Briefing you on all you need to know in global news, business and sport. We have a packed programme. And you can be part of the conversation. Today were asking if you were given the opportunity would you go to space . This following elon musks successful launch of the falcon heavy rocket. Send your comments to bbbthebriefing. A 6. 4 magnitude quake in taiwan has left at least four people dead and more than 200 injured after buildings crumbled and trapped people inside. A hotel was one of the worst hit buildings by the quake. Part of it crumpled into the ground the rest is now leaning heavily to one side. This is the live scene in the port city of hualien. You can see the Marshal Hotel there leaning very precariously. People in that city have been warned not to return home until aftershocks have subsided. Lets get more now from andrew plant. Daybreak in taiwan. The power of this earthquake now becoming clearer, buildings partially pushed over, lower floors crushed. Here you can see cars beneath the rubble, as emergency workers use hammers to smash glass, still searching for anyone who might be trapped inside. People worked through the night, rushing to help those trapped in their homes, fearing the buildings were about to come down. Here, a child is lowered from a kitchen window. At least four high rise buildings are close to collapse, their foundations crumbling after a violent earthquake which was close to the surface. It struckjust before midnight, its epicentre a few miles off i didnt see where it fell to. Now there are three people inside. The Reporter Asks him, on which floor . , he replies, we were on the third floor. They are fine, theyjust called me. We were all in bed and everything just started shaking, the bed started shaking. Everyone kind of started screaming. One eyewitness described the moment the quake struck, after shocks happening even as she was being interviewed. Oh my god, this is an after shock, im sorry. With several high rise buildings badly damaged, many fled to the streets and the parks, away from the scattered debris. Roads have been lifted and split, and a local hospital damaged with more than 200 people injured. By daylight, the perilous state of these buildings is clear. The tremors were felt more than 160 kilometres away. Search teams now using specially trained dogs to try to make sure that no one is left trapped inside. Tens of thousands are now without water. After a quake which caused extensive damage across a wide area. The government here says the country has already suffered more than 100 much smaller earthquakes in just the last week alone. Andrew plant, bbc news. And well be live in taiwan with our correspondent cindy sui, a little later in the programme. Lets get the latest on the markets now after another day of fluctuations. Having a look at how things are faring right now, a different picture to this time yesterday. We have seen a bounceback in asia, as you can see, following a better day on wall street. Significant gains for the dowjones on wall street. Significant gains for the dow jones because on wall street. Significant gains for the dowjones because at this time yesterday we saw heavy losses. Plenty of conversations about what is behind the four. For. Fall. Cornelia meyer is ceo of Business Consultancy mrlcorporation it has been a rollercoaster ride and what are we for general powerful assume what are we for general powerful assume to roam power to welcome the world as the new manager of the Federal Reserve. It is not his fault that he was sworn in on the same day. He now needs to see what he will do. It was quite volatile and yesterday, when you looked at the market and you looked at the board in new york, it was down and then up. You never knew were you were. This time yesterday, tokyo was down nearly 7 . The question is is that volatility over . Was that sharp and dramatic dip in valuation it or do we need to fasten our seatbelts for another few days . There will be more volatility but it will be an unusual period of local fertility. Volatility but it will be an unusual period of localfertility. People looked at what is happening in the us and saw their wage growth figures in the us. Drill down a little bit more on what that wage growth means and traders dont do those sort of things. If you saw that, people are worried about the rises in Interest Rates and in the us and also the Balance Sheets of the Federal Reserve and the other reserve banks are shrinking. Were being weaned off and expansionist low Interest Rate policy. When people get wind of a drug, it is tough. Cold turkey . All right. We will talk more about this because it is all over the papers. Cornelia will return and we will discuss it in more detail in the news and in the business briefings. The worlds most powerful rocket has blasted off into orbit. Spectators in florida shrieked with delight as the falcon heavy, launched by the american entrepreneur elon musk, soared high over the atlantic ocean. Controllers are now following the progress of the payload which is elon musks old sports car. Keith doyle reports. This is Ground Control to major tom. This is not a scene from a film. This actually is a car and an astronaut dummy in space with david bowie playing on the stereo. Fire up of the world. Now it is time to leave the capsule if you dare. This bizarre but very real image came after the launch of the falcon heavy rocket from florida last night. The successful launch of the most powerful and largest rocket since the shuttle has been called a jet to make game changer in space exploration. In part, due to its reusable boosters which have returned to earth. To landing together in florida, the third had a less successful landing in the sea however getting bigger and heavier payloads into space is a major breakthrough for this company. Seeing the two boosters land in synchronisation, like those simulation. It is scalable. You could imagine large numbers of those arejust coming in and landing, taking off, landing, doing multiple flights a day. When the story of mans exploration of mars and beyond is written, this may well be seen as the moment it was all made possible. Just to squeeze in a comment from a viewer, one viewer said he would add the drop of a hat, even if he knew he would not come back, that ride would be worth it. Lets brief you on some of the other stories making the news. South africas president , jacob zuma, appears to be ready to resign. Media reports say mr zuma, whos facing corruption allegations, may heed calls to step down if a list of preconditions is finalised. President donald trump is reported to have asked for a large scale military parade to showcase american might. The White House Press secretary, sarah sanders, said the president had asked defence chiefs to plan an event where americans could show their appreciation for the armed forces. The Supreme Court in the maldives has done a u turn on its decision to free nine convicted politicians, hours after two senior judges were arrested. The courts remaining three judges said they were annulling the original order in light of the concerns raised by the president. President Abdulla Yameen declared a state of emergency after accusing the judges of plotting to overthrow him. Joining me now isjustin rowlatt, our south asia correspondent. You and i were discussing this yesterday. What a difference one day makes. Is the challenge over to the president . Absolutely not. The opposition is saying that the three remaining Supreme Court judges opposition is saying that the three remaining Supreme Courtjudges were coerced into making thisjudgement and that sounds plausible when you remember that the circumstance of the arrest of the two most senior judges in the court, which happened yesterday morning, Security Forces stormed the Supreme Court building before arresting them. The suggestion is that they were perhaps put under pressure in order to change their views. The official statement said it was in light of state m e nts statement said it was in light of statements made by president Abdulla Yameen to persuade them to change their position. Indeed, tensions rumble on in the maldives. The leader of the opposition said from his base in sri lanka, he tweeted a request that india send an envoy with military backing to intervene in the situation. Today, i spoke to a Ministry Spokesperson who said that the army is on standby for any eventuality which is the position that most armies would be in. There is no suggestion at the moment that the Indian Military will be sent in but they have been there previously including in 1998. It has happened before. As ever, it is difficult to know what will happen next in this situation, given what you have just said. Absolutely. We have had this u turn from the Supreme Courtjudges and at the same time there is a great deal of International Pressure for this state of emergency to be lifted. Russia from the united nations, the us, britain, india, they have all come together to say that something must be done and this must be resolved. At the moment, the opposition leaders in sri lanka have no intention to fly to the maldives. At the same time, the president is confident he has the support of the army. How long that last is the big question and we will be watching the situation as it develops. Stay with us on the briefing. Also on the Programme Division twos Newport County travel to wembley for their money spinning fourth round replay against premier League Giants tottenham in the fa cup. This is the moment that millions in iran had been waiting for. After his long years in exile, the first hesitant steps of Ayatollah Khomeini on iranian soil. South africas white government has offered its black opponents concessions unparalleled in the history of apartheid. The ban on the African National congress is lifted immediately, and the anc leader, nelson mandela, after 27 years injail, is to be set free unconditionally. The aircraft was returning from belgrade, where Manchester United had entered the semi final of the european cup. Two americans have become the first humans to walk in space without any lifeline to their spaceship. One of them called it a piece of cake. Thousands of people have given the yachstwoman Ellen Macarthur a spectacular homecoming in the cornish port of falmouth after she smashed the world record for sailing solo around the world non stop. Youre watching the briefing. 0ur headlines stocks markets in asia are poised for their biggestjump since the end of 2016, but traders remain on edge after a roller coaster 2a hours. And our top story rescue teams continue to search buildings left devastated after an earthquake hits taiwan. Lets stay with that now. Cindy sui can give us the very latest. Shes in taipei. What is the latest . The latest we are hearing is that the death toll is still two. But there are more than 200 people who have been injured. The rescuers are still looking for around 140 people who are unaccounted for. It is not clear whether these people were inside any of the damaged buildings at the time, that is why they are using sniffer dogs and heat detectors to try to find anyone inside the buildings. There are two people definitely missing, the two employees who worked in the lobby, front desk of the hotel that was damaged. They have not been accounted for. They did manage to find one other employee who was trapped in the basement of the hotel. He managed to survive four hours after the earthquake struck, he had his mobile phone and a flashlight which enabled him to alert the rescuers to where he was in the building. While you are speaking, we are looking at pictures of the hotel living precariously to one side, we are seeing the rescue workers. Is their concern about buildings like that hotel that they could collapse and cause more damage, are they trying to get people out . Exactly. This hotel, besides the two employees you have mentioned, they had been emptied of people. They rescued a lot of people from the hotel, 131 people. There are several other buildings that are also talking to one side. 0ne are several other buildings that are also talking to one side. One of them is a ten story residential building. This is the big unknown right now, how many people are inside that residential building . Some people might have been registered as residents there but not actually at home at the time. The authorities are really not taking any chances. That is why they are going through every building thatis are going through every building that is damaged, that is tilting, and they are trying to find people inside. With that residential building that is tilting they are trying to prop it up, because it is leaning more and more towards the street, it could topple. They are racing against time to try to find people inside. Cindy sui, for now, thank you very much. The latest from taipei on the earthquake that happened earlier today. The relationship between turkey and the United States is close to breaking point. For almost three weeks, the Turkish Military has been attacking kurdish fighters in syria, who were armed by the us, incensing turkey. Its the latest step in a confrontation thats pitting two key nato members against each other. 0ur turkey correspondent mark lowen reports. Sport is friendlier than politics by a long shot. Turks and americans training together in an istanbul american football team. The rivalry here is amicable, the queen between their countries less so. The nato allies are at each others throats over syria, politics, human rights, and even suspending the visas last year. The relationship in crisis feleti. The political climate, currently, you dont know what is going to happen. I think the leaders of both countries have quick triggers, in terms of temperament, as seen with the visa ban. We have two individuals leading two big countries with this type of mentality you cant predict what will happen tomorrow or the next day. Turkey is now bombing kurdish fighters in syria who are armed by the us. For washington they are partners against the Islamic State group. The risk of a direct clash between natos two biggest armies is growing. We dont have a problem with the United States. We have suffered together, we have fought together. But if we have lost 30,000 lives in this country because of a terrorist organisation and if we look at the United States, seeing that they are giving ammunition, giving expertise, american soldiers are training them, this is, i think, the point where we must start. But the point where we must start. But the row goes deeper, to the cleric blamed for the failed coup he who lives in the us, with his extradition looking unlikely turkey detained some Us Diplomatic staff here, enraging washington. Pro government media is hammering home the message. Polls showed nearly two thirds you see the us as the main threat to turkey. A relationship crucial to security and trade is the worst for decades. Joining nato in 1952 anchored turkey to the west. This country, which straddles continents, started eu membership talks 13 years ago. As relations have grown more hostile, turkey has realigned itself towards russia and some arab countries which dont criticise the state of democracy here. And that is serious. Turkey is too important for the west to lose. It has left these turkey stu d e nts to lose. It has left these turkey students aiming to study in you is watching anxiously, caught up in a wider conflict. I am most concerned about my family, because if the situation with the United States gets worst they cannot go to the United States. When you say that you are going to study in the us to someone are going to study in the us to someone in the eastern part of turkey, they dont really like that, because they think you are kind of the your own country. Back on the pitch, the turks and americans practice their moves, but for their leaders solving a relationship goes to breaking point is the urging problem to tackle. Betraying your own country. Heres our briefing on some of the key events happening later. In the next few hours well hear from the us Vice President mike pence and japans Prime Minister shinzo abe wholl give a joint News Conference from tokyo. At 8 00am gmt members of the European Parliament are set to begin debating what will happen to the 70 odd seats held by the uk after brexit. And at 10 00am gmt Angela Merkel will convene a meeting of her cdu partys top brass to discuss the outcome of tuesdays make or break talks at forming a workable coalition with the spd. Now its time to get all the latest from the bbc sports centre. Hi there, im gavin ramjaun, and this is your sport briefing for wednesday. Coming up, well hearfrom tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino, as his side head into a crucial stage of the season. Plus, the first ever interstellar badminton tournament. Hello there. The breathless football season continues in england on wednesday, with premier league high flyers tottenham hotspur, taking on league twos Newport County in a fourth round fa cup replay. Spurs remember were involved in that remarkable and controversial match at liverpool on sunday. Harry kane scored a late, late penalty to notch his one hundredth premier league goal. But he might not feature from the start on wednesday evening. Manager Mauricio Pochettino will field a changed team, with important matches against arsenal and juventus coming up. We cannot say that we dont take seriously some competition, because we rotated, we use one or another player. It is important to understand that tomorrow we are going to play. And we must win. The competition is so important, premier league or champions league. Plenty of cricket to look ahead to on wednesday. After winning their one day series against australia 4 1, england will be looking to carry that form into the trans tasman twenty20 series. They take on australia in hobart. The aussies thrashed new zealand, the other team in the tournament, in the first match. If south africa lose their one Day International against india in cape town, theyll be 3 0 down in the series, with just three matches to play. Theyve been ravaged by injuries and, so far, unable to cope with indias spinners. There are a few problems, i would not say there are a lot of problems. Sometimes when you do badly it seems like a lot more is going around than really is. When youre winning you dont ask yourself any questions. It is all great. We just have to stay positive, try a change of momentum. Now to a predictably one sided affair in the german cup, when the giants of Bayern Munich travelled to paderborn of germans third tier. Frenchman Kingsley Coman opened the scoring in the 19th minute, though Thomas Muller was injured in the build up. Muller was taken off in the 32nd minute, after Robert Lewandowski had made it 2 0. Arjen robben completed the evenings fun for bayern. He scored the fifth in the 86th and was then served up another, two minutes later, by franck ribery. To easily seal bayerns place in the last four of the competition. That is a look at some of the sports news. And tell me what you think about our talking point today. Were asking if you were given the opportunity would you go to space . This following elon musks successful launch of the falcon heavy rocket. He can deliver analytic car into space but he cannot deliver them to customers on earth. That is from stephen. 0thers customers on earth. That is from stephen. Others are saying absolutely, i would definitely go. We have bobby, a female, she says yes, i would give anything and everything to go to space. Another says i would go to space given the opportunity. Two of you say, actually, we have done so much damage to our very own planet, why on earth would we go to space . I would rather spend the dollars on trying to better our own planet that we have damaged so much. Interesting. Elon musk, if you follow him on twitter, he is treating various pictures from a falcon heavy of his car and the manikin in the driving seat. A p pa re ntly manikin in the driving seat. Apparently rocket man by david bowie is on apparently rocket man by david bowie isona apparently rocket man by david bowie is on a loop in that. I will be back inafew is on a loop in that. I will be back in a few minutes with the business briefing. I will see you then. Hello. It feels like weve been stuck in the deep freeze over the last few days, and thats not going to change very much during wednesday. Cold air remains firmly in place, and some of us have some snow on the ground, as well that weather watcher picture from North Yorkshire on tuesday. Where we have the lying snow, particularly, there is the risk for some ice during wednesday. A widespread frost, certainly, to start the day, because we are still firmly ensconced in this cold air. Something a little bit milder out in the atlantic, but we wont feel the effects of that just yet. For the time being, this area of High Pressure giving most of us a fine, dry but cold start to the day, under largely clear skies. 0ur towns and cities down below freezing, but out in the countryside, those temperatures really have been dropping away. The sorts of temperatures well have to start the day between about 5 and 11 degrees. Still some snow, potentially, for a time across east anglia, and the south east, as well, this weather front tending to push away and another weather system starting to show its hand out west. That will start to thicken up the cloud through the morning across the western side of scotland. Perhaps just one or two showers clipping into north east scotland, but generally, across eastern scotland and down into the heart of england and wales, therell be a fair amount of sunshine. Some extra cloud for northern ireland. The odd shower, maybe, for west wales and the south west of england, and still some of those snow showers taking time to clear away from the far south east. But they should do so fairly smartly during the morning, in most areas, and then a nice slice of sunshine. Eastern scotland, and particularly england and wales, seeing plenty of crisp winter sunshine during wednesday, but this frontal system will thicken up the cloud out west. Outbreaks of rain, and ahead of that a spell of snow for a time, particularly across scotland. Still a chilly feel to the day. Now, as we go through wednesday night, well bring this band of cloud and rain, and some snow on its leading edge, further southwards and eastwards. But we start to pick up more of a south westerly wind, so thats going to bring some slightly milder air. These are your overnight lows edinburgh, belfast only down to four degrees. The coldest weather to start thursday morning will be across the south eastern corner, where the skies stay clearest. But thats where well have the best of the sunshine during the day on thursday, this band of cloud and outbreaks of rain continuing to sink southwards and eastwards, and in fact, the rain looks likely to turn heavier particularly across parts of wales and Northern England as we get on into the afternoon. This is business briefing. Im sally bundock. Global markets stage a comeback. Stock markets in asia poised for their biggest jump since stock markets in asia poised for their biggestjump since the end of 2016. Traders remain an edge after a rollercoaster ride over the last 24 hours. Taking to the stand the controversial former boss of uber, travis kalanick, is accused of orchestrating a plan to steal trade secrets from google. Lets show you the numbers now. You can see how the dowjones ended the day on tuesday, a big turnaround for wall street and that has been followed through in asia at the moment