our top story: the united nations intervenes in the worsening diplomatic row between north korea and malaysia. it calls for calm as both countries bar each other citizens from leaving. the extraordinary tit—for—tat follows north korean fury at malaysia's investigation into the death of kim jong—nam. wikileaks has published thousands of confidential documents revealing what it says are top—secret hacking tools used by the american central intelligence agency. this video is trending online. much excitement for these children visiting the white house, when its most famous resident made a surprise appearance. president trump greeted the first wave of tourists to come through the the building since he took office. that's all from me for now. stay with bbc world news. now on bbc news, time for hardtalk. welcome to hardtalk, with me, zeinab badawi.

the president of the democratic republic of congo, joseph kabila, has been in powerfor 16 years, and should have stood down at elections that were due last november. still no elections are in sight, and opposition leaders are growing increasingly frustrated. my guest today is opposition politician moise katumbi. he is effectively in exile in europe. so what can he achieve that this distance, and has the opposition been outmanoeuvred by president kabila? moise katumbi, welcome to hardtalk.

thank you. 31 december last year, a deal was hammered out under the auspices of the cenco court, a group of powerful catholic bishops in the drc. does that present a way forward? there should be a transitional administration, pending elections to be held in 2018. joseph kabila won't stand. yes, we know that deal, which cenco made with the congolese government and the opposition, supposed to serve the country. so far, the agreement is dead. president kabila doesn't want, really, to meet the implications of the agreement, so really everything is stuck at the moment. the cenco court is that group of catholic bishops. but our understanding is that felix tshisekedi, the son of the late opposition leader, etienne tshisekedi, who died in february, should be the prime minister in that transitional administration.

is that something that the opposition will accept, including you? i agree for him to become the prime minister. and all the opposition, the majority agree for felix, and to replace his father as president of the community, following the election. but no word yet from kabila on whether he would accept that? no, kabila is playing tactics at the moment. the agreement is very clear. there are some in the opposition, it is not up to even them. it is not up to president kabila. you know, with the death of tshisekedi, early in february, this veteran opposition leader, really respected by so many people, politicians and ordinary folk in the drc, and when he died, nick elebe, a human rights advocate, said with the death of tshisekedi,

the opposition has lost its unifying force, and could shatter. he has got a point, hasn't he? no, i don't think so, because president tshisekedi really was the first opposition leader in our country. and ourself, we need to take care about what president tshisekedi left. at the moment the opposition is — there is a big unity in the opposition, and we are going to do all our best to change the face of our country. we need a strong opposition, not fighting opposition. a strong opposition, though? is felix tshisekedi really the man to fill his father's shoes as a possible prime minister in a transitional administration? he has got no ministerial experience. people talk about him being rather naive. no, it is not true. you know, first, felix tshisekedi was not chosen by the father. by different party politics... butjust because he has

the tshisekedi name. it is not because of the tshisekedi name. etienne tshisekedi had a lot of children. only felix was interested in doing the politics, and is somebody... i went as a governor, i had never been in politics. and felix was in politics a long time, in the opposition with his father. i think he is going to be the prime minister. why president kabila doesn't want felix, because he is not somebody of good word. so you mentioned when you were governor, that is when you were governor of katanga province from 2007 to 2015. we will come to that in a moment. here you are saying i think this should happen or that should happen in the drc, but can you have any influence when you are in europe? you are currently based in brussels, effectively in exile. yes, you know, my exile...

i am in exile, and still waiting for the country, waiting also on the unity of the opposition. and going all over the world. i travel almost every day, i am in the plane, to go and fight for my country, to talk to the people. today, the killing is too much in my country. there is really a lot of killing going on in the east of the congo. there is no rule of law in my country at the moment. that is between the various militia groups and forces opposed to the president, and so on, in the east of the country? no, i think the killing is coming from the government soldiers at the moment, killing innocent girls. that is why we need the international investigation. but here you are, though, saying all these things should happen, and you have been chosen as the presidential candidate in elections, whenever they take place, by g7,

which is a group of seven opposition parties. and in addition to that, more parties have rallied behind you in the opposition, something like 20 are backing you. but you are still out of the country. so really, shouldn't you be there? why aren't you going back to the drc? i want to go back as quick as possible, to go back to my country. the time i wanted to come back, they took me to court began in my country, to say i have stolen a house. which is ridiculous. it is a plot against a candidate. kabila is scared for my return to the congo, because he knows it is his end, and i am a candidate. i am going to go back as soon as possible. you have been saying that for a while. and of course, you are talking there about your supporters, saying there was a trumped—up charge of your selling a property illegally in the capital of katanga. and you were sentenced to 36 months in prison,

and you say that is not the case, it is just a fake charge. but there are other things being said about you — that you were plotting againstjoseph kabila, that you hired mercenaries. and isn't there an investigation going on at the moment into what you might have done? you know, all those are fake stories, because president kabila is scared. i am the only one kabila is getting scared of. he doesn't want me to return back in the congo, because i did a really good job. and why the other political parties chose me as their candidate? because i did something wonderful when i was governor. i changed the economy of the country, and the economy of the province. at the time i became governor, the province of katanga had only $180 million per annum. i left over $4 billion.

so really, at the moment when i left, before i resigned, the budget was $9 billion. today the budget is not more than $3 billion per annum. so you point to these achievements, and there are independent observers who say that you did accomplish a great deal when you were governor of katanga, but can you translate that kind of popularity on a nationwide basis? because you don't make that many appearances in the capital. you didn't when you were in the drc. how good is your lingala, by the way? my lingala is quite good so far. it is not that great, though? i speak very fluent lingala, very fluent lingala i speak. the point i am making is that that is the language of the north—west, and your power base is in the south—east. do you have nationwide appeal? the nationwide appeal,

i am all over all of the provinces. and if you go in the different provinces where i was not as a governor, people need me. because they saw what i did in the katanga province, the changes which i did in my province, and really, i think if i didn't have a good result as governor, i would not be supposed to stand. people want me coming in because today people are suffering, people are dying. the economy is a big disaster today. no security in the country. sure, that is the case. but can you do all of that without a party? you don't have a party. i want to be independent because i want to unify everyone. even the people from the majority. by the time i am going to win the election, they have to work with me. the opposition, everyone. we need it to make our country a great country. but you need a party for that, don't you?

what is your base? i know that you own a very popular football club, tp mazembe, and there is talk of you perhaps opening up a new satellite tv station, but what is your base? you know, my base is firstly the people of the congo. all the congolese people, they don't belong to party politics. there are some people which, they don't know what is party politics, and i've got a lot of party politics supporting me. so i no longer belong to one—party politics. i want to belong to the congolese people. having said that, you were a member until september 2015 of the ruling party, the people's party for reconstruction and democracy the party ofjoseph kabila, elected in the elections in 2006 as a deputy in the national parliament. you won that election. so you are associated with the very person you now say you are opposing. yes, you see, i was with president kabila. if president kabila. .. the time i went to see him in 2014, and explained to him to respect the constitution, if president

kabila respected the constitution, i would not be supposed to leave. because at the moment he doesn't want to organise the election. president kabila is betraying the people of congo. so i didn't want to betray the people of congo. that is why i went to see him, and explained to him, said, mr president, you have two terms. we need to respect the need for our country to have more investors to come in our country, and people to give us their trust. and they need to have a good partnership, also, with the international community, and the congolese people. you know how many people died before we had ourfirst election? over 3 million people. so i think it is a sad story. president kabila is supposed to leave by a big door. now i don't know if he is going to leave by a small window. but the point i'm making here is that there is a lot of talk in the drc about rich

and powerful elites. and really, one could ask you whether you are worried about the perception that you are a member of that rich and powerful elite. because, for example, you co—founded mck, the mining company for katanga, controlled by your wife, carine. so are you concerned that people might think moise katumbi is another rich and powerful politician? i think what is making a difference, my father was a businessman. i had a business before i entered politics. when the party of president kabila asked me to join them, i was a businessman. i had all my things, and i sold mck to a french company. it was a company which was doing well. i started a company when i was very young. i entered in business

when i was 18 years old. i worked in a different country. i was in zambia, and also emerald mining. still my son is running that business. so i sold all those things, a transport company, and i don't refuse my past. president trump comes from a business background, and presidents in africa come from, also, a business family. no, but i am just putting it to you that, for example, i will give you a quote from a human rights group, global witness, which said in 2006, admittedly before you became governor of katanga, that the profits of mining in katanga are serving to line the pockets of a small but powerful elite, politicians and businessmen who are exploiting the local population, and subverting natural riches for their own private ends. so that is the kind of thing that is being said. you know, that report is 2006. yes, isaid, it's before you became governor.

the report is from before i became governor. i don't have any mines. my company has moving equipment, not mining. but moving equipment for the mining business. the mining business and the transport which we had since 1974, it was a family business. really, it is something which i had before and it is sad for me. i didn't want to join politics. i wanted to continue with the business. the people saw me that where i worked and changed things. and when i went to the province, i went with my money, i went with my knowledge as a businessman. i suppose to defend first my family, myself and all business community which i did in the province, and the province became the first and best province in all of congo. i was just giving you the things that were said about rich and powerful business people in the drc. you said that within 2006, but kofi annan,

former secretary general of the un, said in 2013, he is a member of the africa progress panel, he described the world of mining in the drc as a world in which vast fortunes seem to be accumulated at the expense of the people. so again, do you feel uncomfortable a bit that you are involved one way or another, transportation or whatever, in the mining business? i was not involved. you know, all the licence, it's not the governor of the province that gives the licence. it is the minister. any governor of our constitution is clear. i was not involved. at the time i was i was in business, i was not a politician. my father was not a politician. my father is white, he was not a politician. i come from a family which worked hard and the people appreciated to have a governor who came

with this money into politics, not a governor who came to steal. i came to help the people. i never got my salary in politics. i was giving to all the poor people to the contribution about the social programme in my province. all right. i have to put to you though one quite strong criticism of your time when you were governor from donat mpiana ben bellah of the paris—based human rights group acidh. he alleges that patronage was rife during katumbi's governorship in katanga. "he didn't run the province like a statesman but rather like the head of a household." he said. i think i'm surprised anyone in democracy can make a criticism. why president kabila doesn't want me to go back? because the people want me to go back. the time i became governor, maize meal.

26kg of maize meal was $45. when i was a governor, i went in agriculture, a did all my best to do road, everything, school, from $115 the maize meal went up to $9 per bag of 25kg. since i left one year ago, maize meal shot up to $50 per bag. now we have a police guy who is getting $60. how can you manage to buy even a bag? you need minimum of three bags. when i arrived as governor, maybe he didn't follow. he can go onto youtube in paris, he can ask the people in katanga. i did a lot of road, i did a lot of school and i think in all my country, everyone was asking for mr katumbi to go in all the province to stay.

they asked president kabila for me to go in each province six months and show the other governors how to do things in the province. so you say that's the reason why president kabila doesn't want you back in the country. you left last year. you said yourself that you were effectively forced into exile, there were also some reports in the press that you might have been poisoned one way or another, that your health had been compromised. are you up to this fight? at the moment fine. these things happen i think two years ago now. so were you poisoned? in my country, i don't know which place i was poisoned. what kind of poison? i can't talk about detail on the tv. i talked about it and the report from my doctors, everything. i went under treatment, thank to god. because i don't know the guy, i can't tell you who poisoned me.

i forgot about this because i suppose to already passed away. at the moment what is important for me is my country, is to serve that country and to remove all the suffering from the people of congo. and your health is not being compromised, you are fit enough for this fight that you want to take on? i was playing football two days ago. with your football team. but the point i am making here is jason stearns, the director of the congo research group at new york university, author of a book on the drc, says the two biggest opposition figures were etienne tshisekedi and moise katumbi. now tshisekedi is dead and katumbi is in exile. that really leaves the opposition pretty weakened. presidentjoseph kabila is getting the better of you, he has outmanoeuvred you. you know, first there was a political poll for congo. i was in exile.

i think i was number one with 33% on the political poll. because of myjob which i did in my country, they tried to accuse me and insult me every day on the tv so they can finish me politically which they can't do because what i did for my brother's congolese, i did a greatjob. that's why i want to go back as quick as possible. finish with my report or i will go back and i announced myself i will go back with the burial of etienne tshisekedi. with the body of etienne tshisekedi? you'll go back with his body? yes, yes. you mentioned cenco. they are conducting an investigation into whatever charges the government is bringing against you. will you abide by their verdict, whatever it is? i'm going to agree. you see, moise katumbi is not a man looking for a job. when there was this

agreement, there was first some recommendation for the people which was one of the condition for me to go back from exile. before they signed the agreement i said no, i don't want to stop the country because president kabila doesn't want me to go back. what is important for me is first the country. let's sign the agreement, i love my country, i want this agreement to go and president kabila doesn't stop up till now. he is making tactics to go to the referendum. but that is why he has out manoeuvred you, that's what i'm saying. when will you go back? you said you might go back with the body of etienne tshisekedi. one month? two months? three months? when i say they can sign the agreement, i gave a condition. i said cenco is supposed

to take my case. they came and investigated in europe, they came to see me. they wanted to see the judge who ran away. i am waiting for that report as quick as possible. i am going to go back because i am innocent. the people who are supposed to be in prison are the people killing in congo and the people stealing in congo. there is impunity in congo at the moment. and the people suffer. two thirds of the 80 million population in the drc live in poverty. 5.4 million have died when the war started for ten years, beginning in the 1990s. you mentioned the continuing violence. you said back in march 2013 that you had no political ambitions. "at the end of my term as governor of katanga, i will return to my profession as a businessman and as manager of a football club." finally, what changed your mind?

i was thinking president kabila was supposed to leave power to respect his second term. he didn't respect it, so i say, why? the majority of the people came to see me, even at the time i was resigning. over 2.8 million signed for me not to resign as a governor. i resigned as a governor so president kabila wanted to continue to change the constitution. so he could run for a third term because you can't... i said for that... that's why you wanted to go back? to serve my people. and to make, for president kabila to respect our constitution. in 20 in 20 seconds, can you do it for the people of the drc? do you have the vision? yes. i have the vision, i have the programme. if i didn't have any programme, i didn't supposed to be here to talk about my country. moise katumbi, thank you for coming on hardtalk. thank you. hello there.

good morning. tuesday was a decent day for the eastern side of the uk. we have seen more cloud, though, coming in from the west, and all our weather is coming in from off the atlantic at the moment. all this cloud spilling across the uk. it's driven by an area of low pressure that is running between iceland and scotland, with these weather fronts, too. the rain across the northern half of the uk is running across fairly quickly, but to the south, things grind to a halt towards the end of the night. so after the rain, across the northern half of the uk, we get some showers rattling into the north—west of scotland early on in the morning, and again, there could be a bit of snow across the mountains. there will be a strong wind, gales, probably, for northern

scotland. by the morning, sunshine is out across northern ireland, and the cloud continuing to break up across northern england, brightening up quite nicely as that rain is out into the north sea. but across east anglia, southern england, perhaps the south midlands, mid and south wales, we have got more cloud. quite low cloud, quite mild. but there will be some rain in the air, as well. it is never really going to clear away for much of the day. rain on and off across mid and south wales, perhaps the midlands, east anglia, and southern england. much more sunshine, though, arriving across north wales, northern england, northern ireland, and it is quite windy here in scotland, again, across the north and there will still be a few of those sharp showers. temperatures will be that bit lower. high temperatures probably in the south—east, where we have all that cloud and the threat of rain. still some rain around across southern parts of england and wales on wednesday evening. that rain eventually transfers southwards into the english channel. but to the north, we will see the showers pepping up again across northern ireland, and then into scotland, again, there could be some snow over the high hills. a drop in temperature later in the night, perhaps, in northern ireland,

scotland, north—east england, but nothing too cold out there. as we head into thursday, though, showers across scotland becomr fewer and lighter, largely confined to the north—east as the wind eases down. —— become. many places, thursday will be a dry day, some sunshine around. more cloud, though, towards the south and south—west, with that rain sitting through the channel, and it threatens to come back northwards again overnight and into friday. on a fairly weak weather front taking rain across the northern half of the uk, primarily. and then behind that weather system, we are drawing in our air from a long way south. so this is really quite mild air, but it is good to be accompanied by a good deal of cloud. so little, if any, sunshine around on friday. but the uk at least, not much rain at all and temperatures as high as 13 or 14 degrees. now, as we head into the it looks pretty unsettled, at least to start with. outbreaks of rain on saturday. quite a mild day as well. getting more showery on sunday, but then temperatures beginning to slip away later on.

i'm rico hizon in singapore. the headlines: the malaysia—north korea stand—off deepens, with citizens banned from leaving each other‘s countries. some of the cia's most sensitive hacking secrets are exposed on the internet. the agency's former boss tells us it is very damaging. it has made my country and my country's friends less safe. i'm karin giannone in london. saved from slavery, and worse, we meet some of the young yazidi people who escaped from the islamic state group to find refuge in germany. and, in the first—known attack of its kind in europe, poachers kill a rhino for its horn at a safari park near paris.