donald trump says he's willing to let a partial government shutdown last for months or even years unless he's given $5 billion to build a border wall. the shutdown has left hundreds of thousands of federal workers without pay. talks between the two sides aimed at resolving the standoff were described as ‘contentious‘ by democrats; mr trump said they were ‘productive‘. us stock markets have climbed after better than expected jobs figures and assurances from the us central bank chairman, jerome powell. the dow jones closed on friday up by more than 3%. police in india say a third woman has defied traditionalists and entered a hindu temple in the southern state of kerala, after two others set foot inside on wednesday. the shrine has become the focus of a prolonged showdown, after india's supreme court overturned a ban on women entering the temple. now on bbc news: alastair leithead takes the first part of an epicjourney from the atlantic ocean to the far reaches of the congo river. one of the world ‘s great rivers

flows from the heart of africa. it cuts through the largest rainforest outside the amazon. with wildlife found nowhere else on earth. it is amazing. the democratic republic of congo is a vast, beautiful but tormented place. this country is rich, but its people are among the world's poorest. this centuries, its resources have been plundered and it has been ravaged by war. from here you cannot find anybody. they stopped going, all of them, they disappear soon. the violence goes on and now it is plagued by ebola. but some changes

coming for this country the size of western europe. we are setting off ona western europe. we are setting off on a long and challenging expedition to follow the congo into the heart of africa. from the atlantic ocean to the heart of the continent the congo has a lwa ys of the continent the congo has always been a place of fear in mystery. the mouth of the river is lined with ancient mangrove swamps. it is an eerie, mysterious start to an epic adventure. this is the point where the congo

river and the atlantic ocean meet. next river and the atlantic ocean meet. n ext ste p river and the atlantic ocean meet. next step is brazil. it was m82 when the portuguese were sailing past this coast and noticed this surge of brown water and realised there must be a river here. that was there must be a river here. that was the congo, and this is the direction they talk will stop for 3000 miles without going to take you up this great river to try and understand its history, its riches, it is poverty and its future. from the atla ntic poverty and its future. from the atlantic ocean, we will flow the river to its furthest reaches. navigating round its powerful rapids, and through its chaotic capital city kinshasa, as it arcs up north, twice crossing the equator. we will visit its war—torn east, venture into ebola terrier —— territory, meat rare gorillas and find out how rich this country could be. as they sailed up this first

stretch of river, the portuguese must have dreamed of the great riches that lay ahead. they found a well—organised society, the kingdom of the congo, open to their offers of the congo, open to their offers of trade. but less than 100 kilometres inland, they hit an obstacle, and it would take centuries to get around. the rapids. a series of steep cataract is make this stretch of the congo impassable by boat. and so this port boma, became a european centre of trade. hun sen goods came in, ivory and slaves went out. —— guns and goods. these odd monuments in the town reflect that past. it is not a great likeness, that is henry morgan sta nley, likeness, that is henry morgan stanley, the first european to travel the congo from its source to the sea. stanley was a welshman, who

took 999 days to travel here from the eastern coast of africa. it was an epicjourney, the eastern coast of africa. it was an epic journey, and the eastern coast of africa. it was an epicjourney, and opened up the interior of africa to exploitation. the belgian king was looking for his own colony. the men met and the congo free state was born. boma was its capital. this was once the governor general‘s residence but it is not a time in history that was

remembered fondly. the powerful rapids that had been the obstacle for so long remained impassable today. but they have also provided great opportunity for hydroelectric power. there are few places on the planet where rivers run as fast and as hard as the congo does here as it approaches the sea. hydroelectric station built here could provide electricity for the whole of africa. it would produce twice as much power as any other hydro plant on earth. that is how rich the congo could be if the resources we re rich the congo could be if the resources were put to good use. they built two small power stations decades ago here, but there has within a much more ambitious plan, for a grandstand to be looked across this whole dalli —— valley. a deal

has recently been signed to make that happen. promises have been made before, and nothing has happened. the story of the congo is often the story of lost 01’ the congo is often the story of lost or squandered opportunity. to get around the rapids means we need another form of transport. the railway was built under the orders of henry morton stanley in

the 18905 to replace a long and arduous trek. around that time, joseph conrad walk the roots to become a steamboat captain of river. his diary became the heart of darkness, a novel whose title created the stereotype that still title created the stereotype that 5till haunts the drc today. the train5 only run once a week, after being derelict the years. it is an opportunity for villages along the way to sell as much as they can. their five—minute way to sell as much as they can. theirfive—minute mobile way to sell as much as they can. their five—minute mobile market. kinshasa, the democratic governor of

—— them credit republic of congo's chaotic capital. joseph kabila has been president since 2001, but two years been president since 2001, but two yea r5 after been president since 2001, but two years after delayed elections he is standing down. kabila is one of —— kinshasa is one of africa's biggest and fastest—growing cities. it is big and brash and bossy. there is a strange but colourful subculture that has grown out of kinshasa and across africa. the sappeurs, who put their confidence on display. princess is getting ready for a

night out. the french acronym sape stands for their society of ambience makers and elegant people and she fits the bill. sape goes back to the 19205, but it was the 19605 after independence when it came into its own. when musicians championed an extravagant dress code in direct opposition to the country's leader. president sape

declared western attire a symbol of colonialism and it was forbidden. —— president mobutu. today thousands of congolese sapeurs celebrate the art of dressing well. from here in kinshasa, the rapids and and boats can travel the river again, and so begins our long arc up to the equator and to mbandaka, to explore life on the river at the first major port. in a vast country with so few roads, this is the congo's superhighway. this is how people get around a country the size of western europe with very little infrastructure

connecting it. when there is a huge river they go by barge. these go all the way from kinshasa right through to khisangane, hundreds of stops along the way, people sleepy any ca re along the way, people sleepy any care and brave the elements and mosquitoes as well. there used to be many mosquitoes as well. there used to be any mosquitoes as well. there used to be many many more of these decades ago. the journey thus far has a ready taken the journey thus far has a ready ta ke n two the journey thus far has a ready taken two weeks and there is at least another week to go. they have been delayed here days by a dispute over unpaid duty on some of the cargo. bureaucracy and the corruption that comes with it is a blight across the drc. as long as you have the money everything is fine. this man is a big fan of travelling by barge. just like a big family, he says. but as a retired soldier he is in no rush. this woman just wants the journey to end. her husband recently died. she is disabled and has run out of money to

why food for her kids on the boat. she is heading for a new start, with a bible by her side. during the belgian colonial times, this river really was a highway. among the traffic were luxury steamboats. the remains now lie rusting along the banks. the workshops quiet. in many ways, the congo has gone back in time. it takes just four or five hours

driving through the forest to meet people living a very traditional way of life. this is boodanga village. this ritual is to wish them good fortune hunting in the forest, and we are going with them. they are looking for wildlife and useful plants on the way. they block animal holes and use smoke to force them out. it is the way they have always hunted. but

a century ago, king leopold discovered there was something in the forest worth a huge amount of money, rubber. this white sap from the wild rubber fines could be collected and made into tyres for bicycles and then cars. but before rubber plantations industrialised the process, this was the only source, deep in the forest, and so the pygmies were made to collect it. the fiat whip was called a chikot and made from dried hippopotamus hide, but an even more brutal punishment was common. some of those who didn't collect enough rubber had their hands cut off. up to 10 million people died under the regime of king leopold ii and early

photographs of atrocities led to the world's first international human rights campaign —— chicotte. it hastened the end of king leopold's rule, but his personal colony, which had made him rich, was handed over to belgium in 1908, only for exploitation and brutality to continue. it was the belgian congo until 1960. even though there was little free about it for the congolese. with independence came retribution, and a great white flight retribution, and a great white flight from the country. many belgians left. the congolese were handed a place rich with natural resources , handed a place rich with natural resources, but without the knowledge and training to use them. such was the colonial style that few people we re the colonial style that few people were qualified doctors, academics or tested leaders. the country was cast adrift. the rainforest is perhaps

the congo's most precious asset. the largest outside the amazon, and a valuable sink for the carbon dioxide thatis valuable sink for the carbon dioxide that is warming our planet. but demand for charcoal means going up in smoke. a solution for that is being explored in a nature reserve ona being explored in a nature reserve on a remote bank on the congo river. yangambe was the largest tropical research station. hundreds of expats and their families lived and studied here until they left in the congo crisis. at that point, everything ground to a halt. yangambi is home toa ground to a halt. yangambi is home to a remarkable collection of plants going back nearly a century. the congolese workers stayed on without pay and protected the precious archives. today they are being

restored. there are more than 150,000 samples in the herbarium which is being restored and rejuvenated, as it still has scientific value today for climate change research. they are planting fast—growing trees to be turned into charcoal, instead of the ra i nfo rest. turned into charcoal, instead of the rainforest. and there is a bigger plan to generate electricity from biomass, burning and old, unproductive rubber plantation and then using these new trees to create a sustainable source of fuel. it is the usual balance between conservation and economic growth, and it is a battle being fought along the length of the congo. so,

when the river pilotjoseph conrad travelled the stretch of this congo a century ago one of the biggest worries was stranding the steamship ona worries was stranding the steamship on a sandbank. oh, the lessons of history. we get the chance to set in the middle of the congo river. we've got stuck. we just keep going into different sandbank. we have all managed to get it going again, so we are back in business. history has a habit of repeating itself in the congo. we are taking a detour to another place from another era, but equally trapped in time. from the port at bandaka we are following the tributary up to the very northern edge of the drc, to badalite, a small town that has played a large pa rt small town that has played a large part in the country's history. this strangely haunting place was

the home of the man who ruled the congo for more than 30 years, a dictator who renamed the country zair. president mobutu, welcome to what's left of his jungle palace. in each state, this was the height of opulence. it is painful for me to come here. how other people destroyed this palace is a shock to me. chief asambia is one of his daughters. it was very, very beautiful. at the entrance on your left on the road, there was one picasso painting. many riches. after

independence, mobutu became the army chief of staff. he arrested the country's first prime minister who had turned to the soviet union after being shunted to the west. with the cold war backing belgium and the cia, mobutu handed him to the rebels to be killed. his body was cut up and dissolved in acid. he is normally reclusive and camera shy, it builds his mystique. the scale and pomp of this highly desirable ceremony is designed to bolster his diminishing change, and it is a sign he knows he is in trouble. mobutu transformed himself into a classic african dictator, after becoming president in the 1965 coup. political opponents and rivals were killed or tortured. his regime was totalitarian and corrupt. he got rich while the country got poor.

what was he like as a person?‘ generous person, i what was he like as a person?‘ generous person, i tell you the truth. not only because he was my family. he liked all, he liked his family. he liked all, he liked his family. he liked all, he liked his family. he has been alleged to have been a terrible president, brutal. 0h, been a terrible president, brutal. oh, brutal, idon't been a terrible president, brutal. oh, brutal, i don't think so. if you are brutal, you start with your family. he was never bad with children, never. but it all came crashing down in 1997, an invasion and coup forced mobutu out and he died in exile. it is when the looting here began, and when time stopped in badalite. this international airport was built

in the middle of a jungle. it was a vanity project. that was a plush vip reception area. this, a huge terminal. concorde landed here, bringing in luxury goods like pink champagne for the then—president mobutu. today it's just a shell. the moneyjust dried up. this distant town on the edge of the country owed its privileged position to one man, and he had gone. while ago, the town's hydroelectric power station broke down. it takes three months for generator fuel to come upriver from kinshasa and then another ten days or so for a tanker to negotiate a flood damaged dirt road. the lights are off in badalite. next

time on congo, ajourney lights are off in badalite. next time on congo, a journey to the part of africa. we are heading off in the whitewater to go fishing in the rapids. in the eastern congo, we are heading to one of the most dangerous parts of the country. there is a very strong militant group here that over the last few days has killed probably dozens of civilians. in the vast ra i nforest, we probably dozens of civilians. in the vast rainforest, we go looking for endangered gorillas found nowhere else on earth. and we discover the incredible wealth below the ground that could make this country one of the world's richest, rather than being one of the poorest. if you would like to take an even more immersivejourney would like to take an even more immersive journey up the congo river in virtual reality, visit bbc.com/virtualreality to find out how. hello, once again. just because a big area of high

pressure is dominating the weather across many parts of the british isles, and it's dry for many, it doesn't mean to say that we're all in the same boat. as we see here, quite a transformation in the day, once the cloud peeled away to reveal those gloriously blue skies. but, if you kept the cloud right throughout the day, well, then it was pretty leaden fare, despite the fact, as i say, it was dry for the most part. and here we are, many of us through the course of the weekend, again, largely dry, often cloudy. and that's because there's quite a lot of moisture trapped in the lower levels of the atmosphere, under the influence of the high pressure there. a frontal system will eventually show its hand across the north—western quarter of the british isles. we'll talk more about that in just a second. so that cloud shield isn't complete, by any means at all, and if it breaks for any length of time into the first part of saturday, you will end up with a chilly start to your day, although there will be some sunshine to compensate. that could well be the case across parts of wales, down into the south—west. but i think, as the morning proceeds, so perhaps some of those gaps will fill in. again, much of england and wales will be cloudy, but dry. the best of the sunshine perhaps

to the eastern side of the pennines, up into the eastern side of scotland. temperatures nothing to write home about for the time of year, pretty average, four to around seven, the exception the western isles of scotland. but here, late in the day, the cloud thickens all the while, so too into northern ireland, and you eventually end up with a wee bit of rain. i don't think it's going to amount to very much at all. it's tied in with that weather front, which, as we move from saturday into sunday, will just tumble its way through the area of high pressure, tending to lose what little potency it had. and you'll notice that one portion was away towards the continent. another eventually flicks back towards northern ireland, so maybe some brightness here for a time, but then the cloud comes back later in the day. enough about the cloud for there to be the odd spot of rain, perhaps, across the heart of england and wales. the best of the sunshine in the day further north across the greater part of mainland scotland. temperatures may be up a touch or two across particularly the south—western quarter, just picking up on more of a south—westerly flow. but, as i take you from sunday to monday, the eyecatcher is a vigorous area of low pressure passing very close

by to the northern portions of britain, before it dives through the north sea and off towards denmark. whilst that's around, and with so many isobars on the charts, it's no great surprise that when i show you the gust values on monday and tuesday for a number of locations across northern and north—eastern britain, well, 50, 60, possibly even 70 mph. not everybody will see that, by any means at all. come a little bit further south and west, a quieter couple of days in prospect. welcome to bbc news — broadcasting to viewers in north america and around the globe. i'm reged ahmad. our top stories: political lines are drawn over the us government shutdown. democrats and president trump square off as he says he's prepared for it to last months. he said he would keep the government closed for a very long period of time, months or even years. we won't be opening until it is solved. we think this is a much bigger problem, the border is a much more dangerous problem, it is a much bigger problem, it is a problem

of national security. us stocks soar after the head of america's central bank says he will adjust interest rates quickly and flexibly — that's despite past criticism from president trump. more tension in kerala, after a third woman defies traditonalists and enters a temple which has been at the centre of a legal battle, keeping women out of the shrine. pressure rises on russia after a joint uk—us citizen