at risk if they don't get at risk if they don't get the funding to cover the funding to cover higher staff costs. higher staff costs. two people have been rushed to hospital two people have been rushed to hospital after a fairground ride after a fairground ride in birmingham city centre malfunctioned last night. in birmingham city centre a double win a double win for a chess prodigy, for a chess prodigy, winning the world chess winning the world chess championship and being the youngest ever to do so. championship and being a chinese businessman described as a "close confidante" a chinese businessman described as a "close confidante" of the duke of york has of the duke of york has lost his appeal against lost his appeal against a decision to bar him a decision to bar him from entering the uk from entering the uk on national security grounds. on national security grounds. prince let's speak to our correspondent charlotte let's speak to our correspondent charlotte gallagher who's in windsor. gallagher who's in windsor. what's the background to this? what's the background to this? we don't know the identity of we don't know the identity of this man. he is only known as this man. he is only known as h6. as you said, he is a h6. as you said, he is a chinese businessman who chinese businessman who developed a close working developed a close working relationship with prince andrew. he was invited to his relationship with prince andrew. he was invited to his 60th birthday in 2020 and was 60th birthday be allowed to active to advise, essentially,

uk and shouldn't be allowed to be here. this is not the first time the friendships of prince andrew and hisjudgment time the friendships of prince andrew and his judgment has been questioned. he was essentially sacked as a working royal because of his friendship with convicted sex offender jeffrey epstein. he lives a much quieter life now, rarely seen out in public with other members of the royal family. seen out in public with other members of the royalfamily. he lost his honorary military titles, his patron edges for the royal family and titles, his patron edges for the royalfamily and he titles, his patron edges for the royal family and he lives a very different life, he is no longer a working royal. it is no doubt it is notjust personally embarrassing for prince andrew but embarrassing for the wider royal family as well. ~ . . , for the wider royal family as well. ~ . �* ., well. what has buckingham palace said _ well. what has buckingham palace said about _ well. what has buckingham palace said about it? - palace said about it? buckingham palace say that as prince andrew is no longer a working royal they will not be making a comment. people of course want to know what he thinks about this. it sounds at least on the surface like he was targeted by the chinese communist party. they wanted intelligence on the uk. he was intelligence on the uk. he was

in a very vulnerable position and actually these communications, it seemed to suggest he was in a vulnerable position and he could be easily influenced. thejudge position and he could be easily influenced. the judge actually said it was a very unusual situation that this alleged spy had managed to get such a close working relationship with a senior royal member. charlotte galla . her senior royal member. charlotte gallagher in — senior royal member. charlotte gallagher in windsor, - senior royal member. charlotte gallagher in windsor, thank - gallagher in windsor, thank you. police chiefs have warned the uk home secretary that without further funding neighbourhood policing could be cut, due to the increased costs of employee taxes and wages. our political correspondent tom symonds is in westminster this morning. tell us more about the concerns.— tell us more about the concerns. ., ,., concerns. there are some long-term _ concerns. there are some long-term concerns - concerns. there are some long-term concerns here| concerns. there are some - long-term concerns here that long—term concerns here that the police are really trying to put into the public at the moment, at quite high levels. chief constables talking out about this. they say that for years some police forces have been underfunded because of the method used to allocate funding between police forces. and then of course during the budget the government announced an

increase to employee national insurance contributions. the police will have to pay for that. and the police have been given a pay rise which authorities will have to find the money for. the home office insists that next week there will be only available for police forces to pay those two new bills, the employer national insurance, traditions and the increased pay. but the police say they want to know there will be better certainty in the future, long term, that the funding crisis that they say they are facing in some forces will be resolved. and if they don't, well, i went to lincolnshire yesterday to speak to the chief constable of that force, the least well funded force, the least well funded force per head of capita in the uk. he said he might have to cut a third of his police officers if he didn't get help. you will probably get some help next week. the question is, how much. �* ., ., , much. but the government has said every _ much. but the government has said every neighbourhood - much. but the government has i said every neighbourhood should have a named police officer. when sick leave that plan if

the money is not there? we are in a strange _ the money is not there? we are in a strange situation _ the money is not there? we are in a strange situation where - in a strange situation where money is going into the police. the home secretary announced there would be half £1 billion more funding for the met, including 100 million to pay for better neighbourhood policing including 13,000 more neighbourhood police officers. they will come in time. they are not all police officers, some pcsos, and some special constables. but police forces say they might actually have to do lose some experienced neighbourhood police officers they can no longer afford to pay for and watch more coming in through this new government scheme. the net effect of that would be green officers coming in and experience walking out of the door. that's one of their concerns, but there are many. it's worth saying they will be another funding announcement from the government in april. that is likely to be more long—term, and the government is under pressure to look at this formula which dates back to 2006, which it uses to decide which forces get what.-

which forces get what. tom symonds — which forces get what. tom symonds in _ which forces get what. tom symonds in westminster, l which forces get what. tom symonds in westminster, thank you. a bbc world service investigation has found that steven bartlett is amplifying harmful health misinformation on his top podcast, diary of a ceo. starting as a business podcast, there has been a noticeable shift towards health. over 15 recent episodes, an average of 1a harmful claims were shared by the guests, with little challenge from bartlett. leading health experts told the bbc the claims made on bartlett s podcast could sow distrust in medicine and could lead to patient harm. jacqui wakefield reports. steven bartlett is one of the most famous entrepreneurs in the uk and host of one of the biggest business podcasts globally, the diary of a ceo, topping the charts in places like nigeria, india and mexico. but over the last 18 months, there has been a notable change in its guests and subject matter. we tracked the podcast�*s

episodes from the last 18 months, then we analysed the health—related ones. we fact checked the claims of 15 episodes with the advice of four experts. we found an average of 1a potentially harmful claims per episode. bartlett rarely challenges these claims. one of the guests bartlett hosted was dr mark hyman, an alternative medicine doctor. gluten can cause everything from osteoporosis to autism to schizophrenia... another guest claimed a ketogenic diet was a treatment solution, without chemotherapy. to manage cancer without toxicity is to simultaneously restrict the two fuels that are needed to drive this disregulated growth while transitioning the whole body off to a fuel that the tumour cells can't use, which is fatty acids and ketone bodies. at no point in the episode does steven challenge that suggestion that a keto diet can treat cancer. when we next hear from him, he says... so, what can we learn from our ancestors about cancer? if you are a cancer patient who took some of

this advice and maybe changed your dietary patterns and became very restrictive when you are undergoing treatment, you could potentially and very realistically get very, very sick. but what could have motivated this shift to health? it is a very health—related clickbait content with scary titles, with this thing is toxic, this thing is going to kill you, and we know that does really well online with the algorithm amplifying that. a spokesperson for flight studios, steven bartlett's production company said, "the diary of a ceo is an open—minded long form conversation with individuals identified for their distinguished and eminent career and/or consequential life experience." they said each guest is thoroughly researched, offered freedom of expression and they hear a range of voices, notjust those who steven and the diary of a ceo team necessarily agree with. doctor thomas said he stands by the statements he made in the interview. doctor mark hyman didn't respond to a crest for

comment. is didn't respond to a crest for comment-— comment. is there a risk in havin: comment. is there a risk in having too _ comment. is there a risk in having too much _ comment. is there a risk in having too much meat - comment. is there a risk in - having too much meat products? bartlett's reach having too much meat products? ba rtlett�*s reach for having too much meat products? bartlett's reach for health might be great for the reach of his podcasts but what is the line between hosting contrarian views against allowing them to go unchallenged? and what is steven bartlett's steven ba rtlett�*s responsibilities as steven bartlett's responsibilities as the host of one of the world's biggest podcasts? jacqui wakefield reporting. the full story can be watched on iplayer. two people have been taken to hospital after a fairground ride in birmingham city centre malfunctioned last night. west midlands fire service said the city flyer ride dropped to ground level whilst in operation. our reporter graham satchell has more. the immediate aftermath of what must have been a terrifying moment in the centre of birmingham, after a fairground ride failed and crashed to the ground. the ride had dropped a bit. they said someone had fallen out and then, like, it was quite clear,

like you can see that, like, the wires have been crossed and they've obviously knocked together or something. the city flyer is a regular attraction at this time of year in birmingham. these pictures from the summer show how it climbs to more than 50 metres and rotates at considerable speed. last night, emergency services cordoned off the area. they said two women had been taken to hospital, although their injuries are not thought to be serious. another 11 were treated at the scene. an investigation has begun to see how the wires of the ride became entangled and what caused it to fail. graham satchell, bbc news. the head of nato, has warned the alliance isn't ready for the threats it will face from russia — and called for a shift to a wartime mindset. mark rutte said future spending would need to be considerably higher than the current target of 2% of national wealth. our europe editor, katya adler, has been speaking to mr rutte in brussels. the timing of this speech has also got to do with donald trump being re—elected

to the white house. he is known as not being a fan of nato's and that is putting it politely. he views some european countries as freeloaders, and he knows that this continent still relies heavily on the us for its security. my plea here is, if you have children and grandchildren, if you think our way of life should be preserved, the democracy, our values, then we have to prioritise defence. the united states, donald trump, he says europe has to pay its way. are you worried if europe doesn't up its spending that he could turn his back on this transatlantic alliance? but we will spend more... are you worried he might turn his back then? no, i'm not, because it won't come to that. and i don't want to spend more because of donald trump. so he's right that we have to spend more, absolutely. he was right, he is still right. so it's notjust about conventional warfare or ukraine for mark rutte. it's about cyberattacks, it's about destabilisation through disinformation, it's about attacks on critical infrastructure like energy

grids or those underwater internet cables that are used for billions of pounds�* worth of financial transactions a day. his basic message — cough up a bit more now or risk paying dearly later if we don't protect ourselves. europe editor katya adler. british transport police is urging passengers on trains and at railway stations in england, wales and scotland to be vigilant, after an increase in thefts and robberies. more than 21,000 incidents were recorded in the first ten months of this year, according to freedom of information data, but that number is expected to increase during the winter months. the majority of crimes take place in london, but other hotspots include the west midlands, manchester and leeds. our transport correspondent sean dilley reports. captured. these suspected phone snatchers are coming in. they were seen wearing balaclavas, forcing their way through ticket gates.

bleep. took your money? officers searched the men and found an expensive smartphone. it's wrapped up in tinfoil to try and block the signal so it can't be located or traced for the stolen items. it's a great result for the violent crime taskforce. how good does it feel when you catch a phone snatcher? it's a good feeling. because loads of phone snatches and phone thefts happen up and down the network every day. and when you do actually get one, it's a little win for the team. and also hopefully a victim can be reunited with the phone, because they're not cheap. niall mcnamee is one of the 21,5110 victims of theft and robbery on the railway in the first ten months of this year. he was targeted on the 15th of october. i was, you know, sort of looking down at my phone, as everyone does on the tube, just swiping through whatever and doing a bit of work. and just as the doors are about to close, at oval station where we are, my phone was just

swiped out of my hand and the doors closed. the thieves cracked his passcode, plundered his online bank accounts and used his details to apply for a personal loan. all told, they stole £21,000. when my phone got robbed, i didn't think to myself, cancel my card, ring the bank, because i thought there's no way they can get into my bank. my phone was nicked. i had no idea that they were going to take all that money and take out a loan, you know? i felt shaky. i didn't trust anyone. it was a feeling that i hadn't had for a while. so i suppose thinking of that, yeah, i can see a lot of people, you know, not recovering from it. for some reason, it's a big violation. no suspect has been identified, and niall�*s case has been closed. the majority of thefts and robberies are reported in london. but outside the capital, the areas with the next most reported crimes are birmingham, kent, essex and manchester, with offences taking place across the network in england, wales and scotland.

a bbc freedom of information request to the british transport police shows that robberies nearly tripled between 2018 and 2023. in the first ten months of this year, there were more than 1500. thefts have increased by 52%. a theft is an incident where property is taken from the rightful owner. a robbery is a theft where violence is used or threatened. police data shows the vast majority of reported robberies and thefts do not end up in a conviction, so officers focus on intelligence—led operations like this one. i'm speaking quietly, so not to disrupt the operation, but they've got two suspects stopped, we're told. one could have a weapon on them, so we're keeping a bit of distance. these men were searched and released. are you listening to music? no. another day another robbery hotspot. what iphone do you have? 14 pro max.

how much would you say it is worth when you bought it? 1,000. £1,000? yeah. so what i would really hate to happen is somebody to come along and snatch it from you. superintendentjohn lovelace is offering crime prevention advice. we're looking at behaviours particularly. we're looking to see whether people are actually getting on to the services as you'd expect or whether there's in that time they're doubling back off. we're also looking for groupings. we know that sometimes the robberies that people can operate in that sort of group. so we're looking for those large groups that might be out and about. and it's reallyjust about, as i said earlier, those behaviours thatjust look out of the norm when people are on a busy, crowded platform. back with the violent crime taskforce, the two arrested men have been linked with an earlier robbery suspected of lurking in the railway to target vulnerable passengers. they never show any remorse and there's always a negative response towards the police and it's always somebody else to blame except themselves. they prey on society's most vulnerable. they will look for an easy target.

they will always go for someone that's smaller than them, or who maybe have a disability or a bit more frail than them. police say they'll keep targeting the bad guys. but they say the best way to rid them from the railway is for all of us to pay attention and look out for each other. sean dilley, bbc news. central government will have the power to overrule local leaders to ensure more green infrastructure projects like onshore windfarms can be built. the energy secretary, ed miliband, told bbc breakfast the government's green energy action plan, is the "big change" people voted for. critics say the plans are too expensive and won't lower energy bills. here's our environment correspondent, jonah fisher. more than half of the electricity the uk generates is now made without burning fossil fuels. much of that is wind. huge turbines covering areas the size of cities spin out of sight offshore. and more is on the way. but hitting the government's target of 95% clean electricity

by 2030 will require more than just lots of solar panels and turbines. the way our electricity gets around just isn't up to the job. there is a national grid system which we haven't seen updated for a significant amount of time in the uk and, essentially, it's a little bit like not having enough plug points in the house and everybody in a queue, so i'm waiting behind my partner and my sister to plug something in. and that's the basic thing. we've got, very important — and i would say that our projects are very important — and they need to be plugged in quickly so that they can start providing more power for the uk. the government's new plan, being announced today, will see the existing queue to plug in thrown out of the window. those projects that can have the most impact quickly will be given priority. it should also become easier to build onshore wind turbines in england. large wind farms will now be

classified as of national significance, making it harder for local objections to hold up projects. energy secretary ed miliband says these are all part of the most ambitious energy reforms in generations. the british people voted for big change at the general election and i think we need to deliver it. and that's what this plan is all about. it's time to actually have home—grown the clean energy that we can control. that is what our plan is all about. it's the right thing for the country, for bills, for security, forjobs, i am at a wind turbine factory here in hull employing 1300 people, and indeed for tackling the climate crisis. but there are plenty of sceptics, too, asking if the costs are too high, the pace too fast and whether the government really can deliver both cleaner and cheaper power. jonah fisher, bbc news. the countdown is

on for the final ever episode of gavin and stacey, which returns to our screens on christmas day, and fans are desperate to find out what's happened in the lives of the show�*s main characters since the last episode five years ago. gavin, stacey, smithy and nessa are all household names — but many of the cast were recruited locally, adding to the unique feel of the show. ahead of the series finale, our reporter steffan powell has been speaking to some of them. everywhere you look around barry, there are reminders of a phenomenon which started here just over 17 years ago. it goes without saying that gavin and stacey is in the very dna of this town, but the show has also become a big part of the lives of some of the actors who performed in it. has dick powell come a—calling yet? dick powell's name comes up several times throughout the series, and in one of his most memorable scenes, we see him selling stolen meat in the back alleys of barry. 87p for a steak.

no, no, not 87p each. 87p for three. you've had a good shave there, to be fair. i'm a bit younger there as well. no, not at all. you haven't aged a day. you still live around here, don't you? i do indeed, yes. how often are you stopped? it does happen, it does happen. some mornings you must think... no, you don't, really. because i've lived in barry now for what, nearly 40 years and the difference that gavin and stacey has made to the barry island and to the people and to the shops and premises is amazing. it's really done a really good job for barry island. dic powell also plays a part in a moment of comedy gold that was filmed in this church. stand up and tell us your favourite sandwich. he speaks welsh. that's chicken and glamorgan sausage. father chris appears at some crucial points in the gavin and stacey story — from neil the baby's christening to nessa and dave's

wedding, but the favourite sandwich scene has become a fan favourite. you've ruined it! now, sit down. you really do go for it there at the end. was he expecting it to be like that? i don't, i...yes. maybe i wasn't. we were just looking at the visitor's book at the visitors' book for the church and people who come to see it to, you know, because they love the show so much, they want to go and see the locations. many people are putting their favourite type of sandwiches in that book. really? yeah. as a result of you and your work. oh, my god. any show that has a following, you know, it's a great honour to be part of something like that. natalie lewis is one of stacey's arch rivals after nessa once had a fight with her dad and her brother. it goes on for ages. oh my gosh, it really does. in the tense scene as gavin

and stacey strained by a pregnancy test, they have a face off. in the tense scene as gavin and stacey try and buy a pregnancy test, they have a face off. you're now a teacher, so you've sort of decided to step away from the boards, as it were. your scene in particular has got a bit of a second life, hasn't it, as an internet meme? yes. how do you feel about that? once a year, there's a sort of a new wave of the children and the pupils here. they come across the scene. and it does still surprise me that, you know, it's still something so new and exciting for them. an impactful scene. well, it's so brilliantly written. it's so brilliantly written. gavin and stacey has firmly won its place as one of the most loved sitcoms of all time. and another cult character is currently starring in the west end stage version of another british favourite. owain hughes. and do you? no, i don't. hi. nice to meet you, gavin shipman. owain hughes. and before you ask, no, i don't. but not everyone gets the joke.

am i being thick, because i just don't get that? - me neither. yeah, thatjoke. it's going to run and run. you're going to have to have it on your — not to be too morbid. my my gravestone! no, i don't. no, i don't. it's funny because there are some fan theories online that there is actually a joke. i love it. you can get on these threads and, like, there's so many people know exactly what thejoke is, you know? you've done your fair share of really top end comedy, you know, in your career. are you able to make as much comedy as there was coming out of the uk? is there the next gavin and stacey coming out? i don't know. i don't think comedy in this country is in a great state at the moment. i don't. i don't think people are being given a chance. i do feel like there's not the individual voices in comedy today. when you reflect back on the fact that you are part of this journey for gavin and stacey, how do you feel about that? i am incredibly proud to have

played a part in it, you know, and i will tell people that there's no joke for the rest of my life quite happily. the series might be coming to an end, but the impact that it had on those who took part, on the fans and on this town will be felt for much, much longer. steffan powell, bbc news, barry. we can take you to syria, and the port city of latakia where many people have gathered in response to a call by the rebels who have taken control of the country, overthrowing bashar al—assad, to celebrate the end of five decades of authoritarian rule. this is one of many mass rallies taking place in cities across the country after islamist rebels

seized power last sunday. crowds began heading here to me had square in damascus outside the great mosque following friday prayers. our correspondent lina sinjab has been there today and says it is already beginning to look like already beginning to look like a party. speakers have been set up, music was playing and the call—out was to raise your head high, you are syrian. she also said rebels were posing for pictures with civilians. one pulled out a piece of paper and started to read poetry he had written praising the country. much reconstruction still ahead for syria of course but for the moment the mood is one of celebration in many places. now it's time for a look at the weather forecast with matt taylor. hello. at long last we will see the return of sunshine more widely through tomorrow. a few brighter breaks around

today but if you have got them you are one of the lucky few because for most it's that grey, looming cloud overhead once again, fairly damp day as well with rain or drizzle here and there. things will change, though, in the next 2a hours, from this weather front. through the rest of today that is going to start bring a bit more rain to the northern isles, the western isles, also across the highlands. but you'll notice just to the north—west of it, sunshine will come through. so you mayjust get a glimpse of the sunset before it disappears in the western isles. elsewhere, though, we stick with plenty of cloud, something a little bit wetter towards the south—west at times as well through this afternoon. but as i said, one or two breaks possible. another cool day with temperatures in single figures. into tonight, that weather front starts to push its way southwards. you can see, clearing skies, wintry over the very tops of the scottish mountains. an area from north wales, northern england, northwards, the temperature chart shows some blues, indicating there could be some frost, even a bit of ice around for tomorrow morning in the south, though, not for tomorrow morning. in the south, though, not

as cold, but it will still be a chilly start and if you are waking up to grey and gloomy conditions first thing, stay with it, because this is the weather front which will push away that cloud during the first part of tomorrow morning. so brightening skies across the south, turning drierfor a time. there will be a few showers in the west, through the morning especially. but for the west of scotland, northern ireland, make the most of the morning sunshine because through the afternoon the cloud returns here and we will see some outbreaks of rain, especially in the western highlands. another cool day, though, by and large, but the offset is a bit more sunshine, it will probably actually feel a bit more pleasant than it has done so far this week. then as we go through into saturday night, actually temperatures rise through the night for all of us. south—westerly winds will be pushing in, making it a much milder day for everyone into sunday. but the cloud will return as a consequence of that, unfortunately — milder weather at this time of year usually means cloudy conditions. but it won't be the gloom we've had of recent days. too much breeze for that. and there will be some breaks in the cloud, so there will be some brightness at times, but it's in western scotland where the cloud will bring some outbreaks of rain on and off throughout the day and they

will mount up as we go into next week. but here is the big change. temperatures for all, double figures, if not the low teens, so it will feel much milder, even though there will be more of a breeze. and we will continue with the milder theme into next week. breezy at times, there will be outbreaks of rain coming and going, too, with the odd brighter spell in between. see you soon. live from damascus, in syria, this is bbc news. victory day across syria. people are gathering in squares across this country to mark the end of the 50 year reign of the assad family. we will be live

from the square behind me. crowds are also gathering at the grand mosque of damascus. for friday prayers. another day of commemoration. i am martin cox. the other main story this hour. —— i'm martine croxall. the other main stories this hour: the uk economy shrank for the second month in a row in october, after official figures showed a 0.1% drop. the french president emmanuel macron is expected to name a new prime minister today, after the collapse of his government last week. scientists discover how neanderthals played a key role in the survival of early humans 118,000 year ago. welcome to damascus to our special coverage of the first friday since the toppling of 50 years of the assad family's oppressive rule. the day being

called victory