this is bbc news, the headlines... g7 foreign ministers meet in capri — the wars in ukraine and gaza top of the agenda. police take down an international cyber—crime gang based in the uk, accused of industrial—scale fraud. the scottish government is moving its climate goal post, ditching its target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 75% by 2030.

and why some film fans are veering away from streaming in favour of micro—cinemas. london's metropolitan police have infiltrated a website, founded in the uk and used to defraud victims on an industrial scale, leading to arrests around the world. labhost enabled scammers without technical skills to set up fake websites designed to trick victims into revealing personal information such as email addresses, passwords and bank details. as many as 70,000 people in the uk were tricked by the scam, which allowed the scammers to steal 480,000 card numbers and 64,000 pin codes. detectives estimate that the labhost site made nearly £1 million in profits. 37 people have been arrested worldwide, 2a of them in the uk, as tom symonds reports.

it's 5am in south london — the end of a two—year investigation. this was one of a series of coordinated raids, targeting cybercrime in 17 countries, masterminded from the uk. one man was arrested here and 23 others around the uk. and this all began about two years ago when security experts for the banking industry spotted, on the dark web, criminals offering other criminals a service — a way to make money using phishing with a ph. labhost provided the technology and training for other criminals to carry out phishing attacks — sending fraudulent text messages — to get people to hand over their personal data. the police say there were an estimated 70,000 victims in the uk, bombarded with messages linking to 47 fake websites,

usually seeming to be online payment or shopping services. 480,000 payment card numbers have been stolen and 64,000 pin numbers. and if you thought only older or less technically savvy people get scammed, well, you'd be wrong. the victims in this case have been aged between about 25 and 45, predominantly. pretty young, then. digital natives. well, it's people who live their lives online that perhaps do their banking online, that shop online. they're more likely to fall victim to this because their use of the internet is just so prevalent. as the arrests were taking place, including at luton and manchester airports... you have been identified as involved in labhost... ..police were also contacting 25,000 victims they've identified — giving details of how they've been scammed and giving them advice. as for labhost, well, yesterday, this was the moment it was shut down

and replaced with this message from the police to the scammers. tom symonds, bbc news, south london. joining me now isjen ellis, a cyber security expert and founder of company nextjen security. how common is it for any of us to be a victim of this type of crime? it is frighteningly common. there are estimates that fraud course the uk economy upwards of £200 billion, so that's how common it is. not all of that's how common it is. not all of that will be cyber fraud, not all of it will be using these technical platforms, but increasingly they are, whether it is phone calls or text messages or websites, in the case of labhost, and it is big

business. this is a big industry we are talking about, people are falling victim to.— are talking about, people are falling victim to. this particular crime grow) — falling victim to. this particular crime group which _ falling victim to. this particular crime group which had - falling victim to. this particular crime group which had been i falling victim to. this particular- crime group which had been broken up, how common is that to have an organisation, like labhost, providing a subscription service for other cybercriminals with the technology to defraud people? it is technology to defraud people? it is a funny idea- _ technology to defraud people? it 3 a funny idea. we used to think of fraudsters as being individual operators are maybe very small gangs. a little bit like people trying to avoid having realjobs. we are now talking about an industry where people treat it as if it is a realjob, talking about offices people go and turn in shifts and they will be in call centre setups, making calls or sending text messages. in this instance with labhost, you are talking about an entity that is creating fake

websites for people and basically selling that access to other types of criminals. you are talking about a complex ecosystem, a criminal ecosystem. we a complex ecosystem, a criminal ecosystem-— ecosystem. we know that the investigators _ ecosystem. we know that the investigators seized - ecosystem. we know that the investigators seized the - ecosystem. we know that the l investigators seized the e-mail investigators seized the e—mail addresses of 800 criminals who were paying labhost for its services. we understand that these 800 will be sent personalised videos, making it clear the police know who they are and what they have been up to, and the idea, advised by psychologist, is to undermine confidence in these dark web operators. is that a good strategy, the right strategy, to tackle these networks of crime? yeah, i think we have to look at that we are increasingly reliant on connected technologies in every part of our lives. there is a booming business for cybercrime to take

advantage of this reliance. from a law enforcement perspective, there is a bit of feeling of triage, being up is a bit of feeling of triage, being up against insurmountable odds, and little bit of a game of what camel, you take out one criminal act and five more pay. what they are trying to do is shift to this idea of undermining the core infrastructure, the people behind the criminals that we are interacting with. then how do they use that work they have done to take out the infrastructure to undermine the confidence, because otherwise what happens is every time they take something out, it springs back up again. they have to try and think about that psychology piece. briefly, i cannot let you go without asking, what are your top tips for another bust to avoid being scammed? in a case like this, which is about websites, when you look for a website, you want to be careful and

check that the url looks right, be careful on that, it might be out by one letter. that is how they you put it into a search engine, the top ones that come up that are sponsored might not be what you are looking for, go below the sponsor line and look at the top results below that. they are more likely to be reliable. thank you. there's been a third night of protests in georgia after mps approved the first stage of a bill on "foreign influence" on wednesday. as many as 20,000 people rallied outside the parliament building in the capital tblisi in opposition to a law that would any independent ngo or media organisation which gets more than 20% of funding from abroad to register as an "organisation pursuing the interests of a foreign power". critics says it mirrors a russian law on "foreign agents", which they say has been used to silence media outlets

critical of the kremlin. yesterday, president of georgia, salome zourabichvili, told the bbc why she is against the bill. well, it's a major concern because it is exactly a copy of putin's law that was adopted in 2012 and then gradually increased and developed. it's a law against the ngos' activities. media activity, and it's a law against all the international organisation of our partner countries, european countries, great britain or united states, that have been supporting georgia's independence, the building of state institutions, the development of our economy for the last 30 years and more. let's speak to nikoloz samkharadze,

chair of the foreign relations committee of georgia's parliament, who is in favour of the bill and is a member of the political council of the ruling party, georgian dream. i want to get your response to the interview with the georgian president in which she said that this bill in her words is exactly a copy of putin's bill.— copy of putin's bill. good afternoon. _ copy of putin's bill. good afternoon. thank - copy of putin's bill. good afternoon. thank you - copy of putin's bill. good afternoon. thank you for | copy of putin's bill. good - afternoon. thank you for having copy of putin's bill. good _ afternoon. thank you for having me. i am talking to you from a country at gunpoint, i am a parliament building in essential part of the georgian capital, 20 miles away from here the russian occupation forces occupying 20% of georgia's territory. this country has fundamental security challenges emanating from occupation. furthermore, we live any turbulent,

volatile region where we have walls to the north of our border, russian war of aggression against ukraine, tensions to the south of our border between our neighbours armenia and azerbaijan, and we have almost a warlike situation in proximity of our region in the middle east. we have 25,000 active non—governmental organisations working in georgia, which is one of the highest per capita in the world, given the fact that georgia is 3.7 million, population, that makes almost one ngo per 148 georgian citizens. 90% of those non—governmental organisations get their funding from foreign sources. there is no accountability, there is no transparency of where the funds come from, and for what purpose the funds

are for. therefore, for us, this is important to ensure the transparency of foreign funding. but important to ensure the transparency of foreign funding.— of foreign funding. but this law would no of foreign funding. but this law would go even _ of foreign funding. but this law would go even further. - of foreign funding. but this law would go even further. further| of foreign funding. but this law - would go even further. further than russia's similar law. the russian law exempts religious organisations from this act. it doesn't call them foreign agents, the proposal that you are putting forward wooed classify religious organisations who receive that level of funding from abroad as foreign agents —— would classify. why do you need include religious organisations?— classify. why do you need include religious organisations? there is no world -- wide _ religious organisations? there is no world -- wide agent _ religious organisations? there is no world -- wide agent mentioned - religious organisations? there is no world -- wide agent mentioned in l religious organisations? there is no l world -- wide agent mentioned in the world —— wide agent mentioned in the legislation, whatever the president has mentioned is a complete lie because the draft legislation is not envisaging any criminal liability,

is not stigmatising anyone, is not applying to individual persons, it isjust, it will only applying to individual persons, it is just, it will only require non—governmental organisations to declare their incomes and their spending on an annual basis, and it will be very close to the european directive which was adopted three months ago by the european commission and passed onto the european parliament for approval. the european directive uses exactly the same wording as the georgian legislation and let me quote, it's transparency of interest, representation of foreign sources. interesting, how some call it a russian law, those who support it collects age european or american

law, but i want a final thought from you. how concerned are you, given the protests on the streets, how concerned are you about the image of this is creative for georgia around the world, with those protesters saying georgia is trying to clampdown on freedoms and of people in civil society who are trying to help ordinary people us and how concerned are you about the impact this may have on georgia's ability tojoin the eu? this may have on georgia's ability to join the eu?— to join the eu? calling the law russian is _ to join the eu? calling the law russian is a _ to join the eu? calling the law russian is a discrediting - to join the eu? calling the law l russian is a discrediting political metaphor to cause exactly the public outcry, because anything that is labelled russian in georgia causes a public outcry. the is not by chance that our opponents are calling it a russian law, although i told you that there is no similarity between the russian law and the georgia law. as for georgia's future eu membership, let me be clear. it was

our party that amended the constitution and put a new clause into the constitution on georgia's european union membership and nato membership. we do not believe that this transparency law could make an obstacle for georgia's eu membership because the european union is working on the same similar legislation, i can tell you it is much more strict than the eu legislation —— stricter than the georgian legislation... but legislation -- stricter than the georgian legislation... but the geora ian georgian legislation... but the georgian legislation _ georgian legislation... but the georgian legislation is - georgian legislation... but the georgian legislation is stricter| georgian legislation is stricter than russia's, which includes religious groups, russia's doesn't. there is a separate legislation for georgia for religious groups, religious groups are not registered in georgia as non—governmental organisations, so that it is also a misrepresentation of the facts. religious groups are not having the same status in georgia as the non—governmental organisations, they

are registered as religious organisations, said they will not be part of this draft. we organisations, said they will not be part of this draft.— part of this draft. we are out of time, part of this draft. we are out of time. thank _ part of this draft. we are out of time, thank you _ part of this draft. we are out of time, thank you for _ part of this draft. we are out of time, thank you for your - part of this draft. we are out of time, thank you for your time l part of this draft. we are out of - time, thank you for your time today. thank you. time, thank you for your time today. thank ou. �* ., ., time, thank you for your time today. thank yon-— thank you. around the world had across the _ thank you. around the world had across the uk, _ thank you. around the world had across the uk, this _ thank you. around the world had across the uk, this is _ thank you. around the world had across the uk, this is bbc - thank you. around the world had across the uk, this is bbc news. |

in football, the fa cup has announced replays will be scrapped from the first round onwards in the 2024—25 competition. all rounds of the emirates fa cup will also be played on weekends — that includes the fifth round, which has been played midweek for the past five seasons. the changes come as part of a new six—year agreement between the football association and the premier league. for more on the impact of this, let's speak to football finance expert tom bason — he's assistant professor of sport management at coventry university.

i got the pronunciation right! let's get to the reason you are here, why this change and what the impact will be. it this change and what the impact will be. , ,., this change and what the impact will be. , , ., ., this change and what the impact will be. , ,., ., ., , this change and what the impact will be. ., be. it is something that has been driven by the _ be. it is something that has been driven by the premier _ be. it is something that has been driven by the premier league, i be. it is something that has been - driven by the premier league, where clubs typically want to be playing replays, they want to have busy schedules, there is a wider debate going on in football and sport more broadly about the amount of games we asked athletes to play. i think the premier league clubs are happy to be rid of replays that perhaps are more of an annoyance, they don't make huge amounts of money, and picked perhaps increasing the chances they get knocked out. thea;r perhaps increasing the chances they get knocked out.— perhaps increasing the chances they get knocked out. they may not make a hue get knocked out. they may not make a huge amount — get knocked out. they may not make a huge amount of— get knocked out. they may not make a huge amount of money _ get knocked out. they may not make a huge amount of money from _ get knocked out. they may not make a huge amount of money from replays i huge amount of money from replays but will there be a trickle effect for others who might make money from those replays?— those replays? absolutely, absolutely _ those replays? absolutely, absolutely down _ those replays? absolutely, absolutely down the - those replays? absolutely, | absolutely down the league those replays? absolutely, - absolutely down the league will be missing out. reports that five years

ago when newport reached the fa cup and played a replay against tottenham, earning £i and played a replay against tottenham, earning £1 million from that, including the replay, because games that are held in the fa cup, ticket revenues are shared roughly equitably between the two teams. if you get a home game a draw, you get a lucrative away at premier league game, so if a newport the season managed to get a replay at manchester united, they would have got roughly 45% of the 70,000 tickets sold for that game, a huge boost to them.— tickets sold for that game, a huge boost to them. thank you for taking us throu~h boost to them. thank you for taking us through that. _ in the next couple of hours, the scottish government is expected to announce that it is ditching its flagship target of reducing greenhouse gas emission by 75%t by 2030. the bbc understands that the government's annual climate targets could also be scrapped, but the final goal of reaching net zero by 2045 will remain. 0ur scotland editor james cook explains.

the scottish government, led by humza yousaf, prides itself on ambitious climate targets, pledging to reduce emissions to net zero by 2045, five years earlier than the uk government. that 2045 target will remain. but this afternoon the scottish government is expected to confirm that it's scrapping an interim target of a 75% cut in emissions by 2030. even before the formal announcement, one snp minister expressed her disappointment. the committee said that they had their concerns on it. i'm disappointed, i have to say. i have to admit that i am disappointed by that. the move comes after an independent report said the scottish government's policies and plans to hit the 2030 target fell far short of what is needed. but the decision to actually ditch the target has still left some environmental campaigners frustrated. so if the scottish government scrap these targets, it would be the worst environmental decision in the history of the scottish parliament.

the 2030 targets could and should have been met. we need urgent climate action this decade, not more delays like this. the snp and its partners in government, the scottish greens, are now under pressure to explain in detail how scotland can credibly meet its 2045 emissions target without hitting the 2030 milestone. james cook, bbc news. in many parts of the world, cinemas are still struggling to bring in audiences. in some instances, film fans not totally won over by streaming are exploring new ways of watching movies by going to what are called microcinemas. micro—cinemas can be found in all kinds of new york locations. inside this former fire station, or behind this non—descript brooklyn store front. they are modest, makeshift spaces often showing experimental

or non—mainstream work. micro—cinema is put simply just a small cinema. you really don't need more than folding chairs, a projector and a white wall. staffed often by dedicated volunteers with a passion for film, micro—cinema programmers use their imagination to offer something quite different from the multiplex experience. the mission is to run laps around better subsidised for—profit repertory movie theatres by showing films that should be on their radars. it's usually going to be a monster movie from the 1970s that played at midnight or perhaps a groundbreaking documentary fiction hybrid about some niche but extremely important political issue from a bygone era. this trailer is promoting a long—established new york micro—cinema, ctv, a venue that has a loyal following. -- dctv.

do you know kim's video? among the recent documentaries shown here was kim's video, a film that explores a legendary now—closed new york video store. the co—editor of the documentary came to the dctv screening. to him, a big plus of microcinemas is they provide a space for film—makers like himself to interact directly with audiences. it's like a learning experience for both sides. i feel like it's rather unique to small cinemas in a way you would never get at a multiplex. so, i don't need to have an enormous audience, i'm not even that excited about a million people streaming at home as much as i am having a small dialogue with an audience who cares about movies. in the financially fragile world of independent film—making, micro—cinemas are being seen as a lifeline and a particular help to documentary film—makers. we are a part of the documentary ecosystem in the world. and when we opened, which was right after the pandemic, it was also just a really challenging time, that most documentary films were not being bought and we're one of the few cinemas in new york that can screen films that don't have distributors.

stay with us here on bbc news. hello. it was quite a chilly start to the day, particularly for central and southern parts of the uk under those clear skies. where we had a touch of frost around. but rain has been moving in from the north and really for the rest of the day it's going to be fairly damp across the northern half of the uk, whereas sunny spells will hold on longest in the south. now, there's high pressure not far away, sitting out towards the west here. but we've got a weather front that's just toppling around the northern side

of that high pressure. so it's bringing the cloud and rain to much of scotland, a few splashes of rain from northern ireland, but that's tending to dry out a little bit. northern england, north wales also turning fairly wet through the afternoon, whereas further south across england and wales you're more likely to stay dry. some sunshine lifting temperatures to around 15 degrees in london. so a little bit warmer than recent days, but still rather chilly in the north. we've got a cold and north—westerly wind developing through this evening and tonight, bringing a scattering of showers to scotland, one or two further south as well. we've got the remnants of that frontal system sitting across southern parts of the british isles first thing tomorrow. so it won't be as cold as it was this morning. temperatures about 5 to 10 degrees to start friday. so a weak frontal system in the south, but high pressure out towards the west. and that combination is going to draw in these winds from a northerly or north—westerly direction into friday, bringing a day of sunshine and blustery showers, particularly windy weather across northern and eastern scotland. but showers should clear from scotland, northern ireland, wales, lingering longest for central and south eastern parts of england. temperatures around about 14 or 15 for the warmest spots. but cooler where you're exposed to that northerly wind around the east coast.

now, into the weekend, high pressure willjust nudge its way a little bit further eastwards. so good news, a spell of drier weather at last after all that relentless rain that we've seen recently. so a lot of dry weather, a little bit of rain perhaps across the north of scotland, more cloud in general around eastern areas where we've got that chilly and northerly wind. so, 10 or 11 degrees close to the east coast. towards the west, though, 13, 14 celsius with some longer spells of sunshine and a very similar day on sunday. again, most of us looking dry with the best of the sunshine towards the west, a bit more cloud in the east, and that breeze coming in off the north sea. so a touch cooler, 11 degrees or so for norwich, but up to about 16 in belfast. into next week, it looks like high pressure still fairly close. so a lot of dry weather, one or two showers more, especially towards the south. but those temperatures will continue to be a little below average for the time of year. bye— bye.

today at one. .. a conservative mp is suspended by the parliamentary party after claims he misused campaign funds. mark menzies, who represents fylde in lancashire, strongly disputes the allegations. also this lunchtime... police break up an international gang of alleged cyber criminals who had tens of thousands of victims in the uk. more than 20 people dead after flash floods in the gulf states,

and passengers are still stranded at dubai airport. and why australia is fighting an infestation of fire ants, the super pest that can destroy agriculture and kill people. and coming up on bbc news... fa cup replays will be scrapped from the first round onwards from next season in an agreement between the football association and the premier league. good afternoon. a conservative mp has been suspended by the parliamentary party after claims he misused campaign funds. by the parliamentary party after the times newspaper alleges he used local party funds to pay off what he reportedly called "bad people" who had locked him in a flat. mark menzies "strongly" disputes the allegations. the conservative party was made aware of the allegations three