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... maybe concrete evidence to all the stories i was hearing about for years, so i wanted to hear it out. he says he didn't tell his father about the meeting, but democrats say it is deeply disturbing. all of the campaign denials of whether we knew this was going on, or whether the russians had any involvement, whether the russians wanted to help his campaign, 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 has 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 trumer was promised official documents that would damage hillary clinton. it 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 somehow colluded with the russians. but today, a series of highly

damaging e—mails were published, suggesting that russian officials were actively trying to help the trump campaign. congratulations, dad. we love you! donald trumer was at the heart of his father's election campaign. today, he embarked on a high—risk strategy. fearing more revelations about a meeting at trump tower 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.

this is very problematic. we cannot allow foreign governments to reach out to anybody's campaign and say we'd like to help you. that is a non—starter. 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 trumer has been speaking to fox news. this is some of what he had to say. in retrospect, i probably would have done things differently. again, this is before russiamania, this is before they were building it up in the press. for me, this was opposition research. they had something — maybe contrary evidence

to all of the stories i'd been hearing about for years, notjust during the campaign, so i think i wanted to hear it. but, really, it went nowhere, and it wasn't 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 obviously 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. eric ham is a political analyst and co—author of a critically acclaimed biography of the republican party. he joins us from washington. welcome, good to talk to you. it does not appear that there is evidence of actual collusion here. nothing came of this meeting. but there does seem to be at the very

least intense, willingness, an attempt to collude with a hostile foreign power. a lot of ammunition, you would have thought, for the various investigations into russian influence. how much do you think it all matters? well, actually you are right in your assessment that there was no there there. however, you do have high—level members of the trump campaign who were actually willing to collude with a foreign power. now, i think this is an issue for the special counsel, bob mueller, to sort out but it is very damaging and i think the cloud that is hanging over this presidential administration only gets that much darker. but more importantly, i think it is going to make it that much more difficult for this president to corral his base, to corral his gop led congress, to actually move on much of the legislation that he wants to see get done. so even if it doesn't matter necessarily to his core voters, it

makes it harder for necessarily to his core voters, it makes it harderfor him to get done what he was elected to do. absolutely, and if you look at what is on the horizon here in washington, the obamacare repeal, the debt ceiling, which needs to be raised at the latest by october, and if that debt ceiling is not raised, we could see a government shutdown. in addition to that, we still have to fund the government. so these are really difficult, really intractable issues, where you are going to see large fights not only between republicans and democrats, but between republicans. and it is in that instant that you need a president who can lead, but more importantly lead his party. but now i think this is a large shoe that just dropped on the trump administration, because even though donald trump jr is administration, because even though donald trumer is a private citizen, jarrod —— jared donald trumer is a private citizen, jarrod ——jared kushner

donald trumer is a private citizen, jarrod —— jared kushner is a senior adviser in this white house. so i think there's only hinders the ability of the trump administration to move forward on many serious issues that will not only affect the united states domestically, but affect the united states globally. and yet, however frustrated the republican party and congress gets, especially as we get closer to the mid—term elections, surely they are not going to move in any way against mr trump unless the core vote shifts. and there is no sign of that. well, we're already seeing some difficulty. if you look at what is taking place on this obamacare repeal, there are a number of republicans who are shying away from this. and we know donald trump at least wa nts from this. and we know donald trump at least wants an obamacare repeal if there is nothing to replace it, yet least wa nts if there is nothing to replace it, yet least wants to see them repeal obamacare. but right now we don't see republicans moving in that direction. and now, with the latest bombshell on donald trump junior, direction. and now, with the latest bombshell on donald trumpjunior, i think it is only going to make it

that much more difficult for senate republicans to actually get high on this president. and i think that is what is making it very difficult. if you watch that press conference today with senate majority leader mitch mcconnell, you could tell he was very frustrated with having to a nswer was very frustrated with having to answer questions about this latest controversy involving the trump family. and i think that only makes it that much harder for the president to lead. i mean, compare what is going on right now in washington to when president up obama was actually moving obamacare through the congress. he was able to corral his party, even when they knew that many of them would lose their jobs, knew that many of them would lose theirjobs, their political lifeline was on the line. what they got behind the president, and they did it. many republicans are simply not standing in line behind this president, and these russia allegations continue to impede his ability to lead his party. very good to talk to you, thank you very much. and there is plenty more detail about trump jr's e—mails on our website, including in—depth analysis from our north america reporter anthony zurcher. just go to bbc.com/news.

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 have 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. they're — you know, either 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, is — yeah. 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. it is a disaster, 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. we are on a slightly different story

from the one we intended to bring you. 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 c. the european union is not indispensable for us. turkey is able to stand on its own two feet.

the majority of my people 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, 14 july. go to bbc.com/hardtalk for the programme times where you are. 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. very glad to have you with us on bbc

news. 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 give documents to help his election campaign. the ancient network of trade routes known as the silk road brought goods from china to the west. president xijinping is now resurrecting the route with a 7,500 mile railway. it'll cost at least a trillion dollars. but is it a win for all, or just a play for strategic influence? our china editor carrie gracie is travelling the length of this new rail route. she starts this report 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. 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 bakral—baghdadi is dead. 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 agreement 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 since hamas took control of the territory. israel, which considers it a terrorist group, has tightened its blockade of the coastal strip. russian officials 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 he said that russia was ready to expel 30 american diplomats. the world has got used to health and longevity, with falling death rates. but in the united states, an opioid crisis is pleming lies. —— claiming. there are now more than 2 million grandparents bringing up children because of this epidemic. she was finally starting to get it together, then got back with a drug using friend, and she took some heroine come and kill her.

—— heroin and it killed. when the policeman was talking to me, it was in the kitchen, and he said if you don't take, she will go to foster care. andl don't take, she will go to foster care. and i said of course i would ta ke care. and i said of course i would take my grandchild. you should watch a movie. i didn't think it would be a movie. i didn't think it would be a good movie when i first wanted, but it was great. it is actually really good. it is sad. plans change. we are were going to travel, picks up the house. not much of that has happened. a few months after we got her, we got her older sister, and it has been a struggle, with her. we have been to the emergency room more than once. -- the emergency room. | room more than once. -- the emergency room. i was close room more than once. -- the emergency room. i was close to death and was basically in a coma for six

hours afterwards. i was crying and migrant mother came hours afterwards. i was crying and migrant mothercame in hours afterwards. i was crying and migrant mother came in and took me to hospital, again, and so that is why a kenya. i knewl to hospital, again, and so that is why a kenya. i knew i was going to put on top of her mother, and i was scared. —— why i came here. but she managed to make it true that. they we re managed to make it true that. they were able to resuscitating. —— through that. but ijust live in fear of losing another one. who wants to share next? now we have very little free time, we can't afford vacations... the fear is that i will have serious health problems and will not be able to raise my grandsons. we all that the they will

follow in her footsteps, the likelihood is higher. hopes? i'm sorry... sobriety for all members of the family. they took us in and i am very grateful for it and everything, and loving me, even when it was hard, just caring for me, and telling me that you love me. it is not that you can't do it, or that you don't want to do it, you just get tired. we love them. we don't resent them. but it is hard. just before we leave you, let's round upa just before we leave you, let's round up a couple of other stories. a host of internet giants willjoin a protest on wednesday about the laws surrounding net neutrality.

broadband providers are up prevented from giving service to some internet providers over others. india's supreme court has suspended a law that would have banned cattle being sold at markets for slaughter. the government announced the new ruling asa anti— government announced the new ruling as a anti— cruelty measure. the band could cause hardship in many industries. the international olympic committee has approved both paris and los angeles as future hosts of its flagship event. the cities will each be awarded either the 2024 or the 2028 olympic games. they'll now negotiate to decide who goes first. hamburg, rome and budapest all pulled out of the contest. more on all that and all the news any time on the bbc website. thank you for watching. 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 14—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—24 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 has said he didn't tell his father about a meeting last year with a russian lawyer who was apparently offering documents that would damage hillary clinton's campaign and help his father get elected. opponents say donald trumer should have gone straight to the fbi. as many as 3,000 civilians are thought to be still trapped in the iraqi city of mosul, even though government forces declared victory over the weekend. most are young or elderly, people who have become separated from theirfamilies. there are still skirmishes with fighters from the extremist group the so—called islamic state. governments and private foundations have pledged more than $2 billion to make contraception available to more than 200 million women worldwide who can't get family planning services. teenage pregnancy means many don't get to complete their education. now on bbc news, time for panorama.

britain is facing the biggest shake—up in food and farming since the second world war. the direction will be higher prices, less choice and poorer quality. some farmers fear a bad brexit deal could drive them out of business. i've been through a couple of foot and mouth outbreaks. this is more important, more crucial to get right. others say food standards could drop. we'll see the environment damaged, we'll see livestock cruelly treated. but could food costs actually be lower when we're out of the eu? if we buy food from world sources rather thanjust the european union, prices are something like 20% lower on average. and can we strike a good deal?