i'm sharanjit leyl in singapore. the headlines: president trump says he has been advised not to listen to an audio recording of the murder of journalist jamal khashoggi, because it is too violent and terrible to listen to. it is suffering tape, it's a terrible tape. i've been fully briefed on it. there's been no reason for me to hear it. i said to the people, should i? they said you really shouldn't. california's wildfires. how the emergency services are coping with the crisis, with more than 1,000 people still missing. i'm kasia madera in london. also in the programme: the british prime minister speaks of a crucial few days ahead for her brexit plan, saying replacing her as leader wouldn't make negotiations any easier. and the story of the south korean soldier rowing his way to sporting success, after he stepped on a mine on the border with the north. good morning.

it is 8:00am in singapore, midnight in london, and 7:00pm in washington, where president trump says he has been fully briefed on an audio recording of the murder of journalist jamal khashoggi. the president also said he expects a report on who was responsible for the killing to be completed by tuesday. the cia is reported to have concluded that the saudi crown prince, mohammed bin salman, ordered the killing, but mr trump said those reports are premature. let's hear what president trump had to say. we have the tape. i don't want to hear the tape, no reason for me to hear the tape. why don't you want to hear it, sir? because it's a suffering tape, it's a terrible tape.

i've been fully briefed on it. there's no reason for me to hear it. in fact, i said to the people, "should i?" they said, "you really shouldn't, there's no reason". i know exactly — i know everything that went on in the tape without having to hear it. and what happened? it was very violent, very vicious and terrible. a month ago you said you had spoken to the saudi crown prince and that he had told you directly that he had no knowledge of this. that's right, that's right. and still says that. 0ur washington correspondent chris buckler has the latest. president trump insists that the cia assessment has not been completed. he does, however, expected to be com plete he does, however, expected to be co m plete by he does, however, expected to be complete by tuesday, and at this stage he says it is premature and inaccurate to suggest that the intelligence agency has concluded that the crown prince, mohammed bin salman, ordered the murder ofjamal khashoggi. there has also been a very carefully worded statement by the state department over the

weekend in which they say that the us government, perhaps distinct from the cia, has not yet reached any final conclusions. there has of course also been a very firm denial from saudi arabia. but they continue to be these questions, and the cia has certainly been looking at evidence which includes that tape of the killing inside the istanbul consulate, the audio recording that president trump has so far avoided hearing, and beyond that, there is also apparently some suggestions that they have phone calls, one of which was made by some of those involved in the killing, from the consulate, apparently to a top aide of the crown prince. but when you look at these reports from the cia's assessment, all these newspaper reports are suggesting that none of them have particularly concrete evidence. no stand—alone evidence that shows definitively that the crown prince was involved. essentially no smoking gun. and that is something that president trump may well talk about in the future,

particularly as congress pushes for more action against saudi arabia, and that is certainly coming. at the moment he is emphasising the relationship tween the us and saudi arabia and how important it is. even this weekend, he described them as a spectacular ally in terms ofjobs and economic investment. it gives you this real sense that the white house and president trump at this stage don't want to hear certain things, and that goes beyond just this tape of the killing of a journalist inside the saudi consulate. let's take a look at some of the day's other news: the european commission has proposed that the post—brexit transition period could be extended until 2022. that is two years beyond the date originally indicated. it could cause more problems for the british prime minister, theresa may, from brexit supporters in her government. earlier, mrs may warned party colleagues opposed to her brexit deal that changing leaders now risked frustrating brexit altogether. these next seven days are going to be critical.

they are about the future of this country. it's about people's jobs, it's about their livelihoods. it's about the future for their children and grandchildren. i'll be going back to brussels. we will be negotiating... so when are you going back to brussels? well, the negotiating teams are working as we speak, and obviously which day i go back to brussels, when i go back, will determine — partly be about how those negotiations go. so i will be going back to brussels. i'll be in touch with other leaders, as well. because the summit next week, and it is next week, this special european council, will be among the european leaders. later this week theresa may is expected to meet the european commission president, jean—claude juncker. the bbc‘s europe editor katya adler has more on what the two leaders will be focusing on in that meeting. it is not supposed to be about reopening the divorce deal, that withdrawal agreement that was published last week, where as we know some prominent mps are asking

for a renegotiation. there really is no appetite in eu circles to fundamentally change that document, so the prime minister is planning to come this week to brussels to discuss the second brexit document, that actually is still being negotiated, that political declaration and outlined by the eu and the uk as to how they imagine their future relationship will be after brexit. now, of course, remember this is not anything like a final trade deal. but the prime minister needs it to look attractive enough, economically and politically, to help her sell that unpopular withdrawal agreement. also making news today: the israeli prime minister, benjamin netanyahu, has called on his coalition partners not to bring down their government, which was plunged into crisis by the resignation of the israeli defence minister. he quit last week because he disapproved of a ceasefire agreed with militants in gaza. the us special envoy to afghanistan said on sunday that he hopes to cement a peace deal with taliban insurgents by april 2019,

the presidential election day. back in kabul after a second round of regional meetings that are believed to have included the taliban, zalmay khalilzad said he remained cautiously optimistic for an end to the 17—year conflict. video has been released of an argentine submarine which went missing a year ago with 44 crew members on board. the new footage shows the moment a remotely operated vehicle discovered the sub lying on the sea floor. it is currently 907 meters below the ocean surface. at a ceremony in germany to commemorate those who died in two world wars, president macron has made an impassioned appeal for a stronger europe. he said too many powers sought to thwart europe by attacking liberal democracies. the 21—year—old german tennis player alexander zverev has won the atp finals in london. he beat the world number one, novak djokovic from serbia,

in two sets. it is the biggest title of the german's fledgling career. east asia has been gripped by an unprecedented rise in myopia, also known as short—sightedness. 60 years ago, up to 20% of the chinese population was short—sighted. today, up to 90% of teenagers and young adults are. education and time spent indoors are to blame for the rising incidence in young people. six countries in asia, including singapore, have seen an increase of 2—3 times the number of young people suffering from myopia just in the last 30 years. earlier i spoke to a professor from the australian national university

who explained more of his findings. well, they are alarming because first of all any country with this sort of load of myopia has to be able to provide spectacle correction is for children. this is fine in a country like singapore, which is a wealthy country, but if you think about mainland china, where they are faced with something like a future with i faced with something like a future withi billion faced with something like a future with i billion people faced with something like a future withi billion people who faced with something like a future with i billion people who are myopic, they don't have the services and they don't have the income to properly guarantee corrections. when you add to that the fact that when you add to that the fact that when you get severe myopia you are at higher risk of quite serious eye complications, which can lead to visual impairment or blindness... that's right, there is a lot of detail there that suggests it will lead to blindness, abouti billion potentially could go line from this by 2050. but tell us, first of all,

why are the rates here in asia so high? how does it compare to the rest of the world? well, it is very much higher. the typical value for a european country in the same age group, young adults, would be 20% to 30% compared to 70, 80, 90% group, young adults, would be 20% to 30% compared to 70,80, 90% in group, young adults, would be 20% to 30% compared to 70, 80, 90% in east asia. the prevalence of high myopia is even more spectacularly different. it is probably 1% in western countries. it is ten to 20% in this young adult population in east asia. and do we know what is it specifically to blame? is it education, is it genetics? well, yes, a reasonable hypothesis at one stage was that it was genetics. but the epidemiology did not suggest that it was genetic, and more recent studies using genetic techniques suggest equally that it is not

genetic. what it seems to be due to isa genetic. what it seems to be due to is a combination of really intensive study regimes, starting when children are quite young, and i mean, in east asia we are talking about homework for preschool kids, something that is inconceivable in my country, for example. when you combine that with a lifestyle and the cultural attitude to being outdoors which tends to favour indoor activities, and sometimes the climate reinforces that, then you end up with intense education, a deficit of exposure to bright light, and you get these epidemic proportions of myopia. emergency workers in california are still struggling to contain wildfires that have devastated large areas of the state over the last ten days. at least 76 people are now

known to have died. authorities say more than 1,200 people are unaccounted for. president trump has visited the devastated town of paradise, in butte county, one of the worst—affected areas. 0ur correspondent dan johnson reports from there. this is a ghost town that cannot lead souls to rest. so we're on pentz road now, this is where the brunt of the fire hit. and those sworn to protect life and property here must now assess what is gone. so we're going to go over to check on a property where an 80—year—old woman lived. sergeant rob nichols barely recognises the streets he has patrolled for 18 years. all the normal landmarks that you're used to using are gone. there is a new daily drumbeat here, uncovering the agony of a fire that gave people little chance...

that aluminium wheel — a lot of heat. ..piecing together its painful suffering. so pretty frail, probably not able to get out on her own. probably didn't drive, you know, and the fire hit kind of early in the morning, so who knows if she was even awake. deaths are confirmed, their cruelty is clear. i think i might have a name for you. so it looks to me that that was the person we were searching for. right. so that means you've got some — some news to give. i do, i do. the smoke, the smell, the popping power cables — the early signs of something awful. and, in growing chaos, a handful of officers dedicated to keeping people safe. the fire is getting closer, and people are just sitting in their cars, stranded. duty came before family. you know, my wife's hysterical.

she wants me out. you know, she's begging me, get a helicopter, get out of there, and i can't leave. i have 200 people here that i've got to take care of. they survived. so did many others. rob's wife and children are safe. so i come upon my house on the left here. but his home was destroyed, like thousands of others. would you be happy to come back and live here? yes, i would. yeah. i love it up here, so i hope to be back. they built paradise with hope and ambition. so much has gone, but not that. you are watching newsday on the bbc. still to come on the programme: we hearfrom a south korean soldier who is rowing his way to sporting success after losing both his legs in a land mine accident.

also on the programme: jumbo care. india's first specialised hospital for elephants opens in mathura. benazir bhutto has claimed victory in pakistan's general election. and she's asked pakistan's president to name her as prime minister. jackson's been released on bail of $3 million after turning himself in to police in santa barbara. it was the biggest demonstration so far of the fast—growing european antinuclear movement. the south african government has announced that it's opening the country's remaining whites—only beaches to people of all races. this will lead to a black majority government in this country,

and the destruction of the white civilisation. part of the centuries—old windsor castle, one of the queen's residences, has been consumed by fire for much of the day. 150 firemen have been battling the blaze, which has caused millions of pounds' worth of damage. welcome back. this is newsday on the bbc. i'm sharanjit leyl in singapore. and i'm kasia madera in london. our top stories: president trump has said he's been briefed about an audio tape of the murder ofjamal khashoggi, but has not listened to it himself because it's so violent. emergency workers in california are still struggling to contain wildfires that have devastated parts of the state. at least 76 people have died and over 1200 are still missing.

let's take a look now at some front pages from around the world. we start with the straits times, which leads with the impasse at the annual apec summit in papua new guinea. the group failed to issue a communique for the first time ever. instead, a chairman's letter will be released. now, the japan times has a story on efforts to curb china's influence in the south pacific. the paper says that australia and new zealand are teaming up with japan and the us, in response to growing investment from beijing in the region. and finally, the south china morning post reports on an erotic writer sentenced to 10 years injail in mainland china. the writer, known by her internet name of tianyi, was sentenced for writing and selling a gay porn novel. now, the paper says the severity of the sentence was met with shock and outrage. that brings you up—to—date with some

of the newspapers. now, what stories are sparking discussions online? this story from australia has got people talking online. one of the country's leading wedding magazines is shutting down, and it's following its refusal to feature same—sex couples. the founders of white magazine have posted a farewell message on their website, saying their publication was no longer economically viable after several advertisers withdrew. taiwan is gearing up for upcoming regional elections, along with a list of important referenda on issues ranging from nuclear power to same—sex marriages. rallies for and against equal marital rights have been held throughout taiwan at the weekend. taiwan's president, whose election campaign included a promise of marriage equality, has been criticised by rights groups about the little progress made so far. i asked our correspondent cindy sui in taipei whether the vote will tell us if the ruling party's firm anti—chinese stance has paid off.

well, indeed, this will be an election not only about the mayers and magistrates of the sixth biggest cities and counties in taiwan, it is also a referendum on the current administration of president tsai ing—wen and the ruling party, which is pro— independence. —— six. it is a chance for the voters to tell her and her party what they think about how they are doing, so what is for election is the mayors posts in six major cities in taiwan currently the ruling party holds for the cities but the polls are showing it could be very close race and they could lose at least one of those cities, so that could tip the balance because as you probably know, at the ruling party actually now holds not only the presidency but also the parliament. so if they lose some of these major cities, that could give

these major cities, that could give the opposition party, the pro—china party, more influence in the next two years ahead in the lead up to the 2020 presidential election. south and north korea continue to ease tensions along their border, clearing mines in the demilitarized zone. but only a few years ago, the dmz was a dangerous place, with mines scattered all over the place. this is the story of sergeant first class ha jae—hyun who stepped on one and his life changed as a result. and inspirational story. a charity has opened a hospital with a difference in northern india. as daniel mckerrell explains, staff there have to deal with some very large patients. healthcare in india made headlines this year. 2018 saw the launch of modicare, pitched as the world's lagers health insurance plan, and

now another first. the lagers health insurance plan, and now anotherfirst. the hospital dedicated to the country's largest mammal, the indian elephant. there are roughly 25,000 in the wild and hundreds are kept in captivity, mainly to attract tourists and perform religious rituals. they are often ill treated and forced to abe instructions with a sharp metal hook. the hospital has been built for the care of injured, sickle geriatric elephants. it is now home to 22 patients, some as old as 67. these elephants go to a lot of abuse, cruelty, in orderto these elephants go to a lot of abuse, cruelty, in order to perform, and do that process, they develop a bscesses, and do that process, they develop abscesses, internal problems, back bottoms, all kinds of health issues that need to be addressed. the hospital boasts an array of modern facilities, including thermal imaging equipment, ultrasonography and wireless x—ray. it also offers a range of skin treatments, ranging from the modern to the more traditional. i think i from the modern to the more traditional. i thinki being

hospital, where the underlying the fa ct hospital, where the underlying the fact that elephants need welfare as much as any other animal. the captive elephants are not meant to be used and abused but instead had to be given the respect and animal needs fewer going to be using the animal. the hospital had mobile equipment intended to treat elephants across northern india. it is built on the banks of the river, near to is built on the banks of the river, nearto an is built on the banks of the river, near to an elephant conservation centre, where patients of all ages can relax and heel and even enjoy the retirement we all look forward to in ourwinter the retirement we all look forward to in our winter years. daniel mckerrell, bbc news. it is so good to see those beautiful creatures being well looked after. you have been watching news state. and casa madeira in london. the name sharanjit leyl. and casa madeira in london. the name shara njit leyl. stay and casa madeira in london. the name sharanjit leyl. stay with —— and kasia madeira in london. stay with us. and before we go, we'd like to leave you with these pictures. this is believed to be picture by

picasso, which has turned up in romania. it was dull in six years ago from a dutch museum. 2012 highest lasted only three minutes and romanian thieves were jailed. but the artworks were not found until now. —— it was stolen. hello there. this is the week when winter make something of a comeback. probably the coldest day will be tuesday in the coldest day will be tuesday in the week ahead. clear skies over recent times have allowed temperatures to plummet away. northern scotland already seen temperatures as low as “11 in inverness. 0ver temperatures as low as “11 in inverness. over the next two hours, cloud will be spreading in from the north sea across much of scotland and much of england and in the eastern areas of wales as well. that combined with the breeze should prevent frost and many of us what it should still be a chilly old start to the day. the main change compared

to the day. the main change compared to what we had over the weekend is there is going to be much more cloud in the sky. 0ccasional bright spells but to the afternoon, the cloud will thicken. showers will come along and shower streams, one of those could well target keinton essex. another one moving into parts of norfolk and lincolnshire. —— kent and essex. you should be quite unlucky to see it showers here, there will be one or two knocking around. temperatures not as cold as the weekend, looking at highs typically into single figures. colder air will begin to move in as we move into tuesday. the crowd thickens as well, there will be further showers around, perhaps a bit of wintriness mixed in too. securely but not exclusively over the hills. looking at perhaps by degrees in places but factor in the strong winds gusting to 40, maybe 50 miles an houraround strong winds gusting to 40, maybe 50 miles an hour around the coast, and they will feel colder than these numbers would suggest, not particularly warm day. it will feel

more like freezing in places. there could be bit snow around tuesday night, perhaps around the hills of wales, also the brecon beacons as well. the middle part of the week sees this big blocking pattern set up sees this big blocking pattern set up in thejet stream, sees this big blocking pattern set up in the jet stream, that means the warmth in the atlantic will really not pushing in this week. instead, the windsor becoming in turn is still south—easterly direction. it isa still south—easterly direction. it is a slow recovery process with temperatures on tuesday into wednesday. —— the winds. the winds coming from more of an east south—easterly direction, that will push the cloud showers further north into northern ireland in scotland. it bit of snow over the hills, the grampians could see some of that, maybe the tops of the northern pennines and the north york moors. another cold day mind you, highs of between seven and eight celsius for most. that's the weather. i'm kasia madera with bbc news. our top story: president trump says he's been fully briefed on an audio recording of the murder ofjournalist

jamal khashoggi. but he said he wouldn't listen to the tape, which he described as vicious and violent. mr trump said cia reports that the saudi crown prince, mohammed bin salman, must have ordered the killing were premature, and it might be impossible to ever know. emergency workers in california are still struggling to contain wildfires that have devastated parts of the state over the last 10 days. at least 76 people have died. and this story is trending on bbc.com. a painting believed to be by pablo picasso has turned up in romania, six years after it was stolen from a dutch museum. harlequin head was one of seven masterpieces snatched from a museum in rotterdam in a raid that lasted only three minutes. that's all. stay with bbc world news. now on bbc news, zeinab badawi talks to the un deputy secretary general for the 100 women interviews.