welcome to newsday. reporting live from singapore, i'm steve lai. the headlines. russia's long—serving defence minister sergei shoigu has been removed from his post. we'll examine the significance of the kremlin reshuffle. it comes as fighting intensifies in ukraine's northeast kharkiv region. we'll bring you a special report from the front line. this devastation — one man's house — was created by a russian glide bomb. jet roars nearby. and that's the sound of a jet somewhere. explosions. israel says it's opened a new humanitarian crossing into gaza as the us warns a full—scale invasion of rafah would be disastrous. and top boy, happy valley and the sixth commandment take the big prizes at the bafta television awards.

we begin this hour with a shake—up in russia's military hierarchy. russia's defence minister, sergei shoigu, is being removed from his post and will become the new secretary of russia's security council. he's a long—standing ally of vladimir putin and has served as defence minister since 2012, playing a key role in russia's invasion of ukraine. his replacement will be andrei belousov, an economist and the deputy prime minister. earlier, our russia editor steve rosenberg explained that at the kremlin, reshuffles are unusual. whoever the russian government ministers are, whoever�*s sitting around that cabinet table, there is one man and one man alone in russia who calls the shots, and that is vladimir putin. he's the man with all the power. having said that, a government

reshuffle in russia is interesting, particularly when key ministers like the defence minister is being changed. they don't happen too often. the foreign minister, he's been in his post for 20 years. mr shoigu, he has been defence minister for 12 years. he was appointed by vladimir putin in 2012, i think. the two men were said to be pretty close for a long time. last week, we were on red square watching the victory day parade and defence minister shoigu was there inspecting the russian troops. but there had been rumours for some time that he could be moved, he could lose hisjob, and it seems that's what's happening. he still has a job to go to. he's being moved to the russian security council as the head of the security council. but i think that's a demotion compared to being defence minister, who's coming in, who's replacing him. but i think that's a demotion

compared to being defence minister. who's coming in, who's replacing him? someone called andrew below yusof, who's an economist, and i think that reflects the fact that over the last couple of years, president putin has put the russian economy on a war footing and wants an economist to run things because it's vital, as far as he's concerned, that the the defence industry has enough money to fund this war. i'm joined now by russia expert, ariel cohen. he's a senior fellow at the atlantic counil and is in washington dc. what do you think is the most important part? think you for having me. he was a very unpopular manager to say the least, shoigu. for the first year and a half of the war,

yet guinea pig rebelled in july rebelled injuly it rebelled in july it was rebelled injuly it was murdered. he was demanding that food and fires shoigu. but the most important thing here is the removal of a very powerful man. he is a security manager — vehemently anti—western and now he's apparently going to the russian senate, which means it's also upstairs. mr belousov is a very status of economists. he advocated things like emergency taxes on extractive industries and whatnot.

so, he will be somewhat of putin's average fare, the german architect to supervised very efficiently the endgame of the third reich in the military industrial spirit. i think belousov, who was part of a quite successful economic team together with the central banker, is going to be in charge of military production and financial issues. including evasions of the sanctions. but will be the implications _ evasions of the sanctions. but will be the implications for _ evasions of the sanctions. but will be the implications for the - evasions of the sanctions. but will| be the implications for the ongoing war in ukraine?— be the implications for the ongoing war in ukraine? more money, more economic swaps- — war in ukraine? more money, more economic swaps. we _ war in ukraine? more money, more economic swaps. we are _ war in ukraine? more money, more economic swaps. we are hearing i war in ukraine? more money, more i economic swaps. we are hearing about russian gold be sold to earn revenue for russia in the middle east and elsewhere. more dealings as we saw

when russia sells, for example, oil to india and that oil is smuggled back or sold back to europe, and keeping the russian economy on straight and narrow as much as they can. i hearfrom moscow that they will also, as a defence minister not just for the war in ukraine, but if the war in ukraine succeeds. it puts the war in ukraine succeeds. it puts the west. , which makes the whole thing makes the whole thing dangerous for the west. also, it's not going to run a military observation. their generals and mr putin work increasingly comfortable in their role as commander in chief. things in ukraine are going better for russia. they are attacking from the northern border of ukraine in

the northern border of ukraine in the direction of kharkiv. second largest city in ukraine. putin doesn't want to share with shoigu or anyone else. doesn't want to share with shoigu or anyone else-— president zelensky says there's "fierce fighting" along a large part of the kharkiv region border in eastern ukraine. russia says it has captured another four villages in the region — an area where russian troops had been pushed back nearly two years ago. it means that since they launched their surprise offensive two days ago, they have taken nine villages. today, there have also been strikes on the russian side of the border in belgorod, with russian military saying a ukrainian air strike destroyed a section of a ten—storey apartment block. with the latest on the conflict, our defence correspondent jonathan beale reports from vovchansk. the road to russia, just a few miles from the border. and proof that the russians are back in the kharkiv region again.

the town of vovchansk was liberated in a surprise ukrainian offensive less than two years ago. now it's at risk of falling back into russian hands. alexi, a local policeman, is once again telling the population to leave. he says it's better than dying. the shelling is constant and chaotic. and it's all over the town. we quickly move on at the sound of a russian drone. this is all that's left of sergei's home. the familiar russian tactic of reducing towns to rubble. but sergei says he can't leave. the familiar russian tactic of reducing towns to rubble. but sergei says he can't leave. he needs to look after his goats — now his only worldly possessions. you can still hear the artillery battle going on. it was more intense yesterday.

this devastation — one man's house — was created by a russian glide bomb. jet roars nearby. and that's the sound of a jet somewhere. explosions. ukraine's outgunned and outnumbered, and russia's using aerial glide bombs to devastating effect. alexi simply says, "look at what's happening".

for some, it's made the decision to flee unavoidable, though it's still heartbreaking for olexander. this was the home he grew up in. he doesn't know if he'll ever return. ukrainian officials insist they were ready. not everyone agrees. this drone footage appears to show russian troops crossing the border unopposed. ..i've been in front line. for something you've already fought for before in 2022. same again. you're angry? very angry. denys, a ukrainian reconnaissance commander, helped push back the russians in 2022. now he's having to fight for the same territory again. translation: there was no first line of defence. - we saw it. the russiansjust walked in. where were the minefields?

they just walked in. ukraine says it's repelling this attack with reinforcements, but russia's been probing the entire 800—mile front, and in kharkiv, it's exposed the weakness. jonathan beale, bbc news, vovchansk. to the caucasus now and several thousand people have gathered outside parliament in georgia, continuing a campaign of demonstrations against a new law that would force organisations to declare foreign funding that they receive. protesters are back on the streets outside parliament and this time around, they're planning to spend the night here. we've seen some of the demonstrators with sleeping mats, with camping gear. we've met protesters of different generations here. there are parents with their children and even grandparents with their grandchildren.

actually, i'm here to protect the independence of my country. i don't want to go back to ussr. back to the russia's influence. i don't want to be back to the russia's influence. my final expectation is that we're going to win since this is going to be out, we're going to win the election. and we already see that georgian people is so ready to be part of the european union. it is peaceful so far. some of the demonstrators are playing games to entertain themselves or making a lot of noise. the reason why they want to spend the night here is because on monday, mps from the governing georgian dream party will be meeting in this building to hold the third and final reading of this controversial law, which these people here in the streets have been opposing for several weeks now. the protesters call it the russian law, and they are determined to make the government hear their voices. they are worried that

with the adoption of this law that georgia might lose its chance to one dayjoin the european union. emergency teams have intensified their efforts to distribute relief to those hit hard by devastating flash floods in northern afghanistan. the un and other agencies say more than 300 people have died and thousands injured after rivers of water and mud swept away houses. the province of baghlan was the worst hit. save the children estimates that more than half a million people have been severely affected by the floods triggered by unusually heavy seasonal rains. around the world and across the uk. this is bbc news.

israel's military says it has opened

a new aid crossing into gaza. the move was in coordination with the united states. in a statement the military said the western erez crossing in the north of the strip is to transfer humanitarian aid.meanwhile, the un says more than 80,000 people have fled rafah in the south since monday. palestinians have been told to leave the city and move towards a coastal area around al—mawasi, which israel calls an "expanded humanitarian zone". 0ur middle east correspondent, lucy williamson, reports from jerusalem, where citizens are marking israel's remembrance day. a country increasingly divided by its war aims, brought together for a day by its war dead. israel's prime minister marked the start of the nation's annual remembrance day, honouring those who died at the hands of israel's enemies, and seven months after the hamas attacks, the soldiers now fighting in gaza, who he said wanted to finish the war. translation: all of them, without exception, -

even the amputees, told me that the spirit of our people lifts them. "keep going until victory", and we will. netanyahu has insisted he will keep going in gaza, even as warnings increase over the future cost of war. america's president has said he will not supply weapons for a major ground assault on the town of rafah. he doesn't want to see american weapons used in that kind of operation. that's not to say that he is going to abandon israel or cut them off from weapons. he was focused on a particular operation that he doesn't believe will succeed in defeating hamas and that will cause grievous harm. israel's army is still fighting hamas across the gaza strip, returning to areas it once labelled clear. and in rafah, once labelled safe, carrying out what it calls a precise operation. some of thei million palestinians sheltering there have begun moving out from eastern areas as the army edges in, lives shrinking with every move.

zeinab ignored three evacuation orders before moving herfamily to the coastal area of deir al—balah, the tent that sheltered them forfive months in rafah too worn out to mend. translation: my children and i ran under fire. - people died in front of us. shrapnel hit our faces and houses lwere hit by strikes while we ran. | we have no money. 0ur situation is very hard. i came here and there is no place to stay. i

siren wails. tonight, a siren marked the start of the remembrance ceremony byjerusalem's western wall. israel's military chief taking personal responsibility for those killed and kidnapped by hamas. but many here tonight will be thinking of those still fighting in gaza, where palestinians are also counting their dead. lucy williamson, bbc news, jerusalem. i'm joined now by brian katulis — senior fellow for us foreign policy at the middle east institute. i want to get your thoughts on what we just heard. thousands of trucks have arrived since the erez crossing, but thousands are continuing in rafah crossing. it’s continuing in rafah crossing. it's aood continuing in rafah crossing. it�*s good news, and what we heard for months now. concerns about recent

crossing close because of military operations in the south, so still very dicey. quite considerable, because i think they are trying to get citizens to evacuate. . ~ , they are trying to get citizens to evacuate. ., ~ , , ., evacuate. that the key question. i don't feel it _ evacuate. that the key question. i don't feel it there _ evacuate. that the key question. i don't feel it there many _ evacuate. that the key question. i don't feel it there many places. i don't feel it there many places. there was a place they are mentioned. not enough cooking gas. there are some basic issues there and humanitarian concerns. and you had people not really knowing a place to go will some challenges. it

place to go will some challenges. if the time for the talks that have been on—again off—again for three months. there's less hope these days because of that. there are questions about how this actually ends. the goal is one that the united states shares. ~ . , goal is one that the united states shares. ~ ., , , ., , ., shares. what is desirable here, and israel's avoiding _ shares. what is desirable here, and israel's avoiding that _ shares. what is desirable here, and israel's avoiding that wealth - israel's avoiding that wealth continuing to get hostages home. gaps have been emerging between netanyahu and the biden administration.— netanyahu and the biden administration. ., , . administration. thanks very much brian for your _ administration. thanks very much

brian for your time. _ administration. thanks very much brian for your time. you - administration. thanks very much brian for your time. you are - brian for your time. you are watching news on bbc news. the duke and duchess of sussex visited a school in lagos on the final day of their three—day tour of nigeria. the trip marks 10 years of prince harry's invictus games for injured military personnel, which nigeria joined for the first time last year. top boy, happy valley and the sixth commandment were the big winners at tonight's bafta television awards. the most prestigious award, the bafta fellowship, went to baroness floella benjamin. 0ur entertainment correspondent lizo mzimba was at the royal festival hall in london. some of the biggest names on the small screen turned out for this year's awards, presented for the second year running by rob beckett and romesh ranganathan. welcome to the 2024 bafta television awards. three very different shows shared the honours, winning two awards each.

best drama went to the gritty gang drama top boy, with jasminejobson also taking home the award for best supporting actress. i did it, i did it! i love you. thank you so much for the love and support. the girl finally brought it home. your girl finally brought it home. you reduced her to nothing - with your endless, endless abuse and your nasty little threats. you reduced her to nothing with your endless, endless abuse and your nasty little threats. happy valley won a memorable moment for the climax of its final episode, while sarah lancashire won best actress for the second time. it goes to sarah lancashire. she paid tribute to her fellow cast members and to the bbc. i feel very, very privileged to have been surrounded by these brilliant actors, and to charlotte moore and the bbc for giving this very british drama a very british home. i wondered if you had a man to share your life with. a limited series went to the real—life crime drama the sixth commandment.

and the bafta goes to timothy spall. and one of its leeds won best actor. the reality is, sometimes you get a chance to play, a you know, people that are, have had a terrible thing happened to them, and all they wanted was love. and it's a beautiful thing to be able to tell a story about something like that. next week, strictly come dancing celebrates its 20th birthday. it received an early present, winning best entertainment show. i'm thrilled that you are receiving the bafta fellowship this evening and i send my heartfelt congratulations. and there was a message from the prince of wales and a standing ovation as floella benjamin received the bafta fellowship.

lizo mzimba, bbc news. skydivers from austria have made history after successfully completing a wingsuit flight through the tower bridge in london. 0ur reporter emily brown can tell us more. two skydivers took off this morning — here they are. they completed the first ever wing suit flight through tower bridge in london. here they are taking off from a helicopter at about 3,000 feet above the city. this was about 5.30 in the morning earlier, and here they go through the tower bridge. they then flow 260 feet back up — this is a complex manoeuvre called a flare — so that they could safely open their parachutes, and they then landed on the river thames. and the flight lasted for about 45 seconds, covering a distance of 1.2 kilometres, reaching the top speed of 246 kilometres per hour. now, to prepare for the challenge, the pair carried out more than 200 practice jumps using two cranes to mimic the structure

of the bridge, and the skydivers gave their reaction after landing safely earlier. i'm feeling good, i'm feeling really good. it was quite intense, i would say, but yeah, we were well prepared and i'm pretty happy now. yeah, everything worked out really good, so the last two years, we planned everything through, so from the beginning to the end, we had the best training, the best preparation, we did around 200 training jumps just for this project, so we were well prepared. there we go, two very happy skydivers there after completing the first ever wing suit flight through the tower bridge in london. impressive stuff. thanks forjoining me here on newsday. i'll be back shortly with business today.

hello. there were definitely two sides to sunday's weather story. 0n the one hand, it was very warm. in fact, it looks like it was the warmest day of the year so far. temperatures touching 27 celsius to the west of london, but we saw some really intense downpours and thunderstorms breaking up, especially across western and northern parts of the uk, ushering in a change. across western and northern parts low pressure taking charge of our weather through this week, which will bring rain at times, not least across the south across the southwest of england, wales and northern ireland through monday. that rain arriving through the morning and then 15 or 16 degrees, but for a good part of scotland, central and eastern parts of england, we will hold on to some

sunshine and some warmth, maybe 23 or 2a degrees. in fact, for some north sea coasts, it is likely to be warmer on monday afternoon than it was over the weekend. now, through monday nights, this band of rain will be moving slowly, northwards and eastwards on what will be a very mild, even warm night, with temperatures holding up at between 9—11; degrees. so, we start tuesday with our area of low pressure still in place. this frontal system wraps around the low, continuing to drive some outbreaks of rain. this time, the rain bands sitting across the south east of england, east anglia, parts of the midlands, northern england, still some further rain to come across northern ireland, and then that rain pulling northwards across scotland. sunny spells and showers following on behind. temperatures broadly 17, 18 degrees, but still up to 20 in the north of scotland. those temperatures still a touch above the average for the time of year, just not as warm as it has been over the last few days. now, this is wednesday's forecast. still a weakening weather front likely to bring rain for a time in northern england. then it's a sunshine and showers day, and temperatures 17—20, maybe 21 degrees. now, our area of low pressure will still be with us

through the second half of the week, but it will tend to loosen its grip, the centre of the low, pulling away southward. so, while there will still be some showers, especially in southern parts, more in the way of dry weather, some spells of sunshine, actually will dry up for some of us as we head into the weekend. and those temperatures still a touch above normal for the time of year.

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. all of us are heavily influenced by the social, cultural and economic environment in which we are raised. as ideas, trends and technologies change, so too do generational traits. and right now there is intense focus on what is happening to generations of young people closer in age to my kids, than to me. are young adults inclined to be open—minded or closed? are children's minds being rewired by the ubiquitous smartphone? well, my guest is the renowned social psychologistjonathan haidt. are we losing sight of what freedom and curiosity really mean?