i'm rico hizon in singapore, the headlines: britain names two russian intelligence officers as suspects in the novichok nerve agent attack — and says moscow must be held to account. should either of these individuals ever again travel outside of russia we will take every possible step to detain them, to extradite them and to bring them to face justice here in the united kingdom. a daughter enslaved by islamic state is freed. we report on the plight of the yazidi community in iraq. i was scared to come back. i was scared my family would kill me. i was so surprised at the welcome i got. i'm babita sharma in london. also in the programme. a senior aide to donald trump accuses him of "amorality" and reckless decision—making — according to a report in the new york times. the us president slams the attack as "gutless" and "phony". warnings of a global health threat — as a deadly new superbug sweeps hospitals across the world.

live from our studios in singapore and london, this is bbc world news. it's newsday. good morning. it's 8 am in singapore and one o'clock in the morning in london where two russian military intelligence officers have been named as the suspects in the attempted murder of the former russian spy sergei skripal and his daughter yulia. british police have released images of alexander petrov and ruslan boshirov after going through 11,000 hours of cctv footage. but moscow has denied any knowledge of the men, as our security correspondent gordon corera reports. these two russians now stand accused of the salisbury nerve agent attack.

it is claimed that in march they deployed the nerve agent which poisoned sergei and yulia skripal, and which months later accidentally contaminated charlie rowley, and killed dawn stu rg ess. police say they came to the country as alexander petrov and ruslan boshirov, but those are thought to be false names, used by two undercover operatives. the government has concluded that the two individuals named by the police and cps are officers from the russian military intelligence service, also known as the gru. the gru is a highly disciplined organisation, with a well—established chain of command. so this was not a rogue operation. it was almost certainly also approved outside the gru, at a senior level of the russian state. the two men, police say, carried out a remarkably sophisticated attack. they flew in from moscow,

and are seen here in salisbury, shortly after it is alleged they smeared nerve agent on sergei skripal‘s front door. and this was what is believed to have been their weapon — the perfume bottle used to carry the novichok nerve agent. today's announcement by the crown prosecution service marks the most significant in the investigation. we now have sufficient evidence to bring charges in relation to the attack on sergei and yulia skripal in salisbury, and domestic and european arrest warrants have been issued for the two suspects. we'll be seeking to circulate interpol red notices. prosecutors say they have enough evidence to charge the two with conspiracy to murder sergei skripal, attempted murder of sergei skripal, his daughter yulia and detective sergeant nick bailey, a police officer who went to their house, use and possession of novichok contrary to the chemical weapons act, and causing grievous bodily harm with intent to yulia skripal and nick bailey. so what is the gru?

based in this building, it is the intelligence arm of the russian military, with a long track record of undercover operations around the world. undeeradimir putin, seen here visiting its headquarters, observers say it has become even more aggressive, accused of hacking america's 2016 election, operations in ukraine, and now using nerve agent in britain. its prime target in salisbury was sergei skripal, himself a former officer in the gru. sergei skripal, it is thought, was targeted by former colleagues in the gru because they viewed him as a traitor for working for the british secret service, m16. today was about much more than just naming two individuals, but also, in the government's eyes, exposing the role of the gru. and the prime minister made clear that, as well as the public

accusation, british intelligence would be asked to do more to counter the gru's activities out of sight. today, russia's deputy ambassador was summoned to the foreign office. moscow has said it doesn't recognise the names of the two men accused. the british government acknowledges there is no real chance they will be extradited, but it will be hoping that today increases the pressure on moscow. gordon corera, bbc news. a short time ago i spoke to professor brian taylor, an expert on russian state organisations. he explained more about moscow's military intelligence service. the gru has its roots in the soviet period and was the military intelligence arm that reports through the general staff. it persisted after the collapse of the soviet union and has had ups and downs over the last decade that now seems to be quite active in a wide range of activities around the globe. we heard from the british prime minister earlier stating that any

order for them to act would have had to have been at the very top level. are we looking right up to vladimir putin on this? it is hard to know for certain but it seems likely, at least in general terms, but vladimir putin and the people around him would have known that a decision had been made to go after skripal although i highly doubt that vladimir putin knew specific details. were you alarmed when you heard this news? it is alarming that the russian state feels it can use chemical agents to attack and kill someone without regard for the lives of other potential bystanders outside russia. i think this reflects how much, to a certain extent in the foreign policy sphere, the russian feel they are on a semi—war footing with the west and they feel like they are punching back. that includes not only this attack

but the hacking of the american electoral system with the attacks on the democratic national committee, operations in the ukraine and other operations around the world. what can be done then to stop this from happening again on british soil, for example? i think there will be a series of efforts among british intelligence and other foreign intelligence services to figure out ways to go after them or directly, perhaps. not only the expulsions we have seen as a result of this attack but also perhaps other economic means to go after the gru. cyber means and other efforts to try and disrupt their activities and make the price higher for these sorts of attacks. let's take a look at some of the day's other news. facebook and twitter have said that they took too long

to tackle foreign campaigns to meddle in us elections. testifying before the us senate intelligence committee both companies said they're now fixing the problem. the vice chair of the committee explained the scale of the problem to the bbc. some of the techniques that the russians have used in the american political process, we have seen that indication in the uk political process. this is trying to get this right throughout the west, how we make sure that social media, where the majority of at least americans receive their news from, is not being corrupted nor it manipulated by foreign entities. also making news today: a powerful magnitude 6.7 earthquake has rocked japan's northern island of hokkaido, triggering landslides. a number of people are reportedly injured and trapped beneath collapsed structures. there are said to be widespread power outages and a number of blocked and damaged roads. no deaths have been reported and officials say there

is no tsunami risk. a major international airport in western japan has been closed, with thousands of people evacuated in the wake of deadly typhoonjebi. kansai airport, a major transport hub serving 0saka, kobe and kyoto, was cut off when an ocean tanker hit and damaged its bridge to the mainland. at least twenty people have been killed in two separate explosions at a sports club in the afghan capital kabul. four people were killed in a suicide bombing. a second, larger blast killed at least sixteen people as emergency services and journalists arrived at the scene. naomi 0saka has become the first japanese woman to reach a grand slam semi—final in 22 years after winning her quarter final match in the us open. the 20—year—old japanese—american has been earmarked as a future star. fresh attempts are being

made to restart talks on persuading north korea to give up its nuclear weapon programme. south korean special envoys have visited the north korean capital pyongyang to smooth the way for another meeting between president moonjae—in and the north korean leader kim jong—un later this month. the bbc‘s laura bicker is in the south korean capital, seoul. she told me more about the atmosphere of this meeting. i think when it comes to north and south, what this gathering seems to show, and certainly from the photos we have, is that there is camaraderie between the two sides. kim jong—un is seen laughing and joking with hands on shoulders, plenty of smiles and handshakes all around. that said, that is similar to the meeting they had back in the spring which led to the talk between the two countries and then a meeting between president trump and kim jong—un.

what it is in stark contrast to is the welcome that the us secretary of state received a few months back where he did not get to meet kim jong—un. here we have a special envoy for the south korean president getting a special treatment that that was not extended to the us secretary of state. denuclearisation is still at the top of the agenda for north, south korea and the us? the sticking point is this. what should come first? after the negotiations and after the summit in singapore, what we are seeing is the north demanding an end of war declaration. this two sides are still technically at war after the korean war ended in 1953 with an armistice and not a peace treaty. north korea wants an end of war declaration as does south korea.

the problem is the us wants denuclearisation first. they want the north to hand over nuclear weapons or some kind of itinerary of what they have in the country. that is what you are looking at and that is the sticking point. what should come first? denuclearisation or an end of war declaration? is there a chance of another summit between moon jae—in and kim jong—un? we expect president moon later this month to travel to pyongyang. later today we hope to get a date and more details of what that meeting may entail the president moon could be the intermediary here. he could be the one to once again break the deadlock between north korea and the us. you're watching newsday on the bbc. still to come on the programme: researchers say a new superbug is spreading undetected through hospital wards across the world. freedom itself was attacked

this morning and freedom will be defended. the united states will hunt down and punish those responsible. bishop tutu now becomes the spiritual leader of 100,000 anglicans here. the blacks of soweto township as well as the whites of the neighbouring suburbs. we say to you today, in a loud and clear voice, enough of blood and tears. enough. the difficult decision we reached together was one that required great and exceptional courage. it is an exodus of up to 60,000 people, caused by the uneven pace of political change in eastern europe. iam free!

this is newsday on the bbc. i'm rico hizon in singapore. i'm babita sharma in london. our top stories: britain has named two russian intelligence officers as suspects in the novichok nerve agent attack, and said moscow must be held to account. thousands of members of the religious minority the yazidis are still missing, four years after so—called islamic state attacked them in iraq. let's take a look at some front pages from around the world. the japan times counts the cost of typhoonjebi, the worst storm to hit the country in 25 years. the paper says attention is now focused on the damage to kansai airport, where thousands of passengers were left stranded. the straits times says the high—speed railway

between kuala lumpur and singapore is heading for a serious delay. the service will take four years longer than expected. if all goes well, the first trains will roll out of the station in 2031. and the new york times is on the lookout for some supersized seagulls. why? besause they have been ruffling a few feathers. these avian agitators are proving a major headache for the italian capital. they have invaded people's homes and eaten the vatican's peace doves. now, what stories are sparking discussions online? these models have been grabbing your attention online. they are also taking the fashion industry by storm. there isjust one problem — they are not real. balmain has used computer—generated models in its latest campaign.

among them is shudu. she has been dubbed the world's first digital supermodel. a senior member of president trump's own administration has attacked him in a new york times article and suggested white house workers are resisting him. the anonymous author said president trump is facing a test to his presidency unlike any faced by a modern american leader. president trump has called it a gutless editorial. the bbc‘s chris buckler told me more about the reaction in washington. well, i think the new york times, the fact that they are saying specifically this is a in the administration, and that they know the identity, although it has been published anonymously, that does give it credibility as far as some

people are concerned. 0f give it credibility as far as some people are concerned. of course it is being dismissed the white house, but it does follow the publication of some of quotes from bob woodward's upcoming book, fear, which again paints a picture of a dysfunctional white house. and certainly when you read this editorial, rico, you go through it and it seems very clear that this is someone and it seems very clear that this is someone inside the administration who is not what they call a resista nce who is not what they call a resistance of the left but rather what they called the resistance inside the white house. this is someone inside the white house. this is someone who inside the white house. this is someone who says inside the white house. this is someone who says along with others they are conservatives, they are republicans, but they are trying to govern against the worst instincts of what they describe as being president trump. they describe him here as being generally anti trade and antidemocratic, which are of course republican core principles. they say he can be impetuous, adversarial, petty and ineffective. they talk about impetuous rounds, and they say he has been given a very rough time for the media, but in private they have gone to great

lengths to keep bad decisions contained from the white house, and they say specifically american should know there are adults in the room. these are pretty damaging words, but i have to say there has been a response from the white house. as you mentioned, president trump has called this a gutless editorial. there has also been a statement from the press secretary, sarah sanders, who has said the individual behind this has chosen to deceive rather than support the duly elected president of the united states. this coward should do the right thing and resign. thousands of yazidis are still missing in syria, four years after so—called islamic state attacked them in their ancestral home in northern iraq. the un has called the crimes against the minority group genocide. an international aid effort backed by a bombing campaign saved the majority of the population, who sought safety on nearby mount sinjar. 0ur chief international correspondent lyse doucet has been there, and has this report. sinjar mountain, sacred land of the yazidis. these slopes still haunted

by the terror of islamic state in this northern corner of iraq. four years on, clothes still litter the mountainside, discarded in panic by a people on the run, desperate to escape. now, in the foothills, a chilling silence. a date seared in every yazidi's memory. is fighters no longer hold this land, but still hold a people hostage. thousands of men, women and children are still missing. but, for this family, some relief. a daughter enslaved by is in syria is freed after four long years. her family paid tens of thousands of dollars

to get her and her children back. the day after she returns, we visit her at home. and she feared she would never be able to escape that living hell. translation: when i was in captivity, isis lied to me. they said yazidi women would never be free, and that our families would kill us if we tried to come home. so i was scared to come back. i was scared my family would kill me, and i was so surprised at the welcome i got. who can begin to imagine what women like her have been through, at the hands of so—called islamic state. daily beatings, brutalisation, and there are said to be 3,000 more yazidi women and children still missing, still captured

by islamic state. from sinjar, we made the shortjourney to kocho, the yazidi village is tried to wipe off the map. now, it is a monument to a massacre. more than 1,000 people rounded up — men and old women shot dead, young women sold into slavery. the sense of loss here is overwhelming. this man mourns his brother, buried alive at the back of this schoolyard. inside, a memorial to the dead and the missing. he shows his grandsons the photos — their father, uncles, aunts, favourite cousins, all gone. upstairs, traces of horror. mattresses scattered across

the floor, abandoned uniforms. the aching silence of a generation lost. at the edge of kocho, mass graves. just three soldiers standing guard. killing fields darken the yazidi heartland, bones exposed by the wind. people are desperate for these graves to be exhumed. translation: this is where isis killed my people. these bones are evidence of a massacre. they bear witness to what happened here. we want these crimes to be investigated. the un calls this a genocide, but four years on, little has been done. after so much loss, the yazidi people are now losing hope.

lyse doucet, bbc news, sinjar. they are calling it a major medical public health threat. australian researchers have discovered a new superbug that is spreading undetected through hospital wards across the world. the bacteria are resistant to all known antibiotics. katie silver reports. it is called staphylococcus epidermidis, a bacteria commonly found on normal human skin. in most healthy people, it doesn't cause any problems. but it is one of the most common causes of infection in hospitals, especially amongst the elderly, or patients with an implanted medical device, such as a heart valve or prosthetic limb. until now, these infections have been able to be treated using antibiotics — or so we thought. what we've uncovered in this study is that a single change in the bacteria has led to resistance to two of our key antibiotics. professor howden and his team found the superbug existed in almost 80

hospitals around the world, including the us, uk and europe. the situation was particularly bad in germany. some of the strains that were included in our study from europe were resistant to those two antibiotics, as well, making them almost essentially untreatable. the place where the impact of the superbug will be felt the worst is in intensive care units, where hospital—acquired infections are the highest. in developed countries, where the samples were taken from, about 30% of patients in an intensive care unit get some infection associated with their treatment. in developing countries, this can be up to 89% of patients. the infection has been spreading in some places for up to 15 years without detection, caused mainly by antibiotics being incorrectly prescribed. how many people have been affected is still unclear. katie silver, bbc news. you have been watching newsday. i'm babita sharma in london. and i'm rico hizon in singapore. stay with us. coming up, we will have more

on those facebook and twitter grillings on capitol hill. we will take a close look at what these social media giants are doing to stop political meddling. and next time you see rico, he will be where i am, in london. and next time you see rico, he will be where i am, in londonlj and next time you see rico, he will be where i am, in london. i will miss not getting to see you in london. before we go, the beautiful game with a beautiful view. football freestyler tobias becs has taken his passion to a whole new level. the daredevil was filmed doing tricks and keepie—uppies while suspended from a crane above the city of oslo in norway. becs hopes his impressive feat will inspire the country's young football talent. hello there.

we're ending this week on something a lot more unsettled than how we started it, that's because we're replacing high pressure with an area of low pressure. at the moment we're still in between systems. there is a developing area of low pressure out across the north sea. but we've got high pressure dominating, i think, for much of thursday morning, a couple of weather fronts around too. now, they're going to bring outbreaks of rain to the northern isles, this weather front trailing down into northern england, north—west england, parts of north wales. barely anything on it, just a line of cloud and the odd spot of rain. we could see further showers returning to western scotland, too, first thing this morning. and where we have the cloud, the temperatures generally starting in double figures, otherwise clear skies and single figure values, on the chilly side. in fact, today will be feeling cooler right the border, especially across the north. and we're starting the morning off with a good deal of sunshine around. showers will start to get going across scotland,

and then we'll see another feature, another weather front moving out of ireland across the irish sea into wales and the midlands and south—west england, as we head on into the afternoon. so conditions go downhill for many central and southern parts of england and wales. could see still a little bit of sunshine across the south—east, where we could make 20 or 21 degrees. further north, a lot more cloud, outbreaks of rain, temperatures in the high teens celsius. but it's going to feel cooler than that further north. for the far north of england, northern ireland, scotland, sunny spells and scattered showers, some heavy and maybe even thundery across scotland. now, as we head on in towards friday, we start to see this area of low pressure develop. now, most of the very heavy rain will stay offshore, we think, but as we head through friday it looks like it could be quite wet across parts of scotland and north—east england. now, some of this rain could be quite heavy for time through friday morning across eastern scotland, north—east england, with another spell of rain pushing into northern scotland. but, further south and west that you are, it should be generally drier and brighter.

but with the north, north—west winds, it's going to feel on the cooler side, temperatures ranging from 15—19 degrees. and those winds quite a feature, i think, as they move across the east side of the country. that area of low pressure continues to spin around, moving a little bit further eastwards into the north sea. we see another feature run into wales and the south—west of england as we head on into saturday. a bit of uncertainty to this, but this is the feature i'm talking about. could bring some wet weather to england and wales through the day. meanwhile, low pressure to the north of the country continues to bring showers to much of scotland. so i think saturday, seeing that rain spreading eastwards, and then on sunday, probably the better day, the drier and slightly brighter day. i'm babita sharma with bbc news. our top story — britain has named two russian intelligence officers as suspects in the novichok nerve agent attack. the british prime minister theresa may says the attempted murder of a former russian spy and his daughter was almost certainly approved by the russian state. thousands of members of the religious minority, the yazidis, are still missing

four years after so—called islamic state attacked them in their ancestral home in iraq. and this video is trending on bbc.com. researchers are calling it a "major medical threat", after discovering a new superbug is spreading undetected in hospitals. the bacteria are resistant to all known antibiotics and may be increasing the risk of severe infections and even death. stay with bbc world news. and the top story in the uk — britain and france have agreed on the principles of a deal that would end a dispute over scallop fishing in the english channel.