and 2016. they haven�*t given as much detail but say a man in his 60s has been spoken to under caution. no arrests have been made. tim westwood denies all allegations. jae have been made. tim westwood denies all allegations-— all allegations. joe inwood, thank ou. this is ilona maher — she�*s an american rugby player and with 4 million followers on instagram, she is the most followed rugby star on social media. now she is coming to england after signing to play for bristol bears in the top division of the women�*s game. so many fans want to see her make her debut next month that the club has had to move to a bigger stadium. sara 0rchard has been to meet her. get out of my way, sit down! and this is ilona maher! ilona maher won a bronze medal with the usa rugby sevens team at the paris 0lympics last summer. i'm with team usa, i'm here at the olympics, and i'm gonna test out the cardboard beds for y'all doing various activities. but she�*s best known

for social media following, 4.6 million on instagram and 3.3 million on tiktok. as a female rugby player, i have to do ten times as much off the field. i can'tjust play the sport i love. i'm not going to make millions playing rugby. i'm not even going to make six figures playing rugby. that's the sad truth. i'm not going to be like a men's player, so i can put all my focus here. i have to put it in everything else and somehow that's translated to me being the biggest star in rugby. maher�*s extensive cv also includes being a sports illustrated swimsuit model and recently finishing as a runner—up on the us version of strictly, dancing with the stars. she�*s basically changed the face of the sport. already people are really interested in wanting to watch her, "how do i get the right broadcasting channel so i can watch her. how do i get merchandise with her name on it?" look, this woman is absolutely amazing and is going to change the way women�*s rugby is seen over here in england too.

south africa and french players are two of the most players on the planet right now. but ilona maher�*s popularity is starting to tower above both of them. it�*s not just what she does on the rugby pitch, it�*s her messages around body positivity, for young women in particular, that has gained her millions of fans. you can be beautiful and wear lipstick. i wear lipstick when i play rugby because ijust feel like i don't have to sacrifice one or the other. like, i can be a beast on the field but also feel beautiful and wear lipstick. it's up for you to define your own femininity or whatever it is. maher�*s focus is now how to switch from sevens to 15 a—side rugby in time for the women�*s rugby world cup in england next year, where the opening match of that tournamentjust happens to be

england�*s red roses against the usa eagles. sara 0rchard, bbc news, bristol. and you can listen to the full interview on the rugby union weekly podcast on bbc sounds. time for a look at the weather. here�*s elizabeth rizzini. if you think the weather is bad at the moment then it�*s going to get worse. bear in mind if you have pre—christmas plans or travelling through the weekend especially on saturday, damaging gusts of wind will be the biggest impact of storm darragh, the biggest risk of flooding in the north—west and the biggest risk of snow over scottish hills and may be to lower levels across scotland as well. the storm outed the atlantic, huge cloud barrelling towards us. there is some cloud around at the moment, that�*s producing the heavy rain. for the rest of the evening, strong and gusty winds but that will clear away over the next couple of hours, turning dry and clearer. a more chilly start to the day tomorrow but it should stay frost free mostly because it is still really rather breezy. tomorrow the calm before the storm, a fairly quiet day particularly to the eastern half of the uk where we keep the sunshine longest. high cloud spreading eastwards and it will turn very wet

and windy across northern ireland and windy across northern ireland and towards the western