welcome to bbc news, broadcasting to viewers in north america and around the globe. my name is mike embley. our top stories... charged with terrorism — the uzbek suspect in the new york truck attack appears in court. and president trump pours criticism on the way america's justice system handles terrorism suspects. what we have right now is a joke. it's a laughing stock and no wonder that so much of this stuff takes place. britain's defence secretary resigns — as a wave of sexual harassment allegations hits parliament. doing his hit for brexit britain — on a trip to singapore, prince charles meets an orchid with a familiar name. hello.

a man accused of using a pick—up truck to mow down pedestrians and cyclists in new york, killing eight people, has appeared in court charged with terrorism offences. sayfullo saipov, a 29—year—old immigrant from uzbekistan, is said to have told police he was inspired by videos from the extremist group the so—called islamic state, and wanted to kill as many people as possible. nick bryant reports. this is the kind of scene that preys on the minds of new yorkers — one that recalls the trauma of 9/11, one that reveals how this city is vulnerable to new forms of terror. a rented pick—up truck that became weaponised, a mode of attack that's common in europe, but now used to deadly effect on american soil, and just yards from ground zero, the site of the september 11th attacks. the antenna on the new world trade centre, bathed in red, white, and blue, to honour the eight people killed. this is the suspected attacker,

sayfullo saipov, a 29—year—old who reportedly shouted "allahu akbar" — "god is great" — as he left his truck. he was brandishing fake weapons, and was shot by the police and taken into custody. moments earlier, he'd driven at high speed along a riverside bike path, mowing down cyclists and pedestrians. saipov is an uzbek immigrant who came to the united states in 2010. he chose halloween because the streets would be more crowded, and has told police he was pleased with the success of the attack. one of the early clues that investigators found at the scene were hand—written notes in arabic pledging allegiance to the group calling itself islamic state. but there's no evidence yet of a direct link to that group. you got kids in there? yeah, man! all right, hold on! his attack came to an end when he crashed into a school bus. oh, my god. oh, my god! ok, i need an ambulance right here. that was an accident, because he wanted to continue

all the way to brooklyn bridge. police found knives in his vehicle. he rented a truck before so he could practice making turns. he appears to have followed, almost exactly to a t, the instructions that isis has put out in its social media channels before with instructions to their followers on how to carry out such an attack. among those killed, five friends from argentina, men in their late 40s in new york to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their graduation from college. president trump is demanding a more aggressive criminaljustice system. we need quick justice and we need strong justice, much quicker and much stronger than we have right now because what we have right now is a joke and it's a laughing stock, and no wonder so much of this stuff takes place. the city has experienced worse dawns, and waking up to the threat

of terror may well be an irreversible fact of life. nick bryant, bbc news, manhattan. president trump has called for tighter immigration measures and an end to the diversity lottery programme — the method the suspect used to obtain an american visa. the president said the united states needed to get tougher, smarter, less politically correct — and he described the us justice system as "a joke and a laughing stock". this from our north america editorjon sopel. he's the fbi's worst nightmare. sayfullo saipov, an immigrant from uzbekistan in central asia who's become radicalised in the us and has barely flickered on their radar screen. as forensic experts continued to pore over the truck that he weaponised, the president is combing over america's immigration system and is demanding that the green card lottery be ripped up. so we want to immediately work with congress on the diversity lottery programme, on terminating it, getting rid of it.

we have to get much tougher, we have to get much smarter and we have to get much less politically correct. the tradition has always been that after a terrorist attack when the nation is in mourning, the political class will put aside their differences and come together, united. not in today's america. less than 2a hours after the attack in lower manhattan, the political battle lines have been drawn in a sharply divisive way. the president tweeted this morning "the terrorist came into our country through what is called the diversity visa lottery programme, a chuck schumer beauty. i want merit—based." the visa lottery was introduced when republican president george w bush was in the white house and though democratic senator chuck schumer was one of its architects, it was supported across the political divide. today, the new york

senator fired back. the president ought to stop tweeting and start leading. the american people long for leadership, not divisiveness, not finger—pointing, not name—calling. this is a tragedy. it's less than a day than after it occurred and he can't refrain from his nasty, divisive habits. the green card lottery allows 50,000 people from across the globe to settle in the us each year. millions apply. in 2015, just over 4,000 came from uzbekistan, a country that's never been on donald trump's target list. and in tampa, where saipov settled for a while, he steered clear of conventional islam. we've worked with the fbi in a number of cases of trying to protect youth from being targeted by groups like isis and the first tactic isis does is try to get them away from mosques because they know the messaging of the mosques undermines the deviant extremist heretical message of groups like isis. in newjersey, where he'd been living most recently, the police are trying to piece together every aspect of his life.

his attack killed eight in lower manhattan. it's likely to affect the immigration prospect of hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world. jon sopel, bbc news, washington. 0ur correspondent in washington, laura bicker, has more details on the driver. he went into court to face those terror charges, sayfullo saipov — he was facing a number serious charges that could mean the death penalty. but when he was questioned by investigators, he waived his right to remain silent. so a number of points came from those interviews. first of all, he said he chose halloween because he wanted to have the maximum impact. he also said that he had hoped to go further with his truck and drive all the way to the brooklyn bridge. he went on to say he felt good about what he had done,

and that he had been inspired to do his attack by a number of videos that he'd watched on his mobile phone. through the interviews that he had with police, we also know that he wanted to display the flag of the so—called islamic state in his hospital bed. so a number of details coming up about how he wanted to carry out the attack, and what really inspired him to do so. laura bicker, one point, authorities were looking for a second uzbek man, but no longer? they have managed to get hold of him. fbi has also said they wanted to speak with two people that they believed had been in contact with the suspect. we have yet to hear about that. but yes, they have managed to track down the other uzbek immigrant they were looking to find. and people have been responding to the president's handling of this, particularly his description

of the us justice system? the problem with this is it is just 2a hours on and it seems that this tragedy is already being politicised. if you compare that to las vegas, where three days after 58 people were shot, and donald trump was visiting the hospital, he was asked by the press than if it was time to talk policy or gun laws, and he hit back saying now was not the time. already 2a hours after this incident, and donald trump is talking about changing the immigration laws in this country and also changing the laws locking up terrorists and prosecuting them. when it comes to the immigration laws, he wants to change the visa system, the way that this immigrant managed to get into the united states. this is a lottery that comes from a number of countries right around the world. last year, 50,000 people were allowed in on this lottery system, although 15 million applied.

he also had a go at the democratic senator, chuck schumer, saying that he was responsible — that he was behind it. chuck schumer said it is time for leadership not divisiveness. as for the justice system, it is uncertain how the president would like to change it — he did not come up with more details. but he did say he wanted to be tougher on terrorists, and would consider sending the suspect to guantanamo bay. laura bicker there in washington. police in colorado say two people have been killed and one injured in a shooting at a department store in a suburb of denver. it happened at the walmart store in thornton. there are no details about the alleged shooter. it's believed police were called to the scene at around six—thirty in the evening local time. officers say this is not an active shooter situation. let's take a look at some of the other stories making the news...

the islamist group hamas has handed control of border crossings in gaza to the palestinian authority. the move is part of a reconciliation deal between hamas and its rival palestinian faction — fatah — negotiated in cairo last month. the palestinian authority is due to take full control of gaza in a months time. dustin hoffman is the latest hollywood a—lister to face sexual harassment allegations. a production assistant who worked with him in the eighties claims he touched her inappropriately and made crude sexual remarks. more allegations have emerged against kevin spacey also dating back to the 1980s. uk police investigating the manchester arena bombing in may have requested the extradition from libya of the brother of the suicide bomber. hashem abedi is currently detained by authorities in tripoli. the warrant from greater manchester police cites murder, attempted murder and conspiracy to cause an explosion. the british defence secretary, sir michael fallon, has resigned, caught up in the sexual harassment

allegations that are swirling round the houses of parliament. it emerged this week that he'd apologised for putting his hand on a journalist's knee at a dinner fifteen years ago. she has said she is sad and thinks it absurd that someone should lose theirjob for touching her knee. this report from our political editor laura kuenssberg. quiet outside the ministry of defence tonight, but inside, turmoil. the secretary of state quits. in recent days, allegations have been made about mps‘ conduct, including my own. many of these allegations have been false. but i realise that in the past i may have fallen below the high standards that we require of the armed forces that i have the honour to represent. i have reflected now on my position in government, and i am therefore resigning as defence secretary. his resignation comes only the day after a front—page story telling that he put his hand on a well—known journalist's knee, years ago. sources admit more could emerge.

were you worried more is going to come out? well, the culture has changed over the years. what might have been acceptable 15, ten years ago, is clearly not acceptable now. parliament now has to look at itself, and the prime minister has made very clear, that conduct needs to be improved, and we need to protect the staff of westminster against any particular allegations of harassment. theresa may is under pressure to act. she wants to tighten up the rules with a new independent system to listen to claims. i have written to all party leaders inviting them to a meeting early next week so we can agree on a transparent procedure for all those working in westminster. we have a duty to all of those coming here to contribute to public life is treated with respect.

butjust as pressing a problem for her tonight is who will walk up this street in his place. he had served four different prime ministers, from theresa may back to margaret thatcher. good morning. what have you got for me today? jobs in education, energy and business, and he has been an mp since 1983. but a minister no more. one of the most senior seats in government empty tonight. somebody else‘s job tomorrow, but the past cannot be erased. stay with us on bbc news, still to come: how much would you pay for a cask of rare scotch whisky? how about $380,000? the israeli prime minister, yitzhak rabin, the architect

of the middle east peace process, has been assassinated. a 27—year—old jewish man has been arrested, and an extremistjewish organisation has claimed responsibility for the killing. at polling booths throughout the country, they voted on a historic day for australia. as the results came in, it was clear. the monarchy would survive. of the american hostages, there was no sign. they are being held somewhere inside the compound, and student leaders have threatened that should the americans attempt rescue, they will all die. this mission has surpassed all expectations. voyager one is now the most distant man—made object anywhere in the universe, and itjust seems to keep on going. tonight, we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of ourarms, or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals. this is bbc news.

the latest headlines: officials in new york city have filed terrorism charges against an uzbek immigrant over tuesday's deadly truck attack. britain's defence secretary, michael fallon, has resigned over claims about his personal conduct amid a wave of sexual harassment and abuse allegations facing mps. former members of catalonia's devolved government are expected at spain's high court in madrid this morning. the regional parliament voted for independence on friday, but spain's government responded by stripping the region of its powers and sacking its president. caroline davies has more. sending them off. crowds gathered at barcelona's main train station to see these catalan politicians. less than a week after declaring independence, they're on their way to face charges of rebellion.

if found guilty, they could face 30 years in jail. i don't think it's fair at all. i mean, we voted for these politicians in the democratic elections. now, they are being called to courtjust because they did something that is supposedly not democratic, which isjust defending the people's vote. draped in catalan flags, supporters greeted them with hugs and chants, following them through the station. but not everybody gave them such a warm goodbye. police stepped in to separate pro—unity protesters holding spanish flags from those pro—independents. through the barriers, the politicians left for spain's capital, madrid. not amongst them, the ousted president. carles puigdemont has spent the last few days in belgium. his lawyer says

he will not return yet because he thinks there is a high risk he will be detained. in madrid, security and spanish flags. bundled into the back of a waiting car, the politicians and spain wait to see the next turn in spain's constitutional crisis. carolyn davis, bbc news. a cultural change is needed in the way relatives are treated after a public tragedy according to a report on families who lost loved ones in the hillsborough disaster of 1989. the former bishop of liverpool was asked to write the report after the inquests into the deaths of the 96 liverpool fans. he said the "pain and suffering" families had been through must not be repeated. judith moritz reports. hillsborough was a disaster on many levels. 96 people died, but theirfamilies have suffered a burning injustice. many institutions, both public and private, bear responsibility, their treatment of the families making their suffering worse. that mustn't happen again,

according to this report, which recommends measures to help disaster victims like those whose loved ones died at hillsborough. it calls forfairer legal funding for such families, a voluntary charter for public bodies and for the police to be held more accountable. you can change the law as much as you want, but unless there's a cultural change, you won't make a difference because what the families found is that when they challenged the institution, the institution closed ranks, put their own reputation above the needs and the rights of the individual. the hillsborough disaster happened when fans became crushed on the terraces of the sheffield ground. one of those who died was jimmy hennessy, whose daughter charlotte was just six. now a parent herself, she contributed to the new report. it's very, very difficult to talk about your life so openly and so honestly because, you know, you're going back into things that

you've dealt with or you've kind of put away. if any good could come of this process, it's got to be that we protect other people. i would never want anybody to have the life that i've had. what happened here has raised big questions about the way the state and its agencies respond to disasters and the success of this report will bejudged in part on whether people caught up in such trauma are treated better as a result. there are concerns that those bereaved by the grenfell tower fire are experiencing a repeat of the suffering endured by the hillsborough families, some here welcomed the report. let people be transparent, let the laws change for the people, to be transparent and accountable. don't let us wait five years and... it's just wicked. the report is full of personal stories of pain and adversity, but there's hope too for a hillsborough law, designed to make public servants open and accountable. many say that would

be a fitting legacy. judith moritz, bbc news, liverpool. now, how much would you pay for a cask of rare scotch whisky? the owners of one of scotland's largest private collections are open to offers for their collection of more than 150 casks. it is unlikely to come cheap. the thomson family recently sold one 30—year—old macallan sherry cask at auction for a record $280,000. 0ur scotland correspondent lorna gordon has the story. in the bonded warehouses of scotland, some 20 million casks of whisky lie maturing. most will end up in bottles. but interest in owning whole casks is growing. the aroma and the tradition of holding whisky is... and one family's decades—old collection could now be on the move. back in my father's day, the vast majority of whisky was simply used for blending purposes. so nobody really understood

what was going to happen as malt whisky became more and more popular. it's meant that 30 years later, my brother and i have had the company passed down to ourselves and it's ours to play with now. and, if the price is right, to sell this family's liquid gold. generally speaking, the older the cask, the more valuable the whisky it contains. but beyond a certain age, you do have to keep a closer eye on it, taking samples at least every couple of years. well, this is a process we call regauging, which is where we work out how much alcohol is left in the cask. so, this cask is 46 years old. so, from this process that we are doing, we will be able to work out how much the angels have taken in their share. that evaporating spirit, that so—called "angel's share," is one factor which affects the volume and potential value in a cask. with no two the same, their uniqueness is, for some,

part of the attraction. there's significant demand and a growing market for rare old whisky still in the cask. we're seeing people from all over the world who are approaching us to buy some of these incredibly rare, unique things. that's the appeal. it's that truly unique nature. every cask is different. those who love a dram say whisky is for drinking. but with one recent cask selling at auction for more than £250,000, from the connoisseur to the collector, it can be a good investment too. lorna gordon, bbc news. the prince of wales has visited the singapore technology centre on his 11—day tour of south—east asia and india. prince charles and his wife camilla also visited the national 0rchid garden where they had a bloom named after them. sharanjit leyl was there for us. this is one of 120 orchids here at the singapore botanical gardens named after very important people. it is, of course, one of many

already named for the prince's own family. you've got the dendrobium elizabeth, named after his mother, and there's even the vanda william and catherine, named after his son and daughter—in—law, and there's even one for his former wife, diana. but this one, the dendrobium duke and duchess of cornwall, is meant to commemorate the close ties between the uk and singapore. now, we know it's the prince's second official visit, but it's really aimed at reaching out to other commonwealth nations ahead of a crucial commonwealth summit next year. now, it'll be the first summit being held since the uk's decision to exit the european union. and with brexit looming, at little bit of royal treatment by a future king to its allies may go some way to to re—establish britain's presence in the region. the singer harry styles, former 0ne direction member, of course, has been all over social media

even more than usual. because he... well, nearly took a tumble on stage at the hammersmith apollo in london last night. fans had been throwing kiwifruit at him because his new single is called kiwi. see what they did there. he was playing two dates at the london venue, part of a uk tour. probably not the effect the fans intended. before we go, let's head to hawaii and an encounter between a diver and and an encounter between a diver and a whale shark. at first, he thought it was a school of fish. it was only when he got closer, he realised the white dots were on a whale shark. he estimated it was ten metres long. and you can get in touch with me and most of the team on twitter. i'm @bbc mike embley. hello once again.

the end of wednesday brought the opportunity for some to gaze in awe and wonder at the moon. that was certainly the case in basingstoke in hampshire. drift a little bit further north to aberdeenshire, and difficulty in seeing the end of the road at times. the reason for the difference — quite an active weather front in the north. clearer skies in the south. hence some fog patches to start the day in some of the southern counties. and a chilly start underneath the clearer skies across northern scotland. but at last, at last, some good news for the northern parts of the british isles, especially scotland and northern ireland, which saw quite a bit of rain during the course of wednesday. clearer skies, a chilly start. yes, maybe the odd mist fog patch, but some sunshine and dry weather. there, the remnants of the old front strung out across wales, the midlands, and east anglia. the further south and west you are, the more likely it is you'll have those dense fog patches — a real issue, perhaps, for the commute. but as we get on through the morning, so as the cloud comes in from the north,

it will help to lift the fog in many places, but it could be well on into the morning before it really gets away from some of the west country. so bear that one in mind. the afternoon, though, marked by plenty of sunshine across the north of england, north midlands, the north of wales too. more in the way of cloud further south. despite all the sunshine, struggling to get to double figures in parts of scotland and northern ireland. out of thursday into friday, not too much in the way of breeze across the south. clear skies for some. so again, fog could be an issue first up. more cloud, i think, as you get into the midlands, wales, and then up into scotland and northern ireland. but a lot of dry weather around. just the odd bit and piece of rain coming in off the irish sea. a new set of weather fronts bringing cloud, wind and rain eventually into scotland and perhaps the far north—west of northern ireland. again, rather cool in some northern spots, 9, 10, 11 degrees. double figures in the south, but as we get on into the weekend, that may not be the case for some,

because we could see quite a bit of cool air rushing towards the british isles on an increasingly fresh and dominant north—westerly wind. but before we see that, we have to get this banner of cloud and rain away from this south—eastern quarter. and here's the thing — it may well take a good part of the daylight hours on saturday before it eventually quits the scene. there, that cooler, fresher air moving in across northern and western parts, keeping the temperatures in single figures. and we'll do something pretty similar as we get on through sunday. by this stage, it certainly will feel a good deal cooler, even in the south—east. this is bbc news. the headlines. an uzbek immigrant has appeared in court accused of killing eight people in new york city on tuesday, mowing them down with a pick—up truck. sayfullo saipov, who was shot by police, sat in a wheelchair. he was charged with the killings and with providing material support to the extremist group, the so—called islamic state. president trump has called

for harsher and quicker punishments for those who carry out such attacks. he criticised the american justice system for terrorism suspects, calling it "a joke and a laughing stock." he said he would repeal the visa system the suspect used to enter the us. the british defence secretary, michael fallon, has resigned over his personal conduct. his decision comes amid a wave of allegations of sexual harassment and abuse against members of parliament. mr fallon admitted that his behaviour in the past may have fallen short of the standards expected. now on bbc news,