general that the country's prime minister, benjamin netanyahu, should be charged with bribery, fraud and breach of trust. he insists that nothing would come of the cases against him, and that he will remain in office. leaders of american intelligence agencies have been updating senators on the threats facing the country. they warned of election interference from russia in the mid—terms. and they contradicted the white house over the departure of senior aide rob porter, who's accused of domestic abuse. south africa's ruling african national congress has asked presidentjacob zuma to resign. the anc says he's agreed to stand down, but only after a transition period which the party rejected. mr zuma is under pressure following a series of corruption scandals. now on bbc news, it's time for hardtalk. welcome to hardtalk. i'm stephen

sackur. there was a time last year when it seemed that president maduro‘s grip of an power in venezuela was loosening. yet here we are, two months away from a presidential election with maduro using confidence and his opponents seemingly in disarray. my guest todayis seemingly in disarray. my guest today is one diehard anti— regime activists, david smola nsky, today is one diehard anti— regime activists, david smolansky, who was the mayor of a district in caracas until he fled the country to escape ajail until he fled the country to escape a jail term for aiding the street protests last year. wide as venezuela's opposition so consistently promise more than it delivers? david smolansky in washington, dc. welcome to hardtalk. thank you very much for having me. we're glad to have you won the show, albeit via satellite in washington, dc. how does it feel to be a

venezuelan, a politician, an activist who currently is living in the us capital? do you feel uncomfortable? obviously it is not co mforta ble uncomfortable? obviously it is not comfortable because i want to be in the country. i am a public servant. i was removed from office with no justification at all. at the same time, i have prepared myself to be in exile because i know that this regime does not tolerate things that are different. you were the mayor of are different. you were the mayor of a district of caracas. a district where we saw mass street protests in the summer of last year. the government accused you of using your powers to aid and abet the protest rather than keep the streets clear,

you encourage the protest is to block the streets. is that true?m is not true. firstly, our laws and oui’ is not true. firstly, our laws and our constitution guarantee the right that any citizen may protest. every protest that i had in my district in caracas was peaceful. nonviolent. the hospital of my town, el hatillo, had to tend to hundreds of students who were wounded because of the oppression of the security forces. maduro does not tolerate any mayor in the position. 13 mayors in the last four years have been removed. we represent 10 million of the population of venezuela, that is one third of the population. as you say,

the supreme court removed you from office. it did not remove you from the country. that was entirely your decision as it became clear that you are going to be imprisoned for 15 months on these charges of aiding and abetting the protests, you did not stay to face the music, you chose to flee. i wonder, in retrospect, given that some other venezuelans, retrospect, given that some other venezuela ns, politicians retrospect, given that some other venezuelans, politicians including the leader of your own party have taken a very different decision, they have chosen to stay and fight, you regret your decision?” they have chosen to stay and fight, you regret your decision? i do not regret. i went to einstein for 30 days. when i was there, security forces were looking after me. my family was threatened. my team was

also threatened. i decided to flee the country because i think i can do more in exile to recover democracy and freedom in venezuela. it is a very personal decision. i do not regret it and i have a history with this because of my grandparents who left in —— europe in the and then my pa rents left in —— europe in the and then my parents who left cuba. i had to leave venezuela so i know what it is to lead a country. i do take that point and to lead a country. i do take that pointandi to lead a country. i do take that point and i am very aware that it is easy for me to sit in a studio in london and second—guess a very difficult decision that you had to face. i return to the leader of your party, one of the leading opposition figures in the country, lopez. i notice myself because i visited your country and had some experience talking to lopez's family. he made

the decision to stay and fight. he ended up in detention for a while and is currently under house arrest. in many ways i think many venezuelans would argue that that enhanced his credibility. you were one of the youngest opposition mayors in all of venezuela, a rising star in the party. i wonder if you think your credibility, in some ways, has been damaged by fleeing, first to brazil and then to washington, dc? first of all i have to say that leopoldo lopez has shown courage. he is a brave man, our leader. he leads voluntad popular. and when i fled i was able to talk to him and he supported the decision. i am to him and he supported the decision. iam not to him and he supported the decision. i am not the only one from a political party in exile. secondly, i am a political party in exile. secondly, iam not a political party in exile. secondly, i am not concerned about my credibility because at the end of

the day, you build an ability when you have clear convictions. my convictions in washington, dc, brazil or anywhere, if i go, the same as they are in venezuela i work ha rd to recover same as they are in venezuela i work hard to recover democracy, to recover security and being able to return to venezuela, being part of a generation that will rebuild our country that is suffering too much. your country is suffering. the economy is in a terrible mess and poverty rates are frighteningly high and people are struggling for food and people are struggling for food and a sick medicines. yet, the protest movement, which was so strong last year and saw hundreds of thousands of people take to the streets of caracas and other towns and cities, it has dwindled to nothing. why? why? because maduro was against the wall and he used

weapons, he used guns and he used all its and he used all the forces to keep power. last year i was on those protest. 120 consecutive days, we we re those protest. 120 consecutive days, we were on the streets nonviolently and over 130 people were killed. as and over 130 people were killed. as a mayor i had to bury five of them. the world needs to understand that venezuelans, the vast majority, disapprove of this regime. we have not been able to change maduro because he is using weapons to keep power and unfortunately part of the armed forces, part of the armed forces are a political party with weapons which is something dangerous for people, as i said before, for

people who are suffering and have to flee the country. you say the world needs to understand. i think one thing the world are struggling to understand is what exactly the strategy of the opposition is. i am looking at quotes here from the man we discussed earlier, leopoldo lopez, also a mayor, another mirror of caracas and another opposition leader. all of them were saying last year that these protests will continue until we bring maduro now. that there we have it, nicolas maduro is still in power. there are no more street protests and the oppositionjust no more street protests and the opposition just last week was actually in a dialogue, and negotiation with maduro. so what is the strategy today? first of all we have had protest. just different protest to the once we had last year, they were political protest last year but if you see the protest we have had in 2018, it is desperate people looking for food, looking for

medicines and maduro has also oppressed innocent people. second, the negotiations and the dominican republic um which, i must say, i disagree and in my opinion that was a regime strategy to gain time to keep power, at the end of the day it did not have any agreement. the opposition went, they did not sign an agreement because we do not have free elections. the majority of the candidates irene exile, injail, they are ruled out to compete. the political party has been utilised so you cannot go to an election where the only one who can compete is nicolas maduro with a referee playing for him. isn't this the point i am getting at? there is deep division and some might say chaos within the opposition. you have an

opposition leader who was adamant that they should go to dominican republic and six law possibilities with the regime and then you have others like yourself saying no, that isa others like yourself saying no, that is a crazy idea. there is no strategy or vision within the opposition. i say this after the dialogue, as someone who is in power with a political party, you must be disciplined and i was. unfortunately there was no agreement at all. i must say something. i think media, and the international community, all the time are talking about the different criteria that the position has which in my position is good because that is democracy. no—one is talking about the divisions in the regime. the minister ofjustice,

torres, he left the political party of the regime. and it is critical to the regime. i look more to the fractures in the regime. in my opinion it is good to have different criteria from the opposition but i agree with you that we need to have one strategy. and our strategy at the moment is that we are not going to elections because there is no guarantee. it is not free, it is not fairand asi guarantee. it is not free, it is not fair and as i said before, the candidates irene exile, imprisoned or unavailable. but that would be a big mistake because nicolas maduro is now adamant that the elections will happen on april 22. he says, andi will happen on april 22. he says, and i quote, we should be united as venezuelans, putting and i quote, we should be united as venezuela ns, putting aside and i quote, we should be united as venezuelans, putting aside our differences, putting our country first and showing what really unites

us. first and showing what really unites us. he says he welcomes a challenge from anybody in the opposition who chooses to stand against him for the presidency. it is not going to look good, when you are the champions of democracy and yet you refuse to take up democracy and yet you refuse to take up this opportunity to defeat maduro at the ballot box. are you a champion of democracy if you go to an election that is democratic. we do not have that in venezuela because there is no independent institution and as i said before, the political party for the opposition and candidates are ruled out thickly must be coherent. and to be coherent is to say we can go to the election unless we have the conditions. were not alone in that. france, spain, the united states, canada even colombia have said that they will not recognise elections in venezuela. last week, the european

parliament um with a landslide 480 votes in favour, condemned that call for election and said that sanctions must be expanded after those sanctions. —— so almost nobody in the world is recognising the election that we are having in venezuela. is one of the problems here that despite the massive economic problems facing ordinary venezuelans, economic problems facing ordinary venezuela ns, many of economic problems facing ordinary venezuelans, many of your countrymen and women do not trust the various leaders and figures in the opposition to deliver a better, fairer venezuela than the current regime of maduro? i will quote you one respected analyst of venezuelan who lives here in london at the university of lund. he said this. the majority of venezuelans fear the

return of the right wing to power, more than the alleged incompetence of maduro. the majority of venezuelans are surviving. fortunately, people are not leaving venezuela that the people are surviving. the majority of venezuelans people are surviving. the majority of venezuela ns wake people are surviving. the majority of venezuelans wake up every day looking at what they will have for brea kfast, looking at what they will have for breakfast, the majority go to bed very worried because they do not find a medicine to cure a member of theirfamily. find a medicine to cure a member of their family. i know that to be true because i have seen it for myself. yeah. my point is many of the poorest people in venice do not see that the opposition coalition groups have an agenda which is more likely to deliver them an easier and better life than the xavi state government. —— venezuela. —— chauvista.

life than the xavi state government. -- venezuela. -- chauvista. we had demonstrations last year. that was the last chance to have free and fair elections. we're not going this election. and is now we are discussing in different ways how to face these challenges. do you want to hear my opinion? i will tell you on this programme. my opinion is that we need to go to an election by ourselves, as we did last year on the 16th ofjuly. ourselves, as we did last year on the 16th of july. you ourselves, as we did last year on the 16th ofjuly. you can correct me, but we need to do that. we need to elect our president, our vice president, the minister of foreign affairs, someone responsible for the economy, and we have something really unique in our dictatorship. we still have a parliament. and that parliament could swear in the new president. ok, imagine you did that. what policies would you actually pursue? i want to put you on the spot on one particular wallasey, and thatis, spot on one particular wallasey, and that is, would you back much tougher

international sanctions? —— policy. united states, where you are today, for example, they are going to deepen the sanctions regime to stop it targeting known individuals at the top of the regime and actually consider an oil embargo. now, the top of the regime and actually consideran oil embargo. now, what would you as an opposition figure in america, what would you say to the idea of that kind of much more tough sanctions regime imposed by the united states? ok, let me go part by pa rt united states? ok, let me go part by part first, it would not be that symbolic. it would have the support of the people, the support of the parliament, and the support of international communities. we could get maduro against the wall again. second, i think that it is important to keep the sanctions, not only from the united states and canada, i think it is important what the european union said last week. and

also, something i would like to propose, latin american countries that could, for example, restrict the, umm, flights that some of the high officials do in latin america. that would be really important. because many of the high officials and their families have their properties and bank accounts in latin america. and third, the oil embargo. i mean, the oil embargo is something that, it sounds, in my opinion, out of context in this moment. why is that? venezuela has, as you know, the biggest oil reserves in the world. we should be exporting at least five or 6 million barrels a day. now we are exporting just a million. barrels a day. now we are exporting justa million. i mean, the barrels a day. now we are exporting just a million. i mean, the person that has embargoed our country is destroying venezuela. you are in washington, dc. have you had contact

with senator marco rubio from florida? i have not talked to him personally. i have just florida? i have not talked to him personally. i havejust been in washington for three months. so i have had talks with the, umm, part of his staff, but i have not known him personally. but his staff, the other day rubio tweeted this. the world would support the armed forces in venezuela if they decided to protect the people and restore democracy by removing this dictator. you support that kind of language coming from american politician?” think what is really important for venezuelans is we need to persuade our soldiers to be institutional. u nfortu nately, our soldiers to be institutional. unfortunately, our venezuela right now has 2000 generals, that is more than the whole navy. and those 2000 generals are allegedly linked to things very dangerous such as trafficking, money laundering, and

corruption. but the low and middle range of our soldiers are suffering like any other venezuelan. they suffer from like any other venezuelan. they sufferfrom hyperinflation, like any other venezuelan. they suffer from hyperinflation, 70— like any other venezuelan. they sufferfrom hyperinflation, 70— 80%. if we persuade them to be institutional, to obey the laws in the constitution, i think we can have a change in venezuela. you have not really answered my question so i will ask it again, this time with the words of secretary of state rex tillerson. he said in the history of venezuela and other south american countries, oftentimes the military is the agent of change when things are very bad. a clear implication he thinks that time has come in venezuela. i put it to you again. the americans at the very top level are suggesting the time has come for an army rebellion against the regime. do you back those calls? are you pleased the americans are using the language? as i said before, i

mean, i would the language? as i said before, i mean, iwould not the language? as i said before, i mean, i would not get to the play of words. what i am clear, and as someone words. what i am clear, and as someone who had to work with police, and we had to work sometimes with the national guard, we need our soldiers to obey the constitution. we need our soldiers to obey the laws. we need them to be institutional. and if they... laws. we need them to be institutional. and if they. .. what you are repeatedly avoiding is any mention of the us role. people like you and the opposition who end up in washington, dc are painted by maduro and his allies as people who are fellow travellers with imperialismo, traditional us interference in venezuelan affairs that be if you cannot defend that language from washington, perhaps maduro has a point. as i said before, i do not

have any problem to repeat that we need to persuade our soldiers to be institutional. the problem is that, in the history of latin america, we have talked all the time about coup de tat. in my opinion, in venezuela, we have continuous coup de tats. for example, the election on april 22 to be historically, presidential elections are always at the end of every year and are called six months before —— 22nd. so when i say that we need to persuade our soldiers to be institutional, umm, i do not regret that. and to be in the united states and called imperialist, that is something that, to be honest with you, ido is something that, to be honest with you, i do not want to sound rude, i do not care, because the country has intervened with cubans, the chinese and russians also playing very hard in our country, taking our oil. the

problem in venezuelan needs to be solved by venezuelans, but at the same time, when it help from the international community, especially to recover the economy and solve the humanitarian crisis. we will end with this point. you have been sitting in washington for the last three months doing the best to play an external political role, raising the profile of the opposition campaign against maduroyou disappointed with the international community. russia, china, china, they are still backing maduro. many leftists in latin america and europe and elsewhere still backing maduro. are you fundamentally disappointed? iam not are you fundamentally disappointed? i am not at all. i have to say the international community has been really active in venezuela, especially in the last month. just what you saw in the european parliament last week, 480 parliamentarians voted condemning the call to elections in venezuela, including, including, left—wing political parties. when you see

president santos saying they will not recognise those elections, but venezuelans are fleeing. for the first time, ifeel for the venezuelans are fleeing. for the first time, i feel for the first time we are not alone, we are not isolated as the opposition, and we have to see that the things going on in venezuela is not a threat to venezuelans. the in venezuela is not a threat to venezuela ns. the regime in venezuela is not a threat to venezuelans. the regime of maduro is the biggest crisis in the western hemisphere and threatens venezuelans. we have the end of there. but thank you very much for coming on hardtalk thank you very much for having me. hello once again, thanks very much indeed forjoining me.

it's time we updated you on the weather prospects for the whole of the british isles and this will take us right through the next few days, on into the weekend. hmm, tuesday, a bit of a mixed bag to say the least. wet in the south, snow further north but once the snow cleared it ended up being a really glorious afternoon and a spectacular one across the isle of lewis. if you thought that's a bit ancient history, that's the band of weather that brought us the rain on tuesday, here's the next great event looming with intent in the western side of the british isles. ahead of it it's quite important to tell you with these clear skies the temperatures will have dipped away. once we start bringing the weather elements together, we've got the cold weather in place, in comes the moisture from the atlantic so no great surprise if i tell you that after a bright enough start for central and eastern parts, in comes this weather front from the atlantic and because we're pushing all that moisture into that cold air, anywhere really

from the north midlands and north of wales northwards, that's where we're going to see significant snowfall, especially but not exclusively on the higher ground. you'll see here, north—west highlands, 7—12 centimetres, even on the southern uplands, getting over beattock summit perhaps on the m74, you could be looking at several centimetres of snow. top end of the pennines as well and even a wee bit further south there's just the chance that as that weather front keeps journeying ever further eastwards and it comes up over salisbury plain, the chilterns, i wouldn't be surprised if you told me you saw something just a wee bit wintry about proceedeings there. i don't think it's going to amount to a whole can of beans in the south but they will be significant depths further north. 5—8 will cover it for many, a wee bit milder out to the west, ten or 11 here perhaps. that weather system eventually pushes through. low pressure still dominating the scene in many parts of the british isles for thursday. quite a few isobars on that chart so the wind will be a noticeable feature of the day on thursday. but having said that, you know what, in many areas it's going to be a decent day. in eastern scotland and much of england and wales,

dry, fine and sunny and temperatures in double figures across the south. there will be more showers in western scotland and northern ireland as well. as we go from thursday pushing towards the end of the week, see this ridge of high pressure just beginning to build in here, trying to dominate the scene, at least across the southern half of the british isles. but for northern ireland, for the north and west of scotland, there's still the chance of some showers but in the south there's dry weather and a bit of warmth. welcome to bbc news — broadcasting to viewers in north america and around the globe. my name is mike embley. our top stories: israeli police say prime minister benjamin netanyahu should be charged with corruption. he says the allegations are baseless. us intelligence chiefs say moscow's election meddling isn't over. the head of the fbi contradicts the

white house. putting pressure on south africa's president. jacob zuma clings to office, as his own party calls for him to go. and meghan markle meets one of the smallest recruits in the military, the mascot for the royal marines.