automatically qualify, while the third and fourth—placed nations will go into the play? offs. the 12 best—ranked teams in league b will face eachother for a place in the final play—off round. scotland are in a group with serbia, slovakia and israel; northern ireland were drawn with portugal, bosnia and herzegovina and malta; while wales will play croatia, ukrane and kosovo. qualifying begins in april. former world number one simona halep has had herfour—year ban for doping reduced to nine months by the court of arbitration for sport. the two time grand slam winner tested positive for an anti—anaemia drug after the us open in 2022. cas have since ruled halep did not take it intentionally. having feared her career was over,s the 32 old can now return to tennis immediately. and that's all the sport for now. here's the eastern time and gmt time, east coast west coast. we've got a night of special coverage tonight on the bbc, super tuesday will be coming from washington, dc, looked across to our chief presenter caitriona perry who is over there waiting on standby, busy night for you katrina, what you have in store for us tonight? it sure is, christian. we've got lots of delights ahead. super tuesday is the day every four years that political analysts await with baited breath. it's far from superfluous tuesday and there's lots and lots to watch out for. we'll be keeping it kenai on donald trump in that delicate count and see how close he gets to the magic 1215 he needs to establish the magic 1215 he needs to establish the delegation for himself. we'll keep an eye on the nikki haley campaign as well, she'll wait and see how tonight goes before she makes any decisions about her future, where live on air tonight, vermont and virginia are key for nikki haley, both of those states you don't need to be republican to vote in the republican primaries so i hope she'll be a very strong showing their that'll be a good indicator of how the night goes. virginia and caroline are purple states. they are all worried about voter apathy and boredom, i don't know how you can say boring about us politics, and the potential of biden versus trump rerun. we've got a top bench of democratic and republican congress people who will be parsing all of the results as they come in, we have reporters around the country, in california, colorado, and in virginia so we will keep track of all of that, we are live from midnight british time, 7pm eastern. so let'sjoin from midnight british time, 7pm eastern. so let's join us here as america decides. i eastern. so let's “oin us here as america decides.— eastern. so let's “oin us here as america decides. i might watch you for an hour. — america decides. i might watch you for an hour, and _ america decides. i might watch you for an hour, and only— america decides. i might watch you for an hour, and only an _ america decides. i might watch you for an hour, and only an hour- for an hour, and only an hour though, i need to get to sleep. we are going to focus on some of the issues that are going to feature in the selection over the next course of the next eight months. let's focus on ukraine for a second. the french president emmanuel macron issued a rallying cry to the europeans today. the french president has faced a backlash from some western allies after he had suggested one day it may be necessary to send troops to ukraine. the elysee insisted the president was merely indulging, in some "strategic ambiguity". but today, perhaps stung by the criticism that came from berlin, the president insisted that "a strategic leap" will be required and he urged courage among european leaders. translation: we are entering i a moment in the history of europe in which it will be required that we are not cowardly. we never want to see the truck tojesus to come, the tragedies to come, we never want to see what is at stake. i think both our countries are aware of what is unfolding in europe. the fact that a war is being waged on our territory, that powers that have become unstoppable pose bigger threats each day of attacking us. we will have to be up to this historic challenge and the courage it calls for. it's three weeks since the senate passed a spending bill for ukraine, also money and that for israel and taiwan, seemingly no urgency and ukraine and the situation in ukraine is getting progressively worse. well, listen, the biden administration, to be totally candid, has not done the bestjob selling the aid package to the ukraine, and this could be one of theissues ukraine, and this could be one of the issues that president biden himself is facing, because he... a cognizant 65—year—old biden would be on the airwaves every day explaining to the american people the danger of the russian army, the danger of vladimir putin, if your member two years ago they did an amazing job of leaking relevant intelligence information about what putin was doing and what he was planning, i think we need to tell the american people that this is a continued reattachment narrative. in 2014, he took crimea, he told the 0bama administration he was done with crime era, that was a chamberlain like moment. neville chamberlain like moment. neville chamberlain like moment. neville chamberlain like moment for barack 0bama, they thought he was going to stop there, he obviously didn't stop there. there were members of the polish entrepreneurial community here in my office today, i think poland is a pretty good halfway point between the east and west, they understand the east and west, they understand the russian culture quite well in poland. mr putin is not stopping unless he is rejected by the west and the west is fortified in the strategic alliance. you know this, i know this, democracies are sloppy and mr trump know this, democracies are sloppy and mrtrump is know this, democracies are sloppy and mr trump is holding up that aid package through his lackey mike johnson. so if president biden was stronger and more articulate on this issue, you could explain to the american people that a 7% expenditure of our defence budget, which is decimating the russian army and making europe and the western world and the western democracies safe from tyranny, if he did a betterjob of safe from tyranny, if he did a better job of that the republicans would be revoked at the ballot box and this aid package would have already been put through. the frustrating _ already been put through. the frustrating thing for president biden is the fact there is a republican majority that could pass this ukraine spending, the only way they're going to be able to get past johnson is put this discharge petition on the floor and both sides are working on this at the moment, but what sort of timescales are we talking about?— talking about? well, if they do that, obviously _ talking about? well, if they do that, obviously mike _ talking about? well, if they do that, obviously mike johnson | talking about? well, if they do - that, obviously mike johnson doesn't that, obviously mikejohnson doesn't want to do that. it'll weaken and embarrass him, it will get the aid package through he'll probably be ejected and then of course we have to figure out how many scary mood she will last as a speaker, a scary mood she is —— scar scaramucci is an 11 day timeframe. at a time when america needs people who have profiles in courage as opposed to profiles in cowardice. i courage as opposed to profiles in cowardice. ., ., , , cowardice. i love how self-effacing ou are cowardice. i love how self-effacing you are about _ cowardice. i love how self-effacing you are about your _ cowardice. i love how self-effacing you are about your time _ cowardice. i love how self-effacing you are about your time in - cowardice. i love how self-effacing you are about your time in the - you are about your time in the white house. ~ , , ., , house. prime minister trust lasted 4.1scaramucci's. _ house. prime minister trust lasted 4.1 scaramucci's. what _ house. prime minister trust lasted 4.1 scaramucci's. what you're - house. prime minister trust lasted l 4.1 scaramucci's. what you're doing 4.1scaramucci's. what you're doing what right and wrong in life, don't you think? imilli what right and wrong in life, don't ou think? ~ ., ~ what right and wrong in life, don't ou think? ~ . ~ ., you think? will talk about something else. the price of bitcoin, the world's largest cryptocurrency, has hit an all—time high today. good news for anthony who spends a lot time looking at that. but sadly for him we are going to talk about the chinese economy. which is not performing as well. in fact the chinese premier li qiang acknowledged on tuesday their economic performance is facing real "difficulties", many of them "yet to be resolved". he has just announced a series of far reaching measures which they hopes will boost growth, to levels we saw in china pre pandemic. what the chinese won't want to hear is that while they cut the duties on tech imports, europe is turning away. the biggest voting block in the european parliament is now urging strategic independence from china. they have just published a draught manifesto, ahead of european elections, and it spells trouble for beijing. i have been speaking to politico's stuart lau who has just had sight of that manifesto. von der leyen has been talking about de—risking for the last few years, especially since the russian war against ukraine. but what we are seeing this week is that the epp, the european people's party, what they are saying in the policy platform is this general trend of de—risking from china and realising that china is a big challenge, systemic challenge for the european union as a whole. so even though a lot of people in beijing used to think that von der leyen was personally responsible for this hardening tone, more hawkish turn for the eu towards china, what we're seeing this week is that it's a much broader political trend undergoing in the european capitals. this manifesto that you've seen, this draught manifesto from the epp. the buzzwords in it are "strategic autonomy". what does that mean in practice? so it has been the french president's framework for a long time. so it means that we're having china as the systemic challenge facing the eu, but also transatlanticlly, trump is possibly coming back. europe has to do its fair share in terms of what we're also seeing today, the defence spending in the european union. but in terms of geoeconomics, it also means that lessening dependency is a big topic for the eu. be it the microchips that you need from everyday kitchenware to defense products, or from the critical raw materials that you need to build all sorts of things to, also, in the epp manifesto, the kind of chinese investments you're seeing in critical infrastructure like ports and telecommunications. so, all these things considered, europe is trying to think about how to lessen the dependency. easier said than done, of course, but that's what they are working on. and if they're thinking that if the epp is thinking that, then clearly the commission will go in that direction. so what does it mean for national governments? well, national governments is a more complicated picture. of course, the commission has a lot of competence when it comes to trade deals, when it comes to setting the digital standards. but at the end of the day, the general political direction, or rather foreign policy is still firmly in the hands of national governments or the 27 member states we're talking about here. and of course, each member state, as you can imagine, they have their various very different considerations. germany talks a lot about trading relationship. chancellor 0laf scholz from another political grouping, the socialists, he's planning a trip to beijing in the next few weeks. so obviously there's still a lot of trade considerations and not again, bringing back to the trump, bringing back the trump theme. i mean, a lot of european capitals are also wondering what the transatlantic relationship is going to look like. and in that context, they're also a little bit wary about being too far away from the chinese trading relations or being too hostile in that regard. because at the end of the day, if the us is not focusing too much on transatlantic relationship, europe still needs china to a certain extent. how does the war in ukraine play into all this? it's an interesting one because china is also dispatching a special envoy for ukraine to tour different european capitals. so just yesterday, he was actually here in brussels and meeting european union diplomats. so the tone is about showing to europe that china is also engaging with different stakeholders. moscow, of course, don't forget the no—limit partnership between china and russia. but the special envoy is also going to kyiv to meet with the ukrainian officials, and then he'll also be around different european capitals. so i think there's a lot of diplomatic efforts going on, you know, for china to prove to these european capitals that china is notjust totally siding with the russian position. and in that context, they are trying to make sure that, you know, the kind of european sanctions, for example, on chinese companies that we saw in the last few weeks are not going to continue. and in a nutshell, i think china doesn't want to be seen in the same light as russia in european eyes. thanks to stuart for that. it's a remarkable change of direction, anthony, at the heart of europe. but the point he makes that there is one side of the parliament that wants to keep a door opened to china because of the isolationism over where you are, at the united states, that if trump would turn against europe and the way he did over steel tariffs or other sectors of the economy, they might well need china.— might well need china. listen, i think the president _ might well need china. listen, i think the president of _ might well need china. listen, i think the president of france i might well need china. listen, i think the president of france is | think the president of france is indicating that. i, i'm worried about a number of different things so let mejust about a number of different things so let me just state the top three. if trump wins, it's very bad for the middle east because he's beholden to vladimir putin and putin is beholden to iran, and iran wants to export its revolution, it's right there in the constitution. it's very bad for sunny, for israel. i do not want to see an isolated china. the united states needs to figure out a way to work with china, not to be overly critical of china, but mistakes were made in terms of the way they went out of stirred the business leaders and entrepreneurs, it put a deathknell on the stock market and it made it more difficult with them to deal with the united states. the actions in china have led to the biden administration to act very similarly to the trump administration. and the third thing, and i think this goes without saying but it's worth repeating on—air, trump wants to pull out of nato. and people in europe, the united kingdom, elsewhere in europe, the western liberal democracies should play very close attention to the selection because people that love america and love europe like myself, will be working very hard against mr trump. but he's made it very very clear, this alliance that's worked so successfully for 80 years is something he no longer wants to be a part of and he could do a lot of damage to that alliance as president. damage to that alliance as president-— damage to that alliance as resident. ., ., . ., president. you made reference to our time president. you made reference to your time in _ president. you made reference to your time in the _ president. you made reference to your time in the oval— president. you made reference to your time in the oval office. - president. you made reference to your time in the oval office. a . president. you made reference to your time in the oval office. a lot of voters who worked there at the time say the guard rail has held. but the guardrails are being removed this time around and so decisions on nato, vis—a—vis china, he will make those decisions with loyalists around him. does it concern you that maybe the inside —— the institutions won't stand up to him? i’ll maybe the inside -- the institutions won't stand up to him?— won't stand up to him? i'll say something _ won't stand up to him? i'll say something contrary _ won't stand up to him? i'll say something contrary and - won't stand up to him? i'll say something contrary and a - won't stand up to him? i'll say| something contrary and a little won't stand up to him? i'll say - something contrary and a little part of a provocative. i think he'll do something similar to what he did last time, he'll go for big names. everyone says, oh, he'sjust going to bring the loyalists in but that's really not trump's personality. he's a mega name dropper to the third power. if he brings in someone like kevin mccarthy as chief of staff, as spineless as kevin happens to be there are certain things he would have to hold the line on and so i do predict that he would surprise people, he is never getting back in the presidency but if he got back in the presidency but if he got back in the presidency but if he got back in the presidency i predict that he will surprise people with the more prosaic choices that he makes because he is a status seeking name dropper. because he is a status seeking name dro er. because he is a status seeking name drouer. n ., , dropper. kevin mccarthy will never come on the _ dropper. kevin mccarthy will never come on the programme _ dropper. kevin mccarthy will never come on the programme know, . dropper. kevin mccarthy will never i come on the programme know, that's just done it. i come on the programme know, that's just done it— just done it. i would love to debate kevin. i just done it. i would love to debate kevin- i gave _ just done it. i would love to debate kevin. i gave kevin _ just done it. i would love to debate kevin. i gave kevin methvin, - just done it. i would love to debate| kevin. i gave kevin methvin, kevin, where were you when we needed you? and you know you don't like trump, so why are you playing this game, this game of hypocrisy? let’s so why are you playing this game, this game of hypocrisy?— this game of hypocrisy? let's lay down the gauntlet, _ this game of hypocrisy? let's lay down the gauntlet, if _ this game of hypocrisy? let's lay down the gauntlet, if he's - this game of hypocrisy? let's lay . down the gauntlet, if he's watching, come on with the anthony scaramucci, we have a good programme. ii come on with the anthony scaramucci, we have a good programme. if you come on with the anthony scaramucci, we have a good programme.— we have a good programme. if you get steve itannon — we have a good programme. if you get steve bannon it'll— we have a good programme. if you get steve bannon it'll be _ we have a good programme. if you get steve bannon it'll be even _ steve bannon it'll be even better. get steve bannon on there, it'll be more fun. i think you guys would be too much for even me. around the world and across the uk. this is bbc news. bbc news, bringing you different stories from accros the uk. - one, two, three four. i'm alex james, the front man of the uk's first duchenne muscular dystrophy fronted rock band. duchenne muscular dystrophy is a rare, life limiting, muscle wasting condition. in terms of being a front man and having this disability, how does that make your experience of playing music different from every other front man? i would say a lot of factors come into this because access is one of the main things. i have to contact venues directly, so when we do our headline gig at the independent in sunderland, for example, we will have to use an airfoot pump to get up onto the stage. are you looking forward to it? very much so, yeah. there are not many electric wheelchair front men like me. for more stories like this| from across the uk, head to the bbc news website. you're live with bbc news. among 15 states that are voting on this super tuesday california is certainly the biggest prize with 169 delegates up for grabs. and in many ways it is a focal point for one of the big issues that will decide this election, and that is the us—mexico border — according to gallup immigration now the top concern for voters. and as texas tightens its border response, migrants are choosing alternative routes, many of them going further west. which means california and arizona now account for 60% of all the illegal border crossings, according to our partner cbs news. sumi somaskanda has been reporting from san ysidro, this week, it's the border crossing near san diego — she is now in la. good to see you. so important to both these candidates, they were there at the same time last week. what did you see on your visit to the border? it what did you see on your visit to the border?— the border? it so interesting, christian, _ the border? it so interesting, christian, that _ the border? it so interesting, christian, that you _ the border? it so interesting, christian, that you reference | the border? it so interesting, i christian, that you reference the pictures in texas last week, that's where the standoff between the federal government and texas' republican governor greg abbott was. one of those crossings in san isidro, you are seeing people arriving all through the night waiting in the morning for border control to pick them up and then they are processed. and i think the most remarkable thing that we saw, is many of these migrants come up to 600 or even 900 a day, are being dropped off in the city of san diego at a bus station, at a train station because there are no facilities to house them. that means that they are reliant upon aid agencies, and each other, looking for places to charge their phones and use the bathroom as well. and the city is simply unable to absorb them at the moment. the point is that many of them of course are not staying in san diego or california, many of them are moving on to other destinations across the us. but it really was, christian, a sign of america's immigration crisis and what it looks like notjust for those border communities but for those border communities but for those bigger cities as well, like san diego, less los angeles where we are, and other cities where these migrants are heading, new york, chicago, boston and so on. eric adams in _ chicago, boston and so on. eric adams in new _ chicago, boston and so on. eric adams in new york has been vocal about this, there are democratic mayors putting pressure on as well. do you believe these figures in the gallup poll? it is now the top concern about cost of living for people. does that hold weight for people. does that hold weight for people you've spoken to? absolutely christian. many _ people you've spoken to? absolutely christian. many of— people you've spoken to? absolutely christian. many of the _ people you've spoken to? absolutely christian. many of the people - people you've spoken to? absolutely christian. many of the people we - christian. many of the people we spoke to, also in arizona where we were a few days ago, immigration is a big topic. these are two states with heavy latino and latino communities. we spoke to one woman who said listen, i've people in my family who are undocumented who came over to the country recently and they see precisely for that reason immigration is one of the most important issues that needs to be addressed. know how to come to that issue, you get these from all across the spectrum, we spoken to people who said the border needs to be asked secured right away. it's really up to the federal government who provide assistance, people can apply for asylum, they have a dignified experience when they arrive in this country and that they can then, they have the opportunity to access the us market which is why many of the people, the migrants we spoke to arrive here in the first place. spoke to arrive here in the first lace. ., spoke to arrive here in the first nlace. . , spoke to arrive here in the first lace. . , , place. yeah, i suppose president biden would _ place. yeah, i suppose president biden would say _ place. yeah, i suppose president biden would say it, _ place. yeah, i suppose president biden would say it, look, - place. yeah, i suppose president biden would say it, look, we - place. yeah, i suppose president biden would say it, look, we had| place. yeah, i suppose president. biden would say it, look, we had a bipartisan package which donald trump torpedoed, that would have been the solution to many of these issues. did people you spoke to, do they get that, or do they hold joe biden entirely responsible? it seems that that message _ biden entirely responsible? it seems that that message has _ biden entirely responsible? it seems that that message has not _ biden entirely responsible? it seems that that message has not really - that that message has not really come across. that's one of the biden administration in this campaign in particular are trying to get across to voters at the moment. but quite frankly if you look at the polls, they tell her different stories. there was a pull from monmouth university that says eight out of ten americans see illegal migration as a very serious problem. it also shows that they trust trump more than biden. it does seem that message is not really landing with voters just less. message is not really landing with votersjust less. ——just message is not really landing with voters just less. —— just yet. message is not really landing with votersjust less. —— just yet. a, message is not really landing with voters just less. —— just yet. a, big votersjust less. -- 'ust yet. a big senate votersjust less. -- 'ust yet. a big senate h votersjust less. -- 'ust yet. a big senate race in _ votersjust less. -- just yet. a big senate race in california - votersjust less. -- just yet. a big senate race in california as - votersjust less. -- just yet. a big senate race in california as well. senate race in california as well tonight. whether you like it or not, anthony, the republican mayors, republican governors have been pretty smart and what they've done to bus all of these migrants into democratic cities and states like yours in new york. in a way they turned public attitudes in doing so. yes, listen, from a roll of political thing, yes, listen, from a roll of politicalthing, it yes, listen, from a roll of political thing, it has been very effective. i guess i'm more of a human being which i'm not, the reason why i'm probably not a politician, the notion that you would be shipping these people around or in one case flying them to martha's vineyard, i might add that charlie baker was a republican, the governorship of massachusetts, when that got done by ron desantis. so i think it's inhumane what they're doing, but yes, they've scored political points doing it and i'm just wondering out loud, when will we get back to politicians that care about people and are actually going to serve the american people as opposed to scoring political points against each other?— opposed to scoring political points against each other? that's the point isn't it? donald _ against each other? that's the point isn't it? donald trump _ against each other? that's the point isn't it? donald trump doesn't - against each other? that's the point isn't it? donald trump doesn't want| isn't it? donald trump doesn't want the solution, he wants the issue. so the solution, he wants the issue. sr there the solution, he wants the issue. 5r there you go, this is another issue for the biden administration where they could be out there more broadly and way more aggressively explaining to the american people that they gave the republicans more or less everything they wanted and that border security bill, but trump told them don't sign it. if you sign it i can't make it an issue in november, so this is the type of expediency, the spot type of hypocrisy that the americans are getting tired of and this is where the independent voter, the registry... this is where the independent voter, the registry- - -_ the registry... we're out of time, it's been great — the registry... we're out of time, it's been great having _ the registry... we're out of time, it's been great having you - the registry... we're out of time, it's been great having you in - the registry... we're out of time, it's been great having you in the. it's been great having you in the programme, hope you'lljoin us again soon. thank you very much for your time, we will continue to talk to the panel right around the corner, we'll get a short break, stay with us, we'll be right back. good evening. it certainly has been a day of mixed fortunes for some. after a frosty start, we had some lovely spells of sunshine. just take a look at this beautiful weather watcher picture of lancashire just a few hours ago. but there was quite a lot of cloud around for others and the cloud thick enough for some drizzle. you can sense it's quite cold for the dog walk today in swanage and dorset, and despite the drizzle, you still needed that umbrella because it really does wet you through from time to time, doesn't it? this has been the story earlier on. you can see where the cloud has been sitting across western scotland, through east anglia and down along the south coast. now, the weather front that brought the cloud stubbornly sitting along exposed east coasts, will continue to feed in quite a lot of cloud through the night. bit more of a breeze here and the cloud and the breeze will prevent temperatures from falling too far. but where we have got some clearer skies once again, well, we could see a touch of frost and maybe some patchy fog. favoured areas for that likely to be across east wales, the midlands and down towards dorset. a little more cloud towards the south—west and here, maybe a few scattered showers as we go through the day. but the frost will lift, there'll be some sunshine coming through — a better morning for northern ireland. we keep some cloud into eastern scotland and north—east england. the cloud will break up, but we could see a few isolated showers through lincolnshire down into the southeast. temperatures in the sun, 11—12 degrees, where we keep the cloud, only around 7—9 celsius. not much change in the weather pattern as we go through friday. we still got this southeasterly flow continuing to drag in cloud from time to time off the north sea and a bit more of a strengthening breeze here. so, sheltered western areas seeing the best of the sunshine and potentially the warmth when that sunshine comes through. the cloud may be thick enough at times to produce the odd isolated shower. in terms of the feel of the weather, though, we're still looking at temperatures widely into the double digits. maybe if you keep that cloud lingering across the north—east coast, it'll say at around 8—9 degrees. it'll stay at around 8—9 degrees. stronger breeze — 35—40 mile gusts of wind on friday before an area of low pressure could bring some showery outbreaks of rain into the south—west for the start of the weekend, so it looks somewhat like this. after a dry spell, we could see some wetter and windy weather into the far southwest. hello, i'm christian fraser. you're watching the context on bbc news. crooked joe will not succeed with his plans, and he will not get away with these crimes, and they are crimes, he will be tried at the ballot boxes in november and he will be judged and convicted by the american people. i'm working with him very hard. we're going to get more...we must get more aid into gaza. no excuses, none. if they would have impeached him on the 7th ofjanuary, you would never see or hear from donald trump again, and then the republican party could have healed. tonight it is indeed a super tuesday. our panel is with us. first, the latest bbc news... us presidentjoe biden has warned israel there are "no excuses" for not allowing more aid into gaza. he told reporters there would be what he called a "very dangerous" situation if there was no ceasefire deal between israel and hamas before ramadan in a week's time. mr biden blamed hamas for the impasse over peace talks. extra troops have been deployed at haiti's main airport after armed gangs attempted to storm the site. witnesses reported hearing shots in the capital, port— au— prince, as security forces clashed with gunmen. gangs led by a former police officer say they want to prevent the return of the prime minister, ariel henry, who travelled to kenya last week. extra troops have been deployed at haiti's main airport after armed