dominic casciani, bbc news, at the high court.at swept across south—west france and northern spain have left dozens stranded and at least one person dead, with officials evacuating homes flooded by rivers breaking their banks, and no end to the flooding in sight. our reporter stephanie prentice has this report. this used to be a suburban street and these were family homes. the rain in spain has created chaos for many when the river broke its banks and spared nothing. cars, homes, belongings all submerged. translation: i belongings all submerged. translation:— belongings all submerged. translation: ., �* , translation: i don't remember an hinu translation: i don't remember anything like _ translation: i don't remember anything like this. _ translation: i don't remember anything like this. it _ translation: i don't remember anything like this. it is _ anything like this. it is impossible. the houses are flooded. , , ., . impossible. the houses are flooded. , , ., flooded. residents watch from hi . her flooded. residents watch from h

dominic casciani, bbc news, at the high court.t is warning of a deeply concerning situation, as new data confirms that the 0micron variant in the uk is growing rapidly in all regions, and could be the dominant strain here within the next week. the uk health security agency is suggesting that vaccine protection against mild symptoms has been substantially reduced, but that boosters are effective. here's our medical editor fergus walsh. the 0micron variant is spreading incredibly fast, despite our highly immunised population. the growth rate is higher than last christmas, when very few had been vaccinated and the alpha variant hit. new data shows that if you have had two doses of vaccine more than three months ago, it is unlikely to prevent you getting infected with 0micron or stop you from passing it on. but if you had a booster, it is likely to give 75% protection against a mild infection with 0micron. that booster should give even greater immunity against severe disease. but it is the sheer growth rate of 0micron which is worryin

dominic casciani has this report. free, freejulian assange!t, but is it the end of the road in washington for a man who has been wanted for a decade? today, the high court ruled julian assange should go on trial in the us for disclosing state secrets. his supporters say he'll kill himself injail, the americans say they'll treat him humanely. mr assange�*s partner says those assurances are worthless. the high court decided againstjulian on this occasion on the basis of political assurances. amnesty international has analysed these assurances and has said that they are inherently unreliable. it's taken 11 years to get here. in 2010, julian assange�*s wikilea ks posted video of iraqi civilians killed by us forces. just one of thousands of us secrets. two years later, he flees into the ecuadorian embassy in london. in 2018, the us begins preparing a prosecution. the next year, assange is removed from the embassy, and he's been in a british jail cell ever since. for his supporters, julian assange is a warrior for truth and justice, but our extradit

our legal affairs correspondent dominic casciani was at the hearing. what happens now, dominic?e is what happens now, dominic? tt 3 means julian assange is one what happens now, dominic? tt 3 meansjulian assange is one step closer to extradition. 0ptions meansjulian assange is one step closer to extradition. options for him are really narrowing now. these yellow ribbons of protest behind me tell part of the story. his supporters think he is a warrior for truth and justice but the high court and the lord chiefjustice in particular said he must stand trial in the united states because not only has a court found that he should face 18 counts of computer intrusion, hacking and leaking state secrets but today they said the us assurances were good enough to make sure that he couldn't kill himself in a us prison, and that includes allowing him to serve a sentence, back home in australia where he is from, so what happens now is the case goes through the procedural phase back to the home secretary, unless julian assange phase back to the home secretary, unlessjulian assange can get it in

our home affairs correspondent dominic casciani has this report.hat his report contains flash photography. police! an early morning raid, part of operation toxic, as police conduct an ongoing investigation into county lines gangs. organised crime groups that control the drugs trade. prime minister boris johnson seeing for himself the challenge the police face. some 300,000 heroin and crack addicts are responsible for nearly half of crimes like burglary and robbery. the prime minister promising his new strategy will change that. we've got to do two things at once. we've got to be tougher on the county lines gangs, we've got to be tougher on the criminals who are doing it, but you've also got to make sure that you find those 300,000 people and you help them away. you can't simply arrest them time after time and put them back in prison again and again. you've got to do rehab as well. the government's ten—year strategy promises £300 million to pursue drugs gangs. it believes it can take down 2,000 county line in three years. police will get help, for m

dominic casciani, bbc news, at the high court.l be remembering mike nesmith — the guitarist with the sixties band the monkees — who's died aged 78 john lennon was shot at the entrance of the dakota building in the centre of new york. there's been a crowd here standing and putting on a silent vigil and the flowers have been piling up. the 14th ceasefire of this war ended at the walls of the old city. witnesses say that the shells were landing every 20 seconds. people are celebrating the passing of a man they hold responsible for hundreds of deaths and oppression. elsewhere, people have been gathering to mourn his passing. the widow of the former president of the philippines has _ gone on trial in manila. i she is facing seven charges of taxl evasion, estimated at £120 million. she pleaded not guilty. the prince and princess of wales are to separate. a statement from buckingham palace said the decision had been reached amicably. this is bbc news, the latest headlines... the us supreme court leaves a controversial texas law banning m

dominic casciani, bbc news, at the high court.ermany's new chancellor. the american president tweeted that he was looking forward to working together on a range of global challenges. it comes as olaf scholz is on a whirlwind tour of europe. he's been calling for unity to tackle the pandemic — and tensions with russia. scholz said he was concerned about a russian build up of troops on the ukraine border. translation: we are, of course, deeply concerned by the events i unfolding along the ukrainian, russian border, and it has to be our responsibility to ensure that everyone can feel safe within their borders and that the border is europe are invaluable. our correspondent damian mcguinness described why scholz�*s itinerary matters. it's always that tradition for the german chancellor to go first to france, for historical reasons, to show that france and germany, after years of bloodshed, they century or over the centuries have now, you know, brought europe together, also, pragmatic reasons, without french and german cooperation commi

dominic casciani has this report. free, freejulian assange!day, the high court ruled julian assange should go on trial in the us for disclosing state secrets. his supporters say he'll kill himself injail, the americans say they'll treat him humanely. mr assange's partner says those assurances are worthless. the high court decided againstjulian on this occasion on the basis of political assurances. amnesty international has analysed these assurances and has said that they are inherently unreliable. it's taken 11 years to get here. in 2010, julian assange's wikileaks posted video of iraqi civilians killed by us forces. just one of thousands of us secrets. two years later, he flees into the ecuadorian embassy in london. in 2018, the us begins preparing a prosecution. the next year, assange is removed from the embassy, and he's been in a britishjail cell ever since. for his supporters, julian assange is a warrior for truth and justice, but our extradition law says he must stand trial for his alleged crimes. his lawyers will try to get the case int

dominic casciani, bbc news, at the high court.columbia university in new york. thank you very much for talking to us here on bbc news. you submitted exert us here on bbc news. you submitted expert testimony _ us here on bbc news. you submitted expert testimony to _ us here on bbc news. you submitted expert testimony to uk _ us here on bbc news. you submitted expert testimony to uk courts - us here on bbc news. you submitted expert testimony to uk courts about | expert testimony to uk courts about the press freedom implications earlier this year — what in summary were you arguing? earlier this year - what in summary were you arguing?— were you arguing? well, the real concern here _ were you arguing? well, the real concern here is _ were you arguing? well, the real concern here is that _ were you arguing? well, the real concern here is that the - were you arguing? well, the real. concern here is that the prosecution ofjulian assange will have implications for journalists who report on national security issues more generally. and the

dominic casciani, bbc news.weeks, according to an expert in infectious diseases. professor paul hunter has told the bbc it's likely omicron is spreading more quickly than the delta variant and that there are probably more than 1000 cases in the uk at the moment. his comments come as one of the scientists who created the oxford/astrazeneca covid vaccine has warned that a future pandemic could be even more deadly than this one. professor dame sarah gilbert says funding is needed to make sure we don't lose the advances made in the last two years in how to prepare for a pandemic. our health correspondent sophie hutchinson has this report. the leader of the opposition this morning doing his bit to boost boosterjabs, seen as the best way to protect people from both the delta and the new variant of omicron. everybody should be getting it. i would encourage absolutely everyone who's eligible to come forward and have their booster. don't be taken in by the information. come forward, have your booster, think of yourself,

dominic casciani, bbc news, at the high court.inancial sanctions on a chinese software company and two political leaders in the xinjiang region over the persecution of the uyghurs and other muslims. the two leaders are accused of taking part in the sweeping oppression of their own people. china denies incarcerating more than a million uyghurs in prison camps. there's been a huge explosion at a palestinian camp in the city of tyre in southern lebanon. state media say an ammunition depot belonging to the palestinian militant group hamas at a refugee camp in the city blew up. they say a number of people have been killed and wounded. ghana is introducing some of the world's strictest covid travel rules by banning any adult who has not been vaccinated from flying in with effect from monday. there is no option to self—isolate. ghanaian citizens and residents abroad are exempt for up to two weeks, but will be required to getjabbed upon landing at the airport. 55 people have been killed and dozens injured in mexico when a lorry and its tr

dominic casciani, bbc news.litical correspondent, iain watson, is in westminsterfor us. not the first government to try and break the link between drugs and crime but what is different this time? ., , crime but what is different this time? ., _ , ., crime but what is different this time? ., , ., , ., time? the government says that is a ten ear time? the government says that is a ten year strategy _ time? the government says that is a ten year strategy and _ time? the government says that is a ten year strategy and a _ time? the government says that is a ten year strategy and a must - ten year strategy and a must multifaceted approach. a three pronged approach to disrupt organised crime gangs, secondly low—level crime which is effectively driven by people who are drug dependent or drug addicted and then also trying to make sure that you break the cycle of people come out of prison or treatment, that they still get the rehabilitation they need to try and stop them from reoffending. also we have had this idea of th

but, as the bbc�*s dominic casciani reports, "at least three people "who held or went to unlawful gatheringse same day "as the apparent downing street party have been fined by courts "this month." and labour still has questions about the uk government's investigation. are there more parties that we need to hear about? is this investigation just to say, "we are doing something, we will push it into the long grass" or is it a serious investigation? the prime minister said yesterday, "i have been "repeatedly assured that there was no "party and no covid rules have been broken, but i have asked the cabinet "secretary to establish these facts." who gave these repeated assurances? you heard fleur anderson there ask, "are there more parties that we need to hear about?" well, there could be. the bbc has had reports that some number 10 staff attended a gathering with carriejohnson, boris johnson's wife, in the downing street flat on 13th november last year. her spokeswoman denies this. the bbc has also been told that on the 13th and 27th november there were informal leaving drinks for number 10 staff