i'm rico hizon in singapore. the headlines: thousands of civilians flee the iraqi city of kirkuk after the goverment‘s army seizes control from kurdish forces. well, we've suddenly had to pullback. there was a sustained outburst of gunfire at the position up ahead. we can't be sure where it came from. the european union imposes fresh sanctions on north korea, aimed at punishing it for its nuclear and missile programmes. i'm babita sharma in london. also in the programme: on high alert, still recovering from last week's deadly floods, vietnam prepares for the arrival of typhoon khanun. watching over the waves, shark—detecting drones take to the skies in australia to try and make surfing safer. live from our studios in singapore

and london, this is bbc world news. it's newsday. good morning. it's 8am in singapore, 1am in london, and 3am in kirkuk, in northern iraq, where the iraqi army has seized control from kurdish forces. kurdish forces, also known as peshmerga, had run the city for the last three years, after iraqi forces pulled out in the face of advancing troops from the so—called islamic state. but a row over kurdish plans for independence have left two regional powers, who co—operated to overcome islamic state, shooting at each other. the us has called for both sides to work to restore calm. our middle east correspondent orla guerin and cameraman duncan stone have this report from kirkuk. pledging to defend kirkuk.

this morning, still defiant. a handful of peshmerga fighters with a few guns and grenades. and locals with whatever came to hand. "we lost 2000 men fighting is," he says. "we're not afraid of the iraqi prime minister." but further on, fear had emptied the streets. remnants of unity on display, with kurdish and iraqi flags. but this checkpoint now a front—line. no—one seemed sure how to defend it. locals said iraqi forces were closing in. shia militia units linked to the government out of site behind these buildings. then this. gunfire. in the car!

gunfire. we had to scramble for cover. well, we suddenly had to pull back. there was a sustained outburst of gunfire at the position up ahead. we can't be sure where it came from but it seemed to be coming ahead of us, from positions where we were told there were iraqi military forces. and in the last few seconds, we have heard gunfire also up ahead. as kirkuk slipped out of kurdish hands, the exodus began. desperate civilians heading north towards the autonomous kurdish region. it felt like the city was emptying before our eyes. some asking why no—one was helping them after they helped the world to fight is. the world is just silent when it comes to the kurds. it'sjust, it's not fair.

it's not fair. by evening, an iraqi victory parade in the centre of the city. baghdad said the takeover was largely unopposed. some locals in this ethnically mixed city welcoming the troops. but a fractured country is now divided anew. 0rla guerin, bbc news, kirkuk. in other news at this hour: the hollywood film production company which was co—founded by harvey weinstein says it is in talks to sell the bulk of its assets to a private equity firm. the weinstein company sacked harvey weinstein after a series of allegations of sexual misconduct were made against him. 0ur correspondent in los angeles, laura bicker, gave me the latest. this company were going to be putting immediate money, immediate funds into the weinstein company. this comes after this avalanche of allegations that harvey weinstein

faces from dozens of women dating back decades. the company has struggled over the last few weeks to continue business as normal. avi's brother bob weinstein, who co—founded the company with him, came out to save it was business as normal and things were continuing. however, now it seems that this is the financial lifeline that they were looking for. one of their film releases starring benedict cumberbatch, it is called the current war, it was due to come out in november. its release date has now been pushed back. there are signs that the company is perhaps trying to find a way to change the culture, change its name and find a way forward in the wake of the scandal. also this hour: the us army sergeant who was captured by the taliban after walking away from his base

in afghanistan has pleaded guilty to deserting his duties and endangering the lives of fellow troops. bowe bergdahl spent five years in captivity before he was released under a prisoner swap deal. bergdahl, who donald trump called a "no good traitor" during last year's presidential election campaign, will be sentenced later. the philippines military says its troops have killed the main leader of the so—called islamic state group in south—east asia. isnilon hapilon was on the us list of most wanted terrorists. he was killed in marawi, which has been partly held by insurgents since rebels attacked there in may. at least 36 people have been killed by wildfires in portugal in the past 2a hours. officials say the blazes have also killed three people in spain. the spanish prime minister has accused arsonists of being behind at least some of the fires, many of which are burning out of control. some worrying news for ed sheeran fans. the singer has broken his arm. he put this image on instagram, saying he fractured his arm

in a bicycle accident. he's due to start the asian leg of his world tour on sunday, including taipei, japan, south korea, the philippines, singapore and thailand. he says his injury could affect some of those shows, and will give more details soon. the european union has imposed fresh sanctions on north korea aimed at punishing the regime for its nuclear and ballistic weapons programmes. foreign ministers meeting in luxembourg signed off a new package of measures including a ban on investments in north korea and on eu exports of oil to pyongyang. they also added the korean people's army and pyongyang's armed forces ministry to the sanctions blacklist, meaning any assets they hold in the eu will be frozen. 0ur correspondent mark lowen is following developments from the south korean capital seoul. mark, how significant are these new

sanctions from the eu? significant, certainly in that they are further tightening the screw on pyongyang, rico, but they are symbolic as well because the eu doesn't export oil to north korea, so to some extent this is eu countries making a symbolic statement to try to stop countries that do still export oil, like china and russia, to try to step up sanctions. they have rejected an outright ban at the un couple of months ago. but a range of sanctions today to further tighten the screws. so for example the amount of remittances, the money north koreans can send back to north korea when they are living abroad, that has been limited from 15,000 euros down to 5000 euros. there has been a ban on investment by the eu in north korea. and further entities such as the north korean army now on the

sanctions list. so this is the eu saying we arejoining sanctions list. so this is the eu saying we are joining the sanctions list. so this is the eu saying we arejoining the un in a parallel sanctions list but to an extent the eu actually has very limited dealings with north korea. some countries like poland for example have about 400 north korean workers. they are trying to pressure countries like that to limit and not renew the visas of those north koreans who are working there. despite tougher sanctions from the united states, from china and now from the eu, it looks like north korea is not affected at all. now they are warning countries that are joining the sanctions list should refrain from joining us military action to avoid retaliation. yeah, that the statement by the deputy un ambassador of north korea, who says "as ambassador of north korea, who says "as long as one doesn't take part in us military actions against the dprk, north korea, we have no intention to use nuclear weapons against any other country". so yet

another heightening of the rhetoric between north korea and the west. of course directed at the us after this war of words. donald trump threatening to totally destroy north korea, saying last week there was only one way... the one thing that would work against north korea. the north korean foreign minister at the un saying that the us had little wea k of un saying that the us had little weak of a war against his country. -- lit the weak of a war against his country. —— lit the wick. this comes ahead of thejoint military —— lit the wick. this comes ahead of the joint military exercises that are coming up this week. a 10—day exercise happening around the korean peninsular that is routine but comes amid the growing tension between the two. the us is now preparing drills and evacuation of its troops from south korea in case of any kind of military strike. all of this of course contributing to the heightened tension and yet another

bombastic bit of rhetoric from the north koreans today as the war of words and a bellicose exchange with us shows no sign of abating. thank you so much for updating us. the most powerful communist party in the world is getting ready to hold its congress in beijing, where the next five years of plans for china will be drawn up. more than 2,200 high ranking delegates will come together, starting on wednesday, amid some of the tightest security in the world. let us explain. and the communist party congress begins this wednesday in beijing. you're watching newsday on the bbc. still to come on the programme: spin and bear it. we'll reveal how the pregnant duchess of cambridge came back to her royal duties with a spring in her step. also coming up on the programme —

when stars collide for the first time. we find out what happened 130 million years ago. parts of san francisco least affected by the earthquake are returning to life. but in the marina area, where most of the damage was done, they're more conscious than ever of how much has been destroyed. in the 19 years since he was last here, he's gone from being a little—known revolutionary to an experienced and successful diplomatic operator. it was a 20 pound bomb that exploded on the fifth floor of the grand hotel, ripping a hole in the front of the building. this government will not weaken. democracy will prevail. it fills me with humility and gratitude to know that i have been chosen as the recipient of this foremost of earthly honours. this catholic nation held its breath for the men they call the 33. and then... bells toll bells tolled nationwide to announce the first rescue and chile let out an almighty roar.

this is newsday on the bbc. i'm rico hizon in singapore. and i'm babita sharma in london. our top stories: thousands of civilians have fled the iraqi city of kirkuk after the government's army seizes control from kurdish forces. the european union has imposed fresh sanctions on north korea aimed at punishing the regime for its nuclear and ballistic weapons programmes. let's take a look at some front pages from around the world. we start with the japan times, which is reporting on the united states' continued efforts to curb north korea's nuclear programme. the us and south korea navies kicking off a massive five—dayjoint military exercise

in the waters near north korea. the south china morning post is reporting on plans to make hong kong's sky—high home prices more affordable. chief executive carrie lam wants to reclaim land outside hong kong's iconic victoria harbour for housing projects. and lastly, the international edition of the new york times is reporting on fears that china's communist party is losing its grip on young minds. the government's ordering schools to intensify efforts to promote communist party values. this photograph showing children at a red army school in china's southwest sichuan province. those are the top stories of may major publications around the world.

—— major publications. now, babita, what stories are sparking discussions online? the duchess of cambridge has returned to her royal duties at a charity event in london. it's her first public appearance since it was announced in september she was expecting the couple's third child but suffering severe morning sickness. here she is at paddington station in london dancing with none other than paddington bear himself. more on that story at bbc.com/news. nice dance moves! authorities in vietnam have launched a new alert as typhoon khanun authorities in vietnam have launched a new alert as typhoon khanun is approaching the country. people are still struggling to recover from last week's floods that killed at least 72. thousands of homes have been completely submerged and some 22,000 hectares of rice fields have been damaged. the government has said these were the worst floods in decades. the bbc‘s hoang nguyen in hanoi has the latest on the situation. typhoon khanun appears to be either weakened

or did not even reach the mainland in the north as we speak. low temperature causing some rains and that is really worrying the government here. the impact of the flood was described as one of the worst in decades, as you mentioned. the latest figures we have from the government is 76 confirmed dead and 27 missing. we are talking about over 100 people losing their lives during this period. thousands of families have been displaced and thousands of homes have been submerged due to this heavy rain and floods. are these families receiving enough help, is there enough food, water and medicines in the evacuation centres? i went myself to the most affected area in the south—west of hanoi and there is no clean water and electricity.

there is some primary schools and secondary schools that are closed. older people and children were sent by their family to outside areas to stay there, the conditions are really bad. you can smell the dead animals and fish. fish, poultry and cattle. you are just talking about medicine. i don't think there is much medicine provided. i was given a small tube of skin care or something, taking care when you get itchy or something like that. but the people here are so resilient and they are helping each other. does the government need international help to help these displaced families and residents who need this attention? well, the british ambassador

to vietnam sent his deep condolences to those who have families or relatives who lost their lives yesterday. he offered help in terms of providing assistance, research on climate change and so forth. the mayor of hanoi visited the area that we just talked about and asked for equipment to pump the water out of the area to rescue people but to be honest, i don't see where they can pump the water out because the whole area was totally submerged. the situation in vietnam there as another tropical storm approaches. it's not often we bring you news of something which happened 130 million years ago but this next story is just too big to pass up. scientists say they have observed the moment two neutron stars came together in a collision so big it sent ripples through the very

fabric of the universe. as you might expect, this report from our science correspondent pallab ghosh contains flashing images. it's the longest straight line in the world. a 2.5—mile pipe containing a laser that can detect powerful explosions in space. inside, a technician fine—tunes the instrument. it's made a discovery that has shaken the scientific world. two stars colliding in a galaxy far, far away. around 800 billion billion miles from earth. the two stars got closer and closer until they merged, resulting in a huge shock wave that rippled across the universe. the massive explosion led to the production of rare elements, such as gold and platinum. neutron stars are what is left over when giant suns die and collapse in on themselves. they're so densely packed that a teaspoon would weigh

one billion tons. and here is the actual sound of the collision. low humming and pop they then become part of planets when they form, including here on earth. the explosion was picked up in the control room here. it took place 130 million years ago when dinosaurs roamed the earth. it's only now that the light and gravitational waves have reached us. ooh, it was... we have been waiting for this for so long. we don't know if we were lucky and this happened to be an event that happened close, relatively close, to earth. but it's very rare. or perhaps there are many more neutron stars than we thought. we don't know yet, but we will know. within seconds, telescopes all over the world were pointed at the colliding stars. this is what they saw. the collision created distortions,

stretching and squeezing space. these are known as gravitational waves. a new observational window on the universe typically leads to surprises that cannot yet be foreseen. we are still rubbing our eyes, or our ears, as we havejust woken up to the sound of gravitational waves. researchers say that there are likely to be many more discoveries using gravitational waves. of objects in the universe that we have not yet imagined. pallab ghosh, bbc news, livingston, louisiana. to australia now, where a new tool is being deployed to try to keep swimmers safe from the risk of shark attack. specially fitted drones are being used over the surf along the coast of new south wales and as well as giving early warning about sharks, they can also help swimmers who run into difficulties at sea.

hywel griffith has been to see them in action. a shadow in the sea or something more sinister? from the beach it's hard to tell but from the skies the drone has a clear view. it feeds into deep learning software which it is claimed has a 92% success rate in spotting sharks as well as less threatening species. every time it sees a dolphin, whale or a swimmer in distress, it learns their shape. launched along the beaches of new south wales, the drones can patrol for 40 minutes. daniel was one of the first to train as a lifesaver pilot. i can't physically run out and grab a board and paddle out and save someone, but sitting on the beach we have an eye on the sky and we are just another layer of protection, really.

the drones don't only observe, they can react by dropping an inflatable device. they won't replace the use of controversial shark nets and drum lines that some claim do more harm than good. last year around australia there were 17 unprovoked shark attacks. the number isn't that high compared to how many people enter these waters but it's a national preoccupation — the question about sharing beaches between sharks and people. when this great white washed onto these shores recently it was welcomed and christened fluffy. not everyone wants to get so close, even if chances of an attack are minimal.. it's a human, innate fear of being attacked by wild animal. but the risk to people entering the water, it rates so low on the scale as opposed to all other threats of going about your daily life. traffic, cars, bee stings, all of those things. and for regulars in these waters, it is all part of the experience.

i went swimming here once at the back, six months pregnant and there was a shark alarm. i did freak out a little bit. if i will die, i would prefer to be eaten by a shark than have a stroke and end up in a nursing home. the drones won't be on every beach every day but it should give everyone a better understanding of what is down below. you have been watching newsday. stay with us... electric dreams, we'll see how china is taking the lead in the race for an electric—car future. and before we go, there was an eerie, red sky that appeared across much of the uk on monday afternoon. the bbc‘s weather team says it is due to the remnants of hurricane ophelia dragging in tropical air and dust from the sahara. that's all for now, stay with bbc world news. well, it's certainly been a very dramatic period on the weather front

and the remnants of hurricane ophelia still barrelling across the uk. but the worst of the winds affected the south of ireland. our friends there experienced winds gusting up to nearly 100 miles an hour that even here in the uk, we had winds in excess of 70, 80 and even 90 mph. here's the ex—hurricane, what's left over. still very powerful winds. the core of that storm with some of the gale force winds blowing through the irish sea will still be moving across northern ireland, scotland and northern england during the course of tuesday morning. the nasty low still with us over the next few hours before it pulls out into the north sea and eventually the remnants of that into norway. travel disruption is still very much a possibility first thing on tuesday morning. particularly around the pennines, the north—east of england through the lowlands of scotland. we could get gusts of 60 to 70 mph.

this is the scene around 5am. to the south, a different story, winds are much, much lighter. through the morning, very quickly the winds will ease. for most of us, in terms of the weather over all, not a bad day. certainly by the time we get to the afternoon, just a scattering of showers here and there. wales and the midlands getting some sunshine. hazy sunshine in east anglia and the south—east still have some weather. there may be some rain towards cornwall and devon and the west country. some of us mid—week will have some rain, from wales to northern england, the east coast to the north—west. to the south, maybe just a couple of showers. on balance, be prepared for a wet day in the north of the country on wednesday.

still mild in the south mid—week. 18 degrees in london. fresher in the north of the country. the summary, stormy start first thing on tuesday and then quieter mid—week then it could turn stormy again. a reminder of some spectacular orange skies we have seen across the uk thanks to hurricane ophelia drawing up some smoke particles from spain and portugal, from the wildfires there. also we've had some saharan dust in the atmosphere as well. here's a picture from the bbc earlier on. bye— bye. i'm babita sharma with bbc news. our top story: iraqi armed forces have moved into the centre of the city of kirkuk. their advance came after kurdish forces withdrew. iraq's prime minister says his military is acting to protect the unity of the country, following a kurdish referendum on independence, which iraq's government says is unconstitutional. the film company co—founded by harvey weinstein says it's

in talks to sell the bulk of its assets to a private equity firm after its board sacked the producer over a series of allegations of sexual misconduct. and here's what's trending on the website, bbc.com: the duchess of cambridge has returned to her royal duties at a charity event in london. it's her first public appearance after it was announced she was pregnant with her third child, and suffering from severe morning sickness. here she is at paddington station in london, dancing with none other than paddington bear himself. and the top story here in the uk: tributes have been paid to the comedian, actor and writer sean hughes,