live from london, this is bbc news... the coffin bearing the former us presidentjimmy carter will arrive in washington dc in the coming hours — ahead of his funeral on thursday. this is the scene outside the carter centre, in georgia, where ceremonial troops will be arriving shortly. lam gary i am gary o'donnell who, at the capitol, where the public will get their chance over the next two days to pay their respect to the 39th president of the united states. meta, the owner of facebook and instagram, announces an end to fact—checking on its platforms —

a powerful earthquake hits china's tibet region, near mount everest — at least 126 people are dead and hundreds more injured. the far—right french politician, jean—marie le pen, has died at the age of 96. let's start in the us — because a significant few hours ahead, with the coffin bearing the former us president, jimmy carter, moving from georgia to washington, to lie in state in the capitol rotunda. let's take you live to atlanta now — where ceremonies are getting under way at the carter presidential center. we have seen some of the band is already arriving there. president carter has been lying

in repose there since sunday where for member of the public have been paying their respects. he died last month, at the age of 100. today, his family will accompany the coffin as it travels to dobbins air base, in georgia, for his final journey to washington dc. our senior north america correspondent, gary o'donoghue, is at the us capitol in washington. the final journey will begin the finaljourney will begin in the next little while to washington. just talk me through how the rest of the day goes. through how the rest of the day noes. , through how the rest of the day oes. , u, ," ., " , goes. his casket will make its wa on goes. his casket will make its way on a _ goes. his casket will make its way on a plane _ goes. his casket will make its way on a plane to _ goes. his casket will make its way on a plane to an - goes. his casket will make its way on a plane to an air - goes. his casket will make its way on a plane to an air base| way on a plane to an air base in maryland, just outside of washington, dc, the airforce base that is i was used for presidents to come and go for. from there, it will travel to the navy memorial, because of course jimmy

the navy memorial, because of coursejimmy carter the navy memorial, because of course jimmy carter was the navy memorial, because of coursejimmy carter was a navy officer after the second world war. after that they will be some speeches and tribute is paid by bipartisan groups and the leader of congress. his coffin will lie in state here at the capitol until thursday, where at the public will get their chance to pay their respects before that full state funeral takes place on thursday morning at the national cathedral here in washington. in terms of that state funeral, there will be president biden, but also former presidents, obama and.— but also former presidents, obama and. , g ., �* obama and. yes, joe biden will cive the obama and. yes, joe biden will give the eulogy _ obama and. yes, joe biden will give the eulogy for— obama and. yes, joe biden will give the eulogy forjimmy - give the eulogy forjimmy carter, we know that something thatjimmy carter asked him to do. all the living presidents will be there. it takes place at the national if here in

washington. from there, jimmy carter's washington. from there, jimmy ca rter�*s casket washington. from there, jimmy carter's casket will travel back to plains, georgia, where he grew up. she will be laid to rest alongside his wife, who died at the age of 96. they work the longest presidential couple ever, they were married for 77 years. he was 100 when he died, an extraordinary life. more than 44 years of a life after being president of the united states, in which he accomplished so much in terms of his charitable work, his work with democracy around the world, his world with supporting elections and human rights around the world. i think that's one of the parts of his legacy people will focus on quite a lot. back in the 70s when he was president, the whole movement around human rights and normative values was

very new, and love something he introduced into the world dialogue. mil introduced into the world dialogue-— dialogue. all of that lies ahead. but _ dialogue. all of that lies ahead. but you - dialogue. all of that lies ahead. but you can - dialogue. all of that lies ahead. but you can see| dialogue. all of that lies i ahead. but you can see the pictures coming into us from atlanta, with the coffin being born there. so, the beginnings of this finaljourney, born there. so, the beginnings of this final journey, arriving from the rotunda on capitol hill. they are, the coffin of the 39th us president moves from the carter center. initially, the cortege will head to that airport for that flight to washington. let me just put the sound up and you can hear a little more of what is happening there. band plays.

studio: moving movements, after of course so many members of the public in georgia had the opportunity to file past the coffin and paid their respects. we will see that in the coming daysin we will see that in the coming days in washington as well, because ordinary members of the public willjoin politicians public will join politicians for similar scenes public willjoin politicians for similar scenes there in the

rotunda. jimmy carter's four rotunda. jimmy ca rter�*s four children rotunda. jimmy carter's four children there in landsat will be escorting the coffin on its journey. with me over the last hour or so is ourfour —— offer arthur milnes was a friend of president carter's and he's author of the book, "98 reasons to thank jimmy carter". you will be that at that state funeral, you have been invited by the carter family. you talked about your friendship over 20 years withjimmy carter, how he stayed at your house in one particular visit. for viewers who perhaps missed that, just tell us once again how you came to know that, just tell us once again how you came to knoinmmy carter and for him to become such a close friend. he became m hero

such a close friend. he became my here when _ such a close friend. he became my hero when i _ such a close friend. he became my hero when i was _ such a close friend. he became my hero when i was probably . such a close friend. he became | my hero when i was probably 12 or 13, when he became president. my mother never spoke politics, never come up with one exception. she always said the same thing, she would sayjimmy carter is a good and decent man. she also would often say that with president carter in the white house, it was one of the rare times during her life in the cold war that she felt safe, knowing that she felt safe, knowing that it was jimmy carter whose finger was on the proverbial nuclear deterrent button. so i carried interest for board. i try to get interviews with him through the carter center, and the answer was always no. then i weighed in at the paper that he taught sunday school, and this was open to the public and you will get to meet the president. about 45 minute

later, i had return tickets to atlanta, rented a car, when off to this mysterious, rural, southwest georgia, and i got to meet the man and a politician i admired most. iwish meet the man and a politician i admired most. i wish i could tell you i was a hard betting journalist and asked them all these tough questions. i didn't, i choked, these tough questions. i didn't, ichoked, i these tough questions. i didn't, i choked, iwas these tough questions. i didn't, i choked, i was too nervous. thatjust continue for years to stop eventually, i edited a book about him from the canadian standpoint, the canadian tribute. but all the great work you done with the canadians who worked alongside him when he was in office. after that, the local university here in ytd carter's

to accept on degrees. when that was confirmed, i phoned the prison and asked him to stay with us. he was quite relieved. i told them there was a dress code. i totem that he has got to wearjeans. i said, don't expect me to my any big shots from the university over. it willjust be the four of us, so you won't have to be on show, and he very much liked that. one of the great honour as we had was he and mrs carter each planted a ceremonial tree in our garden, which we treasure today and we have proudly placed little plaques on them. in the future, when we are gone, whoever lives here we hope will keep the trees where they are. when i heard he passed on sunday, the first thing i've done was i took a

cup of tea out and ijust thing i've done was i took a cup of tea out and i just sat and just reflected on this man's an incredible legacy, joined by his wife, and help millions of lives were impacted across the world. i'm just so on the mines was one of those lives. , , ., lives. let me 'ust pause and 'ust lives. let me 'ust pause and just describe _ lives. let me just pause and just describe what _ lives. let me just pause and just describe what viewers l lives. let me just pause and l just describe what viewers are seeing. we saw the coffin and placed into the hearse. 0f placed into the hearse. of course, the crowd there are members of the cultural centre staff, the volunteers, the interns, their spouses, their children, thejimmy carter children, the jimmy carter library children, thejimmy carter library staff, the museum staff, theirfamilies all library staff, the museum staff, their families all their — all are staff, their families all their — allare taking staff, their families all their — all are taking these final moments, theirfinal thoughts, and just pausing there in the quiet. we had the band a little

bit earlier, but is now a quiet settling on the scene before the cortege heads off to the airbase in georgia, with that flight will take off. you spoke then of meeting jimmy carter and not being a hard—nosed journalist. in terms of his reflections, did he talk at all about only having one term as a president? because so much work was done after the presidency, but it must have been deeply winding to only serve one term. and the consensus at the time, there's been a reflection on 39th presidency and perhaps a rewriting of it, but certainly the consensus at the time was

of failure, in part. he the consensus at the time was of failure, in part.— of failure, in part. he always ket of failure, in part. he always ke -t his of failure, in part. he always kept his eye _ of failure, in part. he always kept his eye on _ of failure, in part. he always kept his eye on once - of failure, in part. he always kept his eye on once he - of failure, in part. he always kept his eye on once he was| kept his eye on once he was defeated. if there is one thing i would really angered him as his life went on was he didn't like it if you called him a great ex—president. because he thought that diminish what he accomplished in the white house, and i would agree. he viewed his post—presidency as a continuation of what he had started in the white house. he was doing projects that he had started working on while he was at the 39th president, and he was continuing them, through the carter center and on his own. but as we are seeing with these tributes, that billy pope who turned out to be pretty big and has impacts were so large.

i remember him and i talking about it once down in plains, how he didn't like to be called that great ex—president, and i agreed with him. aha, that great ex-president, and i agreed with him.— agreed with him. a final thought _ agreed with him. a final thought before - agreed with him. a final thought before you - agreed with him. a final| thought before you leave others. in terms ofjust that partnership with his wife of so many decades, that was so crucial tojimmy carter, wasn't crucial to jimmy carter, wasn't it? crucial tojimmy carter, wasn't it? the way he operated, the way he thought, everything he did. he way he thought, everything he did. ., , , ., did. he would be the first to tell ou did. he would be the first to tell you this, _ did. he would be the first to tell you this, he _ did. he would be the first to tell you this, he would - did. he would be the first to| tell you this, he would never be the president, governor, state centre, anything in his career— without rosa lin carter. they were married 77 years, it was and in full partnership. they even knew each other longer than 77

years. jimmy carter's mother was the only nurse in plains, georgia, and when roselyn was born, jamie's mother delivered her. they literally knew each other her. the