this is the briefing. i'm lewis vaughan jones. our top story: the ebola outbreak in the democratic republic of congo spreads to a large city. authorities fear it will become difficult to contain. president trump admits he has reimbursed his personal lawyer more than $100,000, money that is understood to have been used to buy the silence of the porn star stormy daniels. media from around the globe transform the tranquil town of windsor ahead of saturday's royal wedding. in business: hands off the wheel. europe steers towards a driverless future, but will the public get on board? also coming up in the business briefing: braced for a us—china trade war. we report from dongguan, once called the ‘workshop of the world'. a warm welcome to the programme, briefing you on all you need to know

in global news, business and sport. and you can be part of the conversation. tell us what you think. just use the hashtag #bbcthebriefing. the health minister in the democratic republic of congo has confirmed that a case of ebola has been detected in the north—western city of mbandaka. a million people live there, and its spread marks a new phase in the current outbreak of the disease. 23 people have died since the first cases were confirmed earlier this month. lebo diseko has the latest. it is the sort of help that most would hope they would never need. health workers dressed in personal protection year as an ebola

isolation ward. this one is at a hospital in the town in the north—west of the democratic republic of congo where this latest outbreak was first declared just over a week ago. since then, only three people have died, and now confirmation of the disease has been found in the nearby city of mbandaka. ina found in the nearby city of mbandaka. in a country the size of western europe, having helped to these remote areas has been hard. but on wednesday, thousands of doses ofan but on wednesday, thousands of doses of an experimental vaccine arrived in the capital, kinshasa. it was effective during trials, but it's farfrom a effective during trials, but it's far from a simple solution. this vaccine is not a normal vaccine. it needs to be kept at between —60 and -80 needs to be kept at between —60 and —80 degrees celsius right until the days of the campaign, so it's extremely difficult to do that, as you can imagine, in a country with very poor infrastructure. so that's very poor infrastructure. so that's very difficult. the other issue is when our tracing more than 400

contact is of patients, and they have spread all over the region in north—west congo —— we are now tracing. it is hard to forget how ebola devastated west africa just a few years ago. an outbreak that started in 2013 and lasted more than two years, killing tens of thousands as it swept across the region. it is hoped the quick action in the drc. another disaster. —— will prevent another disaster. president trump has formally acknowledged reimbursing his personal lawyer more than $100,000 last year. in a document filed to the washington ethics watchdog, he described the payments to michael cohen as expenses. mr cohen admits he paid a similar sum to the porn actress stormy daniels just before the 2016 election. this ethics disclosure document is not specific. it simply says that between 100,000 and $250,000 was

paid by donald trump to his lawyer, michael cohen, in order to reimburse him for expenses. but we do know what michael coen‘s big expense was, and that was to pay the porn star stormy daniels $130,000 to stop her talking about an alleged affair with the president. now, he denies that the president. now, he denies that the affair took place, and the affair was over ten years ago. but here is the key thing. the payment was madejust here is the key thing. the payment was made just before the presidential election in 2016, and that has led some to claim that it could count as a campaign contribution. and, if the money did come from campaign funds, then it could break the law. and it is not the only question that arises from this declaration, because the us office of government ethics, which gathers all of these documents, it says that donald trump should have revealed the payment in an earlier filing, and infact revealed the payment in an earlier filing, and in fact there was a strict liability for him to do so, and he didn't. now, they are taking

this very seriously. as a result, they have gathered the forms and they have gathered the forms and they have gathered the forms and they have sent them along with a letter to the deputy attorney general, rod rosenstein. and there isa general, rod rosenstein. and there is a pretty striking letter to go with it. they have said you may find this relevant to any enquiry you may be pursuing. rod rosenstein is currently overseeing the special counsel investigation into allegations of russian meddling in the presidential election, and indeed any matters that arise from that enquiry. it gives you an indication that this will not be the last hear of the disclosure and the payment to stormy daniels. let's brief you on some of the other stories making the news: european union leaders have agreed to try to keep the iran nuclear deal alive and maintain their economic cooperation with teheran. meeting in bulgaria, the 28 also agreed a plan for dealing with trade tariffs that president trump is imposing on steel and aluminium, saying that the eu will not negotiate with a gun at its head. more than 300 women who were sexually abused by larry nassar are to share $500

million in compensation. many of the women gave testimony against the former us gymnastics doctor, which resulted in him being jailed for life. police in malaysia have searched a number of properties linked to the country's former prime minister najib razak. mr najib‘s lawyer said a few personal items had been seized in connection with an investigation into money—laundering. mr najib denies any wrongdoing. let's turn to our top business story: driverless ca rs are on their way, whether we like it or not, and today the eu will unveil its plans to catch up with the us and china in this fast—developing technology. it will include investments in infrastructure as well as co—operation between member states on rules and ethics. rolake akinkugbe—filani, who is head of energy at fbn merchant bank, joins me now. welcome. so what do you make of it?

are you excited, sceptical, terrified? where are you excited, sceptical, terrified ? where do are you excited, sceptical, terrified? where do you stand?” think i am still sitting on the fence. i recall back in march there was that self driving test which took place in california and u nfortu nately took place in california and unfortunately there was a fatality. and of course there was then a lot of public concern about the future of public concern about the future of self driving cars but i think there needs to be of balance to the debate. there are benefits, and particularly in this case, there has never been an eu framework around regulating and licensing self driving cars. so with the right framework i think it could be transformational in the future. so i suppose if you are sceptical on the fence, either way, suppose if you are sceptical on the fence, eitherway, europe has suppose if you are sceptical on the fence, either way, europe has to catch up. you need a regular street flame work, a body considering these issues —— framework. so it is kind of better late than never. exactly, better late than never. and there will be a lot to this with the

public welcome in on the right framework. look what it would do for ci’oss framework. look what it would do for cross border trade, for instance. and that's kind of look ahead. how transformational do you think this could be for the world of business? 0na could be for the world of business? on a personal level people have their reservations, but on a business level, the potential consequences are huge. the potential is huge, it also speaks to the fact that across most economies and emergent economies, the infrastructure of those economies will need to adapt as well to accommodate these technologies. so i think the benefits will be immense. people talk about fears about losing labour as a result of the advancement of technology, but i think those fears are probably a bit premature, because i think the broader benefits will be quite impactful, in my view. indeed, thank you very much. we will catch up with you very much. we will catch up with you later on. venezuela will hold presidential elections this weekend, amid an economic backdrop that is getting worse by the day. amid mass shortages of food and medicine, many pregnant women are fleeing the country to seek

proper medical care. but that is hitting venezuela's neighbours hard, as katy watson reports from boa vista in brazil, near the border with venezuela. meet baby max — a brand—new life and, for his mum, a brand—new start. back home in venezuela, she rarely ate more than one meal a day. and, with a packet of nappies costing four months‘ wages, she had little choice but to leave. "there's nothing like my country, i really miss it," she tells me, but admits with the crisis in venezuela, decent medical help was hard to come by. so there are 64 beds in this hospital, and they say that every day they are full. it is the only maternity hospital in the state. later i found karina and her friends waiting on the street, unsure where to go. eight months pregnant, karina tells me she had to sell the baby milk she had brought

with her from venezuela to pay for her transport here. translation: in venezuela, you have to buy everything for the birth, and it is all so expensive. i also have two brothers who are dying because they can't get the medicines they need. my mum didn't want me to come here in my condition, but i can't stand by and watch my brothers the way they are. i have to try and help them. i ask her how she will do that with a new baby. translation: here, i thinki can help more than back home. you can get more here. if you sell something here, it's worth something. there, you can sell a thousand things and it's not worth anything. back at the hospital, and demand for health services in this city has soared more than 3,000% in the last couple of years. doctors say it has reached crisis point. translation: we're running out of supplies, basic medicine, and beds. we're seeing cases of anaemia in pregnant women, and urinary infections, because there's no medicine to treat them in venezuela,

and people there aren't vaccinated. we're trying to fix all these problems, and i think this situation is going to get worse. but each new day brings new people, packing their whole life into a couple of suitcases. at this un camp, families are given priority. but there is no room for eight—months—pregnant carina, who we met on the street. little max, though, is heading home to meet his family. his big sister is excited to see the new addition. "home sweet home," says his mum. but she and her husband, richard, tell me they are worried about the mosquitoes and the heat in these tents. the family arrived in brazil with nothing. they still have very little. not even any clothes for baby max. but, with a worsening crisis in venezuela, returning is not an option. katy watson, bbc news, in boa vista. stay with us on the briefing. also on the programme: media from around the globe stand by as the royal couple plans

the rehearsal of their big day. the pope was shot, the pope will live — that's the essence of the appalling news from rome this afternoon that, as an italian television commentator put it, terrorism had come to the vatican. the man they call the butcher of lyon, klaus barbie, went on trial today in the french town where he was the gestapo chief in the second world war. winnie mandela never looked like a woman just sentenced to six years injail. the judge told mrs mandela there was no indication she felt even the slightest remorse. the chinese government has called for an all—out effort to help the victims of a powerful earthquake, the worst to hit the country for 30 years. the computer deep blue has tonight triumphed over the world chess champion, garry kasparov. it's the first time a machine has defeated a reigning world champion in a classical chess match.

america's first legal same—sex marriages have been taking place in massachusetts. god bless america! you're watching the briefing. 0ur headlines: the ebola outbreak in the democratic republic of congo has spread to a large city. the authorities fear it will become difficult to contain. president trump has admitted he has reimbursed his personal lawyer more than $100,000. money that is understood to have been used to buy the silence of the former porn star, stormy daniels. a rehearsal of the carriage procession through windsor for the wedding of prince harry and meghan markle is due to be held later. more than 250 members of the armed forces will take part in the rehearsal, along with the couple's carriage.

sallyjoins us again from windsor castle. sally, what are the details? good morning. and a warm welcome to windsor. as you can see behind me here, this beautiful setting, windsor, is waking up, withjust a couple of days to go before the royal wedding. this huge events, there is so much anticipation and excitement here. as you say, i might buy windsor castle. right next to me here is the castle that is going to be the location for the royal wedding in st george ‘s chapel, starting at 12 o'clock on saturday. so as you mentioned, there is going to bea so as you mentioned, there is going to be a rehearsal later on today here where the carriage procession will be rehearsed, the military will be involved. as you have mentioned. and there is so much hustle and bustle. not right now because of course, it is very early in the morning but certainly later on this

morning, it will get extremely busy here behind me. but while's media is already here, not quite at this moment that they will be arriving very, very soon. iwas moment that they will be arriving very, very soon. i was here a couple of days ago during the day. you could not move in the streets of windsor for bumping into could not move in the streets of windsorfor bumping into camera ci’ews windsorfor bumping into camera crews and reporters, all trying to get a sense in the few days we have left to prepare for this huge event and of course, for harry meghan markle, it is such a huge occasion. there are so many questions still about her father, thomas michael, and his involvement if at all in the wedding. that is very much on the mines, of course, of meghan markle and the family. but there is a lot to do and a lot to prepare for today and tomorrow as we get closer to this huge event. —— thomas markle. trumpets and trees are not the first things that spring to mind when you are planning a wedding but of course

it isa are planning a wedding but of course it is a royal occasion, it does demand something even more special. so what is it like to be asked by royal wedding planners to provide your services? what a blast. in this north yorkshire farmhouse, they do not make any old trumpets. since 2005, state ceremonial trumpets the big royal events have been crafted here. it is paid for a very short period of time, it has got to be very bright and forceful in the sound because the idea is to attract everyone's attention that something important is happening. 0f everyone's attention that something important is happening. of course, it is paid to such a short period of time. it is going to look a bit like a paper clip, where that is bent and wrapped around itself. six trumpets made here will be played at the wedding of prince harry and meghan markle. the first ones to be finished were tested two months ago.

what is it about your trumpets which makes them good enough to be chosen for this huge event? we pay attention to the quality of the note and the response of the instrument, how well it responds to their playing. they will be announcing the arrival of the queen, maybe they are going to announce the bride as well. who knows? ginette is a local trumpet teacher. pitching sounds on trumpets because you have got the vows is much easier. -- this is. this is much easier, it is reallyjust using your lips to produce the sounds.” easier, it is reallyjust using your lips to produce the sounds. i now declare you man and wife, harry and meghan markle. any good? perfect. thank you. you have got the job. the

brief was seasonal greens, whites. royal wedding commission is unlike any other, as this flies can testify. the whole thing is a real and if you like you're living in two different parallel universes. he provided flowers and trees for the wedding of the duke and duchess of cambridge at westminster abbey, but the best laid plans of brides and men often go awry. about a week before the wedding, it became obvious that it was a very hot spring, there was no supply, the blossoms were gone, they have bloomed, so i telephoned the bride and said we have got a real problem. she said no, we haven't. how wonderful, green trees. what could be nicer? i think the main thing for me wasjust be nicer? i think the main thing for me was just the pure joy of working with a couple who were so happy and was so relaxed, and was so in touch with nature. a royal wedding commission, memories to love and to

cherish. so, we got a sense of the pomp and ceremony, everything in that report there. windsor itself, obviously used to putting on a show and hosting these events. and it is actually, when you think about it, quite a special location for the groom? absolutely, the prince harry, this location is extremely special and in fact, this location is extremely special and infact, st this location is extremely special and in fact, st george ‘s chapel, where the wedding will take place, is the place where he was christened backin is the place where he was christened back in december of 1984. and of course for the bride, for meghan markle, she was recently confirmed that chapel as well. but for prince harry, this location is very important for many, many reasons. he attended eton college, which is not farfrom here at attended eton college, which is not far from here at all. that was from up far from here at all. that was from up until about 2003. that was following in the steps of charles spencer, he went to eton, and also the duke of cambridge went to study

as well. and other things make it special for as well. and other things make it specialfor him. he as well. and other things make it special for him. he learned to row in eat in as well, which many of you may have seen on your television screens. it was the venue for the london 0lympic screens. it was the venue for the london olympic and paralympic rowing events, so he has got many, many connections to windsor, the windsor castle, to the chapel in which she will get married. i would imagine this location for him is of extreme importance and of course, this residence of windsor castle is one of the queen's favourite residences, is extremely important to her as well. but as he said, windsor is very, very used to tourist. it is very, very used to tourist. it is very used to being at the centre of attention and this location, windsor, does thrive on the fact that the castle is here, for local businesses, for local charities and organisations, for the leisure industry, the local hotels and

restau ra nts, industry, the local hotels and restaurants, they do extremely well thanks to the royal connection, and the castle itself. and as we prepare for this huge events, you can imagine there is expected to be 100,000 visitors here, arriving on saturday. but of course, many will arrive today and tomorrow, as many will choose to be here and camp out along what is called the long walk, which is where the carriage procession will take place once the wedding ceremony is over, that is around about one o'clock on saturday afternoon. so there is so much anticipation and excitement here this morning. you can really feel the buildup and of course, as i said earlier, everywhere you go, you're bumping into camera crews but also you are bumping the police. i have had a chat with a lot of the police already, who are extremely friendly and helpful because many of us are trying to find our way around, where we are supposed to be, and where the various elements are. so it is all

happening here. iwill see various elements are. so it is all happening here. i will see you all later and we will be with you to out the day him the bbc as we continue our special coverage of the royal wedding. back to you. billions. sally, thank you. keep an eye out for the royal couple. if you spot them, let us know. now it's time to get all the latest from the bbc sports centre. hello, i'm tulsen tollett. coming up in your thursday sport briefing... rafael nadal continues his bid to win the rome masters later. the european tour returns to belgium for the first time in 18 years. and what happens when you lose your temper on the tennis court. rafael nadal‘s hunt to regain tennis‘s number one ranking continues at the rome masters later on thursday. the spaniard faces teenager dennis shapovalov of canada in the third round. nadal needs to win the tournament to overtake roger federer in the rankings, and he already looks in great form. the 16 time grand slam champion hardly broke a sweat in his straight sets demolition of bosnian damir dzumhur, winning 6—1,

6—0 injust over an hour. women's world number one simona halep is also in third round action later. she swept asidejapan‘s naomi 0saka in straight sets on wednesday, as the romanian won 6—1, 6—0 injust under an hour. she'll retain her number one ranking if she beats american madison keys in the coming hours. golf's european tour returns to belgium for the first time in 18 years this week. the belgian knockout starts on thursday in antwerp, with a number of the continent's best players taking part. home favourite thomas pieters is hosting the event and he says two years of planning has finally paid off. to see it now after two years, it is pretty cool. i hope family, i have not seen them for two weeks. —— my whole family. i think it is important for players because i think rory mcilroy is a big success

when he hosts, and the amount of people who come and watch, it brings a bit of pressure with that but it is good pressure and i like it, and i will try to embrace it. in case you missed it, atletico madrid have won the europa league for the third time — beating marseille 3—0 in lyon thanks mainly to an antoine griezmann double. the french international made it six goals in eight matches in this year's competition and proved the difference, with a late goal from the skipper gabi rounding it out, as diego simeone's side added to their 2010 and 2012 wins in european football's second tier event. more than 1200km away in madrid, thousands of atletico fans packed into the wanda metropolitano stadium to watch their team win. it was an emotional night as the club also said goodbye to long time favourite fernando torres, after his second spell with his boyhood club eventually brought him a first major trophy with them. 0k, ok, that is the sports for now. here

is our briefing on some of the key events happening later. heads of state will meet leaders from the six balkan states with a view to improving relations in the region. stay with me on bbc news, i'll be back with the business briefing in just a few moments. we will have more on those driverless cars. get in touch with me on twitter. the weather is looking pretty good

over the next few days, clear skies at the moment which means the weather is going to be fairly chilly. barely above freezing leave it or not, but there is plenty of sunshine forecast. it was a little bit cloudy during the course of wednesday across some southern and eastern areas but then we had this break in the cloud and this is where the lowest temperatures have been occurring, across northern ireland holland, only two the four degrees. a little bit mild in the south, possibly eight or even 10 degrees. tomorrow starts off sunny for most of us and then we will see a bit of there were the cloud building up but thatis there were the cloud building up but that is pretty much it. the wind is very, very light indeed. hardly any arrows here across the bulk of the country. temperatures will not be desperately high on thursday because they will start off fairly low after

that chilly night. 18 in london. thursday evening is looking absolutely fine across the uk as well. that was thursday, this is friday now. you can see a little bit more clout across north—western parts of the uk, western scotland possibly getting some spots of rain, it may be increasing crowds also in northern ireland to the south, the weather is going to be brighter and warming upa weather is going to be brighter and warming up a little bit, maybe up to 90 degrees in london. he will important weekend, saturday of course, high pressure in charge of the weather. weather front out a smack in the atlantic that they cannot push in because of the high pressure and instead with the winds ahead of that fronts coming in from the south and the south—east, that means that the temperatures the rise. so for the actual royal wedding in windsor, the weather is looking very pleasant indeed. we will start off around nine or 10 degrees and get up into the low 20s early in the afternoon. the most of us, the weather is looking absolutely fine. it promises to be a dry day across pretty much the whole

of the uk as temperatures widely into the low 20s in the south, not far off 20 degrees in scotland as well. that was saturday, this is sunday. the weather does turn across scotla nd sunday. the weather does turn across scotland and northern ireland. there will be a little bit of rain pushing into belfast and glasgow eventually but it looks as though the weather is going to hold to sunday as well across england and wales. bye—bye. this is business briefing. europe steers towards a driverless future, but are the public on board? plus: braced for a us—china trade war. we report from dongguan, once called the ‘workshop of the world'. and on the markets, asian shares holding steady after wall street closed higher, with brent crude edging towards $80 a barrel.