our headlines today: firefighters battle desperately to contain the largest of the deadly wildfires in los angeles as winds pick up, threatening to fan the flames and further the devastation. at least 16 people are now known to have died, with that figure expected to rise. also this morning, a police officer has died after she was hit by a lorry in north yorkshire while helping at the scene of a road accident. more disruption for rail passengers. train managers on avanti west coast begin weekly strike action set to last until late may. in sport, the shock of the fa cup third round so far! premier league brentford knocked out by the championship�*s bottom side, plymouth argyle, just two weeks after they sacked manager wayne rooney. good morning. in terms of the snow,

ice and very low temperatures, we are out of the worst of it now. yes, there is a frost out there this morning, but for many of us it is going to turn milder, breezy, with more cloud in northern and western areas. i'll bring you the full forecast very shortly. it's sunday, 12th january. our main story: as the death toll rises to 16, firefighters in california are battling desperately to stop the largest wildfire in los angeles from spreading. the palisades fire has already expanded by another thousand acres and with strong winds forecast in the coming days, there are concerns it could escalate further. our correspondent helena humphrey reports. still the fires grow. hungry and unrelenting. as firefighters remain locked in a battle against nature's fury. from the sky, it is an all—out assault to keep the largest of these deadly wildfires, in the pacific palisades, from spreading any

further, bombarding the flaming hills with water and fire retardant. meanwhile on the ground, the national guard is out in force. a nighttime curfew is in effect, to clampdown on profiting from the chaos. g clampdown on profiting from the chaos. �* ., ., . ., ., ., chaos. a lot of crime, a lot of eo - le chaos. a lot of crime, a lot of peeple trying _ chaos. a lot of crime, a lot of peeple trying to _ chaos. a lot of crime, a lot of people trying to steal - chaos. a lot of crime, a lot of people trying to steal things, | chaos. a lot of crime, a lot of. people trying to steal things, but if you protect yourself and your family, i mean, i have to be there to protect my wife, my son, my kids, my mom, and i cannot even go and see them. i have been on the street for three days. luckily my sister lives down the street, or i would be on the street. but down the street, or i would be on the street-— down the street, or i would be on the street. �* , , . the street. but this unprecedented crisis is also _ the street. but this unprecedented crisis is also bringing _ the street. but this unprecedented crisis is also bringing out _ the street. but this unprecedented crisis is also bringing out the - the street. but this unprecedented crisis is also bringing out the best| crisis is also bringing out the best in humanity. at a local shelter in pasadena, volunteers are caring for more than a50 animals, dropped off by evacueess orfound more than a50 animals, dropped off by evacueess or found wandering amid the destruction. 0thers by evacueess or found wandering amid the destruction. others who escaped with only the clothes on their backs are desperately searching for the beloved pets they lost in the scramble to get out. survivors here

have lost everything, entire homes reduced to rubble. and with days of winds now forecast, it is a race against time to stop these fires from spreading further. los angeles knows it needs all the help that can get, and with a change of administration looming in washington, local officials say they have yet to hear from the incoming president. i have yet to hear from the incoming resident. ., ., ., president. i wrote a letter to president-elect _ president. i wrote a letter to president-elect trump - president. i wrote a letter to i president-elect trump inviting president. i wrote a letter to - president-elect trump inviting him president—elect trump inviting him to engage in wildfire recovery efforts and to visit the county to see the impact first—hand that it has on economic individual for now, it is all hands on deck. firefighting crews have arrived from across the united states, with mexico and canada sending in battle tested teams of their own. they know that any pickup in the now notorious santana wins could wipe out their

hard—won progress in an instant. —— santa ana winds. 0ur north america correspondent david willis joins us now from altadena in los angeles. david, the situation changing hour by hour in some places, what is it looking like now? you by hour in some places, what is it looking like now?— by hour in some places, what is it looking like now? you are absolutely riaht, looking like now? you are absolutely riuht, it looking like now? you are absolutely riaht, it is looking like now? you are absolutely right. it is very _ looking like now? you are absolutely right, it is very volatile _ looking like now? you are absolutely right, it is very volatile indeed, - right, it is very volatile indeed, ben, a massive operation is under way at the moment, the firefighters from the largest blaze, pacific palisades fire, they are fighting to prevent the flames from getting into the upscale neighbourhood of brentwood, which is where celebrities such as arnold schwarzenegger and gwyneth paltrow call home. there was a change in the wins. they had in making progress by dropping large amounts of water and flame retardant from aircraft

overhead, but then the winds turned, they proved very tricky over the last few hours, and suddenly there was this new threat. in the evacuation zone, which has been widened, is the getty centre. that is a hilltop museum containing thousands of priceless works of art. a big operation under way at the moment to try to curtail the spread of that particularfire. moment to try to curtail the spread of that particular fire. meanwhile, the los angeles coroners department has said it is investigating 16 wildfire related deaths, and officials here are saying they expect the death toll to grow quite considerably. expect the death toll to grow quite considerably-— considerably. david, many thanks indeed for the _ considerably. david, many thanks indeed for the date. _ considerably. david, many thanks indeed for the date. we _ considerably. david, many thanks indeed for the date. we will- indeed for the date. we will continue to monitor developments in los angeles through the morning and bring those to you here on first. —— breakfast. a north yorkshire police officer has been killed after being hit by a lorry. constable rosie prior had pulled

over to help other motorists who had been in a separate collision on the a19 at bagby yesterday morning when she was struck by the hgv. we are nowjoined by our correspondent simonjones. simon, what more do we know? well, the police have described what happened is heartbreaking. pc prior, who is based in york, was called to a crash involving two cars yesterday morning on the a 19, just before nine o'clock. she got out of her vehicle and she was standing on the verge by the side of the road with the driver of one of the cars and his teenage passenger, when all three of them were hit by a passing lorry. the police officer died along with the driver of the car, ryan welford, and the teenage passenger has been taken to hospital, where he remains in a serious but stable condition. now, the driver of the

lorry, a 65—year—old, has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. we have had a tribute from the family of pc prior, they described her as a loving daughter, a loving mother, a loving daughter, a loving mother, a loving aunt, saying that she will be greatly missed. we have also had a tribute from the family of mr welford, who say that he was loving and hard—working and he will be greatly missed by his family and friends. now, the police are appealing to witnesses to both collisions, they are especially keen to hear from anybody who may have any — cam footage of what happened. for the force, it is a very difficult incident to deal with, the police say they are offering support to the colleagues of pc prior. hundreds of rail managers at avanti west coast have gone on strike today in the first of a rolling series of walkouts. the dispute is over rest day working, with rmt union members walking out each sunday until the end of may. our business correspondent marc ashdown has more.

it is all aboard for a potentially frustrating day of train disruption across a big swathe of the uk rail network. avanti trains runs the length and breadth of britain, but very few will be running today, with some areas getting no service at all. train managers, who are members of the rmt union, rejected a revised offer about working on rest days, so they walked out on new year's eve in january two, and now plan to go on strike on each of the next 20 consecutive sundays. just one train per hour will run between london houston and each of birmingham, manchester, liverpool and preston. they will only run between 8am and five p.m. glasgow and carlisle will have a limited service, with rail replacement buses running between carlisle and preston, due to planned engineering work. and north wales, blackpool, stoke—on—trent and macclesfield will have no avante coast services whatsoever. —— avanti

west coast. both sides save our open and willing to negotiate, but have criticised one another. the general secretary, nick lynch, accused avanti of paying its own senior managers extortionate rates are working on their days off, while those who are union members were paid lower rates. avanti said it was disappointed by the strike action and bank passengers that their patience and understanding. it said customers with tickets for strike days were strongly advised to travel on alternative dates, or they could claim a full fee free refund. the government will unveil a new artificial intelligence plan tomorrow, aimed at driving more innovation. ministers say they will attract more ai companies to the uk by shifting away from what they're calling away from what they're calling the former conservative government's the former conservative government's "overbearing focus on safety." "overbearing focus on safety." the foreign secretary travelled the foreign secretary travelled to saudi arabia for talks on syria's to saudi arabia for talks on syria's future, one month after the collapse future, one month after the collapse of the assad regime. of the assad regime. david lammy is expected to offer david lammy is expected to offer british help in organising british help in organising humanitarian efforts humanitarian efforts during the talks in riyadh during the talks in riyadh with the new syrian authorities, with the new syrian authorities, as well as arab countries as well as arab countries

and european allies. and european allies.

london has lived in properties in london that were given to her by allies of the regime. now, the current leader of bangladesh has given an interview to the sunday times, and in it he calls on tulip siddiq to apologise and says that if recently. see.

calls on tulip siddiq to apologise and says that if. recently. to what we've seen recently. see, i wasn't wrong! _ to what we've seen recently. see, i wasn't wrong! he _ to what we've seen recently. see, i wasn't wrong! he is _ to what we've seen recently. see, i wasn't wrong! he is after _ to what we've seen recently. see, i wasn't wrong! he is after your - to what we've seen recently. see, i wasn't wrong! he is after yourjob, | wasn't wrong! he is after your “ob, simon. wasn't wrong! he is after your “ob, srmon. see — wasn't wrong! he is after your “ob, srmon. see mi wasn't wrong! he is after your “ob, simon. see you later. i today marks exactly 25 years since the ban on lgbt people serving in the british armed forces was lifted. under the ban, lgbt people faced intrusive interrogations, the shame of dishonourable discharge, and criminal convictions, leaving a lasting impact on their lives. 0ur reporterjosh parry has more. 199a. nelson mandela becomes a south africa's first black president. the world wide web is officially born. and for the first time, women are ordained into the church of england. but veterans like these are being interrogated, arrested and in some cases, imprisoned. the crime — being 9“- cases, imprisoned. the crime — being gay. i cases, imprisoned. the crime - being .a _ ., , ~' cases, imprisoned. the crime - being gay. i really knew what it meant to be ca gay. i really knew what it meant to be gay then- _ gay. i really knew what it meant to be gay them just _ gay. i really knew what it meant to be gay then. just literally - gay. i really knew what it meant to be gay then. just literally had - gay. i really knew what it meant to be gay then. just literally had to i

be gay then. just literally had to keep everything under wraps. ibis be gay then. just literally had to keep everything under wraps. figs 5; keep everything under wraps. as a trans person _ keep everything under wraps. as a trans person you _ keep everything under wraps. as a trans person you are _ keep everything under wraps. as a trans person you are assumed to be at a man_ trans person you are assumed to be at a man as — trans person you are assumed to be at a man as a — trans person you are assumed to be at a man as a trans woman. so the consequences of that were that i would _ consequences of that were that i would be — consequences of that were that i would be dismissed from the military _ would be dismissed from the military. ed would be dismissed from the milita . . , , would be dismissed from the milita . ., , , ., , :: , military. ed was in his early 20s when his bosses _ military. ed was in his early 20s when his bosses found - military. ed was in his early 20s when his bosses found out - military. ed was in his early 20s| when his bosses found out about military. ed was in his early 20s - when his bosses found out about his sexuality. he lost his job, when his bosses found out about his sexuality. he lost hisjob, his university place and was left homeless. i university place and was left homeless. ., , ., ., ., university place and was left homeless. ., ., ., ., homeless. i was interrogated for two da s b homeless. i was interrogated for two days by special _ homeless. i was interrogated for two days by special investigation - days by special investigation branch, the sib. i was extremely young, i had no real support around me. everything i thought i was going to do in my life had collapsed in front of me. to do in my life had collapsed in front of me— to do in my life had collapsed in front of me. years later, a group called the _ front of me. years later, a group called the rank— front of me. years later, a group called the rank outsiders - front of me. years later, a groupj called the rank outsiders became front of me. years later, a group l called the rank outsiders became a lifeline for ed. i called the rank outsiders became a lifeline for ed.— lifeline for ed. i turned up at pride i lifeline for ed. i turned up at pride i think _ lifeline for ed. i turned up at pride i think probably - lifeline for ed. i turned up at pride i think probably 1993. l lifeline for ed. i turned up at - pride i think probably 1993. robert e lee and elaine chambers had founded this extraordinary organisation 1414 00:17:48,048 --> 0