tonight at ten — an official apology from britain to a libyan man and his wife, targeted in an operation by mi6 and the cia. abdel hakim belhaj was kidnapped in 2004, and was then tortured in libya. today, he accepted an apology and full financial settlement. translation: it's been six years of prison and six years of waiting, which was a continuation of the suffering for me and my family. hopefully, today represents the end of all that. fatima boudchar, who was pregnant at the time of her capture, said the apology by the attorney general was "historic". on behalf of her majesty's government, i apologise unreservedly. we are profoundly sorry for the ordeal that you both suffered and our role in it. the case raises wider questions about the practice of rendition and britain's relations with libya under colonel gaddafi. also tonight. president trump welcomes home three us citizens released

from detention by north korea. delays for cancer patients because hospitals across the uk are failing to meet their targets on waiting times. a special report from mosul in iraq, the former stronghold of the islamic state group, on the eve of national elections. and we explore china's bike problem — and the lessons for cities across the world. and coming up on sportsday on bbc news, is wayne rooney on his way to the mls? the everton forward has agreed a deal in principle tojoin dc united this summer.

and his wife whe were fereibly taken which involved the cia and mi6. abdel hakim belhaj and fatima boudchar were handed over to the gaddafi regime during the so—called war on terror. today, the attorney general told mps there'd been an out—of—court agreement, and a "full and final settlement" for the "appalling" treatment they'd suffered. mr belhaj has been speaking to our security correspondent gordon corera in istanbul. we canjoin we can join gordon we canjoin gordon now. after yea rs of we canjoin gordon now. after years of damaging revelations and court battles, the government finally faced up to one of the more disturbing episodes of the recent past, and here at the british consulate i've been talking to the man at the centre of the story. in istanbul, britain's ambassador stands alongside abdel hakim belhaj, a man who says britain colluded

in the six years of torture he suffered in a libyan prison. the handing over of a letter from the prime minister and a handshake signals the closing of a dark chapter for the british government, as it finally admits what it did. at the same moment, mr belhaj's wife came to parliament. with her was the son she was pregnant with when she too was seized and sent to libya. it has taken nearly a decade and a half for mr belhaj and his wife to hear this unprecedented apology. on behalf of her majesty's government, i apologise unreservedly. we are profoundly sorry for the ordeal that you both suffered and our role in it. the uk government has learned many lessons from this period. mr belhaj told me he was grateful for the apology, even though it had taken so long. translation: it's been six years of prison and six years of waiting, which was a continuation

of the suffering for me and my family. hopefully, today represents the end of all that. britain promised to help him against his opponents. the same month, mr belhaj, who had fought against gaddafi, was detained by the cia in asia, based on a british tip—off. he and his wife were flown to libya. she was soon released, but he says he was then tortured over six years by colonel gaddafi's regime and also interrogated by british officials. after gaddafi's fall in 2011, letters from mi6 to libyan officials were discovered detailing britain's involvement. six years ago, mr belhaj launched a legal action against the british government, mark allen, an mi6 officer named in the files and jack straw, who was foreign secretary

at the time. today, jack straw acknowledged he had given verbal approval for some intelligence to be shared, but says he had always acted lawfully. whether he was fully briefed by mi6 remains unclear. outside parliament, lawyers who had worked with the family described the day as a victory for everyone who opposes injustice, secret detention and torture. the uk lost its way when it got mixed up in the rendition of an innocent pregnant woman and an anti—gaddafi dissident, but today, i think it stood on the right side of history by recognising its mistakes and by apologising. while his wife received compensation of half a million pounds, mr belhaj said he did not want money, just an apology. and today, he got it. it has taken years to get to this

point. parliamentary enquiry is failed to unearth the story and it was only the fall of gaddafi's regime that brought it to light and still the government sought to keep it quiet. today's settlement may leave some questions unanswered, including how far politicians authorised the operation, or if the spies were acting on their own. today though, the government will be hoping this settlement draws a line under the past, past and which deals with dubious regimes led britain and its spies into difficult places. gordon corera, our security correspondent in istanbul. the summit meeting between president trump and the north korean leader kim jong—un will take place in singapore, on the 12th ofjune. mr trump said the day would be a "very special moment for world peace". the announcement came after the president welcomed home three americans who'd been detained in north korea. it was seen as a gesture of goodwill ahead of the summit. live to washington and our correspondent nick bryant. in the week that donald trump

withdrew america from an existing nuclear deal with iran, it's full speed ahead in negotiating a new nuclear deal with north korea. and after alienating close european allies, his administration is forging an improbable relationship with one of america's long—standing enemies. in the middle of the night, before the birds or the president had started tweeting, the plane carrying the freed prisoners touched down on american soil. from the trauma of detention to a triumphant welcome from donald trump, he didn't want to miss this dramatic homecoming, for it offers flesh and blood proof that his unconventional approach to diplomacy is working. my proudest achievement will be — this is a part of it — but will be when we denuclearise that entire peninsula. this is what people have been waiting for, for a long time. nobody thought we could be on this track in terms of speed,

so i'm very honoured to have helped the three folks. this was a made—for—television moment, but the white house quickly turned it into cinema. slow motion footage, rousing hollywood—style music. the former reality tv star claimed this must have set the all—time record for ratings at three o'clock in the morning. north korea's state broadcaster didn't show that kind of panache, but these are remarkable pictures nonetheless. kim jong—un meeting the new us secretary of state mike pompeo in pyongyang. the leader mocked as little rocket man, enjoying a lighter moment with the americans ahead of his summit with mr trump. vice president mike pence has been talking about us expectations. the president senses an opening that may result in a historic agreement. what kim jong—un has said, publicly, and in discussions,

is that he is prepared to negotiate to achieve complete denuclearisation of the korean peninsula. so, the north korean leader's security team will soon be pacing the streets of singapore, the venue for the summit. but has enough diplomatic legwork been done to make it a success? there are merrily in the american foreign policy establishment to think this summit has been rushed, that it think this summit has been rushed, thatitis think this summit has been rushed, that it is premature and not enough preparations have been made and that i’u ns preparations have been made and that runs the risk that if the summit fails that it could put america on the path to war. donald trump rejects that kind of orthodoxy. in the last few minutes he is predicted the last few minutes he is predicted the summit will be a big success. but again, that creates a problem, that he's so desperate for big success that he's so desperate for big success that it could accept the

kind of promises from north korea on denuclearisation that they have not fulfilled in the past. nick bryant at the white house for us. interest rates have been left on hold at 0.5% as the bank of england cut its forecast of how much the economy will grow this year. but the governor mark carney told our economics editor kamal ahmed that a rise in interest rates is still likely, later this year. time for a different tune from the bank. # i want money...# three months ago, all the noise was about an interest rate rise. not any more. three months of weak growth, dragged down by the beast from the east, has left people cautious about the strength of the economy. here in newark, it might be sunnier now, but will it last? the cost of living is going up quite significantly, and the wages really aren't. i think it will take quite a bit of time before hopefully, it will get easier.

the governor made clear that things haven't been easier for the first part of the year. growth at 0.1% in the first quarter of this year was much weaker and inflation at 2.5% in march was notably lower than we had projected in february. the key question is whether this softness will prove temporary or persistent. in other words, was the weakness in the first quarter due to the weather, or the climate? the bank thinks it's mostly snow, others are not so sure. for us there is things that the weather doesn't quite explain and the statisticians said that today. they said we can't tell what the impact of the weather was, but probably for things like manufacturing it was minimal, so there is something else goes on as well. later i asked the governor was the sharp growth downgrade a one—off? we expect that the uk economy is going to pick back up, not rocket back up but pick back up, largely driven by those exporters and businesses investing, less so on household spending, and a consequence of that, we think in the end we'll need

to do some adjustment, some increases in interest rates. you can't say for definite. yeah. but it's likely an interest rate rise this year? yeah, it's likely that over the course of the next year, rates will go up, likely by the end of the year. you've been described as the unreliable boyfriend — you march us half way up the hill, saying interest rates around the corner, and you march us back down again, no, they're not. how do you respond to those criticisms? there's uncertainty in the world. it is possible of course, that something bad could happen abroad. it is possible that the brexit negotiations could go in a certain direction that slow the economy for a period of time and it has been reliable for the bank to then react to those event, and adjust. the bank will look again at interest rates injune, in august and november. if the economy has bounced back, be ready for a rate rise on one of those dates. kamal ahmed, bbc news. theresa may has offered her support

to the israeli prime minister after israel launched air strikes against iranian military targets in syria. benjamin netanyahu says iran crossed a red line when its forces in syria launched rockets at israeli military positions in the golan heights, which israel has occupied since the 1960s. syrian state tv broadcast pictures of what it said were its air defences intercepting israel's military response in the skies above damascus. our chief international correspondent lyse doucet is here. let's talk about the latest confrontation and what people are making of that. a lot has changed, a lot has changed in the last 2a hours. it's the first time israel says iran has attacked israeli positions in the occupied golan heights. it was also the most broad ranging series of attacks carried out by israel since the uprising in syria began, seven years ago. it's the first time the arab gulf states

like saudi arabia and the emirates backing israel in its military activity and saying you have to go against iran's growing position in syria and in the broader region. the tension is mounting and it's not just a one off strike, that tension has been simmering for a long time indeed. the worst—case scenario with israel's other border with lebanon will be drawn in because the hezbollah is one of iran's closest allies and if they want to escalate they can draw in lebanon, so eve ryo ne they can draw in lebanon, so everyone is saying they don't want to war but the risk of miscalculation is greater than it's been a very long time. all of this happening a few days after the us withdrew from that iran nuclear deal. what can you say about the potential for sustaining that deal in the future of jamaat potential for sustaining that deal in the future of jamaat that certainly doesn't help the situation. it aggravates it is a great deal because it takes away the veneer great deal because it takes away the veneer of respectability for iran, with president trump hurling accusations, which he did against iran. the other signatories,

european countries, britain, france, germany as well as china is saying it's not dead. the iranian foreign minister is on his diplomatic rescue vision, he'll be in china and brussels to try to see what can be salvaged but iran's supreme leader says i don't trust the european countries either, but go, do it and see what you can do. there's a strong warning from tehran since the united states has violated its obligations that iran, if it cannot keep the deal alive, it will start enriching uranium again. so we'll have to wait and see. the deal is not dead but certainly in it's a great deal of difficulty. lyse doucet our chief international correspondent. a brief look at some of the day's other news stories. bt is to cut 13,000 jobs. two—thirds of the posts will go in the uk, with mainly management and back—office staff affected. bt will also move out of its london head office as part of a drive to cut costs by more than £1.5 billion over the next three years. an 18—year—old woman accused of planning a gun and grenade attack

on the british museum has gone on trial at the old bailey. safaa boular is also accused of planning to travel to syria to join her fiance, who was fighting with the islamic state group. she denies the charges. there have been messages of support for the former eastenders and carry on star dame barbara windsor, who's revealed she's suffering from alzheimer's disease. her husband says dame barbara, who's 80, was diagnosed four years ago, but her condition has been worsening recently. half the population will develop cancer at some point in their lives, but the latest figures show hospitals across the uk are failing to meet their targets on waiting times for cancer treatment. patients who are urgently referred for treatment should be seen within two months, but the number having to wait longer than that has risen by nearly 80% in the past five years. our health editor hugh pym has been hearing from people about their experiences. i had breast cancer ten years ago, but fortunately, i'm a survivor. i lost my father 23 years ago.

once you get used to it, you learn to take it on board, but it's the most frightening thing they ever diagnose with you. it affects so many of us in different ways — personally, and friends and family. half the population will develop a cancer at some stage in their lives. my grandfather died, unfortunately, of lung cancer. it upsets me the most when i see kids... with cancer. ron is losing his battle with liver cancer. he was diagnosed injanuary last year, but had to wait till october for any specialist care near his home in cardiff, far longer than the two—month nhs target for the start of cancer treatment. they've well exceeded their 30 to 60 days. during that time, he says, the tumour got larger and doctors then admitted there was no chance of any therapy working. it's annoying to think they might have given me another three to four years to live if it had been treated when it was only five centimetres. it was a fast—growing, malignant cancer. death comes to all of us,

so we shall crack on, keep smiling and do what we've got to do. across the uk, the number being treated for cancer has increased over five years, but so too have those facing long waits. in wales, for every ten waiting more than two months to start treatment, there are now two more. in england, there's been an increase of more than seven in ten. in northern ireland, the number has more than doubled. in scotland, long waits have gone up by even more over five years. cancer experts make the point that people are living longer, so they're more likely to develop cancer, and that's a challenge for the nhs. we're diagnosing more patients and because our workload is extremely high, we are under pressure with regards to treating patients with an aggressive disease. so we do need more resources. in england, cancer treatment waiting times did improve in march, though some other areas of the nhs struggled. the number of operations cancelled

at the last minute was the highest since records began. we put our lives, as it were, in their hands. we think they're doing the right thing, and all this time we're being misled. ron and his wife ann can only reflect on their experience. the local health board said it had apologised for breakdowns in communication, but said all decisions made were clinically necessary. they feel, though, that the system let them down. hugh pym, bbc news. and you can find out about cancer waiting times and performance targets in your area by entering your postcode on the bbc‘s nhs tracker. that's at bbc.co.uk/health. put the postcode in and then you will get the performance indicators in your own region. an independent inquiry into the recall of thousands of neurology patients in northern ireland has been launched by

the department of health. 2,500 patients were recalled last week, following a year—long examination into the work of dr michael watt, a consultant neurologist in belfast. the inquiry will review how the trust handled concerns raised in late 2016 about dr watt‘s clinical practice, and whether any previous complaints should have led to earlier intervention. iraq is preparing to hold a general election, in a vote which could have an impact on the balance of power in the middle east. this weekend's poll will be the country's fourth parliamentary elections since the invasion of 2003 that removed saddam hussein from power, and the first since the defeat of the islamic state group, which took control of large parts of the country in 2014. security forces are on high alert after is militants threatened to carry out attacks against politicians and voters. our middle east editor jeremy bowen reports from mosul, which was the biggest city in the country to fall under is control. for 800 years, this mosque was the centre of mosul

until thejihadists and islamic state blew it to pieces in june last year when they were on the brink of defeat. the ruins are still a symbol of what the extremists did to iraq and of the risks of another political failure after this weekend's elections. in iraq, failure doesn't just mean not rebuilding cities destroyed by war. only a few of the thousands who lived in the centre of mosul have found a way back. volunteers patrol the ruins, still collecting war dead who lie where they fell. when politicians fail in a country this fragile, it can mean the deaths of a lot of people. some neighbours are helping each other rebuild. like most people in mosul, they're sunni.

but these men are worried that shia fighters could influence the election. we don't want sectarianism, the men said, it will destroy us. this man said that if iran left they could live in peace for ever, and if it doesn't, iraq is finished. many want the election to be a new start. this man, part of a wave of younger candidates, says the old guard used sectarianism to generate loyalty through fear. people now are more angry. in 2003, they were happy because saddam's regime was dismissed.

in 2009 it was between shia and sunni, so people were busy fighting each other, not about their future. now i think that the majority of people look at the government and politicians, especially those politicians in iraq, to stop playing those games. let us rebuild our country. first, they will have to end corruption — powerful men steal public money before it gets to the people who need it. whoever wins the election faces some very big challenges. reconstruction, holding the country together and stopping the slide into another sectarian civil war. you can fix an alleyway, a street, even a town, but when communities turn on each other, it rips the heart out of the country. public events happen with a lot of security. iraq's elite fighters are well—trained,

but there are limits to what leaders here can control. foreign intervention has had deadly consequences, and it might do again. iraq will have to work hard to stay out of the crisis between iran and its three main enemies — the us, israel and saudi arabia. watching closely are the men of the popular mobilisation units. their leader is a credible candidate for prime minister. they are funded by iran and they‘ re deeply anti—american. translation: iraq has to enter into a battlefield by america and other countries fighting each other, but when we look at what's happening with america pulling out of the iran nuclear deal, itjust shows how americans are not interested in peace in the area. all they want is for the wars, disputes, tensions and sectarian fights to continue in the middle east. mosul held its spring festival for the first time since

the americans and british invaded in 2003. they want a new beginning. they hope the election will give them one. the current prime minister is favourite to win, but forming a government can take a long time here. some of the dead in the war against is were commemorated. the hopes of iraqis are real, but so are their fears after years of killing. the biggest obstacle to a new start might not come from within, but from the middle east's spiralling and deadly crisis. royal bank of scotland has agreed a £3.6 billion fine with us regulators to end a long—running investigation into its actions in the lead—up to the financial crisis a decade ago. the bank — partly owned by the uk taxpayer — had been accused of selling risky financial products. the agreement could pave the way for the government

to sell off its stake, as our business editor simonjack explains. the end of an era for british banking — some of the biggest names go cap in hand to the government. another painful reminder of the past, today's £3.6 billion fine another echo of the time rbs stood on the brink of collapse, requiring a massive government rescue. the action we are taking is unprecedented, but essential for all of us. a £16 billion bailout, more money defending a bank than the entire defence budget. that's the cost of historical reckless ambition according to the current chief executive, who said today was a turning point. it does actually mean that this organisation can now move on. we were, at one stage, the biggest bank in the world. when organisations have as their goal growth, and big, they forget that there is a customer that they should be serving, and you end up in these sorts of difficulties. it has indeed been a dark decade for rbs. in the last ten years,

it's lost a staggering £57 billion. cost—cutting and a rise in online banking has seen 1,400 branches close and the bank's post—crisis mistreatment of some small businesses has drawn widespread condemnation. but today's fine represents light at the end of that tunnel. now, it's not often that a £3.6 billion fine is considered good news, but it is, for a few reasons. firstly, it's hopefully the last big cheque rbs will have to write to pay for the sins of the past. secondly, it's a much lowerfigure than many people had feared, and that means now the bank can get back to being properly profitable, and that is good news for the folks that own 70% of the bank — the taxpayer. the best news about this is that rbs can put its past behind it, look forward. it's a lot more of a normal bank. it should be able to start paying dividends. the government should be able to sell it off easier. it will be more owned

by the private sector, eventually completely privatised, and be like any other bank. selling the government's £25 billion stake will be the biggest privatisation in uk history and will take years. it's unlikely we as taxpayers will ever recoup what we put in. but rbs hopes that today helps close the door on the worst period in its nearly 300 year history. simon jack, bbc news. china has a big problem with bikes — an ever—growing mountain of discarded bikes. bicycles for hire, which don't have to be docked anywhere, are part of major schemes developed in china. the schemes are now increasingly common in cities across the uk. london, manchester, newcastle, cambridge, oxford and norwich have all introduced schemes in which bikes can be located through an app and then left anywhere. as our beijing correspondent john sudworth explains, the schemes are not without their challenges. it could be mistaken for a field of flowers. but look closer.

this is a crop not of plants, but of metal and rubber. thousands upon thousands of bikes, impounded in the city of wuhan. bike—sharing has taken china by storm. unlocked with a wave of a phone, they can be hired, or off—hired, anywhere. but the innovative technology has brought with it a frenzy of speculation. chinese cities have been deluged with bikes, millions of them. backed with huge investment, dozens of companies have been fighting for market share, resulting in blocked pavements... and a random sprinkling of abandoned bikes almost everywhere you look. in some cities, the authorities have had enough. the extraordinary thing is that many of these

bikes are brand—new, hardly used at all. forget stock—market bubbles and property bubbles, forget the dotcom bubble. this is one with wheels on. this is china's bike—sharing bubble. photos of other bike mountains have been propping up online. here is one in the city of xiamen, and this is shanghai. yes, those really are bikes down there. but the reality is, china faces a far bigger transport challenge — traffic congestion, chronic pollution and a growing health crisis. and it's notjust bikes that block pavements. the bike companies now plan to use the huge amounts of data they collect to monitor rider behaviour and penalise bad parking, and they insist chinese cities still need them.