the snp _ to our health. thank you very much indeed. the snp will— to our health. thank you very much indeed. the snp will present - to our health. thank you very much indeed. the snp will present its . indeed. the snp will present its national assembly with what is causing a road map to scottish independence. the plan sets up the possibility of a showdown in the courts with the westminster government over the legality of a fresh poll. borisjohnson opposes another referendum, even if the snp wins a majority in this year's scottish parliament elections. joining me now from falkirk is professor nicola mcewen — a political scientist at the university of edinburgh. constitutionally, the snp has said that they know they cannot unilaterally declare that they want to have a referendum, that would be a bit like the catalonian model, so what are the steps forward constitutionally to get a second referendum now?— constitutionally to get a second referendum now? ~ , ., ., referendum now? well, you mentioned the catalan example. _ referendum now? well, you mentioned the ca

what is going _ the snp stood against us. what is going on— the snp stood against us. what is going on currently at the moment is frankly— going on currently at the moment is frankly a _ going on currently at the moment is frankly a distraction. we should be spending _ frankly a distraction. we should be spending all of ourtime, frankly a distraction. we should be spending all of our time, the snp government, in fighting the pandemic, not a constitutional battle — pandemic, not a constitutional battle. where the first minister is entirely— battle. where the first minister is entirely wrong is that poll after poll has — entirely wrong is that poll after poll has shown that people do not regard _ poll has shown that people do not regard the independence referendum as a priority. they want to see recovery— as a priority. they want to see recovery from the pandemic, economic recovery. _ recovery from the pandemic, economic recovery, because people are losing theiriohe _ recovery, because people are losing theirjobs. we are facing a really extraordinary cost of li

it's long been the snp's plan a to win the _ it's long been the snp's plan a to win the next election in may. as convincingly as it can. if there's a majority— convincingly as it can. if there's a majority for — convincingly as it can. if there's a majority for independence in the scottish— majority for independence in the scottish parliament, to watch uk opposition, crumble. the trouble was that is_ opposition, crumble. the trouble was that is the _ opposition, crumble. the trouble was that is the current uk government shows— that is the current uk government shows no— that is the current uk government shows no sign of agreeing. critics of nicola — shows no sign of agreeing. critics of nicola sturgeon's leadership within— of nicola sturgeon's leadership within the snp have demanded she sets out— within the snp have demanded she sets out a — within the snp have demanded she sets out a plan bee. that's what we have _ sets out a plan bee. that's what we have now — sets out a plan bee. that's what we have now. the idea that if the snp contihues— have now. the idea t

well, it's long been the snp's plan letter_ well, it's long been the snp's plan letter a _ well, it's long been the snp's plan letter a to— well, it's long been the snp's plan letter a to win the next holyrood election — letter a to win the next holyrood election in— letter a to win the next holyrood election in may —— plan a. if there's— election in may —— plan a. if there's a _ election in may —— plan a. if there's a majority for independence in the _ there's a majority for independence in the scottish parliament to watch uk opposition crumble, the trouble with that _ uk opposition crumble, the trouble with that is the current uk government shows no sign of agreeing to whats— government shows no sign of agreeing to what's called in the ref to, and as boris_ to what's called in the ref to, and as borisjohnson's resistance has appeared — as borisjohnson's resistance has appeared to harden, critics of nicola — appeared to harden, critics of nicola sturgeon's leadership demanded she set out a plan b. if the snp _ demanded she set out a plan b. if the snp contin

the leader of the i snp, ian blackford. let me thank the prime minister _ snp, ian blackford. let me thank the prime minister for _ snp, ian blackford. let me thank the prime minister for an _ snp, ian blackford. let me thank the prime minister for an advance - snp, ian blackford. let me thank the prime minister for an advance copy . prime minister for an advance copy of his statement. as we know yesterday the uk reached yet another terrible milestone, 100,000 covid related deaths. today it is only right that we reflect on all of those who have lost their lives during this pandemic, and our thoughts and prayers and most especially with their families, those who are left with the heaviest burden of grief. in time there will be a reckoning on the uk government's response to the virus. and it's clear that this verdict may well be damning. in the here and now, though, it remains ourjob to focus on how we can support and save as many people as possible in the weeks and months ahead. that means a renewed commitment to maintaining public health, but it also must mean a renewed packag

the snp i5 gets a little bit trickier. the snp is the third bigge5t party in westminster but they are by far and we5tmin5ter but they are by far and away the most dominant force in scottish politic5. and it looks like scotti5h politic5. and it looks like they are set to do very well in those crucial election5 they are set to do very well in those crucial elections in may. we tho5e crucial elections in may. we know if that happens they will try to push a5 know if that happens they will try to push as soon as they can for another vote on independence. we know if the prime minister is determined to a no to that request, as he has the legal right to do, the concern amongst as he has the legal right to do, the concern among5t unioni5t5 i5 as he has the legal right to do, the concern among5t unioni5t5 is what would then happen is a really fraught period of constitutional wrangling and argument between edinburgh and westminster, continued attempt5 edinburgh and westminster, continued attempts by the snp to try to get the vote 5om

also tonight: an snp roadmap to a second independence vote, as nicola sturgeon faces more scrutiny over the handling of harassment claims against her predecessor. relief and joy in china, as 11 miners are rescued after two weeks trapped underground. enjoying the winter wonderland. but the snowy conditions mean severe weather warnings for many areas. it is rashford against allison and he's made the finished look so easy. and marcus rashford helps manchester united secure a thrilling victory over liverpool. good evening. the health secretary has said 77 cases of the south african variant of coronavirus have been found here in the uk, but they can all be linked to international travel and there is no evidence of spread in the community. matt hancock also said we are a "long way" from covid restrictions being eased, as scientists warn vaccinated people may still be able to pass the virus on. our science editor david shukman now reports. all kinds of surprising locations are now mobilised in the push for vaccination — even the black country living museum, near birmingham. used as a set in

leaving the union — the snp to present its national assembly with what it's calling a road map to a new referendum on scottish independence. and a dramatic rescue in china as 11 gold miners who'd been trapped underground for two weeks are brought out alive. good afternoon. welcome to bbc news. the health secretary matt hancock says 77 cases of the extra virulent south african variant of covid have been found here in the uk. but all have links to international travel and there is no evidence to date that it is spreading in the community unchecked. matt hancock has also said we are a "long way" from restrictions being eased — as scientists warn people may still be able to pass on the virus even if they've been vaccinated. our health reporter jim reed has more. the vaccination roll—out in the uk continues. hundreds of thousands of those most at risk are receiving theirjabs this weekend, but as we try and navigate our way out of this pandemic, scientists think new variants of coronavirus are a real concern. a mutation first found in cases from south africa is thought to spread faster. s

that's what we have now — the idea that if the snp continues in government, it will press ahead with legislation for an independence referendum, even without uk consent, and be prepared to defend that in court, in the unlikely event of a legal challenge. the snp, to be clear, say they would only actually hold a referendum if it was certified as legal and after the pandemic, but the conservatives say this is just the wrong priority. the entire focus, they say, should be on recovery from coronavirus. but with opinion polls suggesting support for both the snp and independence is strong, expect a lot more political tension to come over this. in china, 11 gold miners saw daylight today for the first time in two weeks, after an incredible rescue. they were part of a group of 22 people trapped underground after an explosion. last week, rescuers at the mine in shandoong warned the men might have to wait another two weeks before they could be reached. but on sunday, a major obstacle fell out of the way and they were brought to the surface. it's not clear if others are still alive underground.

well, it's long been the snp's plan a to win the next holyrood election due in may as convincingly as it can, and if there's a majority for independence in the scottish parliament to watch uk opposition to another referendum crumble. the trouble with that is the current uk government shows no sign of agreeing to what's called indyref 2. and as borisjohnson�*s resistance has appeared to harden, critics of nicola sturgeon�*s leadership within the snp have demanded she sets out a plan b. that's what we have now — the idea that if the snp continues in government, it will press ahead with legislation for an independence referendum, even without uk consent, and be prepared to defend that in court, in the unlikely event of a legal challenge. the snp, to be clear, say they would only actually hold a referendum if it was certified as legal and after the pandemic, but the conservatives say this is just the wrong priority. the entire focus, they say, should be on recovery from coronavirus. but with opinion polls suggesting support for both the snp and independence is strong, expect a lot m

here in the uk, the snp will today present its national assembly with what it's calling a roadmap to a new referendum on scottish independence. the 11—point plan sets up the possibility of a showdown in the courts with the westminster government over the legality of any attempts to seek a fresh poll. borisjohnson has repeatedly said he opposes another referendum — even if the snp wins a majority in this year's scottish parliament elections. well in the past half hour, the first minister of scotland nicola sturgeon, has been speaking to my colleague andrew marr who asked her about the prime minister's objections to another independence vote. it's robert burns' birthday tomorrow, ourannual burns day, and when i hear boris johnson about this, i bring to mind a poem. cow'rin, tim'rous beastie, 0, what a panic�*s in thy breastie! he's frightened of democracy. the polls show a majority of people in scotland want independence if the snp win the scottish election in a few months�* time on a proposition of giving the people that choice, then what democrat could rightly stand in the wa

i spoke from the snp's health boards. i spoke from the snp's delivery plan, next day delivery can be done to health boards. getting the vaccine from the health boards holding centres to gps, normally happens weekly. we are six weeks into the vaccine delivery plan, three weeks into the community roll—out and throughout that time, gp after gp has been expressing their frustration at supply issues, all of which the first minister brushes. they want it sorted out, when will she do it? i brushes. they want it sorted out, when will she do it?— when will she do it? i am not brushing _ when will she do it? i am not brushing any _ when will she do it? i am not brushing any of— when will she do it? i am not brushing any of these - when will she do it? i am not i brushing any of these concerns when will she do it? i am not - brushing any of these concerns are. i am answering in detail around what is happening. ruth davidson might have more of a point here if we were way of meeting the targets to get through all of these popula

well, it's long been the snp's plan a to win the next holyrood election in may. if there's a majority for independence in the scottish parliament to watch uk opposition crumble, the trouble with that is the current uk government shows no sign of agreeing and as borisjohnson's resistance has appeared to harden, critics of nicola sturgeon's leadership demanded she set out a plan b. we have the idea if the snp continues in government, it will press ahead with legislation foran independence referendum, even without uk consent and be prepared to defend that in court in the unlikely event of a legal challenge. the snp said they would only hold the referendum if it was certified as legal and after the pandemic, but the conservatives say this is just the wrong priority. the entire focus should be on recovery for coronavirus. with opinion polls suggesting independence is strong, expect a lot more political tension to come over this. the headlines on bbc news... the number of covid—19 cases in the united states passes 25 million, with the death toll soaring to nearly 418

and the snp will present its national assembly with what it's calling a road map to a new referendum on scottish independence. now on bbc news, the week in parliament. hello there and welcome to the week in parliament, our look back at the big events in westminster and beyond. coming up in the next half hour, the government suffers two commons rebellions in a week — one on trade and one on the planned end of an increased benefit payment. the question for us right now is whether the end of march this year, just ten weeks away, is the right moment to begin unwinding this support. as the uk records its highest daily coronavirus death toll, the labour leader challenges borisjohnson over the home secretary's claims that borders should have shut sooner. "i was an advocate," says the home secretary, "of closing them last march." i think it was last march that the right honourable gentleman, along with many others, was actually saying that we didn't need to close borders. and asjoe biden takes over as us president, there's a blunt message for his predecessor from scotland's first minister.

this is the snp trying to speak in — politics, and this is the snp trying to speak in part to its own members who are _ to speak in part to its own members who are frustrated, but also to take control _ who are frustrated, but also to take control of _ who are frustrated, but also to take control of the processor they are not continually faced with the prospect of the prime minister saying — prospect of the prime minister saying no. time for a look at the weather with helen willetts. good afternoon. the snow is still falling. it's really ground to a halt now, from north wales across the north midlands, down towards east anglia. and actually, through the evening, it will push further southwards again. it did get up into the far south of northern england. we've had snow showers further north as well. but it's cold and snowy, and there's more of that to come. so quite treacherous out and about. eventually, after that's given a few more centimetres as it moves southwards, it will clear out the way. then there'lljust be a few showers following, mostly across scotland. but it will be bitt

the snp is the dominant political force in scotland and with those elections in may, they are on course to do really well. they have said time and again if it happens, they will push for a vote on independence. as far as the law stands right now, the prime minister canjust say no stands right now, the prime minister can just say no and denied the request. just say i would necessarily settle the argument and the risk then, you get into a very fraught and uneasy situation with big arguments between edinburgh and westminster over what could happen next. there is certainly a lot of consternation in westminster about how to take this argument on. i think downing street will be looking for every opportunity, like they did today, to try to underline where the countries in the uk work well together. but i think they know, particularly with boris johnson's own ratings north of the border in scotland, it will take a lot more than him appearing in a lab coat for photo opportunities to settle this argument the way they wanted. laura kuenssberg. — argument the way they wanted. laura kuenssberg, th

these are the opening shots i being exchanged by the conservatives that the snp ahead of polling day at the start of may. both nicola sturgeon and borisjohnson are formidable campaigners but it could be a long and gruelling campaign for both. james shaw is in glasgow for us. your assessment of how this visit is being received? it is your assessment of how this visit is being received?— being received? it is interesting. on the being received? it is interesting. 0n the face _ being received? it is interesting. on the face of _ being received? it is interesting. on the face of it, _ being received? it is interesting. on the face of it, ostensibly - being received? it is interesting. on the face of it, ostensibly this| on the face of it, ostensibly this is about fighting the pandemic on a uk wide basis but below the surface and always visible this emerging political battle between the snp and the conservatives, between the scottish government had the uk government. just recently the snp decided that they would not necessarily wait to get permission or authority from the uk government

the snp up referendum on a referendum. the snp up ina— referendum on a referendum. the snp up in a government never 14 years in scotland _ up in a government never 14 years in scotland people are not voting for them _ scotland people are not voting for them or— scotland people are not voting for them or gives them just on one policy~ — them or gives them just on one policy. they are voting for them on the governance of scotland. and so a vote for— the governance of scotland. and so a vote for the _ the governance of scotland. and so a vote for the snp cannot be taken as a vote _ vote for the snp cannot be taken as a vote automatically for independence in another referendum. in independence in another referendum. in the _ independence in another referendum. in the fact _ independence in another referendum. in the fact that we have got a snp government in scotland the moment who refocus fully on it have another referendum is number one priority when _ referendum is number one priority when it— referendum is number one priority when it is— referendum is numbe

the snp�*s ian blackford said millions around the world would breathe a massive sigh of relief. turning the page on the dark chapter of trump's presidency isn't solely the responsibility of presidentjoe biden. it is also the responsibility of those in the tory party, including the prime minister, who cosied up to donald trump mr speaker, this morning, the former prime minister, the member for maidenhead, accused the current prime minister of abandoning moral responsibility on the world stage by slashing international aid. so — he said — if today was to be a new chapter... will the prime minister begin by reversing his cruel policy of cutting international aid for the world's poorest? mr speaker, i think it's very important that the prime minister of the uk has the best possible relationship with the president of the united states. that's part of the job description, as i think all sensible members opposite would acknowledge. as to the uk's place in the world... it was the uk, the first major country in the world to set a target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050. all other

the speaker stepped in to remind borisjohnson once again that the snp�*s full title was the scottish national party, and ian blackford — having used up all his questions — didn't get a chance to respond to that challenge from borisjohnson. the labour leader turned to the coronavirus pandemic and comments made in a video call obtained by the guido fawkes website, in which the home secretary told tory supporters she was an "advocate" of closing the uk's borders ten months ago. keir starmer quoted her words. 0n "should we have closed our borders earlier?", the answer is, "yes, i was an advocate," says the home secretary, "of closing them last march." why did the prime minister overrule the home secretary? mr speaker, i think it was last march that the right honourable gentleman, along with many others, was actually saying that we didn't need to close borders. but as usual, captain ironside has changed his tune to suit events. he then turned to the deletion of around 400,000 fingerprint, dna and arrest records from a police database. how many convicted criminals have had their record

first, the chamber lost connection with the snp westminster leader, ian blackford, as he was due to ask his second question. ian blackford. inaudible laughter i somehow think we've lost ian blackford. we'll come back to him. nicole richards. nicole? you're muted. press the mic. i'm not muted. can you hear me? speak. can you hear me? it's not working. the speaker did eventually go back to ian blackford and nicola richards for their questions, but another mp had to fight an all too familiar battle. mrspeaker, thank you... phone rings i'm so sorry. it's excellent that we are - leading europe in vaccinations. phone rings and it-s — excellent that we now have strong health borders. phone rings neil o'brien later confirmed that the call on a little—used landline was from an insurance company, asking whether he'd recently been involved in an accident. and that's it from me for this week, but dojoin me on bbc parliament on monday night at 11pm for another round—up of the best of the day at westminster. but for now, from me, alicia mccarthy, goodbye. hello. after one of the coldest nights

snp would like to hold at this crucialtime. it snp would like to hold at this crucial time. it is a very interesting point about who would be entitled to vote in these referenda. last time scots when people like me could not vote and i wonder whether, if they are inevitable, who gets to vote will be a crucial thing about them. but also the timing of all of this because, come the autumn, when, we hope, that vaccines are rolled out and the coronavirus is beginning to recede, people will feel differently. it is in scotland in particular, the antipathy towards borisjohnson is sparking these referendum ambitions. i boris johnson is sparking these referendum ambitions.- boris johnson is sparking these referendum ambitions. i never knew ou were referendum ambitions. i never knew you were scots _ referendum ambitions. i never knew you were scots born, _ referendum ambitions. i never knew you were scots born, where - referendum ambitions. i never knew you were scots born, where were i referendum ambitions. i never knewl you were scots born, where were you born? . you were scots born,

this is not a new trend for the snp. the snp have in fact been taking the lead in the polls, and in a very gradual way for the last three and half years. it's only the last year or so that they have tipped the balance and started to win the polls regularly. at this trend has been happening for years. it's not new. the reality is that the uk government and the current unionist strategy is pushing quite a lot of people towards nationalism. rather than being to cool towards nationalism by the snp. so what i would've said to borisjohnson is, you can visit scotland, and in fact, it might be a decent idea to visit scotland at some point, but you probably need to get your story straight first as to what unionism is going to look like, what uk is going to look like, because of the moments, the settlement that we have is not popular, and that is what is causing the difficulty. find is not popular, and that is what is causing the difficulty.— causing the difficulty. and how is the coronavirus _ causing the difficulty. and how i

and the snp. let's pick u . between... and the snp. let's pick u- on the between... and the snp. let's pick up on the business _ between... and the snp. let's pick up on the business side _ between... and the snp. let's pick up on the business side of - between... and the snp. let's pick up on the business side of this. i between... and the snp. let's pick up on the business side of this. as | up on the business side of this. as far as the business side of this, it is the lesser of the two evils they were facing. is the lesser of the two evils they were facing-— is the lesser of the two evils they were facing. yes, absolutely right. we were talking _ were facing. yes, absolutely right. we were talking about _ were facing. yes, absolutely right. we were talking about the - were facing. yes, absolutely right. j we were talking about the scottish national party and labour saying to priti patel that the measures don't go far enough. the home secretary reiterating the points you made yesterday that she is in favour of a layout, nuanced response to stemming the new variant of control

here in the uk, the snp will present its national assembly with what it's calling a road map to a new referendum on scottish independence. and borisjohnson becomes the first european leader to speak to the new us president, joe biden, since he entered the white house. now on bbc news. click. in the weekjoe biden is sworn in as president, click looks at what this could mean for social media. this week, as 45 becomes a6, we'll talk to some of the most important voices in social media to find out what the new president might do to put right the wrongs of big tech. hey, welcome! hope you are you doing 0k and, wow, what a momentous week in world politics this has been. whether or not you're in the united states, what's happened there will affect us all. i, joseph robinette bidenjr, do solemnly swear... lara lewington: joe biden's become the 46th president of the united states. lots about the last few weeks has broken with convention and almost broken democracy in the process. it reminded everyone just how fragile democratic systems are, even at the heart of the free world. and at the grand

here in the uk, the snp will present its national assembly with what it's calling a road map to a new referendum on scottish independence. a dramatic rescue in china — as 11 gold miners who'd been trapped underground for two weeks are brought out alive. now on bbc news. the travel show looks back at some of its best moments from southeast asia. the team jump on a unique bamboo train and visit one of the world's most remote food festivals. this week, some of our favourite adventures from south—east asia. 777 steps. from the top of a buddhist temple... and here we come to a bridge. to a bone shaker in the cambodianjungle. wow! from the trafficjams of manila... you don't want a distracted driver. the traffic here is a little bit crazy. i hi, bunma, hi, pearl. to baby macaques in thailand. bunma, don't try and steal pearl's. hi, and welcome to tokyo. well, travel is certainly a long way off what it was this time last year but that's not stopped us from digging deep and pulling out some of our favourite trips from the archives for another airing. and this week, we're revisiting one of

leaving the union — the snp to present its national assembly with what it's calling a road map to a new referendum on scottish independence. and a dramatic rescue in china as 11 gold miners who'd been trapped underground for two weeks are brought out alive. now on bbc news, hardtalk. welcome to hardtalk, i'm stephen sackur. can and should anything be done to halt the inexorable rise of the western world's global technology giants — the likes of amazon, google and facebook? over the past decade, we have seen these tech titans come to dominate data collection, cloud computing, retail, social media, publishing — the list goes on. but now there is pushback from anti—monopoly lawyers and sceptical politicians. my guest, american lawyer lina khan, is in the vanguard of the movement to tame big tech. but whose interest is she serving? lina khan in dallas, texas, welcome to hardtalk. thanks for having me. do you believe there is a new momentum behind the push to tame the big, the giant technology companies in the western world? yes, i think there absolutely is. i think we have seen a tran

the snp also praised the army's efforts. can i start with vaccinations? could he perhaps update - the house exactly where those in defence who are working on covid stand in terms- of the queue, if i can put it like that, for receiving - vaccinations? would he be able to give us- an idea of how many have been vaccinated themselvesj so far up to this point? none of our defence personnel have received a vaccination. they're not in the priority groups one to four. however, we are, as we speak, working through a very... working out what key cohorts should be vaccinated in order to preserve and underline the nation's defence. so, obviously they will get priority, but i expect them to be a small group at first. this is undoubtedly the greatest national emergency of my lifetime, and yet only a small fraction of the available military capacity has been called upon by the rest of the government. that's despite the fact that the test and trace operations have been indifferent in their performance and the vaccine programme seems to be dependent almost entirely on civ

snp spokesman. we shouldn't have because be surprised at this latest u—turn on schools, any student teacher and those planning is a key skill but one that the secretary of state has yet to master. his decisions have been made ina master. his decisions have been made in a reactionary and a last—minute manner. schools in england have predictably gone from being open with threats of legal action if they closed to being snapped shut had an insta nt closed to being snapped shut had an instant giving parents absolutely no time to put in place arrangements. —— snapped shut in an instant. we need to be careful of the narrative of children falling behind, they are only those two on an external scale. we cannot use the same metrics this year as we have used for, and as much as we all want schools to be open, young people are learning other skills also. that said, it is good to hear that the bbc is producing educational resources. can he confirm whether there will be resorted available for the scottish

there's an election in holyrood in three months�* time, and the snp are riding high in the polls. today, they questioned whether the prime minister's trip was essential travel. people are really asking why is the prime minister coming to scotland on a day trip? of course, we've got the situation that there's a marked difference in the approval rating of the first minister, who's shown true leadership through this crisis in scotland, and what we've seen with the prime minister. and i think people are just reflecting on that. the pandemic dominates daily life and conversation here in scotland, but the questions about the country's future have not gone away. whether or not scotland should become an independent country is the fault—line in scottish politics, and every poll sincejune has suggested more people would vote yes to scottish independence than no. there's no doubt that the union as much pressure as it has _ been frankly during the 300 years of its existence. _ there's been a very clear rise in support for independence. | two principle reasons — i one, the pursuit of brexi

it” the that's where our focus should be. the snp found a legal way of that's where our focus should be.“ the snp found a legal way of having another referendum without uk consent, would you boycott it? mr; consent, would you boycott it? my focus is on defeating the pandemic. but the _ focus is on defeating the pandemic. but the answer _ focus is on defeating the pandemic. but the answer that _ focus is on defeating the pandemic. but the answer that question? - focus is on defeating the pandemic. but the answer that question? i - but the answer that question? i think that should be the focus of everybody — think that should be the focus of everybody in _ think that should be the focus of everybody in this _ think that should be the focus of everybody in this country- think that should be the focus of everybody in this country and . think that should be the focus of everybody in this country and i. everybody in this country and i believe — everybody in this country and i believe in _ everybody in this country and i believe in the _ everybody in this country and i believe in the

we saw the snp vaccine roll—out - out the vaccine as soon as possible. j we saw the snp vaccine roll—out lag behind _ we saw the snp vaccine roll—out lag behind their— we saw the snp vaccine roll—out lag behind their own— we saw the snp vaccine roll—out lag behind their own targets. _ we saw the snp vaccine roll—out lag behind their own targets. as - we saw the snp vaccine roll—out lag behind their own targets. as of - behind their own targets. as of yesterday— behind their own targets. as of yesterday receipt _ behind their own targets. as of yesterday receipt of _ behind their own targets. as of yesterday receipt of 17,700 - behind their own targets. as of. yesterday receipt of 17,700 doses had been — yesterday receipt of 17,700 doses had been taken, _ yesterday receipt of 17,700 doses had been taken, more _ yesterday receipt of 17,700 doses had been taken, more than - yesterday receipt of 17,700 doses had been taken, more than 4400 j yesterday receipt of 17,700 doses - had been taken, more than 4400 have yet to— had been taken, more than 4400 have yet to reach— h

leaving the union — the snp lays out what it's calling a road map to a new referendum on scottish independence. and joy in china — as 11 gold miners who'd been trapped underground for two weeks are rescued. now on bbc news. it was once the richest democracy in latin america, but under president nicolas maduro, venezuela has been in an economic tailspin. venezuela was once considered by many as the crown jewel of south america. but that golden era is long gone. its economy is in crisis, oil prices have slumped as has production. and 60% of venezuelans now live in poverty. president maduro has been accused of dragging the economy into freefall but the opposition has not succeeded in unseating him. there is no solution in sight and all the while venezuela is in the grip of covid—i9. what is the future for venezuela? and how did it come to this? beauty that has been brought to its knees. venezuela may boast the largest proven oil reserves in the world, but it is now better known for the hunger and economic woes piled on its people each and every day. when this is your only chance of a decent m

some breaking news about the snp margaret ferrier who was alleged that have broken coronavirus restrictions by getting on a train after a positive covid—19 test result for that we hear she has been arrested, she has been charged with culpable and reckless conduct after an investigation into two cross—border train journeys which she admitted making when she should have been self isolating. she had the web removed after that incident backin the web removed after that incident back in september. police scotland spokesman saying we can confirm that officers today arrested and charged a six—year—old woman in connection with alleged culpable and reckless conduct. —— a 60—year—old woman. in northern ireland, ministers are meeting to discuss further restrictions there. ahead of the meeting, the first minister arlene foster had this to say: unfortunately the advice that is coming to us is very stark. today we had 1801 positive tests and if you look over the last seven days, it's risen from 5000 over seven days to well over 12,000 for those seven days, so there's been a huge increase

there is talk about a border poll over northern ireland and we have the scottish elections with the snp saying if they win they will demand another referendum, the uk and labour government says they would not give it but they would demand a referendum. as the future of the union itself in question in 2021? not immediately in the sense that at the end of this year we will see bits of the uk already splitting off but this may well be the beginning of the end. borisjohnson gave himself a new title when he became prime minister which is minister for the union. i'm afraid that might mean he is performing the la st that might mean he is performing the last rites given what has happened with brexit which majorities in scotland and northern ireland or posed. in scotland you have seen polls, 17 successive polls have shown that as a majority support for scottish independence whereas the referendum it was 55—45 against. that will not go down anytime soon i'iow that will not go down anytime soon now brexit is actually happening and is something the vast majority of scots object to and with northe

the snp, the party, scotland has been dragged out of the e.u., as you put it. the scots voted to remain in. they want a referendum. the scottish parliament is next may and nicolas sturgeon will go in on a referendum. if she wins the majority, she will claim she has a democratic mandate. the problem they have is to have the referendum, the british government has to say yes, and boris johnson has said he will not say yes to a referendum on scottish independence again. we face something of a standoff in this year to come. >> professor, it's always great to get your insight, from kings college london. thank you very much. happy new year to you. >> happy new year. >> thank you. now, croatia is strupging gglin bring earthquake relief. we'll talk to a doctor who helped rescue people from the epicenter. we'll bring you that story after a short break. even hanging with your dogog. so, what are you waiting for? download now and get your first stock on us. robinhood. see every yikes...... and even every awwwwwwww... wait, where was i? introducing self protection from xfin

this afternoon. _ the snp, ian blackford. this afternoon, millions - the snp, ian blackford. t�*u 3 afternoon, millions around the the snp, ian blackford.t'13 afternoon, millions around the world will breeze a massive sigh of relief when presidentjoe biden and vice—president kamala harris are sworn into office. it gives us all hope that better days are ahead of us, that days will be a little bit brighter. turning the page on the dark chapter of trump's presidency isn't solely the responsibility of presidentjoe biden. it is also the responsibility in the tory party including the prime minister who cosied up to donald trump and his callous worldview. this morning, the former prime minister, the member former prime minister, the member for maidenhead, accuse the current prime minister of abandoning moral responsibility on the world stage by slashing international aid. so if todayis slashing international aid. so if today is to be a new chapter, if today is to be a new chapter, if todayis today is to be a new chapter, if today is to be a new chapter, if today is to be a new c

now to ian blackford, the leader of the snp.— leader of the snp. thank you, mr seaker leader of the snp. thank you, mr speaker and _ leader of the snp. thank you, mr speaker and can _ leader of the snp. thank you, mr speaker and can i _ leader of the snp. thank you, mr speaker and can i associate - leader of the snp. thank you, mr l speaker and can i associate myself with the remarks of the prime minister on the holocaust, we all remember at the 6 millionjews who lost their lives in the most terrible crimes against human teeth and wish you never forget that, nor those who are sadly fallen to genocide around what —— against humanity. la5t genocide around what —— against humanity. last night the prime minister claimed we did everything we could to avoid the deaths of 100,000 people across the uk from covid—19. but we all know that is simply not true. the uk government response has been defined by a lack of leadership, last—minute u—turns, mixed messaging and devastating policies, all of which has had the effect on the scale of the pande

also tonight: an snp roadmap to a second independence vote, as nicola sturgeon faces more scrutiny over the handling of harassment claims against her predecessor. relief and joy in china, as 11 miners are rescued after two weeks trapped underground. enjoying the winter wonderland. but the snowy conditions mean severe weather warnings for many areas.

she wants to help the snp and needle the english. she wants to go up against borisjohnson and she wants to win the parliamentary elections in may and want to stand there like queen boudicca and say at the it to them. it happens to be about the eu and she wants to release confidential information which she has been given. she forgets by the way that she does have a boss, called the prime minister of the uk. but she will release the information to europe. this is pure politicisation and if ever there was the nationalistic jab that and if ever there was the nationalisticjab that is being waived by nicola sturgeon. and it really upsets me because the united kingdom has a great chance of delivery for its people on this. and whether you are in northern ireland or in cardiff or edinburgh or manchester, your ability to get on is because the government in westminster, no matter how much it upsets nicola sturgeon, the retirement of all this was done by london. and it's a very unfortunate historical fact that it was done by london and you were

the snp, falling 73 points. the losses were fueled in part by the frenzy over game stop. >> some investors worried about how much the online revolt against wall street can damage the broader market. game stop itself soared nearly 70% today. in the past few days, small investors have been driving this with social media momentum and sent the stock price up by more than 1600%. the idea was to hurt giant hedge funds that had been betting against game stop. calls for regulators to step in our growing louder. >>> the menlo park-based trading up, robinhood, allow to customers to start buying shares of game stop again yesterday. yesterday, block it. this was as well as other clumps, leading to claims that they were taking money from the little guy. >> everybody has their own game. now, when the retail guy, the everyday jimmy and joe, when they are winning, suddenly the rules change. >> we absolutely did not do this at the direction of any market-maker or hedge fund or anyone we route to or other market participants. >>

the snp will today present the scottish assembly with what it's calling a roadmap to a new referendum on independence. the strategy sets up the possibility of a showdown in the courts with the westminster government. borisjohnson has repeatedly said he opposes another referendum, even if the snp wins a majority in this year's scottish parliament elections. british businesses planned to cut a record 795,000 jobs last year as employers felt the effect of the covid pandemic on the economy. more than 10,000 firms planned job cuts, however the pace slowed at the end of the year. the figures were obtained in response to a bbc freedom of information request to the insolvency service. one of the world's most wanted fugitives, said to be responsible for up to 70% of narcotics entering australia, has been arrested in the netherlands. tse chi lop, who's the leader of an asian drug ring known as the company, was detained at schipol airport on friday. he has been tracked by the australian federal police for more than a decade. the weather has been really unpredictable over the last week and there

calls have been growing for another independence referendum, and the snp said the prime minister was panicking because he was losing the argument. meanwhile in holyrood, the conservative leader questioned the speed of the country's vaccine roll—out. ruth davidson quoted one family doctor. these jabs are sat there, but they're not getting to us. this argument that the focus is on care homes rather than the over—80s is a red herring. it isn't a choice between the two. these are different cohorts being vaccinated by different staff. first minister, are you telling these gps on the front line that they're wrong? we have now virtually completed the vaccination of care homes, around 95%, there will be efforts to get that percentage up. we are on track, though, to notjust meet, but i hope to exceed our targets for the other cohorts that we are now vaccinating. around half a million people have been vaccinated already in total, and in terms of the over—80 population, as i said, today that is now around 60%. 11 months into this pandemic, i this government has been slow to test, slow to

the snp's westminster leader told him scottish seafood exporters are losing "upwards of £1 million in sales a day". my constituent, a producer and exporter of shellfish, after unloading a lorry of fresh seafood and a system for 35 years, his driver faced bureaucracy and delays. brexit red tape now means that £40,000 of his fresh high—quality produce, it is now lost, unable to be sold. mr speaker, that 40,000 produce is income for over 100 localfamilies in many remote and fragile communities. can the prime minister tell my constituent, where is the sea of opportunity that he and his scottish tories were promised? prime minister. well, mr speaker, we are putting £100 million in supporting of the uk and it is the policy of the scottish nationalist party, not just to break up the united kingdom under their harebrained scheme but also to take scotland back into the eu and hand back control of scottish fisheries to brussels. thereby throwing away all of those opportunities. he was also challenged over the special arrangements for northern ireland by the dup's westminster leader who said