here's, he need mr putin wanted, so here's, he need some good news, he needs to show to his followers that he is still strong and capable of solving troubles and in the absence of those victorious dispatches from the front line, these prisoner swap he will portray as his big win and also as success of his security services for the fact that they managed to bring their people home and also of course those guys who will be portrayed as heroes, as someone who had succeeded in the west against them, regardless of the fact of whether it is true or false. , ~ of the fact of whether it is true or false. . ~ ,, of the fact of whether it is true or false. . ~' ,, , of the fact of whether it is true or false. . ~ ,, , . of the fact of whether it is true or false. . ~ , . false. thank you very much, act three. false. thank you very much, act three- we're — false. thank you very much, act three. we're just _ false. thank you very much, act three. we're just hearing - false. thank you very much, act three. we're just hearing from i false. thank you very much, act i three. we're just hearing from the german government as which is also cashback i thank the honourable memberfor cashback i thank the honourable member for giving cashback i thank the honourable memberfor giving way cashback i thank the honourable member for giving way three. we are hearing of the release of 15 people to quote the german source, unjustly imprisoned in russia. so lots more information coming in about what is happening, although we still don't have the full list of names. something more from the wall street

journal, though, talking about the release of their reporter, evan gershkovich, saying that he was released today in a multilateral prisoner exchange taking place in ankara, along with paul whelan, the former marine, the us marine, and alsu kurmasheva, the radio journalist with dual us— russian citizenship. they say, we are overwhelmed with relief and elated for evan and his family, as well as the others, who were released. and still with me in the studio are security correspondent frank. just to get your reaction to all of those developments. and the white house describing this exchange is historic and i think from the outset today you have been making the point, haven't you, that this is the largest exchange since the end of the cold war? so when you put it in those terms, you see quite how significant it is? it those terms, you see quite how significant it is?— significant it is? it is incredibly significant _ significant it is? it is incredibly significant and _ significant it is? it is incredibly significant and it _ significant it is? it is incredibly significant and it is _ significant it is? it is incredibly significant and it is surprising. | significant it is? it is incredibly i significant and it is surprising. it is extraordinary, i think, for many

reasons, notjust the number of individuals involved, 2a, the number of countries involved, seven, the number of planes, seven, but also the fact that it is taking place against the backdrop of a full—scale war on europe's borders in ukraine, with relations between moscow and the rest at the worst they have been, notjust since 1991 at the rest at the worst they have been, not just since 1991 at the the rest at the worst they have been, notjust since 1991 at the end of the cold war, since i would say well before that, right back into probably the end of the early 1980s where things were really tense. so it shows that, despite all the rhetoric, despite the fact that russia is fighting ukraine and ukraine is using western supplied weapons, despite the fact that there is effectively a proxy war going on in that part of the world, never the less the countries' intelligence agencies and negotiators and diplomats can talk to each other quietly behind the scenes and then there is surprising use of this incredible breakthrough, with all

these different moving parts brokerage, it seems, and mediated by turkey. i brokerage, it seems, and mediated by turke . ., ., ., ~ brokerage, it seems, and mediated by turke . ., ., .,~ , brokerage, it seems, and mediated by turke. ., ., , ., turkey. i want to take us back to the oint turkey. i want to take us back to the point we _ turkey. i want to take us back to the point we were _ turkey. i want to take us back to the point we were discussing - turkey. i want to take us back to | the point we were discussing just turkey. i want to take us back to i the point we were discussing just as we got the news that evan gershkovich has been free, confirmation that he was free, which was reflected on the interview a little early with sir tony brenton, former british ambassador to russia, and he was saying to me, you know, here we have a sign that the usa and russia can make a deal and they can deliver on a deal. but should we look at itjust in isolation? it might be tempting to think about it in other contexts, but is that the wrong way to go? i in other contexts, but is that the wrong way to go?— in other contexts, but is that the wrong way to go? i think the reason wh this wrong way to go? i think the reason why this deal _ wrong way to go? i think the reason why this deal has _ wrong way to go? i think the reason why this deal has worked... - wrong way to go? i think the reason why this deal has worked... and - wrong way to go? i think the reason why this deal has worked... and i'm sure it is the result of a whole year, 12 of very hard work by a number of countries on all sides and turkey. the reason why it has worked is that both sides could clearly see what they had to gain from it. they had a vested interest in making this deal. the reason why

there isn't a peace deal in ukraine and that isn't going to be one soon is that both sides still think they can do better, they can position themselves into a better position for the time when they actually do have to sit down and talk peace. russia clearly thinks that we can keep going, throwing men and material at the front lines, gradually, incrementally taking more and more land in the donbas. ukraine has managed to push russia back, the russian fleet backed away from odesa, it is threatening it in crimea and so they think with the supply of western weapons, so we are not at that point yet, but to answer your question, yes, ithink not at that point yet, but to answer your question, yes, i think there is a precedent here that the two sides, despite their clear ideological and geopolitical differences, can sit down a degree, if they can both decide it is transaction only worth it. 50 decide it is transaction only worth it. ,, ., decide it is transaction only worth it. ., , decide it is transaction only worth it. so it was probably with a very heavy note _ it. so it was probably with a very heavy note of— it. so it was probably with a very heavy note of caution _ it. so it was probably with a very heavy note of caution that - it. so it was probably with a very heavy note of caution that sir . it. so it was probably with a very l heavy note of caution that sir tony said, you know, there may be

encouragement to find other business that they can do together? yes. encouragement to find other business that they can do together?— that they can do together? yes. i mean, that they can do together? yes. i mean. look. _ that they can do together? yes. i mean, look, take _ that they can do together? yes. i mean, look, take china, - that they can do together? yes. i mean, look, take china, for - that they can do together? yes. i - mean, look, take china, for example. china is increasingly being named as a threat, as a possible adverse array because of its actions in the south china sea, thai won, cyber espionage and so on, but it is such an important nation that there are so many areas where cooperation with china is needed, over climate change, green energy, ai china is needed, over climate change, green energy, aland all sorts of things, so yes, it is not necessarily as gloomy as it looks. let's have a quick look, if we can, let's have a run—through of who are the winners and losers of all this. the obvious winners are those who have got out. i mean, on the western side clearly paul whelan and evan gershkovich, i mean, theirfriends and family were clearly, and employers will be just thrilled. thatin employers will be just thrilled. that in krasikov, a convicted murderer, somebody who a german court found guilty of shooting dead

at point—blank range from a bicycle at point—blank range from a bicycle a man in berlin's tiergarten park. that guy was facing life in prison. that guy was facing life in prison. that krasikov is now going back to russia as a hero and a patriot. in terms of more broadly speaking, the negotiators, it is a victory for them. it is a victory or victory is them. it is a victory or victory is the wrong word, but it is a success story for turkey's mit intelligence agency and its boss. the losers, i think, others were left behind. you know, but they should take some encouragement from the fact that if such a complete steel can be arranged involving seven countries and 2a individuals, then maybe there is hope for them to come out. but you know, it can't be great to be left behind, rotting away in a russian jail, left behind, rotting away in a russianjail, seeing people who have been there for a long time finally getting free and thinking, damn, i wish it was me.—

wish it was me. great gardner, security correspondent, - wish it was me. great gardner, security correspondent, thankl wish it was me. great gardner, i security correspondent, thank you very much. we are just getting a little more detailfrom very much. we are just getting a little more detail from ankara about what is happening. if we can bring up what is happening. if we can bring up those pictures from ankara airport, which i think we still have lives, pictures from ankara airport, which we know a number of planes have coming from a number of different destinations are on the tarmac. business have been getting —— prisoners have been getting off those planes and will eventually get on to other planes to be returned to their home countries, in some cases, although not in all cases. for example, some of those released in this exchange by russia are russian nationals, who are part of the political opposition and therefore were in prison on charges of treason, so they will be travelling away from russia, their home country, to live elsewhere. but a bit more detail now from the turkish side of this about the process of exchanging the prisoners. they say

that as they get off the planes, they will have health checks, other procedures will be carried out, a turkish security source is quoted as saying. the source declined to say where the prisoners would be heading next from the airport in ankara. so just a bit of an insight into what is happening. it is not as if those people will get off one plane, get straight on to another plane. clearly, there will be health checks and other procedures taking place before they travel on elsewhere. and we can just show you this image of the white house as well because president biden has hailed this exchange as historic and we are expecting to hear from the us president very shortly. let's return to my colleague in washington, will grant. a bit more detail coming from the white house?— grant. a bit more detail coming from the white house? yes, the statement from the white _

the white house? yes, the statement from the white house, _ the white house? yes, the statement from the white house, as _ the white house? yes, the statement from the white house, as we - from the white house, as we expected, celebrating the achievement of the release that they have secured. president biden saying today, three american citizens and one american green card holder who were unjustly imprisoned in russia are finally coming home, calling it are finally coming home, calling it a feat of diplomacy. specifically, paul whelan, a feat of diplomacy. specifically, paulwhelan, evan a feat of diplomacy. specifically, paul whelan, evan gershkovich, a feat of diplomacy. specifically, paulwhelan, evan gershkovich, of course, alsu kurmasheva. she was imprisoned overfailure course, alsu kurmasheva. she was imprisoned over failure to course, alsu kurmasheva. she was imprisoned overfailure to register as a foreign agent will stop and vladimir kara—murza, who is in prison on treason charges. so taking all those together, we know there will be a real sense of relief obviously for the families that will be echoed by president biden, but he will be adding that sort of sense of rejoicing when he speaks to them in the white house, when he addressed the white house, when he addressed the nation. i think this is hugely significant in terms of politics. there were 16 people secured by the

united states in exchange for eight in the other direction, so purely on the numbers it looks good for the biden administration to have carried that off. but also the significance of those four names i have just mentioned. long—standing celebs, particularly evan gershkovich, as a young journalist working for the wall streetjournal, it was clear what he was doing and i think the biden administration is really going to make the most of what it has achieved today.— to make the most of what it has achieved toda . ~ ., ~ , ., , achieved today. will, thank you very much. just achieved today. will, thank you very much- just a — achieved today. will, thank you very much. just a reminder, _ achieved today. will, thank you very much. just a reminder, in _ achieved today. will, thank you very much. just a reminder, in ankara, i much. just a reminder, in ankara, what is happening there, where the prisoners are being exchanged, 2a of them, along with two minors, the children of a couple who are part of that prisoner exchange. we are told health checks are taking place and other procedures, say turkish authority sources, before the next stage stop the source wouldn't say where the prisoners will be heading next. and of course, we are waiting

for that statement from joe biden, from the white house. stay with us here on bbc news. hello there. we've got quite a mixed weather picture to take you through this afternoon. there will be large areas of the uk that stay dry. there's quite a bit of cloud around, but some bright or sunny spells expected to come through that. however, there will be one or two areas that see some very big thunderstorms and a threat of some flash flooding. at the moment, no sign of those showers. however, we do need temperatures to reach around 25 degrees today before we get showers and thunderstorms. and we tick that box across parts of england and wales. and so we are likely to see that cloud really bubble up, race upwards quickly through the atmosphere to make those storm clouds this afternoon and the areas most at risk of seeing some of these really torrential downpours will be along this zone of convergence, running across parts of east wales, through parts of the midlands and central southern england. the storms here, slow moving in nature, could dump

a month's worth of rainfall, or thereabouts in the space ofjust a couple of hours. so there is the threat of seeing some disruption in just one or two areas. and then as we head towards the evening, those showers and thunderstorms still very active, still potentially bringing some flooding, will work towards east anglia and parts of south—east england as well, before easing during the second part of the night. now, temperatures overnight will generally fall to around 12—14 degrees for most areas, but still pretty warm across eastern england. 17 degrees your overnight low in the capital, where it will continue to feel quite humid. now over the next couple of days, low pressure is going to start to influence our weather and push a band of rain across the country, and with that will come some fresher air. now, on friday, the first signs of that change will be for scotland and northern ireland, with outbreaks of rain pushing in here, might be a bit of thunder mixed in with this for a time. the winds picking up as well, temperatures coming back down into the low 20s here, but across england and wales it's still pretty warm. it's still pretty humid,

temperatures reaching the high 20s in the warmest areas in the east. we pick up the weather story for the weekend on saturday with a threat of some rain, as that weather front pushes its way southwards and eastwards across england. what follows for the rest of the uk is a day of sunny spells and just a few showers across the north—west. you will notice the change to fresher conditions across the west. still quite humid at this stage in the east, but we will see that fresher air work right the way across the country through sunday, with temperatures coming back closer to average. bye for now.

live from london, this is bbc news. a massive prisoner swap involving the united states and russia has taken place. three us citizens imprisoned in russia, including wall streetjournal reporter evan gershkovich, have been freed. here are live pictures from the ankara airport. turkey said it was coordinating an extensive prisoner swap, adding 26 people have been exchanged. iran accuses israel of "crossing all redlines" after the assassination of ismail haniyeh. the funeral of the hamas political leader has taken place in iran, with tens of thousands attending. in the uk, the prime minister has announced new measures to tackle violent disorder, in the aftermath of unrest that has followed the southport stabbings.

uk becomes latest economy to cut interest rates.