this is newsday on the bbc. i'm rico hizon in singapore. our top stories: a line in the sand — saudi arabia's foreign minister tells the bbc neither its king nor its crown prince are linked to the murder ofjamal khashoggi. and it is a red line when you have individuals calling for the removal or replacement of our leaders. that is ridiculous and unacceptable. life in prison for the briton accused of spying in the united arab emirates. i'm babita sharma in london. also in the programme: we hearfrom the niece of the internationally acclaimed photographer shaihdul alam, who's been freed from jail in bangladesh. david attenborough shows off the people's chair, which will take pride of place at as world leaders gather next week for a climate change conference. live from our studios in singapore and london, this is bbc world news. it's newsday. good morning.

it's 9am in singapore, 1am in london and 4am in the morning in riyadh, where saudi arabia's foreign minister has told the bbc that criticism of the leadership was a red line that would not be tolerated. adel bin ahmed al—jubeir defended the crown prince against claims of being behind the murder of journalist jamal khashoggi. it follows reports the cia had concluded the prince would have had to order the killing. the bbc‘s chief international correspondent lyse doucet has been speaking exclusively to the saudi arabian foreign minister. an unshakeable bond, but the us congress now has the prince in its sights. it wants to know what role did he play in the murder ofjamal khashoggi. but in riyadh, the kingdom's top diplomat hits back. the crown prince of saudi arabia

is not involved in this. we have made that very clear. we have an investigation that's ongoing, and we will punish the individuals who are responsible for this, and we will make sure it doesn't happen again. so this is a red line — is this a red line for the kingdom, sir, whatever the evidence is? show us the evidence, show us the evidence. if turkey has the evidence, please provide it. all we hear is leaks, leaks. show us the evidence, and then we will talk. it's a red line when you have individuals calling for the removal or replacement of our leaders. that's ridiculous, and that's unacceptable in saudi arabia. there is another crisis too — yemen, said to be on the brink of the worst famine in living memory. saudi arabia is under mounting pressure to end the bombing and blockades causing such suffering. we are doing everything possible in orderto minimise the humanitarian suffering

of the yemeni people. now, when we have a militia that is radical, allied with hezbollah and iran, that launched more than 200 ballistic missiles at our towns and cities, are we supposed to sit there and say, oh, sorry, we're not going to do anything? so, if i understand you correctly, saudi arabia and its coalition are not ready to do anything to bring an end to their involvement in this war? we have said that we support all the political efforts aimed at finding resolution to the yemeni crisis. this week the saudi monarch set out his country's agenda for the next year, his son, the crown prince, in the front row, a signal to saudis and the world that the kingdom sets its own course. lyse doucet, bbc news, riyadh. let's take a look at some of the day's other news. the british prime minister says she has made good progress in the brexit talks

in brussels with the president of the european commission, jean—claude juncker. they have been discussing the political declaration which sets out what the future relationship between the uk and the eu will be after brexit in areas ranging from aviation and energy to trade. here's our europe editor katya adler. the eu is trying to give the prime minister the optics to help her sell this deal back home, but on content they do not want to move from their red line, such as guarantees over the irish border, for exmaple, such as keeping the single market together and not allowing the prime minister to cherry pick the bits she likes and leave the ones she doesn't, as she would like to do. but they're holding steadfast on that. what makes it even more complex is notjust theresa may wanting more from the eu, but eu countries that want more from her. for example, spain has very clear stipulations about gibraltar and how it appears in the document, basically saying that

all negotiations on the future relationship between the eu and the uk cannot be taken legally for granted, that they will immediately apply to gibraltar. and then there is france, france wants a guarantee of fishing rights in the uk water after brexit, and they are insisting on that. also making news today: the board of nissan are expected to formally confirm later that chairman carlos ghosn has been sacked from hisjob. he was arrested on monday after an internal investigation at nissan revealed "significant acts of misconduct." rico will have more on this in asia business report soon. the un—recognised government in yemen and houthi rebels have agreed to join peace talks in sweden in early december, according to the american defence secretary, jim mattis. a previous effort to end the three—year conflict collapsed in september when the rebels failed to attend negotiations. the un has warned that m million yemenis are at risk of starvation unless the port of hodeida remains open to humanitarian aid shipments. an american man has been killed by members of a protected tribe in the andaman islands

in the bay of bengal. it's believed 27—year—old john allen chau was a christian missionary. he was killed with bows and arrows and his body left on the beach. indian police have arrested the fishermen who took him there illegally. the american space agency says its latest mars probe, called insight, is on track for touchdown on monday. only a third of previous international missions have succeeded. nasa is expressing confidence that insight, with a heat—resistant capsule, parachute, and rockets will touchdown safely. the probe has british and french seismometers to monitor tremors — data that will help scientists interpret how planets were formed. a british student has been sentenced to life in prison in the united arab emirates for spying for the british government. 31—year—old matthew hedges was there researching the country's

foreign and internal security policies when he was detained. his wife, who was in court this morning, says her husband is innocent. the british foreign secretary says he's shocked by the verdict and has warned of repercussions for the relationship between the two countries. paul adams has this report. matthew hedges, pictured here with his wife daniela, before his arrest at dubai airport in early may. six and a half months later, the british academic faces life imprisonment in the country he was studying and knows well. daniela says she's in complete shock. "i don't know what to do," she says. "matthew is innocent. this has been the worst six months of my life, let alone for matt, who was shaking when he heard the verdict." daniela says matthew is entirely innocent. simply no question, she insists, that he was spying for britain. here, the government seems outraged. the uae is supposed to be a friend and ally of britain's. we have given them repeated assurances about matthew. and, you know, if we can't resolve this, there are going to be serious diplomatic consequences because this

is totally u na cce pta ble. you sound angry about this. did you get the impression from the uae authorities that there was going to be a different outcome? i'd actually spoken about matthew to crown prince mohammed bin zayed when i visited abu dhabi last week. and i thought i had some understanding that this was going to be resolved in a satisfactory way. so, how did a 31—year—old british academic fall so spectacularly foul of the emirati authorities? his research involved asking sensitive questions about security and defence policies across the gulf. the head of his department says he had a wide range of sources. some would be international experts currently based in the uae. some would be former uae government officials who had worked in relevant areas and who were known to have inside information and understanding about how it is that these processes operate. but, for all the shiny glamour of the modern gulf,

this is a region of poisonous rivalries and deep suspicions. someone, it seems, didn't like the questions. i'm sure there's a lot of, sort of, personal politics behind this. and probably somebody in the government who reallyjust wants to make a point and wants to use matt as an example to say, you know, we will go about our foreign and security policy in whatever way we want to and no—one will ask questions. daniela says that nightmare is getting worse. "i don't know where they're taking him," she says, "or what will happen now." this time on wednesday we brought you the news that the acclaimed bangladeshi photographer, shahidul alam, has been freed on bail by the authorities in dhaka, after spending more than 100 days injail. his supporters and family are now calling for all charges against him to be dropped. mr alam was arrested in august after criticising the official response to mass student protests calling for better road safety. his detention sparked 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. rabab ahmed is shahidul alam's niece, and spoke to us when her uncle was first detained in august. i asked her how the family feels now after news of his release. when we first found out we were delirious with happiness. we're extremely relieved but, like you mentioned, we're seriously hoping and trusting that the government will not press charges because these are baseless allegations. and we are still looking for support from all over the world, not just from bangladesh, but literally all over the world, writers, activists, artists. so we want to thank everybody

for their support and ask them to continue to fight to make sure that this kind of thing does not happen again. i spoke to him this morning and he sounded great. he sounded like himself which was nice. obviously it was wonderful to hear. he was at the hospital and waiting for a checkup and he said he was complying with doctors‘ orders and he sounded in good spirits. when you and i last spoke you were concerned about his treatment. i wonder if you have any more of a picture of how he coped inside and if he was maltreated? he was. he had problems eating. until the last few weeks when he was eating food he was still mixing the bread into the lentils so it became softer because he had vertigo

and eating cost him pain. those things definitely happened but as for the treatment and the doctors assessment, that i do not know. the legal team around your uncle and yourself, many supporters have been calling for the charges to be dropped. you did mention that earlier. explain to us why that is so important to you. first of all, it is baseless. it is ludicrous that this happened in the first place. he has not done anything wrong. so he was doing what a journalist does. that alone is the most important reason why this needs to be dropped. and the court, clearly he has been released on bail because the court has found the so—called evidence does not hold water. so for all of these reasons,

we believe that this needs to be dropped and he is not the only person who has been imprisoned based off this allegation. him being released will hopefully start those other detainees, the process for them to become released. that's the hope. you have any idea if he plans to continue his work in being an outspoken critic of the bangladeshi government? i am sure he will, because for him the truth, speaking the truth and standing up forjustice, for democracy is the most important thing. even while he was in prison he built relationships and made connections with other detainees and other people who were in there. and just listening to snippets of how he interacted with them it

makes you realise that what his life's work is about, fighting for these people or anybody who has been unjustly treated. there is no doubt about that. he said himself he was in prison that when he comes out he will walk for prison reform. —— work. it was all over social media, the statement he sent out that together we will fight for democracy. you're watching newsday on the bbc. still to come on the programme: photo—bombing turned into a bit of a wildlife experience when this couple's romantic wedding proposal was interrupted by a family of nosy otters. also on the programme: david attenborough shows off the people's seat, designed to give ordinary people a say when world leaders meet at the un climate change conference. 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: saudi arabia's foreign minister has told the bbc that claiming the king or crown prince knew about a plot to killjamal khashoggi is inaccurate, and saying anything disparaging about them crosses a red line. the united arab emirates has jailed a british man for life on charges he was spying for the british government. a german teenager has managed to lose his driver's licence just 49 minutes after getting it. he was just returning from his successful test when he was clocked travelling almost twice the speed limit. that story is trending on bbc.com. let's take a look at some front pages from around the world.

the south china morning post reports on chinese president xijinping and his us counterpart meeting donald trump in buenos aires in december. beijing and washington are in frequent contact as they finalise the details of the event, which will see both sides sitting down to dinner. one big issue is to determine who will sit at the table. the front page of the japan times reports on the nissan crisis. the car giant could itself face charges over alleged financial misconduct that has already led to the arrest of its chairman, carlos ghosn. the international edition of the new york times has a story on voters in an indian state being given free mobile phones. in the state of chhattisgarh, the chief minister has promised a smartphone in every home, and he is using the government—issued devices to reach voters as he campaigns in legislative elections. now, babita, you are an keen

football fan, but tell me about these women playing football in the office. i love a bit of football, but something quite different when we say office. a game of keepie uppie inside the house of commons in westminster has brought a reprimand for a group of mps. hannah bardell posted a video on social media of herself playing in the chamber after the sitting was adjourned. the scottish nationalist also posed for photographs with other mps. speakerjohn bercow said the historic chamber should not be used for this type of activity. now, take a look at this. this wedding proposal in singapore turned into a bit of a wildlife experience. british couplejordan doyle and mary lister were mid—moment

when the urban otters turned up, first one, then several of them making the most of the moment. jordan and mary didn't seem to mind, and jordan certainly proved quite a hit with the otters. you will be glad to know the couple are now happily engaged, and enjoying the rest of their trip around asia. earlier, jordan doyle and mary listerjoined me in the studio. i asked them how they felt about the otters gatecrashing their romantic moment. absolutely wonderful. we were very, very lucky to have it in the way that it happened, but even more lucky for having this gorgeous woman say yes. what was it like having these otters crawling behind you ? we had to stay very still, because they can be nippy.

they were getting the bottoms of my feet, and i was on my knee. what happened after that... you were also warned not to hold them or cuddle them, because they can bite. oh, yes, they can take down crocodiles, so we had to be very careful. we were told they would take 15 seconds and then they would go, but they were there for three minutes. you made a special trip to see these otters because you watched a documentary of sir david attenborough‘s. yes, yes, yes, we did. we watched it on blue planet ii. one of the things he showed was otters, and mary is a big fan of otters. mary, why are you a big fan of these otters,

particularly the ones in singapore? i think they are the most playful creatures. they're so cute, aren't they? and of course, these photographs have gone viral. it is on our bbc webpage. how did you feel about the experience, and the attention on social media? we haven't slept for 2h hours. we've been getting messages, requests. it's so mad, but it's so lovely that a bit of ourjoy can spread to others. you know, jordan and mary, i forgot to mention that these otters got wind of your guesting here. unfortunately they came in the day before, i had an interview with them — these are the otters. and i had a really wonderful laugh with them.

laughter. you should have told us. wait a minute, there is one nibbling at my back. this is daddy otter, and this is our engagement gift to you. congratulations. thank you so much forjoining us on newsday, jordan and mary, the otter couple. next month, politicians from around the world will gather for the united nations climate change conference in poland. but for the first time, there will be one seat there that is not for a nation. it is called the people's seat, giving ordinary people a voice on this all important issue. this year sir david attenborough is taking the chair, and he has been speaking to victoria gill about it. we've been banging on about it for decades now, and no—one's doing anything, ‘cause no—one in power actually cares. it's either too hot or too cold, and we can't grow anything. the world is a place where we all live together, and if we don't take care of it, we will have nowhere to go. the monsoons are sometimes coming too early or too late, like, nothing is on time. translation: of course,

but what can i do about that? concern and confusion over climate change. it is a global conversation. and now, the un has turned to a very familiar figure to take messages like these from people all around the world to the crucial climate talks in poland in less than two weeks' time. the people's seat is meant to represent the hundreds of millions of people there are around the world whose lives are about to be affected, or have already been affected, by climate change, so that it will sit there to remind politicians that this is not a theoretical enterprise. this is our opportunity to collectively make a difference — to have our voices heard. we saw how the response to blue planet, with the issue of plastics in the environment, caused such a huge response. how would you convince people that they personally can make a difference, and that they should be part of the conversation?

well, it's what i've been spending my life, really, trying to do — making clear what the natural world is, how complicated it is, and how it works, and how it affects the way in which we live, and making it clear that we human beings depend upon the health of the natural world for every breath of air we breathe. what would you want to say to the politicians? notjust being a conduit for other people, but what would your message be? my message is that the people of the world know that the world is changing, and they are behind politicians taking action. that's what the people's seat in this new conference that's just coming up is representing — that people want to stop climate change. the people's seat. while the seat might remind leaders at the talks what is at stake, any agreement or action will be in the hands of the politicians who are in the room.

victoria gill, bbc news. you have been watching newsday. i'm babita sharma in london. and i'm rico hizon in singapore. stay with us. it is thanksgiving in the us, and traditional retaillers are battling it out with online shops. more on that on asia business report. and it is not thanksgiving without the famous macy's parade in new york. the big balloons have been blown up ahead of the event, which will be the 92nd annual macy's parade. old—time favourites like charlie brown willjoin new characters that you might recognise, like little cloud and goku. if you are in the big apple, you will be able to see 26 floats and 12 bands, clowns, and cheerleaders. hello. we've had that cold wind. some of us have had the first snow of the season, and now the widespread frost going into thursday morning. coldest in the blue here.

in fact, parts of southern england could be as low as —7 to start the day. temperatures down the eastern side of the uk recovering a little bit, going into the first part of the day, because you will see here increasing cloud. whereas elsewhere, it should be a fair amount of sunshine to begin with. but through the day, the cloud is moving west. now, with the clud, you could see a bit of patchy rain and drizzle. and from the word go into parts of eastern scotland. and this is where it's likely to be most persistent as we go through the the day. let's take a closer look at things at 3:00pm in the afternoon. so you can see the outbreaks of rain, northern and eastern parts of scotland. western fringes of scotland still seeing some sunny spells. northern ireland — early showers clear, and then it's dry with sunny spells here. a lot of cloud through much of northern, central and eastern england. wherever you see that cloud, it could be damp in places, though the rain not amounting to very much. there's still some sunshine through much of wales, the south midlands and into south—west england. now, the winds are a touch lighter than they've been. temperatures are still, for the most part, in single

figures, but windchill isn't so much of an issue. still going to feel quite cold though, particularly where you find yourself underneath the cloud cover and you may be seeing a bit of patchy rain. that will continue on and off through thursday night and into friday morning. still more particularly through eastern scotland. and then, to end thursday and through the night into friday, the risk of a few heavy showers into the far south—west of england. maybe clipping south—west wales. not as cold as friday begins, though pockets of rural frost around, as some spots still get close to freezing. then on through friday, still some rain affecting parts of eastern scotland and that chance of a shower into the far south—west. could have a bit of hail with these, maybe a rumble of thunder. elsewhere, variable cloud and sunny spells. i think parts of northern ireland, southern scotland, northern england should fare fairly well for sunshine, and temperatures still for the most part in single figures. going into the weekend, low pressure to the south, high pressure to the north, a flow of air coming in from the east. now, much of the uk under the influence of high pressure. but close to southern england, there is a weather front here that

could well be producing some outbreaks of rain during saturday. some uncertainty about the exact position of that, so we'll keep you updated. still either some showers or some patchy rain towards north—east scotland. elsewhere it is looking mainly dry. you get to see some sunny spells, temperatures around 7—10 celsius. not much change going into next week. still much of the uk under the influence of high pressure, not particularly warm, but mainly dry. i'm mike embley with bbc news. our top story: saudi arabia's top diplomat has told the bbc that accusing the king or crown prince of knowing about the murder of jamal khashoggi crosses a red line. the journalist was last seen entering the saudi conulate in istanbul in october. saudi's foreign minister rejected claims that the crown prince would have had to order the killing. a british student has been jailed for life in the united arab emirates for spying. matthew hedges was researching

the country's security policies when he was detained. and this story is trending on bbc.com: a german teenager has managed to lose his driver's licence just 49 minutes after getting it. he was just returning from his successful test when he was clocked travelling almost twice the speed limit. that story is trending on bbc.com. that's all. stay with bbc world news. and the top story in the uk: