hello, i'm steve lai. you're watching the context on bbc news. i was certain i was going to die in that prison. i did not believe i would ever see my wife again, i did not believe i would ever see my family again. this feels really surreal. this feels like a film. i was certain i was going to die in a russian prison.— was certain i was going to die in a russian prison. dissidents freed as art of a russian prison. dissidents freed as part of a massive _ russian prison. dissidents freed as part of a massive prisoner - russian prison. dissidents freed as part of a massive prisoner swap - russian prison. dissidents freed as| part of a massive prisoner swap and telling reporters in germany that they refused to plead for mercy in exchange for their release. this was a good day for president biden~ _ this was a good day for president biden~ he — this was a good day for president biden. he hasn't had many lately and an even_ biden. he hasn't had many lately and an even better one for the families. while _ an even better one for the families. while moscow is getting back agents, spies and _ while moscow is getting back agents, spies and a _ while moscow is getting back agents, spies and a hit— while moscow is getting back agents, spies and a hit man, _ while moscow is getting back agents, spies and a hit man, out _ while moscow is getting back agents, spies and a hit man, out of— while moscow is getting back agents, spies and a hit man, out of russian . spies and a hit man, out of russian 'ails spies and a hit man, out of russian jails going — spies and a hit man, out of russian

jails going the _ spies and a hit man, out of russian jails going the other— spies and a hit man, out of russian jails going the other way, _ jails going the other way, dissidents— jails going the other way, dissidents and _ jails going the other way, dissidents and journalists jails going the other way, - dissidents and journalists and an artist, _ dissidents and journalists and an artist, quite _ dissidents and journalists and an artist, quite a _ dissidents and journalists and an artist, quite a contrast. - a group of russian dissidents freed as part of a massive prisoner swap have been telling reporters in germany that they'd refused to plead for mercy from president putin in exchange for their release. also tonight. kamala harris has secured enough votes from democratic delegates to officially be the party's nominee for president. and... venezuela accuses the united states of being at the forefront of a coup after sunday's disputed presidential eleciton. two of the most high—profile russian dissidents freed as part of a major prisoner swap said they refused officials' demands to plead for mercy from president putin to secure their release. vladimir kara— murza and ilya yashin were speaking alongside another dissident, andrei pivovarov, at a news

conference in germany. mr kara—murza and mr yashin said they considered mr putin a tyrant, a murderer and a war criminal. mr kara—murza said he wouldn't ask for a pardon when he wasn't guilty. meanwhile the kremlin has been giving more details about the russians who returned to moscow as part of the huge prisoner swap, admitting that vadim krasikov — convicted of killing a former chechen rebel in berlin — was an fsb agent who served in its special forces unit. russian british activist vladimir kara—murza hasjust been given a press conference in bonn, germany. translation: it is like a movie on some kind of screen - because some days ago i was sitting in a cell somewhere in siberia. yesterday in the morning,

we where in the cell in a prison. and now we are here. so, all of it feels really surreal. first of all, i want to say and speak of my gratitude, it's very symbolic that we are here now in the former capital of... and it's very symbolic because they have returned to life to tell us the traditions of aggressive wars and traditions of ignorance of human rights and freedoms, and that is why it is very important to see that along with such lasting traditions, there are also honourable traditions returned, and one of them, those honourable

traditions, noble traditions is a traditions, noble traditions is a tradition of the free and democratic countries like western germany. the initiative of the leadership to release the political prisoners, the prisoners themselves. presidentjoe biden and vice president kamala harris have greeted americans released by russia. the plane carrying the wall street journal reporter evan gershkovich — who'd spent almost 500 days in a russian prison — and two others landed at an airbase near washington. our international editor jeremy bowen reports president biden invited the families of the released americans to the oval office and they were counting the minutes to their return. miss you so much. when they landed just outside washington, evan gershkovich appeared when vice president harris was distracted. this was a good day for president biden.

he hasn't had many lately. and an even better one for the families. the wall streetjournal reporter hadn't forgotten the prisoners he left behind in russia. everybody i sat with... ijust spent a i just spent a month ijust spent a month in prison. everybody i sat with... asa as a political prisoner. paul whelan was held for spying, which he denies, during a two—week trip to russia. feel good, it is a long time coming. solam so i am glad to be back. alsu kurmasheva, a russian—american journalist was arrested injune. her husband said she was sentenced to 6.5 years because she had written a book about russian is opposed to the war in ukraine. slovenia released a russian couple who had spied i asked them to do some things that were against their immediate self—interest and very difficult for

them to do, particularly germany and slovenia. slovenia released a russian couple who had spied masquerading as argentinians. in moscow, president putin greeted their children in spanish. they had only been told they were russians on the plane. germany freed this man in the tracksuit, an assassin now confirmed as a russian agent by the kremlin. he killed an exiled chechen commander in berlin. vladimir putin has set a precedent. arresting foreign citizens for barter works as a way to exert pressure on an enemy. jeremy bowen, bbc news, washington. our russia editor, steve rosenberg explained what the kremlin been saying about all of this. admitting quite a lot about the russian agents who it got back as part of this prisoner swap. so, for example, the kremlin admitted today that, yes, the convicted assassin released from a german jail does

work for the fsb, russia's domestic security service, and yes it admitted that also as part of this swap, moscow got back a russian military intelligence officer and also deep cover spies, that's a reference to the husband and wife team of sleeper agents who had been posing as argentinians in europe, ended up injail, they were so deep cover, that even their children didn't know that they were russian. in fact the parents only told the children that they were russian when they were on that plane heading to moscow yesterday. quite extraordinary. and while moscow was getting back agents and spies and a hit man, out of russian jails going the other way, dissidents and journalists and then artists, quite a contrast. taste journalists and then artists, quite a contrast. ~ . journalists and then artists, quite a contrast-— a contrast. we are “oined by amy mckinnon. h a contrast. we are “oined by amy mckinnon. amy, — a contrast. we are joined by amy mckinnon. amy, thank _ a contrast. we are joined by amy mckinnon. amy, thank you - a contrast. we are joined by amy mckinnon. amy, thank you for i a contrast. we are joined by amy - mckinnon. amy, thank you forjoining us. this deal was several years in the making. what got it over the

line? ~ . , the making. what got it over the line? ~ ., , ., line? well, as we heard in those ackaues line? well, as we heard in those packages before, _ line? well, as we heard in those packages before, the _ line? well, as we heard in those packages before, the real - line? well, as we heard in those i packages before, the real linchpin of this deal was releasing the assassin from russia from a german prison. and that became apparent over these months and attempts at diplomacy that that is what the russians wanted, that they were not going to budge, so that been launched this huge behind the scenes very tightly controlled very quiet diplomatic effort to try and persuade and cajole the germans to take this very significant step to release somebody who's been convicted for assassinating somebody in broad daylight in a park in berlin. , , ,, ., ., berlin. the prisoners russia wanted were not being _ berlin. the prisoners russia wanted were not being held _ berlin. the prisoners russia wanted were not being held in _ berlin. the prisoners russia wanted were not being held in the - berlin. the prisoners russia wanted were not being held in the us, - berlin. the prisoners russia wanted were not being held in the us, so . were not being held in the us, so how do they manage to secure them from these other countries? i'm sure kamala harris played a role here. that is something we are still learning here and talking to us officials is trying to piece together the timeline which at least extends for a year if not longer and

how kamala harris played a role in this in her meeting with the german chancellor, the munich security conference in february, but there was a lot of diplomatic back and forth at all levels of the government trying to put forward this idea, trying to persuade the germans, one thing that's becoming clear as there were several russians that were released as part of this deal who do not have german citizenship for us citizenship they are russian nationals. and, you know, i think the germans wanted something really significant if they were going to let him go. so i think that notjust the americans that were rescued in this deal but also those russian political prisoners getting them out i think it's kind of a weighty package for the germans tutus that decide to go ahead with this move. , , , ., , ., this move. this is seen as a win-win for both sides. _ this move. this is seen as a win-win for both sides. that _ this move. this is seen as a win-win for both sides. that is _ this move. this is seen as a win-win for both sides. that is how- this move. this is seen as a win-win for both sides. that is how joe - for both sides. that is howjoe biden is playing it and certainly have vladimir putin is playing it as well. . , . have vladimir putin is playing it as well. ., , ., .., ., have vladimir putin is playing it as

well. ., , ., ., ., well. certainly a vindication of biden's foreign _ well. certainly a vindication of biden's foreign policy. - well. certainly a vindication of biden's foreign policy. when i well. certainly a vindication of. biden's foreign policy. when he well. certainly a vindication of- biden's foreign policy. when he came into office, one of the things he said he wanted to rebuild transatlantic partnerships and rebuild those relationships and alliances which had really been strained under trump, and particularly with germany. and some officials have questioned from a former trump officials have questioned whether german chancellor would have made a decision and taken a risk like this for a different us president. what we heard from the white house yesterday is that when a scholz finally made the russian assassin, he said for you, joe biden come i will do this. that kind of personal diplomacy is something the white house has been keen to celebrate in the wake of this exchange. celebrate in the wake of this exchange-— celebrate in the wake of this exchanae. ., , , exchange. how precarious was this deal bein: exchange. how precarious was this deal being done? _ exchange. how precarious was this deal being done? understand - exchange. how precarious was this deal being done? understand as i exchange. how precarious was this i deal being done? understand as well that the death of the russian opposition leader nearly scuffled the deal. �* ., ., , opposition leader nearly scuffled the deal. . . , opposition leader nearly scuffled the deal. �* ., ., , , . opposition leader nearly scuffled the deal. ~ ., ., , . ., the deal. alexei navalny was such a hiuh rofile the deal. alexei navalny was such a high profile political— the deal. alexei navalny was such a high profile political prisoner- the deal. alexei navalny was such a high profile political prisoner that i high profile political prisoner that he was initially learning and supposed to be part of this deal.

when he died that really sent officials back to the table to try to begin piecing together another dl of a similar magnitude that could help to move this forward.- of a similar magnitude that could help to move this forward. thank you ve much help to move this forward. thank you very much for— help to move this forward. thank you very much for giving _ help to move this forward. thank you very much for giving us _ help to move this forward. thank you very much for giving us all that - very much for giving us all that context. foreign policy magazine. let's turn to the us election now. vice—president kamala harris says she's �*deeply honoured' to have secured enough delegates to win the democratic party nomination. next — she'll be nominating her pick for vice president. and there's been plenty of speculation around who that might be. governorjosh shapiro of pennsylvania is reportedly on the short list. as is mark kelly, governor of arizona, and tim walz, governor of minnesota. just a few of the names we've been hearing. in any case, kamala harris and whoever she chooses will be setting off on a tour of battleground states next week. jamie harrison is the chair of the democratic national convention. he has expressed his delight with having vice president kamala harris confimed as the democratic presidential nominee.

so as chair of this great party, as chair of this party that is built on hope, i am so proud to confirm that vice president harris has earned more than a majority of votes from all convention delegates and will be the nominee of democratic party following the close of voting on monday. the outpouring of support that we have witnessed for the vice president has been unprecedented. we knew your ballots would come back quickly, but the fact that we can say today just one quickly, but the fact that we can say todayjust one day quickly, but the fact that we can say today just one day after we quickly, but the fact that we can say todayjust one day after we open voting that the vice president has crossed the majority threshold and will officially be our nominee next week, folks, that is simply outstanding.— week, folks, that is simply outstanding. week, folks, that is simply outstandina. ~ ., ,, .,~ ., ., outstanding. would speak to our correspondent _ outstanding. would speak to our correspondent who _ outstanding. would speak to our correspondent who will - outstanding. would speak to our correspondent who will give - outstanding. would speak to our correspondent who will give us l outstanding. would speak to our - correspondent who will give us more context to this. harris is officially the nominee, that perhaps

wasn't a surprise, now all attention as who she will pick as vice president. it as who she will pick as vice president-— as who she will pick as vice resident. ., , �* ., , , , president. it wasn't a surprise. less than _ president. it wasn't a surprise. less than two _ president. it wasn't a surprise. less than two weeks _ president. it wasn't a surprise. less than two weeks since - president. it wasn't a surprise. - less than two weeks since president biden stood down and the democratic party quickly coalesced around kamala harris and now she has got, she is past the threshold, the virtual roll call will continue in terms of delegates saying who they want as the nominee until monday evening. but, yes, she has now got the nomination and all she has to do is accept it which will happen at the democratic national convention. by the democratic national convention. by that point, we will also know who her running mate is. there is lots of different people on the list, governors, senators, you mention josh schapiro, there is also the kentucky governor. there is the arizona senator, mark kelly, and they will all be having interviews, we understand, over the course of the weekend when ms. harris announces them, we are not quite sure. it could happen at some point over the weekend, certainly we will know by tuesday when she holds a

rally in pennsylvania with the pick, and that has led to some speculation that could possibly bejosh schapiro, because he is the governor of pennsylvania. that schapiro, because he is the governor of pennsylvania.— of pennsylvania. at that point it will be full _ of pennsylvania. at that point it will be full steam _ of pennsylvania. at that point it will be full steam ahead - of pennsylvania. at that point it will be full steam ahead to - will be full steam ahead to campaigning in november. it will be full steam ahead to campaigning in november. it will be. she has a very _ campaigning in november. it will be. she has a very short amount - campaigning in november. it will be. she has a very short amount of - campaigning in november. it will be. she has a very short amount of time | she has a very short amount of time to really get out there and sell herself to the american people. i mean even this whole process of picking a vp, i'm not quite sure how long it took barack obama to pick his vp, but it was definitely months and not weeks, which is what she has. it is less than 100 days before the election, so she is hitting all the election, so she is hitting all the battleground states, she's got a rally coming up i think nearly every day next week, but once she has the bp in place, i think that will help her to really sell the message that harris and the vp on the ticket want to sell, and today is that first

step towards really getting out from behind president biden's shadow. just quickly before we let you go, has there been any reaction from donald trump to today's events? hat donald trump to today's events? not et. donald trump to today's events? iifrt yet. donald trump is already criticising kamala harris getting the nomination, calling it a coup and republicans have said that it is unlawful because president biden secured millions of votes during the primaries but legally that's not actually accurate because president biden was never officially the nominee. that would have been the case if he had become the nominee at the dnc, which he won't be now. i think we can expect donald trump if he does react to continue with that line of attack on ms. harris. around the world and across the uk. this is bbc news. let's take a look at some of the other stories in the headlines. robertjenrick has officially

launched his tory leadership bid speaking at an event in newark — the former immigration minister said he believed the party could win the next election and said he wanted to breathe new life into the party but acknowledged they had a mountain to climb. in order to stand in the race, the leadership hopefuls had to get the backing of at least ten conservative mps. the world health organization says more than 175,000 people die annually from extreme heat in europe. it says heat—related deaths in the region have increased by thirty—percent over the past two decades. the w—h—0 warned that more people would die from heat—related symptoms in the coming years as a result of global warming. culture secretary lisa nandy has called on huw edwards to hand back the salary he earned from the bbc after being arrested on child abuse image charges. the bbc continued to employ edwards, formerly its most high—profile newsreader, for five months after he was arrested on three counts of making indecent images of children, during which time

he was paid £200,000. hamas has called for "a day of furious rage" to mark the funeral in the qatari capital doha of it's political leader, ismael haniyeh, who was assassinated in iran on wednesday. his body has been taken to a cemetery outside the city where he is being buried in a simple muslim ceremony. hundreds of mourners attended the funeral prayers at the state mosque. 0fficals from a number of arab and muslim countries have been attending, as well as prominent figures from fatah, the main rival palestinian faction to hamas. hamas and iran have both vowed revenge on israel, which has so far refused to confirm that it carried out the attack. earlier in the week israel did claim responsibility for a rocket strike in the lebanese capital beirut which killed fuad shukr,

israel blames him for the deaths of 12 children in the golan heights. and on thursday israel also confirmed that an air strike in gaza last month had succeeded in killing mommahed deif, the leader of hamas' military wing. israel was able to assassinate the

political head of hamas hours before he had met the iranian supreme leader. he cannot of course, the day after were saying funeral prayers over his casket in tehran. i think the iranians will that looks and feels different. i think that there is every possibility that they will try to engage their regional allies. we have already had hezbollah promising revenge and hamas promising revenge and hamas promising revenge. this is on a week to week basis happening, and the red sea. we arejoined by gina abercrombie. thank you forjoining us to talk about this subject. we have just heard that the number of enemies that israel has its on doorstep. we heard president biden

say that it was sending reinforcement. as the us ready to be involved in another middle east contact? jelinek i don't believe that the us is interested in being dragged into a middle east conflict. but the support and ties that we have with israel are such that that is the nature how we are functioning today. we have the president say that the assassination has been unhelpful, a very diplomatic term, and we know that the efforts at diplomacy had been redundant. unfortunately, fortunately, u nfortu nately, fortu nately, diplomacy has unfortunately, fortunately, diplomacy has been on the front burner since october a. it is hard to say that there has been a lapse in it —— 0ctober eight. diplomats from the united states, frankly from the region and europe as well has

been working on the front burners of this conflict trying to keep it from expanding. it is telling, though, the strikes between hezbollah and israel and lebanon, that operational tempo is still saying that this is not a wider war. this shows us how different the world is from october six to where we are now any tolerance for conflict in the region which we are all accepting at this point. it comes down to our

long—standing relationship and this does include until now and attitude for the leader to carry out in support of this conflict as chief prime minister sees fit. it's uncomfortable, of course, it does cause a stir, it may put lives in danger. they are not controlling the circumstances of escalating the conflict. the united states, diplomats from around the region are focused on lowering, and a vision in the region, including the united states and reaching a cease—fire and those parties which do not apparently have that as a priority, as a priority, certainly the united states, the president has been

cleared, the vice president, secretary of state and defence, that cease—fire, getting the hostages home, getting relief into gaza is paramount. iran has been very careful in the last ten months not to escalate when they did retaliate for an israeli strike, they publicised they were going to do so in orderfor that publicised they were going to do so in order for that coalition to protect israel to get in place and do thatjob. taste protect israel to get in place and do that job-— do that 'ob. we will have to see how israel do that job. we will have to see how israel is do that job. we will have to see how lsrael is going _ do that job. we will have to see how israel is going to _ do that job. we will have to see how israel is going to retaliated - do that job. we will have to see how israel is going to retaliated that - israel is going to retaliated that is what we are waiting to see. that could change the calculations that all the parties will have to consider going forward as well. i have to move on from us. and thank you so much for speaking with us. former us ambassador and president of the middle east council. it's emerged that the former chair of the bbc publicly thanked disgraced newsreader huw edwards for his "huge contribution" despite knowing he had been arrested in november last year. edwards pleaded guilty on wednesday to three counts of making indecent images of children. let's speak to our

correspondent gwyn loader. what more can you tell us? he was a- ointed what more can you tell us? he was appointed interim _ what more can you tell us? he was appointed interim chair— what more can you tell us? he was appointed interim chair and - what more can you tell us? he was appointed interim chair and the - what more can you tell us? he was| appointed interim chair and the bbc injune last yearjust appointed interim chair and the bbc in june last year just weeks before the sun newspaper first published allegations about mr edwards private life. now, to be clear, those allegations were completely separate to the recent criminal charges brought against him, didn't lead to any criminal investigation. but referring to those allegations on a welsh language radio programme recorded exactly a month ago to the day, he referred to the now disgraced newsreader as "poor huw" and went on to deem his huge contribution. in a statement to me today she has confirmed that she was aware that edwards had been arrested last year but wasn't aware of the details which have emerged in court on wednesday this week. she said she was horrified by those details and that her thoughts are with the children whose images are so central to this story. i did ask her whether

she was made aware of the nature of the police investigation into edwards in november last year. she hasn't answered that question. neither has she answered my question whether she stands by the comments made on that radio programme. but there will be people asking this evening whether she was wise to publicly praise someone she knew at the very least had been arrested in november last year. just the very least had been arrested in november last year.— november last year. just quickly, not about november last year. just quickly, got about 20 _ november last year. just quickly, got about 20 seconds, _ november last year. just quickly, got about 20 seconds, tell - november last year. just quickly, got about 20 seconds, tell us - november last year. just quickly, l got about 20 seconds, tell us what is next. we got about 20 seconds, tell us what is next. ~ ~' ., got about 20 seconds, tell us what is next. ~ ~ ., , . ~ is next. we know huw is due back in court in september. _ is next. we know huw is due back in court in september. you will- is next. we know huw is due back in court in september. you will find - court in september. you will find out possibly then whether he faces prison or not. that seems unlikely but we will see what the court has to say in september.— but we will see what the court has to say in september. thank you so much for getting — to say in september. thank you so much for getting us _ to say in september. thank you so much for getting us up _ to say in september. thank you so much for getting us up to - to say in september. thank you so much for getting us up to speed i to say in september. thank you so i much for getting us up to speed with that story. plenty more to read on that story on our website. you can find out a lot of information there. in the meantime, do stay with us here on bbc news. a lot more to bring you, especially when it comes to others, discussions both in the middle east and with us politics as well. goodbye for now.

hello there. we'll get into the forecast in just a moment. but first of all, i thought we'd look back at the massive thunderstorms that developed during thursday across central england. these huge storms brought 35mm of rain to fairford in gloucestershire, in the space ofjust one hour. the result of downpours that intense and some of the heaviest i've seen all year, was some severe flooding in parts of guildford. we also had reports of flooding elsewhere in surrey, hampshire and 0xfordshire as well. now, looking at the weather picture overnight tonight, we've got a weak weather front that's pushing its way eastwards across england and wales. with that there will be a bit of rain, but it'll turn increasingly light and patchy. maybe a few mist and fog patches around. fresherair, meanwhile, gets into scotland and northern ireland as the rain moves out of the way and clearer skies follow, so more comfortable conditions for the northwest of the uk. still quite humid in the east. that's where we start off

the story on saturday, still with cloud and patchy outbreaks of rain for east anglia and south east england, although that should clear through the morning. what follows is sunny spells for most of the country, with just a few showers working into the afternoon across parts of scotland and northern ireland. temperatures near average for this time of the year, but feeling a lot less humid across eastern england in particular. second half of the weekend, while another area of low pressure is on the way. that's going to be bringing rain to northern ireland and western scotland, where it will also be increasingly windy. gusts could reach around a0 or 50 miles an hour here. still a lot of dry weather for england and wales, with some bright or sunny spells coming through the cloud. temperatures high teens to low 20s. now, that weather front across the north west of the uk is a particularly slow—moving front, that's going to take, essentially, a couple of days to cross the uk. and so because it's slow—moving, we really see those rainfall totals build up, especially across parts of western scotland, where we might see some localised surface water flooding building in during monday. here is monday's chart, then — outbreaks of rain, northern ireland and scotland, often heavy across western scotland with a risk of localised flooding. england and wales a lot of dry

weather, and across the south in the east it will probably turn increasingly sunny and humid and warm if not hot. temperatures could hit 27 celsius in norwich. once that band of rain, though, has gradually pushed its way eastwards across the country and cleared, we're looking at a number of showers for the rest of the week, especially across northwestern areas. bye for now.

hello, i'm steve lai. you're watching the context on bbc news. minister's foreign minister accuses... hello from the bbc sport centre. 0ne place to start, and that's in paris. plenty more medals in the pool to come. is there any stopping france's superhero of the pool and golden boy of the games so far, leon marchand? the 22—year—old broke another 0lympic record at the la defence arena, this time in the 200m individual medley. another gold for marchand makes it four now for him in paris. britain's duncan scott was a second further back, for the silver,

with shun wang of china in third.