a very warm welcome to bbc news — broadcasting to our viewers in north america and around the globe. my name's mike embley. our top stories: 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. the president's lawyer says he's given "unprecedented" co—operation to the inquiry into whether the trump election team colluded with russia, and says again, it's time for the investigation to end. ajudge in texas rules illegal migrants to the us can claim asylum. our reporters have spent the day on both sides of the us—mexico border. the youngest ever goodwill ambassador for the un children's fund. 14—year—old tv actor millie bobbie brown becomes a diplomat. hello.

president trump has declared that the united states will continue to support saudi arabia, even though he's acknowledged that crown prince mohammad bin salman "could very well" have had knowledge of plans to murder the journalist and saudi government critic, jamal khashoggi. mr trump described the kingdom as a "steadfast partner", that had agreed to invest "a record amount of money" in the us. that stance has drawn criticism from politicians of both parties in washington, including the senate foreign relations committee. chris buckler reports. the cia now believes it has a detailed picture of what happened when jamal khashoggi entered the saudi consulate. the names of the so—called saudi execution team who flew into istanbul to carry out the murder, and an audio recording of the killing inside the consulate, which president trump says he has refused to listen to because it was, in his words, "so violent, vicious and terrible." it's been claimed

that the intelligence agency believes that, despite his denials, the crown prince mohammad bin salman ordered the murder. today, in a statement, president trump seemed to simply dismiss that, saying: i'm not going to destroy the world economy, and i'm not going to destroy the economy for our country by being foolish with saudi arabia. what many people will find shocking is that in this statement, president trump at one stage refers to the fact that some in saudi arabia regarded jamal khashoggi as an enemy of the state. he does go on to say that this was a terrible and indefensible crime. but nonetheless, it gives you the sense that president trump intends to put american interests first, over global concerns. the united states will continue to have a relationship with the kingdom of saudi arabia. they are an important

partner of ours. we will do that with the kingdom of saudi arabia, its people, that is the commitment that the president made today. thank you very much, everybody. today, president trump was taking part in a presidential tradition, pardoning the turkey before thanksgiving. but away from the cameras, critics say he has been making excuses for saudi arabia, granting the country something approaching forgiveness. the washington post, which employed jamal khashoggi as a columnist, said president trump's response was a betrayal of american values and that surrendering to what they called a state—ordered murder only made this world more dangerous. chris buckler, bbc news, washington. karen attiah is global opinions editor of the washington post, and worked closely with jamal khashoggi. the good to talk to you. i know you have talked a great deal about him since his disappearance. this is a

new, grim turn in the story, it what it is also surely the essence of the policy that president trump was elected on, america first, variety, global leadership, they will take a back seat to america, economic and security. i would dispute that. i don't think that this is about putting america first, i think that this is about putting saudi arabia first in front of the caa intelligence reports, in front of the life of a us resident, the father of three american, two american citizen children, in front ofa american citizen children, in front of a writer who worked for the washington post. i think american interests are about standing for human rights and an ability to write and tweak freely without being in fear or without having the fear of being dismembered in a consulate, so this is more so about very shallow

money interests first, not america first. and when it comes to standing with saudi arabia, no one is asking you to go away the relationship with saudi arabia, but this is very specifically about re—evaluating the relationship with rahman someone, the crown prince of saudi arabia, also appears to have ordered not only this murder but also ordered the disappearance of many critics, and so this is what this is about, in many ways, it is bigger than that jamaal. —— muhammad bin salman.m has pretty chilling implications. the president has proof that a us resident journalist was the president has proof that a us residentjournalist was killed and yet agrees to stand by the country that murdered him because that country buys american arms and stands against iran. absolutely, it

is ironic that saudi arabia is asking to get away with murder so they can buy killing machines and r they can buy killing machines and weaponry so that they can kill more people in yemen. i hope that america is better than this and i think congress has an opportunity now to ta ke congress has an opportunity now to take a very strong stand and counter trump and set things and are correct course when it comes to the us saudi arabia relationship and act as a very strong check again specifically muhammad bin salman, who is that de fa cto muhammad bin salman, who is that de facto ruler right now of saudi arabia, and put in a very strong check and impose consequences for this behaviour. again, this is not just about jamal, this this behaviour. again, this is not just aboutjamal, this is this behaviour. again, this is not just about jamal, this is about the kidnapping of the prime minister of lebanon, this is about ushering in humanitarian crisis, this is about breaking up diplomatic relations with canada over tweets, this is about checking a recklessness that will only plunge the middle east into more instability comments i think that distinction needs to be

made. this is not against the people of saudi arabia, in fact this is standing with the people who dare to have an opinion about the direction of their country and that is what jamal was, it is all he wanted to do. hejust jamal was, it is all he wanted to do. he just wanted to jamal was, it is all he wanted to do. hejust wanted to be jamal was, it is all he wanted to do. he just wanted to be free to say what he thought about his country. thank you. thank you. the trump administration has submitted written answers to questions from robert mueller, the special counsel investigaing the 2016 election, according to mr trump's lawyer. rudy giuliani said mr trump had provided unprecedented cooperation to the former fbi director, and it was now time to bring the inquiry to a close. mr trump has called it a "witch—hunt". he has forcefully denied that his team colluded with russia to help win the presidential election. let's speak to our north america correspondent peter bowes now. so, we do this go next? well, i think this certainly tells us this investigation, this enquiry is entering its final stages and

clearly mr mueller and his collea g u es clearly mr mueller and his colleagues have got the answers to the questions they oppose to the president. it tells us probably that the president will not be sitting down in person with the investigators or indeed mr mueller. that has been debated for many months now. at one stage, the president said he would be willing to do that. i think clearly the lawyers have advised against it. it now depends on the mueller investigators's reaction and interpretation to the answers the president has given them. there have been hints quietly release that there may be new indictments coming that they have also been strong suggestions that the new acting attorney general may shut the whole thing down. yes, we are into kind of new territory with the possibility of shutting down this investigation.

certainly, it has been denied that thatis certainly, it has been denied that that is the intention. and my hunch is that the investigation, the enquiry is moving pretty quick in now and that we are likely to see that report fairly soon. there was a slight delay i think before the mid—term elections, when theyjust allowed a little lull while politics was a play, but i think by the end of this year, this enquiry is likely to come to a relatively speedy conclusion. of course, that may not be the end of the matter, it may depend largely on what the conclusions are in the next stage is. thank you very much indeed. -- stages. hundreds of central american migrants have joined the large caravan gathered on the us border, waiting for a chance to seek asylum. about 6000 migrants have reached the border cities of tijuana and mexicali, according to local officials. in a moment, we'll hear from aleem maqbool

at the 0tay mesa border crossing in san diego. first though to will grant, who's been to the border city of tijuana in mexico. idyllic though the beach at tijuana looks, it is a fortress. only the birds free to come and go as they please. for everyone else, the us border patrol is on hand. but the migrants already knew they were in hostile territory. the main migrant camp lies in the shadow of the border wall, the us almost within their grasp. to reach it, migrant rights groups are helping them register for the tangled asylum process. "president trump is serious about keeping us out, but all we want to do is work", says isabel, as she waits to add her name to the list. a good work ethic alone won't 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'd take our son and that i'd never see him again. as they walked through mexico, battling through the heat, the migrants were aiming to reach here, san isidro, the busiest land border crossing in the world. yet such is the fear over these tired and dusty migrants, the us shut it for one morning this week. after a journey of over 2500 miles, it's the last few hundred metres that may prove the toughest for the migrants to complete. for those who haven't turned back already, 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. well, here in the us, the white house has called this massive movement of people an invasion, an assault

on the southern border, and as such, the president has asked that thousands of troops be deployed here. but these are not soldiers lined along the border with their weapons poised. the army refused to approve a combat role on home soil, so most of the troops are just reinforcing the border fence, putting up barbed wire. we did catch a glimpse of border police clearly preparing to use force against the migrants if they felt it was necessary, but we also met someone taking matters into his own hands, driving slowly along the border looking for illegal immigrants. you can see where that fence goes up the hill over there... ken lester has two teardrops tattooed on his cheek, he says for the times barack 0bama was elected. he's determined that no immigrant would get past him. they are invaders, right now. i can'tjudge whether they're criminals or not, but right now,

now, they're invaders. they are trying to come in illegally, trying to force their way into the country. and what if they present themselves and they claim asylum, they go through legal channels at the border? that is a means of doing it legally, i disagree with it, i think it should be done away with. vigilantes have clearly been inspired to take action by rhetoric from the white house. across the border are migrants who have already shown they are prepared to take any risk to achieve their dream. stay with us on bbc news, still to come: we travel to tanzania, and a remote island that's become a safe place for people with albinism — who are often persecuted or even killed for traditional medicine. 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. hidden in the this is bbc news, the latest headlines: president trump says his administration

will continue to back saudi arabia, despite acknowledging that its crown prince could have known about the murder of a dissidentjournalist. 0ur chief international correspondent lyse doucet is in the saudi capital riyadh and she's been gauging reaction to president trump's statement. well, for saudis and especially the saudi leadership, there will be a huge sigh of relief tonight, but in many ways, it's what's expected. it's affirmation of what they said since day one of president trump's leadership, he will be a loyal ally of the kingdom, a great friend no matter what. now seeming to side with it over what's reported to be the assessment of his own intelligence agencies. the american president clearly seems to want to draw a line under this, but he mentioned, and the saudis know, there will be pressure coming from members of the congress as well as human rights groups and other countries who will continue to demand greater clarity. here in the kingdom,

many saudis are asking and many say they don't believe they're crown prince could himself have ordered such a despicable act, but so many have said to me how upset they are that this heinous murder and this dark cloud and big question will hang over the kingdom, will hang over them as individuals for a very long time to come. and the fact president trump left a kernel of doubt, saying maybe he did, maybe he didn't, concerning the involvement of the crown prince, means it's not going to go away for a very long time. let's get some of the day's other news. more than fifty people have been killed in the afghan capital kabul in a suicide bombing at a meeting of religious leaders. dozens of others were wounded. no group has yet admitted being behind the attack, but the taliban has denied any involvement. a diplomatic row is brewing over who will replace meng hongwei as president of interpol. he went missing on a visit

to his native china. the frontrunner to succeed him is alexander prokopchuk from russia. but the uk is opposed, and a group of american senators want russia suspended from the organisation. the interpol president of the service she did direction of the organisation if the russian is guiding that direction, towards the direction wanted by vladimir putin, thatis direction wanted by vladimir putin, that is a bad sign. something that no rule of law loving pursing in the world would want to happen. —— law loving person in the world. the head of the un environment programme, erik solheim, has resigned, after months of controversy over his travel expenses. a un audit found he'd claimed almost half a million dollars in travel costs in the last 2 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. the trump adnimistration says china has failed to alter its trade practices. in his latest report, the us trade representative,

robert lighthizer, called china's conduct unfair and market—distorting. it comes as china's president xi jinping strenghtens his country's trade links with 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'll continue to manage contentious issues and promote maritime cooperation through friendly consultation, and we will work alongside other asean countries towards the conclusion of the code of conduct consulatations based on consensus within three years, and contribute our share to peace, stability and the welfare of this region. president xi's visit gives us new impetus over our mutual efforts to enhance collaboration and ensuring the well—being of our peoples, and contributing to peace and stability in the region.

let's take you to africa now where, in some areas, people with albinism face the threat of discrimination, abduction and even murder. tanzania has recorded 180 attacks against those with the genetic condition in recent years. 76 people have been killed. but some have found sanctuary on a remote part of lake victoria as munira hussein reports. sunrise over this island and the day ahead looks bright. however, this may not put a smile on the face of some of the people living here. they all have a genetic condition that causes their skin, hair and even eyes to be too sensitive to the sun because of an absence of melanin pigment in their skin. but that is not their only worry. many fear being attacked by those around them, even their own relatives.

all because they believed potions made from their body parts can bring good luck and wealth. eliza came to this island in 2013 after her uncle attempted to kill her. fortunately she escaped. translation: i had peace at home until my uncle tried to kill me to get money by selling my body parts. but i was lucky and reported him. that is why i came here where we can walk confidently and freely day and night. this island has become a place of refuge for albinos in tanzania compared to elsewhere in the country. some believe the water around the island acts as a deterrent to criminals. there are a over 100 families living

here. according to a society, most of the residents here came from a different part of tanzania escaping from brutality and killing. but despite being safe here, they claim that discrimination still exists. according to the tanzania albinism society, at least 180 cases have been documented in recent years and 76 people have been killed. alex is the managerfor an ngo that operates on the island and helps people with albinism. he believes that social inclusion is the key to helping people with albinism into integrate with the larger community. translation: we promote integration so that people with albinism can stay in their community. society must be educated to understand that albinism is just a skin condition and that they are

people just like anybody else. anyone can be born with albino genes. the tanzanian government has tried to tackle this issue by convicting people who have been associated with the crimes. but people who live with albinism feel that more still needs to be done. millie bobby brown is an emmy nominated actor with more than eighteen million followers on instagram — she is just 1a. and the star of the netflix series "stranger things" hasjust been made the youngest ever goodwill ambassador for unicef. she spoke to nada tawfik about her new role. it is an incredible honour and privilege but mostly i'm doing this for the children that need a voice and need to be heard and it is so exciting. you are already a role model for many children. what you think it means to them to have someone who is their age advocating for them? they may be inspired by me but i find them inspiring every day

and everybody says "you are my role model", no — you are my role model. every child that goes through a difficult time, their strengths and their encouragement and generosity inspires me to do what i am doing. as i stand here now, millions of children do not have access to education. millions do not have nourishing food, vaccines or clean water to keep them healthy or strong. you spent the last few days getting celebrities and landmarks to go blue. what message do you hope that sends? i want them to fight for children's rights. what's up? i know you're busy. but code blue! we need you! # oh, when you see everything in blue. this is your code blue.

i'm on it. 0rlando, you're the best. kids are now growing up with so many additional pressures, largely because of social media. you said one of the things you wanted to stop was bullying. why is that so personal to you? i have been through a lot of bullying through school and also through cyber bullying online. i would like to end violence by working with unicef, to end bullying and cyber bullying because not only is this personal to me but i know that other children are going through that as well and that's why i use my voice and my platform to end this because that is enough. i know you are a professional at avoiding spoilers but can you share anything about the upcoming season? it is the summer of love. there are a lot of relationships

and the supernatural twist that adds to it. i can definitely say that the slogan we use is ‘it‘s spreading'. we don't know what it is and you will have to find out next year. it's that time of the year again — thanksgiving is fast approaching — and with it, the white house tradition of pardoning a festive turkey. since 1947, us presidents have been pardoning the birds — and today the fate of, wait for it, carrot and peas, lay in the hands of donald trump. and mr trump couldn't resist a few quips about the recent midterm elections — the presidentjoked that ‘carrots refused to concede, and demanded a recount‘. and you can get in touch with me and most of the team on twitter — i'm @bbc mike embley. hello, good morning.

as expected, tuesday was a really cold day, earlier was a really cold day, in the night we saw snow to low earlier in the night we saw snow to low levels across the south—east of england for a while. 0n low levels across the south—east of england for a while. on wednesday, the coldest beer and the strongest of the wind will cross across the north of the uk and further south we will see improvement. a cloudy start with wet weather continuing across northern ireland and northern england, pushing up into scotland. some sleet and hill snow in that. following on we should get some sunshine developing, maybe a few showers but some improvements across england and wales and showers in the afternoon in more detail through the west cou ntry afternoon in more detail through the west country into east wales and the midlands, england will see some sunshine which will be a welcome change pushing its way into southern parts of scotland. wet and cold through the afternoon across northern ireland and so more wet weather through the and across central and northern parts of scotla nd central and northern parts of scotland with more snow over high ground. and this is where we have the windiest of the weather. a0 mph

across the east coast of scotland. those of the temperatures so it is still another cold day. it will not feel that cold across england and wales ever did on tuesday but a cold feeling day with all of that wet for scotla nd feeling day with all of that wet for scotland and northern ireland. a lot of that wet weather should push out of that wet weather should push out of the way during wednesday evening. clearing skies is tumbling temperatures. icy patches around before we start to see cloud coming in againfrom before we start to see cloud coming in again from off the north the bringing with a drizzle. and may hold the temperature dropped a further west where we have clear skies are frost is likely. there may be early sunshine across wales and west in scotland, northern ireland for a while perhaps developing into southern counties of england. cloudy elsewhere was drizzle around and some wet weather coming into eastern parts of scotland. another cold day here. seven degrees if you are lucky, eight or nine elsewhere underneath the cloud may be a bit of sunshine. as we head towards the end of the week we have low pressure threatening to bring rain to the far

south—west of the uk. high pressure towards the north and north—east. this south—easterly breeze and fridays and nothing day, a little sunshine at times if you are lucky but on the whole of cloud. showers in the far south—west and some wet weather coming into eastern parts of scotland. the temperatures are going the right way and we could make double figures. this is bbc news, the headlines: president trump has declared the united states will remain a steadfast partner of saudi arabia, even though he's acknowledged that crown prince mohammed bin salman could very well have had knowledge of plans to murder thejournalist and saudi government critic, jamal khashoggi. mr trump said he was putting american economic and security interests first. his lawyer has now submitted written answers to questions from the special counsel investigating whether the trump campaign team colluded with russia to help win the 2016 election. rudy giuliani claimed mr trump had provided unprecedented cooperation to robert mueller, and it was now time to end the inquiry. a federaljudge in texas has lost mr

trump's attempt to deny asylum for people entering illegally. thousands of migrants from central america have joined the caravan gathering on the mexican us border. now, panorama. tonight on panorama, we investigate the criminals who con people looking for love. it was the same name and the same picture. i actually went, how could i have been so stupid? catfish. the romance fraudsters who exploit the lonely. has she asked you for money? yeah, i sent her a little bit of money, yeah. ‘cos i'm worried, roy, that you're being scammed again by... oh no, no, i'm not, i'm not. kathryn, i love you. we set a trap for the criminals.

as we uncover a crime that takes us around the world. it was not me, i did not do it.