i'm sharanjit leyl in singapore. the headlines: president trump says he's been advised not to listen to an audio recording of the murder of journalist jamal khashoggi because it's too "violent" and "terrible" to listen to. it's 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 a thousand 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. live from our studios in singapore

and london, this is bbc world news. it's newsday. good morning. it's 9am in singapore, 1 in the morning in london and 8pm in washington where president trump says he's been fully briefed on an audio recording of the murder ofjournalist, 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. and what happened? it was very violent, very vicious and terrible. a month ago you said you had spoken to the saudi crown prince, mohammed bin salman, and that he had told you directly that he had no knowledge of this. that's right, that's right — and still says that. our washington correspondent chris buckler has the latest. president trump insists that the cia assessment has not been completed. he does, however, expect it to be complete by tuesday, and at this stage he says it's premature and inaccurate to suggest that the intelligence agency has concluded that the crown prince, mohammed bin salman, ordered the murder of jamal 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 denialfrom saudi arabia. but there 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's 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's 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's emphasising the relationship between 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's 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 outline 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. and across the bbc we will be monitoring all the events thursday with us for that. also making news today, the israeli prime minister, benjamin neta nyahu 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 has said he hopes to cement a peace deal with taliban insurgents by next april. zalmay khalilzad said he remained "cautiously optimistic" for an end to the 17—year conflict. mr khalilzad has been leading the us efforts to convince the taliban to negotiate with the afghan government. a video has been released at an argentine submarine that went missing one year ago with 44 crew members on board. it shows the moment that the submarine was discovered on the ocean floor, 907 metres below the 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's the biggest title of the german's fledgling career. 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 twelve hundred people are unaccounted for. president trump has visited the devastated town of paradise in butte county, one of the worst—affected areas. our correspondent dan johnson reports from there. this is a ghost town that cannot lay its souls to rest.

so we're on pentz road now, and 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 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. 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. indeed, this will be an election not

only about the mayors and magistrates of the six biggest cities and counties in taiwan, it is also a referendum on the current administration and the ruling party which is pro—independence. this is a mid—term election saw a chance for voters to tell the president and her party what they think of how they are doing. what is up for election is the mayors post in six major cities in taiwan. currently the ruling party holds four of them. but the polls show it could be a close race and they could lose at least one of those cities. and that could tip the balance. as you probably know, the ruling party and now holds only the presidency and the parliament. so if they lose some major cities that could give the opposition party, including the

pro—china party some influence and head of 2020 presidential election. you're watching newsday on the bbc. still to come on the programme: we hearfrom a south korean soldier who's 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. she has 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. this is newsday on the bbc. i'm sharanjit leyl in singapore. i'm kasia madera in london. our top stories: president trump has said he has been briefed about an audio tape of the murder ofjamal khashoggi, but has not listened to it himself because it is 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 1,200 are still missing. let's take a look at some front pages from around the world. the straits times 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. 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 the south china morning post reports on an erotic writer sentenced to ten years injail in mainland china.

the writer known by her internet alias tianyi was sentenced for writing and selling a gay porn novel. the paper says the severity of the sentence was met with shock and outrage. now, kasia, 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 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. 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. ian morgan of the australian national university has been researching this and says the findings are very surprising. well, they're alarming because, first of all, any country with this sort of load of myopia has to be able to provide spectacle corrections for children. this is fine in a country like singapore, which is a wealthy country, but if you think about mainland china, where they're 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 get severe myopia, you're at higher risk of quite serious eye complications, which can lead to visual impairment and blindness... that's right, there is a lot of detail there that suggests it will lead to blindness. about a billion potentially could go blind 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's very much higher. the typical value for a european country in the same age group, young adults, would be 20—30% compared to 70%, 80%, 90% in east asia. the prevalence of high myopia is even more spectacularly different. it's probably 1% in western countries. it's 10—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, yeah, 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's not genetic. what it seems to be due to is the — a combination of really intensive study regimes, starting when children are quite young — and i mean, you know, in east asia, we're talking about homework for preschool kids, something that's inconceivable in my country, for example. when you combine that with a lifestyle and a 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. un officials in myanmar say they are deeply concerned about attacks on rohingyas in a displacement camp. the incident is said to have taken place iskm east of sittwe, in western rakhine state. officers were trying to detain suspects allegedly linked to a smuggling operation which saw more than 100 rohingyas arrested on a boat last week. 0ur correspondent nick beake joins us now from yangon in myanmar. we know the 100 rohingyas were

trying to leave myanmar. what do we know about this latest unrest? yes, there is not a huge amount of detail about this latest incident yesterday. but as you say, over the past year, we have heard so much about the rohingya who have fled rakhine state to bangladesh. but many are in these displacement camps. further south of rakhine state, the past six years, after a previous bout of violence, and what happened yesterday it seems as police officers went into one of the camps, there was a disturbance, and at least four rohingya people were shot and injured. we don't know their exact conditions, but real concern that, possibly because things could escalate in coming days. and the reason why authorities have gone in is because they were trying to arrest three men who owned a boat used to take 106 rohingyas from that part of myanmar, and they we re from that part of myanmar, and they were trying to get towards malaysia and they ran into trouble. so these

rohingyas were arrested on boats near yangon, the main city, and there is concern people are trying to get on boats to flee the country because of the persecution they face. given that still rohingya are trying to leave myanmar, the burmese wa nt trying to leave myanmar, the burmese want them relocated especially from camps in bangladesh, where are we with this situation? because the right to rohingya want are still not been granted to them. yes, absolutely, and the un says that it is simply not safe for any rohingyas to come back to myanmar at the moment, because they don't have citizenship, they don't have free movement, they don't have access to healthcare, they don't have access to schools for the kids. so there is real concern that. but we have heard from bangladesh, actually, in the last few hours, saying that they would still makes start up again this returns programme taking people back to myanmar, but the is it is simply not safe for them to take people back at the moment. —— the

concern is. 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 largest health insurance plan. and now, another first. a hospital devoted to the country's largest mammal, the indian elephant. there are roughly 25,000 in the wild, and hundreds are kept in captivity, mostly to attract tourists and perform religious rituals. they are often ill—treated, and forced to obey instructions with a sharp metal hook. the wildlife sos elephant hospital has been built for the treatment of injured, sick, or geriatric elephants. it is now home to 22 patients, some as old as 67. these elephants go through a lot of abuse, brutality, cruelty, in order to be ridden. and through that process,

they develop abscesses, internal problems, back problems, all kinds of health issues that need to be addressed. the hospital boasts an array of modern facilities, including thermal imaging equipment, ultrasonography, and a wireless x—ray. it also offers a range of skin treatments, ranging from the modern to the more traditional. i think, by building a hospital, we are underlining the fact that elephants need welfare measures as much as any other animal, that captive elephants are not meant to be used and abused, but instead have to be given the respect which an animal needs if you're going to be using the animal. the hospital has mobile equipment intended to treat elephants across northern india. it is built on the banks of the river yamuna, next to an elephant conservation and care centre, where patients of all ages can relax and heal, and even enjoy the retirement we all look forward to in our winter years. daniel mckerrell, bbc news. good to see those creatures being

treated so well. you have been watching newsday. i'm kasia madera in london. and i'm sharanjit leyl in singapore. stay with us. we will have reaction to the apec summit in papua new guinea, which ended without any agreement for the first time in its history. you are probably more used to seeing him on glitzy red carpets or at glamorous hollywood affairs. but this weekend, will smith did something rather different, running a half—marathon in cuba's capital. the star affectionately known as ‘big willie' joined some 6,000 people racing through the streets of havana. we are not sure exactly what his time was, but he did finish, and he told reporters before he set off that he was pretty excited about the challenge. what a great guy, good work for will smith running a marathon in cuba. hello there.

this is the week where winter makes something of a comeback. the weather is set to get quite a bit colder. probably the coldest day tuesday in the week ahead. clear skies over recent hours have allowed temperatures to plummet away. northern scotland have already seen temperatures as low as “11 in inverness, and also in braemar. but over the next two hours, cloud will be spreading in from the north sea across much of scotland, much of england, and into eastern areas of wales as well. that combined with a breeze should prevent a frost for many of us, but it will still be a chilly old start to the day. now, the main change with monday's weather compared to what we had over the weekend is there's going to be much more cloud in the sky. 0ccasional bright spells, but through the afternoon, the cloud will thicken with showers. they'll come along in shower streams. one of those could well target kent and essex, another one moving into parts of norfolk and lincolnshire. now, running up the eastern coasts,

you'll notice the showers get a little bit less widespread as we get towards south—east england. you should be quite unlucky to see showers here, there will be one or two knocking around. temperatures not as warm as the weekend. we're looking at highs typically into single figures, and the colder air will begin to move in as we move into tuesday. the cloud thickens, as well, so there'll be further showers around, perhaps a bit of wintriness mixed in too. particularly but not exclusively over the hills. temperatures, well, looking at perhaps five degrees in places but factor in the strong winds, gusting to 40, maybe 50 mph around the coast, and it will feel colder than these numbers would suggest, not that five is a particularly warm day. that's pretty cold for this time of year. it will feel more like freezing in places. and there could be a bit snow of around tuesday night, perhaps around the hills of wales, also the brecon beacons as well. now, the middle part of the week sees this big blocking pattern set up in the jet stream. that means the warmth

from the atlantic really won't be pushing in this week. instead, winds turning in a south—easterly direction. so it's a slow recovery process with temperatures from tuesday into wednesday. you'll notice the winds coming from slightly more of an east south—easterly direction. that will push the cloud showers further north into northern ireland in scotland. bits of white mixed in. yes, a 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 degrees celsius for most. that's your 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 of the journalist, 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 ten 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. and the top story in the uk: the government's promising students in england the option of "accelerated" two year degree courses.