Republicans in the impeachment inquiry are trying over & over again to get Ambassador Taylor to agree to various versions of the statement that "elements of the Ukrainian establishment were out to get the President." And he is reacting in bemused confusion, and is not doing so.

After the first day of public impeachment hearings, politically, nothing much has changed. The two witnesses were entirely credible & the Republicans failed to dent their evidence. But the Dem’s failed in their questioning to build a bigger case on it. So we are where we were.

Amb Volker is trying to distance himself from Trump’s requests to investigate the Bidens. It leaves Amb Sondland with a difficult decision when he appears before the impeachment inquiry tomorrow. Does he lash himself to the President and hope he’ll be protected, or cut loose?

Amb Volker says the highlighted portion of this communication was at the request of Guiliani

“I’m sorry to tell you that the TV ratings [for this inquiry] are way down,” Republican Nunes tells the two impeachment witnesses before him. But he’s more likely seeking to mollify someone who probably IS watching on TV just down the road in the White House.

"Everyone was in the loop. It was no secret” Amb Sondland statement to impeachment inquiry seems written to fit into a banner headline.

A decade ago the testimony today to Trump’s impeachment inquiry would, I think, have brought him down. But the fracturing of the media landscape and the complete polarisation of US politics means he will survive this. I don’t think that is true of everyone around him though.

though, for a change, nobody died.

Polls show over 50% of Iowa caucus goers tonight say they’re liberals. That’s bad news for Biden. If he comes 4th or 5th it’s not politically terminal but it could be financially crippling if donors think they’re wasting their money. And having no money then kills your campaign

Israel agrees ceasefire after 11-day conflict with Palestinian militants which killed 232 in Gaza and 12 in Israel bbc.in/3bJ4PcF

Some personal news: I’ve been appointed Executive News Editor for the BBC’s coverage of world affairs. I’ll be running the ‘World Story team’, the new home for the BBC’s journalists, in the UK & abroad, who report on, analyse & gather international news for TV, radio & online.

What does it mean to die of starvation? What does that look like? A parent forced to do the unthinkable - sell their child. This report will be a hard watch. But I don’t have the words to express the scale of what’s unfolding in #Afghanistan. ⁦ bbc.co.uk/news/world-asi…

The family of Afghan asylum-seekers trapped on Europe’s edge bbc.co.uk/news/world-eur…

.The Associated Press journalists spent months reviewing every potential case of voter fraud in the six battleground states disputed by former President Trump. They found fewer than 475 — a number that would have made no difference in the 2020 presidential election. apnews.com/article/voter-…

Today we have announced the appointment of Aleem Maqbool - currently based in Washington - as Religion Editor for BBC News (UK). Aleem is a hugely thoughtful reporter and analyst - the ideal skills for this important role.

This is what it is like in #Almaty tonight #Kazakhstan

Andrew North is working for the UN in Kabul. He is a former colleague and a respected journalist. All inquiries about his situation, which his friends and colleagues are obviously concerned about, should be directed to the UN.

World class reporting from ⁦Quentin Sommerville⁩ Along with cameraman Darren Conway they’re the first journalists to be at the frontline with the Ukrainian army. bbc.co.uk/news/world-eur…

Heading back to London after visiting the BBC’s teams in Ukraine. We’ve deployed journalists from around the world to cover this conflict. They get to go home after their tour. The BBC’s Ukrainian journalists are living this story in a visceral way. Their resilience is remarkable

A great correspondent and a big loss for us, but congrats to @BBCKarishma . Have no doubt you’ll do brilliantly.