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| | Johnson: Putin made missile strike threat | |  | | | | | | | | | As Boris Johnson recounts, the threat was made with a "relaxed" tone, and the Russian president sounded "jolly'. But what Vladimir Putin had just said is that he could take him out with a missile - and it would "only take a minute". The former prime minister has talked about the details of the "extraordinary" phone call - made in February last year just before Russia invaded Ukraine - for the first time. He said the comment was made after he warned the war would be an "utter catastrophe". Details of the call have been revealed in a BBC documentary looking at how Mr Putin interacts with world leaders.
Mr Johnson warned Mr Putin that invading Ukraine would lead to Western sanctions and more Nato troops on Russia's borders. And he tried to deter Russian military action by telling Mr Putin that Ukraine would not join the Nato alliance "for the foreseeable future" (Russia has strongly opposed Ukraine's request to join the alliance, with Mr Putin describing it as a security threat - there's more on that here ). As Mr Johnson tells the documentary: "He threatened me at one point, and he said, 'Boris, I don't want to hurt you but, with a missile, it would only take a minute' or something like that. Jolly." There was a "relaxed tone" from Mr Putin, he adds, saying he was "playing along with my attempts to get him to negotiate". Of course it's impossible to know if the threat was genuine. But given previous Russian attacks in the UK, any threat - however lightly delivered - would probably have had to be taken seriously by Mr Johnson. | | | | | |
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| | £1bn boost in ambulances and hospital beds | | | | | | | | | The NHS is in the middle of its worst winter in a generation, with A&E waits and ambulance delays at their worst levels on record. Now, to try and tackle the problem, 5,000 extra hospital beds and 800 new ambulances are to be rolled out in England as part of a £1bn investment in the health service. More details of the two-year plan are going to be outlined later on Monday, with the government saying it believes the measures - being introduced from April - will help the NHS to start getting closer to waiting time targets. But Labour says the plans won't go far enough and that patients would still be waiting longer than is safe. | | | | | |
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| | Childcare costs rise as providers feel pinch | | | | | | | | | Childcare providers across Britain are raising prices, and cutting staff and opening hours to cope with funding pressures - that's according to new survey data. All local authorities were questioned by charity Coram Family and Childcare about the costs and provision of childcare. Three-quarters of councils that replied said many providers were charging more than last year and were finding it "very difficult" to recruit staff. The government says it is trying to cut costs and bureaucracy for providers.
But Coram is warning of the knock-on impact on families, saying young children risk missing out on a crucial part of their education if parents can't find suitable childcare. Read more here. | | | | | |
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| | | | | | | | | | | Almost immediately after any ministerial sacking or resignation, there is an immediate ricochet towards the prime minister. What does it say about their judgement and their political standing? Let's try to answer both of those in light of Nadhim Zahawi being sacked as Conservative Party chairman. Rishi Sunak has sought to define integrity by a desire to seek out the facts rather than act impulsively. His allies say this is true to his character, and his team say it also had the added benefit in this instance of establishing far more about the timeline of events involving Mr Zahawi - not least that the tax authority was first in touch with him in April 2021, much, much earlier than many had imagined, including those in Downing Street.
Could the PM have acted sooner, given we already knew Mr Zahawi had failed to tell the prime minister he'd paid a penalty to HM Revenue and Customs? Some point out after the sacking of minister Conor Burns last autumn by Liz Truss only for him to be cleared of misconduct two months later, the party had learnt a lesson about following due process and being fair. Speaking to Conservative MPs and ministers, there had been growing frustration with Mr Zahawi and an irritation he hadn't resigned last week or even earlier. And there was a fear from some that the prime minister wasn't willing to be clinical enough. But the speed of Sir Laurie Magnus's work - completing his report in under a week - has meant this hasn't dragged on as long as it might have done. | | | | | | | | | | | | Chris Mason | | BBC News political editor | | | | | | | | | | | |
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| | | | | | | There's one story dominating the front pages today, and that's the sacking of Nadhim Zahawi as Tory party chairman over a penalty he was forced to pay to HMRC. The Daily Mirror says the PM is a "dithering leader" who "finally" made the decision to sack the Tory chairman after weeks of reports about his tax affairs. The Independent also asks why it took so long, saying it started covering the story more than six months ago. The Financial Times says hopes are further dwindling of reviving the Iran nuclear agreement after the EU started exploring legal options to formally declare the country's Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organisation. Putin's threats to Boris Johnson feature on several front pages, including the Daily Mail. And that paper also tells of research that anxious dogs can be successfully treated if they take part in group exercise. Read the paper review in full. | | | | | |
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| | | | | NHS: Staff with long Covid face losing their pay | | | | | | | | | | | Olympics: Russia cannot be allowed to compete, says Zelensky | | | | | | | | | | |
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| | If you check one thing today | | | | | | | | | | |
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| | If you listen to one thing today | | | | | | | | | | |
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| | If you read one thing today | | | | | | | | | | |
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| | Need something different? | | | | | | | | | A four-year-old boy has become the UK's youngest Mensa member - but what's it like growing up as a so-called child genius? Our reporters spoke to those who found out they had exceptional talent at a young age and asked how their lives had turned out.
From child geniuses to a child actor revisiting a role as a teenager. The third series of Happy Valley was delayed seven years so that Rhys Connah, who plays Ryan, could grow up. He explains what it's like finally watching the crime drama now he's old enough. The verdict? "It's very dark, isn't it?"
Let's move from crime to mystery - specifically, the mystery of how a bed built for monarchs to sleep in before coronations ended up, in pieces, in a Welsh wool mill. Find out how Wendy Martin, having bought it for £100 at auction, found out the true purpose of the Victorian piece of furniture.
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| | | | | 2003: A US judge sentences British-born "shoe bomber" Richard Reid to life in prison after he tried to blow up a transatlantic flight | | | | | | |
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| | | Let us know what you think of this newsletter by emailing bbcnewsdaily@bbc.co.uk. If you’d like to recommend it to a friend, forward this email. New subscribers can sign up here. | | | | | |
