influential centrejonathan danty is replaced by yoram moefana. france have won the last 16 matches when danty has been in the side, so that is a big miss, as is ever—present giant lock paul willemse — his starting spot taken by racing 92 lock cameron woki. new zealand are also without some key players, including inside centre jordi barrett. anton lienart brown draughted into the side in his place, while former world player of the year brodie retallick is still out injured. dan roan is in france getting ready for what promises to be a tournament to remember. already one of the countries most in love with rugby union, france is readying itself to play host to the game's biggest stars and millions of fans. and as last—minute preparations continued here in paris ahead of tomorrow's opening match, the man in charge told me that this was a moment for the sport to cherish. huge appetite. i was in toulouse at the weekend, a real rugby capital in france, and it's everywhere. we know that this will be the biggest, the most watched, the most engaged rugby event of all time and this will be the most competitive world cup ever. i think there are genuinely more teams who can make the knockout stages, get to a final and ultimately win it than we've ever had before. and among the favourites are ireland. the six nations champions ranked the top team in the world, thousands of locals turning out to welcome them at their training base in tours this week. we've built this moment for the last four years, really. so when it's finally here, the nerves do come in. we'rejust planning on embracing them and going to try and play our best. ireland kick off their campaign against minnows romania on saturday before england start against argentina as underdogs after a troubled build—up. on sunday, scotland have the toughest of openers, reigning champions south africa. and then wales meet a dangerous fiji, all fourfixtures taking place in the sweltering heat of southern france. having travelled to the capital from their base in lyon by train, meanwhile, three times winners new zealand have been preparing for a blockbuster opening match against the hosts. these france players know that if they can beat the all blacks here tomorrow, they'll get their own tournament off to the perfect start at a challenging time for rugby union, with the sport more generally under unprecedented scrutiny over its handling of head injuries. but there's much at stake for the host country as well, with the olympics coming here to paris next year. last year, liverpool fans were tear—gassed and kettled in chaotic scenes here at the champions league final. a report found the french authorities responsible and raised concerns over the world cup, with record numbers of police now being deployed. can you guarantee fans coming to this world cup will be safe? yes. they will be safe. we are ready in france. we have learned a lot from what happened one year ago and i think both in terms of governance, in terms of anticipating the various risks, of coordinating the response, we are more ready than ever. 20 teams will play in a competition stretched over seven weeks and across nine venues, the hosts desperate to put on a show with a first ever win. dan roan, bbc news, paris. to ball in spain. —— to football. players in the top tier of the women's game will strike over pay and conditions. the new liga f season is due to start on friday, but instead players will walk out for the first two matches. the spanish players�* association said the strike was called because a "fair" deal could not be reached. negotiations began a year ago, but the league said the players�* demands would lead to "economic failure". for the latest men's euro 2024 qualifying results, head to the website, but that is all the sport for now. marc, thank you for that. in yemen... those numbers according to unicef. two years ago, our correspondent 0rla guerin met ahmed, an 11—year—old boy who was teaching his fellow pupils in a bombed out school close to the front line. 0rla has been back to the city of taiz in the south—west of yemen to see the differnce he's made. smiling through. this is ahmed rageeb. he's 11 years old and he doesn't let much get in his way. he's heading to the river to get water, a daily ritual. life was tough here, even before the war. but ahmed is a fighter. he's been blind from birth, along with four of his siblings. we've come back to meet him at his home near a front line river. "it's very scary," he tells me. "we're afraid of gunshots. "when fighting starts, we can't go to the park or the valley or anywhere." when was the last time you heard fighting and explosions as well? "last night," he says. for ahmed, school has always been a refuge of sorts. this was our first glimpse of him injanuary 202i leading morning assembly at al wahda primary. it was bombed by the saudi—led coalition when it was occupied by houthi forces. ahmed was leading the class atjust nine years old. he had a wish list of repairs for the school, and viewers responded. thanks to him... so this is the new school? ..much has changed. a yemeni donorfunded a new block and a british charity refurbished classrooms. saudi arabia, after years of bombing yemen, is building another school nearby. ahmed is pleased with the results and has plenty of big plans. "the rest of the year i want to be a teacher, pilot, engineer, "i want to be a teacher, pilot, engineer, driver or a doctor." do you think you'll be able to do all these things? "sure, i'll do everything. and i'll marry a beautiful city girl and she'll make me biscuits. the girls here in the village don't know how to make good biscuits!" back at the river, ahmed has a few moments of fun. but childhood in yemen is short. he is full of hope, full of promise, and he has already overcome so much. but he is still a child of war. 0rla guerin, bbc news, taiz. peter hawkins is unicef�*s representative in yemen, and he's with us now from sanaa. thank you very much for coming on the programme. thank you very much for coming on the programme-— thank you very much for coming on the programme. thank you very much for havin: the programme. thank you very much for having me- — the programme. thank you very much for having me. 0rla _ the programme. thank you very much for having me. 0rla highlighted - for having me. 0rla highlighted their wanting _ for having me. 0rla highlighted their wanting inferred - for having me. 0rla highlighted their wanting inferred in - for having me. 0rla highlighted their wanting inferred in every l their wanting inferred in every story, but give us the skill of what children of what children having to live through in yemen right now —— one extraordinary story. live through in yemen right now -- one extraordinary story.— one extraordinary story. ahmed is really inspirational _ one extraordinary story. ahmed is really inspirational and _ one extraordinary story. ahmed is really inspirational and it - one extraordinary story. ahmed is really inspirational and it really i really inspirational and it really shows the resilience of the yemeni children wherever they are, but the extent of the problem is devastating. the united nations believed 2i devastating. the united nations believed 21 million people in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, 11.1 million children. there is conflict, economic collapse, social divide, and as we saw in taiz in that report, there is a front line going rate or cities, and that is devastating for everybody, but the children have always disproportionately been affected by conflict. if you go right in the north, most of the schools have been devastated by the fighting, one kind or another, another front line place, taiz, iwas or another, another front line place, taiz, i was there not long ago, where the schools are functioning and teachers are into teach, but they are not functioning at their full capacity. find teach, but they are not functioning at their full capacity.— at their full capacity. and how do ou no at their full capacity. and how do you go about _ at their full capacity. and how do you go about helping? _ at their full capacity. and how do you go about helping? was - at their full capacity. and how do you go about helping? was 11 - at their full capacity. and how do - you go about helping? was 11 million children that need some form of assistance? you have different front lines, you have different conflict areas of different intensities. how do you go about? is it working with local groups? how do you go about the logistical challenge of getting any kind of help to where it has got to be? it any kind of help to where it has got to be? , , ' . any kind of help to where it has got to be? , , , . , to be? it is very difficult, but this is what _ to be? it is very difficult, but this is what we _ to be? it is very difficult, but this is what we are _ to be? it is very difficult, but this is what we are here for, | to be? it is very difficult, but. this is what we are here for, and organisations such as unicef, we have been here for many years, with offices around the countries, we go around to assist the children wherever we can. in some ways, it is simple, in that wherever there is immediate need to supply the cemented terry and needs, wherever there is the space to be able to do that, we build the resilience of the communities —— the humanitarian needs. where we can, and this is the situation at the moment, build the system, the health system, primary health care, basic educations of the water systems, so that the systems themselves provide the assistance to their own communities. find themselves provide the assistance to their own communities.— their own communities. and what about the donations _ their own communities. and what about the donations and - their own communities. and what about the donations and the - their own communities. and what l about the donations and the money coming in? in conflict like the one in yemen which has gone for so many years and therefore, of course, drops out of the headlines, drops out people and organisations's consciousness, it must be a constant challenge? it consciousness, it must be a constant challenue? , , ., , ., challenge? it is. it is a constant challenge. _ challenge? it is. it is a constant challenge, one, _ challenge? it is. it is a constant challenge, one, to _ challenge? it is. it is a constant challenge, one, to reach - challenge? it is. it is a constant challenge, one, to reach the . challenge? it is. it is a constant i challenge, one, to reach the most needy children, the most vulnerable children, but, yes, you are 100% correct. the appealfrom children, but, yes, you are 100% correct. the appeal from the united nations at the moment is only 31% finance, and this is a global phenomenon. you have got to be able to supply humanitarian assistance in many countries around the world, whereas yemen must be the worst situation to be in, in the international committee has been very generous in the last four or five years, but that has to continue —— and the international community. it has to continue, since the war itself, no more but no peace yet type situation... i itself, no more but no peace yet type situation. . .— type situation... i am afraid we 'ust lost type situation... i am afraid we just lost the — type situation... i am afraid we just lost the line _ type situation... i am afraid we just lost the line there, - type situation... i am afraid we just lost the line there, as - type situation... i am afraid we just lost the line there, as you | just lost the line there, as you can see, to peter hawkins, but thank you to him for coming on and giving us a bit of the context of the background of the challenge of getting the help to the people who need it, of course, in yemen. we are going to head to japan now. the head of one of the biggest talent agencies has resigned over allegations of sexual abuse by its late founder. julie fujishima said she now wanted to help and care for all the victims ofjohnny kitagawa — who died four years ago. he's accused of abusing a large number of young men while running hisjohnny and associates organisation over more than six decades. journalist mobeen azhar worked on the bbc documentary predator: the secret scandal ofj—pop. just talk us through, for what people are not familiar of what is gone on here, what happened? johnny and associates _ gone on here, what happened? johnny and associates is _ gone on here, what happened? johnny and associates is a _ gone on here, what happened? johnny and associates is a super— gone on here, what happened? johnny and associates is a super successful i and associates is a super successful company, it was headed by a man called johnny kitagawa, and he had this six decade rain in the japanese entertainment industry. he is actually in the guinness world book of records —— book of world records. when he passed away a few years ago, the prime minister at the time actually sent a message of condolence, so this is someone who truly had national treasure status, but for much of his career he has been dogged by rumours that he was in fact exploiting and sexually abusing many of the young men who came through his talent agency. traditionally, the japanese press turned a blind eye for many, many years. i was working injapan last years. i was working injapan last year and ifound years. i was working injapan last year and i found that some of the survivors of the abuse were very brief and —— were very brave and talk to me. some of the abuse happened while boys were staying at kitagawa's home. i spoke to a victim for the bbc�*s this world programme. he shared his story for the first time. translation: johnny told me, "go and have a bath." - he filled up the bath and i thought, "isn't he kind?" but then he reached for my trousers. i said, "i'll take them off myself." but he replied with silence and that terrified me. later, several boys told me, "you have to put up with it or you won't succeed." really harrowing testimony there, but unsurprisingly, perhaps, a lot of the japanese press continue to turn a blind eye even when this film went out. it was only when there was a lot of chatter in the online space that woods picked up most of eventually, the un even made a statement about this and said they were sending a task force to japan to look at application in the workforce within the nsame industry, and it very recently, today, the ceo of the company and also had done that —— happened to be the niece of johnny kitagawa public he apologised, a huge step forward. the first time there's been an acknowledgement of any wrongdoing. she admitted there had been some sexual abuse and she resigned as ceo of the company. ok. sexual abuse and she resigned as ceo of the company-— of the company. 0k, mobeen, thank ou for of the company. 0k, mobeen, thank you for that- — around the world and across the uk, this is bbc news. bbc news, bring you different stories from across the uk. earlier this year, he became very unwell. about a month before diagnosis, you think, you really do notice changes, something is not quite right here. it was within 24 hours of going to the gp, i was on the ward, being treated. i the gp, i was on the ward, being treated. ., ., ., ~ , treated. i drove out from wiltshire, because i knew. _ treated. i drove out from wiltshire, because i knew. she _ treated. i drove out from wiltshire, because i knew. she went - treated. i drove out from wiltshire, because i knew. she went to - treated. i drove out from wiltshire, because i knew. she went to her i treated. i drove out from wiltshire, | because i knew. she went to her son as he began — because i knew. she went to her son as he began urgent _ because i knew. she went to her son as he began urgent treatment - because i knew. she went to her son as he began urgent treatment for . as he began urgent treatment for leukaemia postjoey speaking out now to raise awareness about leukaemia ——joe to raise awareness about leukaemia —— joe speaking out. we to raise awareness about leukaemia -- joe speaking out-— -- joe speaking out. we carried out research which _ -- joe speaking out. we carried out research which found _ -- joe speaking out. we carried out research which found out _ -- joe speaking out. we carried out research which found out that - -- joe speaking out. we carried out research which found out that less i research which found out that less than one _ research which found out that less than one percent— research which found out that less than one percent of— research which found out that less than one percent of people - research which found out that less than one percent of people in - research which found out that less i than one percent of people in london can identify— than one percent of people in london can identify symptoms _ than one percent of people in london can identify symptoms of— than one percent of people in london can identify symptoms of leukaemia. | can identify symptoms of leukaemia. he is back— can identify symptoms of leukaemia. he is back to— can identify symptoms of leukaemia. he is back to work— can identify symptoms of leukaemia. he is back to work and _ can identify symptoms of leukaemia. he is back to work and football, - can identify symptoms of leukaemia. he is back to work and football, andl he is back to work and football, and they feel positive about the future. for more stories from across the uk, head to the bbc news website. you're live with bbc news. next, to ukraine. the head of nato says ukrainian forces are continuing to make progress, re—taking lands occupied by russian forces. butjens stoltenberg said progress was slow, estimating an advance ofjust a hundred metres a day. overnight, suspected ukrainian drone attacks were reported on the russian city of rostov—on—don and near moscow. these buildings are not far from the region's military headquarters, but again, no casualties have been reported. it comes at the us secretary of state antony blinken continues a two—day visit to kyiv. mr blinken has already announced a new aid package of more than a billion dollars for ukraine, including shells to be used on us abrams tanks. they're made of depleted uranium which is a by—product of uranium enrichment stripped of most radioactive material. our diplomatic correspondent paul adams has more for us from kyiv. so antony blinken's latest visit to kyiv, his fourth since russia's full—scale invasion, is now over. he was in the country for two days. he is now on his way home. and i think it's a visit in which he has had an opportunity to spend quite a bit of time looking at the consequences of the conflict in various ways and also an opportunity to pledge a great deal more american support. clearly, the message from him was that the united states is anxious to get the kind of support that will allow the ukrainian armed forces to increase the momentum of their counteroffensive in the south, and that's why we've seen the inclusion of depleted uranium shells, which will be used with the us—supplied abrams tanks that should be here in ukraine within a matter of weeks, the idea that being that they detect signs of an increasing amount of progress in the south — something that the nato secretary—generaljens stoltenberg also alluded to during the day — but they are also conscious that time is marching on. they want to give ukraine all the assistance that they can to try and make as much progress as possible before this year draws to a close. thanks to paul for that. thanks to paulfor that. back thanks to paul for that. back here in the uk... divorces are seldom pleasant — and brexit was not without a few disagreements. the uk left and the eu decided that also meant saying goodbye to a few other things,