at which point i said that is nuclear, that means closing bbc two, bbc three, bbc four, local radio, some radio networks and probably some other things as well. understand that is the scale of you are... did you threaten to resign over that? i felt, i thought about resigning but at that moment i thought you've got to get in there and try to stop this, or ameliorate what they are proposing to do. it was very clear very, very quickly that there was no possibility of stopping this. did you make clear to them that this is a welfare payment and that is what governments do, and not broadcasters? yes, we made all those arguments were kind of laid out, every single one of those arguments was very, very highly fought. it was one of the most difficult and tense set of negotiations or discussions i have ever had. i don't want to repeat it, we ended up after some more meetings with george osborne and the then chairman of the bbc trust, rona fairhead, running through the amelioration which we had won from them for the over—755. one was that we would have a license fee that would go up with infl

this is bbc news, i'm simon mccoy. the headlines: travel company tui launches an investigation into claims that some passengers were ignoring coronavirus guidance on a flight from a greek island linked to 16 covid—i9 cases. it was quite scary, to be honest. as soon as we boarded, we realised that many of the passengers hadn't really been educated about the wearing of facemasks. calls for next summer's gcse and a level exams to be put back — to make up for teaching time lost during the lockdown. the government's month—long "eat out to help 0ut" scheme ends today — but some restaurant owners want it to be extended. the first commercial flight from israel to the united arab emirates touches down in abu dhabi — marking a major step in the normalising of relations between the two countries. the charge on single—use carrier bags is to be extended

that means closing bbc two, bbc three, bbc four, local radio, some radio networks and probably other things. understand that is the scale of what you proposing. did you threaten to resign? i thought about resigning about at that moment i thought, you have to get in there and stop this or ameliorate what they are proposing. it was very clear very quickly that there was no possibility of stopping this. did you make clear to them this is a welfare payment and that is what governments do? yes, we made all those arguments, everything on one was very highly thought. it was one of the most difficult and tense negotiations or discussions i have ever had. i do not want to repeated. we ended up after some more meetings with george osborne at the event chairman of the bbc trust running through the amelioration of which we had one from them for the over 75s. one was we would have a licence fee that would go up with inflation for the first time in over a decade, secondly some importa nts the first time in over a decade, secondly some importants for broadband and other things would be removed, thi

this is bbc news. the headlines at 6: borisjohnson says it would be morally indefensible to keep schools in england closed. he's pledged to make reopening them a national priority. i'm very pleased that the prime minister is making schools a priority. i've been arguing for some time that my fear was that children were being left behind in this relaxation of lockdown. the bbc has apologised and says mistakes were made after a news 00:00:00,000 --> 4294966103:13:29,430 and call; that lshangn must ngifingg borisjohnson says it would be = in a newspaper article, the prime minister insists it is safe to send children back to class next month. it's understood he wants schools to stay open as long as possible in any future local lockdowns. before the summer holidays, but that plan failed. now the prime minister is making clear his commitment that things will be different in september. he writes in the mail on sunday... and he continues... borisjohnson has been praised for putting particular emphasis on conce

this is bbc news. i'm lewis vaughan jones. our main story this hour: the first privately—operated space flight to carry american astronauts has completed its mission. the spacex dragon capsule splashed down in the sea off the coast of florida, after visiting the international space station. the two astronauts on board said it was a privilege to have taken part. let's turn to that news from the us we brought you earlier. one of president trump's senior medical advisers has warned that the country is entering a new phase of the pandemic. i asked dr oliver brooks, president of the national medical association, the largest organisation representing african—american doctors and patients for his reaction to dr birx's comments that the virus was now spreading to rural areas. i think it is logical and inevitable, without a national strategy, that you will get spread. she is saying it is spreading from our south up to the north and the midwest. the virus does not respect state lines. so without that nationa

at which point, i said that is nuclear, that means closing bbc two, bbc three, bbc four, local radio, some radio networks and probably some other things, as well. understand that is the scale of you are... did you threaten to resign over that? i thought about resigning but at that moment i thought you've got to get in there and try to stop this, or ameliorate what they are proposing to do. it was very clear very, very quickly that there was no possibility of stopping this. did you make clear to them that this is a welfare payment and that is what governments do, and not broadcasters? yes, all those arguments were kind of laid out, every single one of those arguments was very, very highly fought. it was one of the most difficult and tense set of negotiations or discussions i have ever had. i don't want to repeat it. we ended up after some more meetings with george osborne and the then chairman of the bbc trust, rona fairhead, running through the amelioration which we had won from them for the over—755. one was that we would have a licence fee that would go up with inflation for the f

amol rajan, bbc news. let's go back to our main story this hour, the second night of the republican national convention. among the speakers are present in's children and his wife. let's talk again to our correspondence. the democratic national convention last week heard from michelle 0bama and fromjill biden. heard from michelle 0bama and from jill biden. is there any surprise that no fewer than six members of the trump family are addressing the convention? no, this is the trump show, and in all respects we know that donald trump himself as he is his own best spokesperson and cheerleader and his family go with the package. so we are hearing from melania trump tonight, she is really the highlight of the trump family speakers if you like. she is of course the first lady. very relu cta nt course the first lady. very reluctant first lady, though, and it will be interesting to see how she delivers this speech, what tone she will set. have been told she has been rehearsing because she is a confident speaker, she

andrew harding, bbc news, south africa. the headlines on bbc news... the prime minister tells parents it's "vitally importa nt" their children go back to school. borisjohnson says the life chances of a generation are at stake. scotland's first minister says secondary school children there may soon have to wear face coverings in communal areas soon have to wear face coverings in communal areas. tesco delivers, creating 16,000 new permanent roles to support the growth of its online business. the bbc has learned that foreign office officials expected british iranian nazanin zaghari—ratcliffe to be freed from jail in iran almost two and a half years ago. a deal to secure her freedom in 2017 appears to have been linked to the repayment of a multi—million pound debt to iran, but the money was never paid. mrs zaghari ratcliffe has already served four years in prison. the revelation comes in a bbc panorama investigation into the fate of dual british—iranian citizens detained in iran and accused of spying. darragh macintyre reports. nazanin zaghari—ratc

this is bbc news. the latest headlines: tributes to the actor chadwick boseman, who's died of cancer at the age of a3. he starred in the goundbreaking marvel hit, black panther. to the americas, where the devastation caused by hurricane laura is becoming clearer. officials in haiti, where the storm hit last weekend, say 31 people are now known to have died. in the us, at least 1a people in the states of louisiana and texas were killed. the hurricane is one of the most powerful storms to ever hit the region. earlier president trump visited the affected states. rebecca bailey reports. the skies are calm and clear now though there is plenty of evidence of the force with which laura tore through these streets on thursday. we started clearing the roads to get to my house in sweet lake and it was total devastation down there. i mean, it is a war... but there is work to be done and, for some, the prospect of no power or water potentially four weeks. residents in coastal areas are particularly badly affected.

behrang tajdin, bbc news. to australia now. residents of melbourne are waking up after an overnight curfew — imposed to tackle a coronavirus surge. there are 17,282 confirmed cases and more than 200 deaths in australia. the country had early success in suppressing coronavirus, but now there are fears that with fresh clusters in areas, including victoria, the situation there could change fast. earlier i spoke to steven schubert, an abc reporter in melbourne. a curfew is in place in the city. these are new and dramatic measures for the residents in melbourne today, we woken up after our first curfew which was in place from 8pm until 5am this morning. and really, the government here, the state government is trying to get people to stay in their homes with these new dramatic measures. the time that you can go out, it has been reduced to only one hour of exercise a day, and only one person from each household can leave to go to the supermarket or supplies. we are also expecting to hear more announcements from the state government

this one live on the bbc, is it? this one live on bbc one this afternoon. james anderson in the box after his record—breaking performance against pakistan in the test series. as we can see, the two wickets and pakistan 119—2. la liga has has sided with barcelona in their ongoing contract dispute with lionel messi — who did not arrive for his scheduled covid—19 test this morning. without passing a test, he‘ll be unable to join his team mates for training, with the new season less than two weeks away. there‘s growing speculation the player, who‘s spent his whole career with the spanish club, is keen to link up with former manager pep guardiola at manchester city. tottenham hotspur have signed defender matt doherty from wolves. the republic of ireland right—back has signed a four—year deal and joins for an undisclosed fee. he made over 300 appearances for wolves during ten years with the club and becomes tottenham‘s third signing of the summer following the arrivals of midfielder pierre—emile hojbjerg and goalkeeperjoe hart. champions cel

this is bbc news. i'm lewis vaughan jones with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. mission control: splashdown! nasa astronauts splash down to earth after the first ever commercial crewed mission to the international space station. it took years to get here, we bought the capability back to america and returned safely to oui’ america and returned safely to ourfamilies. covid—19 restrictions are tightened in the capital region of the philippines to tackle a surge in cases. a bbc investigation has found the number of deaths from coronavirus in iran is nearly three times higher than admitted. and a dramatic end to the british grand prix as lewis hamilton wins with a puncture on the final lap. this is bbc news with the latest headlines for the first time since the apollo programme 45 years ago, an american spacecraft has landed safely with a splashdown in the sea. the commercially—owned capsule carrying astronauts doug hurley and bob behnken launched for the international

this is bbc news — i'm aaron safir. our top stories: tributes to the actor chadwick boseman, the star of gound—breaking blockbuster, black panther, who's died at the age of a3. more protests in cities across europe from demonstrators angry over measures designed to combat covid—19. the italian coastguard takes 49 migrants from a rescue ship funded by the artist banksy. but hundreds remain at sea on another rescue vessel. and president trump visits areas devastated by hurricane laura as hundreds of thousands of people remain without power and water. hello and welcome to bbc news. tributes have poured in from across the world for the actor chadwick boseman, who's died from colon cancer at the age of a3. the star of the superhero film, black panther, didn't publicise his diagnosis four years ago, and continued to work throughout his treatment. the bbc‘s entertainment correspondent lizo mzimba looks back on his life. singing over the last four years, throughout his appearances in black panther, avengers: infinity war

fergus walsh, bbc news. in california, a mass—murderer known as the golden state killer, has been sentenced to life in prison. 74—year—old joseph de angelo murdered at least 13 people while working as a police officer in california in the 1970s and 1980s. he was only caught by a quirk of modern technology and earlier was sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison. a plea deal spared him the death penalty. earlier, i asked our north american reporter, regan morris, about his victims — there were so many that their families couldn't all fit inside a court—room. that's right, he was sentenced inside a university ballroom and coronavirus had something to do with that, because people had to be safely distanced. but there were dozens of people there, nowhere near the number that were impacted by this man, but they sat together as families and some of them gave impact statements, talking about his crimes, what the effect was on their families and he was sentenced right there in that courtroom. and

this is bbc news. welcome if you're watching here in the uk or around the globe. i'm james reynolds. our top stories: the lebanese army retakes government buildings in beirut after they were stormed by protesters angry over tuesday's explosion. thousands demand regime change on the streets. protesters are hit by tear gas, a police officer dies in the violence. japan remembers the victims of nagasaki, 75 years after the atom bomb was dropped on the city. no compromise in congress on how much to fund out—of—work americans, so president trump forces though his plans with executive orders. a paradise polluted. more oil spills from a stricken ship off the coast of the mauritius, as the island declares an environmental emergency. hello and welcome to bbc news. thousands of people have taken to the streets of the lebanese capital beirut, in anger at the country's leaders, after this week's devastating explosion in the port area of the city. groups of protestors stormed a number of official buildings and b

this is bbc news. i'm lewis vaughan jones with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. the national guard is deployed to the us state of wisconsin, where protests continue over the shooting of another unarmed black man. donald trump receives official republican backing at the party's convention to run for another term as president. in new zealand, the man who killed 51 people at two mosques last year is confronted in court by survivors and relatives of the victims. and hong kong reports its first case of coronavirus re—infection — we'll be finding out what that now means for immunity. hello and welcome to the programme. the governor of the american state of wisconsin has deployed the national guard to maintain "public safety", as he put it, after police shot an apparently unarmed black man on sunday. jacob blake was taken to hospitalfor surgery. video footage, showing him being shot in the back as he tries to get into a car, has led to protests in the city of kenosha. aleem

andy moore, bbc news. a child has been killed by a falling tree in kent, and a second child injured. police were called on friday afternoon to a report that two children had been injured by the fallen tree, near parsonage lane in bobbing. one child died at the scene and the other was airlifted to a london hospital with serious injuries. it's almost 18 months since the terror attacks on two mosques in the new zealand city of christchurch. the wife of one of the 51 people killed has spoken to the bbc of how her life has changed, and of her determination to seejustice done. the gunman will be sentenced in a few days' time. shaimaa khalil reports from sydney. it was an attack that devastated new zealand and shocked the world. the quiet city of christchurch became the scene of the country's worst mass shooting. on march 15th 2019, a gunman opened fire in two mosques — killing 51 people, and wounding dozens more as they got ready for friday prayers. taj kamran was shot three times in the leg at al—noor mosqu

this is bbc news. let's return now to our top story — the protests that have been taking place in the lebanese capital beirut. thousands of people have taken to the streets to express their anger at the country's leaders in the wake of tuesday's explosion. 0ur middle east correspondent, lina sinjab has been speaking to people in the city. basically it is chaotic and a lot of riots going on in the central square in downtown beirut. the protesters are having different plans this time, trying to occupy public buildings like the ministry of foreign affairs and the ministry of finance and even wanted to break into the central banking building. so that is their plan, to occupy these buildings and stay there until these politicians and elites respond to their requests and be held responsible and held accountable for what has happened. i'm am actually joined by one of the protesters, aline, who was just there and she just came out. aline, tell us what happened and what is going to happen next. there has been

this is bbc news. i'm maryam moshiri with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. nasa astronauts splash down to earth in the first crewed us water landing in 45 years. one of president trump's top medical advisers says the us is entering a new phase in the coronavirus pandemic. a bbc investigation has found the number of deaths from coronavirus in iran is nearly three times higher than admitted. and a dramatic end to the british grand prix as lewis hamilton wins after a puncture on the final lap. hello and welcome. nine weeks after the first commercial rocket to carry astronauts was launched to the international space station, the mission was completed when the craft splashed down in the gulf of mexico. it's the first space capsule to land in water in 45 years, ending a test flight for the new astronaut taxi service provided by the californian firm, spacex. our science correspondent rebecca morelle reports. 200m. brace for splashdown. copy, braced for splashdown. history in th

that's in half an hour, here on bbc news. good evening and welcome to bbc news. the captain of manchester united, harry maguire, has pleaded not guilty, and has been released from police custody in greece, following a disturbance at a bar on the island of mykonos. the england defender was one of three men arrested on thursday. the police say the accusations against the 3 include bodily harm, and the attempted bribery of an official. olly foster reports. after two nights in police custody, harry maguire, seen here at the rear in the light blue shirt, faced the regional prosecutor on the island of syros today. he's now free to return to the uk, but his legal team are due back in court on tuesday to try and clear the manchester united captain's name. he was arrested with two other men on the neighbouring island of mykonos on thursday night. police there claimed they had to break up a fight outside the bar. three men were accused of assaulting and verbally abusing an officer before a further altercation at a police station. yesterday, he was taken by boat back to syr

this is bbc news. my name's mike embley with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. a massive blast in the lebanese capital beirut leaves almost 80 people dead and thousands injured. the explosion sent shockwaves across the city. translation: i don't know what happened. i was fishing. i heard there was a fire. i turned and started to head home. i heard something explode and then this happened. the lebanese prime minister says a confiscated haul of ammonium nitrate caused the devastating blasts — he promises those responsible would be held accountable. in china, a formerfashion model handcuffed to his bed for so—called reeducation. rare footage of the uighur ethnic minorities held in secretive detention centres we have a special report. a 2—day curfew is imposed in indian—administered kashmir — ahead of the first anniversary of delhi's decision to revoke the special status of the region. and why the latest issue of british vogue is making history, in front of and behi

tom burridge, bbc news. this is bbc news. the headlines: at least 18 people have died after an air india plane skids off the runway at an airport in kerala. the un is warning of a humanitan crisis after tuesday's explosion in beirut which killed 154 people. despite the desperate situation in beirut, stories of heroism and survival are emerging. 0ur correspondent carine torbey has been speaking to a nurse who managed to rescue three newborn babies after the explosion ripped through the city. this is normally a place ofjoy, but tuesday's explosion ripped through the neonatal intensive care unit. three premature babies were in their incubators. in the chaos, pamela, the only nurse on shift who was unhurt, picked them up. a picture that spread across the world. the only thing i could think of was the safety of the babies i had in the unit. the first thing i had to do was to rescue the babies and just carry them and get away with them. i thought that i can never leave them alone here and go away. pamela walked for over 30 minutes

that's all from the bbc news at six — so it's goodbye from me — and on bbc one we nowjoin the bbc‘s news teams where you are. hello, good evening, girl watching bbc news with me, ben brown. —— your watching. let's return to the news that the firm which bought the thomas cook travel shops has said up to 878 employees may lose theirjobs, because of new coronavirus travel restrictions. hays travel took on more than 2,000 former thomas cook employees when it went bust in october last year. we can speak to irene and john hays, the company owners, now. thank you so much for being with us. i know it is a very difficult day for you both. ispoke i know it is a very difficult day for you both. i spoke to you both a few days ago, and irene, you were saying how anxious you were to avoid any redundancies. but why have you had to make this decision? the position has changed so, so dramatically in a relatively short space of time. so obviously, when we heard the news about spain, we knew there would be a reaction to that on there would be a reaction to that on the basis that first of all, it was qu

this is bbc news. i'm lewis vaughan jones. our top story: the first commercial crewed mission to the international space station has splashed down off the coast of florida. now as we've been reporting, many countries in europe and asia are experiencing a recurrence of coronavirus infections with hong kong being hit by a third wave. the city had been praised for its success in handling the covid—19 pandemic but is now recording hundreds of new cases. so what's going on in hong kong, and what are the lessons for other countries? professor malik peiris is chair of virology at the university of hong kong. thanks very much for coming on the programme. good evening, lewis. so what's going on there, why are the numbers creeping up? yeah, so this last month ofjuly, more than double the total number of cases for the total number of cases for the first six months of the year. essentially, we can see that there were multiple introductions of the virus in june, at the time when hong kong was lifting its social d

andy swiss, bbc news. itv‘s i'm a celebrity get me out of here will go ahead this year but will be based in the uk for the first time because of the coronavirus pandemic. the 20th series of the show, hosted by ant and dec, which sees celebrities battle the elements in the australian jungle, will instead take place in a countryside castle. time for a look at the weather.

this is bbc news. i'm lewis vaughan jones, with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. police and protesters clash on the streets of beirut as grief turns to anger following tuesday's explosion. france's president calls for "profound change" from lebanon's leadership and an international investigation as he visits the damage—hit capital. taking aim at the national rifle association. new york's attorney general accuses the group of fraud and attempts to disband it. a landslide at the ballot box in sri lanka, but the ruling party's win sees little celebrations among human rights campaigners. and as italy struggles to draw back the tourists, new ways to try to make visitors feel safe. you hang it around your neck and if you get closer to 1.8 metres to the person next to you, it vibrates. ingenious. hello and welcome to the programme. people in lebanon have vented their mounting fury at the government for what they believe is negligence that led to the huge explosion in beirut o

this is bbc news, i'm aaron safir. our top stories: russian opposition leader alexei navalny leaves hospital and is expected to be flown to germany — in a coma. it's claimed he was poisoned. lightning strikes spark several hundred more wildfires including some of the biggest ever seen in the state. protestors in belarus form a human chain across the capital, as the opposition leader tells the bbc the campaign against the president goes on. just we have no right to step back now because... ..if not not, we'll be slaves. and, swimming into the unknown, the volunteers putting themselves forward to be infected with covid—19. hello and welcome to bbc news. we start in russia — where the seriously ill opposition politician, alexei navalny, has left hospitalfor the airport where he'll be flown to germany for further treatment. a german air—ambulance is standing by at omsk airport, in siberia. his supporters say he was intentionally poisoned and they've accused the kremlin of trying to cover it up. our correspondent sa

this is bbc news. my name is mike embley with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. day two of the republican national convention where the first lady is due to address delegates from the rose garden of the white house. wisconsin declares a state of emergency as the family of the unarmed black man shot by police say he's been paralysed and demand the arrest of the officer involved. my my son matters. he is a human being and he matters. new guidance for english secondary schools says face coverings will be mandatory in lockdown areas if social distancing isn't possible. the bbc confirms this year's last night of the proms will feature orchestral versions of rule, britannia. and land of hope and glory for covid safety reasons and not because the lyrics have associations with colonialism. the second night of the republican national convention is under way. among the speakers, president from's children and mike pompeo. our correspondent, jane o'brien joins me jane o'brienjoins me

mark easton, bbc news, high wycombe. this is bbc news. the headlines... a german air—ambulance carrying russian opposition leader alexei navalny has taken off from russia's 0msk airport. it is heading to berlin where he's to receive treatment there after falling into a coma. new coronavirus quarantine restrictions come into force in the uk in less than an hour's time. anyone returning from croatia, austria, or trinidad and tobago, will have to self—isolate for two weeks. let's get more on the situation in belarus — where opposition leader svetla na tikhanovskaya has called on her supporters to step up their strikes at factories across the country to try to force new presidential elections. to our europe correspondent jean mackenzie in lithuania. the woman many think should've been crowned president of belarus. a woman who never even wanted to be a politician — breaking cover for the first time since being forced into exile. she now leads the 0pposition from afar. and when we sit down with her, that reluctant sense of duty still shows. i just can't

hello and welcome to bbc news. in belarus, huge crowds of protesters have demonstrated against president alexander lukashenko and the re—election they say he rigged two weeks ago. they are demanding that he stand down. from the capital minsk, steve rosenberg sent this report. a warning — it contains images which some viewers may find distressing. they poured onto the streets. "long live belarus," they cried. a sea of protesters flooding the centre of minsk. "resign," they shouted. a message for this man, alexander lu kashenko. for 26 years, he's been the president, but look how the people have turned against him. on independence square, they accused him of stealing the election and of violence against the people of belarus. our aim is to show the government that we are not their slaves. we are here to show that we never elected him and that we want the change. that we want the new country with a new president. in belarus, people are making their voices heard like never before. they're demanding change. but the

tim muffett, bbc news. you are watching bbc news. for pupils across the uk, the coronavirus outbreak has brought huge disruption. pupils in scotland are due to return to school next week and students in england and wales will follow them next month. the reopening of schools has been described as a "priority" by the children‘s commisioner for england, anne longfield. but how do parents feel about their children‘s return to the classroom? fiona lamdin has been finding out. one, two, three. . . ready? jo has been home—schooling her three children for five months. i have been shielding because i have got severe asthma. we have continued to keep them here even though they could have gone back to school, because for us, we wanted to keep me healthy. but what will you do about september? we would love them to go back in september. that‘s my absolute hope for them. they miss their friends so much. we are saying to them that they are probably going to go back, but at the same time, we have to keep an eye on the data and the statistics

this is bbc news. i'm lewis vaughan jones, with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. police and protesters clash on the streets of beirut as grief turns to anger following tuesday's explosion. france's president calls for "profound change" from lebanon's leadership and an international investigation, as he visits the damage—hit capital. taking aim at the national rifle association — new york's attorney general accuses the group of fraud and attempts to disband it. a landslide at the ballot box in sri lanka, but the ruling party's win sees little celebrations among human rights campaigners. and as italy struggles to draw back the tourists, new ways to try to make visitors feel safe. welcome to the programme. people in lebanon have vented their mounting fury at the government for what they believe is negligence that led to the huge explosion in beirut on tuesday leaving swathes of the city in ruins. the blast killed at least 137 people and injured around 5,000 more. these

tom burridge, bbc news. this is bbc news. the headlines: at least 17 people have died after an air india plane skids off the runway at an airport in kerala. the un is warning of a humanitan crisis after tuesday's explosion in beirut, which killed 154 people. let's stay with that now. steven cook is senior fellow for middle east studies at the council on foreign relations. he told us how the explosion has exposed a failing system in lebanon. it certainly seems that it is accelerating the end of this government and perhaps the regime in lebanon. the country has been rocked by protests since last fall. the covid crisis has only intensified an economic crisis and many lebanese have grown extraordinarily frustrated with the government and system itself. thus far, the government is holding — there have been no resignations — but certainly people are begging the international community when they do provide aid to lebanon to go around the government because this is a government of corrupt warlords and officials that date back man

this is bbc news. the latest headlines: almost 80 people have been killed and thousands injured in a huge explosion in the lebanese capital, beirut. the lebanese prime minister says a confiscated haul of ammonium nitrate is to blame for the blast. he vows that those responsible would be held accountable. more on that to come. first, the authorities in indian—administered kashmir have imposed a two—day curfew ahead of the first anniversary of delhi's decision to revoke the special status of the region. new razor wire and steel barricades have been placed on key roads of the main city, srinagar. thousands of troops have been patrolling in other parts of the region. officials said the curfew starting today had been imposed following reports of protests in the muslim—majority region. with me is the bbc‘s ishleen kaur. good to have you here. help us with a background ? good to have you here. help us with a background? it was on the fifth of august 2019 that the fifth of august 2019 that the indian g

you can always download the bbc news app as well. you are watching bbc news. the headlines: tik tok says it's ‘there for the long run' after president trump says he'll ban the chinese—owned video sharing app in the us. across europe, several governments express concern about a resurgence in the number of coronavirus cases. classified documents from inside the british military raise fresh questions as to whether uk special forces in afghanistan may have tried to cover up the killing of civilians. the previously secret material was disclosed as part of a court case following a panorama investigation last year, which highlighed allegations that british forces had a policy of deliberately killing fighting—aged males — even when they didn't pose a threat. the ministry of defence has denied such a policy existed. 0ur defence correspondent jonathan beale reports. this is how elite troops target the taliban — controversial night raids with the aim to kill or capture enemy fighters. this shows afghan commandos on a mission with american support. but it was th

laura scott, bbc news. heatwave conditions are continuing with temperatures above 34 degrees celsius for the sixth day in a row in parts of southern and central england, for the first time in almost 60 years. but for other areas, including several parts of scotland and lancashire, there's been heavy rain and thunderstorms and flooding. so what is causing these extremes of weather? 0ur science correspondent victoria gill has more. a week of extremes. in some parts of southern england, there've been a record breaking six consecutive days above 34 degrees. intense storms further north and overnight in parts of scotland, a month and a half of rain fell injust six hours. so many of us are asking the question, what on earth is going on with the weather? this week we've seen remarkable contrast in our weather, 20 degree contrast from the far north, the uk to the far south. and it's within that contrast where we've seen two different air masses clash. cool atlantic air clashing with hot air coming up from the near

jack kilbride, bbc news. the headlines on bbc news. a former uk conservative minister and current mp is arrested on suspicion of rape, sexual assault and coercive control. the australian state of victoria declares a "state of disaster" as the number of new coronavirus cases rises steeply. classified documents released by the british military raise new questions about whether uk special forces killed unarmed civilians in afghanistan. russian health authorities are preparing to start a mass vaccination campaign against coronavirus in october, according to the country's health minister. but, some experts are concerned at russia's fast—track approach. on friday, the leading infectious disease expert in the us, dr anthony fauci, said he hoped that russia and china were "actually testing their vaccines" before administering them to anyone. here's what we know about these vaccines, and others that are being worked on. one russian vaccine is being devised on by the moscow—based gamaleya institute and the second by the vektor state laborato

joe wilson, bbc news. lewis hamilton has won formula one's spanish grand prix and in doing so has broken the record set by michael schumacher for the most podium finishes. it is the 156th time that hamilton has had a top—three finish. and it was a comfortable win, with the british driver 24 seconds ahead of max verstappen. after the race, hamilton said he was so focussed he hadn't realised he was on the final lap! he is now 37 points ahead in the driver's standings as he aims for a record equalling seventh world title. the second cricket test between england and pakistan is heading for a draw after rain disrupted play on day four. with just one hour's play today, england bowled pakistan out for 236. before the wicket of rory burns fell in the opening over of their first innings reply. england are 7—1 and have a 1—0 lead in the series. there's more on the bbc sport website, including news of the final game of rugby union's first weekend back since lockdown, where wasps beat northampton saints in the p

this is bbc news. i'm lewis vaughan jones with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. tiktok says it's "there for the long run" after president trump says he'll ban the chinese—owned video sharing app in the us. south africa records more than 500,000 virus infections — that's the fifth highest in the world. across europe, several governments express concern about a resurgence in the number of coronavirus cases. and the ancient acropolis of the sea opens to divers, but the treasures are guarded by 21st century tech. hello and welcome to the programme. the us general manager of tiktok has said the chinese—owned video—sharing app is "here for the long run" after president trump said he would ban it in the us. vanessa pappas told tiktoks more than 80 million us users —— vanessa pappas told tiktok‘s more than 80 million us users in a video statement that its staff were building "the safest app" possible amid us concerns about data protection. jack kilbride reports. yo

this is bbc news. the headlines: joe biden and kamala harris have been setting out their vision for the us in their first joint appearance since he chose her as his vice—presidential candidate. mr biden said he had no doubt he had picked the right person. senator harris said the country is crying out for leadership. in belarus, people have come out in the capital, minsk, for a fourth night of protests against sunday's election result. the re—elected president, alexander lu kashenko, has dismissed the protesters as "criminals and the unemployed". the european union has said the vote was neither free nor fair. doctors in the lebanese capital are warning that many of beirut‘s children will carry the physical and psychological scars of last week's explosion into adulthood unless they receive proper support. a unicef report is also highligting that there are now as many as 80,000 children who have been made homeless.

this is bbc news. the latest headlines: the death toll rises in lebanon — at least 135 people have died and 5,000 are injured. there is growing anger in beirut at the failure of lebanese politicians to prevent the devastating explosion in the port. millions of sri lankans have voted in a parliamentary election, and in large numbers despite fears about the virus. president gota baya rajapa ksa is seeking a fresh mandate to tighten his party's grip on power. the counting starts thursday morning. the first results are expected by the evening. this from our correspondent anbaras ethirajan. despite fears over the coronavirus, millions came out to vote in sri lanka's parliamentary elections. face masks were compulsory, and the voters were asked to maintain social distancing. there were fears that the pandemic would keep people away from the polling centres, but the election commission said that voter turnout was around 70%. initially i had the fear of coming with my baby, but after coming here i realised t

this is bbc news. welcome if you're watching here in the uk or around the globe. i'm james reynolds. our top stories: the us house of representatives votes to pass an emergency bill to inject $25 billion into america's cash—strapped postal service. lithuania and poland deny claims that nato is building up its forces along their borders with belarus. president trump declares california's wildfires a major disaster, granting federal funds to victims who've lost their homes. tiktok takes on the us government: the chinese company behind the social media app plans to sue over its ban. football's biggest club trophy‘s up for grabs later on sunday, but there'll be no supporters in the stands to cheer on the champion's league winners. hello and welcome to bbc news. the democratic—led us house of representatives has passed an emergency bill to provide $25 billion to the cash—strapped postal service. it's part of a push to prop up the struggling postal service and ensure that it can handle an influx of m

bbc wales, thank you bbc studios. and people from britain's left behind communities have made up the majority of the key workers who have got us through this pandemic, but black and white, they have been dying at about twice the rate of the rest of us, so on the other side, when we come out the other side it would be great if we all thought about the much more than we have been in the past. thank you so much for the honour. factual series. crime and punishment. i'll take ten steps forward and then i'll set up steps forward and then i'll set up another meeting with somebody else and make 20 backwards. have you ever actually tried to kill yourself? yeah. i hung myself. i was being told, if we stop your behaviour then we will think about giving you a shower. if you stop yourself humming behaviour, iwill think about letting you call your daughter. when you do come to getting released, there will be times when things don't go your way. don't f with cats. hunting an internet killer. it really started to make me think, his m

this is bbc news. i'm sally bundock with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. the world bank says they will be new systems are to deliver aid to the people of lebanon. we have to put systems in place that are radically transparent, inclusive, meaning reaching the people, and with good government. protests in cities across belarus after official exit polls say president alexander lu kashenko has secured another term in office. aides of the hong kong media tycoon,jimmy lai, say he's ben arrested for suspected collusion with foreign forces. the bbc reviews its policy on tackling cyber hate—speech, after the abuse of elite sportswomen doubles in less that five years. a warm welcome to the programme. the head of the world bank has told the bbc that radically transparent‘ systems are needed to deliver financial aid for lebanon. axel van trotsenburg said it was clear the millions of dollars pledged, had to benefit the people directly. there have been fresh clashes between polic

staying with the sunday telegraph, you can't tweet what you like, bbc stars to be told. i don't need to be told that, we have producer guidelines which are very helpful, ros, in reining us in, but there have been accusations that some journalists, but there have been accusations that somejournalists, particular but there have been accusations that some journalists, particular stars, have overstepped the mark. well, according to the telegraph, tim davie, the new director—general of the bbc, who hasjust taken over from lord hall, has been looking at an internal review by richard sambrook and is concerned that may be some of the freelance presenters, some of the stars who are freelancing, have been tweeting messages that betray some kind of bias. there was a big complaint over the last couple of years, i think, against what was considered to be anti brexit bias by the bbc. i am not convinced about that, i think a lot of people who didn't want to brexit felt that the bbc was being inadequately critical. for my money, i think the bbc got it mostly right, but the idea that j

this is bbc news. i'm james reynolds. our top stories: the lebanese army retakes government buildings in beirut after they were stormed by protesters angry over tuesday's explosion. thousands demand regime change on the streets. protesters are hit by tear gas as a police officer is killed in the violence. president trump signs executive orders extending economic relief to americans after congress fails to agree his stimulus package. the island nation of mauritius declares a state of environmental emergency as more oilfrom a grounded ship washes onto its pristine shores. the edinburgh film festival another victim of the coronavirus. hello and welcome to bbc news. thousands of people have taken to the streets of the lebanese capital beirut in anger at the country's leaders after this week's devastating explosion in the port area of the city. groups of protesters stormed a number of official buildings and briefly occupied the foreign ministry before being driven out by the army. earlier, riot police used

welcome to bbc news. in the last few hours, the democratic—led us house of representatives has passed an emergency bill to provide $25 billion to the cash—strapped postal service. this is part of a push to prop up the struggling postal service and ensure it can handle an influx of millions of postal ballots for the 2020 presidential election in november. the white house said on friday it strongly opposes the bill and would recommend president trump vetoes it. alanna petroff has the latest. us politics has become increasingly polarised over the post office. we are saying to donald trump, we are saying to postmaster dejoy, no! enough is enough! give us back our post office! applause and cheering protesters gathered in places like texas, pennsylvania, new york, and washington, dc. they‘ re concerned about a recent slowdown in deliveries and they worry about what this means for postal voting in the upcoming us election. will votes arrive on time and be counted, especially in a pandemic? this man, postma

jack kilbride, bbc news. the headlines on bbc news. a former uk conservative minister and current mp is arrested on suspicion of rape, sexual assault and coercive control. the australian state of victoria declares a "state of disaster" as the number of new coronavirus cases rises steeply. classified documents released by the british military raise new questions about whether uk special forces killed unarmed civilians in afghanistan. russian health authorities are preparing to start a mass vaccination campaign against coronavirus in october, according to the country's health minister. but, some experts are concerned at russia's fast—track approach. on friday, the leading infectious disease expert in the us, dr anthony fauci, said he hoped that russia — and china — were "actually testing their vaccines" before administering them to anyone. here's what we know about these vaccines, and others that are being worked on. one russian vaccine is being devised on by the moscow—based gamaleya institute and the second by the vektor state

alanna petroff, bbc news. in the us, the food and drug administration has given emergency authorisation for the use of blood plasma from recovered covid—i9 patients as a treatment to fight new cases of the disease. as part of trials, around 70,000 people there have already received plasma. independent scientists caution that the step is unlikely to be a breakthrough. but president trump said it would save lives. this is a powerful therapy that transfuses very, very strong antibodies from the blood of recovered patients to help treat patients battling a current infection. it's had an incredible rate of success. today's action will dramatically expand access to this treatment. and i want to thank dr hahn, secretary azar, i want to thank the fda, all of the people that have been working very hard on this. it showed tremendous potential. our north america correspondent peter bowes told us more. it's known as convalescent plasma. from people who have had covid—i9 and are now recovering and indeed in tens of tho

branwen jeffreys, bbc news. stay with us on bbc news, still to come: how a love of rugby league — and the support of her partner the big crowds became bigger as the time of the funeral approached. as the lines of fans became longer, the police prepared for a hugejob of crowd control. uganda's former brutal dictator has died at the age of 80. he's been buried in saudi arabia where he lived in exile since being overthrown in 1979. two billion people around the world have seen the last total eclipse of the sun to take place in this millennium. it began itsjourney off the coast of canada, ending three hours later when the sun set over the bay of bengal. this is bbc world news, the latest headlines anger on the streets of beirut. protesters call for reform — as donors pledge 300 million dollars, to rebuild the lebanese capital, after tuesday's devastating explosion. protestors and police face off in belarus — after pro—government exit polls suggest another landslide win for the authoritarian president lukashe