welcome to newsday on the bbc. i'm mariko oi in singapore. our headlines this hour. the us steps up the hunt for whoever‘s behind the crude bombs sent to high—profile democrats. new york's mayor says this is "terrorism". the people of the city understand the whole game plan of terrorists is to intimidate us. new yorkers refuse to be intimidated. the first bilateral talk in seven years. can shinzo abe's trip to beijing help repair relations between japan and china? i'm ben bland in london. also in the programme. paradise re—opens. the philippines‘ boracay island is back in business after closing for a six—month clean—up, but there are new rules. you all know what to do. saddle up! the new gaming experience that promises to take you into the heart of the old wild west. live from our studios in singapore... and london.

this is bbc world news. it's newsday. good morning. it's 8am in singapore, 1am in london, and 8pm on the east coast of us, where police are stepping up their efforts to find who's behind those crude bombs which were sent to leading democrats and critics of president trump. two more suspicious packages were intercepted today. one to former vice president, joe biden, and another to hollywood star, robert de niro. our north america correspondent nick bryant reports. these are the scenes that america woke up to. what looked like old footage from the war in iraq, but which were real—time images from a postal facility in delaware. a bomb disposal expert examining a suspect package, addressed to the former vice president, joe biden.

yet another prominent democrat sent a crude bomb. in the middle of the night, lower manhattan became the focus and a package sent to the office in tribeca of movie star robert de niro, an outspoken critic of donald trump. once again, a suspect explosive device hauled safely away in a vehicle that's fast becoming a familiar sight, the bomb squad's total containment vessel. we are treating them as live devices. as you see the way our bomb squad detectives went into cnn yesterday, this has to be taken with the utmost seriousness. so as far as a hoax device, we're not treating it that way. at a campaign rally last night, donald trump said acts of political violence were an attack on democracy, but some of his strongest remarks were directed atjournalists. as part of a larger national effort to bridge our divides and bring people together, the media also has a responsibility to set a civil tone and to stop

the endless hostility and constant negative, and often times, false attacks and stories. have to do it. the president accepted no personal blame for his part in the coarsening of american public life. and this morning on twitter, he renewed his attack on the media... that got this response from the former cia director john brennan, who was sent an explosive package. because none of the devices have exploded, the fbi has a mound of forensic evidence to help track down who's responsible. but some prominent conservatives have claimed this is all a liberal

hoax, timed to coincide with crucial congressional elections. the focus of the investigation right now to south florida, where some of the parcels were put in the post. it is worth stressing again just how politicized this moment has become. we have not seen a nation coming together. we are watching once again as america tears itself apart. nick bryant, bbc news, washington. our correspondent chris buckler gave us this update a little earlier. from what we understand, the fbi have had a chance to take a look at these pipe bombs, and it must be mentioned they are pretty crude devices. there are some suggestions that they believed they were constructed after taking some information from the internet. so that gives you a sense really adjust the construction of them themselves. at the same time, they are pointing out that they could potentially have been dangerous. some suggestions that there were shards of glass inside them that could have sprayed someone if they had exploded.

but the key thing is they did not, which has provided huge amounts of evidence for the fbi. they hope they can lead to whoever was responsible. and there that focus now on just north of miami, a mail facility there that they believe these packages were sent from. there is an investigation now looking at that, and a real attempt to focus in on that area in florida to see if they can find who is responsible. chris, for those of us who are not in the us, just give us a sense of how things are playing out in the sense that some have called for all the aggressive rhetoric to be toned down, to calm things down a bit ahead of the midterms to try to dissuade people from taking actions like these. is that happening, are things calming down, or are the networks as fiery as they always have been? i think the thing is that ultimately, these are crucial congressional elections. and what we have seen is a brief pause. but even last night, when donald trump started

to talk at his rally about who was responsible for this, by blaming the media yet again, he ignited this question ofjust what kind of rhetoric is acceptable in political debate at the moment in the us? and certainly, democrats say they believe donald trump used hollow words, and therefore there is still this aggressive rhetoric taking place. and ultimately, if there has been a pause, we are less than two weeks away from the vote, and i suspect it will not tone down that rhetoric in the longer term. also making news today: the saudi authorities say journalist jamal khashoggi was murdered and that his murder was premeditated, that's according to the country's public prosecutor. meanwhile, security sources say the director of the cia gina haspel has personally listened to audio recordings of the killing. let's get more from the bbc‘s mark lowen outside the saudi consulate in istanbul. we are here over three weeks

since jamal khashoggi was killed, at the spot where he was last seen entering the saudi consulate here in istanbul. friends and colleagues of his here holding a vigil at the spot. you can see they hold candles and photos, posters with his face on it. one man we had just seen dressed in saudi traditional clothing with red paint on his hands, the suggestion that the saudi authorities have blood on their hands. these are people close to mr kashoggi who note that the news cycle moves on, that political deals sweep this under the carpet, but they're determined to keep the pressure on the saudi authorities in their demand for efforts. rushing up the pressure today is report that gina haspel, the director of the cia, has been played by the turkish government audio recordings of mr kashoggi's murder, leaks of which are very graphic, suggesting you can hear the screams, torture, and dismemberment of the body. the question now is, is that the smoking gun,

and will that reveal be able to trace a direct line of accountability to the top levels of the saudi state? turkey is now very confident this was a planned murder, the saudi public prosecutor saying they believe that is the case, as well, based on the evidence they have retrieved from turkey, that it was a premeditated murder. but the question tonight is still whose orders the saudi hit squads were operating under. in other news, at least 17 people, mostly school children, have died in a flash flood injordan on the shores of the dead sea. many others were reported missing. there's a major search and rescue operation to try and find any survivors. google says it's sacked 48 employees over sexual harassment allegations in the past two years, including 13 senior managers. the statement comes in response to a new york times report that google executive andy rubin received $90 million when he left the company, despite the company finding "credible claims" of sexual

harassment against him. he rejects the allegations. the un has urged the japanese government to stop returning children to some areas of fukushima, where radiation levels are still high seven years after the nuclear disaster. it says it's deeply troubled by japan's decision to raise the level of radiation exposure it regards as "acceptable" to 20 times higher than the previous level. australia's prime minister has announced a $3.5 billion fund to help farmers prepare for, and fight future droughts. farmers are currently in the grip of the worst drought in 100 years, and warn that the hotter and drier conditions have become the new normal. the us military says it may send troops to america's southern border, as a caravan of thousands of central american migrants moves north through mexico. the pentagon hasn't confirmed the reports, but earlier, donald trump said he would use the military to stop the caravan. he calls it a national emergency.

japan's prime minister, shinzo abe, is in beijing, for a summit with chinese president, xijingping. it's the first bilateral talks in seven years, but can it help repair relations between japan and china? abe met with premier li on thursday. in recent years, japan has had fraught relations with china. the visit comes as japan's long—time ally and security guarantor, the united states, wages a tariff war on china, which is japan's biggest trading partner, while occasionally tossing ominous threats tokyo's way, as well. here's some of what abe said. translation: these days, japan and china play an essential role not only in the economic development of asia, but the whole world. the world has never been so interconnected, and the kind of problems that cannot be solved by one country are increasing.

so i think we have come to a time when china and japan should work together to contribute to world peace and prosperity. with me from beijing is stephen mcdonnell. so in the early editions of newsday, we had a analysis from tokyo where they said that prime minister abe has been wanting to meet... but it was prime minister she who was not keen to. they also have that awkward handshake and 2014, none of those issues have been resolved. what changed his mind? well, i guess anybody looking from afar would think the big thing that's changed is trade with the united states. i mean, china needs to rebuild relations with japan to try and plug

some of those holes that will have asa some of those holes that will have as a result of this unfolding trade war with the us. it would be quite ironic if donald trump, with this trade policy, ends up pushing china andjapan are trade policy, ends up pushing china and japan are closer together, to countries which for a long time have had big problems, many political reasons for getting together. but a lot of economists would think it was about time that the two sorted out their differences, because what they have in common in terms of trade is much more than what separates them. is not that long ago that we had those anti—japan protests taking place on the streets of china. how are the public viewing this official visit? you know, in china, sentiment against japan has kind visit? you know, in china, sentiment againstjapan has kind of turned on and off by the communist party. if

you turn on the television in china at any you turn on the television in china atany time you turn on the television in china at any time of the day, flicked over the channels, you will find a drama about world war ii. just to remind people of what happened, japanese forces invaded china, etc. that said, so many chinese people want to go tojapan on said, so many chinese people want to go to japan on holiday these days, so there is this very strange relationship. and i think unless there a reason to dial up the anti—japan sentiment, things are improving in the minds of most ordinary chinese people. you mentioned those protests, protests in china don't go ahead without some sort of official approval. and the fa ct sort of official approval. and the fact that we're not seeing that now does seem to show that the chinese government wants to try rebuild relations with japan, and try to smooth the path to greater economic

operation, because there's lot of these two countries can do, especially as the us steps away from the region, both politically and economically. thank you so much for your insights. you're watching newsday on the bbc. still to come on the programme: should you take aspirin to protect against heart attacks and strokes? we have the latest research, for and against. also on the programme: get ready for the next big gaming blockbuster. it's back to the virtual wild west. a historic moment that many of his victims have awaited for decades. the former dictator in the dark, older, slimmer. as he sat down, obedient enough. dawn, and as the sun breaks through the piercing chill of night on the plane outside, it lights up the biblicalfamine now in the 20th century.

the depressing conclusion. in argentina today, it is actually cheaper to paper your walls with money. we've had controversies in the past with great britain. but as good friends, we have always found a good and lasting solution. concorde bows out in style after almost three decades in service. an aircraft that has enthralled its many admirers for so long, taxis home one last time. this is newsday on the bbc. i'm marika oi in singapore. and i'm ben bland in london. our top stories. the fbi steps up its hunt for whoever is behind a series of crude bombs sent to leading democrats and critics

of president trump. japan's prime minister shinzo abe is in beijing, for the first bilateral talks between the two countries in seven years. let's take a look at some front pages from around the world. the japan times reports on a journalist returning home from captivity in syria. its headline reads, "from hell to home", after jumpei yasuda reunited with his wife and parents after three years. the gulf news meanwhile looks at the flash floods in jordan that have killed more than a dozen children. it says relatives of victims have been gathering at a hospital near to where the incident happened. and the new york times focuses on the migrant caravan making its way from central america, headed for the united states. the article says hondurans started the caravan to shame their government over poverty and violence, but the move turned into a political firestorm in the united states. now what are people

talking about online? yes, let's looks at what is trending right now. lots of people are talking about donald trump's choice of mobile phone, after a report saying that china and russia were intercepting his calls on his apple iphone. bejing denied the claim, but jokingly said president trump should swap his american iphone for a chinese huawei model to have complete security. the philippines is re—opening its crown jewel resort island of boracay today. it was shut for six months to clean up and repair the damage which was inflicted by years of mass tourism. it will now have fewer hotels and restaurants, and a cap on the number of visitors. and there are also new rules aimed at taming its party—hard reputation. michael bristow reports. with just days to go, workmen were still transforming the island. a new sewage pipe has been laid along the sea front.

the main road has been widened. restaurants and shops have been spruced up. many shabby and illegally built hotels are being torn down. the ugliness of what boracay had become has not yet completely vanished. in the future, behaviour will have to change, as well. smoking and drinking alcohol on the beach are now banned. tourists will have to sign an oath promising to the island pristine. the philippine president, rodrigo duterte, ordered the island to close for six months because he said it had become a cesspool. the islands turquoise waters were polluted from the two million people who visited each year, and the unplanned way they were allowed to enjoy themselves. the authorities say they want sustainable tourism. other popular sites have been told to cut visitor numbers by half. it's notjust a problem for the philippines. rising incomes in east asia means more tourists. many places famed for their natural

beauty have, for many, been spoiled. the picturesque bay in thailand used in the film the beach has been closed indefinitely to save it from destruction. boracay in the philippines was known as a paradise island, but once lost, that reputation is not easily regained. michael bristow, bbc news. we've heard aspirin can reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke. but we've also been told it can be harmful. now, a new study from new zealand is trying to strike a balance. the research says there are benefits against cardiovascular disease but other personal factors need to be taken into account. earlier, the author of the study, dr vanessa selak, told me more about their research. most importantly, you need to consider the context. for people who have already had a cardiovascular event, by which i mean a heart attack or stroke, the benefits of aspirin are generally thought

to outweigh its harms. the area within uncertainty is people who have not had a cardiovascular event, but who are at high risk of their first event. our study used latest research from new zealand, which looked at bleeding rates to help obtain a more up—to—date and precise estimate of the bleeding harms. this is because aspirin also increases the risk of a bleed, especially bleeds from the gash. so our data will help people to have a better estimate of the balance of benefits and harms of the treatment on an individual basis. as you say, there has not been a clear reason that we know of why aspirin causes bleeding. did you come close to any kind of conclusion about that? i actually think the evidence is clear that aspirin does cause increased bleeding, especially from the gastrointestinal tract.

the same way it reduces the risk of heart attacks and strokes is by reducing the stickiness of the blood, which increases its propensity towards bleeding, also causing damage to the lining of the gastrointestinal tract, hence the bleeding. i guess the challenge is in determining in which people the benefits of aspirin are likely to outweigh the harms. so this study was conducted in new zealand. how can it be used around the world, in your view? ultimately, the best evidence is local and up—to—date evidence, but what we found was there was not much up—to—date data around the risk of and bleed in this particular group of people who have not already had a cardiovascular event. so what we did was we conducted a large study of several hundred thousand people using linked data. these were people who had not had a prior cardiovascular event, and we used their data to determine

what the risk of a bleed was for different groups according to age and sex, and other characteristics. so we were able to obtain an updated estimate for new zealand and other countries, if they do not have the information available. here in britain, the country's multi—billion pound games industry is preparing for the release of what could be another blockbuster. red dead redemption 2 is a wild west adventure from the company behind grand theft auto. and much of the work has been done at the company's studios in scotland. here's our technology reporter marc cieslak. red dead redemption 2 allows players to experience a vast virtual version of the old west. robbing trains, riding horses, and even playing poker. that is all the work of rockstar games, and this latest release is so big, it had to be created in nine different studios across four different countries.

gentlemen, you all know what to do. about as far from the old west as you can get, edinburgh is home to rockstar north. it is the largest of the studios involved in an international effort to make this game. for us, its biggest game have ever made. notjust going it's bigger and broader, but also striving for a depth. being able to go into more environments and interact with things, with people and animals in a way we haven't been able to do that before. the games industry is big business. last year in the uk it generated £3.35 billion in sales, almost as much as home music and video sales combined. but there are concerns in the games industry that those big numbers

could be affected as the uk leaves the eu. one of our critical issues is the ability to hire the best talent from wherever they are in the world. if we don't have clarity over what that immigration system looks like, there will be some uncertainty. a gritty and atmospheric slice of roleplaying as an outlaw, from the extremes of caring for a sick horse to dealing with industrialisation spelling the end of the west at its wildest, even before its launch, this game is getting rave reviews. it seems a little piece of the american frontier will forever have its virtual roots in the uk. marc cieslak, bbc news, edinburgh. you have been watching newsday. i'm ben bland in london. and i'm mariko oi in singapore. stay with us. tech stocks bounce back. after massive losses on wednesday, wall street rallies on the heels of strong earnings by twitter, microsoft and tesla. before we go, we'd like to leave

you with these pictures. he's known as the french spider—man, and he's just scaled the english heights. alain robert climbed one of london's tallest buildings, the 46—storey heron tower. he's done the same thing at more than 100 buildings around the world, and he doesn't use any ropes or safety equipment. he admits it's pretty scary. city of london police were not amused. he was promptly arrested "for causing a public nuisance". watching him just gives me shivers, andi watching him just gives me shivers, and i really don't want to see him climbing this building behind me. you have some tall buildings, give ita you have some tall buildings, give it a go. that's all for now, stay with bbc world news. hello there.

the weather is dishing up something significantly colder than we've been used to of late as we head towards the weekend. the winds switching around to northerlies. we'll see some sunshine, yes, but there'll be some showers as well and some of those showers over hills in the north will be a little bit wintry. the cold air is going to be coming from a long way north. the winds bringing that air down from the arctic behind this cold front. the front‘s through friday morning, bringing a band of cloud and patchy rain across central and southern parts of england, the south of wales. behind that, the skies will brighten. yes, we'll see some sunshine, but some showers will start to pack in on the brisk northerly wind, particularly across northern scotland, down the east coast of england, some for northern ireland into parts of wales and maybe the far southwest as well. the showers over hills in the borth will be wintry. temperatures at best between 6—12 degrees. so we spend friday night, all of us, in that cold air. some showers most likely around the coast, but perhaps further inland for a time. snow levels across scotland coming

down to around 250 metres, so quite a few hills across the northern half of scotland could see a little bit of snow and temperatures through the night into the first part of saturday morning dropping very close to freezing. there could be some icy stretches. so a similar sort of day on saturday. a bright day for many. lots of sunshine around, but those showers most plentiful across parts of northern and western scotland. some at this stage starting to spill into eastern england, perhaps moving inland into the midlands, and a few for west wales, the southwest, also for northern ireland. the winds will be noticeable. a brisk northerly wind, so while the thermometer will read 6—11 degrees, not particularly impressive, if you add on the strength of the wind, it will feel like this. in aberdeen, it'll feel like it's just a degree above freezing. maybe five for the "feels like" temperature in cardiff. now on sunday, the wind direction shifts subtly more to a northeasterly, so that will confine most of the showers to eastern areas. further west, it should be largely drier, i suspect with some spells of sunshine,

but still not particularly warm with those temperatures between 8—12 degrees. but a bit of a change on the way as we head into next week. a frontal system which could bring rain into the west, but will more likely see rain from this area of low pressure which is going to spin its way up from the near continent. so there's the potential for some wet and some windy weather at times as we head on into next week, but slowly but surely, it should turn a little bit less chilly. i'm ben bland with bbc news. our top story: new york's mayor, bill de blasio, says whoever is behind a series of crude pipe bombs is committing terrorism. the authorities in the us have now intercepted ten explosive devices, all sent to prominent democrats and critics of president trump. the fbi has stepped up its hunt for whoever is responsible. japan's prime minister shinzo abe is in beijing, the first such visit for seven years. relations between the two nations, the world's second and third—largest economies, have been strained in recent years. and this video is trending on bbc.com:

the philippines is re—opening the resort island of boracay. it was shut for six months to clean up the damage after years of mass tourism. it will now limit the number of visitors. that's all. stay with bbc world news. and the top story in the uk: for the first time, women can apply for any british military role. the defence secretary says all combat roles are now open to both sexes.