Bradley taking over as Northern Ireland secretary, facing an immediate challenge. Its a year since sinn feins Martin Mcguinness resigned as deputy first minister, bringing down the power sharing executive at stormont. He died two months later, and theres been no progress in attempts to restore power sharing. Heres our Northern IrelandPolitical EditorMark Devenport his report contains flashing images. Hospitals across the uk are struggling to cope with the pressures of winter, but patients in Northern Ireland face some of the longest waits for emergency treatment. Meanwhile, without government ministers, a blueprint for reorganising the local Health Service cant be put into practise. Theres no doubt that the nhs across the uk is challenged, but i think what makes Northern Ireland different and what nurses say is different is that they feel they have been let down by the leadership in the system, and secondly by the fact there is no Political Leadership in the country. The stalemate at stormont goes back a year, to when sinn feins Martin Mcguinness quit as deputy first minister. That triggered the collapse of the power sharing government at stormont. Relations between sinn fein and their democratic Unionist Coalition partners soured over the dups handling of a scandal concerning a renewable heating scheme. But the row soon widened, with unionists resisting sinn feins demand for better Legal Protection for the irish language. This characterisation of we should have given something to sinn fein, to keep them appeased is not the way i do business. If you feed a crocodile they will keep coming back and looking for more. After Martin Mcguinnesss death in march, Arlene Foster shook hands with his successor, michelle oneill, but the two leaders havent proved able to overcome their difference. The democratic unionists now hold the balance of power on the green benches at westminster, but back at stormont the blue benches of the Northern Ireland assembly remain empty, with Civil Servants running the administration on a day to day basis. There is a real imperative to get back to business, but we dont know what shape or form that will take, as neither sinn fein nor the dup see any sign of softening their positions, and the secretary of state has made no further moves towards impositioning direct rule. During stormonts year in the doldrums, the politicians who are meant to meet here have continued to get paid. Recently, an official report recommended that those salaries should be cut by a third. However, what impact that might have on this assembly that never sits remains farfrom certain. Mark devenport, bbc news, stormont. Proposals to ban parents and carers in wales from smacking their children have been published. Ministers say smacking is no longer acceptable, and want to follow scotland in outlawing the physical punishment of children. But campaigners against a change fear it could criminalise ordinary parents. Sian lloyd has the details. Its the turn of the people of wales to say where they stand on smacking. The government here wants to see it banned. Its plans would see the defence of reasonable punishment removed from the offences of assault and battery. Similar proposals have already been announced in scotland. The Welsh Government says it wants to bring in the move as part of a wider package of measures to support young people. Many more parents now will say the approach to positive parenting, not using physical punishment, is what they do as a matter of course. But i think that will make that the norm across society to show that physical punishment of children is not only not necessary but shouldnt be allowed. There will now be a iz week consultation, allowing the welsh public to contribute to the debate. No, i dont think its appropriate to smack children, because i dont think it is productive, really. I dont think that stops them from behaving a certain way. A little tap like that on the hand i dont think is terrible, but, no, not, you know, a big whack. If you are teaching them not to be violent or hit people, you shouldnt hit them. Its hypocritical. The Welsh Governments plans are already being supported by the childrens commissioner for wales and some childrens charities, including the nspcc. But others are critical, claiming most parents know where to draw the line between chastisement and abuse, and that their judgment should be trusted. Sian lloyd, bbc news, cardiff bay. Life on the road can be challenging. Ow ow spare a thought for this bbc reporter. Mobbed by lemurs he was covering the annual stock take. Unsurprisingly, this has gone viral time for the weather. It has been gloomy skies, fog over hills, but this was some sunshine on a loveless. Parts of scotland and cumbria had sunny some skies and we will get some more sunshine coming back tomorrow. Overnight, going to spread northwards and eastwards. Just patchy rain. Clearing skies for england and Northern Ireland, could have some icy conditions. Take it easy patchy rain. And some lingering fog patches. For most. The sunshine is going to be back. The exception, perhaps, northern scotland. Grey, misty. But not bad for some in Northern Ireland. Cloudy for some in Northern Ireland. Cloudy for some, east of england. But to the west, sunnier spells to be looking for most. Not everybody going to get blue skies, later, lighter winds. Should the feeling more pleasant. Some scattered showers to the south west, gradually fading away through the night. Light winds. Clear skies, these are the city centre temperatures. And not just widespread frost for the morning on thursday and friday, but for patches becoming more extensive. And when you get that to start with it is going to be a struggle to shift. Going to stay with that, it is difficult to say at this moment, but central and southern england probably favourites. Elsewhere, the missing as will clear. Sunshine and another pleasant day. Still feeling chilly. Winds light. Sunny spells. But finishing with three now across ireland, and some gusty winds. The weather front going to try to come in this weekend, slow process, rain heavy at first then patchy later. This is beyond 100 days, with me katty kay in washington and christian frasers in london. North korea offers to send a high level delegation to next months winter olympics, after the first talks with the south in more than two years. Donald trump hosts a roundtable meeting between republicans and democrats about security and immigration in a rare show of bipartisanship. As fa ns as fans call for Oprah Winfrey to run for president , donald trump is also full of praise but says he would beat her at the polls