A 4x4 makes its way through a snow covered road in Harrogate, North Yorkshire
Commuters are being warned of icy roads and travel disruption, as temperatures plummeted again overnight across the UK.
Fresh weather warnings have been issued, with snow, ice and fog forecast across southern England, Wales, Northern Ireland and northern Scotland on Thursday.
It will be mainly dry elsewhere with winter sunshine, but temperatures could fall again to as low as -16C on Thursday night.
The cold snap has already brought heavy snowfall to some areas, and dozens of flood alerts and warnings are in place due to either heavy rain or melting snow.
On Wednesday the lowest temperature recorded was -8.4C (16F) in Shap, Cumbria, according to the Met Office.
It comes as an amber cold health alert remains in place for all of England until Sunday, meaning the forecast weather is expected to have significant impacts across health - including a rise in deaths.
The Hills/BBC Weather Watcher
A sheep walks in snow in Huddersfield
The Met Office says travel disruption to road and rail services is likely on Thursday in areas covered by warnings, as well potential for accidents in icy places.
There are five warnings in place:
A yellow warning for snow and ice is in place for northern Scotland until midnight on Thursday
A yellow warning for ice has been issued until 10:30 across southern England and south-east Wales
Two yellow warnings for snow and ice are in force until 11:00 GMT - one across western Wales and north-west England, and south-west England; and another for Northern Ireland
A yellow warning for fog until 09:00 in Northern Ireland
Sue B/BBC Weather Watchers
A teenager made a snow sculpture of Venus in her garden in Leeds
On Wednesday snow caused some roads to close and motorists to be stationary for "long periods of time" in Devon and Cornwall, according to authorities there.
Gritters working into Thursday morning have been fitted with ploughs to clear routes in the area.
Car insurer RAC said it has seen the highest levels of demand for rescues in a three-day period since December 2022.
"Cold conditions will last until at least the weekend, so we urge drivers to remain vigilant of the risks posed by ice and, in some locations, snow," said RAC breakdown spokeswoman Alice Simpson.
National Rail have also advised passengers to check before they travel, as ice and snow can mean speed restrictions and line closures.
On Wednesday evening, poor weather was affecting Northern and Great Western Railway.
Buses are also replacing trains between Llandudno Junction and Blaenau Ffestiniog until Monday.
A car covered in snow on a road in Buxton, Derbyshire
The wintry conditions have caused significant disruption across the UK since snow swept many parts of the country at the weekend.
Hundreds of schools were closed in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, including schools in Yorkshire, Merseyside, the Midlands and Aberdeenshire.
The country has also been hit by widespread flooding in recent days. Currently there are 68 flood warnings - meaning flooding is expected - in England and three in Wales.
The weather is expected to be less cold over the weekend.
The Prince of Wales has wished his wife, Catherine, a happy birthday as she turns 43.
"To the most incredible wife and mother. The strength you've shown over the last year has been remarkable," William wrote in a message posted on social media.
"George, Charlotte, Louis and I are so proud of you. Happy Birthday, Catherine. We love you. W."
The princess has returned to royal duties after having preventative chemotherapy treatment as a result of being diagnosed with cancer last year.
Kensington Palace posted the personal written message from William alongside a previously unseen picture of Catherine taken by Matt Porteous in Windsor last summer.
The black and white picture showed the princess looking relaxed and smiling, wearing jeans, a white shirt and a scarf.
The Royal Family also wished her a happy birthday.
Some local councils in England would need to see at least a five-fold increase in new housing to meet government targets, analysis by BBC Verify suggests.
The BBC's figures lay out the immense challenge Labour has set itself in government with its "milestone" of building 1.5 million new homes in England over five years.
In total, 16 local authorities across England have new annual targets that are five times or more what they have recently delivered.
The most demanding target is for the London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, which has been set a target for new homes nearly 22 times its recent average.
The target for Sevenoaks in Kent is five times what it has been delivering on average in recent years, while the target for Portsmouth is more than eight times the average.
These specific targets will enable us to incorporate information into the tracker on what's happening on house building in every district in England.
It will show the number of homes added in an area and compare it with the local target set by ministers.
Our postcode lookup tool also shows the share of planning applications for new homes granted permissions in an area in the most recent year there is data for, and compares it with the England-wide average rate, so you can judge whether your council is approving enough building plans.
The tracker will be updated when relevant official data becomes available.
Hugely ambitious
The new government has described its housebuilding objective as "hugely ambitious" and that is no exaggeration.
To deliver 1.5 million homes, defined as "net additional dwellings", over five years implies a strike rate of about 300,000 a year - a number not achieved since the 1970s.
But while the England-wide target is highly ambitious in a historical context, the targets handed down to some local authorities are arguably even more so.
To create our postcode tracker we processed local data on:
the number of annual net additional dwellings required
the number of net additional dwellings created on average each year since 2021
recent residential planning decisions by councils.
BBC Verify's analysis shows Kensington and Chelsea, a London borough, has been given a target of 5,107 new homes every year for the next five years. But the borough delivered an average of only 236 net additional dwellings between 2021-22 and 2023-24.
It did, however, approve 89% of planning applications for housing in the year to June 2024, considerably higher than the national rate of 71%.
Portsmouth, on the south coast, also has a very stretching target. The local council is being asked to deliver 1,021 new homes per year, almost nine times the 120 it delivered on average over the most recent three years.
Hastings has been tasked with a smaller total: 710. But this is still five times the 142 it has delivered on average in recent years.
Portsmouth approved 74% of residential planning applications in the year to June 2024 and Hastings 75%.
Councils were consulted on the targets last summer, with many expressing concerns they were "unrealistic", and the numbers were revised.
Councillor Elizabeth Campbell, leader of Kensington and Chelsea, said it was "out of touch to let algorithms set targets without understanding local context".
"You only have to walk through the streets of our densely built borough to see how unachievable it would be to build 5,107 homes a year here; this borough is only 4.5 miles squared."
She said there were two major sites in the borough that would provide 6,000 new homes in total.
Councillor Darren Sanders, cabinet member for housing at Portsmouth City Council, said the target "does not work" because "most of the city is an island" with a dense population and "important heritage and natural assets".
"Portsmouth has approved more than 4,000 new homes in 2023 and 2024. Any lack of delivery is down to the rising cost of development," he said, "not whether the council approves them."
Sevenoaks councillor Julia Thornton said it was a "top priority" to protect greenbelt land, but added: "We will have a duty to do everything possible to meet the government's new housing targets."
Sir Keir's housing minister, Matthew Pennycook, has said if councils fail to deliver enough houses the government could intervene.
"The government can take a local plan off a local authority that is resisting putting one in place, and we are absolutely willing to do it, if we have evidence that [they] are refusing to comply," he told the BBC.
The obstacles
The government said it had "inherited the worst housing crisis in living memory" and "all areas must play their part".
It has set out "a major planning overhaul… unblocking barriers to building, and setting out targets for councils to ramp up housebuilding, so new homes are built where they are most needed."
Finally, many housing experts doubt private housebuilders are capable of delivering enough new homes each year to reach the targets.
This is because private housebuilders have a commercial interest in not building so many new homes that their average price declines.
The Competition and Markets Authority concluded in February 2024 "private developers produce houses at a rate at which they can be sold without needing to reduce their prices".
A sharp decline in residential planning permissions in England in the year to June 2024 - hitting a new record low - was due to a collapse in applications from private builders, not a decline in the share of applications being approved by local authorities.
This collapse in applications probably reflected the impact of still-high mortgage interest rates and high house prices relative to average incomes, undermining the ability of people to afford newly built houses.
That's why some argue meeting the government's targets will also require a major increase in Whitehall grants to not-for-profit local housing associations, enabling them to build tens of thousands of new social and affordable homes, mainly to be rented out, in the coming years.
Interactive tool developed by Allison Shultes, Scott Jarvis and Steven Connor
About the data
Annual data on new homes for England comes from the government's "net additional dwellings" statistics.
These figures are estimates of changes in the total number of homes in each area, taking account of new build homes and existing building conversions, minus any demolitions.
Planning statistics are taken from quarterly data and combine applications decided for "minor" housing developments (fewer than 10 homes) and "major" schemes (10 homes or more).
The planning data for England is at local authority level. Applications decided by special authorities, such as those in charge of national parks, are not included.
We have included the latest data on new housebuilding "completions" by local authority area for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, but the 1.5 million homes target applies only in England.
The pound has fallen to its lowest level for nine months after UK government borrowing costs continued to rise.
The drop came as UK 10-year borrowing costs surged to their highest level since the 2008 financial crisis when bank borrowing almost ground to a halt.
Economists have warned the rising costs could lead to further tax rises or cuts to spending plans as the government tries to meet its self-imposed borrowing target.
The government said it would not say anything ahead of the official borrowing forecast from its independent forecaster due in March.
"I'm obviously not going to get ahead ... it's up to the OBR (Office for Budget Responsibility) to make their forecasts."
"Having stability in the public finances is precursor to having economic stability and economic growth," the Prime Minister's official spokesman said.
Shadow chancellor Mel Stride claimed that the Chancellor's significant spending and borrowing plans from the Budget are "making it more expensive for the government to borrow".
"We should be building a more resilient economy, not raising taxes to pay for fiscal incompetence," he said in a post on X.
Gabriel McKeown, head of macroeconomics at Sad Rabbit Investments, said the rise in borrowing costs "has effectively eviscerated Reeves' fiscal headroom, threatening to derail Labour's investment promises and potentially necessitate a painful recalibration of spending plans."
Meanwhile the pound dropped by as much as 1.1% to $1.233 against the dollar, marking its lowest level since April last year.
The government generally spends more than it raises in tax. To fill this gap it borrows money, but that has to be paid back - with interest.
One of the ways it can borrow money is by selling financial products called bonds.
Globally, there has been a rise in the cost of government borrowing in recent months sparked by investor concerns that US President-elect Donald Trump's plans to impose new tariffs on goods entering the US from Canada, Mexico and China would push up inflation.
Laith Khalaf, head of investment analysis at AJ Bell, said chancellor Rachel Reeves' Budget in October, which increased borrowing, may have had a small impact but said the UK rises were similar to those in the US.
"In the UK higher yields put pressure on government finances and increase the risk that Reeves will come back with another tax raising Budget," he said.
But he also said the current rises in borrowing costs could be "a storm in a tea cup which dissipates quickly."
The official forecaster, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), will start the process of updating its forecast on government borrowing next month to be presented to parliament in late March.
A spokesperson said: "We condemn the illegal release of wild animals in the strongest possible terms and we are also concerned for the welfare of the lynx that have been released."
The authority also said people should not attend the area and appealed to anyone with information about the lynx to contact police.
The wild cats were once native to Britain, but were driven to extinction 500 to 1,000 years ago.
But some conservation groups have been campaigning to have the wild cats reintroduced to Scotland.
Lynx to Scotland, a three-charity partnership working to restore lynx to the Scottish Highlands, said it had been made aware of the release.
Peter Cairns, executive director of Scotland: The Big Picture, one of the charities involved, said: "The Lynx to Scotland Project knows nothing of the origin of these two lynx, their history, health status, or who may have released them.
"We understand the frustration of all those who wish to see lynx restored to the Scottish landscape, but an illegal release is not the way to achieve that aim."
Getty Images
Lynx were once native to Britain
Mr Cairns said the project had never supported or condoned illegal releases.
He added: "This is unwelcome and grossly irresponsible, but comes at the worst possible time, when stakeholders are engaging in good faith with productive discussions about the possibility of a responsibly managed and fully resourced legal reintroduction."
RSPB Scotland said it was collaborating with the police, relevant governing bodies and partner organisations.
A spokesperson said: "Whilst we support lynx reintroduction as a formerly native species to Scotland, we work within official conservation translocation guidelines and therefore do not support unofficial releases which only set back approved conservation projects."
A spokesperson for farmers' union NFU Scotland said: "We hope that the released predators are caught as soon as possible and before any livestock or any other animals are destroyed.
"We ask all those living and working in the local rural community to be vigilant and report any sightings."
There is huge anger among campaigners who have long been arguing for these apex predators to be returned to the wild in Scotland.
It is a highly controversial plan and has required some careful manoeuvring by conservationists to try and make it a reality.
They are convinced these two animals have been illegally released by someone who has grown tired of that process and taken the law into their own hands.
It has happened before with another species.
Beavers were released illegally in Perthshire while consultations over their formal reintroduction were still ongoing and the population has since exploded.
Farmers hate the idea of wild lynx because of concerns they might target their lambs for food.
If that happens in the coming days, campaigners fear it would end their ambitions of a reintroduction for decades.
It is possible the two cats could disappear into the wild, mate and produce the first genuinely wild lynx in more than five centuries.
But experts say the fact these secretive animals have been spotted several times suggests they might actually be too domesticated to survive in the wild.
Raging wildfires surrounding Los Angeles have spread to Hollywood Hills, a residential neighbourhood overlooking the historic Hollywood area of the city.
The Sunset fire broke out at around 18:00 (14:00 GMT) local time on Wednesday, covering much of Hollywood in thick smoke and forcing an evacuation order.
While driving in Hollywood, I saw many people running away from their homes with whatever belongings they could carry.
As I pulled over, some of them responded to me in fear and anxiety.
"Are you here to help people? Where do I go?" Anna Waldman asked as I got out of my car.
"Where is it safe?"
Above us, sirens had gone off and helicopter blades were whipping.
As I helped her get to a safe area, she told me she was walking her dogs and had planned to stop by a grocery store when she smelled heavy smoke.
She went back home, looked out her windows, and watched the fire move quickly through the Hollywood Hills to within a block from her home.
She packed what she could: food, clothes, blankets, food for her three small dogs.
"I can't believe this," she said in exhaustion.
Makayla Jackson, 26, held her two-year-old son Ramari on the corner of a street as they waited for a ride. They had been evacuated from a homeless shelter that was in danger of burning.
"They just told us to get out and go," she told me.
She said she was heading toward Hollywood High School, where more help was being offered.
Christal Hayes
Much of the heart of Hollywood is blanketed in thick smoke. You can barely see the tops of the towering palm trees that line streets here.
It is utter chaos on the streets near the fire. People are using sweatshirts to cover their faces so they can breathe. Many are carrying bags and suitcases looking for a place to go.
Some are wearing pyjamas, clearly taken by surprise.
Christal Hayes
Many of the roads near the blaze, such as the iconic Hollywood Boulevard, which includes the Hollywood Walk of Fame, are gridlocked with traffic.
Some are even driving on the wrong side of the road to escape.
The inferno could be seen from nearby freeways, lighting up the dark with bright red hues.
On the outskirts of the legendary city though, it is as though nothing is happening. People are eating dinner, shopping and going about their evenings.
In a letter sent to members on Wednesday, Academy CEO Bill Kramer said: "We want to offer our deepest condolences to those who have been impacted by the devastating fires across Southern California.
"So many of our members and industry colleagues live and work in the Los Angeles area, and we are thinking of you."
Conan O'Brien will host the 2025 Oscars ceremony at the Dolby Theater on Hollywood Boulevard on 2 March.
The fires have caused havoc for residents in Hollywood, as well as the area's film and TV industry.
A raft of LA events and movie premieres - including Unstoppable, Wolf Man, Robbie Williams' Better Man and The Pitt - have been cancelled or postponed.
On Wednesday, an event to announce the nominees for the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards was also called off.
The contenders were announced in a press release instead, with Wicked leading the nominations.
The Globes, the first major ceremony of awards season, are considered to be a strong measure of which films have momentum ahead of the Oscars. Other film winners included Emilia Pérez, The Brutalist and Wicked.
Firefighters in Los Angeles are battling a number of blazes in city suburbs, as tens of thousands of residents are forced to flee.
The rapidly changing situation is compounded by Santa Ana winds and extremely dry conditions. Currently authorities say there is no possibility of bringing the fires under control.
The Palisades fire, which is closest to the coast and also the largest, has ripped through picturesque suburbs which are home to many Hollywood stars. More than 1,000 buildings have already been destroyed.
Here's how the fires have spread and are affecting the Los Angeles area.
An overview of the current fires
Four major fires are currently being tackled.
The Palisades fire was first reported at 10:30 (18:30 GMT) on Tuesday, and grew in just 20 minutes from a blaze of 20 acres to more than 200 acres, then more than tenfold in a matter of a few more hours. At least 30,000 people have so far been ordered to leave their homes.
The Eaton fire grew to cover 1,000 acres within the first six hours of breaking out. It started in Altadena in the hills above Pasadena at around 18:30 local time on Tuesday.
The Hurst fire is located just north of San Fernando. It began burning on Tuesday at around 22:10 local time, growing to 500 acres, according to local officials. It has triggered evacuation orders in neighbouring Santa Clarita.
The latest of the four fires is the Woodley fire, currently 75 acres in size. It broke out at approximately 06:15 local time on Wednesday.
The Palisades fire has so far burnt through more than 2,900 acres. The map above shows how rapidly the blaze spread, intensifying in a matter of hours. At just after 14:00 on Tuesday it covered 772 acres and within four hours it had expanded approximately to its current size.
Thousands of people have been forced to evacuate, as more than 1,400 firefighters try to tackle the blaze.
How does the Palisade fire compare in size with New York and London?
To give an idea of the size of the Palisades fire, we have superimposed it on to maps of New York and London.
As you can see, it is comparable in size with the central area of UK's capital, or with large areas of lower Manhattan and Brooklyn.
How the fires look from space
NASA
Another indication of the scale of the Palisades fire comes from Nasa's Earth Observatory.
The images captured on Tuesday show a huge plume of smoke emanating from California and drifting out to sea.
Effects of the Eaton fire
Google Earth/Getty Images/BBC
The Palisade fire is not the only one to have a devastating effect on neighbourhoods of Los Angeles.
The above images show the Jewish Temple in Pasadena before and during the Eaton fire.
The Jewish Temple and Centre's website says it has been in use since 1941 and has a congregation of more than 400 familes.
It is his signature policy, but the obstacles are daunting
Photograph: Getty Images
|STORM LAKE, IOWA
“We’ll get National Guard, and we’ll go as far as I’m allowed to go, according to the laws of our country,” said Donald Trump in November, explaining his plan to rid America of illegal immigrants to Time magazine. “Whatever it takes to get them out.”
三辉图书的最后一本书是蒂莫西·米切尔（Timothy Mitchell，1955— ）的《碳民主：石油时代的政治权力》（Carbon Democracy:Political Power in the Age of Oil）（石油储量如何影响现代民主｜新书）。这本书由三辉图书与南京大学出版社合作出版，豆瓣网上的信息显示出版时间是2024年6月，或许此书的出版过程也不少波折。
Wind-whipped wildfire blew through communities of every socioeconomic status and stripe, merging, psychically if not physically, into a kind of mega-catastrophe.
TikTok is challenging a possible ban or forced sale to new owners in the United States, but has for several years been waging other fights in at least 20 countries.
A data center in Ashburn, Va. The Biden administration has developed rules to determine where such facilities, which power artificial intelligence, are built and by whom.
The Minnesota governor and 2024 vice-presidential contender became the highest-profile Democrat to back Mr. Martin, one of the front-runners vying to run the party’s national committee.
Some of the live music industry’s most respected and consistently working roadies, instrument techs and sound people have been on the job for half a century.
Palestinians, Sudanese and Syrians fleeing war have found a home in the country. But Cairo says newcomers are straining resources and is seeking financial help from the West.
The Russian president celebrated his 50th birthday at a winery in Moldova. After the invasion of Ukraine, it moved the bottles he was given away from public view.
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