damian grammaticas, thank you. _ the outcome of the pandemic. damian grammaticas, thank you. microsoft to take over the makers of candy crush. the competition and markets authority had originally blocked a £59 billion deal to buy activision blizzard but it has now been approved. it paves the way for the biggest buyout in video game history. nasa has launched a spacecraft on a six—year mission to an asteroid that could be made of more than just rock. scientists think it has a metallic surface made up of iron, nickel and even gold. the asteroid, called psyche, could be the remnants of an ancient planet, as our science editor, rebecca morelle, reports. three, two, one, engine ignition. leaving the earth behind. and lift—off for falcon heavy - and psyche, on a mission to a metal asteroid in deep space. the start of a 2 billion—mile journey, and this is its destination, a huge metallic space rock called psyche. we are going to go and see a kind of world that humans have never seen before. we don't have any close—up pictures of it. we do not know what it looks like. to me that's th

thanks so much, damian grammaticas- _ secretary. thanks so much, damian grammaticas. grammaticas. and of course, - secretary. thanks so much, damian grammaticas. and of course, when | secretary. thanks so much, damian - grammaticas. and of course, when one thinks about the trauma in israel following the unprecedented massacre by militants from gaza onto israeli soil on the 7th of october, killing 1,400 people there, that also included british nationals who were amongst the dead and missing as well. storm babet has been making its presence felt in the sense we have had some heavy rain and strong winds. and that will continue through the day. the met office have is highest level of warning the red warning in force for angus and south aberdeenshire for heavy rain and that comes into play at 1808 and last until noon tomorrow. you can see over the next few days all of us are going to see some rain, but the heaviest will be across north east scotland and the pennines, where some parts will have in excess of 100 millilitres. as we go through the rest of today, then come at 1

damian grammaticas, at westminster, thank you.ages in southern lebanon in the early hours of this morning. it comes after iran threatened pre—emptive action against israel ahead of any possible ground incursion into gaza. it's likely to involve the lebanon—based group hezbollah. 0ur correspondent anna foster joins us now from the israel—lebanon border. give us a sense of the situation there this lunchtime. this border has always _ there this lunchtime. this border has always been _ there this lunchtime. this border has always been tense _ there this lunchtime. this border has always been tense but - there this lunchtime. this border has always been tense but never| there this lunchtime. this border. has always been tense but never for a long time active the way we have seenin a long time active the way we have seen in the last two weeks, since the massacre in the south of the country, we have seen a steady building and exchanges of fire between lebanon and israel. hezbollah, the powerful military and political group in lebanon, li

damian grammaticas, bbc news, manchester. eardley, is in manchester. let's look at the bigger picture, with an election expected sometime next year, how important do you think this party conference is for the conservatives?— think this party conference is for the conservatives? there is no doubt it is crucial- — the conservatives? there is no doubt it is crucial- l — the conservatives? there is no doubt it is crucial. i think— the conservatives? there is no doubt it is crucial. i think with _ the conservatives? there is no doubt it is crucial. i think with this - it is crucial. i think with this conference and labour�*s next week you are going to see the two main parties are starting to see the long race towards a general election next year. it is even more important for the conservatives because rishi sunak has made it clear that over the next few days he wants to persuade all of us he has big ideas to change the country. we had the rishi sunak who pitched himself as the man who would stabilise the economy and he has now got

for more on this, i'm joined from westminster by our political correspondent damian grammaticas. the pps job from a conservative mp, and of course we have heard from downing street on that. is that a sentiment that is wide in the party, do you think? we've not seen so much, no, in the party, but what was interesting here is that these were comments made in a letter that paul bristow had sent to rishi sunak, which he, paul bristow, the mp then, publicised on his own facebook account. that was actually done last week, it was more that the reporting of it which happened today, more widespread reporting, and that that is what seems to have prompted the government to step in and act. in his letter, mr bristow had said that his letter, mr bristow had said that his constituents were deeply aggrieved by the devastating humanitarian crisis in gaza, and it was difficult to understand how what was difficult to understand how what was happening made israel more secure. and he called for a permanent ceasefire. what the government has said is that that goes against the principle of collective

who joins with our political correspondent damian grammaticas whojoins me now from westminster.s here. there are so many from trying along with other international leaders to avoid an escalation to the fate of british passport holders, amongst those taken from israel by militants into the gaza strip on the 7th of october and the fate of british passport holders amongst the palestinian civilian population in gaza that the uk would like to get out. , ., �* , out. yes, that's right. let me tell ou, we out. yes, that's right. let me tell you. we have _ out. yes, that's right. let me tell you. we have just _ out. yes, that's right. let me tell you, we have just got _ out. yes, that's right. let me tell you, we have just got now - out. yes, that's right. let me tell you, we have just got now what l out. yes, that's right. let me tell i you, we have just got now what they called the readout, so the official sort of brief summary of mr macro's first meeting with the israeli president, which has been sent out through the usual downing street channels —— mr rishi sunak�*s and i can take y

england and wales, and argue that these would be a better use of public money. 0ur correspondent damian grammaticasight conference crowd, rishi sunak. relaxed and silent. he has

the bbc�*s political correspondent, damian grammaticas, is in manchester for the conservative conference spoke to me earlier. an election could be one year, a little bit less, a little bit more away. he clearly wants to send a message that he can be someone who can take difficult decision and grapple with these. an important question, tax. many of his party signed a pledge saying they are unhappy that taxes under this conservative government have been raised higher, or more than in any comparable period since the second world war. they want those taxes down. one of his cabinet ministers, michael gove, said this morning that he thinks taxes should come down before any election, and so rishi sunak was asked about it, this is what he said. your close colleague has said you should commit to cutting taxes for working people, will you make that commitment? the best tax cut we can give is to cut inflation. so you won't? now, mr sunak was pressed several times, and he did not commit to it. that will trouble his party. he talked about inflation being a tax cut, which is a comparison he likes to m

our political correspondent, damian grammaticas, joins me now.today is part of a longer visits. rishi sunak hopes to meet leaders in the arab world as well. he hopes to meet leaders in the arab world as well.— world as well. he does, although details of that _ world as well. he does, although details of that have _ world as well. he does, although details of that have not - world as well. he does, although details of that have not been - details of that have not been released at the minute. downing street have told us this is expected to be a two—day trip, so going on to tomorrow but the details where he will go have not been released. it is unclear if they had been finalised, and they say it is because it is a fluid situation. we wait to see. he's had that a meeting with the israeli president isaac herzog, where you hit the comments, and he's gone into the meeting with benjamin netanyahu. that is the key meeting because that is the one where rishi sunak will sit down and discuss these issues that he wants to see talked about, so talking about su

between some of borisjohnson�*s senior advisors in downing street our political correspondent damian grammaticasnal".

our correspondent damian grammaticas has more. brushing his way through the late—night conference crowd, rishi sunak. relaxed and silent. he has made his mind up, it is the end of h52 to manchester. this is what the pm was saying 2a hours ago. what manchester. this is what the pm was saying 24 hours ago.- was saying 24 hours ago. what i wanted it is _ was saying 24 hours ago. what i wanted it is the _ was saying 24 hours ago. what i wanted it is the right _ was saying 24 hours ago. what i wanted it is the right decision i wanted it is the right decision for the country. this is an enormous amount of people's money, taxpayer money, everybody watching, billions of pounds, we should not be rushed into things like that was what people want from me is to take time to go over it properly and make sure you make the the right long—term decision. this right long-term decision. this is what hs2 — right long-term decision. this is what hs2 was _ right long—term decision. this is what hsz was hoping to is what hs2 was hoping to change, the ex

our political correspondent damian grammaticas is in at the conservative party conference in manchestere i've been to many of his conferences and the best conversations i the conversation tapping away from the arena and talking about that high—speed railway hs2? i arena and talking about that high-speed railway h52? high-speed railway hst? i have to sa when high-speed railway h52? i have to say when being — high-speed railway h52? i have to say when being allowed _ high-speed railway h52? i have to say when being allowed people . high-speed railway h52? i have to l say when being allowed people have been talking about is there scratching their heads and wondering why this issue has been allowed to become something that is dominated the conversation seer because we do not know what the prime minister is thinking or when he is going to announce that. it could come tomorrow morning at his big speech that he does on the final day but a lot of people in the party and others, there are many people here were business people and observers, academics, lobbyists will flock here to mingle with the

let's speak to our correspondent damian grammaticas in westminster. he is in manchester. hello. to date with some of the developments on this. i understand there is news tonight on the birmingham — manchester leg. there is news tonight on the birmingham - manchester leg. well, there is talk— birmingham - manchester leg. well, there is talk for _ birmingham - manchester leg. well, there is talk for it _ birmingham - manchester leg. well, there is talk for it seems _ there is talk for it seems increasingly likely that the prime minister will lay out some sort of decision in the morning when he delivers a big speech here. and his big speech of his conference on the final day. the senses that what he is likely to say is that he is essentially scrapping that northern half of the project. that may be, they may try to finesse that and say well, actually the trains will still run because they will go halfway and then they will go slower on the existing tracks. that essentially will be scrapping the deal. it is a huge thing as you say, this is a project a decade more in the baking. massi

live now to the bbc�*s damian grammaticas, who is at the conservative conference.to see you. rishi sunak did a big interview in the last hour or so, what do you take from it? he did. this was on _ what do you take from it? he did. this was on the _ what do you take from it? he did. this was on the bbc— what do you take from it? he did. this was on the bbc sunday - what do you take from it? he did. this was on the bbc sunday with l this was on the bbc sunday with laura kuenssberg programme, the curtain raiser to this event, and very clearly there you heard a prime minister who is trying to set out his stall. you said it might be his last conference before an election, but it is actually his first conference, because this time one year ago he was not my minister, it was liz truss. her prime minister ship exploded quite spectacularly, rishi sunak is now my minister, and this is his first appearance on this big stage, where you get a chance not to talkjust big stage, where you get a chance not to talk just to the conservative party, but to the wider country, and as you

between some of borisjohnson�*s senior advisors in downing street our political correspondent damian grammaticaseports. it's time for politics to deliver, folks! borisjohnson�*s downfall. the covid inquiry heard today his government was "dysfunctional". and at the heart of things, his wife carrie, or so the messages revealed today claim. they were exchanged in october 2020 by dominic cummings — the prime minister's controversial chief adviser, often seen as a power unto himself — and two other men, including simon case. mrjohnson had only recently appointed him cabinet secretary, the country's top civil servant. the prime minister wanted a plan for regional lockdowns for england. the men say they think the idea has come from carrie. simon case says, "i'm not sure i can cope. i'm going to scream." adding, "i was always told that dom was the secret pm. "the real person in charge is carrie." america's defence secretary tells the israelis that hamas is worse than isis but says it's a time to respond, not for revenge. palestinians, meanwhile, fear an israeli invasion and a new chapter of dispossessio

damian grammaticas, bbc news, manchester. political correspondent, henry zeffman, is at the conservative party conference in manchester. henry, we have expected this announcement for a while but now we know and now i guess the question is, how is the prime minister going to persuade people particularly in the north of england that he will still spend money, still invest, and still spend money, still invest, and still keep them happy? i still spend money, still invest, and still keep them happy?— still spend money, still invest, and still keep them happy? i think rishi sunak has three _ still keep them happy? i think rishi sunak has three tasks _ still keep them happy? i think rishi sunak has three tasks in _ still keep them happy? i think rishi sunak has three tasks in his - still keep them happy? i think rishi sunak has three tasks in his speech today, jon. number one, to explain what is going on with hsz. number two, to explain who he is, and number three, to explain why he is different. let's start with hsz. it's clear now

damian grammaticas, thank you very much indeed. we can turn now to speak to dr sherifa zuhur.ats and it is also administrating gaza - hamas. yes, it has many hats and it is also administrating gaza for- hamas. yes, it has many hats and it is also administrating gaza for 17 - is also administrating gaza for 17 years, so it is in fact the government of that area, paying teachers and all manner of workers in the municipality. and hamas is not today our grandfathers' hamas or even the hamas of the last engagement with israel. it was founded first as a religious study organisation, resistance organisation. had to compete with other parties and movements for the loyalties of young palestinians. so, armed resistance was a way to prove to them it was committed to the palestinian cause. if you remember, israel, you know, invaded lebanon, besieged beirut, succeeded in having the plo taken out and exiled to tunis. that left the way clear for hamas. and hamas was more trusted than years later after the organisation came back from tunis. it really did win the vote of the people, as much as