i'm sharanjit leyl in singapore, the headlines: as the venezuela crisis escalates, two opposition leaders are forced from their homes at gunpoint and taken to a military prison by security forces. a message to north korea from the us secretary of state, america is not seeking regime change but dialogue with pyongyang. we are not your enemy, we are not your threat, but you are presenting an unacceptable threat to us and we have to respond. i'm babita sharma in london. dramatic scenes in turkey. 500 people appear in court, accused of taking part in last yea r‘s attempted coup. and harnessing the power of beyonce to save the bowling ladies‘ club. live from our studios in london and singapore.

this is bbc world news. it's newsday. good morning. it's 7am in singapore, midnight in london and 7pm in the evening in the venezuelan capital, caracas. that's where two opposition leaders have been dragged from their homes by security forces and taken to a military prison after being accused by president maduro‘s government of inciting violence. the un secretary general says the escalating crisis in the country is making a peaceful solution difficult. katy watson is in caracas. antonio ledesma screams for help as he is taken away in his pyjamas by the venezuelan intelligence service. there's panic while someone else

yells that venezuela is now a dictatorship. he wasn't the only one to be taken away, officers also seized leopoldo lopez, an opposition leader released from prison a few weeks ago but placed under house arrest. tensions are running high in venezuela after the election of a new assembly that will effectively rewrite the and. there have been violent protests in recent months and on monday former mayor mr ledezma released a video on social media criticising the weekend's vote. he called the vote a fraud, saying public powers had become a political machinery at the service ofa political machinery at the service of a totalitarian regime, a tyranny. leopoldo lopez also made his voice heard while under house arrest. the supreme court said on tuesday it had revoked their house arrest because they have made political statements and they'd also received intelligence the two men were trying to flee. but one of the men's lawyers said they haven't broken any

restrictions. at a press conference mr ledezma's wife warned of what was happening in venezuela. translation: be assured that what is happening in venezuela is no joke. be assured that what is happening in venezuela is nojoke. the fact they seized two fundamental opposition leaders, the events of the past three months, let that be a message to the entire world that venezuela is experiencing a massacre. it's a huge attack against human rights and human rights abuses are being carried out openly in our country. the un also weighed in saying it was concerned about the escalation of tensions. it's crucial that the secretary general urges all venezuelans, especially those representing the powers of the state, to make all possible efforts to lower tensions, prevent further violence and loss of life as well as find avenues for political dialogue. but this is a country divided. avenues for political dialogue seemed to have been exhausted. with these rearrest, just like the vote, these rearrest, just like the vote, the maduro administration is clearly

doing what it once without outside pressure. it is, as they say, venezuela's issue and no one else's but the concern is a global one. katy watson, bbc news, caracas. our other top story, a blame game is under way regarding north korea's nuclear tests. president trump says he's very disappointed in china for not putting more economic pressure on pyongyang which relies on beijing for 90% of its trade. china responded by saying the situation wasn't of their making and now, the us secretary of state has weighed in. we've been very clear with the chinese, we certainly don't blame the chinese for the situation in north korea, only the north koreans are to blame for this situation but we do believe china has a special and unique relationship because of this significant economic activity to influence the north korean regime in ways that no one else can, and that's why we continue to call upon them to use that influence with north korea to create the conditions

where we can have a productive dialogue. no interest in regime change. suzanne kianpour explained a little earlier. it's been six months since mr tillerson took his role as secretary of state and a lot of foreign policy hotspots are kicking off but most notably north korea as we know, and mr tillerson seem to find it necessary to reiterate the position and policy he's had all along, which is to continue to work with china, but also to speak to pyongyang and to tell pyongyang that the us doesn't have an interesting regime change and they do have an interest in bringing them to the table for diplomatic talks but that's not going to be able to happen unless they get rid of their nuclear arsenal. i'm a bit confused, didn't the president says something very different a few days ago? yes. he tweeted that he was very frustrated with china and that all they do is"

talk", they do nothing for the us, he was very disappointed was another word he used. mr tillerson was asked about that but his response was very stoic and matter of fact, he said the president expresses his way in that way, tweets, and they manage as a result of the environment and he didn't steer one way or the other to indicate the president's tweets are any sort of policy shift or anything different to what mr tillerson has already been working on. he didn't show that these tweets are any indication of a specific policy change. and later we'll be looking at how the tensions over north korea are making it more difficult forfamilies divided between north and south. also this hour, a suicide attack at a shia mosque in the afghan city of herat has killed 29 people. the attacker opened fire and then detonated explosives as hundreds of worshippers were taking part in evening prayers in the city close to the border with iran.

the us senate has confirmed christopher wray as the new director of the fbi. the post was vacant since james comey was sacked in may after investigations into the russian interference in last year's us election. at least three suspected gang members have been killed during a shoot out at a court in moscow where they were standing trial for a spree of drive—by killings. reports say the men tried to overpower security guards in a lift and grab their guns despite being handcuffed at the time. several police officers were injured. china has formally opened its first overseas military base in djibouti in east africa. the event was timed to coincide with the ninetieth anniversary of china's people's liberation army. authorities have dismissed concerns about china's expanding military prowess, arguing the base will be used for defensive purposes. high heels, do we love them or loathe them?

according to a study into shoes, women feel pressure to wear them researchers at aberdeen university in scotland found evidence linking heels to back pain, sprains and bunions, but they also found two thirds of women thought high heels made them more attractive and gave them self confidence. more than 80% of all liver cancer cases are seen in asia, but now patients here and worldwide could be about to benefit from more effective drugs. that's because scientists from hong kong and singapore have discovered a missing gene that is a key factor in the way the disease develops. to tell us more about the study, i spoke with one of the lead researchers, doctor toh han chong, who told me about their work. so this is actually a gene that we discovered, if you lose part of this

gene or delete the gene people are more likely to get liver cancer so about 50% of all the liver cancers and surely don't have this macro jean and in the worldwide cohort based on international data it would be 70%. this is actually a very significant finding because that means this gene plays a very keen role in the achilles heel of the development of liver cancer. in terms of the medical benefits, what are they precisely? i think the way this gene works is critical for normal cell development, particularly liver cells. if you lose this gene the cells go a bit disorganised, they go rapidly and it's rather chaotic so what we're doing right now and we've publish some of that data is to show the disorganised way in which a cell causes problems downstream. it would mean the additional targets we can actually intervene with therapeutic

drugs. as it stands there's only one drugs. as it stands there's only one drug available for treating advanced liver cancer, it is ten years old and it is time for a new drug to come on—board. and it is time for a new drug to come on-board. only one drug use a. tell us about why liver cancer is so common amongst asians and what is the ultimate goal in your research? actually it's quite common globally. it's the second leading cause of cancer death worldwide. it's actually the first commonest cancer in the world but itjust doesn't seem in the world but itjust doesn't seem that way. the reason why the present of all liver cancers are seen present of all liver cancers are seenin present of all liver cancers are seen in asia is because there is a high carry rate of two viruses, hepatitis b and c, in north asia hepatitis b and c, in north asia hepatitis b and c, in north asia hepatitis b is endemic, japan, north korea and china. look at southeast asia and china it is hepatitis b. even though there's childhood vaccination for hepatitis b we don't see the effects until a lot later so people with this by resting to get liver cirrhosis and leading to liver

cancer, that's why it is so high in asia. your ultimate goal is to create a new form of medication to address this problem? absolutely. any new way of discovering liver cancer opens up new any new way of discovering liver cancer opens up new opportunities. it isa cancer opens up new opportunities. it is a complex disease. there have been dramatic scenes outside a courthouse near the turkish capital, ankara, where the trial has started of nearly 500 people accused of plotting to overthrow the government in last yea r‘s attempted coup. a0 of the plot‘s alleged leaders were booed and heckled as they were marched into court. the bbc‘s middle east analyst sebastian usher reports. one by one, the alleged leaders of a coup were marched up to the court. an angry crowd including both

relatives of those killed during the coup and some of those wounded during the violence chanted demands for the return of the death penalty, which was abolished in turkey years ago. for some in the crowd the treatment of the accused was already too lenient. translation: treatment of the accused was already too lenient. translatiosz treatment of the accused was already too lenient. translation: it is not normal that the state is feeding these assassins. we want to see them with chains around their feet. they shouldn't even come with civilian clothes on but instead with their prison clothes. the last time some of the suspects, like the airforce the last time some of the suspects, like the air force commander, akin is all stoke, was seen in public it was in the immediate aftermath of the coup when their faces were bruised and bloody. there's no doubting the anger the attempted coup provoked, not only amongst president erdogan supporters but many other turkish people as well. with the streets of ankara and istanbul coming under attack and more than 200 250 people killed during the night ofjuly the 15th

last year. the first anniversary of the defeat of the coup was celebrated two weeks ago and at a huge rally in istanbul president erdogan addressed a rally. a monument was shown off. his position has been strengthened. dixon say he has been strengthened. dixon say he has used it to target all opponents. 15,000 people remain in detention in connection with the coup. but the man the turkish government accuse of being behind it, the muslim cleric fethullah gulen, remains in the united states despite ankara's repeated demands for extradition. he has been trialled in accenture. for now they face life imprisonment if convicted but the calls for them to receive the ultimate punishment are only likely to grow as their trial continues for the rest of this month. sebastien asher, bbc news. —— sebastien asher. you're watching newsday on the bbc. still to come on the programme: heartbreaking scenes

from two years ago, but with tensions rising over north korea's nuclear programme, will families divided by the korean war pay the price? also on the programme: the australian women who became an internet sensation to save their bowls club, we'll hear their story. cheering the us space agency nasa has ordered an investigation after confirmation today that astronauts were cleared to fly while drunk. the last foot patrol in south armargh, once an everyday part in the soldiers' lot, drudgery and danger, now no longer after almost four decades. if one is on one's own in a private house, not doing any harm to anyone, i don't really see why all these

people should wander in and say you're doing something wrong. six rare white lion cubs are on the prowl at worcestershire zoo. already they've been met with a roar of approval from visitors. they're lovely, really sweet. yeah, really cute. this is newsday on the bbc. i'm sharanjit leyl, in singapore. i'm babita sharma, in london. our top stories: amid continuing turmoil in venezuela, two opposition leaders have been taken from their homes by security forces. the us secretary of state, rex tillerson, says his country is not seeking to topple the north korean government, and wants dialogue with it. and an opinion piece describing the growing difficulties of living in beijing has gone viral in china.

and has since become the target of government censorship. that story is on bbc.com across asia. let's take a look at some front pages from around the world. the china daily reports on president xijinping's praise for his nation's military history. the chinese leader was marking the 90th anniversary of the founding of the people's liberation army. he said beijing had the confidence to defeat all invasions. the new york times reports on the ancient vase that's been confiscated from the metropolitan museum of art. the greek antiquity, which is over 2,000 years old, was removed following reports that it was looted by tomb raiders in the 1970s. the front page of le figaro looks at the dramatic return of chinese tourism to france. the paper says each tourist spends an average 200 euros per day, a third of which is

devoted to shopping. now, have you heard the one about the priests who walked into a bar, only to be mistaken for being a bachelor party and asked to leave? well, a pub in the welsh city of cardiff has apologised after making that exact mistake. the seven trainee priests were asked to move on when staff assumed they were is fancy dress. but they did see the funny side and ended up getting a free round of drinks. the south korean red cross had proposed talks with the north to discuss trying to re—unite families separated during the korean war in the 1950s. it's something that has happened before, but it's rare and the meetings are brief. but north korea's latest missile tests have hardened international opinion against any contact and separated families may pay the price, as karen allen reports from seoul. imagine not seen each other for half

a century. brothers, sisters and other loved ones separated, now united, if only for if you precious hours before another good buy. this was two years ago. plans were in the pipeline for more reunions like this soon. then this happened. north korea tested a second ballistic missilejust korea tested a second ballistic missile just last week. lasting apartany missile just last week. lasting apart any hope of further humanitarian gestures. —— blasting. the border with north korea lies beyond this barbed wire and this vast wall of ribbons with messages to loved ones, on the other side really a sign of hope. but after the missile test last week expectations of more family reunions have been pretty much dashed and for some people this would have been the final chance. but for pensioners like this 90—year—old, watching

developments unfold time is marching on. he arrived herejust developments unfold time is marching on. he arrived here just before the war era on. he arrived here just before the warera did —— on. he arrived here just before the war era did —— erupted in the 1950s and like many on the divided korean peninsular he has been trying to find family members ever since. most are now dead. there is a niece who survived. translation: just when i was about to give up i received a message from my niece, that she was looking for the family here in the south. then in 2007 he received a letter and with it a treasured photo of his niece. translation: she looks just like her mother! translation: uncle, iron writing this letter to my uncle, but only so much. uncle, how is your health? i finally talk to you on your 80s when you told us that he would come back after

graduating from college. after the korean war in the 1950s, the country was divided. tens of thousands of families torn apart, forced to lead separate lives. as the cold war persisted over competing ideologies. the legacy is some 13,000 people on the waiting list, should the reunion programme be revived. at every week more and more dire. soon an entire generation could be lost and with it mr kim's hopes of seeing his niece one last time. for many single ladies out there, that beyonce song has become an anthem, but three women from australia have become an internet sensation by creating a unique version of their own. have a look. it was all in the name

of saving their local bowls club. the council wanted to knock it down to build an indoor stadium, but the bowling ladies, as they're now known, took matters into their own hands and the video has received a million views on facebook in just three days. a short time ago, one of the ladies, wyn hewitt, who told mejust how important the club is to their melbourne community. firstly, the bowls club isn'tjust for bowling, it's a community hub. local families' for bowling, it's a community hub. localfamilies‘ residents for bowling, it's a community hub. local families' residents visit daily over a period of 12 months we would have 600 people. so we call them all members. it's a wonderful

environment, especially for the older people. we don't want to lose it because then where would we go? we would have to travel and most of the ladies are older than i am. i am 72. it is their second home. everybody cares. who came up with the idea to do this video? one of our younger members, denise, she had obviously been in pr. she cottoned on to the song, beyonce's song. two of us had heard of beyonce but two of us had heard of beyonce but two of us had not any idea about that song when we made the video. this is all in an attempt to stop the council from all in an attempt to stop the councilfrom building all in an attempt to stop the council from building an all in an attempt to stop the councilfrom building an indoor stadium on the site of your club. we

have been speaking to the council and we've got a statement from them and we've got a statement from them and the mayor. they've said the council is struggling to keep up with increasing demand for sporting facilities, especially the needs of women sport, which is currently under catered for. they added that they are listening to the community and no final decision has been made. what's your reaction to that? my reaction to that, that is true, that no final decision has been made. we are the preferred site. what is bothering us and we've been fighting this since last november actively. we have recently encouraged them to look at to other sites that would not destroy another club. we are an existing club since 1958. wejust wa nt to existing club since 1958. wejust want to remain there. i acknowledge that need for sporting stadiums,

indoor sporting stadiums, but not on our site. not to be messed with! and from one sporting superstar to another, there's another big sporting superstar. eight time olympic gold medallist usain bolt is due to run his last race at the world athletics championships in london. since his first gold in beijing in 2008 he's been an unstoppable force. he was even described by the international olympics committee as "the greatest sprinter of all time". so what's next for the world's fastest man? i don't know what i'm going to do. i don't know what i'm going to dolj think i don't know what i'm going to do.” think this is why wanted to play football. you never know which direction i might go. i might go into acting and do some action movies. you never know. that was usain bolt, the world's

fastest man. you have been watching newsday. stay with us. we will be taking a look atjuicy results from apple, which has seen stocks soar to a record high after better than expected earnings. and before we go, archaeologists at cambodia's angkor wat temple complex have unearthed a large statue believed to date all the way back to the 12th century. the sandstone figure is two metres high and it's thought to have stood as a guardian at the entrance to an ancient hospital. local media described the find as "something that only happens in the movies". that's all for now. stay with bbc world news. most of our rain over the last

couple of days has come in the form of showers, drinking downpours that bring a lot of rain initial period of time and then clear away. but the day ahead is looking different because we have a more organised area of cloud that's been working in from the atlantic are associated with low pressure. frontal systems moving on which will bring rain. notice the tightly squeezed isobars as well. windy weather, especially around the coasts of the south—west as we go through the morning. through south—west england and other southern counties, through wales, parts of the midlands, northern ireland, northern england and southern scotland there will be outbreaks of rain. further north is patchy with brighter spells in between. across the far south of england that rain will be on the heavy side. close the english channel coast we can see a lot of rain through the day. it gives some poor travelling conditions and a lot of cloud and mist and murk across

the south—west. hugh mcgahan in place, despite temperatures only getting up to 70 degrees for plymouth. —— humid air in place. northern ireland is brightening up through the afternoon. sunshine, the return of showers. not persistent rain. that will move across southern parts of scotland. northern scotland has some of the best weather through the day. spells of sunshine. we are back into patchy rain. something brighter showing its hand in the north—west later. east anglia seen a fairamount of dry north—west later. east anglia seen a fair amount of dry weather. into the south—east the rain sensing through wednesday evening. further pulses of wet weather pushing across the south—east and east anglia as we go through the night and the weather fronts still hanging on across northern scotland. here we will have persistent rain through the first pa rt persistent rain through the first part of thursday morning. across much of the country by thursday we are back to square one, back to the mixture of sunny spells and showers. the closer you are to this area of low pressure, cell across northern areas, that's where we will have the

heaviest showers, quite slow moving across scotland and northern ireland, so we could get a lot of rain ina ireland, so we could get a lot of rain in a short space of time. thunder and lightning possible. showers in northern england, wales, the south—west. the further south—east you are fewer showers and more sunshine. any parts of south—east england will get away with a dry day on thursday and perhaps again on friday. most of the showers up towards the north—west. a cool and blustery day for many. more of the same through the weekend. plenty of showers, together leeds would the north. a little bit drier towards the south—east. —— particularly through the north. i'm babita sharma with bbc world news. our top story. as the venezuela crisis escalates, two opposition leaders are forced from their homes at gunpoint by security services. antonio ledezma and leopoldo lopez have reportedly been taken to a militaryjail, in a move that has attracted international condemnation. in a message to north korea, the us secretary of state said america is not seeking regime change, but dialogue with pyongyang. and this video story

is trending on bbc.com. a pub in the welsh city of cardiff has apologised after asking seven trainee priests to move on when staff assumed they were in fancy dress. now on bbc news it's time for hardtalk