hello, welcome to bbc news. new evidence has shown the extent of foreign project funding by china, much in the form of expensive loans. researchers at a us university have shown china hands out twice as much international development money every year and the us and other major powers combined. a lot of the money supports china's belt and road initiative, beijing's mission to build new trading routes. many loans are concealed from government balance sheets. over the past 18 years, china has issued twice as many loans and grants as the us. a 150—page report full of hidden data that took us researchers four years to uncover. it's full of hidden information that the chinese government doesn't even have about its own lending. namely that china is bankrolling international infrastructure projects — big things like bridges and ports — at twice the rate of the united states and other major powers, and a majority of that funding is being channelled through chinese state banks. they're often issuing risky high—interest loans. $843 billion worth of funding spread across 165 countries. here's a prime example. a 400—kilometre railway stretching from kunming in south—west china, across the border into neighbouring laos, down to its capital vientiane. it's a complicated project requiring 75 tunnels and 62 bridges, and it's costing a lot - $5.9 billion. laos is one of the poorest countries in the region and it's shouldering most of the risk. last year, laos had to sell off a $600 million chunk of its energy grid to pay its chinese creditors — all before the railway even starts operations. loans like the laos deal are often cloaked in confidentiality clauses, so researchers are concerned that the shaky financing behind such deals are often hidden from public view, even though ultimately it's the public that's going to be on the hook for repaying the mammoth debts to china owed by such mammoth projects. we spoke earlier to executive director dr brad parkes. he was a lead researcher on this report. i asked why china's lending of this money was so concerning. the levels of debt accumulated over time are staggering. we found 42 countries around the globe now have levels of public debt exposure to china in excess of 10% of gdp. as the report mentioned, a lot is hidden from public view. the belt and road initiative has created major debt sustainability challenges for poorer countries. what do you think china is trying to do here? well, they have a mandate to find revenue—generating, profitable projects. they want to be repaid on time and with interest, they are looking to turn a profit. that is why a typical overseas loan from china has a 4% interest rate, and one from germany, france, japan has a 1% interest rate. in terms of country by country, the breakdown of the chinese level of lending, do we know what exactly they are lending for? we do now. we didn't before this report was released. and i should say that we also now know that there are substantial problems in the project portfolio that is being financed with these loans. 35% of the projects have run into serious implementation problems, like corruption scandals, labour law violations and public protests. so why should the world sit up and listen to this, why should the world worry about it? well, beijing has a buyer's remorse problem on its hands. many foreign leaders initially eager tojump on the belt and road bandwagon are now suspending or cancelling chinese infrastructure projects because of the debt sustainability concerns and because changes in public opinion are making it difficult for these leaders to maintain close relations with beijing. the jury is still out as to whether that will undermine the long—run sustainability or belt and road, but clearly beijing needs to watch its flank, because there will soon be greater choice in the infrastructure financing market which could lead to high—profile defections from the belt and road, because the us, uk and other members of the g7 are positioning the belt and road as the low quality option, and their own build back better world alternative as a higher quality option for countries that want to undertake infrastructure projects based on transparent and sustainable financing. what led you to start this research in the first place? china shrouds its overseas lending portfolio and its grant—giving portfolio in secrecy. so this was really an effort to equip analysts and decision—makers around the globe with a stronger evidence base to be able to scrutinise the belt and road initiative, and to better understand its merits and shortcomings. us military authorities in washington have acknowledged the chaotic pull—out from afghanistan has damaged the us�*s credibility. general mark milley told a senate committee he had not anticipated the speed of the taliban takeover and warned that al-qaeda could pose a renewed threat to us interests. he was testifying alongside lloyd austin. the us defence secretary. we helped build a state but we could not forge a nation. the fact the afghan army that we and our partners trained simply melted away, in many cases without firing a shot, took us all by surprise and it would be dishonest to claim otherwise. as we built that army and all of its components i think that one error we may have made over time is we made them too dependent on technology, too dependent on our capabilities. we didn't take in the cultural aspects as much as we should have, and we mirror imaged, to put it simply. i think that's a big lesson, we will take a hard look at it and when you pull contractors, troops, it is one of many contributing factors as to the rapid collapse. the lower house of congress in chile has passed a law to legalise abortion to 14 weeks. it has been held as a step in the battle to decriminalise abortion in chile, where previously it was only allowed in cases of rape or where life is at risk. the family of gabby petito has urged herformer boyfriend to hand himself in to authorities, after her body was found. he returned from a road trip without her. russian prosecutors have opened a new criminal case against the jailed opposition activist alexei navalny, saying his anti—corruption foundation constituted an extremist community aimed at discrediting the state authorities. his foundation investigated high—level corruption and broadcast a documentary about a palace on the black sea supposedly owned by president putin. at least 2a inmates have died in a prison riot in ecuador. bodies were discovered after rival gangs had been fighting for control. authorities said the victims had bullet wounds and injuries caused by explosive devices. a0 prisoners were taken to hospital. north korea says it has fired a new type of hypersonic missile. the state news agency said defence scientists checked the navigational control and stability of the missile as well as the flight of its detached hypersonic gliding warhead. the launch yesterday was condemned by the us, which urged north korea to come back to the negotiating table. the test follows an unsuccessful test follows an unsuccessful test dash might a successful test dash might a successful test by the us of its own hypersonic missile, the so—called air breathing hypersonic weapon capable of speeds five times the speed of sound, making it harder to detect and stop before reaching its target. i spoke to doctor mark lewis, a former chief scientist of the us air force about why the new technology is so sought after. hypersonics refers to flight in excess of five times the speed of sound, what we call mach five. it is much faster than most conventional weapons. a traditional cruise missile would travel less than the speed of sound, but a hypersonic cruise missile would travel much faster. that is roughly a mile per second. in addition, a hypersonic weapon is also manoeuvrable, because it is flying in the atmosphere, it has wings, it can use aerodynamic forces to manoeuvre, it can glide, it can dive, and that makes it harder to predict where it is going to go, harder to detect and harder to stop. how powerful is it? how much damage can it do, depending on what you load it with? it depends. it is a whole class of things, it can be very large, relatively small, it depends on the warhead. that fast, you can produce effects from the energy of the weapon itself, you can use the kinetic energy of the vehicle to supplement the impact effects. how do hypersonic capabilities differ from country to country? we are hearing about north korea and the us both having the capability, but i find it hard to believe they have the same level of capability, surely not? we don't know much about the north koreans, but i would guess it is not very sophisticated. the leaders in hypersonics right now are the united states, china and russia. other countries have also worked in the field. england has a long history. australia has also worked successfully in the field. in military applications right now, china and russia have made huge investment in hypersonic weapons. the chinese showed off their capabilities about two years ago in a military parade. and of course the united states have been developing hypersonic capabilities as well. survivors of the 2015 paris attacks and relatives of those who died have testified at the trials of 20 men accused of carrying out the attacks. almost six years after the attacks, the victims and their families are getting their day in court. 0ne families are getting their day in court. one by one, they filed into the lodge courtroom in paris to tell their stories. it's the first time the victims have a chance to speak directly to the justice system. of course we have spoken to the enquiry, but the first time we get a chance to tell our stories directly. there are no journalists involved. it's a turning point because it's a way to make sure the world here's what you have to say without any filter.— without any filter. the co-ordinated - without any filter. the co-ordinated attacks i without any filter. the | co-ordinated attacks of co—ordinated attacks of november 13th, 2015 targeted a concert hall, sports stadium, and restaurants and bars. it was the country's worst ever night of terrorism, 130 people were killed and hundreds more injured. 0verthe were killed and hundreds more injured. over the next few weeks, 300 witnesses are due to address the court, including survivors, the families of victims, and police officers who responded as the attacks unfolded. translation: ~ _, ., translation: we were confronted with --eole translation: we were confronted with peeple who — translation: we were confronted with people who wanted _ translation: we were confronted with people who wanted to - translation: we were confronted with people who wanted to kill- with people who wanted to kill us, who killed and wanted to hurt us, so obviously it was important to be here. now it is done, we have seen them and we have to move on. we will wait for the verdict.— for the verdict. this woman's father was — for the verdict. this woman's father was killed _ for the verdict. this woman's father was killed during - for the verdict. this woman's father was killed during the l father was killed during the stadium attack. translation: i stadium attack. translation: �* , , translation: i didn't sleep much last — translation: i didn't sleep much last night, _ translation: i didn't sleep much last night, but- translation: i didn't sleep much last night, but i - translation: i didn't sleep much last night, but i think. much last night, but i think it's part of my grieving process. it's important. this man was _ process. it's important. this man was injured _ process. it's important. this man was injured when - process. it's important. this man was injured when one l process. it's important. this man was injured when one of the militants detonated his suicide vest metres away from him. translation:— vest metres away from him. translation: what i want to remind the — translation: what i want to remind the court _ translation: what i want to remind the court is _ translation: what i want to remind the court is the - remind the court is the emotion, the destruction of a whole family, from the father to the sons to the mother, and the trends, the people around. this is the only surviving member of the group accused of carrying out the attacks. six others will be judged in their absence. also on trial, 13 men accused of helping in the attacks by providing weapons and cars. a verdict is not expected until at least may. still to come on the programme... can james bond canjames bond rescue the cinema? a review of the latest outing, no time to die. in all russia's turmoil it has never quite come to this. president yeltsin said the day would decide the nation's destiny. the nightmare that so many people have feared for so long is playing out its final act here. russians are killing russians in front of a grandstand audience. it was his humility - which produced affection from catholics throughout the world, but his - departure is a tragedy. for the catholic church. this man, israel's right—winger ariel sharon, visited the religious compound and that started the trouble. he wants israel alone to have sovereignty over the holy sites — an idea that's unthinkable to palestinians. after as years of division, germany is one. - in berlin, a million germans celebrate the rebirth - of europe's biggest and richest nation. | this is bbc news. our headlines. new research suggests that chinese lending for foreign projects is now twice that of the us and other major powers combined. an american top general told a senate committee that the united states reputation had been damaged by the chaotic withdrawal from afghanistan. more than 17,000 migrants have crossed the english channel on small boats this year. that is double the number for all of 2020. the home secretary has threatened to withhold millions in funding unless the french authorities intercept more vessels. this, smugglers tell their clients, is the moment you are safe from french police. just a few feet into the channel will do. but this night, the story is different. oui, comme—ca? 60 miles away, up the coast, general frantz tavart receives the call. his men are searching for migrants hiding in the beaches and dunes along this coast — 130 men each night, including reservists, funded by the uk. this is the kind of terrain that the patrols here have to police every night. the sand is so fine that your boots sink into it. sometimes, there's not even the moon for light. tonight, the patrols are paying off. this is the third boat they have stopped. in footage shot by officers on the beach, gendarmes wade into the sea, surround the boat and pull it back to shore. baby cries. this time, there are several children and a baby on board. general tavart says his patrols stop almost all crossing attempts from the 50—mile stretch of coast around calais. translation: the proof of our efficiency is that l smugglers are now trying to go from the belgian coast, even the somme. but that dilutes our resources across the territory. it is like a game of chess where the smugglers always make the first move. on the night we were there, almost 200 people were prevented from crossing the channel. but on that same night, three times as many did make it to the uk. britain says france needs to do more. the french have stopped many thousands of crossings already this year, well over 12,000 already. but there's more to do. the french know there's more to do and so do we. we need to get to the stage where it is more likely than not that if you attempt to cross the channel, you will be stopped. the home secretary has put it another way. stop more boats, or the uk will withhold £50 million of funding for the mission this year. translation: we know that britain has threatened - to cut their financial support. i am very clear, if they stop paying for their reservists, i will pull my men. britain and france are separated here by just 20 miles of sea. to a migrant, it looks easy to cross. to a government, easy to manage. lucy williamson, bbc news, northern france. every week at this time we take a look at climate change, bringing you a different story each week with implications for our planet's future. today we focus on the digital world, cryptocurrency and its environmental impact. bitcoin is often singled out for the vast energy it uses. bitcoin, the most commonly used term in cryptocurrency, is a form of digital money that doesn't have a physicalform. it is powered by block chain, a database of financial transactions which constantly grows as new transactions are added. here is the environmental problem. it is estimated that the global bitcoin network consumes about 80 terawatts hours of electricity annually. that is the entire output of 23 coal powered power stations. there might be a more sustainable answer going forward. it is called hadera, which uses something which requires 5 million times less energy than bitcoin. in contrast to block chain, which constantly grows, this doesn't have a chain of blocks and uses two algorithms instead to improve its overall efficiency. in their own words, hadera are committed to carbon negative operations and have adopted sustainability as a core value. i am pleased to say i am joined by the inventor of the hashgraph algorithm. so good to have you. for those at home, explain why the environmental cost of cryptocurrencies is so high. so it's cryptocurrencies is so high. sr it's great cryptocurrencies is so high. 5r it's great that bitcoin gives people the ability to have decentralised money that they can spend without banks or anyone else in between. but it uses a lot of electricity, more than all of ireland every year. so this is not as green as you would like. so we have hadera hashgraph, which uses much more than 5 million times less according to the university couege according to the university college of london report. imilli college of london report. will the environmental cost eventually decreased when we use more renewable energy for these purposes? ida. use more renewable energy for these purposes?— use more renewable energy for these purposes? no, because you could use those _ these purposes? no, because you could use those environmental. could use those environmental energies for something else. the best energy usage is the energy you don't use. so by using a lot less, that is greener. using a lot less, that is greener-— using a lot less, that is greener. using a lot less, that is ureener. ., ., greener. how do we get the electricity — greener. how do we get the electricity grid _ greener. how do we get the electricity grid to _ greener. how do we get the electricity grid to the - greener. how do we get the electricity grid to the point i electricity grid to the point where it is able to cope with the demand, as we are seeing more and more that society becomes cashless more? yes, a bi art becomes cashless more? yes, a big part is _ becomes cashless more? yes, a big part is to _ becomes cashless more? yes, a big part is to have _ becomes cashless more? yes, a big part is to have people - becomes cashless more? yes, a big part is to have people put. big part is to have people put solar panels on their house and have the ability to sell it back. on top of hadera, not only are we using very little, we have markets so that you can sell the energy to other people, sell the carbon credits to other people. there are markets being built on top of hadera hashgraph to trade energy and carbon credits. harper energy and carbon credits. how do ou energy and carbon credits. how do you think — energy and carbon credits. how do you think block _ energy and carbon credits. how do you think block chain can be used to build decentralised power grids going forward? yes. power grids going forward? yes, so this allows _ power grids going forward? yes, so this allows it _ power grids going forward? yes, so this allows it to _ power grids going forward? yes, so this allows it to be _ so this allows it to be decentralised, you can have all of these different power generations, including ordinary people with things on their roof. selling and buying to each other, rather than to a monopoly. so block chain, hadera hashgraph allows markets and decentralising, to get rid of the middleman to be more efficient. ., ., _, , efficient. you have come up with hadera _ efficient. you have come up with hadera hashgraph - efficient. you have come up with hadera hashgraph to l efficient. you have come up - with hadera hashgraph to become carbon neutral. do you think the wider tech community has cottoned on to the fact that we have a climate emergency and they have a role to play, you have a role to play? i they have a role to play, you have a role to play?- have a role to play? i think so, we have a role to play? i think so. we are _ have a role to play? i think so, we are seeing - have a role to play? i think so, we are seeing a - have a role to play? i think so, we are seeing a lot - have a role to play? i think so, we are seeing a lot of. so, we are seeing a lot of interest in being carbon neutral, carbon negative. use a bit of energy and then we buy carbon credits to make it negative. a lot of tech companies are really on board with trying to reduce their carbon footprint.- with trying to reduce their carbon footprint. thank you so much for _ carbon footprint. thank you so much for taking _ carbon footprint. thank you so much for taking the _ carbon footprint. thank you so much for taking the time - carbon footprint. thank you so much for taking the time to i carbon footprint. thank you so much for taking the time to to | much for taking the time to to us. after lengthy delays, the latest james bond movie is finally here. no time to die was originally due for release in april last year, but faced repeated delays because of the pandemic. the world premiere was held on tuesday at the royal albert hall in london. why would i betray you? we all have our secrets, we just didn't get to yours yet. daniel craig is back in action as 007 for his fifth and final outing as james bond, the highly anticipated film cost $250 million to make, and sees james bond return from retirement to active service. in his words, to finish this. the reviews are coming in thick and fast. jason solomon gave us his thoughts. look, i think daniel craig, there were many arguments when he was first given the role, should bond be blond? i think he has settled those arguments, certainly with this performance. i think it is the best bond performance of all of them ever given in a bond movie. it is an emotional performance. there is a moment here when he does more acting than any have done before. he digs really deep emotionally to finish his five films, his 16 year tenure as bond. the surprises are not whizbang car chases, although they are there just to reassure you, but really the emotional twists and turns of his relationship past and present that we are examining. there are some really big surprises, which some of you may hear about before the movie. you won't hear them for me, as a professional critic, i won't spoil it but they will stun you. bond is the sort of thing you have been to with your dad, and you would take your children to. even the royal family turned up, prince william had to bring his dad along! i have to book my ticket, i am a big bond fan. roger moore was my favourite, but we have plenty of time for daniel craig. goodbye. hello there. after the heavy rain and brisk winds that affected most parts of the uk during tuesday, wednesday gives something of a chance to draw breath — certainly a drier, brighter day in prospect with some sunshine. it will still be quite breezy and there will be one or two showers but we are essentially between weather systems — this band of cloud that brought the rain on tuesday, this area of cloud waiting in the wings in the atlantic — but, in between, a zone of clearer skies thanks to this little ridge of high pressure building its way in. notice the white lines on the chart, though — the isobars still fairly tightly squeezed, so it will still be quite breezy and certainly we're getting off to a very cool start, quite a chilly start in places — three orfour degrees in one or two spots in the countryside, but we should see a good deal of sunshine through the day. now we will see some showers, too — these most plentiful across parts of northern ireland, south—west scotland, drifting through northern england, into the midlands, perhaps one or two into east anglia and the south—east, but many spots by the end of the afternoon will be dry with some sunshine. the winds easing a little by the end of the day, but temperatures just 13 to 16 degrees. and temperatures will drop quite quickly under clear skies during wednesday evening. however, the clear skies won't last. in western areas we see cloud and rain spreading in, a strengthening breeze, so by the end of the night it will be turning milder in the west — 11 for belfast, 12 for plymouth — still quite chilly to start the day across eastern areas. but for thursday, this frontal system dominates the weather — that's going to bring some outbreaks of quite heavy rain southwards and eastwards, the rain quite sporadic, quite on and off in nature. very windy to start the day, especially in north—west scotland. the winds will ease a little through the day across northern areas — it should brighten up a little bit here, too. further south, those winds will stay strong and gusty, exposed spots in england and wales seeing gusts in excess of a0 or a5 mph even through into the afternoon. temperatures still struggling — 13 degrees for aberdeen, 17 in plymouth — although, actually, that's about where we should be at this time of year. now, into the weekend, low pressure dominates. weather system spinning around these areas of low pressure — that means we'll see some outbreaks of heavy rain at times, some very strong winds are possible, too, and temperatures will stay in a similar range — between 12 and 17 degrees. so with the cloud, the rain, the brisk winds and the cool conditions, it will feel very autumnal. this is bbc news — the headlines. new evidence has shown the extent of project foreign funding by china, much of it in the form of expensive loans concealed from government balance sheets. a lot of money supports a road initiative, building new trading routes around the globe. america's top generals had told a committee investigating the exit from afghanistan that they advised president trump and president biden that the two and a half thousand troops should stay in afghanistan. the testimony contrasts with earlier statements from president biden that he received no such advice. survivors of the islamist militant attacks on paris in november 2015 have been given their first opportunity to tell a court what they endured. more than 300 of them will give accounts of the attacks outside the national stadium, on bars and restaurants, and at the bataclan concert hall. now on bbc news — panorama. i can't carry on like this. i just cannot carry on. my life just isn't worth living, quite frankly. across the uk, millions of people are waiting for hospital treatment as health services struggle to clear the growing backlog caused by the pandemic. all the time, one after another, the phone never stops in the morning. paul speaking, how can i help you? the delays are having a profound impact on people. it's basically ruined - my life at the moment. the government has committed billions to beating the backlog. but is it enough?