this is bbc news. i'm james menendez. the headlines. war games and calm words, the us says tighter sanctions and more diplomacy are the best way to pressure north korea. turkey says it's arrested or suspended 9,000 police officers, accusing them of supporting last yea r‘s abortive coup. and a special report from egypt, the centre of the multi—billion dollar illegal trade in human organs. and i'm aaron heslehurst. well, he called it the worst trade deal ever, but trump is backtracking on nafta. the white house tells mexico and canada it won't cancel the north american free trade agreement — but will renegotiate it. the peso and canadian dollar soar. plus — is it terminalfor alitalia? italy's flag carrier battles to stay in the sky as its rescuer pulls the plug.

hello and welcome to the program. can the trump administration persuade north korea to abandon its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes? well, that's the aim of its current strategy according to a briefing that the white house gave to all 100 us senators: using economic sanctions and diplomatic pressure to force pyongyang to change course. but there are many who doubt it'll work. more from our washington correspondent laura bicker. the us is piling on the pressure. this is military exercise just miles north of the korean border.

a message that the us is ready. this is how the head of the us pacific command put it to the house in washington. all options are on the table. we want to bring kim jong—un to his senses, not to his knees. later, all 100 senators were taken to a briefing at the white house with the commander in chief. a highly unusual move to show politicians from both sides of the aisle just how serious the situation has become. north korea is the most dangerous spot on the planet right now, and kimjong—un is a dangerous and wildly unpredictable dictator. unfortunately, he has a significant arsenal of nuclear weapons. donald trump is hoping china will use its political and economic leverage over pyongyang to persuade kim jong—un to end his nuclear programme. other options include designating north korea as a state sponsor of terrorism, which will allow the us to impose greater sanctions. those who have led negotiations

with pyongyang in the past believe that with briefing senators, president trump is on the right track. i think it was a smart move, but it is more of a pep talk. the secretary of defence, the secretary of state, the top administration officials, i think it is to try to get the senate to support the president in whatever he might decide to do. meanwhile the us show of might continues. this is a missile defence system in south korea. the current goal is a path to peace through negotiations, but the trump administration says it is prepared to defend itself and its allies if necessary. sue mi terry is a former north korea analyst with the cia and director of the korea/japan desk at the national security council under both the bush and 0bama administrations. she joins us now from new york. as you'll well know, this kind of pressure hasn't worked in the past — why will it work now? that is a big problem. this problem

began in 1990, that is a big problem. this problem began in1990, and that is a big problem. this problem began in 1990, and has spanned three us administrations. even though now it looks like we are trying to put on maximum pressure, it is not that we have not tried this before. but again, ithink we have not tried this before. but again, i think that a slight difference with this is that the trump administration is probably going to enforce secondary sanctions against chinese entities that deal with north korea if china does not come through in terms of pressuring north korea. but if pyongyang thinks trump admin more willing to use force? i think that is the strategy. president trump, particularly coming

in the aftermath of syria and the attack in afghanistan is trying to show that his decision—making is unpredictable and that this era of participation is now over. he is very serious, that is why they keep talking about all actions being on the table, to put pressure on china. so far, we are not sure if china is going to come through on this. they may, in the short term, be tactical, but long—term we are unsure if china is really going to change their north korea strategy. what about the psychology in the regime in pyongyang? do you think that will change in tone? i don't think it will have the kind of effect that the trump administration is looking for. i think it would really depend on how much china is really willing

to pressure north korea. if china really decides to pull all of the economic aid and assistance to north korea, it might have an effect. 90% of north korea's global trade is with china, china provides 90% of north korea's oil. if china really wa nted north korea's oil. if china really wanted to, it could pressure north korea. i'm just not sure if it's strategy has changed. is pyongyang determined to develop nuclear missiles at any cost, or may they be persuaded not to do i think it's highly unlikely that this regime is going to up nuclear weapons. —— not to? i think it's highly unlikely. they have spent billions of dollars on building those. i think it would

be very unlikely. the only way is if they feel that their very survival is at risk if they do not give up nuclear weapons. thank you very much for joining nuclear weapons. thank you very much forjoining us from new york. thank you very much forjoining us from new let's take a look at some of the other stories making the news. more than 700,000 people were given refugee or protection status by eu countries in the last year — twice as many as in 2015. germany granted asylum to the most — around 445,000 refugees — three times as many as before. most people granted asylum were from syria. venezuela says it's pulling out of the organisation of american states, accusing it of interfering in its internal affairs. there were more demonstrations on wednesday to call for early elections — there's an acute economic crisis, and nearly 30 people have died in protests since march. scientists in britain have developed a simple test for glaucoma which they say could lead to much earlier detection of the leading cause of irreversible sight loss.

there's no cure for the 60 million people around the world with glaucoma, but it can be managed if detected early. scientists say bigger trials are now needed. turkey's police force says more than 9,000 officers have been suspended for alleged links to the islamic preacher blamed for last year's coup attempt. earlier on wednesday more than 1,000 were arrested in simultaneous raids across the country. those detained were described as ‘secret imams' operating inside the police. greg dawson reports. in single file, they waited for a swift court appearance. each of them escorted by a police officer. each of them a suspect in president erdogan‘s crackdown against those he believes have plotted against him. from early morning on wednesday, police launched simultaneous operations across the country. more than 1,000 detained were themselves turkish police officers.

many are accused of having links to this man, us—based cleric fethullah gulen. a former ally of president erdogan, he's accussed of inspiring last summer's failed military coup. he denies it but turkey is still demanding the us extradite him. since the july the 15th failed coup attempt, 117,000 people have been arrested across turkey. that includes more than 10,000 police officers and more than 7,000 military personnel. around 100,000 people have been forced to leave governmentjobs, including policing and teaching. the latest purge comes after president erdogan narrowly won a controversial referendum to increase his powers. he says it makes his country safer, but opponents claim he's steering it towards dictatorship, an argument firmly rejected by turkey's prime minister in a bbc interview. translation: i really can't agree with any of those claims because approximately 50 million people voted. they all went to the ballot boxes and they made a choice. 23 or 2a million said no and more than 25 million people said yes. but this crackdown has

further soured relations with turkey's eu allies. the arrests were criticised by the german government and also by lawmakers in the eu parliament, who demanded a formal suspension of talks for turkey to one dayjoin the union. greg dawson, bbc news. with some breaking news about nafta coming up of america? -- coming out of america? he was suggesting he was going to be counselled, but... aaron is here with all the business news. we start with president trump — because once again he's taken the business world by surprise. the white house has confirmed it has

told the leaders of canada and mexico they won't be scrapping the north american free trade agreement. but instead they will seek to renegotiate the terms of it. that has sent the canadian dollar and mexican peso soaring. president trump has repeatedly vowed to pull out from the 23—year—old trade pact with the two neighbouring countries — calling it the worst trade deal in history. he already used an executive order onjan 23 to pull out of the huge tra ns—pacific partnership trade deal. financial markets were worried he was about to do the same with nafta, with huge implications for industries from agriculture to the auto sector. we will have more in coming up in the business report. —— more on that

coming up. —— more on that coming we are also looking at italy's flag carrier airline alitalia. its shareholders are meeting to discuss starting bankruptcy proceedings after labour unions voted to reject a cost—cutting plan. alitalia's investors, including the gulf airline etihad, have reacted to the vote by cancelling a $2.2 billion cash injection, which the airline was relying on to secure its future. so, they could be facing bankruptcy. that's it for now, i will see you again shortly. at least 10,000 human organs are sold illegally every year, according to the world health organization. billions of dollars are tied up in a trade driven partly by desperate refugees, making money by selling their body parts. the middle east is considered the hub of the trade, but egypt hosts the largest number of illegal operations.

in the second of our series on organ trafficking, our correspondent nawal al—maghafi reports from cairo. cairo, one of the middle east's main business hubs — but now a darker trade is thriving. the network is wide, from migrant smugglers to some of egypt's leading doctors. a crumbling health system and shortage of organs has meant that people wait for years, so turn to the black market where profits are huge. translation: if you've got money, anything is possible. this man matches up those wanting to buy with those desperate enough to want to sell their organs. conflict in the middle east has made hisjob easier. what he is doing is illegal, but but he now claims to feel remorse, so explains the trade to us. translation: people came to me wanting to sell their organ, to pay to be smuggled abroad.

money never lasts long, but the promise of a safe life and opportunities overseas are a pretty good incentive. 0rgan donation is complicated here, no money can change hands and you can only donate to someone from the same nationality, but there are always ways to get around the law. translation: if someone's got dark skin, for example, they could pass as sudanese, the brokersjust make him a fake passport. you can buy the passports from the streets, it's really not a big deal. authorities claim they're trying to crackdown on this trade. last year, they conducted a raid of multiple clinics, resulting in the arrest of 45 people, among them doctors and nurses. millions of pounds were recovered, yet for many the profits outweigh the risks. we're on our way to meet a doctor who we've been told works as a surgeon within the organ trade. we're going in undercover

and our story is that my father's in desperate need of a kidney transplant, but can't find a donor. medical costs for illegal transplants are around $3,000, but we've been told to say we'll pay whatever‘s necessary. this is illegal. dr ahmed mustafa works for the police, he reassures us that he can help. people come from across the middle east to buy kidneys. this man was on the government waiting list for months until his health deteriorated to the point that the family decided to buy a kidney. i ask him, what if something happens to the donor, will i not be held responsible? this man was on the government waiting list for months until his health deteriorated to the point that the family decided to buy a kidney. i ask him, what if something happens to the donor,

will i not be held responsible? during our investigation, we learnt of a man who died after selling his kidney. the risks are huge, but so is the desperation for a better life. and with no control in place, there'll be no stopping the organ trade. nawalal—maghafi, bbc news, cairo. stay with us on bbc world news. still to come: vets call for a ban on irresponsible breeding, saying too many breeds of pet suffer from chronic health problems. nothing, it seems, was too big to withstand the force

of the tornado. the extent of the devastation will lead to renewed calls for government to build better government housing. internationally, there have already been protests. sweden says it received no warning of the accident. indeed, the russians at first denied anything had gone wrong. only when radioactivity levels began to increase outside russia were they forced to admit the accident. for the mujahideen, the mood here is of great celebration. this is the end of a 12—year war for them. they've taken the capital, which they've been fighting forfor so long. it was 7am in the morning, the day when power began to pass from the minority to the majority, when africa, after 300 years, reclaimed its last white colony. this is bbc world news.

the latest headlines: the trump administration says it aims to pressure north korea into dismantling its nuclear and missile programmes through diplomatic pressure and economic sanctions. turkey's police force says more than 9,000 officers have been suspended or arrested for suspected links to the islamic preacher blamed for last year's coup attempt. a christian lobby group in australia has called for britain to keep out of the country's long—running debate on same—sex marriage. gay couples can't get married under australian law, but hundreds of gay weddings have taken place since 2014 using british law with the help of the british high commission. from canberra, hywel griffith reports. # i never thought i'd see you... walking down the aisle into married life.

ben and simon exchange vows and rings, all with the help of a diplomatic a loophole. they will be legally wed in britain and not australia using the british embassy. as i'm sure you're aware, this ceremony is taking place under uk law. it can only happen because ben has a british passport. and once they leave the stately grounds, their union will not be legally recognised on australian soil. this is honoured by the queen, god damn it! who is more important, the queen or your bigotry? these relationships are strong as anybody's. canberra is at the centre of the struggle with same—sex marriage in australia. polls suggest public support, but politicians in parliament cannot agree on the best way forward.

a nationwide vote plans earlier this year was scrapped because of fears it would stoke homophobic hatred. advert: because the purpose of marriage is to produce offspring... those campaigning against same—sex marriage claim their views are being discriminated against and they prefer countries like britain keep out of the debate. just because britain has made a decision does not mean we should. we should follow suit. we are seeing negative impacts in britain because of this in terms of impinging on the rights and freedoms of others. it is up to australia to decide and not to be influenced by others. i now pronounce you husband and husband. ben and simon's same—sex marriage means there have now been 380 married under british law in australia. a few have taken place in other countries as well, from azerbaijan to vietnam.

so is britain trying to exert some soft power? we would never seek to enforce our values on other countries, particularly not a country like australia, with which we have such close and respectful relations. this is more about the services, but also a celebration of our own values that we have taken that step. for ben and simon, today is about their future together, but they hope the time will soon come when all of australia will embrace their marriage. bbc news, canberra. sport now. in the english premier league, tottenham hotspur kept their title hopes alive with a 1—0 win at crystal palace. in a game of few chances, christian eriksen provided the moment of magic needed by spurs. he hit a stunning dipping strike from 30 yards with just over ten minutes left. the victory leaves tottenham four points behind leaders chelsea with five matches remaining. elsewhere, arsenal beat the champions, leicester, 1—0. while at the bottom, middlesbrough won for the first time this year against near neighbours, sunderland, a result that means they could be relegated this weekend.

in spain, barcelona and real madrid remain level on points at the top, after they both won and scored 13 goals between them. lionel messi scored twice as barca thrashed 0sasuna, 7—1. no surprise there, but a goal forjavier mascherano was. it's his first for barcelona in 319 games. and real madrid won 6—2 at deportivo la coruna where james rodriguez scored twice. the former world tennis number one, maria sharapova, has won herfirst competitive tennis match since she was banned for doping 15 months ago. the five—time grand slam champion beat italy's roberta vinci in straight sets in the stuttgart 0pen. sharapova tested positive for meldonium in 2016, and had her original two—year ban reduced on appeal. they may look cute, but pet owners in the uk are being warned to think twice before buying certain breeds of cats and dogs because of health concerns.

popular "flat—faced" breeds like pugs and french bulldogs are all prone to serious problems including breathing difficulties. now leading british vets are calling for a ban on irresponsible breeding. holly hamilton reports. the pugs to french bulldogs, britain has fallen for flat faced breeds. they cannot get enough of them. they are on instagram, teacups, and lots of merchandise. the breed is very popular at the moment. they are like little clowns. 0bviously, they are cute as well. but, as their popularity rises, so too has concerns over hills problems. while many like teddy are healthy, selective reading

—— bringing led to breathing issues. and it isn't only dogs. cats with flat years have been growing in popularity. it is the look and temperament. they have a lovely temperament. they have a lovely temperament. this woman has been bringing scottish folds for many yea rs. bringing scottish folds for many years. but it features a genetic mutation that makes them prone to hills problems like arthritis. —— health. it appears to be a progressive gene that leads to arthritis. said there was no way of knowing how they age. any further breeding of the scottish fold should be banned according to authorities. they have incurable chronic painful conditions they will develop. we

should not read cats that have this known problems. —— breed. should not read cats that have this known problems. -- breed. the government says there is no specific plan to ban these animals in the uk. breeders themselves say there is simply not enough evidence. whether they are bred to have flat ears or faces, they are not going anywhere. but authorities say to think about their health, not just but authorities say to think about their health, notjust their appearance. bbc news. goodbye for now. i will be back shortly. hello again. yesterday was a chilly day with lively weather. this was one of many hailstorms in south—east england ca ptu red

hailstorms in south—east england captured by our weather watcher. thank you for that. no hailstorms today in the forecast. a cloudier today. a number of showers around around as well. showers from the word go in the north of the uk. further south, a cold start to the morning, that is for sure. clear spells. lowest temperatures at dawn around —3. something like that. a frosty start for some. it will melt away. sunshine. it won't last long. cloudy weather will come down quickly from the northern reaches. that will bring cold air away from the surface. temperatures will be slow to rise. northern england, northern ireland, scotland, starting off with cloudy skies. breezy weather for the north—east of scotla nd weather for the north—east of scotland to start the day. windy in places, actually. these weather fronts goes out, taking thicker and thicker cloud southwards, bringing

showers. at the same time, the weather will brighten up in scotland and eventually northern ireland and the north of england. temperatures around 11 degrees for most of us. that is as good as it will get. thursday night. heavy showers will push south while weakening. the sky cleared. it will turn chilly. in the towns and cities, temperatures staying up and above freezing. the weather picture on friday. a quiet day for most of us. cloud around at times. passing showers possible. especially in eastern scotland and england. some sunshine getting through the cloud. things will get more mild as well. temperatures between 11 and 14 degrees. we are getting more mild weather into the weekend with saturday starting off ona weekend with saturday starting off on a positive note. some sunshine. some isolated showers in the western

areas. highs between 12 and 16 degrees. and that is your weather. this is bbc world news, the headlines: after days of military manoeuvres, the trump administration now seems to be reverting to the policy of past presidents, tighter sanctions and diplomatic pressure, to end north korea's nuclear and missile programmes. turkey's police force says more than nine thousand officers have been suspended or arrested for suspected links to the islamic preacher blamed for last yea r‘s coup attempt. a bbc investigation has revealed the scale of organ trafficking in egypt, with thousands of illegal operations taking place each year. venezuela has announced it will withdraw from the organisation of american states, accusing the regional group of interfering in its internal affairs. there've been more demonstrations for early elections, at least 20 people have died in protests since march.