an israeli soldier who shot dead a wounded palestinian knife attacker is found guilty of manslaughter. and dismantling a dinosaur, as dippy the diplodocus bids farewell to the national history museum ahead of a nationwide tour. i'm a bit sad that he's going, but maybe i can see other dinosaurs, maybe. what do you think of dippy? he goes rahh. it's 5pm. our top story. the european commission has said it regrets the resignation of britain's eu ambassador, saying sir ivan rogers was very knowledgeable and always defended his government's interests. meanwhile, the brexit secretary, david davis, has been urged to clarify the government's plan for leaving the eu. mr davis' labour shadow, keir starmer, is calling for a statement to be made to the house of commons. we'll be hearing from mr starmer in a minute, but first this report from our political correspondent, ian watson. camera shy in public, outspoken in private. sir ivan rogers has exited his role as britain's eu ambassador. when the bbc revealed his private advice that a trade deal with the eu could take 10 years, he was attacked by some leave campaigners for being pessimistic. diplomats are supposed to be, well, diplomatic. but in his resignation e—mail, he is anything but. he tells his staff: i hope you will continue to challenge ill founded arguments and muddled thinking, and that you will never be afraid to speak the truth to those in power. so until a recently faceless bureaucrat in brussels resigns, why should that matter here in britain? well, the clock is ticking on the uk's departure from the eu. the process has to get underway by the end of march. now, it was sir ivan rogers' job to find out and then report back the thinking of other eu member states before these crucial negotiations begin. it will take time to replace him. the government can't yet tell us a timescale and some former whitehall mandarins say his experience will be sorely missed. ivan rogers leaving at this time so shortly before the triggering of article 50, is a loss to the government because he is a man of great experience and expertise in european matters and deep knowledge. and we need that sort of experience to take forward the negotiations. you know her catchphrase by now, ‘brexit means brexit‘. but the most damaging accusation in ivan rogers' resignation letter is that perhaps she isn't so sure what it means after all. he says, ‘we do not yet know what the government will set as negotiating objectives for the uk's relationship with the eu after exit." i think that makes us all believe what we already suspected, which is the government does not have a plan. it does not have clear objectives for these negotiations. that's quite different from not revealing your hand, not revealing the tactics. it means you don't actually know what you want. david cameron tried to negotiate a new deal with the eu ahead of the referendum. many leave campaigners blamed sir ivan rogers, their man in brussels at the time, for not pushing the other eu states hard enough in those talks. so they say his early departure as our eu ambassador is no great loss. it makes sense that as we go into what is an incredibly important negotiation, we should have somebody leading for the uk who clearly believes that the outcome can be beneficial to the uk. i think it is fairly apparent that that was not sir ivan rogers's view. sir ivan rogers is likely to be replaced by another senior civil servant to negotiate our departure from the eu. but this diplomatic appointment has now become highly political. ian watson, bbc news. joining me is our chief political correspondent vicki young. there is no sign of any decrease of pressure on the government over this. that's right. you heard the divided opinion there. some believe sir ivan will be a loss, but at saying he was too pessimistic about the brexit scenario. they want someone the brexit scenario. they want someone who's the brexit scenario. they want someone who's more the brexit scenario. they want someone who's more confident about the uk's future. it does tell us that things haven't been going well between him and the government. if had been going swimmingly, then i'm sure sir ivan would have been persuaded to stay another two years, he was due to go in the autumn, but could have stayed to see through negotiations, and that rejection letter of his is very critical. raising questions table had been asking for months, if the government ready when it triggered article 50 at the end of march? on the other side, this is the tension between the civil service and the politicians. we've heard from a union who represents senior civil serva nts union who represents senior civil servants who says the independence of its members are being undermined. there is a signal, worryingly, that there is a team here. they will have to work together to get the best brexit dealfor the to work together to get the best brexit deal for the united to work together to get the best brexit dealfor the united kingdom and for the moment it doesn't seem that they are doing that. thank you very much. joining me now from our westminster studio is the labour mp sir keir starmer. he's the shadow secretary of state for exiting the european union and has written to david davis today, to seek urgent clarification about the government's plan for brexit following the resignation of sir ivan rogers. why have you done this? the fact of sir ivan‘s resignation, but also the terms, and the fact that he has set out that there still isn't a plan, it's not probably structured or finance, and civil service advice is welcome these are serious charges. on these issues, there has been com plete on these issues, there has been complete radio silence. downing street issued a statement saying he was leaving early and he was due to leave in november anyway. but they haven't dealt with the substance. we are now io—ii haven't dealt with the substance. we are now 10—11 weeks from the start of this negotiation. we need a top tea m of this negotiation. we need a top team to negotiate, and they still haven't dealt with the charge that there isn't a plan. if you are in government, would you want on your tea m government, would you want on your team someone who says you are guilty of model and ten. and that his heart wasn't in it, that's the accusation. i would concentrate on what he said. are they clear objectives? is there a bang? we have been asking that question. david davis needs to come to the house and explain is there a plan. the primary question is have you not negotiating objectives. —— got if he says he has a plan, then you will see, what is it? and he will say, i'm not going to rebuild my hand. well the prime minister has caved in and said that she would have to share her plan with parliament, it's only ten to ii weeks as though i want reassurance. uncomfortable advice from civil serva nts uncomfortable advice from civil servants is not good news. i know how i pulled and it is to have good advice from top civil servants who know what they are talking about. it's vital that that is in this process. should downing street had persuaded him to stay? they could have negotiated a longer period, but at the moment, the realfocus is on the next two to three months will stop we have to be ready to start these negotiations. there a growing concern the government simply isn't anywhere near ready. the difficulty for those who voted for brexit and those in government who want to push it through, the continued suspicion, that the diplomatic service doesn't wa nt that the diplomatic service doesn't want brexit to go ahead.|j that the diplomatic service doesn't want brexit to go ahead. i think it's really concerning that the way people may have voted, their political inclinations is being brought into this debate. i've worked in the civil service for five yea rs worked in the civil service for five years and i know they pride the independence of the advice they give. they give hard, uncomfortable advice. it's far better to be challenged and be with someone who simply gives the answer yes to every thing you want to do. if it's going to work, they absolutely need to be challenged by experts who give advice to civil servants. if your suspicions are right and the negotiation frankly isn't ready, what happens? that's the question put david davies. that's the question put david davis. i've asked him to reassure the team, the house of commons that negotiations are ready. the government should come and respond. come to the house and explain the situation. i don't underestimate how difficult it is. notjust us, but the country, come and reassure us about what decisions you are taking. four men have been charged after the deaths of two young girls in oldham in a car collision on new year's eve. ii—year—old zaneta krokova died in hospitalfrom the injuries she suffered in the collision. her cousin, helina kotlarova, who was 12, died at the scene. our correspondent, clare fallon, is in salford: developments this afternoon? of course, this crash happened on new year's e, saturday, just after 7pm. the two young victims aged 11 and i2 we re the two young victims aged 11 and i2 were crossing a road very near to their homes in oldham, they were hand—in—hand when they were knocked down. the holder of the two girls died at the scene. her ii—year—old cousin was taken to hospital suffering severe injuries, injuries from which she did not recover. she died on monday. police started an investigation and a number of arrests were made today. four men we re arrests were made today. four men were charged over this crash. among them, a 38—year—old man from oldham. he has been charged with two counts of death by dangerous driving, also driving without a licence, perverting because ofjustice and failing to report a collision. the other two men who are aged between 18 and 50, they have been charged with conspiring to avert the course of justice. they've been with conspiring to avert the course ofjustice. they've been remanded into custody and will be back in court in manchester on the 1st of february. thank you, clare. some of the other stories making bbc news at 5pm. bradford west mp naz shah has appealed for calm following the killing of mohammed yassar yaqub on the m62. police were deployed in bradford city centre on tuesday night after mr yaqub was shot by police atjuncton 2a on monday night. the first minister of northern ireland, arlene foster, says calls for her to step down over failures in a green energy scheme are motivated by misogyny. the dup leader said she would not be leaving. a senior member of sinn fein, which shares power with ms foster, dismissed the claims as nonsense. a planned six—day strike by drivers on southern rail has been split into two, three—day stoppages. the aslef union says its members will walk out from monday and again at the end of the month. southern‘s parent firm govia thameslink is in dispute with aslef and the rmt unions over the role of guards. the high street chain, next, is warning that uncertainty over brexit will mean an "even tougher" year ahead, after a dismal festive period. shares dipped 14% at the start of trading, as the firm announced a drop in sales of 0.4 per cent in the two in sales of 0.4% in the two months up to christmas. here's our business correspondent, emma simpson. next — it is one of our biggest clothing chains, often seen as a bellwether of the high street. and it has had a difficult winter. sales have fallen. not a great start as retailers reveal how they fared over the all—important christmas season. undoubtedly, it is a big disappointment that next has reported such weak figures as the first of the retailers to report. it is one of the best retailers on the high street. so you would think overall results will not be that great. having said that, all retailers are not doing the same things — some are trading different strategies and there will be ups and downs, but it is difficult to avoid the conclusion that christmas was pretty disappointing. 2016 was tough for many fashion retailers. although consumer spending has been resilient since the brexit vote, people are spending less on what they wear, and more on what they do, like eating out. the sales are on, but there have been discounts all year. competition is cut—throat and we have been changing our shopping habits by spending more online. next warn today things are going to get even tougher this year, a view shared by many in this industry. we have got all sorts of headwinds. we have got a year of national living wage, costs will be a lot higher. but the real, real challenge is going to be dealing with a sterling exchange rate that is 15% or so lower than before the referendum. next is warning its prices will go up by 5% this year as a result. profits will take a hit. and that inflation may mean consumers will have less spare cash to spend on clothes. in manchester, some shoppers say they are cutting back. we will be reining it in in the new year. definitely spend the normal amount this christmas, i didn't have to go crazy. probablyjust pull back on certain things and see what it is like. as ever in retail, there are winners and losers. the signs arejohn lewis had a decent christmas with a surge in sales in the final weeks. the full christmas story will unfold in the coming days. counter terrorism police have arrested a man at heathrow airport. the man was taken into custody as he disembarked a plane from cairo. police say the arrest is part of an ongoing investigation and was not in response to any immediate danger. they are also searching a residential address in north london. this is bbc news at five — the headlines: a row erupts over the role of civil servants after the shock resignation of britain's ambassador to the eu. a man's been charged by causing the deaths of two young cousins oldham by dangerous driving, as they crossed a road on new year's even. a challenging new year — a warning from the high street after shares in next tumble, due to a drop in pre—christmas sales. the pride of london is at stake. chelsea can match arsenal —— 1a game win but they will have two beat spurs to do it. sunderland reject a £6 million bid forjermaine defoe. it's thought that offers will increase but the striker. and an athlete has her funding increase but the striker. and an athlete has herfunding suspended while taking part in itv thejohn. while taking part in itv thejump. an israeli soldier has been found guilty of killing a palestinian man as he lay wounded on the ground. it happened in hebron last year, after the palestinian, abdel fattah al—sharif, had attacked an israeli soldier. he was shot and wounded, but then shot again at close range by sergeant elor azaria, who said he believed the wounded man might detonate a suicide belt. prosecutors said his motive was revenge. yolande knell reports from tel aviv. caught on camera in hebron last march, a chilling moment. a young israeli sergeant cocks his gun and then this. gunshot. a single bullet to the head killed a wounded palestinian, abdul fatah al—sharif. sgt azaria, a medic, has helped treat a wounded soldier, one of those attacked by the palestinian and his friend. today, the sergeant was in court, smiling to see a supporter and his mother. soon afterwards, he was found guilty of manslaughter. the militaryjudges in the court here said that abdul fatah al—sharif was shot needlessly. they rejected the defence argument that he posed a threat. during the trial, the prosecution said sgt azaria acted out of revenge and broke the army's ethical code. but the 20—year—old does have loyal backers, in a country where most young people do military service. they accused the army of abandoning one of its own. this soldier came to protect about little children, about families, about parents. this guy came to do an attack, to hurt about these families. this soldier is a hero. the military chief of staff and the minister of defence were against him. they elect the judges. they tell the judges what to decide. and he didn't have any hope. on the palestinian side, a different view. ahead of the verdict, i'd met the parents of abdul fatah al—sharif, who accused the idf of using excessive force. translation: i feel like any father would feel. i've seen my son executed on tv, murdered. it's so hard to see that, no—one can endure this. it's still hard for me every time i remember what happened. if he died instantly, it would have been much easier than to see your son executed like that. such a public trial of a soldier for killing a palestinian is very unusual in israel. the shooting happened during a wave of palestinian attacks, when there was a national debate about how to respond. and this case has proved highly divisive, even setting top politicians against the army's top brass. yolande knell, bbc news, tel aviv. let's cross tojerusalem now and talk to yonah bob, who is a foreign affairs lecturer and legal analyst at the jerusalem post. as we were hearing there, a lot of people in israel still believe that this trial never should have happened. yes. that's absolutely true, in fact the current defence minister, before he became defence minister, before he became defence minister, this should not be a trial, it should be a disciplinary issue, it was one incident. it's become a metaphor over the fight of the identity of the army. how do they deal with the fight with the palestinians, and how do they deal with it in the elliptical arena? it changed the coalition. it looks that legitimacy in a broader sense. the trial started with one individual, and is viral video made a national and is viral video made a national and international event.|j and is viral video made a national and international event. i wanted that the international criminal court who want to talk about war crimes in gaza in 2014. is that why this case is so important? until now, critics could say, look, there isn't an incident in several years, the last with several years ago when a israeli soldier was convicted of killing a palestinian soldier. there have been a couple of indictments for negligent homicide where somebody went for 30 years. the maximum penalty for this is 20 yea rs, maximum penalty for this is 20 years, but now critics, including the international criminal court, if they go after israel and say that its legal system is insufficient, it doesn't prosecute its own, well, they can see about this case. still, this case is a very strong symbol of israel committing to convicting its own, with public pressure against the israeli legal establishment. we saw the un condemn israeli settle m e nt saw the un condemn israeli settlement building. is there a view that there is a change of attitude out there towards israel? what is it doing to the psyche of its people? the un council resolution came out and called the settlements illegal, and called the settlements illegal, and the united states didn't vote for it, they let it go through. it was extremely traumatic, even on the left, it believes parts of the settle m e nt left, it believes parts of the settlement to be consensus. even in a peace deal, it would stay part of israel. very, very damaging here. in some ways, this could be seen as the israeli court answer to this. all of it is going to go together when it's decided how serious israel is about international law. you got the un resolution council on one hand which was a big shot against israel, that when you got this on the other hand, manslaughterfor when you got this on the other hand, manslaughter for an israeli soldier in operational situations. if he has been convicted —— he has been convicted of that. the us congress is back in session for a second day, with both parties signalling their policies and priorities for the next term. the incoming trump administration is working hard to repeal barack obama's healthcare law but the president is fighting to preserve the changes of the last eight years. let's go live to washington and our correspondent, laura baker. thus the year started it intends to go on? obama care macro was the biggest reform here since the 1960s. it meant that insurance companies had to offer insurance to americans with pre—existing health conditions. but republicans argue that insurance brothers is going up. they say the cost of health care is rising, and it's too much government involvement. so, two distinguished visitors here on capitoll hill. the republican cry is to repeal and replace. mike pence told republicans it was a commitment he would attempt to keep. as he said this morning in a tweed, we need to be careful that we do that, that we do that in a way that doesn't put hardship on american families through this programme. asl american families through this programme. as i told the conference today, we are working in a strategy in the house, in the senate and the executive action agenda to ensure an orderly and smooth transition to market based health care reform system. but president obama doesn't wa nt to system. but president obama doesn't want to give up a key part of his legacy without a fight. he came rally democrats to at least try to save parts of obama care. the 20 million who may not have had insurance before. republicans will soon insurance before. republicans will soon learn that you can't keep the good parts of the aca and remove the rest of the law, and still have it work. and that's what they are struggling with and that's why they aren't getting anywhere. they would throw the market into chaos. repeal would increase costs for all americans at all levels. it would blow a trillion dollar hole in the deficit. the republicans repealing this, it might be quite easy. they had the votes here and on capitoll hill. and in a few days' time, they will have a president who will back that. but democrats will want to try to preserve a part of president obama's legacy. let's get a look at the weather. you will need your thermal vest this morning. a cold and frosty one, right across the country, because cold air is digging down from the north, as we speak. a scattering of showers through the east coast. some icy stretches. in more rural spots, we could see lows down to —7, —8 degrees. you will certainly need to scrape your ca rs. degrees. you will certainly need to scrape your cars. it will feel disappointingly cold for many. a little bit more of the breeze continuing, with some clouds. generally, temperatures above freezing. if you don't like this cold, crisp weather, then mild conditions are set to return on friday, but unfortunately is going to be more cloud, more rain and a freshening breeze. more from me in half an hour. this is bbc news at five — the headlines: a row erupts after the surprise resignation of britain's ambassador to the eu, sir ivan rogers. several former cabinet members have insisted the government needs advisers who believe in brexit. labour demands a full statement is made to mps. on monday, make a statement, reassure the house there is a plan. reassure the house of commons about the team and letters know what attitude you have two the civil service. a man has been charged with causing the deaths by dangerous driving of two young cousins, as they crossed a road on new year's eve, in oldham. shares in the clothes retailer next drop by 9%, following worse than expected sales before christmas, and a gloomy forecast for 2017. an israeli soldier who shot dead a wounded palestinian knife attacker as he lay on the ground has been convicted of manslaughter. some senior politicians have called for a pardon and his release. a look at sports news now, with hugh woozencroft. chelsea are bidding for a 14th straight victory. they are playing totte n ha m straight victory. they are playing tottenham and will extend their lead to eight points, four successive wins red over two seasons in 2002. it isa wins red over two seasons in 2002. it is a good team, a very strong team, for this reason it is important to pay attention and try to continue our run. an opportunity for us to try to stop them and reduce the gap. i think it is important for the premier league and for us to try to win and try to stop them and our plan is to be in the top four. sunderland have turned down a £6 million bid from west ham forjermaine defoe. defoe has scored 11 goals in 20 premier league appearances this season — including two in his side's draw with liverpool on monday. it is understood west ham will raise their offer for the player who began his career at the club. west ham have won their appeal against sofiane feghouli's sending off in the match against manchester united on monday. the midfielder was shown a straight red by referee mike dean after a collision with philjones. feghouli will now be eligible to play in the fa cup match against manchester city on friday. however the city midfielder won't feature after his third red card of the season. he will serve a fall back match ban. leeds united owner massimo cellino has sold 50% of his share of the club — making a—ser group holding, led by fellow italian businessman andrea rad—rizzani — the new majority shareholder. he says he is impressed by thejob the manager has done and will support the team moving forward. our sports news correspondent richard conway can tell us more. he made his money through a big sports tv rights holding company. he sold a significant stake in that company to chinese investors recently and he has money to spend and has bought into leeds united taking that 50% stake. we will have to see in time if he increases his holding. we will have to see if massimo wants to hold onto his sta ke. paralympic champion kadeena cox has had her uk sport funding suspended while she takes part in the channel 4 winter sport programme the jump. cox won cycling and athletics golds in rio, and the medical teams from both disciplines have advised her against participating in the show. olympic taekwondo champion jadejones and gymnast louis smith are also taking part. sir andy murray is in second round murray at the qatar open. he is aiming fora 26th murray at the qatar open. he is aiming for a 26th straight win. he is up against the austrian. the first set has just gone to a tie—break and murray is leading 3—0. finally, ms dhoni has stepped down as india one—day captain ahead of the odi series against england, which begins later this month. the "wicketkeeper batsman" will, however, remain available for selection for the series. that's all sport for now. you can keep up—to—date with all those stories on the bbc sport website. i'll have more in the next hour. let's return now to the news that ministers have been urged to stand up for civil servants following criticism of the uk's outgoing eu ambassador, sir ivan rogers. the senior diplomat resigned yesterday, attacking the government for what he called "muddled thinking" over brexit, in a letter to his staff. let's just remind you of some of the key points he makes. sir ivan wrote: we do not yet know what the government will set as negotiating objectives for the uk's relationship with the eu after exit. serious multilateral negotiating experience is in short supply in whitehall, and that is not the case in the commission or in the council. i hope you will continue to challenge ill—founded arguments and muddled thinking and that you will never be afraid to speak the truth to those in power. aled williams is a former spokesman for the uk permanent representation to the eu in brussels and worked closely with sir ivan during the referendum and renegotiation process. earlier he explained to our correspondent paul adams how much of a loss he will be to the uk's brexit negotiations. it's a blow, because you are coming at a crucial time before article 50 has to be invoked by the end of march, so the government internally will be working out the details of its negotiation strategy, and ivan is someone who knew the negotiation inside out, knew the eu inside out and was there as kind of a cool head to be able to advise the prime minister as to how best to approach the renegotiation. one or two people have said today that here was an ambassador who was more interested in showing london the problems in europe rather than promoting solutions. is that a fair criticism? i don't buy that. i think his job is firstly to go into the negotiations and fight for what the uk wants. secondly, his job is to advise ministers in london about potential challenges to any negotiating that he is undertaking. doing a negotiation in brussels is not like going shopping — you just don't go there and kind of pick something off—the—shelf. you have 27 other countries on the other side of the table and you have to work through what their demands are, what their problems are, what the issues are. and ivan was the person who was in the middle, trying to navigate the best possible way forward for the prime minister. there also appears to be a bit of a dig at some of the brexiteers in government. he says, contrary to the beliefs of some, free trade does not just happen. do you think he believes that ministers, some ministers, underestimate the complexity of the job ahead? yes, i think so. i think, across—the—board, there isn't that realisation that this is an extremely lengthy, complex negotiation that covers so many different aspects of peoples lives in the uk, from agriculture to foreign policy to banking. it's an extremely complex negotiation which is going to be extremely tough to complete within two years. and i don't think it's right — ministers aren'tjust given the answer they want, they are given a realistic assessment of the situation in brussels. let's speak to the conservative mp and former foreign office minister alistair burt. he sits on the commons brexit select committee and is in our dunstable studio. the fallout from this resignation is focusing on the role of the civil service. do you feel uncomfortable with where we are tonight? yes. we should not be in this position but what is important how we manoeuvre alloway out of it. clearly a well respected civil servant has decided he cannot carry on. he has given reasons why that should be the case will stop what is important now is to get someone new in position, not decided by people with one view of the leaving the european union issue or another but someone who will do a good job in behalf of the country, which is what sir ivan was doing. the suspicion is that he felt he had to go because there were those who felt his heart was not in it.|j don't know any more than what has been an e—mailand don't know any more than what has been an e—mail and it is not a question of whether the heart is in it its question of whether they're good at thejob. it its question of whether they're good at the job. he it its question of whether they're good at thejob. he knew it its question of whether they're good at the job. he knew the extent the eu very well, he represented britain throughout his career. he was independent minded and was doing hisjob. the warning signs of was independent minded and was doing his job. the warning signs of a was independent minded and was doing hisjob. the warning signs of a meal that someone of this calibre decides it is not the right time to go on and gives the reasons he has done, i think it is very important for government to listen. it is important that he is not, his successor is not put in place by those of one view or another but they do a good independentjob are prepared to speak independently to government. on the basis that that is what he has done, how concerned are you when he uses phrases like muddled thinking. like all the rest of usiam muddled thinking. like all the rest of us i am very concerned. it is one of us i am very concerned. it is one of the reasons i campaign some time ago to say that britain should come forward with a view of what its high—level objectives are for these negotiations. i am high—level objectives are for these negotiations. iam pleased high—level objectives are for these negotiations. i am pleased the government has accepted that and that will be the case. it shows how very important it is for those objectives to be clear. for parliament to being gauged in what those inject bizarre. once that is in place, people who took one sort or another of the argument about whether we should leave, then have to leave civil servants to do that job, working with government to deliver the best ago sheeted arrangements that they can. of course the circumstances of sir ivan leaving are extremely worrying which is why the government must make a statement on monday and explain what has gone on and answer questions. so you back the call. what about the argument... i am pleased to see he agrees with me. there will have been agrees with me. there will have been a question of the law to be a statement. this is big thing. government needs to explain it. above all they need to explain where we are going from here. that is the important thing in this case. what about the danger the government may point to that they don't want to reveal their hand, they have been using natural on time. we been through that. that was what the debate was about some weeks ago, when the government agreed, because there was a commons motion, that the government should say what its objectives where, not revealing any pa rt objectives where, not revealing any part of a negotiation which will only become clear as the negotiations go on. but at least give some part of clarity as to what the objectives are and what they think about single market union and the like. government has accepted that and will do so. no one is asking for a running commentary. we are asking for an excellent nation of what the objectives are and the government has agreed to that. so thatis government has agreed to that. so that is good. with the deadline can approaching you think the government is ready? i think they will be ready work by the time much comes along because it must be. clearly it is not in the state it would like to be at the moment and it has to listen to all these independent voices come along and government and the departments involved need to listen carefully to the advice they are getting from people who have not been captured by the european union or anything like that. people who are doing theirjob to advise the united kingdom about what is in our best interests as well as the interests of europe, which are important to us, because europe's success matters to uk as well as our own. britain's attempt to leave the european union isjust one of the big stories we're expecting to dominate european news in 2017. the rise of the far right and the continent's economic woes are also likely to feature. the bbc‘s chris morris has been looking at the challenges ahead for the eu over the next year. hello, these are the top european stories to look out for in 2017. elections in several countries are set to reveal whether rising populism is a passing phase or a new reality. in the netherlands, in march we will find out how well the dutch party for freedom's candidate geert wilders will do, whose popularity has faded before previous elections. in france, could marine le pen from the national front claim the presidency in may, or will voters from the centre—left and centre—right join forces to shut out? in germany, angela merkel remains the favourite to win a fourth term in september. but keep an eye on rising support forthe anti—immigrant, anti—euro alternative fuer deutschland. at some stage there's almost certainly going to be an election in italy as well. the anti—establishment five star movement is waiting in the wings. the european union will hold a special summit in rome, in march, to mark the 60th anniversary of the treaty which founded the european economic community. critics say there isn't much to celebrate. the eu will try to prove them wrong. but march should also see the uk triggering article 50 of the lisbon treaty, setting off a process that will see it leave the eu in two years' time. the first time, the eu is about to get smaller, not bigger. much will depend throughout the year on the health of the european economy, particularly in the eurozone. the migration crisis will also be closely watched. and then of course there are two big external actors in europe. to the east, russia and the always difficult relationship european countries have with president vladimir putin. and to the west, a new factor — the sheer unpredictability of a president donald trump. what will he mean for european security and for trade? for decades, europe have relied on stable relations with the united states. in 2017, could that begin to change? when there's an emergency, and people call for an ambulance, there's an expectation that the crew which turns up are fully trained. but the bbc‘s victoria derbyshire programme has discovered that some staff at a private ambulance company based in essex, had as little as an hour's training on how to respond to emergencies. james melley, has this special report. sirens. when we dial 999 for a medical emergency, most people expect nhs ambulances and their highly trained crews to respond. but increasingly, nhs trusts are having to use private companies to meet demand. one of these companies is the private ambulance service, which is based in basildon in essex. it carries out work like taking patients to hospital appointments, transferring sick people between hospitals, and also provides cover for 999 calls for the east of england nhs ambulance trust. but whistle—blowers have told us staff are not properly trained, and the equipment they use is not up to scratch. the private ambulance service was in the news last year after the essex coroner criticised it over the death of 54—year—old gary paige. one of the company's crews responded to a call saying he was suffering chest pain. they ran tests and said mr paige had got indigestion or had a hurt muscle, and didn't take him to hospital. he later died, having suffered a heart attack. we've spoken to several people that work or have worked for the private ambulance service. paul would only speak to us if we disguised his identity. he worked for pas as a medic, but lost his job last year. i never had any induction or training. pretty much just sent out and that was it. so you had no induction, no training? no. it was quite clear that i was working with people that, not through their own fault, were not trained. they were not competent in the job and they certainly were not confident in dealing with situations. didn't know how to take simple things like blood sugars, ecgs. didn't know how to do manual blood pressures. basic, basic stuff, really. we started to hear more disturbing stories about the lack of basic training for staff at the private ambulance service. dan duke worked at the company in patient transport until 2013, when he was sacked. thejob could require him to drive under blue lights when taking an emergency patient between different hospitals. what training where you actually given in order to drive under blue lights? an hour's training — that was it. one hour's training? one hour's training on blue lights, that's it. that's astonishing. it is astonishing. so what is an acceptable level of training to drive under blue lights? our whole course is four weeks long and the first two weeks are the foundation, if you like, to actually move on to doing blue light training. and then training takes two weeks. we approached the private ambulance service for an interview, they declined and told us, the private ambulance service offers a high level of patient care to all patients transported on the service. and we do not accept the nature of the allegations that have been made. we outsource our blue light driver training to an approved training organisation used by the nhs. we started using our current provider in january 2016. all staff received induction training and full training where necessary. staffjoining us from other companies have two complete clinical skills assessments and driving assessments prior to employment being offered. the nhs east of england ambulance service, which uses the private ambulance service to provide cover for emergency calls, told us, the east of england ambulance service needs to use private companies to meet patient demand. these services are regulated by the cqc and are internally vetted. the east midlands and the trust is increasing its front—line recruitment. but nationally, nhs trusts are struggling with the level of patient demand, so private ambulance providers, which are regulated, are increasingly likely to respond to emergency calls in the future. james melley, bbc news. it's fifty years since donald campbell died on coniston water, as he attempted to break his own water speed record. he died instantly when his rocket powered speed boat, bluebird, catapulted into the air, hit the water and broke into pieces. today a number of commemorations were held to mark his death — and our correspondent, judith moritz, is at coniston water for us now. exactly 50 years to the moment since herfather died here, gina campbell rowed across coniston water in his memory — in her hands, the teddy bear which donald campbell used as a mascot. and then, flowers, to mark the spot where the record—breaker lost his life. campbell was one of a rare breed, a true patriot, flying the flag for britain wherever he went. the eight—times world speed record holder was travelling at more than 300 miles an hour in an attempt to break his own water speed record in the legendary bluebird but the boat was catapulted into the air and campbell was killed instantly as it hit the water and disintegrated. this morning, at his grave near to the lake, gina campbell remembered her father. he was a true brit and it was beyond those days of risk assessment you and health and safety. and, you know, he went out and did what he did, he did it most times with huge success. and just this one time it went wrong. half a century on and donald campbell's name is celebrated by enthusiasts who also gathered in coniston today to pay tribute to him. he's a very popular man, his legacy is tremendous. are he had a tough act to follow in his father sir malcolm and in his own mind he was setting himself against his father's record. and to us he surpassed that. 50 years ago today he was trying to do 300 miles an hour and the record today is 317. it is a really tough record, as tragically proved here. there is no innovation, there is no progress, without risk. gina campbell said it was years before she grasped the magnitude of her father's achievements, and that he will be talked about forevermore and remembered as a hero. the conditions here today are almost identical judith moritz there reporting from coniston water in the lake district. with the current threat level in the uk at ‘severe', we're all being urged to think how we would cope in the event of a terrorist attack. military and civilian medics have launched a website and smartphone app called citizenaid, which teaches people how to treat casualties in the vital moments before paramedics arrive on the scene of an attack. smitha mundasad has more. a warning: what you see next is a reconstruction. a an ordinary evening... gunfire. ..turns to terror. this isn't real, but security officials say the terror threat in the uk is high and despite their best efforts, this could happen. get down! many people could be hurt in the chaos. the problem is, it may take some time for help to arrive. police and security forces have to deal with terrorists first, making sure it's safe, before paramedics can come in. and in that time, lives could be lost. the first responders to that incident from a police perspective will inevitably be trying to deal with the people causing the threat. they won't have time to help people who may have been injured. and we know that that gap is vital for saving people's lives. so we're really, really interested in the work of citizen aid. yes, the shooting. there's a gunman in the street, three people have been shot. the experts behind citizen aid say the app and pocketbook give simple, step—by—step instructions to save others. but the public should only attempt first aid once they're safe themselves. and there's the tourniquet. the app says that you need to pack the wound. and then put pressure on the wound. and then keep the hand elevated. above her heart. we know from recent military experience that if we give simple skills to individual soldiers, then they can save lives when there are very serious injuries as a result of combat style injury. so blast and gunshot. and what we are really keen to do is to ensure that we transfer that learning from the military to the benefit of the wider public. if someone is bleeding severely, you can use anything you have to hand to try and stop the flow. don't be afraid to use the tourniquet made out of a scarf, for example. put one not in. attempting first aid may not be for everyone, and but military medics say it is better to have a plan, in case this worst—case scenario turns into reality. you're ok, are you? is that your mum? smitha mundasad, bbc news. now, to the dinosaur who's about to go on tour. dippy the diplodocus has been the centre piece at london's natural history museum since 1905, and has appeared in two hollywood blockbusters. but today he's being dismantled, ready to be cleaned up, and then sent round the uk on a two year long tour. he's being replaced by the skeleton of a blue whale. our correspondent, daniela relph, is at the museum now. the lid on this, you got it right. the diesel the few final minutes of pdp's time here where he has been the main attraction for decades. the people behind beanie here are the last people to see the dinosaur in perdition. he first arrived here 112 yea rs perdition. he first arrived here 112 years ago. but today has been all about farewell. it's busy here most days, but for those queueing today, there was a goodbye to be had. the first sight of dippy has been a lasting memory for so many children. it's the first thing you see when you arrive. the natural history museum estimates that 19 million people have stood here and looked up at dippy. it's not known whether the diplodocus is a he or she, but today, it is the last chance to see dippy at the museum. because it's the last day, people might want to... people might not have seen it before, so they want to come over. that's why there's lots of crowds. what do you think of dippy? he goes "rahh! " it's amazing to think it lived a long time ago though. it was actually walking around. i'm a bit sad that he's going, but maybe i can see other dinosaurs, maybe. dippy first came to the museum more than 100 years ago. made up of 292 bones, the dinosaur arrived in 36 cases. during the second world war, the dinosaur was taken to the basement to protect it. the diplodocus is a plaster cast replica of the real thing. it would have weighed 13 tonnes when alive. it's been cleaned up and cared for in the main entrance hall since 1979, when it took up its current position. pulling apart and moving the dinosaur will be detailed, delicate work. in the morning, we will be starting to take dippy down. we take the glass barrier away and then we start working from the tail, back up to the body, and then the neck, and then over the next month, we'll be taking each bone down. each of those 292 bones. we will be cleaning them, inspecting them and then packing them up. once cleaned up and reassembled, dippy goes on tour for two years. it begins appropriately on dorset‘sjurassic coast, before moving to birmingham, glasgow, newcastle, cardiff and other locations. and this is what replaces dippy. the skeleton of the blue whale, hung from the ceiling to give the impression of it diving, of it being a living species that needs protecting. but today, it's all about dippy. but those feeling a little sad about the departure, there are tentative plans to recast the diplodocus in bronze and place it in the museum grounds. but for now, it is goodbye. some breaking news following the resignation of sir ivan rogers. we can tell you we now have is the replacement to sir ivan. it has been confirmed by foreign office sources to me that sir tim barrow will become the new british ambassador to the european union. he is currently the european union. he is currently the political director at the foreign office, one of the most senior there. he has worked in the eu in various aspects before in his previous life. and he will be there in part because he has the trust of the foreign secretary and the prime minister, he is hugely respected within whitehall, but he will also be seen by other brexit minded mps as somebody who has a huge hinterland of a strong position, it will be very hard for anybody to say that he is an out and out pro—european in the way that other diplomats may have been because of their long proximity to the eu. in other words we have a replacement, the government has acted quickly to get someone in, and that means he will have a huge task ahead of him as he starts this negotiation towards the end of march. thank you. time for a look at the weather — here's louise lear. we could all be waking up to scenes like this first thing tomorrow morning. it will be bitterly cold to start. a northerly wind driving in cold where, the risk of a few showers this evening and overnight. elsewhere talking point will be the clear skies and a dip in temperatures. just below freezing in towns and city centres but way down in rural parts. a little more of a breeze in the south—west and maybe a scattering of showers. cloudy conditions here but elsewhere sparkling clear blue skies and sunshine. it will be cold and frosty and despite the frost clearing those temperatures really will struggle through the day. all the time, out of the west, a southerly breeze will bring more cloud, slightly milder, seven or 8 degrees, but elsewhere it will feel cold. an indication of what to come is out of the west there is more cloud wind and rain arriving and it will state the weekend. this short sharp shock will not last very long. it will be milder wetter and windy starting from friday. he's not going quietly — britain's top eu diplomat launches a stinging attack on ministers after resigning. sir ivan rogers' resignation email accuses the government of muddled thinking over brexit — leave campaigners say he couldn't be trusted. the e—mail was verging on the pompous, really, in the sense that it was an awful lot about him and a lot about, you know, truth, as though everything he said to the government was almost chiselled into tablets of stone. theresa may has just weeks to find a replacement — colleagues say he'll be a tough act to follow. i think it's a blow because he was a hugely experienced professional dedicated public servant. he is a really good diplomat but he also had that real insight into how the eu works. the resignation has sparked a row over the independence of the civil service. also tonight.