that washington rejects russia's annexation of crimea from ukraine. but russia's foreign ministry dismissed his statement, highlighting previous us foreign policy reversals. mr pompeo‘s declaration came shortly before he gave evidence to the senate foreign relations committee. a series of measures to avert an all—out trade war has been agreed by the united states and the european union. after talks at the white house with the eu commission president jean—claude juncker president donald trump said a new phase in their trade relations had begun. the greek authorities say 80 people are now known to have died in wildfires around athens — making them the deadliest ever recorded in greece. dozens of people remain missing after the fast—moving fires swept across the attica region — trapping some people in their homes or cars. now on bbc news, westminster in review. hello and welcome to a hot and

sultry westminster where the temperature has been rising inside the chamber and out. coming up on this programme, government and opposition mps harangued ministers as the government grapples with the uk's exit from the eu. a strong independent self governing britain thatis independent self governing britain that is genuinely open to the world, not the miserable permanent limbo of chequers. theresa may insists she has a plan for a principled and practical brexit but there is drama in the commons and the lords as the government faces a series of knife edge votes. to the right, 301. to the left, 307. also on this

programme, ministers pro promise an end to the hostile environment for immigrants in the wake of the windrush scandal. and as the government promises more money for the nhs, the opposition asks who is paying? her figures are so dodgy they belong on the side of a bus. we have consistently put extra money into the national health service. first. the uk is set to leave the eu in march 2019. but the government has some crucial legislation to get through before then. firstly, the bill putting eu law into uk legislation to stop a legal black hole opening up after brexit and giving ministers the option to change those laws once we have left. the seemingly simple aim of the eu withdrawal bill went —— led to a nine—month long parliamentary battle. the bill passed through the commons before easter was just

battle. the bill passed through the commons before easter wasjust one defeat inflicted upon it, either manned by mps for a vote on the final brick deal struck with brussels. but when it got to the lords, peers to the scissors to the bill, inflicting defeat after defeat after defeat on the legislation. coming back to the commons, concessions and compromises were reached but there was still one big sticking point. having secured a vote on the final deal there was a call for parliament to have an even bigger say with the power to direct the government on what to do if we left the eu without any deal at all. and the mp leading the battle explained why it was important. we cannot allow a situation in which there is no mechanism for dealing with no deal. the minister intervened several times to try and offer a compromise on to the speaker had enough. this is not a private conversation with another member. i wa nt conversation with another member. i want the whole house to hear what the honourable gentleman wants to

blurt out, pest —— preferably briefly. after some frantic negotiations, the rebels thought they had an acceptable compromise. however, when they saw the small print after the vote they were not happy. so when the bill went back to the house of lords, a conservative peer took up the cudgels, demanding the parliament have a greater say. a conservative brexiteer thought that was not what he wanted to do. could he say whether it remains his position that he wishes, at all costs, to destroy brexit and, in fa ct, costs, to destroy brexit and, in fact, could he say on a point of clarification, whether he wishes to destroy brexit and that this amendment is, in fact, about sabotaging brexit. but the lord argued that this issue was bigger than party politics. this is the high court of parliament and we are not party hacks. and when it came to

the vote, peers insisted on parliament having a say, sending the bill to the commons again. cue more frantic negotiations and a last government compromise that mps would have a meaningful vote is the speaker, john verco, ruled in favour of one. the concession was put to a final tight vote. pregnant mps were summoned. and one mp who had been receiving hospital treatment was wheeled through the commons cupboard ina wheeled through the commons cupboard in a blanket and covering a sick bowl. at the end of it all, the government won the day. to the right, 303. to the left, 319. it is decided for now. unlock! all that meant the bill finally received royal assent turning it into law at the end ofjune. so how bruising

battle has this been and how can anyone keep up with the ins and outs of brexit? i asked our political correspondentjonathan of brexit? i asked our political correspondent jonathan blake. of brexit? i asked our political correspondent jonathan blakem of brexit? i asked our political correspondent jonathan blake. it is baffling enough for those of us whose job is to cover process on a daily probe —— basis. i think people trying to understand what is going on could be forgiven for being confused. we have seen the government's position change, still. we hear that ministers disagree with in the cabinet on whether that is the rock white —— right way forward. and what about the style of government of theresa may? has that had an impact? her leadership style means it can be difficult to get a handle on where the brexit process may end up. she is not someone who sets out a big old vision and sticks to it no matter what. she is a collegiate day by day sort of leader whose position evolves over time. we have seen throughout the process of brexit until this point. the white paper that have been forwarded, the deal the government wants to get, if

thatis deal the government wants to get, if that is effectively a wish list in that is effectively a wish list in that position will need to evolve through their negotiations as both the uk government and the eu make concessions. we will hear more from him later in the programme. it may be hard to believe that the last three months has not been all about brexit. the government found it help on the back foot over a scandal that had been building for years, the treatment of the windrush generation. it affected thousands of people who are invited to come to the uk between the 1940s and 1970s on ships like the hms windrush to help rebuild post—war britain. their landing cards were destroyed and when immigration rules were tightened, they found they did not have the paperwork to prove their legal right to be in the uk and access benefits and healthcare. as the row rumbled on, and rudd told mps that there were no targets for removing illegal immigrants. it later turned out that such targets did exist. the immigration on the

home office has been using local targets for internal performance management. these were not published targets against which performance was assessed. however if they were used inappropriately then i am clear that this will have to change. the home secretary is presiding over a department out of control, marked by cruelty and chaos. will she stopped shielding the ministers and resign? we now understand that people have been removed because of targets and she said she did not know. i say, with all conscience, is she really the right person to lead with offers of state ? the right person to lead with offers of state? it turned out she was not. she resigned over the issue and was replaced a few days later by sadiq javid. a few weeks later, members of

the windrush generation told of their nightmare of being detained. they asked me my name and i told them my name is anthony brian. and i asked who they were, they said they we re asked who they were, they said they were immigration. they told me that i was not standing here, but they we re i was not standing here, but they were going to take me to detention. i asked if i could make a phone call and they said no. the mps asked what would have happened if he had not had family outside detention?“ would have happened if he had not had family outside detention? if not for them i would have given up along time ago. it was too hard. too hard. and what would have happened, do you think, it had you not had naturally there mouthing off at the home office and telling them what was going on? i would be in jamaica alone. i did not know anybody over there. it was like, are they sending me to die? i give thanks for having

a daughter like the one i have. if that were not so her would not be here. theresa may announced in june that the nhs was to get an extra £20 billion a year by 2023. as to where the money was going to come from, she said some of it could be from the so—called wrecks a dividend. wrecks campaign as he famously claimed that after brexit, money coming back from brussels could be used to fund the health service. at prime minister ‘s questions, jeremy corbyn pressed for more details. there can be no brexit dividend before 2022. economic growth is the slowest since 2009. so which taxes are going up? the prime minister quoted an unnamed labour mp. we will use the funds returned from brussels after brexit to invest in our public services. it was him, the right honourable gentleman, the leader of the opposition. per figures are so dodgy they belong on the side of a

bus. until this government can be straight with people, about where the money is coming from, why should anyone, anyone anywhere trust them on the nhs? or the 17 years of the nhs, 443 of those years it has been under the stewardship of a conservative government. we have, despite taking difficult and necessary decisions on public spending in 2010, as a result of the deficit left by the last labour government, we have consistently put extra money into the national health service. then prime minister 's questions, there was a moment of high drama in middle ofjune. the scottish westminster governments we re scottish westminster governments were at odds over the eu withdrawal bill and what it might mean for devolution. the scottish national party reckoned that the westminster government was launching a power

grab to try and hold onto power coming back to the uk from brussels. it spilt over into westminster. a series of commons votes on brexit meant debate on crucial issues about returning power from meant debate on crucial issues about returning powerfrom brussels to meant debate on crucial issues about returning power from brussels to the scottish parliament was cut short to just 18 minutes. at prime minister ‘s questions the next day, the westminster leader of the snp wheeled out an arcane parliamentary procedure. the people of scotland will not be disrespected by this parliament. mr speaker, under the circumstances, given the disrespect shown, i have no option but to ask that this house now sets in private! or call for the house to sit in private is a way to disrupt business and register a protest. that means that the public and the press gallery has to be completely cleared. it requires a vote and after some confusion, the speaker ruled that that vote could be taken at the end of the session, not

immediately in the middle of pmo ‘s as the mp wanted. he objected noisily and the speaker was not having that. resume your seat! no! resume your seat, young man! mr blackford continued to jet. in light of the persistent and repeated refusal of the right honourable gentleman to resume his seat when so instructed, i order the right honourable gentleman to withdraw, immediately, from the house for... order! for the remainder of immediately, from the house for... order! forthe remainder of this day's sitting. ian blackford stiffened his shoulders, turned and marched towards the exit. a moment later, all the other snp ministers followed him. the tories cheered as they walked past. later, at what appeared to be a prearranged press conference, he said his party would use parliamentary procedures to best effect to protest against what he

said was devolution being ripped up as power was our reply created from brussels. still, if the snp were angry, things were not exactly sweetness and light within the cabinet. theresa may was under pressure to come up with a plan for our future relationship with the eu. an eu summit at the end ofjune agreed the pace of the brexit talks needed to be accelerated and intensified. after that came familiar weekend reports of bitter infighting over brexit among conservative cabinet members in the news that the prime minister was to propose a new option on the vexed subject of the future uk customs arrangement with the eu. a plan that was unveiled to her cabinet at a crunch meeting at her country retreat of chequers. a proposed a common rulebook for goods to avoid a ha rd common rulebook for goods to avoid a hard border in northern ireland and the uk collecting eu tariffs, taxes on imports, at uk borders on behalf of the eu. after a day of debate the

cabinet agreed the blueprint and mrs make declared the collective responsibility within the cabinet had returned. two days later, the brexit secretary david davis resigned and the foreign secretary, borisjohnson, quit resigned and the foreign secretary, boris johnson, quit the following day, both unable to sign up to the prime minister's compromise. personal statement, mr boris johnson. in his resignation statement, borisjohnson said that theresa may's plan amounted to brexit in name only. it is not too late to save the brexit. we have time in these negotiations. we have changed tack once we change again. a strong, independent, self—governing britain, thatis independent, self—governing britain, that is open to the world, not be miserable permanent limbo of checkers, not the democratic disaster of ongoing harmonisation with no way out and no say for the

uk. boris johnson. despite the resignations and the disagreements, pa rt resignations and the disagreements, part of the checkers agreement were turned into the customs bill, on uk— eu cross—border trade. amendments we re eu cross—border trade. amendments were put down to the bill, which the government later accepted. but that upset the remainers who thought the amendments undermined the checkers deal. it led to some feisty and highly personal exchanges later. deal. it led to some feisty and highly personal exchanges latenm was margaret thatcher that championed free trade, as a proud conservative. and i am a tory. i believe in business. i believe in capitalism, i believe in enterprise. i knew margaret thatcher, i worked with margaret thatcher, my honourable friend ain't no margaret thatcher. can i say to my right

honourable friend that i don't pretend to be. quite right! able to walk—in margaret thatcher's boots. if we don't deliver frictionless trade either by a customs union or indeed by some magical bird way that the prime minister think she can deliver on, and good luck to well on that, if we do not do that thousands ofjobs will go —— bird way. that, if we do not do that thousands ofjobs will go -- bird way. the former brexit secretary made his first speech since his resignation. the risks and costs of having a customs border are less than is claimed. and what we are giving up tojoina claimed. and what we are giving up tojoin a customs union is much more thanis tojoin a customs union is much more than is imagined. the european union isa than is imagined. the european union is a slow and not very effective negotiator of free trade. we keep hearing about their negotiating power, their size, back there represent 28 different countries means they come up with some optimal outcomes all the time. this idea that somehow or other every good that somehow or other every good that comes into eu by northern ireland and the republic is going to

have to be stopped, it does not even match with common date practice. and when it comes to correcting taxes, 13,000 lorries per year crossed the border carrying drink to other parts of the united kingdom. there is duty to be collected on. not one of them is stopped because the duty is collected. we are two years on and no real progress has been made. tory rivalries, leadership ambitions, and factionalism is making this country a laughing stock. and they should be ashamed. the uk government will not support anything that has put forward by it remain. the labour front bench will not support anything put forward by the conserver remainers. the dup will support anything uk government telfer medjani base is are being paid to do so. mr speaker, is a com plete paid to do so. mr speaker, is a complete shambles that may tell them to do. pro-eu conservatives have put

down amendments demanding that the uk stay in a customs union with the eu is the brexit talks failed to come up with an alternative by january next year. the move was defeated by a whisker. to the right, 301. to the left, 307. but there was no sigh of relief for ministers. the government was defeated over moves to keep the free flow of medicines between the eu and the uk. much of the brexit argument has been about how far the uk will be free to do trade deals with other countries once we have left the european union. the uk government is keen to capitalise on our relationship with the united states so the prime minister invited the president of the uk after the nato talks injuly. on the eve of being greeted by mrs the may sun printed an interview

with donald trump where he said saint close to the eu would make such a uk— us trade deal very unlikely. just for good measure he added that he would like to meet up with former foreign secretary boris johnson and added that he would make a good prime minister. those comments caused outrage, as did the very fa ct comments caused outrage, as did the very fact that the president was coming to the uk at all. with tens of thousands of protesters taking to the streets across the uk to object to the present‘s policies on migration and his attitude to women. while his visit had much of the formality and tradition of a state visit, it was described as a working trip. there was dinner with the prime minister and a group of business leaders before a trip to windsor for a meeting with the queen and tea inside windsor castle. not eve ryo ne and tea inside windsor castle. not everyone thought the visit a great success. donald trump looks more culpable straddling the world stage next to vladimir putin and he did beside the prime minister. ——

kuttabul. how can she justify sabotaging a secure relationship with our friends in the sabotaging a secure relationship with ourfriends in the us sabotaging a secure relationship with our friends in the us and sabotaging a secure relationship with ourfriends in the us and great favours for a man who prides himself on treading the rules based order. that is not a question that can be entered by the prosise reason that the basis of the question is entirely wrong. a frantic few months for the government that has weaved its way through crunch bites, crisis, and division. i asked jonathan blake if it was possible to predict where we will be on exit day in march next year. although that date is in everyone's diary, the 29th of march 2019, when the uk is scheduled to leave, under the rules of article 50, which are very slim, that could be extended. the date could be put back, the transition agreement, which we are expecting to last just agreement, which we are expecting to lastjust under agreement, which we are expecting to last just under two agreement, which we are expecting to lastjust under two years, could be extended. it is very difficult to predict it will be in power, there

may even be a general election between now and when the uk is scheduled to leave the european union. donald trump made a rather pointed intervention, notjust about how he thought brexit should be done, but who should be doing it, was that all a storm in a teacup or was that all a storm in a teacup or was it more serious? there is no doubt that president trump is my comments that the prospects of a trade deal between the uk and viewers were but dead and the water we re viewers were but dead and the water were an absolute bombshell. it caught a lot of people offguard. people in government were horrified he would be coming and saying it in such clear terms. the prime minister was quick to dismiss it, we are told, the president said it was only the press. at the words cause real concern. there was much relief when the president walked back his position considerably when the complexities of brexit had been meekly to him. he also said boris johnson would make a good prime minister. how did that go down? to

be standing next to the prime minister and saying in his opinion borisjohnson, who minister and saying in his opinion boris johnson, who had minister and saying in his opinion borisjohnson, who had recently resigned as foreign secretary after making like pretty tricky for theresa may as prime minister, let's not forget he was a challenge up to herfor the not forget he was a challenge up to her for the conservative leadership alongside there is no doubt in standing there and saying boris johnson would be a good prime minister in his eyes was in a couple moment for theresa may. i think that is understating things. donald trump left the uk and went on to meet president putin in helsinki, later announcing a plan for the russian president to visit the white house in the autumn. but the uk's relations with russia remained frosty after two people were poisoned in wiltshire with the same nerve agent used on the former spy sergei skripal and his daughter in march. dawn sturgess and charlie roughley picked up they small bottle thought to be discarded by the attack. dawn sturgess later died and

sajid javid said it was now a murder investigation. we must be led by the evidence. it is hard to see that there is another possible as the nation. mbs finally gave the go—ahead to the plans to expand heathrow airport. the runway will increase the capacity from 85 million passages to 130 million. construction is unlikely to be finished before 2026. -- passengers. all five of london's main airports will be full by the mid— 2030s. heathrow is well today. what is actually happening is that we are seeing business leave the united kingdom and go to airports like frankfurt, amsterdam, paris, that have made additional capacity provision. this proposal for a third ru nway provision. this proposal for a third runway at heathrow was first published in 2002, hong kong publish those in 2011, theirs will be built within five years, if we are to

remain internationally competitive, we should get on and build it.“ you are asking me to come up with the most backward looking, ill thought through, poorly bottomed out, badly articulated, on a wing and a prayer, bad value for money, most polluting airport plan i could find, this would be it. 4000 homes will go. up to 10,000 people forcibly removed from the community. the biggest forcible removal of human beings is the scottish crisis. a church, a temple, community centres, open spaces, even hospices threatened. heckling in the commons is one of those things ministers to cope with. the defence secretary gavin williamson discovered a new technique. i found something... what

a very rum business that is. i do apologise for that. it is very rare that you were heckled by your own mobile phone. if! that you were heckled by your own mobile phone. if i may proceed without its help and support. that is it for now. we will be back with a daily roundups in september without the help and support of the theory. they'll be hard at work to restore the palace of westminster. many restore the palace of westminster. ma ny voters restore the palace of westminster. many voters will be looking at the government and wondering if theresa may can do the same. but now, from me, and an under reconstruction big bend, goodbye. good morning. if you think it's been hot enough already this summer, well, just wait for the next couple of days because it looks like it's going to turn even hotter.

some spots could get to 36 degrees and that brings with it the chance of some thunderstorms and welcome rain and you can see from the satellite picture, a couple of different areas of low pressure spilling out into the atlantic as they approach our shores. we will eventually see some wet weather but ahead of that, drawing this very hot air up from the south. we start thursday morning in double digits just about wherever you are, parts of the south—east starting the day up around 20 degrees and as we go through the day, a lot of dry weather and some spells of sunshine. more on the way of cloud spreading up from south. small chance we might break out the odd shower into the afternoon. a bit more cloud into the west as well, into the western side of northern ireland, a bit cooler here. down towards the south—east, look at these temperatures. 34 degrees in the heart of london but for some in the south—east, maybe 35 degrees. but the building heat and humidity, it looks like we will see some showers and thunderstorms starting to break out across the eastern half of the country, particularly as we head into the early hours of friday. thickening cloud and outbreaks of rain starting to trickle across northern ireland. a warm and muggy start to friday. during friday, this rain band

tracking in from the west. then we see these thunderstorms blossoming to life across parts of south—east england, the east midlands, maybe eastern scotland. to the east, parts of east anglia, some might get a 36 degrees. however, we push these various bands of rain and thunderstorms to the east as we get into the start of the weekend. then we start to tap into some much fresher air, these green and even blue colours

blowing in our direction. some sunny spells but some showers at times for the weekend and breezy as well. welcome to bbc news — broadcasting to viewers in north america and around the globe. my name is mike embley. our top stories: a thaw in relations. the united states and european union avert an all—out trade war and agree on getting rid of tariffs and the threat of sanctions. as the task of finding more bodies in greece's devastating wildfires goes on we hear from those who managed to escape. the count continues in pakistan's general election — early signs suggest that imran khan could be the next prime minister. and it's the question everyone is now asking: is there life on mars? scientists say they've found evidence of water on the red planet. the us secretary of state,

mike pompeo, has reaffirmed that