welcome to bbc news, broadcasting to viewers in north america and around the globe. my name is mike embley. our top stories: donald trumer defends his meeting with a russian lawyer last year, who was apparently offering to help his father's election campaign. for me this was opposition research that had something... may be contrary evidence that everyone is reporting, so i wanted to hear it out. he says he didn't tell his father about the meeting, but democrats say the disclosure is "deeply disturbing". all of the campaign denials of whether we knew this was going on and whether the russians had any involvement, whether the russians wa nted involvement, whether the russians wanted to help this campaign, obviously now have to be viewed in a com pletely obviously now have to be viewed in a completely different context. orphans of war: the desperate plight of the iraqi children trapped by the fight for mosul. a $2 billion boost for birth control. governments pledge to promote

contraception around the world. and celebrating the silk road: china hopes its trillion dollar project will unite the country and usher in a golden age of trade. hello. president trump has defended his eldest son, who's released e—mails suggesting he was ready to accept an apparent offer from the russian government to help his father get elected. last october, donald trumpjunior was promised official documents that would damage hillary clinton. that led to a meeting, which he says he didn't tell his father about, with a russian lawyer and two key trump advisers. opponents say he should have gone instead straight to the fbi. this from the bbc‘s gavin hewitt. for nearly six months there has been

a shadow over the trump administration, with the allegation that the trump campaign last year in somehow colluded with the russians. but today a series of highly damaging e—mails were published, suggesting that russian officials we re suggesting that russian officials were actively trying to help the trump campaign. congratulations, dad. w7? with a russian lawyer in june of last year, he decided to disclose the e—mails between himself and the publicist who arranged the meeting. the e—mails raise serious and disturbing questions. the four pages of e—mails reveal exchanges between trumer and a british publicist, rob goldstone. in one e—mail, mr goldstone offers to put him in contact with a lawyer linked to high—level russian officials, who are promising official documents and information that would incriminate hillary clinton and "would be very

useful to your father." the e—mail continues... in reply, mr trumer says... the meeting was set up by british publicist rob goldstone. much was promised, but the russian lawyer today denied any links with the kremlin. she was asked why those at the meeting thought she was going to deliver information on hillary clinton. translation: it's quite possible that maybe they were looking for such information. they wanted it so badly. but the reaction from politicians today shows that these drip, drip revelations are proving damaging to the trump administration. it's serious, and this is a serious situation, and one that is a long way from over. it doesn't appear that, when they had information that this

person might be connected with the russian government or a russian national, that they didn't immediately call the fbi. so what does president trump make of it all? well, today, he said that his son was a high—quality person, and praised his transparency. but the president is also said to be frustrated that, after today the questions are only likely to get more searching. tomorrow, the president goes back to europe, to france, determined to avoid the impression that his is an administration under siege. gavin hewitt, bbc news, washington. donald trumpjunior has been speaking to fox news. this is some of what he had to say. in retrospect, i probably would have done things differently. this is before the rush on many are, before they were building it up in the

press. for me this was opposition research. —— russiamania. they may be had contrary evidence to all of the stories i have been hearing about four years, not just the stories i have been hearing about four years, notjust ring the campaign, soi about four years, notjust ring the campaign, so i wanted to hear it down. what really nowhere was it apparent that that was what the meeting was actually about. the most senior democrat on the us house intelligence committee, adam schiff, described the disclosure of the e—mails as very significant and deeply disturbing. this is very significant, deeply disturbing new public information about direct contacts between the russian government and its intermediaries and the very centre of the trump family, campaign and organisation. obviously we need to get to the bottom of what happened. live now to washington and michael warren, a senior writer at the conservative—leaning magazine the weekly standard. i know your magazine leans towards

the republican point of view. politics is a rough business. it is normal to seek alp damaging info on an opponent. i guess even democrats don't feel they necessarily have a smoking on, but there's something wrong, isn't there a? yes, first of all it's a foreign government, according to these e—mails, but donald trump jr according to these e—mails, but donald trumer released to the public. he believed the information he was seeking was coming from a former government —— foreign government. it wasn't an allied government, like the uk, but an adversarial the us, russia. government, like the uk, but an adversarialthe us, russia. but right there is a big problem stock white it may not show collusion, nothing came of this meeting, but at the very least there is intense, willingness, an attempt to collude with a hostile foreign power. is it also illegal? i'm not a lawyer, so there are some laws that probably differ about whether or not this particularly applies to some of

those laws about information regarding campaigns or money or things of value provided by foreign nationals. but i think we are -- practically, the effect of this news, the fact we are talking not just about donald trumpjunior, but the fact that one of the people in the fact that one of the people in the meeting was the senior adviser in the white house, this is obviously going to concern the robert maloula special counsel investigation. —— robert mueller. and i am sure this will get more fbi investigations and interviews and that could reveal a whole lot more. at the very least it releases questions about his ethics and judgement and of the campaign manager. this was declared by either of them. that's right. this has been a trend with jarrod kushner. there

have been several meetings that he has had to disclose at a later date which he didn't initially disclosed on the provision of a security clea ra nce. on the provision of a security clearance. so there are many more questions. i should emphasise that a lot of pro trump people in the us have consistently said this is an investigation that has been going on for ten, maybe 11 months and they haven't yet recovered anything. the last few days have uncovered something, with the help from the media, and the fact of the matter is there's a lot —— a lot going on in this investigation we don't know about. investigators will want to know more about this. thank you very much. and there's plenty more detail about trump jr's e—mails on our website, including a detailed analysis from our north america

reporter anthony zurcher. just go to the bbc news website. united nations officials say there are still as many as 3,000 civilians trapped in the iraqi city of mosul, even though government forces declared victory there over the weekend. there are still skirmishes between iraqi troops and fighters of the extremist group the so—called islamic state. those trapped are mostly young or elderly people who've become separated from their families. from mosul, the bbc‘s jonathan beale. this is an orphan of the battle of mosul, a baby whose parents have been killed. he is one of the victims of the fight against the group known as islamic state. he was left at this clinic, malnourished, and without even a name. the medics here say there are many more like him. yeah, i mean, kids, they're just without parents, a lot of them. you know, they've either been killed by isis, or killed by air strikes, or killed by gunfire. there's a massive amount of devastation. that's the only way i can put it into terms.

iraq's prime minister may have declared victory, but there are still pockets of resistance, and streams of civilians trying to make their way to safety. they often collect the children of others along the way. seeba says she was shot at by is snipers as she tried to escape. the baby she is now holding is not hers. she said the mother and father were both buried under rubble. there are dozens of women and children here, waiting to be ta ken to safety. and they're notjust war weary. they are weak through lack of water and food. and, if you listen, the only sound you can hear is babies crying. at west mosul‘s main hospital, they're just about coping. they're still having

to treat the wounded, as well as the weak. this man barely alive after being found in the rubble. and there are more orphans here, too. this is galeb, who is crying out, "where's my father?" he only stops when they manage to distract him with a game. it's difficult to manage him. he's crying, asking for his father, mother. which is something that i can't replace it. i can't be his father, i can't be his mother. what do i do? even trying to identify the dead is proving difficult. search—and—rescue teams are looking out for any forms of identity, as they sift through the debris of war. iraq will notjust have to rebuild this city, but mend broken lives, too. jonathan beale, bbc news, mosul. let's take a look at some of the other stories

making the news. the syrian observatory for human rights has claimed the leader of the islamic state group, abu bakr al—baghdadi, is dead. this is not the first time it has been claimed. the group says it's obtained the information from other is commanders. the us—led coalition says it can't verify al—baghdadi's death. the four arab states who've severed all links with qatar say their boycott will continue, despite a deal between the us and qatar to combat the financing of terrorism. the deal between the us and qatar was signed in doha by the us secretary of state, rex tillerson, who is trying to end the month—long dispute. the un says the gaza strip is effectively unliveable for its two million residents. it says levels of income, health care, education, electricity and fresh water have all declined in the years that the islamist group hamas has controlled the territory

and israel's been blocading it. moscow says it intends to retaliate, seven months after the united states sent home 35 russian diplomats over allegations of meddling in the us election. the foreign minister, sergei lavrov, called america's refusal to return diplomatic property, outrageous and that russia was ready to expel 30 american diplomats. turkey's president recep tayyip erdogan has told the bbc that membership of the european union was not "indispensable" for his country, criticising the eu for being "insincere". in an interview with the bbc‘s hardtalk programme, mr erdogan also said he hoped for a free trade deal with britain once it leaves the eu and rejected criticism of turkey's record on press freedom. translation: we are loyal to our word. if the eu bluntly says we will not be able to accept turkey into the eu this will be comforting for us. we will then initiate our plan b and see. the eu is not indispensable for us.

turkey is able to stand on its own two feet. the majority of my people, they don't want the eu anymore. they don't think the eu's approach to turkey is sincere. despite all this, we will continue on being sincere with the eu for a little more time. we will see what that brings to us. and you can see the full hardtalk interview with president erdogan on bbc world news this friday, the 14th of july. stay with us on bbc news. still to come: promoting trade and national unity. how china's new silk road hopes to boost relations with the country's muslim minority. central london has been rocked by a series of terrorist attacks. police say there have been many casualties, and there is growing speculation that al-qaeda was responsible.

germany we will host the 2006 world cup. they pipped south africa by a single vote. in south africa, the possibility of losing hadn't even been contemplated, and celebration parties planned in all the big cities were cancelled. the man entered the palace through a downstairs window and made his way to the queen's private bedroom. then he asked her for a cigarette, and on the pretext of arranging for some to be brought, she summoned a footman on duty, who took the man away. one child, one teacher, one book, and one pen, can change the world. education is the only solution. the latest headlines.

president trump's eldest son has said he didn't tell his father about a meeting with a russian lawyer last year, who was apparently offering to help his election campaign. the un says as many as 3,000 civilians remain trapped in the iraqi city of mosul, despite government forces declaring victory there over the weekend. it's a month since the grenfell towerfire in london, in which at least 80 people lost their lives. police believe around 255 people managed to escape the building that night. one of them was antonio ronco—lato, who lived in an apartment on the tenth floor. it had been his home for 27 years. he's been recounting the events of that night to our correspondent, jeremy cooke. a month on, the tributes are fading. the memories, though, are sharp, clear, fresh in the mind. i knew i could not get out of there. it was too dangerous. for those who survived,

the events of a month ago are the stuff of nightmares. antonio shared a flat in grenfell tower with his son, christopher, who came home late that night to find the building on fire. when my son called me around i.30am, he told me, "pappy, wake up, get dressed and get out of there because the tower is burning." the flames came down christopher's room, on the outside. i saw the flames really live. smoke was very thick, very horrible smell, obviously, burning, very warm. i said, there's no way i can go out there, no way. somebody has to come and rescue me. they need to ring 999... so many lives were lost that night. so many saved too. for the fire brigade, grenfell tower was an unprecedented challenge. antonio knew he was in mortal danger, but he could do nothing but wait for the firefighters. they banged on the door

very strongly. they said, follow me and we'll tell you to do. they told me to grab on his jacket in the back. we went through so synchronised with these two firemen, unbelievably, very, very fast. a lot of water coming down from above. a lot of debris, a lot of mud, water on the floor, really noisy. hundreds did escape the tower that night. some even filmed as they made it out, made it to safety. for antonio, a breath of sweet, fresh air. i was out, i say, oh, my god, i said thank you, thank you, thank you. i say thank you, right and left, up and down. then they escorted me out of the building. i had to walk a few steps to the ambulance. then i could see a glimpse of the tower burning. antonio escaped the chaos, still he mourns neighbours

who didn't make it out. especially the children. two in particular, brother and sister, that are no longer with us. and i say, why? why them and not me? one story of survival. there are many others of tragedy. and still, so many questions about how all of this could have happened in our capital city one month ago. jeremy cook, bbc news, kensington. more than $2 billion have been pledged to give contraception to women and girls in the world's poorest countries. there are 214 million women who don't have access to contraception, meaning many don't get to complete their education because of teenage pregnancy. money is coming from donors like the bill and melinda gates foundation, along with the british government. our global health correspondent, tulip mazamdar, has more. uganda is one of the most difficult places in the world to get access to contraception. and this is your brother? yes. sulaina was 16 when i met her in 2014. after three days in labour on the floor of her home, she gave birth to a little girl.

the baby didn't survive. translation: i didn't even get to hold my baby. i didn't even see her before she died. when i see other women carrying their babies, ifeel so sad. sulaina pulled out of school, limiting her chances even further for a better life. 10,000 miles away in london, the british government is hosting a global summit to try to help girls like sulaina, together with the bill and melinda gates foundation, it has today pledged hundreds of millions of pounds to get contraceptives to more than 200 million women by 2020. but there is a major stumbling block. earlier this year, president trump announced he wants to stop funding all international family planning projects. it is a significant blow, given the us is the biggest donor to be services.

but campaigners are trying to remain optimistic. that is his proposal but i know what's right for the world and when i stand on the stage and i see the uk government, canadian government, indian government, bangladesh, indonesia, all increasing their money, i know that is where the world is going. back in northern uganda, the cycle of poverty continues in sulaina's family. but it is hoped the commitment made in london today will help millions more women break the cycle by choosing when they have their babies. tulip mazumdar, bbc news. this is the face of the new silk road. the ancient network of trade routes known as the silk road brought goods from china to the west. the country's president is resurrecting the route with a 12,000 kilometres railway, costing more than a trillion dollars. but is it a win for all,

or a bid for strategic influence? in a series of special reports this week, our china editor, carrie gracie, is travelling the length of this new rail route. she continues herjourney starting in western china. this is the face of the new silk road. behind the stage make—up, buhalima is a muslim from a farming family. her people left behind by china's growth. here in xinjiang, the state fears radical islam. and ethnic unrest has kept many away. translation: tourists i met told me they heard xinjiang was unsafe, that they couldn't be sure to get out unharmed if they came here. some people did some bad things and it's affected all of us. china is trying to re—write the script.

at this theatre, a grand narrative of ethnic unity and opportunities for all. there is a lot of ground to cover. the wealth gap between west china and the coast, a challenge as immense as the terrain. this economy is addicted to building but the coast now has as much road and rail as it can absorb. so china's seeking new frontiers at home and abroad. first stop west china. to solve economic and security problems with one blow. the silk road was once unimaginably remote to most chinese. not any more. in less than a decade, china's built twice as much rail as the rest of the world combined and pushed it out to the far west, towards the fabled silk road oasis of dunhuang, a magnet for the biggest tourist force in the world. one the government hopes will kick start growth and stabilise the region. heading west to troubled xinjiang, do they fear becoming targets of terror? translation: i'm not afraid. there are people looking after our safety everywhere we go. translation: a small group

of people are causing trouble but 99% are good. at xinjiang's grand theatre, they're spending $250 million on a silk road centre—piece but the more china invests, the more it has to protect. the ancient silk road story has moments of danger. and china's grand new narrative is fraught with peril. deliver on the spin of opportunities for all, or forever scan the crowd for the enemy within. carrie gracie, bbc news, xinjiang. and carrie's journey

continues in kazakhstan, where china is challenging russia's influence. we will show you this. it is nice to see two different sides coming together in this political climate. this video was taken off the coast of south australia. a whale hanging out with a group of dolphins. and you can get in touch with me and most of the team on twitter. i'm @bbcmikeembley. there is much more on their website any time you want it. thank you for being with us. good morning.

yesterday was one of those days for the southern half of the uk. yes, the covers were on the court at wimbledon. the rain was heavy at times and the umbrellas were out. it wasn't just across the south—east of england where we saw rain. further west in the south of wales it was hammering it down for a time. extensive rain in the southern half of the uk, as you can see from yesterday's radar. the brighter colours indicate heavier downpours. that rain is on the move overnight, moving southwards and eastwards. so it is the far south—east that first thing still has some rain to be had. temperatures about 111—15 degrees. a little bit lower than recently and dipping into single figures in northern scotland, so a relatively chilly start here. the rain clearing away pretty quickly. it leaves behind a fair bit of cloud in east anglia, through the m4 corridor and south of that. despite the cloud it is mostly dry. when we break up the cloud we see sunshine through mid—wales, the midlands, up in the northern england. and it should be a dry and bright start with sunshine for much of northern ireland and much of scotland. maybe the odd shower and some mist and cloud in scotland.

the cloud we seer in southern counties will slowly move away through the morning and by the afternoon we will see a lot of dry weather and bright weather, good spells of sunshine and patchy cloud here and there. all in all a pleasant afternoon, with light winds out west. pleasant, into the low 20s. always more fresh to the north sea coastal areas, 16—18 degrees. looks like a pretty decent day at wimbledon. it will be dry and bright, with sunshine. temperatures into the low 20s, not particularly windy. should be a full day's play. high pressure building in through wednesday. it will stick around into thursday. notice the weak weather front creeping towards the north and west. but ahead of that there's a lot of fine weather. some cloud building and a shower or two dotted around parts of england and wales, but most places will be fine and dry. there will be some thicker cloud into the west of scotland, a bit of a breeze and rain. for the eastern side of scotland, 18 in aberdeen. 20—211 in cardiff and london. then the weak weather front slips south thursday night, into friday. behind it we have this region of high pressure building in. so friday looks decent. it will be dry, bright for most

places and not too windy either, so a pretty decent day to end to the week. this is bbc news. the headlines: president trump's eldest son says he didn't tell his father about a meeting with a russian lawyer last year, who was apparently offering to help his election campaign. she's said to have offered donald trump junior official documents that would incriminate his father's election rival, hillary clinton. the un say as many as 3,000 civilians remain trapped in the iraqi city of mosul, despite government forces declaring victory there over the weekend. most are young or elderly, who've become separated from theirfamilies. skirmishes continue between iraqi troops and fighters from so—called islamic state. governments and private foundations have pledged more than $2 billion to family planning projects to make contraception more widely available. at least 200 million women don't have access to contraception, now it's time for

tuesday in parliament.