this is bbc news. i'm david eades. 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 by incriminating hillary clinton. 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 did not tell his father about the meeting but democrats say it's deeply disturbing. fears for the safety of civilians fleeing raqqa, as the battle to retake the syrian city intensifies. no more life in the fast lane for your web search? check your internet speed today as many major websites are on a go slow in protest at us plans to scrap net neutrality rules. the boss of us bankjp morgan chase

warns that what happens to banking jobs in london after brexit is no longer in the hands of the uk government. thanks forjoining us. donald trumpjunior has said he didn't tell his father about a meeting last year with a russian lawyer who was apparently offering to help the trump election campaign. interviewed by the hannity programme on fox news, he described the meeting asjust a nothing. opponents say he should have gone instead straight to the fbi. our washington correspondent david willis reports. congratulations, dad. we love you. donald trump jr

congratulations, dad. we love you. donald trumer played a key role in his father's accent to the presidency, now his actions are almost threatening to undermine that victory. fearing further revelations about a meeting last year at trump talla rd about a meeting last year at trump tallard the president's eldest son chose to release copies of any mou exchange between him and the man who broke at that meeting. those e—mails have released some disturbing questions. in retrospect i probably would have done things a little differently. this is before the russia—mania. this was opposition research. maybe they had concrete evidence to the stories that were underreported for years, notjust in the campaign. i wanted to hear it out. really, it went nowhere and it was apparent that wasn't what the meeting was about. the e-mails feature an exchange between donald trump feature an exchange between donald trumerand a feature an exchange between donald trump jr and a british feature an exchange between donald trumer and a british publicist named rob goldstone. early in the thread goldstone offers to broker a meeting with a russian lawyer who he says has damaging information about

hillary clinton, which would be very useful to your father. the e—mail continues... donald trump jr replies donald trumer replies simply... the eagerness of trumpjunior has left lawmakers of both parties deeply concerned. it is serious and this is a serious situation. and it is 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. the fact that donald trump's son—in—law jared kushner was also present at the meeting at trump tower only adds to the concern here. now a senior adviser to the president, some are saying it is another sign of how keen the trunk campaign was for information about its presidential rival. president trump travels to france today, anxious no doubt to escape the

impression that he is is an administration under siege. and there's plenty more detail about trump junior‘s e—mails on our website, they are all laid out there, including in depth analysis from our north america reporter anthony zurcher. just go to bbc.com/news. the battle to retake the syrian city of raqqa from the islamic state group is intensifying. the kurdish—led syrian democratic forces have breached the old city and control about a quarter of the city, the us military say. as hanan razek reports, the battle is taking its toll on civilians. pushing deeper into the capital of the self—declared caliphate. kurdish and arab forces have surrounded raqqa and now they are advancing into the old town. as the forces

make progress, civilians flee. people are escaping the violence a nyway people are escaping the violence anyway they can. this cattle truck is what this family crammed into it in their search for a safe shelter. some of those fleeing the city have decided not to go too far. just a few kilometres away from raqqa, people have begun setting up makeshift tents. despite the dire conditions, they hope they will be able to go back home soon. the push towards raqqa started at

the end of last year with heavy airstrikes in and around the city. according to the un, at least 300 civilians died in raids since march alone. with an estimated 100,000 people still left inside the city, there are growing fears for the safety. north of the city, a camp has been set up for those who have escaped the fighting. in may alone, around 100,000 people were displaced. it is safer here, but conditions are tough. the forces surrounding the city say

they will capture it in a matter of months, and that will mean many more thousands facing the dangerous journey into camps like this one. 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. rachel is here with all the business news. go slow? that is right. when it is taking a while to load your content, i recognise that expression. get ready to take a deep breath

when you go online today because some of the most popular websites will be running slowly. companies like facebook, netflix, and amazon are taking part in a protest against changes being made to us rules which govern net neutrality. so what is it? imagine cars on a motorway. if your internet provider is the road and the cars are content, then net neutrality stops the internet provider setting up a fast lane for those prepared to pay to get there quicker. such a fast lane means the companies that can afford to use it can get their content, for example, data heavy videos, to consumers first. giving them an advantage over their competitors. the companies and activists behind today's action argue treating all internet traffic equally is a matter of fairness, limits censorship and ensures smaller companies are not disadvantaged simply because they have less money. since president trump took office the us federal communications commission has voted to overturn net neutrality rules. it's new chair says doing so will encourage internet providers to invest in infrastructure. this is a contentious

issue across the world. the countries in blue currently make sure all data is treated equally. those in red are thinking about it. those in yellow have no rules. we will look into all of this on world business report. the head of us bankjp morgan — one of the city of london's biggest employers — has told the bbc that brexit could easily mean thousands of his employees lose theirjobs in london. jamie dimon said there was no question that europe has more cards at the negotiating table. his words come as the new french government makes a pitch for bankers to relocate to paris after the uk leaves the eu. you can get more of that on world business report. don't forget you can get in touch with me and some of the team on twitter, i'm @bbcrachelhorne. thank you for being with us here on bbc news. there might be just 12

there might bejust 12 notes in western music and arranging them opens up an endless catalogue of possibilities, that is the theory. in practice musical copyright is a hot topic that ends up in court and such cases have left the industry nervous and creatively stifled as oui’ nervous and creatively stifled as our entertainment reporter chi chi izundu found. blurred lines was the biggest track of 2013 globally raking in more than £12 million from sales online. but in 2015 a court in the state ruled that robin thicke and pharrell williams infringed on marvin gaye's got to give it up and awarded the state £14 million. marvin gaye was cited as the inspiration for blurred lines and pharrell williams stated he wanted to channel the latest 70s feeling on it. in the blurred lines

case robin thicke's interviews went well beyond saying he was simply inspired by got to give it up. what he said in his interviews was that he said in his interviews was that he and pharrell williams, he directed pharrell williams to create a song just like got to give it up and that they tried to get the same rhythm and those types of things going in creating blurred lines, so it is much more thanjust inspiration. what you try and do with copyright is work out if it is copied. musicologists like peter 0xon dale says the decision is having applications on the industry. these companies are worried that if a track is reference at all, there might be a claim. do you know of labels telling artists not to publicly state who they are inspired by? yes. and are you allowed to say? no. 0k, fine. many of companies i work with ask producers and the artist to declare all of the tracks that may have been used as

inspiration for their new tracks. they send them to me well in advance of release, probably six months, sometimes more. those are the behind—the—scenes arguments, but what about an artist who writes, composers, producers and performs music? we all listen to stuff and get ideas from things we listen to and the trick of it i think is trying to turn those ideas into something new rather than just repeating or copying them. you only learn that by listening to it, so you are influenced simply by listening to music. even if you don't like the music, it is going to have some impact on what you do. don't like the music, it is going to have some impact on what you dom just over two months pharrell williams, robin thicke and the marvin gaye estate will be back in court in the appeals process of this very case. if pharrell williams wins it could mean a brand—new trial and the music industry has to go through this whole thing again. whatever the

verdict, the industry is likely to remain extremely wary about copyright as much as creativity when it comes to releasing music. 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 are 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. this is 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 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, orjust a play for strategic influence? 0ur china editor, carrie gracie, is travelling the length of this new rail route. she starts her 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 brazilian senate has approved a controversial labour reform bill, the first major overhaul in seventy years. the legislation aims to reduce business costs and allow individual companies to negotiate contract terms freely with their employees. the bill will now be sent to president michel temer to be signed into law. the us state department is set to approve the sale of patriot air defence systems to romania.

the £4 billion deal is likely to infuriate russia. romania will use the patriot missile system to strengthen its homeland defence and deter regional threats. congress has 30 days to raise objections to the sale, though this is unlikely given that romania is a nato partner. on to sport and we start with the sad news that united arab emirates para athlete abdullah hayayei has died following a training ground incident on tuesday. the 36—year—old thrower in the f34 class, was preparing for the world para athletics championships which open on friday in london. our paralympic sports reporter, nick hope, has more details. this is clearly truly devastating news for abdullah hayayei's teammates, family, and friends, but also all of the movement. 2012 and

2016 were seen as successful olympic games. the paralympic games used to struggle to sell itself. 2020 has the opportunity to change that. days from the main event, we have a tragic incident occurring. rightly, there is an investigation being launched. we will have an update on that midday. there will be a minute's silence held in honour of abdullah hayayei at the opening ceremony on friday. johanna konta is the first british women to reach a wimbledon semi final since 1978. she fought back from a set down to beat second seed simona halep, and as a reward will take on five—time winner, venus williams in the last four. john watson rounds up tuesday's action. the story of the day, johanna konta into her first wimbledon semi—final,

the first british woman to reach that stage of the competition since 1978 with virginia wade. johanna konta is trying to emulate her achievements. an incredible match—up against simona halep, the top seed in the women's draw. she dropped the first set and came back for the second. 2—2 in the third set. that saw her serve out for the match. it means she will go against venus williams. she came through in straight sets against her french opponent. it is incredible to think johanna konta did this. venus williams is a five—time wimbledon champion, the only one left in the side of the draw on the women's

side. also through, this player. there was a delay due to atrocious weather. a surprise package. she played incredibly well on the grass of late. she deserves it. a first semi—final appearance for her. also, the beaten finalist two years ago in 2015. she came through her match against svetla na. 2015. she came through her match against svetlana. she is deserving of her place in the semifinals following a great run for her at the tournament. she will go up against angelique kerber, the world number one for the women. john watson reporting there. wednesday is men's quarter—finals day at the all england club.

defending champion, andy murray, is first out on centre court. he plays the american, sam querrey. for more details just go to our website, bbc.com/sport. 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 may, antoun and tanya. we're getting them to one of the best sanctuaries in europe and trying to rescue these animals from the illegal trade and the exotic pet trade. 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 faeces. the exporter had a permit to transport them to a zoo outside damascus, but the conditions they were travelling in violated international rules. after three months, the lebanese government decided that the tigers should be resettled in france. the big cat trade is a lucrative business in lebanon. some animals are forced to perform in circuses or used

as status symbols. it's something these tigers have escaped. drugged and loaded into boxes with their names on, they'll be taken from lebanon to london as a special cargo before starting a new life in lyon. caroline davies, bbc news. it is nice to have a good story to close on. that's it for now. you can get in touch with me and the team on twitter. thank you for watching bbc news. 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 world 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. there are going fears for the safety of civilians fleeing raqqa, as the battle to retake the syrian city intensifies. about a quarter of it is now controlled by kurdish—led syrian democratic forces, according to the us military. 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. he 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.