welcome to bbc news, broadcasting to viewers in north america and around the globe. i'm duncan golestani. our top stories: power games in lebanon. politicians warn iran and saudi arabia against waging proxy war for control of the country. american tv comedian louis ck admits claims of sexual misconduct against him are true. it looks like a new transpacific trade deal is moving forward without the usa. canada drops its objections. and supermodel naomi campbell tells the bbc that current allegations about sexual abuse in the fashion industry are "just the beginning". welcome to the programme.

the crisis in lebanon has intensified with the leader of the militant shia group, hezbollah, now accusing saudi arabia of declaring war on his country. it comes just days after the lebanese prime minister saad hariri announced his resignation while in the saudi capital. the un and others in the international community have warned other countries against using lebanon as a pawn. in a wider regional confrontation between the major sunni power saudi arabia, and shia—dominated iran. from the lebanese capital beirut, martin patience sent this report. for a region in turmoil, beirut served as a sanctuary from the violence. but now it finds itself at the centre of the growing struggle between saudi arabia and iran. speaks arabic. in a move that has stunned lebanon, the prime minister resigned suddenly last weekend.

not at home, but in saudi arabia. he lashed out at iran, accusing it of destabilising the entire region. today, iran's proxy in lebanon shot back. the leader of hezbollah claimed riyadh was holding the prime minister hostage. in a bid to defuse the crisis, the french president emmanuel macron stopped briefly in the kingdom. he met the saudi crown prince mohammed bin salman, who is pursuing a tough line against iran. many in lebanon share his view that tehran is too influential. some people are seeking dividends in lebanon for the role that they played in syria. those people are iran and hezbollah? yes, they've openly expressed that. that we fought isis in syria, we drew isis away from lebanese borders and therefore we need to be recognised.

during the civil war here in the 1980s, the city was divided by warring parties. and this building was on the front line. but today, lebanon is divided by the regional struggle. and the country's seen as a pawn by the bigger players. everyone's reassuring us that everything will be ok but that doesn't mean that it is. but we've been through worse, so we are trying, just hanging on there. it's a play of power and we're in the middle but it's always like this for lebanon. for 30, 40 years. but the fear is the dynamic is far more dangerous than in the past. in the last few decades we've never been so close to the precipice. in many ways the threat of regional war has never been this real, if you like. beirut famously partied

through its civil war. and tonight, it's no different, but this is a region on edge, and the international community is calling for calm. for more on this i am joined by ali al—ahmed, who is a saudi analyst and director of the washington dc—based think tank institute for gulf affairs. thank you forjoining us on bbc news. the prime minister gave his reasons for resigning, which i suppose we should take at face value despite speculation to the contrary. let me ask you this, how will saudi arabia —— how big saudi arabia view his leadership in lebanon? mr hariri has not unable to deliver what the

saudis, his saudi sponsors demanded from him. he is not a strong leader like his father was, so i think they we re like his father was, so i think they were disappointed, and the washington post said he is being held against his will, so it was seen by the lebanese at least that he has been forced to resign by the saudis. in stepping up the pressure on beirut, what is the saudi strategy, presuming there is an overarching strategy here? strategy, presuming there is an overarching strategy here ?|j strategy, presuming there is an overarching strategy here? i think the saudi government is trying to divide the lebanese and create some instability politically. i think it has backfired and we see most lebanese are more united in terms of having their elected prime minister held in saudi arabia, so i think it almost did the opposite effect in lebanon, i think the lebanese are more united now. it does mean that

once again, lebanon is the staging post for other people's conflicts and manipulation if you like? did you get my questionnaire? apologies, i think we have just lost sound to him there, we will try and get him back later in the programme if we can. let's take a look at some of the other stories making the news. protestors in australia have clashed with police outside a political fundraising event attended by the country's former prime minister, tony abbott. demonstrators called on the immigration minister to end offshore detention and bring refugees to australia. it comes after a refugee camp on manus island was closed last week prompting around 600 men to barricade themselves inside. a lawyer representing the former us national security adviser, michael flynn, has rejected allegations he was involved in a plot to seize a dissident muslim cleric and return him to turkey.

a statement said the allegations, first reported by the wall street journal, were outrageous and false. reports allege general flynn and his son were offered $15 million to deliver the cleric fetullah gulen to turkey, where he is accused of being behind last year's failed coup. three chinese students in france have been injured by a car which ploughed into them near the city of toulouse. the driver of the vehicle was immediately arrested. french media reported that he is believed to have a history of mental illness, and the incident isn't believed to be terror—related. one of the latest hollywood figures to be accused of sexually harassing women has admitted that all the allegations against him are true. five women have made claims against the american comedian louis ck. he's expressed remorse for his actions. our north america correspondent

peter bowes reports from los angeles. another hollywood figure accused of sexual misconduct. but louis ck admits he did it. the new york times first reported the claims of five women who said he subjected them to various acts of indecency including stripping naked and performing a sex act in front of them. two of his accusers say it happened in his hotel room at a comedy festival in 2002. in a statement the comedian said the stories were true and he was now aware of the extent of the impact of his actions. he said": the statement does not include an

apology to the women. hi everybody. nice to see a wall. whatsapp? louis ck is best known as a stand—up comedian. he is also a successful writer, producer and actor. hollywood's response to the allegations against them has been swift. his latest film you to be released next week has been scrapped. he has been dropped by several tv networks, and netflix has cancelled plans for a stand of special. the streaming service cited the comedian‘s unprofessional and inappropriate behaviour with female comedians. the uk has two weeks to make it clear what it will pay to the eu when it leaves — or talks on a trade deal won't start next month. that is the ultimatum from the eu's chief negotiator, michel barnier. he says it's vital that the uk make concessions and increase its offer. the brexit secretary david davis says good progress has been made in talks so far, though how to resolve the border

between ireland and northern ireland, remains a sticking point. our europe editor, katya adler, has been following today's talks in brussels. time is a precious commodity, and don't the uk and the eu know it. we're halfway now between the date of our eu referendum and actually leaving the club. expect many more face—offs along the way. by now, round six of brexit negotiations, all attempts at bilateral banter have gone. this is a serious business. ..says david davis. it is. the eu is the uk's biggest trading partner, security and research and development ties are tight. all this now hangs in the balance as we untangle ourselves from brussels, the government still hoping to keep european relations close. but relations now are strained.

the uk wants to talk about trade and the future. the eu response, make more headway in real and sincere progress, as they put it, by the end of this month or forget talk of trade until at least february next year. so where are we on the brexit divorce issues, and what does "real and sincere progress" mean? citizens rights are not yet resolved but progress has been made. the border of ireland remains a big problem. the eu thinks it can be resolved next year, though the uk rejected an eu proposal to keep northern ireland in the single market and customs union. the massive sticking point right now is money — the eu wants cast—iron, possibly written guarantees that the uk will honour financial agreements

made while an eu member. a lot to ask for in two weeks. the eu is really trying to pile on the pressure — it wants that money. otherwise brussels threatens to dash the prime minister's hopes in this room in december at a summit of eu leaders. what theresa may wants is the green light from her eu counterparts to go ahead with what is known as "stage two" of the brexit negotiations. that is talk of trade and transition deals. on both sides of the channel, companies ache for news. uncertainty is very bad for business. but trade experts say eu—uk fallout over brexit divorce issues will seem child's play compared to complications when it comes to trade. the real obstacle is to come, when britain tries to negotiate a new trade deal with the eu. and it's looking for something that's as good as or better than what it has now, which will be extremely difficult to achieve, because why would 27 countries, each of which has a veto,

agree unanimously to give britain something better than what they have? can britain get a new trade deal with the eu by the time it leaves in march 2019? not in my opinion. no—one can stop time, of course, but when it comes to brexit, time can be stretched, negotiations extended — if everyone agrees. but in brussels and london, there is little appetite for that. stay with us on bbc news, still to come: the answer to a thousand—year old riddle may have been found. why did ancient mayans build mexico's ancient pyramids? berliners from east and west linked hands and celebrated. berliners from both east and west linked hands and danced

around their liberated territory. and, with nobody to stop them, it was not long before the first attempts were made to destroy the structure itself. it is keeping the candidate's name always in the public eye that counts. success or failure depends not only on public display but on the local campaign headquarters and the heavy routine work of their women volunteers. yasser arafat, who dominated the palestinian cause for so long, has died. the palestinean authority has declared a state of mourning for the leader who symbolised the hopes for independent statehood. in the wake of the colombian volcano disaster, rescue teams are trying to reach thousands of survivors who managed to clamber onto rooftops and trees above the sea of mud. after 17 years of discussions, the result was greeted with an outburst ofjoy. women ministers, who had long felt only begrudgingly accepted amongst the ranks of clergy, suddenly felt welcomed. this is bbc news.

the latest headlines: amid growing tension between saudi arabia and the iranian—backed hezbollah movement, the united states has warned other countries against using lebanon for proxy conflicts. the american comedian louis ck has admitted that accusations of sexual misconduct made against him by five women are true. the remaining members of a major pacific trade deal abandoned by the united states have agreed to a new framework, after days of stalled talks to revive the pact. according to the canadian trade minister, francois—philippe champagne, the breakthrough in vietnam on the sidelines of an annual asian economic summit, is welcome news. it comes after president trump took his america first message to the region and made it quite clear to leaders the us would no longer tolerate what he called chronic trade abuses. andrew plant reports. big progress. that was canada's

verdict as their prime minister arrived for this gathering in vietnam, describing a deal being worked on here, the trans—pacific partnership, a long hoped—for trade agreement. justin trudeau! any such deal had seemed in doubt, after us president donald trump very publicly abandoned the idea earlier this year, saying it was bad for america. mrtrump year, saying it was bad for america. mr trump arrived year, saying it was bad for america. mrtrump arrived in year, saying it was bad for america. mr trump arrived in vietnam after a visit to china, where he praised his hosts. but in vietnam that affability evaporated in a speech to asian leaders that time was at times sharpe, of robust rejection of the way america and asia had done business in the past. we can no longer tolerate these chronic trade abuses and we will not tolerate

them. despite years of rock and promises, we were told that some day soon everyone would behave rarely and responsibly —— years of broken promises. people in america throughout the indo pacific region have waited for that day to come, but it never has. speaking immediately afterwards, china's president praised the economic potential of asia. a gathering many saw as the moment america step away from its formal role in the region. asign from its formal role in the region. a sign that influence here is perhaps less important to the us president than a good deal for the american people. saori katada is associate professor of international relations university of southern california. she joins us from los angeles. we are hearing an agreement for a

framework has been agreed. how surprised are you? it was looking rocky for a few days. it was rocky for about 12 hours, it seems to me. japan was very hopeful as it entered into the apec in vietnam that the agreement would be reached. in fact, its economic minister has announced prior to this kind of rocking as that the agreement is coming —— rockiness. while there was obviously a discord with canada. i think it has finally reached the so—called core elements. i think it's a very promising sign. what were the stumbling blocks for canada ? promising sign. what were the stumbling blocks for canada? it's ha rd to stumbling blocks for canada? it's hard to know. it is emerging, so i guess the reporters are the ones who know more. but from what i understand there were several things that canadians are not very happy about, especially the prime minister, because of some of the

auto deals as well as cultural pot up auto deals as well as cultural pot up they were hoping for, that were not protected. and there were elements like protection of gender equality and things that canada wa nts to equality and things that canada wants to put more on the table. at the same time, some suspect that canada will renegotiate on nafta and is very sensitive about how it will deal with the tpp. a few moments ago you mentioned japan. shinzo abe has invested a lot of political capital in this deal. why is it so crucial tojapan? in this deal. why is it so crucial to japan? well in many ways. i think in two ways it is very crucial for japan and for the region for not tpp has been the cornerstone of japanese trade strategy, trade and investment attitude, in the region. in some ways the rules for this trade and investment in the region will be

defined whether or not tpp will be in place. this also links to the ongoing negotiation of the partnership that china is leading. if tpb is accessible, thenjapan and americans and tpp members would be able to push for more stringent and able to push for more stringent and a high standard of rules for the negotiations. at the same time, for japan, especially tpp is very important. on one side this is the show japanese leadership and important. on one side this is the showjapanese leadership and also currently now that the us is, at least for the time being, out of this negotiation, japan would like to push tpp forward in order to distract the united states from pushing the bilateral deal between japan and the us. 0k, we will leave it there. they can very much for

joining us. thank you. naomi campbell, one of the biggest names in modelling over the last three decades, has been a vocal critic of the inequalities in the fashion business. she took british vogue to task for its lack of diversity prior to the appointment of its first black editor. will gompertz has been speaking to her in new york about her views on diversity and sexual harassment in the industry, and her own sometimes controversial behaviour. i think it's a positive message to put out, an all—black cast for the pirelli calendar. doing alice in wonderland. are you feeling that there is a change? that's what i feel. interesting, isn't it? that's what i'm starting to see, which is great. but let's hope that it's not a trend, and it remains that way, and they continue to choose with a diverse mind. have you been turned down because of your colour? many times in my past. but it's not something that i let deter me and stop me. i used it to drive me. lupita nyong'o did an instagram post

today, criticising a front cover where they have airbrushed out the frizziness of her hair. she won't be happy about that. she's not happy about that. why would they do that? she doesn't understand. see, it's... i mean, i understand why she's upset. 100%. and what about the darker side of naomi, the angry...? there isn't an angry any more. i don't really let people push that button. other issues in the fashion industry. the abuse of vulnerable young people, specifically women, but young men, as well. i'm saddened, and i've made it clear whatever i can do to use my voice, in supporting models of my industry, and what i do, i will. it's never happened to me. but i don't want it to ever happen to anyone. it shouldn't happen to anyone, period. how big of a problem is it? well, it seems to be a big problem. and i think, before it gets better,

it's going to get worse. i think we're going to have to hear about it lots, it's going to have to come out before... i mean, they're trying to find a solution, i know. and... i think it'sjust the beginning, really. let's head to mexico now and a riddle that's gone unanswered for a thousand years. the mayans were an ancient people who built huge elaborate cities and there is much we don't know about them. a team of scientists may have discovered crucial information about the ruins of chichenitza. the bbc‘s tim allman takes up the story. in the jungles of mexico, a marvel and a mystery. this pyramid was built by the mayans sometime between the 9th and 12th centuries. now archaeologists are going underground to try to answer a crucial question.

why was it built here? it seems the answer is pretty simple. translation: the aquifer, the water that sustained the city, that sustains the life of the peninsula. we can see the consequences, even negative ones, that may come from the fact that these buildings are built above bodies of water. the yucatan peninsula is dotted with underground rivers and natural wells. the mayans seem to have built their city right on top. scientists developing 3d images showing the cavities underneath the pyramid. there are also tunnels and passageways all around the area. another mystery that is still to be resolved, as this extraordinary relic of the past gives up some of its secrets. finally, as far as dramatic car

chases go, this one had it all for every and turn was captured by a news helicopter. it was a pursuit lasting two hours. the stolen pickup truck led police through backstreets and open fields in the us state of oklahoma. despite multiple attempts to corner the driver, he escapes, even finding time to remove a heavy toolbox from the back of the vehicle. at one point a civilian steps in and tries to shoot the vehicle's car tyres, but in the end of pond is what stops him in his tracks. officers managed to cater him before he is taken for another car ride, this time wearing wet clothes, handcuffs and as a backseat passenger. that's the way it is looking here. you can get into —— in touch on twitter. we'll be back in a few minutes' time.

hello. we are having to look into the atlantic for some elements of this weekend's weather for some parts of the british isles. what was tropical storm rina won't be giving us gale force winds, but it will import some really warm and moist tropical airs, which will manifest themselves on the start of saturday as a lot of cloud and rain for the southern half of the british isles. a much fresher aspect to the weather as we head into scotland. wintry showers across high ground. at least there's sunshine to speak of and that persists into the afternoon. some of the showers turning wintry, down to about 300 metres or so. snow will lie on high ground of scotland, but at least there will be sunshine to speak of.

northern ireland — a cloudy afternoon. a bit of brightness perhaps and brightening skies coming from the north of england, especially down the eastern side, but generally speaking as you come back through the midlands towards the south of wales and into the southern counties of england it may be one of those afternoons where the rain sticks around for the greater part of the day, so that's going to be a nuisance in cardiff, but at least there's going to be brighter skies for the visit of samoa to murrayfield. the thicker cloud thickens even further in southern counties of england and wales for a time through the night. just pepping up the rainfall. further north the skies remain clearfor some. a dotting of showers still perhaps and again wintry across high ground. once that set of fronts in the south pulls into the near continent, notice that the air flows down those isobars from the north to the south. never a warm direction. all of us will experience that marked change in the feel of the day on sunday, remembrance sunday of course. yes, a scattering of showers around the exposed shores,

fully exposed to the northerly wind. but down the spine of the country there could be a good deal of sunshine, but it will do nothing for the temperatures. seven, eight, nine degrees for many. next week starts cold and frosty, then it gets a little bit milder in the middle of the week and there will be some rain around. so there's a frosty start for the greater part of england and wales, the eastern part of scotland too, but here the first signs of that change into something milder as we bring the fronts into parts of scotland and eventually into northern ireland. from monday into tuesday, no more the northerly, the isobars are cranked into a westerly, and that's why the weather will become milder. this is bbc news. the headlines: there is growing concern that a power struggle between saudi arabia and iran is fuelling the political crisis in lebanon. the american secretary of state has warned other countries against using the country for proxy conflicts, following a crisis triggered

by the resignation of its prime minister. one of the latest figures in american entertainment to be accused of sexual misconduct, the comedian, louis ck, has admitted that several allegations made against him are true. five women had accused him of various acts of indecency. in a statement, louis ck expressed remorse for his actions. it looks like a new trans—pacific trade deal is moving forward without the usa. canada has dropped its objections in talks on the sidelines of the annual asian economic forum being held in vietnam. in around 10 minutes it's time for newswatch. first, though, here's click