rebecca morelle, bbc news.r who has completed several expeditions to the north and south poles. i know you are not a climate scientist but you have many years of experience of boots on the ground. is it not the case that very soon or inafew is it not the case that very soon or in a few decades there will be no arctic ice in the summer months? there's no question that the arctic ocean will be ice free in the summertime in as little as 20 or 30 yea rs summertime in as little as 20 or 30 years and already this year we are seeing one of the lowest recorded amounts of ice in history. seeing one of the lowest recorded amounts of ice in historylj seeing one of the lowest recorded amounts of ice in history. i know you have said that if everest was blown up tomorrow there would be an outcry but here is the arctic disappearing and very little is being done about it. yes, people are the hard time understanding exactly what the arctic ocean environment is like. i often times get questioned about even if there is land at th

rebecca morelle, bbc news.concert hall and the person who's drafted in to replace her at the last minute is a 23—year—old music student who usually takes the tickets and works in the cloakroom. for one night only, milly forrest swapped coats for a london stage, and wowed the audience and critics alike. chi chi izundu went to meet her. opera singing. it's the stuff of dreams. milly's normally back here taking coats and bags a couple of nights a week. sometimes she even gets to page—turn doing a live concert. but not for the season's closing night. and that's because one of the evening's performers was taken ill, and milly was asked to step in. she says she was shocked by the opportunity. really excited. really scared. really, really nervous. but when i had a good look at the music, and i realised it was doable, i knew i could make sure i learned it in time. that was a bit of a relief. one critic dubbed her "breathtaking", even though at 23, her voice is still not mature enough to go into the profession full—time

rebecca morelle, bbc news. adventurer and guide who has completed several expeditions to the north pole. yeah, there's no question that the arctic ocean will be ice—free in the summertime in as little as 20 or 30 years and already this year we are seeing one of the lowest recorded amounts of ice in history. i know you have said that if everest was blown up tomorrow there would be an outcry, but here is the arctic disappearing and very little is being done about it. yes, people find it hard to understand exactly what the arctic ocean environment is like. i often times get questioned about even if there is land at the north pole and so it's a very abstract place and so people don't have a really good understanding of what's happening there, as well as if it is melting. i suppose there is a slight upside, that people would never dream of getting there maybe will be able to do so, it may be educational about the effects of climate change. will there also be an impact of more commercial shipping using this shortcut?

our science correspondent rebecca morelle has more.t close—up images, from its hexagonal north pole to its ring system and even an aurora. but this mission's very nearly at its end. cassini's been in space for 20 years. it's set down a probe, spotted plumes on one of saturn's moons and discovered colossal storms, but now it's running out of fuel. it's final days, though, will be crucial. we've learnt so much, but in that process we've also raised many new questions. one of the things that we still don't understand about saturn is simply how long its day lasts. over the last few months, cassini's been exploring a region where no spacecraft‘s been before, swooping between saturn and its rings, and in its final days, it will get closer still, giving us our best ever view of the planet, revealing its atmosphere and what lies beneath its thick clouds. but these last dives could also show us what's hidden within its rings, including a mysterious object, nicknamed peggy. we noticed this smudge right at the edge... the blurry speck was spotted

rebecca morelle, bbc news.and the person who's drafted in to replace her at the last minute is a 23—year—old music student, who usually takes the tickets and works in the cloakroom. for one night only, milly forrest swapped coats for the stage and wowed the audience and critics alike. chi chi izundu went to meet her. singing. it's the stuff of dreams. milly's normally back here taking coats and bags a couple of nights a week.

rebecca morelle, bbc news.ker, has delivered a new rebuke to the government over its handling of brexit negotiations. he said the latest official papers setting out britain's position were not satisfactory. our correspondent, damian gramamticas, is in brussels. ican i can almost hear some people here on this side of the channel thinking, he's acting as if he's judge and jury in all of this? yes, his comments very critical of the uk approach so far, they have certainlishinged the uk government who said they put out a lot of papers over the last few weeks. a lot of positions, more than the european commission in some cases. it feels you need to move on to discussing the future relationship pretty quickly because many of the issues can't be addressed without that. this is quite a high stakes approach, i think, that. this is quite a high stakes approach, ithink, engaging in a sort of confrontation with the commissioner, mrjuncker. remember, they are overseeing the negotiations and it is mrjuncker and the commission

rebecca morelle, bbc news. it's the stuff of dreams — a soprano is taken ill at london's world famous wigmore hall — and the person who's drafted in to replace her at the last minute is a 23—year—old music student, who usually takes the tickets and works in the cloakroom. for one night only, milly forrest swapped coats for the stage and wowed the audience and critics alike. chi chi izundu went to meet her. singing. it's the stuff of dreams. milly's normally back here taking coats and bags a couple of nights a week. sometimes she even gets to page turn doing a live concert. but not for the season's closing night. and that's because one of the evening's performers was taken ill. and milly was asked to step in. she says she was shocked by the opportunity. really excited. really scared. really, really nervous. but when i had a good look at the music, and i realised it was doable. i knew i could make sure i learned it in time. that was a bit of a relief. one critic dubbed her "breathtaking", even though at 23, her v

rebecca morelle, bbc news. iam sure i am sure we will keep an eye on how they get on.showers moving across scotland. there are thunderstorms working on at the moment, but they will continue to push into the irish sea. 0vernight, pressure builds, meaning the showers will die away. the winds will fall light. it will be a chilly night in the countryside. so a chill in the f wednesday morning, but plenty of sunshine to the day. it will turn increasingly windy through the day, with gale force gusts of wind developing around the coasts and hills. that band of rain makes inroads across western scotland. swear, the rain band slow to reach east wales —— elsewhere the rain band is slow. this is bbc news. the headlines. the brexit secretary, david davis, says he wants to negotiate a temporary customs union with the eu for after britain leaves. rail fares will go up by 3.6% injanuary — the biggest increase for four years. passenger groups say commuters will be worst hit. india‘s prime minister leads celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of the country‘s independence from brita

rebecca morelle, bbc news. bbc news: brexit secretary, david davis, says the government wants to negotiate a temporary customs union with the eu for when the uk leaves. india's prime minister leads celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of the country's independence from britain. mudslides and floods in sierra leone have killed more than 300 people — now health experts fear a spread of cholera and typhoid. now a look at how the markets in europe have ended the trading session... they are generally up. not by a huge amount. the main story on the uk markets are the inflation figures released this morning. the cpi measure of inflation held steady, matching last months 2.6%. that caused a bit of a slide for sterling, which fell against both the euro and the dollar. other big numbers out today were the slightly slower than expected rate of growth in germany. gdp came in at 0.6% for the second quarter of the year, according to the country's federal statistics office, helped by consumer spending, but imports grew f

rebecca morelle, bbc news.ill open to traffic tomorrow, joining the forth road and rail bridges connecting edinburgh and fife. 0ur scotland correspondent lorna gordon has this report. lighting up scotland's latest bridge. the queensferry crossing in the spotlight before opening to drivers for the first time. in its own right, it is a feat of design, engineering and construction. in its own right, it is absolutely amazing. it is in every sense, in every way, an amazing achievement. the scale of this construction is impressive. it's the longest bridge of its kind in the world and this is a chance for some of the many thousands who worked on it to celebrate its completion. whata night, eh? i know, fantastic. it's the end of a long journey but it's been a wonderfuljourney. stressfuljourney but the most rewarding job i've ever been on and i've been on many a bridge. these guys have put a lot of work into this place. in years to come, there will be grandchildren of mine saying, "my grandad worked on that". that's wha

rebecca morelle, bbc news.e the federal government can do, to help the relief effort. warning sirens sounded across japan, after north korea fired a missile over the island of hokkaido. the un security council is to hold an emergency meeting. the head of the eu commission has attacked the government's latest brexit proposals, suggesting they're not good enough. an update on the market numbers for you — here's how london's and frankfurt ended the day. they ended the day both in negative territory. and in the the united states this is how the dow and the nasdaq are getting on. they are both up. more now on the emergency response to flooding in texas in the wake of tropical storm harvey. officials say they expect nearly half a million disaster victims to seek assistance. the federal emergency agency fema says 30,000 people will need temporary shelter. the salvation army of greater houston is providing relief across east and south texas. kevin smith is their incident commander. thanks forjoining us. my pleasure. ho

this from our science correspondent rebecca morelle.as revealed this planet in incredible detail. and these are some of its latest close—up images. from its hexagonal north pole to its ring system and even an aurora. but this mission‘s very nearly as its end. cassini's been in space for nearly 20 years. it's set down a probe, spotted plumes on one of the moons, and spotted massive storms. but now it's running out of fuel. its final days, though, will be crucial. we've learnt so much, but in that process we've also raised many new questions. one of the things that we still don't understand about saturn is simply how long its day lasts. over the last few months, cassini's been exploring a region where no spacecraft has been before, sweeping between saturn and its rings. and in its final days, it will get closer still, giving us our best ever view of the planet, revealing its atmosphere and what lies beneath its thick clouds. but these last days could also show us what is hidden beneath its rings, including a mysterious object, nicknamed p

geographic north pole and the expedition should take about six weeks. 0ur science correspondent, rebecca morellealaska, led by british explorer, pen hadow, they have a 3,500 mile voyage ahead. for the first time in human history, possibly for the first time in130,000 years, it is now possible to sail ships into this sea area. it‘s rapid warming that‘s made this expedition even possible. this shows how sea ice has melted over time. the smaller the circle, the less ice that year. there‘s still data to come for 2017, but already it doesn‘t look good. since the 1970s, it‘s estimated that half of the volume of sea ice has been lost. it means that once inaccessible waters are opening up and researchers say this could lead to significant changes, especially for commercial ships routes. the north pole is here. what we‘re seeing... at reading university, scientists say that instead of having to sail around the frozen pole, ships will have a new short cut. at the moment, we‘re seeing a few experimental voyages through the arctic. in the future, as the ice continues to melt, the possibility of having more

it has brought us an interesting surprises. 0ur science correspondent rebecca morelle has more.ery nearly as its end. cassini has been in space for nearly 20 yea rs. has been in space for nearly 20 years. it has said that a probe, spotted plumes on one of the moons, and spotted massive storms. but now it is running out of fuel. its final days will be crucial. we have learnt so days will be crucial. we have learnt so much, but also raised many new questions. 0ne so much, but also raised many new questions. one of the things that we still don't understand about saturn is simply how long its day lasts. 0ver is simply how long its day lasts. over the last few months, cassini has been exploring a region where has been exploring a region where has been exploring a region where has been before, sweeping between saturn and its rings. in its final days, it will be a close, still, giving us our best overview by the planet, revealing its atmosphere and what lies beneath its clout. but these last guys could also show us what is hidden beneath its rings, including a mysterious object, nickna

phase of close—up exploration will solve some long—standing mysteries. 0ur science correspondent rebecca morelle. the cassini spacecraft has revealed this planet in incredible detail. and these are some of its latest close—up images. from its hexagonal north pole to its spectacular bring system, and even an aurora. but this mission‘s very nearly as its end. cassini's been in space for nearly 20 years. it's set down a probe, spotted plumes on one of the moons, and spotted massive storms. but now it's running out of fuel. its final days, though, will be crucial. we've learnt so much, but in that process, we've also raised many new questions. one of the things that we still don't understand about saturn is simply how long its day lasts. over the last few months, cassini's been exploring a region where no spacecraft has been before, sweeping between saturn and its rings. and in its final days, it will get closer still, giving us our best overview by the planet, revealing its atmosphere and what lies beneath its cloud. but these last days could also show us what is hidden beneath its rings, including

the region is making the voyage possible by boat for the first time. 0ur science correspondent rebecca morelleof yachts attempting a first — sailing all the way to the north pole. a crew of ten — and a dog — have just departed from alaska. led by british explorer pen hadow, they have a 3500 mile voyage ahead. for the first time in human history, possibly for the first time in130,000 years, it is now possible to sail ships into the sea area. what this means is that the wildlife living in the area are now vulnerable. it is the rapidly warming conditions in the arctic that have made this expedition even possible. it is melting at an unprecedented rate. in 35 years, more than a third of the area of sea ice has gone. 0nce inaccessible waters are opening up. at reading university, scientists are studying how this could change these commercial shipping routes. instead of having to sail around the frozen pole, they will have a new short cut. at the moment we are seeing a few experimental voyages through the arctic. in the future, as the ice continues to melt, the possibility of having more commercial

geographic north pole and the expedition should take about six weeks. 0ur science correspondent, rebecca morelleway to the north pole. a crew of ten — and a dog — have just departed from alaska. led by british explorer pen hadow, they have a 3,500—mile voyage ahead. for the first time in human history, possibly for the first time in130,000 years, it is now possible to sail ships into the sea area. it is the rapidly warming conditions in the arctic that have made this expedition even possible. there is still dated come for 2017, but the amount of ice does not look good. since the 1970s, it is estimated that half of the body of seaice estimated that half of the body of sea ice has been lost. 0nce inaccessible waters are opening up. at reading university, scientists are studying how this could change these commercial shipping routes. instead of having to sail around the frozen pole, they will have a new short cut. at the moment we are seeing a few experimental voyages through the arctic. in the future, as the ice continues to melt, the possibility of having more commercial ships travelling through

our science correspondent rebecca morelle reports.from alaska, led by british explorer, pen hadow, they have a 3,500 mile voyage ahead. for the first time in human history, possibly for the first time in130,000 years, it is now possible to sail ships into this sea area. it's rapid warming that's made this expedition even possible. this shows how sea ice has melted over time. the smaller the circle, the less ice that year. there's still data to come for 2017, but already it doesn't look good. since the 1970s, it's estimated that half of the volume of sea ice has been lost. it means that once inaccessible waters are opening up and researchers say this could lead to significant changes, especially for commercial ships routes. the north pole is here. what we're seeing... at reading university, scientists say that instead of having to sail around the frozen pole, ships will have a new short cut. at the moment, we're seeing a few experimental voyages through the arctic. in the future, as the ice continues to melt, the possibility of having

with me now is the bbc science correspondent rebecca morelle. this is. well, not only is it one of the most awe—inspiring astronomical sites you can see, it's also down to a really beautiful celestial alignment. basically, when the moon orbits around the earth, on occasion they can get in between the earth and the sun. and totally block the sun out. that's because of a nice coincidence, basically. the son is 400 times smaller than the sun, but the samples much for the —— but 400 times further away than the moon. they appear as the same size in the sky. when the moon covers the sun, it totally block set out giving that marvellous effect. these pictures from august 19 99. that magical moment when totality hits, you get that ring. the diamond ring effect. the final blatant way you see the sun ‘s corona, which is its atmosphere. at the end you get these beads, the coolest, because they are like little beads dancing around on the side of the sun. it's essentially where the sun ‘s rays are flowing through the valleys and craters on the moon. you are a