continuing coverage. this is bbc news. live from london, this is bbc news. back home — three americans and a kremlin critic who were being held in russia arrive on us soil as part of the biggest prisoner swap deal since the cold war. this is the scene at andrews air force base where president biden has come to greet them. the body of the hamas political leader ismail haniyeh, who was assassinated in iran on wednesday, is now in qatar where he'll be buried later. more questions for the bbc over its handling of the huw edwards scandal. the culture secretary asks the corporation to see it can recoup any of his pay.

hello. i'm mark lobel. let's start with breaking news — and within the past few minutes the us citizens who were part of the largest prisoner swap between russia, the us and other western nations since the cold war have arrived back in the us. this is the scene live at andrews air force base in maryland, where wall streetjournal reporter evan gershkovich, former us marine paul whelan, radio free europe journalist alsu kurmasheva and leading kremlin critic, vladimir kara—murza arrived. let us listen into president biden. , ., , biden. never show up anywhere in the middle — biden. never show up anywhere in the middle east, _ biden. never show up anywhere in the middle east, wouldn't - in the middle east, wouldn't show up anywhere in russia. it matters. it matters to be aware of what you are going into and not to take undue chances, because i'm going to come get

you... because i'm going to come get ou. .. ,, ,, ~ you... crosstalk. where _ you... crosstalk. where does - you... crosstalk. where does this i you... crosstalk. | where does this rank you... crosstalk. - where does this rank among you... crosstalk. _ where does this rank among the many— where does this rank among the many achievements as president? to me _ many achievements as president? to me this— many achievements as president? to me this is about the essence of who we are as a country. it really is about families, about being able to have access to the people you love and you adore, imagine how you would all feel if you had someone being held captive unfairly, you have children, you know. imagine how you would feel. how many of you have children? raise your hand. yeah, 0k. now imagine you are in prison and may never be home, wondering how they are, if they go to bed at night, you ache in the night every day, it matters. crosstalk. hours before you announce that you are — hours before you announce that you are going to be leaving the

2024 _ you are going to be leaving the 2024 race, can you talk was a little — 2024 race, can you talk was a little bit — 2024 race, can you talk was a little bit about how important it was — little bit about how important it was for you to get this deal done — it was for you to get this deal done knowing that you are not going — done knowing that you are not going to — done knowing that you are not going to see a second term? | going to see a second term? would going to see a second term? i would still get it done even if i was are seeking a second term. you are stuck with me for a while, kid, no way out. got me for another hundred or 90 days or so. it had to do with the opportunity and trying to convince one last country to say, ok, we will step up. crosstalk. will now be cemented as part of your one — will now be cemented as part of your one term legacy. how are your one term legacy. how are you thinking about the rest of your— you thinking about the rest of your time _ you thinking about the rest of your time in office? we you thinking about the rest of your time in office?— your time in office? we can talk about _ your time in office? we can talk about that _ your time in office? we can talk about that another - your time in office? we can i talk about that another time. crosstalk. chancellor scholz�*s commitment chancellor scholz's commitment to getting this deal across the finish — to getting this deal across the finish line, could it have been possible — finish line, could it have been possible without that agreement?- possible without that agreement? no. crosstalk.

agreement? tic. crosstalk. vice—president, your reaction tonight — vice—president, your reaction tonight lt— vice-president, your reaction toniaht. , . , vice-president, your reaction toniaht. , tonight. it is a very good niuht tonight. it is a very good night and _ tonight. it is a very good night and it _ tonight. it is a very good night and it is _ tonight. it is a very good night and it is testament tonight. it is a very good i night and it is testament to the work— night and it is testament to the work we _ night and it is testament to the work we prioritise - night and it is testament to| the work we prioritise under joe biden's_ the work we prioritise under joe biden's leadership - the work we prioritise under joe biden's leadership and i the work we prioritise under. joe biden's leadership and our administration, _ joe biden's leadership and our administration, which - joe biden's leadership and our administration, which is - joe biden's leadership and our administration, which is the l administration, which is the importance _ administration, which is the importance of— administration, which is the importance of building - importance of building alliances, _ importance of building alliances, building - importance of building alliances, building the| alliances, building the strength— alliances, building the strength that - alliances, building the strength that we - alliances, building the strength that we have| alliances, building the - strength that we have through diplomacy— strength that we have through diplomacy to _ strength that we have through diplomacy to have _ strength that we have through diplomacy to have outcomes l strength that we have through . diplomacy to have outcomes like this _ diplomacy to have outcomes like this and — diplomacy to have outcomes like this. and there _ diplomacy to have outcomes like this. and there is _ diplomacy to have outcomes like this. and there is so _ diplomacy to have outcomes like this. and there is so much - diplomacy to have outcomes like this. and there is so much at - this. and there is so much at stake — this. and there is so much at stake right— this. and there is so much at stake right now— this. and there is so much at stake right now in _ this. and there is so much at stake right now in our- this. and there is so much ati stake right now in our country and _ stake right now in our country and this— stake right now in our country and this upcoming _ stake right now in our country and this upcoming election, l and this upcoming election, including _ and this upcoming election, including who _ and this upcoming election, including who has _ and this upcoming election, including who has which - including who has which approach _ including who has which approach to— including who has which i approach to understanding america's_ approach to understanding america's strength. - approach to understanding america's strength. this . approach to understanding i america's strength. this is approach to understanding. america's strength. this is an example _ america's strength. this is an example of— america's strength. this is an example of the _ america's strength. this is an example of the strength - america's strength. this is an example of the strength of i example of the strength of american _ example of the strength of american leadership- example of the strength of american leadership in- example of the strength of i american leadership in bringing nations— american leadership in bringing nations together— american leadership in bringing nations together to— american leadership in bringing nations together to deliver i nations together to deliver american _ nations together to deliver american-— american. crosstalk. the somebody - american. crosstalk. the somebody like i american. crosstalk. | the somebody like marc american. crosstalk. - the somebody like marc fogel, madam — the somebody like marc fogel, madam vice president? reporters firina madam vice president? reporters firing questions _ madam vice president? reporters firing questions that _ madam vice president? reporters firing questions that are _ madam vice president? reporters firing questions that are at - firing questions that are at presentjoe biden. you also heard the voice of vice president kamala harris, this is potentially a big issue in a

election year. it is also before the families of those returns, evan gershkovich's family, paulwhelan returns, evan gershkovich's family, paul whelan and the journalist alsu kurmasheva, president biden was also asked about his legacy there, he said he would be taking those questions as another time. let us have a look at some pictures of when they arrived at andrews air force base. this was the moment that president biden first met paul whelan. there were hugs from both president biden and kamala harris. former us marine there. the flight had come via turkey. it was quite a feat for many countries that were involved in this prisoner

swap. russia claiming the victory as well. let's speak to professor steve fish, who teaches political science at the university of california, berkeley. professor, thanks so much for joining us. we saw on the tarmac there president biden and vice—president kamala harris, but russia claiming a victory as well, who wins in this? i victory as well, who wins in this? ~ victory as well, who wins in this? ,, ,., victory as well, who wins in this? ,, , , this? i think both sides win. it's this? i think both sides win. it's hard _ this? i think both sides win. it's hard to _ this? i think both sides win. it's hard to see _ this? i think both sides win. it's hard to see which i this? i think both sides win. it's hard to see which one i it's hard to see which one actually came out on top. typically that is not really the question you ask in these prisoner swaps. you know, what we know now is that many people will who the united states and western countries would like free, including, you know, a journalist of ours, including russian dissidents who, you know, we sympathise with, it is not a strategic interest that the united states and the west has in getting these people out, really a moral interest,

are free now, and that is what matters tonight. in are free now, and that is what matters tonight.— matters tonight. in terms of risoner matters tonight. in terms of prisoner swaps, _ matters tonight. in terms of prisoner swaps, how - matters tonight. in terms of. prisoner swaps, how significant was this one? it prisoner swaps, how significant was this one?— was this one? it was very significant. _ was this one? it was very significant. you - was this one? it was very significant. you know, i was this one? it was very i significant. you know, prisoner swaps of this magnitude are very rare. you have to go back to the cold war to get anything really quite this a significant in purely quantitative terms. typically it is one four one or two for one, but both sides got a lot of people out, we got twice as many people out, he wasn't interested, as the russians did. this was a very large prisoner swap indeed. hindsight is a great thing, but we saw a lot of signposting, if you look at, vladimir putin's interview with tucker carlson where he mentioned evan gershkovich, the speeding up of many trails in the last few days, and also a sense that things were happening in europe as well. what you feel led to

this suddenly happening now? it's hard to know why it happened exactly right now, this was probablyjust the end of the negotiations, where everything culminated. what we do know, as you suggest, this has been going on for months or perhaps even years. the russians have a policy, they take what is sometimes called hostage diplomacy. they take hostages, they arrest people like journalists, hostages, they arrest people likejournalists, like hostages, they arrest people like journalists, like the wall street journalist who they arrested, and then they trade them for, you know, arms dealers or they trade them for assassins orfor spies. typically assassins or for spies. typically what assassins orfor spies. typically what happens, there is a moral dimension to this obviously, is that they have us athletes orjournalists or they arrest their own people and then they trade them for, you know, criminals. written's criminals. in the last prisoner swap which involved an american

basketball player being swap for an arms dealer, the man known as the merchant of death, viktor bout, putin got what he wanted —— putin. it also in the way of an old friend of his who is an arms dealer. again, this is an arms dealer. again, this is an arms dealer. again, this is a kind of policy that putin pursues. that is the danger with these kinds of prisoner swaps is that they encourage putin to arrest citizens, oftentimes innocent people, or to take human rights advocates and threw them injail and then trade them off. that said, despite the fact that this seems to create a kind of perverse incentive i think there is a lot of reason to celebrate tonight. and the likes of a dim classic of, does it empower them, life after the swap, how does that work for the prisoners themselves? it depends on what they do with

it. viktor bout, who was the arms dealer that putini got backin arms dealer that putini got back in the last prisoner swap for an american basketball player, went on and ran for a position as a member of the douma, he became a member of the russian legislator, basketball player we got back, the women's basketball player she went back to playing. so people ideally get to go back to their own lives.— to their own lives. some peeple's _ to their own lives. some people's instant - to their own lives. some j people's instant reaction to their own lives. some i people's instant reaction to this was it was a pretty it came too late for alexei navalny, a much—publicised opposition leader against putin, a russian opposition leader and there is a famous documentary which followed him around in his resilience, his life ended in an arctic penal colony, do you think there would have been part of the swap, there were rumours at the time he might have been part of the swap and that might have prompted his death.-

the swap and that might have prompted his death. marx, this wasn't the _ prompted his death. marx, this wasn't the really _ prompted his death. marx, this wasn't the really treasure, i prompted his death. marx, this wasn't the really treasure, we i wasn't the really treasure, we now know it is possible he could be part of the swap. they really do think that putin would have been loath to swap alexei navalny for anybody. navalny alive, anywhere in the world, posed such a threat he was so courageous, he showed everybody in russia that you could stand up to putin and the matter what price he tried to impose on you you could still continue to soldier on. navalny was such a uniquely common in many ways, courageous voice. although we have to keep in mind that other courageous voices have now been released from russia. they are leading dissidents, great moral voices from russia who putin arrested and who are now safe. this is really a great coup getting these people out. putin i think calculated that navalny was a different level of threat, that

navalny was so well known internationally that navalny was just — had internationally that navalny wasjust — had become such internationally that navalny was just — had become such a symbol of courage that he could not live with navalny alive so he had him killed before any prisoner swap could have occurred.— prisoner swap could have occurred. ., , ,., occurred. indeed. professor steve fish _ occurred. indeed. professor steve fish from _ occurred. indeed. professor steve fish from the - occurred. indeed. professor. steve fish from the university of california, berkely, thank you for your analysis during this moment. let's speak to our north america correspondent, will grant who's at the andrews air force base in maryland where some of the freed prisoners are returning home. as we have been discussing. quite a joyous moment where you are. quite a “oyous moment where you are. . , . , are. really it was, really it is still. are. really it was, really it is sun. it— are. really it was, really it is still. it has _ are. really it was, really it is still. it has been - are. really it was, really it is still. it has been an i is still. it has been an historic moment, of course, both politically and diplomatically, but this was also a moment for genuine celebration. just below me here are a bunch ofjournalists from the wall streetjournal, so you can imagine how they feel and they were the ones leading the applause and the cheering for evan gershkovich when he stepped off the plane, he

stepped off the plane, he stepped off, spoke to president biden, hugged his family, and thenjust to show biden, hugged his family, and then just to show the source of resilience of the man in a way he came over and was cracking jokes with his colleagues and no just giving them some quotes for tomorrow's edition. this is somebody who didn't intend to become the story, was made at the story and now is back safely on us soil. the same for paul whelan, simply went to russia for a wedding, his family insists there was absolutely no foundation to the charges of espionage that were levelled against him, and he has spent five years in a russian prison, see can imagine the relief among his family. one of the tireless campaigners for evan gershkovich was his mother, we believe we saw him hugging his mother as he came down after meeting president biden and vice—president kamala harris, that was quite a moment.

harris, that was quite a moment-— harris, that was quite a moment. . ., , moment. yeah, it would be the first thing one wants to do after 500 days in a russian prison, isn't it, hugged your mum? of course he did, he huddled his family. you are she was absolutely tireless, indefatigable, in getting his name in the headlines, and getting his name in high—level meetings between washington and moscow or any high—level meeting that could have an impact on his well being. that takes some doing because there are big chunks of time between any progress and in that time it must feel like nothing is moving forward, none more so than for the prisoners themselves. again, paul whelan spent five years and must have faced some very, very dark times and that russian prison. but, yes, all of the families in that regard were consistent, were constant, maintain the pressure on the authorities, as it were, on the biden

administration, aaren russia, and, of course, it has reached this unique moment in diplomatic history where 26 people from seven different nations have been released on the same day. celebrations not just in washington, but in several places tonight. hopefully we're going to see the moment where actually hugs his mum on the pictures that we are replaying on the screen there. there we go. we believe that his mother, tireless campaigner. we'll come up president biden very much present in these pictures as well. president biden played a pivotal role in this. it was reported that moments before he announced he wasn't going to stand again for a second term he had just come off the phone to a european leader, there was a lot of cooperation needed on his part to get all the pieces in place because russians wanted notjust people held in

america. wanted not 'ust people held in america. , ., . ., , america. yes, nothing that does show what _ america. yes, nothing that does show what a _ america. yes, nothing that does show what a protein _ america. yes, nothing that does show what a protein that - america. yes, nothing that does show what a protein that was i america. yes, nothing that does show what a protein that was to | show what a protein that was to president biden and to his white house. the idea that on a day he was making a key decision about his own political future was also talking to leaders in europe about this situation, about this prisoner swap not falling throughout the last minute, so that was interesting. it was interesting that it was also highlighted the role that vice president harris made, specifically she also spoke to two leaders, including the german chancellor, to underline the importance that the fsu kernel played in the prisoner swap, the idea that there was a piece of the puzzle that was vital to putin's acceptance of the deal and without germany's operation was impossible to put off. in essence, i think, operation was impossible to put off. in essence, ithink, the german government decided to make that sacrifice because it

is a political consideration, a legal consideration of somebody who has been found guilty of an assassination in broad daylight in a berlin park will be swap for the greater good, but it is one that was made i think directly as a favour to the white house and at the behest and request of president biden. kamala harris, talking about president biden, saying that just talking about the importance of having a present, she put it in her words, "who understands the power of diplomacy", no doubt a dig at her rivalfor the diplomacy", no doubt a dig at her rival for the presidency, she nominated, of course, donald trump. he was asked about this and said he would have done things differently. president biden responded to that saying, well, he should have done something when he was president. so this is very much playing out in the months coming up to the next election. yeah. this is all taking place against the backdrop of two

things, on the one hand the war in ukraine which makes it extraordinary that it was achieved givenjust extraordinary that it was achieved given just how poor bilateral relations between washington and moscow are at the current time, worse than they have been since, certainly, the end of the cold war. it also against the backdrop of the growing fever pitch of the race for the presidency in this country. so to do that, i think, is interesting. you are right, there was quite clear overtones to the race for the white house in what vice president harris said. i think one hand she was saying it to complement president biden, who she does feel is a president who has shown that he understands the importance of diplomacy, but she is essentially saying to the voters "so you need to replace it with someone who shares those values." in evinger too far away from campaigning, even at a moment like this, in washington. that

said, i think you could have been more overtly political, i think you focus by and large is on celebrating their return and letting them be with their families and celebrating that moment simply as reuniting families. pail moment simply as reuniting families. �* ~ families. all right, will grant, families. all right, will grant. on _ families. all right, will grant, on the - families. all right, will grant, on the tarmac l families. all right, will| grant, on the tarmac at families. all right, will - grant, on the tarmac at andrews air force base in maryland. thank you for the latest there. around the world and across the uk, this is bbc news.

welcome back to the programme. the leader of the lebanon—based group hezbollah has warned israelis the group is considering retaliation for israel's killing of a top hezbollah commander in beirut and the political head of hamas. it comes as israel says it's received intelligence that confirms the head of the military wing of hamas was killed in gaza last month. the israelis targeted mohammed deif in a strike

on a compound in the khan younis area on 13july. another hamas senior figure, the group's political leader ismail haniyeh, will be buried later in qatar — two days after he was killed in a strike in tehran. hamas's armed wing said the death of haniyeh will have major repercussions. our correspondent nick beake has this update from beirut. well, this was the first reaction we've had from hassan nasrallah, the head of hezbollah. and he was speaking today to mourners via a video link—up at the funeral of one of his top commanders, who was killed on tuesday evening in a southern suburb, here in beirut. and the message was that this was a strike that was completely unacceptable, that israel had carried out an assassination — but also that civilians had been killed, including two children. he said what had happened really has raised the temperature in the middle east and taken the conflict to what he described as "a new level".

he also spoke about the killing this week, just a few hours later in iran, of the head of the political wing of hamas. and the killing of ismail haniyeh has certainly been a significant development. he said that the two killings — assassinations — will really provoke a very strong reaction from iran, which of course backs both hezbollah here in lebanon, and also hamas, too. we didn't get any indication as to what the response will be — but certainly, lebanon's neighbours have been talking about the need to really lower the temperature at the moment. the united states, as well, saying that there's a real fear that things could escalate, and that no—one wants to see a wider war in the middle east. so lots of people, i think, concerned about what happens in the coming days. there has been this tit—for—tat over the past ten months between hezbollah and israel — will this escalate further in the days to come?

that was nick beake in beirut. with me is mohamed taha from bbc arabic. the question, thing, and most people's lips, is regional war closer nearly 300 days since 7 october. let's hear about hamas, we were hearing about the political leader ismail haniyeh, interesting news in the papers about how he was killed, a suspected bomb was smuggled into his guest house in tehran around the time of that inauguration.— that inauguration. lots of re orts that inauguration. lots of reports around _ that inauguration. lots of reports around how- that inauguration. lots of| reports around how ismail haniyeh could be killed, lots of contradicting reports, but the bottom line that daniel hagari, the spokesperson of the israeli army said that israel, on that note, only launched an attack for the military leader of hezbollah, that means they didn't launch an air attack or

a drone attack on ismail haniyeh, insinuating that it was a bomb. but when israel did not announce responsibility until now on what's happened they want to downplay what is happening, lay a low profile on that regard, because it is a bomb and it has been planted, as it has been set, for more than two weeks off specifically in his room that did not even get the person sleeping next door. that is a massive intelligence value from iran, they would want to say that. it has been said also that he is always staying at the same residence, the same room whenever he goes to a run. that is the speculation, _ whenever he goes to a run. that is the speculation, mohammed deif, it is claimed, was killed in the middle ofjuly, the military leader.— in the middle ofjuly, the military leader. what is next for hamas- _ military leader. what is next for hamas. hamas _ military leader. what is nextj for hamas. hamas announce military leader. what is next i for hamas. hamas announce table keep fighting and threatened that they will retaliate ——

announced they were going to keep fighting. they said israel is launching a full—scale war, the attack in iraq, attacking the attack in iraq, attacking the lebanese capital, killing their military leader, attacks in hodeida, yemen, attacks on gaza, he escaped mentioning they are attacking also the west bank and syria, israel is fighting on seven fronts at the moment and he is insinuating that the response would be also a full—scale response. does that mean that all of these horses would gather together to do a response against israel? what we understand is this region is really on the brink of a massive war and the people in this region are suffering massive consequences in what has happened. it massive consequences in what has happened-— has happened. it seems far awa . has happened. it seems far away. mohamed _ has happened. it seems far away. mohamed taha i has happened. it seems far away. mohamed taha from| has happened. it seems far- away. mohamed taha from bbc arabic, thank you very much. we have the latest on earnings

from apple and amazon next on our business news. you won't want to miss that. hello, there. thursday was another day of heat and humidity, particularly across central and southern wales, where we saw temperatures widely into the high—20s. but temperatures did peak in wisley, surrey, and bournemouth, at 30 celsius once again. it did, however, come at a price, this heat and humidity, because, through the afternoon, we saw a cluster of sharp, thundery downpours moving their way eastwards. now, they started off across south wales, and then steadily pushed their way east. there were quite slow—moving, because the winds pretty light, and they brought a lot of heavy rain in a short space of time. those sharp, thundery downpours still continuing to drift their way eastwards during the early hours of friday, but they will clear away. clearer skies behind — sign of a change to come on friday, with more cloud and rain gathering in the far north west. but friday will start off on a warm, sultry note

in the south east — i7 celsius to greet us first thing in the morning — and still the risk of a few sharp showers easing away from east anglia. but the real change will come with this area of low pressure, up into the north west — it will gradually introduce stronger winds, more cloud, and eventually some rain. so, we start off with a few scattered showers across east anglia, slowly brightening up and warming up once again — another warm, humid day here. but heavier rain developing into northern ireland, north—west scotland, as the afternoon progresses. it may well stay relatively dry across eastern parts of scotland. temperatures in scotland and northern ireland, 16 to 21 celsius, but a warm, sultry afternoon across eastern england, with highs of 27 celsius. somewhat fresher conditions will arrive as we move into the weekend, because as this front — a cold front — sinks south and east, it will introduce slightly less humid air. but there is still a risk of a cloudy start across parts of england and wales, and a line of sharp, thundery downpours moving

their way south and east. behind it, brighter conditions, a few scattered showers into the north west, and saturday, not quite as warm right across the country, ranging from 15 to 24 celsius, and that trend is going to continue into the week ahead. temperatures, perhaps, back to where they should be for this time of year. there will be more in the way of rain around, but all in all, for some, still some good, dry, usable weather. take care.

apple and amazon report a mixed bag of results, not helping boost wall street, as the dowjones index sees its worst day of the year. the bank of england pulls the trigger on its first interest rate cut in four years. feeling a bit hot under the collar? well, maybe it's time to try one of the hottest acsessories seen at the paris olympics. a neck fan! we find out what all the fuzz is about. live from london, this is business today. it was an ugly day on wall street with the dow sliding

nearly nearly 500 points as recession fears re—emerged.