welcome to bbc news, broadcasting to viewers in north america and around the globe. my name's 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's 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 in some way 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 the 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, but 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 trump jr has donald trumer has spoken with fox news. this is some of what he had to say. in retrospect i would have done things differently. this is before the russian media, before they build it up in the press. for me this was opposition research that may have

had concrete evidence that was unreported for years, notjust really campaign. so i wanted to hear it out. really, it was apparent that that wasn't what the meeting was about. let me ask a hypothetical, andl about. let me ask a hypothetical, and i know maybe you have thought about it since, since it has been russian collusion et cetera, did you meet with any other person from russia that you know?” meet with any other person from russia that you know? i don't even know, probably other people from russia. not in the context of a formalised meeting. why would i? in the grand scheme of things, how busy we were, it was much more important to do we were, it was much more important todo— we were, it was much more important to do — this was done for an acquaintance. 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 obviously 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 eactly what happened. let's explore this with steve fish. you could look at this, as many reporters do, politics is a difficult business, many seek out information on your opponent. difficult business, many seek out information on your opponentm difficult business, many seek out information on your opponent. it is not normal to seek out damaging information from a foreign government that is hostile to the united states. there is nothing common about that. i don't think other presidential candidates have done it. it is also illegal. this is something the campaign has denied all along has taken place, which is any all along has taken place, which is a ny effort all along has taken place, which is any effort from the campaign to couude any effort from the campaign to collude with russia on the behalf of the trump campaign. it turns out his son and son—in—law, his campaign

manager, those at the heart of his campaign team, did meet with someone from russia who promised juicy information on hillary clinton. this is the smoking gun that many people expected to find. this is the flame to go with the smoke. it is not for us to go with the smoke. it is not for us to decide what is or isn't illegal. strictly speaking, looking at the quote, it is illegal to solicit a contribution to a campaign from a foreign individual or entity. it isa from a foreign individual or entity. it is a dance the law for a foreign national to donate opposite ree shirt to a campaign —— again. when donald trump jr says shirt to a campaign —— again. when donald trumer says there was no collusion, it was opposition research, what do you say? as you have read, in the law, it is illegal to seek opposition research from a foreign entity — he has broken that will. this is not about campaign finance, although that is an issue he will have to deal with. it is not

for us to decide what is against the law. if you see a crime you can probably be sure that it happened. this will have to be handled by mr mueller, head of the fbi investigation, and the american courts. it is not for us to decide, oi’ courts. it is not for us to decide, or republican or democratic members of congress. this looks like we are getting into the realm of breaking the law. there is probably more when this —— where this came from. the law. there is probably more when this -- where this came from. how damaging is it politically? it seems clear co re damaging is it politically? it seems clear core supporters of mr trump, his ardent voters, won't change their opinions. they must be frustrated that this is getting in the way of him doing what he was elected to do as far as they are concerned. even when the news about russia isn't all that prominent in the headlines, trump hasn't been able to get anything done that he said he was going to do, so they can't blame this on the russia problem. the big problem is he cannot get along with everybody and he has sabotaged his own initiative.

this is a big story of course. his hard—core supporters might not abandon him. a lot of republicans in congress really matter right now. they have to face the question, are they going to risk, continuing to stay with trump, becoming the party of treason, a party that puts loyalty to the outcome they want, this is a foreign government attacking democratic institutions and the effort might have proven successful. 88,000 votes in a handful of successful. 88,000 votes in a ha ndful of states successful. 88,000 votes in a handful of states determined the outcome of the election. it was not down to a single incidence of hacking and leaking. russian bots and entities have been working for the trump campaign against hillary clinton for the last year. this is a very big deal. it will be hard for them to continue to sustain these denials in light of today's information. trump supporters will have 90 to say about that. they're interesting. thank you very much

indeed. there is much more detail about the e—mails on our website, including useful and detailed analysis from oui’ useful and detailed analysis from our north america reporter, anthony zirker. 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 theirfamilies. 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. 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. the group says it has 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 have 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, healthcare, education, electricity and fresh water have all declined in the ten years that the islamist group hamas has controlled the territory. israel has tightened its blockade of

the coastal strip. 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 said 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 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, the 14th of july. go to bbc.com/hardtalk for the programme times where you are. stay with us on bbc news — still to come: rescued from lebanon and saved from a life in war—torn syria. three rare siberian tigers set

to start a new life in france. 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

use. —— 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 help his election campaign. the un is seen as many as 3000 civilians are still trapped in mosul, even though government forces declared victory there over the weekend. $2 billion have been pledged to provide contraception for women and girls in the world's poorest countries. a large amount of money is coming from the bill and melinda gates foundation, and also the british government. more than 200 million women across the globe don't have access to contraception, and teenage pregnancy means many don't get to complete their education. our global health correspondent tulip mazamdar has the story. 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. let's round—up some of the other stories making news: several internet giants willjoin

a protest on wednesday against plans to roll back rules protecting net neutrality in the us. the obama—era measures prohibit broadband providers from giving access to certain internet services, over others. but the trump administration believes the current set—up discourages the spread of high—speed internet to rural communities. india's supreme court has suspended a law that would have banned cattle being sold at markets for slaughter. the hindu nationalist government announced the new ruling as an anti—cruelty measure. but the chiefjustice said the ban would have created hardship for those in the meat and leather industries — dominated by muslims. 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. 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 12,000 kilometre 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. three seven—month—old tigers are on their way to start a new life in france, after being rescued from a tiny box bound for syria. caroline davies reports. waiting to go to their new home, at the siberian tigers are being sent to france. this is mainly and tanya. we're getting them to one of the best sanctuary is in europe and trying to rescue them from the illegal trade. —— may and tanya. trying to rescue them from the illegaltrade. -- may and tanya. but they nearly ended up somewhere very different, syria. in march, the

young tigers arrived in a tiny crate at beirut airport. they were covered in maggots and theses. the exporter had a permit to export them to ease an outside damascus, but the conditions they would travelling in violated international rules. —— faeces. after three months, the lebanese government decided there should be resettled in france. the big cat trade is eight big industry in lemon on. it is something these tigers have escaped. —— a big. drugged and loaded into boxes with their names on, they will be taken to london before starting a new life in lyons. and you can get in touch with me and most of the team on twitter. 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 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 see 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 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 trumpjunior 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've 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. time now for hardtalk.