steps to the left, one step back two steps to the left, one step back and two steps forward and you think, what is he doing? he was crossing a minefield. we are used to a politician charging forward and getting blown up. he is looking at how to get to the other side. shifter how to get to the other side. after a very short _ how to get to the other side. after a very short period _ how to get to the other side. after a very short period of— how to get to the other side. after a very short period of time, - how to get to the other side. after a very short period of time, if he doesn't deliverfour a very short period of time, if he doesn't deliver four people, then it is not going to be such a rosy story for him. i wonder if you think there is ever going to be such a thing as starmerism. is ever going to be such a thing as starmerism— is ever going to be such a thing as starmerism. ., , ., .,, ., , starmerism. no, he is almost a rishi sunak. his view _ starmerism. no, he is almost a rishi sunak. his view of _ starmerism. no, he is almost a rishi sunak. his view of himself _ starmerism. no, he is almost a rishi sunak. his view of himself is - starmerism. no, he is almost a rishi sunak. his view of himself is he - starmerism. no, he is almost a rishi sunak. his view of himself is he is i sunak. his view of himself is he is a good _ sunak. his view of himself is he is a good guy — sunak. his view of himself is he is a good guy. he is probably a good luy a good guy. he is probably a good guy and _ a good guy. he is probably a good guy and he — a good guy. he is probably a good guy and he is the right man and he thinks _ guy and he is the right man and he thinks he _ guy and he is the right man and he thinks he can pull the levers of state _ thinks he can pull the levers of state better than other people. i don't _ state better than other people. i don't think he has a big vision for what _ don't think he has a big vision for what he — don't think he has a big vision for what he should do.—

don't think he has a big vision for what he should do. thank you very much indeed- _ thank you very much indeed. so let's take a look at some of the front pages. the story we were talking about, the honey trap. i gave mp's numbers. william wragg says he handed over the details to colleagues to somebody he dated on grinder after sending intimate pictures of himself. i am sending intimate pictures of himself. iam mortified sending intimate pictures of himself. i am mortified and i am so sorry. he said it includes a minister and other mps and staff at westminster. the guardian has the gaza ceasefire. the tories plan to make party millions. and in the eye magazine, sooner urge to publish legal advice on arms sales to israel. the prince andrew drama was

gripping, but the original was better. before we go, a quick preview of tomorrow night's show, when i'll be asking arsenal's star left—back, the ukraine international football player oleksandr zinchenko, about the war, his school friends that are fighting, the financial support he is giving president zelensky, and his own commitment to his country. you talk about going back. if at some point you thought it was of more value to leave this behind and go back and fight, would you go? i think it is a clear answer. of course, i would go. that's all from us tonight. ben's presenting tomorrow. until then, goodnight.

she has experienced many quakes living here before, but none prepared herfor this one. "it was completely different," she says. "so much of the mountain has come down. this morning there were still rocks falling over here. when i was sleeping last night there was an aftershock and as soon as it hit, i leapt up and i ran outside". in hualien city, the buildings badly damaged by yesterday's quake still pose a serious threat. frantic work has been going on all day to sure them up and stop them from toppling over. here too, the physical scars from the quake will soon be removed. but not the memory of what it felt like for the people who experienced it. rupert wingfield—hayes, bbc news in hualien, eastern taiwan.

the first ballots have been cast in south korea 5 parliamentary elections, with two days of early voting ahead of election day next week. all 300 seats of the national assembly are up for grabs, and president yoon will be hoping to flip the legislature from the control of the opposition democratic party, which has controlled it for the past four years. but if the opposition maintain their majority, it may leave president yoon a lame duck. for more, i mjoined byjohn delury, who 5 a senior fellow at the asia society and a professor at yonsei university in seoul. though he joins us today from rome. what are the big issues that could determine this election? i could determine this election? think what we will 5 election i think what we will see in this election is the general disaffection of the south korean electorate. we could see lower turnout, that won big concern basically the two big parties that you mention, the liberals and the conservatives of

both pretty unpopular. the president is pretty unpopular. there is a lot of grievance that we expect to be manifested. of grievance that we expect to be manifested-— manifested. you see this as a referendum — manifested. you see this as a referendum vote _ manifested. you see this as a referendum vote on - manifested. you see this as a | referendum vote on president manifested. you see this as a - referendum vote on president yoon? we know his approval rate is stuck in the 30s. but his people power money without the control of legislator do limit what he can do. it's coming right in the middle of a much two years into his five year term. there's almost no way it can be a referendum on his presidency for the utmost expectation is that the opposition that cluster of liberal parties will regain control of the national assembly. again, who knows and the south korean election, things can change based on the ballot box. that's the expectation going into it. on the money and more of the same in terms of a split government between the legislature and the executive but it's really if

that the results it would really weaken president yoon's hand because he has three more years. he's proven that he is given him the full authority of government by getting his party in power in the national assembly. 50 his party in power in the national assembl . �* , assembly. so if he can't get his -a in assembly. so if he can't get his party in power _ assembly. so if he can't get his party in power in _ assembly. so if he can't get his party in power in the _ assembly. so if he can't get his party in power in the national. party in power in the national assembly, the next three years were assembly, the next three years were as a seam is received for the last two? , ., , ., ., two? yes. or the tougher version of the last two — two? yes. or the tougher version of the last two in _ two? yes. or the tougher version of the last two in the _ two? yes. or the tougher version of the last two in the last _ two? yes. or the tougher version of the last two in the last two - two? yes. or the tougher version of the last two in the last two there . the last two in the last two there were at least hope that maybe this would be the turning point and he could put forward more of his agenda. particularly if it's a real serious blow for his party then that could severely weaken his mandate as he goes on board for three more years. as we know was south korean politics there's a lot of wildcards for the impeachment, investigations that could again much of what would

come from the national assembly. if that's the case of the opposition retaining or strengthening the holes on the national assembly the resistance to the presidents initiatives could get even harsher of the next three years. what initiatives could get even harsher of the next three years. what does it mean for — of the next three years. what does it mean for foreign _ of the next three years. what does it mean for foreign policy? - of the next three years. what does it mean for foreign policy? will- it mean forforeign policy? will this have an impact or does the president have a for your hand when it comes to bat?— it comes to bat? south korea is known as _ it comes to bat? south korea is known as having _ it comes to bat? south korea is known as having in _ known as having in imperial presidency, particularly where and foreign policy is concerned. whatever the result president yoon will largely be driving the direction where south korea is going. there is a fair bit of public and censored behind the general trajectory with for south korea to keep moving closer to the united states, slightly more controversial but still largely by end to moving closer to japan and inching away without any open rupture from china

meanwhile just hoping without any open rupture from china meanwhilejust hoping nothing without any open rupture from china meanwhile just hoping nothing was wrong with north korea. that in a nutshell is sort of the direction of foreign policy. i would say regardless of the result of the election the president can probably largely move forward with at least that aspect of his foreign policy. the vote itself is really not being driven by foreign policy issues, it's very much domestic concerns that voters have on their minds going into it. that voters have on their minds going into it— that voters have on their minds auoin into it. ., ~ ,, , . going into it. thank you very much for that context _ going into it. thank you very much for that context with _ going into it. thank you very much for that context with the _ going into it. thank you very much for that context with the john - for that context with the john delury a senior fellow at yonsei university. around the world and across the uk. this is bbc news.

now to myanmar, where opponents of the military junta have launched a drone attack on the capital, in a rare attack on the military�*s centre of power. a military—run tv station says thirteen drones were shot down over naypyidaw, after an attempt by what it called "terrorists" to destroy

"important locations". it comes more than three years after the military detained aung san suu kyi in february 2021 as it seized powerfrom her elected government in a coup. with the latest, here's our south east correspondentjonathan head. well, so far as we can tell, there wasn't much physical damage from this attack. remember, these drones are pretty small. they're either adapted from agricultural drones or even homemade by the various volunteer armed groups fighting the military. so they can't carry much in the way of explosives, just a few kilos. but it did send a very powerful symbolic punch against the military government, showing that the opposition can now get at them, even inside their own citadel. and remember, that is what the capital naypyidaw is. it's was built out of the bush by a previous military regime for the purpose of keeping it invulnerable to a possible popular uprising. now, the opposition have shown that using drone technology, they can get at them even there.

and remember, the drones don't have much range. those drone operators would have been pretty close up, probably inside the city itself. it's also a very important boost for the national unity government which organised this attack. this is the body that represents the elected administration headed by aung san suu kyi that was ousted by the coup and nominally leads the campaign against the military regime, but in practice has very little control over all these different armed groups fighting across the country. it's sometimes been criticised for being ineffective. it has spent quite a lot of the money it's raised on buying hundreds and hundreds of drones. and i think by organising this attack has shown the people of myanmar that it can be pretty effective. and, you know, the drones are, in a way, an equaliser for the opposition. they're up against a military that has aircraft, has helicopter gunships, armoured vehicles, rocket launchers. the opposition has none of that. but the drones are a way in which they can get over to military controlled areas, often shaking the morale of troops

who are holed up in fortified military posts. and we'll see much more use of that drone technology, i think, in this civil war. let's take a look at some other stories in the headlines. thursday marked the nato's 75th birthday — but there was no time for celebration as the alliance's leaders met in brussels to discuss support for ukraine. speaking to the bbc�*s ukrainecast, the uk's foreign secretary said that the us aid package stalled in congress could make all the difference. things have a sort of narrative arc. it was looking like great ukrainian success and now it looks like russia's doing better on land. i think one of the things that could change the narrative again is that american money coming through and people and then putin saying, i can't outwait these guys, i can't outlast them. they're going to have the firepower. they're going to have the money. they've got the support. and then you've got the prospect of further ukrainian success and crucially, a just peace. in ukraine, authorities in the city of kharkiv say four people were killed and dozens injured in russian drone attacks.

three of the dead were rescuers who'd rushed to the scene after an earlier attack. meanwhile, proxy russian officials in parts of ukraine occupied by moscow say three people have been killed in ukrainian attacks. thieves in los angeles have made off with at least $30 million from a cash storage facility in one of the biggest heists on record. no details have been shared about how the heist was pulled off and police have no suspects. it's never too late to celebrate a hero — ronald brignall wasjust 16 when he saved cardiff city hall during the blitz in world war 2 — armed with just a sandbag and a fire hose gripped between his teeth. today, on his 100th birthday, he is being honoured for the first time. tomos morgan reports. on his 100th birthday, ronald brignall is finally being honoured. honoured not for his age, but for an heroic act performed 83 years ago.

during the second world war, uk cities did their best to protect themselves, but cardiff wasn't alone in taking heavy damage. praise and thanks were given to all of those involved in the effort, with today's birthday boy playing a vital role in saving this particular building in the welsh capital. it was in 1941 that a 16—year—old ronald brignall was walking home from college when he spotted an incendiary bomb [and on the roof of city hall. they're designed to start fires. he then took it upon himself to climb on the drainpipes of this building twice to help extinguish the flames. firstly with a hose pipe between his hand in his mouth, and secondly with a sandbag. the local paper described a local lad who was daunted by nothing, acting with daring and courage. there we are. ronald's family were present as he received a special certificate today for his efforts from the lord mayor of cardiff. # happy birthday to you... #

a celebration for a centurion, for a courageous act performed in the most testing of times. tomos morgan, bbc news. finally, a miraculous rescue in india. this was the moment a two year old boy in the southern state of karnataka was rescued from a borewell after being trapped there for 20 hours. the toddler fell head—first into the five metre deep borewell while playing. he's now undergoing hospital treatment. that's all for now — stay with bbc news. hello. the weather will be throwing all sorts at us over the next few days. some wet weather, some warm weather and some windy weather — particularly driven by storm kathleen. a storm named by the irish weather service for impacts it will have in the republic of ireland over the weekend. but for northern and western parts of the uk it will bring gales and the risk of disruption. here is storm kathleen developing, still well away to the south—west of our shores.

but low pressure already in charge of the scene for friday — rain and snow across scotland. that tending to peter out, but more rain pushing into southern scotland later. for northern ireland, bands of showery rain with sunny spells in between. england and wales, seeing a day of sunny spells and showers. it will be quite windy, particularly around western and southern coasts, but pretty warm — 15 degrees for belfast, 18 for norwich. still cold in the north of scotland, but it will turn milder here as we go through friday night. further bands of heavy rain driving north was turning increasingly windy around some western parts, but a very mild start to the weekend. down towards the south, 12 or 13 degrees first thing on saturday. so storm kathleen, this deep area of low pressure well to the west of us, but coming close enough to bring some very strong winds. and with those winds coming from the south, well, they will be pulling some really warm air into the mix. it is likely that saturday will be the warmest day of the year so far. with some outbreaks of rain moving northwards across scotland,

showers following on behind, some decent sunny gaps in between, but i think it is the strength of the wind that could cause some issues, especially around western coast. we'll see gusts of 50, 60, maybe 70 miles per hour in exposed spots. so that could cause some travel disruption, maybe a little bit of damage. temperature wise, though — well, values up to 20 or 21 degrees in eastern england and certainly much, much warmer than it has been across the north of scotland. now, storm kathleen, this area of low pressure continuing to track to the north—west of us as we move through saturday night into sunday. still a lot of isobars squeezing together on this chart for sunday, so still very windy. the strongest winds up towards the north west of scotland where there will be gales. yes, there'll be some sunny spells, but there'll be some heavy perhaps thundery showers and it's going to be a windy day for all of us. not quite as warm on sunday. temperatures between

ten and 17 degrees.

this is bbc news. we'll have the headlines at the top of the hour as newsday continues — straight after hardtalk. welcome to hardtalk. i'm stephen sackur. we humans keep pushing the frontiers of bioscience. we now understand the molecular biology that makes us who we are, but we're still figuring out how to use that knowledge.

should we screen all human embryos for genetic abnormalities? should we root out mutations? could we be sleepwalking into a new era of eugenics? well, my guest is the ethicist, disability rights advocate and writer tom shakespeare, who also happens to live with a genetic condition, achondroplasia, that has restricted his growth. should we embrace difference rather than use science to root it out? tom shakespeare,

welcome to hardtalk. thank you.