BBC NEWS DAILY

By Andrew McFarlane

BREAKING NEWS  |  Eight people have been taken to hospital - with four critically hurt - after reports of a crush at a concert venue in Brixton, south London. Here's what we know so far.

Livestock farming pollutes rivers 300 times in a year     The UK's 2.6 million dairy cows produce about 50 billion litres of manure a year - enough to fill Wembley stadium more than 12 times over. When mixed with water, this waste becomes slurry to be stored and spread as fertiliser. One farmer likens it to "liquid gold", for the soil-enriching nutrients it contains. But data shows slurry was also responsible for most of last year's environmental incidents in the dairy industry which, in turn, was linked to about half of all farm pollution. Government figures show livestock farms in England polluted rivers 300 times, causing 20 major incidents. Of 721 inspections on 693 farms, regulations were broken in more than half of cases. Yet, only six farms were prosecuted in 2021, with the Environment Agency giving out warning letters instead. The government says prosecution is a last resort for persistent offenders, while the Environment Agency says it's working "constructively" with farmers and has increased the number of inspections to more than 3,000 since January. Meanwhile, the National Farmers Union says members are taking "voluntary action through industry-led initiatives to drive improvements that benefit the water environment". The number of pollution incidents has dropped by 75% since 2000, it adds.   "The smell was appalling... the river was black" - read the full report

Another 48-hour rail strike under way     Commuters are once again facing disruption to their journeys, with members of the RMT rail union beginning their second 48-hour rail strike of the week in a dispute over jobs, pay and conditions. About one in five services will be operating until 18:30 GMT. Travellers are advised to check with rail operators before setting out and to be prepared for no late-night services on some routes and no trains all day on others. In northern England, traffic officers who work on motorways are walking out for the first time today while, in south and west London, bus drivers from the Unite union are on strike for 48 hours. There's good news for anyone due to fly out of London's Heathrow airport, however, as a planned strike by baggage handlers has been cancelled.   Live page Get the latest on the strikes - and the freezing weather Strike daily Check how industrial action will affect you Explainer What are trade unions and who can go on strike?

Russia planning fresh offensive, says Kyiv     In recent weeks, Russian forces have lost ground in parts of southern and eastern Ukraine - including retreating from Kherson, the only regional capital they had taken. But while there are suggestions the invading army is suffering artillery shortages, Ukraine is warning its allies against complacency. Senior officials say Russia is planning a wide-ranging ground offensive for early in the new year, with half of its 300,000 personnel conscripted to support the Ukraine war due to complete training in February. And Gen Valery Zaluzhny, head of Ukraine's armed forces, says Russia is "100% being prepared" for an offensive. "It may start not in Donbas, but in the direction of Kyiv, in the direction of Belarus, I do not rule out the southern direction as well," he said.

After a torrid 2022, is crypto down and out?   If digital currency Bitcoin were a boxer it would be a scrappy brawler that refuses to give up. But the last few weeks it has taken a pummelling, with the collapse of cryptocurrency industry giant FTX and the arrest of its founder, Sam Bankman-Fried, in the Caribbean. Bitcoin is used to taking knocks, but this anti-establishment fighter was already on the ropes after its most bruising year yet. In boxing parlance, you might view it as lying on its back on the canvas seeing stars. It is down, but is it out?           Read full analysis >         Joe Tidy Cyber reporter

What the papers say     Several newspapers focus on the NHS, with the Guardian reporting Rishi Sunak is under pressure to negotiate an end to the nurses' strike. Four Conservative former ministers have pleaded with the prime minister to ask the NHS pay review body to reconsider the rise it recommended in February, the paper says. The Daily Express quotes former Tory chairman Sir Jake Berry telling the government: "For nurses, for Britain, sit down and sort this out." Meanwhile, the i says the NHS is facing a crisis as all 10 ambulance trusts in England come under "extreme pressure". And the Daily Telegraph says the health service is on alert for a flu outbreak after hospital admissions for the virus jumped more than 40% in a week. Read the full review.

Daily digest         Deadly fire Ten killed, including five children, in French flats       By-election Labour easily holds Stretford and Urmston seat       Cocaine How Antwerp became the trafficking gateway to Europe       JFK Thousands of assassination files released

If you watch one thing today 'We want visibility after the World Cup'

If you listen to one thing today The illegal nude that made me a security expert

If you read one thing today Harry and Meghan: What did we learn?

Need something different?     There were some stunning entries in the RSPCA's Young Photographer Awards but Ben Harrott won the top prize with an "almost abstract" photograph of a shy mountain hare. The 17-year-old spent an hour steadily approaching the jack before he was able to capture the shot - see for yourself why it impressed judge Chris Packham. And from a hare to beavers, a family of which are to be moved from Tayside to Loch Lomond after and RSPB's application was approved. The idea is to improve the variety of species in the nature reserve. Read how the new inhabitants might help these efforts. Now, on to a cat - specifically the one adopted by the England football team when they were in Qatar for the World Cup. It features in our quiz of the week. Test your news knowledge. Finally, if you still need to post your Christmas cards, you'd best do it today. Here's why.

On this day         1969 MPs vote to abolish the death penalty for murder, after Home Secretary James Callaghan had told the Commons the number of killings remained "remarkably stable" during a five-year suspension.

From elsewhere       The global supply trail that leads to Russia’s killer drones (Reuters)         Henry Kissinger: How to avoid another world war (Spectator)             Parliament of loopholes: Why the Qatar scandal was inevitable (Politico)       Beyoncé texts and Prince William’s fury: Everything we learned from part two of Harry & Meghan (Guardian)

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