hywel griffith on australia day. you're watching newsday on the bbc.irector of the oscar—nominated film tanna, a movie with a cast of first—time actors. also on the programme: we will be explaining huawei children's game led to stardom and fame. —— how a children's. the shuttle challenger exploded soon after liftoff. there were seven astronauts on board, one of them a woman school teacher. all of them are believed to have been killed. by the evening, tahrir square, the heart of official cairo, was in the hands of the demonstrators. they were using the word "revolution". the earthquake singled out buildings, and brought them down in seconds. tonight, the search for any survivors has an increasing desperation about it as the hours pass. the new government is firmly in control of the entire republic of uganda. moscow got its first taste of western fast food as mcdonald's opened their biggest restaurant in pushkin square. but the hundreds of muscovites who queued up today won't find it cheap, with a big mac costing half the day's wages for the average russ

hywel griffith, bbc news.d the longstanding policy that allows cubans who arrive in the us without visas to become permanent residents. the repeal of the so—called "wet foot, dry foot" policy comes as president 0bama continues to try to thaw relations with cuba in his final days of office. 0ur correspondent in havana, will grant, gave me more details. well, it's really one of the cornerstones of washington's policy towards cuba, or certainly has been for the past 20 years or so. under it, it's basically the carrot to the stick of the us economic embargo, if you like. and that carrot comes in the form of the guaranteed right of residency in the united states for cubans who arrive without a visa. so we've all seen the images of cubans arriving on the shores of the united states, in very rickety rafts and so on. they have be direct right to remain, and within a year apply for citizenship. that isn't offered to any other citizens, certainly not from latin america. and it's a very controversial rule, both in the un

our correspondent hywell griffiths is in sydney.ated but they believe it was deliberately driven into pedestrians? yes and some of the eyewitness reports suggest it was driven in a determined fashion, seeking out pedestrians. it first started causing alarm when the car was seen spitting out of control —— spinning. one of the busiest areas in the city. the driver was hanging out of the window and then drove down pedestrian areas. some of the accou nts pedestrian areas. some of the accounts are harrowing. we are told one man was struck and carried 30— 40 one man was struck and carried 30— a0 metres on the bonnet down the road. we also heard from a lady who found a woman pleading, "where is my baby? where is my baby?", suggesting that the pram had been taken. the baby had employed from the pram but the ram carried on down the road. —— pram. the man that we believe, shots had been fired in order to do that. —— the man had been shot by police. we are hearing that one of the children are in critical condition and as you said, three people

here's our sydney correspondent, hywel griffith. safe harbour at last.e was unaware of the attention his and his daughters group was —— daughter's disappearance had caused. they calmly sailed into a small bay on the coast of new south wales. their problems began when a storm damaged their boat and they started to drift. when we were in a position with no rudder we had not many options. we waited for fine weather that did not come and we kept getting pushed south. i did not realise that ceiling with one rudder was going to be so interesting. challenging. —— sailing. was going to be so interesting. challenging. -- sailing. they left this harbour on the 17th of december with the aim of reaching the northern bay of the island in time for christmas. instead they drifted all across the tasman sea, finally landing in australia 27 days later. their arrival seemed unremarkable until they came ashore. their arrival seemed unremarkable until they came ashorelj their arrival seemed unremarkable until they came ashore. i could tell they had been at sea for quite a wh

hywel griffith has more sydney.ribe how they were abducted and how they have been kept, they seemed in relatively good condition but making it clear, they say, that if no negotiation or exchange takes place soon they are sure they will die. they will have been under extreme duress when this was recorded and they said the video is being recorded onjanuary the first, a week and a half ago. clearly the impact is meant to be felt in australia and the us. as far as we know no negotiations have taken place. the men implore theirfamilies to put pressure on the authorities to do so, again underlying what they say will be their fate if no prisoner exchange takes place with taliban prisoners. talks will continue in geneva later on thursday aimed at ending decades of stalemate in a divided cyprus. the goal is to create a two—zone federation. the island has been divided for more than 40 years, since turkish troops invaded in response to a coup on the island seeking union with greece. anyone born after that time has only ever kn

let's speak to our sydney correspondent hywel griffith.t this video that has emerged. yes, it is some 13 minutes long and split into four or five sections and in it you see both men clearly distressed at some point, weeping, but in relatively ok health, both say that they have been kept in good condition by the talybont, that they eat the same food as their captors, but their distress comes when they discuss what they say is their fate u nless discuss what they say is their fate unless a negotiation is made successfully by the us government, and timothy weeks says that he believes are less a deal is struck $0011 believes are less a deal is struck soon that he will be killed, and he repeats the phrase several times, i don't want to die here, i don't want to diea don't want to die here, i don't want to die a loan. he talks directly to his family here in australia. his mother who is ill in hospital he says, his ageing father and his siblings —— alone. he impresses on them to try and ask the american government to negotiate. then the american

our correspondent in sydney, hywell griffiths told us more about the video. or five sections and in it you see both men clearly distressed at some point, weeping, but in relatively 0k health, both say that they have been kept in good condition by the taliban, that they eat the same food as their captors, but their distress comes when they discuss what they say is their fate unless a negotiation is made successfully by the us government, and timothy weeks says that he believes unless a deal is struck soon that he will be killed, and he repeats the phrase several times, "i don't want to die here, i don't want to die alone." he talks directly to his family here in australia. his mother who is ill in hospital, he says, his ageing father and his siblings. he impresses on them to try and ask the american government to negotiate. then the american captured professor, kevin king, does something similar, talking about the strain on them and unless a deal is done to exchange them for some taliban prisoners, then they say that they will be killed, and so it is quite a h

let's speak to our sydney correspondent hywel griffith.yes, it is 13 minutes long in several sections and we see both men really distraught, weeping at stages as they describe how they were abducted and how they have been kept, they seemed in relatively good condition but making it clear, they said, that if no negotiation or exchange takes place soon they are sure they will die. they will have been undertake stream to rest when this was recorded and they said the video is being recorded onjanuary the first, a week and a half ago —— extreme to rest. clearly the impact is meant to be felt in australia and the us. as far as we know no negotiations have taken place. the men import their families to put pressure on the authorities to do so, again underline what they say will be their fate if no prisoner exchange takes place with taliban prisoners —— implore. exchange takes place with taliban prisoners -- implore. any indications as to the attitude of the australian government and the incoming american government?” the australian government and