welcome to bbc news, broadcasting to viewers in north america and around the globe. my name is mike embley. bb our top stories: after venezuela's referendum, president trump —— our top stories: after venezuela's referendum, president trump threatens strong and swift economic action if plans to rewrite the constitution go ahead. russia demands the us returns two diplomatic compounds that were seized last year — a deal could be close according to russian officials. war as a way of life. we have a special report from eastern ukraine, where the conflict means misery for thousands of people. we have entered a stalemate, and that means i'm told suffering, particularly for the civilian population. -- untold. and george and charlottejoin the duke and duchess of cambridge

for a family state visit to poland. the us president has issued his sharpest statement yet on the economic and political crisis in venezuela. mr trump has threatened nicolas maduro's government with strong and swift economic action if it goes ahead with plans to scrap the national assembly and rewrite the constitution. this weekend, millions of people took part in an unofficial vote rejecting president maduro's plans, and the opposition has called a general strike later this week. mr trump described him as a bad leader who dreams of becoming a dictator. the american statement adds: the us will not stand by as, the statement puts it, venezuela crumbles. if the maduro regime imposes its constituent assembly onjuly 30, the united states will take strong and swift economic actions. let's get the latest from the bbc‘s suzanne kianpour in washington.

what are you hearing? how far is this likely to go? their's been a lot of unrest and violence in venezuela as of late. this is effectively mr trump's shot across the bow at nicolas maduro. he is playing the business card, which he knows well. it is sort of a classic donald trump statement, calling him a bad leader, saying that he dreams of becoming a dictator. in whale, the state department response has been that this was a statement by the venezuelan people as support of free and fair elections. we don't exactly know what it means yet, but the venezuelan economy is crumbling. timidly, this threat will not fall

on deaf ears. we should also bring people up to date on this, senior russian officials suggesting the talks in washington are close to resolving the issue of russian diplomats having been accused of interfering in the election. they have accused the americans of stealing their property. senior russian officials are suggesting talks in washington are close to resolving the row over two diplomatic compounds — seized and shut by the us last december, when it expelled 35 russian diplomats accused of interfering in the presidential election. translation: it is daylight robbery. they're acting like bandits on the road, taking away property which belongs to us according to a bilateral, intergovernmental, ratified document. and, in order to get it back, they act according a principle — what's mine is mine, what's yours, we will share. decent people do not behave this way. sergei lavrov there.

suzanne, the russians have also said they will decide on any possible retaliation after the talks and they hope that political wisdom will prevail. with the political atmosphere in washington so toxic at the moment, anything from president trump that might look like a concession to the russians is likely to cause him further problems? indeed. ukip the nail on the head. the political climate here is extremely toxic and anything that looks like a concession to vladimir putin is a major problem for donald trump, whose administration is currently mired in several investigations. this could not have come at a worse time, especially on the heels of this meeting that has raised questions between one of mr trump's sun ‘s and a russian lawyer. so, the russians have said this is a priority to them. it has been almost six months that he has been in office. it was inevitable that this was going to come to a head. what the resolution is going to be, that

remains to be seen. we have not seen a statement from the state department out of the meetings that they held with senior russian officials as of yet. again, i was just in nebraska last week and his support base there cannot be bothered with the sort of russian fever. they want stronger relations with vladimir putin, that is what he promised. what is donald trump to do? we will find out! for more on events in venezuela and the situation between the us and russia, head to our website. you can also download the bbc news app. the white house says an announcement will be made very soon on iran's nuclear agreement reached with world powers during the obama administration. every 90 days the us state department must notify congress if tehran is in compliance.

president trump has repeatedly said he thinks the agreement is a bad deal for america. in the past few hours iranian foreign minister mohammad —— in the past few hours iranian foreign minister, mohammad javad zarif, said iran is a serious partner for all those countries fighting extremism in the region. we have fought extremism in iran, afghanistan and syria. the only three countries that recognise the proper government were pakistan, saudi arabia and the uae. these are the same countries that support terrorism and extremism in syria and iraq. they have consistently been supporting terrorism and extremism. we have been consistently objective. they made the wrong places and now they are complaining about reaping they are complaining about reaping the fruits of their own wrong choices. it is not ourfault

the fruits of their own wrong choices. it is not our fault that we made the right choice. it's three years since the malaysian airlines flight, mhi7, was shot down over eastern ukraine, killing 298 people. it was the worst single loss of life in the conflict, between russian backed separatists, and the government in kiev. a ceasefire in the region isn't holding, with regular skirmishes, as rebels who want closer ties to moscow, battle the ukrainian armed forces, in mainly russian speaking areas. our special correspondent fergal keane and cameraman darren conway have been to the front line. high summer, and at first the land looks at peace. until very quickly we walk into the war. here, you follow in the steps of those who know the safest path, like this 50—year—old. shejoined the army when the war began. we paused because there is a sniper who has a direct line.

she is telling us to go. the sprint to cover that is the hallmark of all the world's warzones. this was once a thriving industrial zone, now mangled by shellfire. where the long silences of a half—hearted ceasefire are suddenly shattered. where the long silences of a half—hearted ceasefire are suddenly shattered. there is a grim humour here. the bullet placed next to the bible. this army is hardened now after three years of war. bolstered by local soldiers, whose homes lie beyond the bridge where the territory of the russian backed forces begins. so that big building to the left is them?

the trenches of a european war with a front line more than 400 kilometres long. the ceasefire allows men to dig close to rebel lines. there is some protection, but it is not a place to stand tall and draw attention. we are at the furthest point forward now in the ukrainian positions, and these trenches are just between a0 and 50 yards from the russian—backed forces on the other side, just over a wall here. that's why nobody speaks loudly in this place. you can get a sense of how precarious it is by looking at the sniper who is positioned here. he is scanning, he is watching for any movement on the other side

that would threaten the men digging these trenches. what does all this tell you? it tells you it is about permanence, that this war has ground into a stalemate. and that means untold suffering, particularly for the civilian population. more than one million people are displaced on both sides. ludmila has moved from one war—battered village to another. she takes her seven—month—old son for a morning walk, taking advantage of the absence of shelling and the emptiness of war. a a—lane highway, nothing comes, but an occasional military truck. ludmila came here after her own home was shelled at the beginning of the war. but it is the fear of random shelling that haunts the family, making this tiny basement their refuge. ludmila worries constantly

about a direct hit. there are many stories like this on the other side, too. for those who cannot move but must eke out their days near the front line, a visit from aid worker olga breaks the relentless loneliness. living in a flat that was hit by a shell and gutted by fire at the war‘s beginning is anna.

she survives on a pension of £50 a month. i am praying that god will take me, she says. her memory stretches back through previous ages of famine and war in ukraine. this child, aged seven, is an orphan of the war. and what that bomb did is locked in her memory. she found her mother's mutilated body just after the shell landed. her grandmother is laying flowers at the spot where her daughter and three others were killed. there are small reminders of the lives taken away. mobile phones, left here since the day of the shelling last may.

in a country whose war has become a brutal stalemate, she has learned too young, too cruelly, the fragility of human life. fergal keane, bbc news, ukraine. much more to come on bbc news, including this: we'll hear from the cast and crew of the film, lipstick under my burkha, which has finally been passed by censors in india. the flamboyant italian fashion designer gianni versace has been shot dead in florida. the multi—millionaire was gunned down outside his home in the exclusive south beach district of miami. emergency services across central europe are stepping up their efforts to contain the worst floods this century. nearly 100 people have been killed. broadway is traditionally called the "great white way" by americans, but tonight it is completely blacked out. it is a timely reminder to all americans of the problems that the energy crisis

has brought to them. 200 years ago today, a huge parisian crowd stormed the bastille prison — the first act of the revolution which was to topple the french monarchy. today, hundreds of thousands throng the champs—elysees for the traditional military parade. finally, fairy penguins have been staggering ashore and collapsing after gorging themselves on a huge shoal of their favourite food, pilchards. some had eaten so much they could barely stand. this is bbc news. the latest headlines: after venezuela's referendum, president trump has threatened "strong and swift economic action" if plans to rewrite the constitution

go ahead. russia suggests a deal could be close on two russian bases they could be returned from america. if there are talks, the government in seoul says they could be held in the demilitarised zone between the two countries. previous talks have been held at tongilgak. just a few kilometres from there is dorasan, a disused train station, once a beacon of hope and a symbol of the sunshine policy, now a dead end. steven evans took the train there and back from seoul. this is the train to the dmz from seoul, one of the most bizarre

train journeys in the world. it goes up from the south korean capital to the border with north korea, and then it returns. this bridge is a new bridge. the old one was destroyed in the korean war. it is a politicaljourney. it is designed to make the point that the train goes, and can go no further. so i've just arrived at dorasan station, and you look around and it seems completely normal, like loads of stations. actually, though, look a bit closer and it is very abnormal.

you get in that it with this sign. it is a propaganda station. pyongyang that way, seoul back that way. this is the most militarised part of the whole planet. as you come in here, you see mined areas walled off on either side of the tracks. until 2008, freight trains would go down that track to north korea. it is two kilometres to the actual border, just over a mile. this place was built as a real station, and look at it — magnificent waiting room and booking hall. the booking desk is still there, turnstiles. "to pyongyang" — a sign from a different time. the sunshine policy, north and south korea wanted communication. and then what happened? north korea let off a nuclear device

in that first nuclear test. that was the end of the sunshine policy. but there is a new government now. president moon, the new president, wants more communication. he hopes this station will again bustle, like it never quite did. the united arab emirates says it has nothing to do with a hacking attack. the washington post said the uae instigated an operation to make the ruler of qatar appeared to praise iran. -- ruler of qatar appeared to praise iran. —— appear. the united nations says the number of civilian casualties in afghanistan has reached a record high in the first half of 2017. in a new report, the un said more than 1,600 people were killed from january to the end ofjune,

an increase of 2% on the same period last year. the majority of the victims died in attacks by the taliban and the islamic state group. an australian woman has been shot dead by a us police officer responding to an emergency call in minneapolis. justine damond, who was living with her american fiance, had reported a noise near their home when it happened. 0fficials reported a noise near their home when it happened. officials said the officers' body cameras were not turned on at the time of the shooting. relatives are demanding to know why. philippines president rodrigo duterte has offered autonomy to the muslim minority on the island of mindanao. the offer is aimed at persuading filipino muslims to reject so—called islamic state, whose followers remain in control of parts of marawi after months of conflict and the death of at least 500 people. the duke and duchess of cambridge have arrived in warsaw for the first part of an official visit to poland and germany. three—year—old, george, and two—year—old, charlotte, joined their parents for the trip. from warsaw, our royal correspondent, peter hunt, reports. at three, he is far too young

to know if he is a reluctant royal, but prince george definitely wasn't keen to embrace warsaw without his father's helping hand. 0ne future king did persuade another one to follow in his footsteps. 0n the tarmac, george struck a nonchalant pose, and practised the odd ballet move. a fidgeting prince, with a lifetime under an intense spotlight ahead of him. princess charlotte faces a similarfuture, a reality, aged two, she can remain blissfully unaware of for now. the language divide isn't the only challenge. here, a country that relatively recently embraced the eu is welcoming royals from one on the way out of the institution. it's the union jack. it's called the unionjack. unionjack. the nitty—gritty of brexit won't feature here. rather, william and kate are in warsaw to remind people of the depth of past links, and the potential for future ones, between the uk and poland. warsaw's past on display on a memorial wall to those murdered when, during the second world war, the poles tried and failed to end german occupation. so you wore this all the time during the uprising? yes.

tonight in warsaw, prince william talked about the two countries' close relationship, and the fact polish is the second—most spoken language in the uk. such links, diplomatic, military, cultural, offer much promise and opportunity for the future. he didn't utter the word brexit, but it influenced his speech, as it will the time william and kate spend, first in poland, then in germany. peter hunt, bbc news, warsaw. an indian film, "lipstick under my burkha," will be screened in cinemas this week after a long battle with censors in the country. it's a movie which revolves around female characters and one of the reasons given for it being banned initially

was that it was "lady oriented." censorship is a big issue in india, with many filmmakers having to make cuts to their movies before they can be released. the uproar and outrage out about this film, you would think we have done something very wrong. but we haven't. there is nothing wrong with being lady oriented. and what is wrong with that point of view? why should it make people so threatened? i don't think there should be censorship in the first place. girls should be able to elect their own governments. they should be able to watch

a film if they want to. it is not like we don't see women at all. we see women. but often, the sexuality of the story is put back. it serves the purpose of the main protagonist. india is a country where there is so much violence against women and so much discrimination against women. in that kind of society, when you have a popular culture that is trying to silence 50% of the population, there is something wrong. 0na

on a related issue, a young saudi arabian woman has caused a sensation ina arabian woman has caused a sensation in a conservative country with this video she posted on line. it might be unremarkable in some countries, but this is a particularly conservative path of saudi arabia and her sleeveless top and miniskirt have caused debate. some users have defended herfor her have caused debate. some users have defended her for her bravery, have caused debate. some users have defended herfor her bravery, but others have condemned her. the main news. after venezuela's referendum, president trump has threatened "strong and swift economic action" if plans to rewrite the constitution go ahead.

the opposition has called for a 2k hour general strike later this week. russia suggests a deal could be close on two russian bases that could be returned from america after being seized last year.. hello there, good morning. yesterday, we saw 27 degrees in the london area, with increasing amounts of medium and upper—level cloud, but the sky stayed pretty much clear in northern scotland. and, through the day today, we're going to see those temperatures creeping up a notch or two. 29 degrees somewhere in england and wales. then midweek, big changes on the way, some thunderstorms heading our way, and then by the end of the week, it is going to be a good deal cooler, 27 degrees. as the cloud goes to the southern half of the uk, clearer skies further north to end the day on monday. and, with those clearer skies, we see temperatures dipping down to 11—12 degrees in major cities, and rural areas could be single figures. but not so further south — it is a warm night here. today, a south—easterly breeze

striking in some hot and humid air from the near continent. that breeze will be quite a noticeable breeze, in the south—east in particular. but a decent day for many places. some sunshine for much of scotland. maybe a shower or two developing as we get on into the afternoon, but a lot of sunshine, and it is going to be quite warm as well. 25 in glasgow and 22 in inverness. northern ireland should have a decent afternoon, 22 degrees or so, similar in northern england. always a bit fresh along that north sea coast. but get away from that, 25 or so in the manchester area. southern england and wales gets to 28—29 degrees. but, as we get down towards the south—west, we start to see some thunderstorms developing. they will be in the channel islands early on, and drift ever northwards. hit and miss, but if you get one, you will know all about it. and those thunderstorms continuing to drift their way north through the small

hours of wednesday. there will be some hail, some gusty winds to go with that. wednesday itself, thunderstorms continuing to drift north. dry in large parts of england and wales. but then we see more rain coming in from the west, and some of that could be quite heavy. temperatures coming down a little bit across the west side, norwich 29 degrees, but generally temperatures are beginning to come back down on wednesday. and that process continues on into thursday. as this weather front goes from west to east, it will bring some rain with it, and also some fresher air. for the golfers at royal birkdale, quite strong winds making it challenging. early rain and then sunshine and showers into the afternoon, and temperatures in the upper teens. so on thursday, yes, some rain spreads from west to east. it will be an unsettled end to the week, with some more general rain across quite a large area. this is bbc news, the headlines. venezuela's political crisis has deepened

after voters rejected plans to rewrite the constitution. president trump has said the country will face strong and swift economic action if the controversial plans go ahead. venezuela's opposition has called a 24—hour general strike on thursday. following russia's demands that the us returns two diplomatic compounds seized last year, russian officials have suggested a deal could be close. washington shut the properties in december, accusing russian diplomats of interfering in the presidential election. just two weeks after north korea's intercontinental ballistic missile test, seoul has proposed military talks with pyonyang in a bid to de—escalate tensions in the region. north korea has yet to respond. now on bbc news, it's time for monday in parliament. hello, and welcome to monday in parliament.