this is newsday on the bbc. i'm sharanjit leyl in singapore, the headlines: cheering zimbabwe celebrates as the country's president of 37 years, robert mugabe, resigns. today is victory — it's victory in our hearts, it's victory for our children... robert mugabe's surprise resignation announcement was made by letter, just as proceedings to impeach him were getting started. i'm babita sharma in london. the ruling zanu—pf party say, emmerson mnangagwa, the man sacked as vice—president, will be sworn in as mugabe's replacement. and in other news — north korea's shipping operations and some chinese firms are targeted in the latest us sanctions against pyongyang. live from our studios in singapore and london, this is bbc world news — it's newsday. good morning.

it's 8am in singapore. midnight in london, and 2 am in zimbabwe where robert mugabe took the country and the world by surprise this afternoon when he suddenly resigned after almost 4 decades in power. without warning, his letter of resignation was read out in parliament — just as impeachment proceedings against him were getting underway. the news sparked wild celebrations with thousands of people pouring onto the streets in the capital harare. our africa editor fergal keane was in parliament when the news broke. it is the night of the free, a night like no other in their lives, a great tension has broken, the epoch of fear, of desperation, of robert mugabe, has ended. how rarely does politics translate into something so truly felt? this is history in the making.

we never thought something like this would happen in zimbabwe. this is what we have been fighting for since independence. one man has been taking us aback, man, and we are very happy that he is done now. suddenly we got the news tonight it was over, he had retired, he had resigned and he was gone and suddenly there was just this euphoria and that is all of us. all of us! the sense of surprise here is deep. because at the day's beginning it did not feel as if robert mugabe was going anywhere. parliamentarians, urged on by the crowds, gathered to begin the process of impeaching the president. after a week in which he had stubbornly refused to quit, his own mps led the legal process.

as mps moved into parliament to prepare for the impeachment vote, the decisive political phase of the operation to remove robert mugabe from power gets under way. will he be gone by the end of the week? i'm not sure. i really cannot say. the process of parliament is determining whether or not he will be gone by the end of the week. if it were my choice, i would have wanted him to go yesterday. the mps knew that public patience was wearing thin. the expectations of a nation were focused on them. the crowd have new heroes, the general who arrested robert mugabe. and emerson mnangagwa, the political brain behind the coup and president in waiting. by mid afternoon the mps and senators had moved to a hotel to accommodate the specialjoint session of parliament. they were watched by the public in what felt like a rare moment of true democracy here.

people are suffering, this mp said. and then the moment. a letter was handed to the speaker. he read it first himself and then to the world. a letter from the president... he was muffled but the words were momentous. ..notice of resignation. cheering. many who a week ago would have cheered robert mugabe now exalted in his fall. and we are here right at the moment that they heard that robert mugabe has resigned from the presidency. you can hear it, cheering from zanu—pf mps, from opposition mps and from members

of the public who have come here to witness what was happening. they did not expect it. they thought this would be a potentially elongated process of impeachment but it has not happened. he has gone, it is over. a week ago most foreign journalists were banned here. today, mps were eager to speak with me. this is a huge moment for your country, what do you feel? absolutely. this is a revelation. the people, if they speak their mind, they speak their heart, change will come. what are you feeling? i am feeling very happy because there is no spilling of blood in zimbabwe. the people love peace. celebrations spilled into the streets. they cheered emmerson mnangagwa and mocked robert mugabe. wherever they were met, the soldiers were fated.

we moved back up through the city into the rapidly gathering crowds. we have just come from parliament and we are on the streets and the celebrations have started. many are celebrating the end of the age of mugabe. now it is over. but in theirjoy they also know they must be vigilant. i think people will rejoice tonight, after that we really have to be about the serious business of building our country. we cannot make the mistake of having the same kind of leaders in place to build our country, we cannot afford that. remember the longer road to this moment? the people who endured white minority rule? and then they saw their independence become tyranny. they found themselves suddenly free.

fergal keane, bbc news, harare. after nearly four decades in power, robert mugabe is the only leader many zimbabweans have ever known. our zimbabwe correspondent, shingai nyoka, has been talking to some of the people celebrating in the capital harare. street parties are going on throughout the night as zimbabwe and is say they have been reborn, on every street in every part the celebrations continue, relishing the flag ina celebrations continue, relishing the flag in a renewed sense of patriotism. i witnessed her stand celebrations in 1980, it was such an overwhelming sense of hope. now, for the first time in 37 yes, i have seenin the first time in 37 yes, i have seen in the same lemma of hope in

the eyes of zimbabweans. what this generation, known as born free, do they want from a future without robert mugabe? for all the years i have existed on this planet, i have only known one president cerpa me it is certainly a different thing and i will run with emmerson mnangagwa, do not care. emmerson mnangagwa one of the symbols of zanu pf oppression is 110w the symbols of zanu pf oppression is now seen as the symbols of zanu pf oppression is now seen as the face of that new hope. i hope as the new president, he is aware that unlike mugabe, his leading people that have found their voice and if at any time in his presidency he comes short, we now have the courage and will to put him to check. that is what these are people has been about, that the president must answer to the people.

the many years zimbabweans have felt an unspoken shame as the economy crashed and millions of africa's most literate workforce fled the country for menial jobs in most literate workforce fled the country for menialjobs in a foreign land. i can start building a career, ican land. i can start building a career, i can start investing. by that time i afford it, i can start investing. by that time iafford it, maybe i can start investing. by that time i afford it, maybe i can own property. i can finally have a future. i could finally build towards uttley and notjust surviving. we are the future of zimbabwe. without ours there would not be any zimbabwe. harare on the streets of, tonight zimbabweans have shown africa how to effect peaceful change. a recent visit to beijing the author

of how china's leaders think told me at beijing's timing was a coincidence. china africa relations are exceedingly important. they have investment in countries throughout africa although zimbabwe is not its most strategic partner and does not get strategic resources in yet, it symbolises that this transition that china is making from the old revolutionary approach of countries that defied the west, that had a relationship with china to a much more sophisticated and nuanced approach to international relations. i would be surprised if china violated its historic non— interference in other nations as it has said with absolute certainty in terms of foreign policy objective but with these nuanced approach, china wants a stable government, it

does not want it hundreds and billions of dollars and thousands of workers put at risk. china has responsibility will towards his people. china is not sorry to see zimbabwe at towards a new kind of stability, even though it is with an old friend leaving at its the people a different future in a different world. robert mugabe leaving office, what does it mean for relations with china? china is very well prepared for it not i do not think there was any collusion. they know it what is going on and china is more than adequately prepared for the future to continue its investments and activities in zimbabwe at as well as throughout africa. let's catch up with some other news: the us has announced it's imposing new sanctions on north korea. the us treasury said the measures are designed to stop the funding of the country's nuclear

and ballistic missiles programme. they will target north korean shipping operations, and several chinese firms that trade with pyongyang. at least fifty people are reported to have been killed in a suicide bomb attack in eastern nigeria. the bomber struck inside a mosque in the town of mubi, some 200 kilometres by road from the adamawa state capital, yola. boko haram militants are known to operate there. the taxi service uber has revealed that the personal information of 57 million users and drivers worldwide was stolen by hackers late last year. details including names, phone numbers and email addresses were taken. the company's also admitted it concealed the hack from the victims at the time. the lebanese prime minister saad hariri has arrived back in beirut after he shocked the country by announcing his resignation in saudi arabia two and a half weeks ago. mr hariri travelled back via paris in time for lebanon's independence celebrations on wednesday. you're watching newsday on the bbc.

still to come on the programme: i, robert gabriel mugabe... as robert mugabe finally steps down, we look at his transformation from liberation hero, to unwanted and unpopular head of state. also on the programme: the united states takes aim at north korea's nuclear and missile programmes, with fresh sanctions against pyongyang. benazir bhutto has claimed victory in pakistan's general election, and she has asked pakistan's president to name her as prime minister. jackson has been released on bail of $3 million after turning himself in to police in santa barbara. it was the biggest demonstration so far

of the fast—growing european anti—nuclear movement. the south african government has announced that it's opening the country's remaining whites—only beaches to people of all races. this will lead to a black—majority government in this country, and the destruction of the white civilisation. part of the centuries—old windsor castle, one of the queen's residences, has been consumed by fire for much of the day. 150 firemen have been battling the blaze, which has caused millions of pounds‘ worth of damage. welcome back. you're watching newsday on the bbc. i'm sharanjit leyl in singapore. thank you for joining us. i am babita sharma in london. our top stories: crowds in zimbabwe celebrate

after robert mugabe resigns as the country's president. the ruling zanu—pf party says the sacked vice president — emmerson mnangagwa — will soon be sworn in as the country's new leader. let's get more now on our top story. robert mugabe has been zimba bwe's only leader since independence in 1980. his part in achieving that won him the status of a hero in the anti—colonial struggle. but then, during his long years in power, he presided over decades of political repression and economic chaos. here's our africa correspondent andrew harding. at every roadblock in every corner of this long tormented country you can feel the influence and the damage wrought by robert mugabe. and the fear. today, we went deep into zimba bwe's countryside. there it is on the left. robert mugabe's mansion. it is almost feudal, more like a family business

than a country. i'm andrew, we wanted to come in and take a look. they would not let us go in to admire the chandeliers, so we visited the neighbours. it was smashed down by the police? yes. to be poor in zimbabwe is to be powerless. robert mugabe's wife grace recently decided she wanted this land so she said the piece into destroyed dozens of homes. they came here and started demolishing my house. they said you must go away with this process being taken by the first lady. grace mugabe? yes. if she came here, what would you say? i would tear her to pieces, because she has destroyed my life for the past 16 years. tear her to pieces?

yes. so how did it all go so wrong? i, robert, gabriel mugabe. 37 years ago robert mugabe was a hero, the man who liberated zimbabwe, but he soon proved to be a brittle, vengeful leader. after he had the least his supporters on the country's white farmer, the economy collapsed. —— unleashed his. he rigged elections and terrorised his opponents to stay in power and all but a few suffered. this was me shopping in a country ravaged by hyperinflation. to give you a sense of this country's spiralling catastrophe i have come to a supermarket on the edge of harare and we are using hidden cameras for our protection. the first thing you see are empty shells that should be stacked with bread, but the bakeries have stopped working. robert mugabe shrugged it off, but he was older and weaker than he knew. in the end his fatal mistake was almost a cliche, to pick his wife as his successor, a woman who know

one trusted or liked. the man poised to take over here is emerson mnangagwa, for decades robert mugabe's right—hand man, his brutal enforcer. the worry is that zimbabwe is busy exchanging one tyrant for another. then again this has been an earthquake of a week. the fear has lifted, the genie of freedom may be out of the bottle. this is a big moment, we are so excited that finally we are taking over the country. 37 years of disappointment, falsehood and dictatorship, all of this is coming to an end and we must have a fresh beginning. tonight robert mugabe leaves behind a country warped by years of stubborn, unnecessary cruelty. but he is gone and zimbabwe is celebrating. the us has announced it is imposing new sanctions on north korea.

the us treasury said the measures are designed to stop the funding of the country's nuclear and ballistic missiles programme. they will target north korean shipping operations, and several chinese firms that trade with pyongyang. 0ur north america correspondent peter bowes has more. this is specifically targeting companies and transport systems that are seen companies and transport systems that are seen by the us administration as supporting north korea. just looking at the details, one individual, 13 companies, and 20 vessels, most of them tending to be north korean cargo ships that clearly are vital in terms of taking goods in and out of north korea. 0ne in terms of taking goods in and out of north korea. one of the companies has been involved in supplying workers to chinese companies, to rush hour, to cambodia, to poland, as well. and the american administration is keen that other countries do not hire north korean

workers, because the vast majority of their salaries go straight to the north korean government. so it is just another wave of putting the squeeze on, tightening the screw on north korea. school holidays are just around the corner and many students might be thinking about taking a working vacation in australia. but beware — a report shows such visitors are routinely ripped off. the wage theft in australia report, conducted by three universities in sydney, surveyed more than 4300 overseas workers. it found a third of backpackers and a quarter of international students in australia are being paid us$9 an hour or less. that's about half the minimum wage. conditions are worst for those employed in food services and on farms, and for workers from asian countries. dr laurie berg is senior lecturer of law at university of technology sydney, and was one of the authors of this report. she joins us now from sydney. tell us, first, why are so many

workers allowing themselves to be exploited this way, because this is the sort of thing you would expect from developing countries, not a first world one like australia? well, i think that is right. there has been anecdotal report is of overseas workers being exploited. but this is the first hard data that we have a hidden underclass of temporary workers in this country. it is made up of international stu d e nts it is made up of international students and backpackers than a earning below minimum wage. the gap is for a number of reasons. businesses see an opportunity to lower their costs, and expect they will not be detected. international stu d e nts will not be detected. international students and backpackers are notoriously hesitant to come forward and makea notoriously hesitant to come forward and make a complaint. they are afraid of losing their visa in some cases, if they have worked in breach of their visa, and they are afraid of their visa, and they are afraid of losing theirjob. and unions have

found temporary visa holders hard to organise in this country. your study also found that it was particularly asian workers that were treated particularly badly. why so? that is right overall. there might be a range of reasons for that. nationals from certain asian countries like china, vietnam, and taiwan had the worst wage rates overall. but having said that, it is clearly not an english slang which issue. because we actually found and were surprised to find that a significant proportion of every major nationality of workers in this country were severely underpaid. 0ne in five british and american stu d e nts in five british and american students and backpackers were earning half the minimum wage or less. how is it being, you know, other solutions? what is the government doing to address the problem? the national rate of that make the national labour regulator

acknowledges this is a vulnerable population and has devoted a range of resources and energy to educating them about their right. that make them about their right. that make the national labour regulator. clearly more needs to be done. the government needs to do more to target at risk industries where there is a lot of cash on hand wages, and, as you mentioned, food services and order culture, where we saw the most prevalent underpayment and the lowest underpayment. you know, but i think business has a role here to play, to. it is clear that businesses at the top of supply chains like supermarkets, who are sourcing goods and food from suppliers that are engaging in ways that, if they are not to take in at least that, they are clearly not looking hard enough. all right, thank you forjoining us from the university of technology in sydney. that's it for this edition of newsday. we're ending the programme with some of the sights and sounds from a historic day in zimbabwe. this is a good day for zimbabwe.

this is a good day for zimbabwe. this is a new era for our nation. 37 yea rs this is a new era for our nation. 37 years with one president, it doesn't make any sense. so this time it begins. it is the start of a new era for us as a nation. will begin to ask what is without robert mugabe? cheering. he was to rule. this is our independence. -- it was too old to rule. —— he was. cheering. i cannot believe he is gone! iam happys i

cheering. i cannot believe he is gone! i am happys i am so happy! yes! yes! yes! imagine, something happens tomorrow for the betterment of zimbabwe. thank you jesus! we are happy. we are so happy! i don't know what to say! we are overwhelmed. i am very very happy that zimbabwe is back to the people. back to the people! zimbabwe! hello there. we have heavy rain

gales and even snow in the forecast for the next few days. because there is still waiting in the wings. we have several areas of low pressure 01’ have several areas of low pressure or pushing up from the south—west, bringing these weather fronts and, in turn, rain. having seen the rain is off overnight, it will be tony went up by the morning. mild to the south. cold air perhaps beginning to arrive in the north of the uk. let's head into the morning for the rush hour. for southern england, head into the morning for the rush hour. forsouthern england, it head into the morning for the rush hour. for southern england, it might be dry. midlands and east anglia as well. a mild side to the day. then back into the rain across wales, especially to the north—west of wales, with rainfall the north of england, the north—west in particular. this rain in ireland could become heavy and arrive in the south—west scotland. then a slice of dry weather before we are back into rain. this area are to be as much as

100 millimetres of rainfall in by the end of the day over the hills, south—west island, and north—west wales. across much of england and wales, could be some rain and cold air across the north of scotland. this rain still around in the evening, with strong winds. some schools are moving eastwards across england and wales. then in the cold airwe start to england and wales. then in the cold air we start to see some snow falling overnight in scotland. particularly northern parts of scotland. further south, much milder, but still windy. the winds ease down on thursday, and this continues for a while, even to some lower levels in scotland, before easing through the day. some bands of shower pushed southwards, with sunshine in between. still pretty mild, actually, 13 or 1a degrees in the south—east. cold for scotland and northern ireland and the north of itand,

and northern ireland and the north of it and, two. heading into friday, uncertainty about the position of this area of low pressure. this is probably the of those low pressure centre is moving from the south—west. the rain more likely across southern england for a while on friday. this could be the last of the milder air, if you like, because cold air that is in the northern north—west will come sweeping its way southwards by just north—west will come sweeping its way southwards byjust in time for the weekend. you may well be dry for much of the weekend. could be some sunshine, too, but there will be showers, particularly in the north—west of the uk, and those showers not just of north—west of the uk, and those showers notjust of rain but possibly hail, sleet, and snow. this is bbc news. our top story: robert mugabe has resigned as president of zimbabwe after 37 years in power. mr mugabe announced

he was standing down, just as impeachment proceedings against him were getting started. 0n hearing the news crowds of people celebrated in the streets. the country's ruling party zanu—pf says that emmerson mnangagwa will be sworn in as president in the coming days. and the story of emmerson mnangagwa — or ‘the crocodile' who snapped back, is trending at bbc.com the profile of zimbabwe's probable next leader says it's been an open secret for years that he wanted to succeed mugabe as president. now on bbc news it's time for hardtalk.