i'm rico hizon in singapore. the headlines: american interests first. president trump says he'll stand by saudi arabia, despite the killing of the journalist, jamal khashoggi. we also need a counterbalance and israel needs help also. if we abandon saudi arabia, it would be a terrible mistake. at a meeting of muslim clerics in afghanistan, a suicide bombing kills at least 50 people. i'm babita sharma in london. also in the programme: smiles and deals — the leaders of china and the philippines pledge a new era of cooperation. and after a dead whale washes up on an indonesian beach, scientists discover six kilos of plastic waste in its stomach. live from our studios in singapore and london, this is bbc world news. it's newsday. glad you could join us.

it's 8am in singapore, midnight in london, and 3am in the morning in riyadh in saudi arabia, where president trump's verdict on the murder ofjamal khashoggi will be closely scrutinised by the kingdom's rulers. in a long statement, mr trump said it "could very well be" that king salman and crown prince mohammad bin salman had knowledge of the event. he added that the murder was unacceptable and a horrible crime, but he also said that the us would remain a steadfast partner of saudi arabia. this is how the president justified his support. just take a look at the rahman and you look at what they are doing, they are a terrorist nation right now, although i must tell you they area now, although i must tell you they are a lot better right now than they we re are a lot better right now than they were when i took office. —— iran. and i took office, they were heading

ina and i took office, they were heading in a very, very bad direction and at some point, things very positive frankly could happen with iran but we also need a counterbalance and israel needs help also. if we abandon saudi arabia, it would be a terrible mistake. earlier, i asked our north america correspondent peter bowes how president trump's comments had gone down in the united states. this is by any standards an extraordinary statement by a us president, and it is the aspects of the statement that talk about maintaining a relationship with saudi arabia that seem that to halve so saudi arabia that seem that to halve so surprised many people, and the president seems in the sense to have been isolating himself in washington. there is a move in congress, bypartisan moved to reassess america's relationship with saudi arabia, and even within his own party, senior members, senior republicans are saying that this is not their view, certainly in terms of pointing the blame, a lot of

people believe that the president simply is not looking at the facts and is putting this america first policy ahead of anything else, and thatis policy ahead of anything else, and that is posing a great risky for the president in terms of his reputation. so he talks about the kingdom being a stead fast partner that has agreed to invest a record amount of money in the us, and that is what it boils down to, and money from saudi arabia being invested in the united states. he says that we foolishly cancelled these contracts, russia and china will be the enormous beneficiaries. and we have not yet had any reaction from the saudi royalfamily, not yet had any reaction from the saudi royal family, but not yet had any reaction from the saudi royalfamily, but the iranian foreign minister wrote in his tweet, and he said that mr trump's statement was shameful for accusing iran of every sort of evil acts the president can think of, he also asked sarcastically if iran should

also be held responsible for the recent wildfires in california. so, what has been the reaction to the tweet of uranium foreign minister? well, it is, eu is the word sarcastic, perhaps tongue in cheek, bringing in this issue of the wildfires in california, which clearly had nothing to do with any of these. in that statement, essentially trying to make the point that, or perhaps make the argument that, or perhaps make the argument that the president is trying to bring iran into this debate, perhaps to deflect attention away from the criticism that he is getting and he is getting lots of criticism for this continuation of this stead fast relationship with saudi arabia. so when he says things like iran is killed many americans and other missing people throughout the middle east, it is that kind of statement that clearly has so annoyed the iranians, but it is certainly raising eyebrows here because it is

not directly relevant. many people see with the key issue at stake, and thatis see with the key issue at stake, and that is that the future relationship between the us and saudi arabia. our other top story this hour: more than 50 people have been killed by a suicide bomber at a meeting of top clerics in the afghan capital kabul. a spokesman for the health ministry said 60 others were injured in the blast. the gathering was organised to mark the birthday of the prophet mohammad. from kabul, here's the bbc‘s auyli atrafi. celebrating the birthday of the prophet mohammad, a gathering of religious scholars. and then this, a suicide bomb attack in kabul, the capital of afghanistan. panic, confusion and chaos. this is the latest in a spate of attacks, dozens of people were killed across the

country last month as voters cast ballots in the nation's parliamentary elections. but it is unexpected, and it is one of the deadliest in recent times. the fact that a gathering of religious scholars was the target has shocked the nation. this man witnessed the explosion. translation: right after the blast, security personnel arrived and i saw ambulances carrying away casualties on the plus side. among the casualties, they we re side. among the casualties, they were civilians and security personnel. this is the bright side of the city, where people come to celebrate weddings and parties and birthdays, to get away from the bombing and the misery elsewhere in. the last place and the most unlikeliest place would think anybody would want to come here and attack. president ashraf ghani of

afghanistan has condemned the blast, declaring tomorrow as the day of national mourning. also making news this morning: the french car giant renault has decided to keep carlos ghosn as its ceo, despite his arrest injapan for alleged financial misconduct. the japanese manufacturer nissan, which has a close partnership with renault, is considering whether or not it will sack him as its boss. the authorities in bangladesh have freed the award—winning photographer shahidul alam, after detaining him for more than 100 days and denying him bail several times. he was arrested in august after criticising the official response to student protests in the capital, sparking an outcry from human rights organisations and nobel laureates. he was held under controversial internet laws, which critics say prime minister sheikh hasina has used to stifle dissent and harass journalists. the head of the united nations environment programme, erik solheim, has resigned, after months of controversy over his travel expenses. a un audit found that he'd claimed almost $0.5 million in travel costs in the last two years.

for many years, as a norwegian diplomat, mr solheim was the chief peace negotiator between the tamil tigers and the sri lankan government during the civil war. a diplomatic row is brewing over who will replace meng hongwei as the president of interpol. he went missing during a visit to his native china. the frontrunner to succeed him is alexander prokopchuk from russia, but a group of american senators said his appointment would be absurd. they want russia to be suspended from the organisation. now, if you've ever wondered what the inside of a mafia don's luxury home looks like, take a look at this. these pictures were filmed by police who raided a mansion belonging to a leader of the casamonica mafia clan. 33 of the alleged gangsters were arrested lastjuly. the mayor of rome says eight of their villas, which were built without permission, will now be demolished. a federaljudge has blocked

donald trump's order stopping migrants from crossing the us—mexico border illegally and claiming asylum. mr trump cited national security concerns, but he's faced criticism from civil rights groups. 0ur correspondent will grant has been travelling with the groups of central american migrants, and he sent this report from the mexican border town of tijuana. idyllic though the beach at tijuana looks, it is a fortress. 0nly idyllic though the beach at tijuana looks, it is a fortress. only the birds are free to come and go as they please. everyone else, the us border patrol was on hand. but the migrants already knew they were in hostile territory. the main migrant camp lies in the shadow of the border war, the us almost within their grasp. to reach it, migrant

rights groups are helping them register for the asylum process. rights groups are helping them registerfor the asylum process. —— tangled. translation: president trump is serious about keeping us out but all we want to do is work, says isabel as she waits at her name to the list. good work ethic alone will not get them into the us, they may have more chance of success if their lives are in danger. translation: my ex—husband threatened to kill me every time he saw me on the street. he said he would take us on that i would never see him again stop white as they walked through mexico, battling through the heat, the migrants are aiming to reach year, san isidro, the busiest land border crossing in the busiest land border crossing in the world. yet such is the fear of these tired and dusty migrants, the us shuttered one morning this week. —— san isidro. it is the last 200 miles that make prove the toughest

for the migrants to complete. they face potentially months of legal limbo trying to gain asylum in the united states. some may choose to settle here in tijuana for now, others may try to cross the border illegally instead. it's day two of chinese president xijinping's visit to the philippines. he's called his visit a "milestone", aiming to boost ties with the promise of billions of dollars in backing for mega—projects. he also said that china and the philippines have a shared interest in the south china sea. translation: china and the philippines have a lot of common interests in the south china sea. we will continue to manage contentious issues and promote maritime cooperation to friendly consultation, and will work alongside other asean countries based on consensus within three yea rs, based on consensus within three years, and can commit a share to peace, stability and the welfare of this region. president xi jinping's

visit gives us multiple levels to enhance cooperation and ensuring the well— being of enhance cooperation and ensuring the well—being of our peoples and kimchi bidding to peace and stability in the region. the two leaders will be meeting at the presidential palace in manila. 0ur correspondent howard johnson is there for us. so far, how has the meeting between the two men and down? yes, last night there was a sumptuous banquet here at the presidential palace, laid on by president rodrigo duterte and has this bromance gets stronger between the two leaders. there was black and the chinese sauce and additional tapioca pearls on the menu. there are bilateral deals, 29 to be exact, 29 memorandums of understanding. the two most interesting are signing up to the

belt and road initiative that china is trying to push around this region, to try and push closer to asian markets, and also a memorandum of understanding about oil and gas exploration in the area around the philippines. at the moment, no details have emerged about what that entails but it is a significant move because if it leads to oil and gas exploration here, it could potentially mean that it validates china's claim to the south china sea way beyond the chinese mainland. so a lot of people are observing it, as far away as america, the traditional ally of the philippines, but also vietnam and malaysia, to other countries that are very interested in what happens in the south china is seen here. what can we expect? president xijinping is seen here. what can we expect? president xi jinping will meet the senators and other politicians in the house of representatives this morning. —— south china sea. after that, he is expected to meet members

of the filipino chinese community. what we're seeing is that trade has really blossoms, foreign direct investment has gone up a lot here, it is being seen as a very good economic relationship, particularly with president duterte's build, build, build strategy, in which he has been pledged more than $20 billion from china, still waiting to see more of that money at the moment. 0nly see more of that money at the moment. only $125 million has been seen so moment. only $125 million has been seen so far in various infrastructure projects under way, at president xijinping infrastructure projects under way, at president xi jinping will leave today on a flight back to china. thank you. you're watching newsday on the bbc. still to come on the programme: how drone technology is being used to help rebuild damaged parts of the great wall of china. 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. this is newsday on the bbc. i'm rico hizon in singapore.

i'm babita sharma in london. our top stories: president trump has said he'll stand by saudi arabia despite acknowledging that its crown prince could have known about the murder of the journalist, jamal khashoggi. a suicide bomb attack on a meeting of muslim religious leaders in the afghan capital kabul has killed more than 50 people. let's take a look at some front pages from around the world. the south china morning post reports on calmer relations between the navies of the us and china. the paper says a us carrier group is being allowed to dock in hong kong after a visit to the us fleet by a senior chinese commander. the straits times reports on a dispute over wages in papua new guinea which prompted

police and soldiers to storm the country's parliament and assault staff. the article says they are demanding unpaid bonuses they say they are owed for working at the apec summit. the chinese president's two—day visit to the philippines has been a busy one according to the philippine daily inquirer. the leaders signed 29 agreements on the first day and have vowed to co—operate for peace in the south china sea. those are the papers. now, an animal story with a happy ending is proving popular online. especially for you, rico, i know how much you love your animal stories! yes, a dramatic rescue for this baby bear in california. the animal had become trapped in a dumpster the animal had become trapped in a dumpster in the town of truckee. police carefully handled the container and the bear soon made its way out. it was last seen returning to its mother, who was apparently waiting at the top of the slope.

a wonderful rescue there, babita. the great wall of china is one of the wonders of the world, but parts of it are now under serious threat of falling into ruin. it runs for thousands of kilometres, often through remote areas, and a chinese team is now trying to bring a high—tech solution to a problem which has been building up over centuries. stephen mcdonell reports. the great wall of china is a precious connection to the past. for thousands of kilometres, the network of battlements weaves through the mountains. but nature is gradually reclaiming it, threatening the wall‘s very existence in places. we've come to this difficult to reach part of the great wall, but as you can see behind me as you hike up

the mountain, this structure, which is hundreds of years old, has collapsed, making it virtually impossible. but now they've found a way to reach an study sections of the wall which had been previously com pletely the wall which had been previously completely cut off. drones are providing the data to make urgent restoration possible. translation: some sections of the great wall are very dangerous. using drone technology, we can measure land and undulations. in modern and ancient technologies are combining to preserve the wall. satellite imagery is already being used, but it's not as precise as that from drones. then donkeys are still the best way to bring equipment and supplies up and down the steep trials. the workers must walk up the mountain everyday. —— trails. this architect says they're not making the wall pretty for

tourists. it's literally about saving history. translation: it's such a complex structure. we need to study arrow holes, battlements, floor structures and even lime content. and just like in the time of their a ncestors, and just like in the time of their ancestors, they are quarrying stone for repairs from right beside the wall. up there we've got one of the old towers on the wall. underneath, these massive foundation stones are clearly in a pretty precarious state. with a bit of rain, they could all come crashing down, threatening the tower. this is a support structure built by the team. they're support structure built by the team. they‘ re clearly support structure built by the team. they're clearly hoping that with solutions like this, they can shore up solutions like this, they can shore up this entire section of the great wall. weather wall is, people stealing stone and simply getting old have all taken their toll. but with effo rts all taken their toll. but with efforts like this, hopefully more of the remarkable structure will still

be standing for future generations to see. stephen mcdonell, bbc news, on the great wall of china. now to a shocking story about a dead sperm whale, which was found washed up on a beach in indonesia. the whales stomach contained nearly 6kg, that's around 13lb, of plastics. when a team of researchers itemised the contents, they listed 25 plastic bags, 19 hard plastic cups and four plastic bottles. they also recovered more than 3kg of string, 115 plastic cups and two flip flops. you might want to look away for the next 15 seconds or so, because this is what the dead whale looked like. and this is a picture of what was found in its stomach. experts say they can't be sure the plastic was the cause of death, but it has been pinpointed as killing several other large marine mammals. pine eisfeld—pierantonio is the whale and dolphin conservation's policy officer and lead on plastics. she gave me her reaction to the discovery of the objects inside the whale.

it was a shock. it was also surprisingly, though, in a sense, because we've had at least three other whales stranded this summer, in the last couple of months, that all had large amounts of plastic in their stomachs. some of them... at least two of them died because of the plastic ingestion. how much of a problem... this whale was found in indonesia, so this whale was found in indonesia, so how much of a problem is throwaway plastic in southeast asia? it's a big problem. southeast asia hasn't got a very good waste management, so a lot of their waste ends up directly on landfills that are next to the oceans and are then carried into the ocean. so it's a big problem. this was a shock to many people that have come to terms with this situation, of course, on the beach and the shore, where the public is, what would you like to say to those

that might be shocked by this who think there is nothing that can be done because there's so much waste out there? theirs... a lot of people say, oh, what can i do as one single people? if7 what can i do as one single people? if 7 billion people say that, that makes a difference. everyone can do their bit. we at wdc try to use less plastic by carrying reusable water bottles. we' re plastic by carrying reusable water bottles. we're trying not to use plastic cups. we're trying to recycle pens, for example. if you go shopping, you can carry a reusable shopping, you can carry a reusable shopping bag with you. there are lots of ways you can reuse things that you normally would throwaway. you can try to buy plastic free shampoo in bars rather than bottles to reduce the amount of plastic

bottles that you use. there are lots of different ways that people... every single person can help. the un said at the end of last year marine life was facing irreparable damage from approximately 10 million tons of plastic waste ending up in the ocea ns every yea r. of plastic waste ending up in the oceans every year. with that level ofa oceans every year. with that level of a repairable damage, know you said as individuals we have responsibility and we can do something, but what action can be taken by governments and local authorities to clean up the beaches that they are governing? well, they need to make the funds available for these cleanups, first of all. but it's notjust the beaches that need cleaning up, because a lot of the waste comes from cities and towns and is carried to the beaches and to the oceans via the rivers. so we need to make sure that our towns are cleaned up, and that our towns are cleaned up, and that we have the right recycling facilities and the right waste management in all towns and cities

so management in all towns and cities so that the waste doesn't actually end up in the ocean in the first place. you have been watching newsday. i'm rico hizon in singapore. i'm babita sharma in london. and just before we go, we are a few days away from thanksgiving in the us... peas, i hereby grant you a full pardon! applause and that means the traditional presidential pardon of a turkey. this bird is called peas, similar clemency was also granted to a turkey called carrots. they'll now live their lives free from the threat of ending up on the menu this thursday. you're up to date. stay with us. more to come. you're up to date. stay with us. more to comelj you're up to date. stay with us. more to come. i love thanksgiving! hello, good morning. as expected, tuesday was a really cold day and

it's been cold enoughjust tuesday was a really cold day and it's been cold enough just recently to bring some sleet and snow to lower levels, even into the south—east of england. but on wednesday, the coldest air and the strongest winds will push northwards across scotland and northern ireland. we should see some improvements further south. but we've got a cloudy start on wednesday morning. the wetter weather for northern ireland wednesday morning. the wetter weatherfor northern ireland moving away from northern england, up into scotland's. again, some sleet and snow, particularly over the hills. then we should see things brightening up, a few showers coming in as well. more detail in the afternoon, you can see the showers in the west country perhaps affecting east wales and the west midlands. boys in england, welcome sunshine and much drier weather and that sun ju ahn sunshine and much drier weather and that sunju ahn might develop through the afternoon later on into southern parts of scotland. northern ireland stays quite wet, frequent showers around here, quite wet for central and northern parts of scotland, more sleet and snow mainly over the hills. quite windy across scotland, gusts of a0 mph across some of those eastern coast, so if

anything feeling colder than it did on tuesday for scotland and northern ireland, especially with the strong winds and rain, but it shouldn't feel quite as cold as it did on tuesday for england and wales, especially if you've got some sunshine and the winds are not as strong as well. but the wet weather will tend to clear away for most areas during wednesday evening. that means clearer skies. that means tumbling temperatures. before we see cloud coming in off the north sea, bringing with it some drizzle, arresting the temperature of all but further west with clearer skies, frost likely and maybe some icy patches. some early sunshine pads across northern ireland into wales and western scotland. may be some sunshine developing at times across southern counties of england, but elsewhere, cloudy, a bit damp with some wetter weather pushing back into eastern scotland, seven degrees if you're lucky here, eight or nine i think will be fairly typical elsewhere. another chilli sauce of days. the threat of rain coming into the far south—west with this area of

low pressure, high pressure to the north of the uk, hence this is to south—easterly breeze, not particularly strong on friday. a nothing is sort of day on friday. not much sunshine, a fair bit of crowd, most places will be dry, showers will be likely in the south—west and wetter weather again coming into east and parts of scotland. those temperatures getting up scotland. those temperatures getting up to eight, nine, possibly even the heady heights of 10 degrees so the temperatures are going the right way. the air is getting a bit less cold as it comes in from the south, but still not particularly warm if you're stuck under the crowd and some pockets of rain. i'm babita sharma with bbc news. our top story: president trump says his support for saudi arabia remains strong, despite acknowledging its crown prince could have known about the murder of the journalist, jamal khashoggi. mr trump said the murder was an unacceptable and horrible crime, but he also said that the us would remain a steadfast partner of saudi arabia and he intended to put american interests first. more than 50 people had been killed

ina more than 50 people had been killed in a suicide bombing at a meeting of top clerics in kabul. and this story trending on bbc.com. a dramatic rescue for this baby bear in california. the animal had become trapped in a waste bin. police carefully handled the container and the bear soon made its way out. you're up to date. stay with bbc world news. now on bbc news, samira hussain talks