this is newsday on the bbc. i'm rico hizon in singapore. the headlines: seven weeks after his arrest, former chairman of nissan, carlos ghosn is to make his first appearance in a tokyo court. thailand says an 18—year—old saudi woman who's seeking asylum won't be deported against her will. our correspondent jonathan head is there. the un is involved in her request for asylum, they said, will be properly assessed. —— and. i'm kasia madera in london. also in the programme: a fourth visit to china by north korea's leader, amid speculation about another meeting with president trump. and the unsolved murder of a british woman in beijing 80 years ago. why does this case still draw so much attention? live from our studios in singapore and london, this is bbc world news. it's newsday. glad you could join us.

it's 9am in singapore, 1am in london and 10am in tokyo, where the former chairman of the nissan motor company is due to appear in court shortly. it'll be carlos ghosn‘s first public appearance since he was arrested in november on allegations of financial misconduct. he requested the hearing and his lawyers are expected to ask why he has been held for so long. our correspondent rupert wingfield—hayes joins us from tokyo, outside the courthouse. thank you so much forjoining us. everyone would really be curious what carlos ghosn would look like after seven weeks behind bars and of course, what he has to say in his appearance? that is right, we are expecting carlos ghosn to appear in the courthouse behind me here in about half—an—hour. the court

hearing is expected to begin in about half—an—hour and as you say, it is the first time the outside world has had any opportunity to hear anything from carlos ghosn for 50 days since he was arrested on november 19 at tokyo airport. we are expecting him to make a brief statement, he is going to be given about ten minutes to talk during this brief hearing and during that statement, we are expecting nissan, according to his son, to proclaimed his innocence and to essentially say that he believes he is the tension is unfairand unjust that he believes he is the tension is unfair and unjust and that he should be given bail and allowed to concede to defend himself in a proper court hearing, rather than discontinued, and very prolonged detention that has been going on now, as you say, for seven weeks. —— mr ghosn. long detention, and is also puts the japanese judicial system under the microscope. —— prolonged. it absolutely does, and

there has been a lot of criticism both inside and outsidejapan of a way that this has been handled and it really has shone a light on how the japanese justice system works. so mrghosn the japanese justice system works. so mr ghosn was detained originally on november 19 and held for a period of 20 days. he was then rearrested and held for a second period, and then he was arrested again for a third timejust before then he was arrested again for a third time just before christmas on a different allegation, and that period of detention will come to an end this friday. at which point, essentially mr ghosn and his lawyers saying he should be released on bail, but the japanese prosecutors have the option to continue detaining him or to rearrest him again. and certainly, former prosecutors and legal experts i have spoken to hear have been extremely critical of this process and said the japanese prosecutors essentially have far too much power and that this process is really designed to produce confessions, to grind down

the chain is bound to get them to agree to sign a confession. —— detainees. what has been the reaction in japan right detainees. what has been the reaction injapan right now regarding this case? well, there has been a huge public interest in this case. we saw people lining up for public lottery for the three seats in the gallery. there are helicopters hovering overhead as i speak. a lot of this will be carried live on japanese speak. a lot of this will be carried live onjapanese television, there is massive interest in this case because of course, carlos ghosn is a very famous public figure here in japan, but the prosecutors under this system that we have here in japan have been able to selectively lea k japan have been able to selectively leak a lot of negative information about mr ghosn leak a lot of negative information about mrghosn and leak a lot of negative information about mr ghosn and the accusations against him, that is really turn lot public opinion against him over this period during which he has been detained. thank you so much for that update outside the tokyo courthouse. let's take a look at some of the day's other news.

the us partial government shutdown has entered its third week. president trump says that he will visit the us—mexican border on thursday and make a televised statement to explain why he wants $5 billion to build his border wall before he reopens the government. he's repeated his threat to call a state of national emergency if congress will not agree the funding. also making news today: the president of the world bank,jim yong kim, is leaving his post next month in an unexpected resignation. mr kim's term was due to end in 2022. the world bank says that kristalina georgieva, the chief executive officer, will take over as interim president. a nepali spiritual leader is under investigation over the disappearance of several devotees, according to police in kathmandu. ram bahadur bomjan is believed by his followers to be a reincarnation of buddha. he's also previously been accused of physically and sexually assaulting some of his flock. china has warned its citizens that anyone who misbehaves

during the upcoming chinese new year travel rush will be temporarily banned from trains and planes. travellers were reminded not to smoke on trains, steal seats reserved for others, or travel without tickets. the government says the travel campaign was part of a larger effort to improve social behaviour. the british government has been testing plans to reduce border disruption in the event of a no—deal brexit, with this convoy of 89 lorries taking part in two exercises at a disused airport in the uk. officials said the traffic ran smoothly, but critics say the process should have begun months earlier. to bangkok now, where an 18—year—old saudi woman — rahaf alqunun — has been taken into the care of the united nations refugee agency.

she became the centre of international attention after a weekend hiding in a hotel room and refusing to leave. she said she feared deportation back home, where she could be killed by herfamily. jonathan head sent this report. i'm still in the room. erm... i have no choice. more than a day after her arrival, ra haf alqunun was more than a day after her arrival, rahaf alqunun was still barricading herself in her airport hotel room, sending out messages of defiance and pleas for help. i'm not leaving my room until i see unhcr. i want asylum. she said her family would kill her for running away. she had also renounced islam, she said, which in saudi arabia is punishable by death. thailand officials said it was a family matter and they would deport her.

yet a blaze of publicity forced a change of heart. the immigration chief coming now telling me she would not be forced to go back. "i'm using my authority to let her enter thailand," said general surachate hakparn, "and to put her under "united nations supervision." that's unusual in thailand. a senior un official was quickly dispatched to the airport and given firm promises about her safety. i am confident in the reassurances provided by the commissioner for immigration and other thai government officials. you're confident she won't be suddenly sent back? well, that. . .that. .. i — we have received assurances and guarantees that that will not happen. well, throughout today, this hotel has been the scene of extraordinary comings and goings, with officials going in and out, trying to persuade the young saudi woman to come out of her room. at one point, we thought she'd be deported. now we know that thailand has given her an entry permit, the un is involved, and her request for asylum, they say, will be properly assessed. it might have been a very different ending.

another saudi woman — deported in similar circumstances — has not been seen since she went back. rahaf‘s case is very symbolic of many, many women in saudi arabia who remain trapped in abusive situations. they cannot travel abroad, they cannot obtain a passport, or exit prison without the consent of their male guardians. this young woman has certainly been lucky, although her ultimate fate is still unclear. jonathan head, bbc news, bangkok. and of course, we are continuing to monitor rahaf‘s situation. the north korean leader kimjong—un is in china for a summit with the chinese leader, xijinping. it will be the fourth summit between the two leaders and comes as us president trump says negotiations are underway to decide the location for his next summit with kim jong—un. we've just had confirmation

from north korea that kimjong—un is indeed on his way to china, so he's thought to be his 35th birthday will be spent perhaps meeting with president xi, this will be the fourth meeting between the two. it's also worth noting that the last time that the two have met, it's come before major series of summits, so either with the south korean president moonjae—in or the us president, donald trump. when it comes to that summit with donald trump there is a lot of speculation once again as to whether location will be. it was in singapore last time. what is the location to be? what's the speculation? you and i remember very well the number of times i was on your programme speculating

as to where the summit might be between kim jong—un and donald trump, and indeed, it was going to go ahead. we're not quite sure and getting various reports from south korean newspapers who say they have sources telling them it may be in hanoi. others say mongolia or perhaps here at the demilitarised zone kim jong—un met president moonjae—in, various locations being touted. the main thing will be what progress can be made with a second summit and where is the current progress? some people will say we've gotten everywhere in the last year. kim jong—un has met with president moon, he's also met donald trump and president xi, he's stepped onto the global platform and is engaging with the international community, but it depends where you put that progress gauge. no nuclear weapons have changed hands, there is no indication that north korea is going to give up any of its nuclear weapons and it seems to be dictating the terms by which to negotiate.

if you are looking at that site and the united states said they wanted a complete irreversible denuclearisation, that won't happen, but the meetings themselves could be seen as progress. i want to take it to live pictures just coming in from beijing, where we are expecting the arrival of kim jong—un for that fourth summit. china inviting kim jong—un jong—un for that fourth summit. china inviting kimjong—un to come to see president xi jinping. so china inviting kimjong—un to come to see president xijinping. so lies pictures there this imminent visit. this will be a three—day visit and he will be arriving on board his arm and train, apparently, accompanied by officials and also his wife. of course, there is a lot of speculation as to whether this will bea speculation as to whether this will be a prelude to the summit that will be a prelude to the summit that will be taking place donald trump, and yes, a lot of talk where that summit will be. —— armoured. we are expecting kim jong—un to arrive in beijing shortly.

actor kevin spacey appeared in court on the island of nantucket today, charged with sexually assaulting an 18—year—old man in a bar there in 2016. the oscar winner and house of cards star said nothing but was given bail, and lawyers entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf. 0ur north america correspondent nick bryant was in the courtroom, and has this report. this was a journey kevin spacey didn't want to make. touching down on this jet—set island, before completing a televised drive to his first appearance in court. clear the sidewalk, please. clear the sidewalk, clear the sidewalk. his legal team argued he shouldn't have to appear in person because of the negative publicity that's already surrounded this case. but the actor who's spent so much of his life in front of the cameras found it impossible today to avoid them. there was even a live stream from the courtroom to record the charge levelled against him. this complaint charges that in the town of nantucket onjuly 8th, 2016, did commit indecent assault and battery on a person 1a or over. the oscar—winning actor shared a joke with his lawyer, but did not address the court.

he's pleaded not guilty and agreed not to approach his accuser. stay away and no contact with the victim and the victim's family. thank you. nantucket is the playground of america's elites. and in the summer of 2016, kevin spacey is alleged to have sexually assaulted an 18—year—old waiter. during a late night drinking session in this bar, he's accused of unzipping the man's trousers and groping his groin for about three minutes — an encounter that he claims was consensual. i will never cease... the actor was fired from the hit drama, house of cards, because of multiple sexual assault allegations against him. and you trusted me, even though you knew you shouldn't. but bizarrely, he revived his character, president frank underwood, in a video posted online shortly after he was charged. you and i both know it's never that simple, not in politics and not in life. but you wouldn't believe the worst without evidence, would you? you wouldn't rush to judgments

without facts, would you? 0utside court, he confronted another wall of lenses. what are your feelings today, mr spacey? but chose not to answer our questions. mr spacey... mr spacey? kevin spacey has already been dondemned in the court of global opinion, but now a legal process is under way. he flew out minutes afterwards on that private jet, but a trial now is in the offing, where the public scrutiny will be intense. nick bryant, bbc news, nantucket. you're watching newsday on the bbc. still to come on the programme... a british woman murdered in beijing — still unsolved after 80 years. now there are new theories about what really happened also coming up on the programme: we join the dutch army on the frontline against islamist insurgents in the west african country of mali. the japanese people are in mourning

following the death of emperor hirohito. thousands converged on the imperial palace to pay their respects when it was announced he was dead. "good grief." after half a century of delighting fans around the world, charlie brown and the rest of the gang are calling it quits. the singer paul simon starts his tour of south africa tomorrow, in spite of protests and violence from some black activist groups. they say international artists should continue to boycott south africa until majority rule is established. teams were trying to scoop up lumps of oil as france recognises it faces an ecological crisis. three weeks ago, the authorities confidently assured these areas that oil from the broken tanker erika would head out to sea. it didn't. the world's tallest skyscraper opens later today. the burj dubai has easily overtaken its nearest rivals. this is newsday on the bbc.

i'm rico hizon in singapore. i'm kasia madera in london. our top stories: seven weeks after his arrest on allegations of financial misconduct, former nissan chairman carlos ghosn is due make his first appearance in a tokyo court. thailand says an 18—year—old saudi woman who's seeking asylum will not be deported against her will. mali has become the epicentre of the global war on terror as both al-qaeda and the islamic state group exert their influence. this increases the challenges facing a multinational un peacekeeping mission, which was established to oversee a peace deal between the government and rebel groups. the bbc has gained exclusive access with the dutch army on a reconnaissance mission in northern mali. 0ur africa security correspondent tomi 0ladipo has this report.

a resupply run into the heart of the sahel. the dutch army are on the move on a reconnaissance patrol to mali's troubled border with niger and burkina faso. dangerous and ungoverned territory. this is the first time the un has been here. they are here to meet locals and gather what information they can on violent extremist groups. they are the eyes and ears of the force commander. rough terrain means it's tough going, and they're not always welcomed. malian soldiers are unhappy with this intrusion. a brief stand—off ensued between two armies that are supposed to be

on the same side. access is finally granted to meet the village elders. we're at the office of the mayor of this town. he has been speaking to the dutch contingent, expressing concern about security, border crossings and people coming from neighbouring countries unchecked. this is what the un mission in mali is meant to look like, engaging with local communities, seeking to win hearts and minds. but it's rare. this dutch effort is only a drop in the ocean. getting the messaging across in remote areas can be a challenge. but what happens with the intelligence that this operation gathers? we are not the unit responsible for what connects with this. so, if we provide you with information, someone needs

to act on that. as night falls, a drone is spotted. it's not a friendly one. a few hours later it returns. eyes in the sky hovering above the camp. a search is launched to find the drone operator using a thermal imaging camera. and then... a warning to whoever it is to back off, as an illumination mortar lights up the night. only one country stands between mali and the mediterranean, making this un mission of particular interest. we do not want mali to become the next failed state where the terrorists have freedom of action. at the same time, we don't want mali to be a transit area for everything we do not want to see smuggled into europe. the dutch make up only a small part of a much larger un mission. but how much impact can they have

in such a vast ungoverned space when many of their partners appear to be simply going through the motions? there is agreement that mali would be worse off if the un were to leave. but, at a cost of $1 billion a year and no end in sight, for how much longer will contributing nations be prepared to pay for peace in mali? it was the 8th of january, in 1937, and a 19—year—old british woman was brutally murdered on the streets of beijing. the killer was never found but the mysterious death of pamela werner is still being investigated in the form of rival books. 0ur correspondent stephen mcdonell has been finding out why this gruesome killing continues to draw so much attention. it's january 8th, 1937. the foreign legation quarter of old beijing,

and pamela werner is walking to her death. she was probably bludgeoned to death. her internal organs were removed. there's debate about who killed her and why. he would have almost instantly realised what he looked at was his dead daughter. over 80 years later, lars ulrik thom offers a monthly walking tour, tracing herfinal hours. when you have a murder ignites such interest that you can make people care about the narrative during beijing during the 1930s than they would otherwise have no relationship to. she was a russian—jewish orphan who grew up in beijing and adopted by edward werner, who would spend the rest of his life trying to solve his daughter's murder. the former british diplomat‘s correspondence was found

by author paul french, who wrote a best—selling book that has pretty much become the accepted interpretation of events. mr werner thought that his daughter and others had been led to a party. when pamela realised what was happening, something went wrong. it was a popular book, a good book and enjoyable to read, but it may prove incorrect. from a police perspective it did not make sense to me. she was found somewhere around here? just on the other side of this wall. former policeman graeme sheppard had his own dive into the archives, and has now written a rival book about the murder. i think the stronger likelihood is that it was a former chinese schoolfriend of pamela's. paul french is dismissive of the student killer theory. to assume that a 19—year—old or a teenage student who was dating her would suddenly decide to murder her, that seems, frankly, to be desired. graeme sheppard's interest

in the case was sparked by an ancestor‘s involvement. his wife's grandfather was in charge of the failed inquest. and her family was angry at how he was betrayed in paul's book. paul french says this means graeme sheppard is not an impartial investigator. but graeme sheppard says paul french's book relies too heavily on the letters of a grieving father. so there you have it. duelling authors, pens drawn, different killers. this complicated historical showdown could well be coming to a literary festival near you. in the meantime, the mystery continues, with plenty of others developing their own theories of a murder that will almost certainly never be solved. intriguing stuff and the mystery

does, rico, continue. you have been watching newsday. i'm kasia madera in london. and i'm rico hizon in singapore. stay with us. coming up. we'll have more on the former nissan chairman's day in court. it comes almost two months after his shock arrest. we will see you shortly, rico. and, as you know, christmas well and truly over, what better way to get rid of old trees than the annual christmas tree throwing contest in germany? it could possibly become the latest discipline in the winter olympics. it has everything from the hammer to the highjump. and this year there were quite a few world records. from rico, from me, from the whole newsday team, goodbye. hello there. northern parts of the uk on monday were particularly blustery. winds gusts in excess of 70 miles an hour for some. but i think its eastern areas that

will see the strongest weather through the day ahead. the swirl of cloud is responsible for that very windy weather in the north on monday. sliding its way eastwards towards scandinavia, but on its western flank we are still bringing in strong wind brisk northerly winds particularly close to those eastern coastal areas. the wind will feed a couple of showers in towards the east of the uk at times through the day, but generally speaking, though, we are generally looking at a lot of dry weather. some spells of sunshine, fairly large areas of cloud floating around as well. it'll be breezy wherever you are, but if you spend a day close to the east coast of scotland you can expect wind gusts of 40—45mph, a couple of showers drifting through as well. down the east coast of england, wind gusts the same but may be close to 50 miles an hour for some spots around the east anglian coastline. combine those strong winds with high tide and there is the risk

of some coastal flooding. temperature between six and nine degrees, but when you factor in the strength of the wind, it will probably feel a bit colder than that. it stays pretty breezy in eastern areas as we go through tuesday night with the potential of a couple of showers. 0ut west, where the wind is lighter and the sky is clear, parts of western scotland and northern england, maybe down into the midlands, we could see a touch of frost, but many places will start wednesday morning just above freezing. during wednesday it will still be breezy, not quite as windy as it will have been on tuesday, and that wind still feeding some showers in across some eastern parts of england. we also see cloud thickening for northern ireland and western scotland, a bit of patchy rain here late in the day. in between, some spells of sunshine, those temperatures is struggling a little — seven or eight degrees. it is set to turn milder as we head towards the end of the week, high pressure builds its way back in and we start to bring the winds back in from the atlantic. so it is from the north—west going to turn a little bit milder.

holding onto some chilly air across the south—east on thursday. some places could begin with a touch of frost but i think that is where we will see the best of the sunshine through the day. also, north—east england and eastern scotland will see in some sunshine, generally a bit of cloud, maybe the off spot of drizzle, but towards the west, things start to turn milder. through friday into the weekend, all of us will get into the milder air. there will always be a lot of cloud and some rain at times, especially in the north. i'm kasia madera with bbc news. our top story: the former boss of nissan, carlos ghosn, is to make his first appearance in court in tokyo. it will be his first public appearance since his arrest in november, on allegations that he under—reported his income by tens of millions of dollars. he's expected to ask why he's been held for so long. the 18—year—old saudi woman who had been hiding in a bangkok airport hotel is being looked after by the un refugee agency. she said she feared she could be killed by her family. and this story is

trending on bbc.com. these bluebottle man o' wars have stung thousands of beachgoers in queensland, australia, forcing the closure of many beaches. around 13,000 stings have been recorded in just the past week. that's all from me. stay with us here on bbc world news. our top story in the uk: theresa may has held a downing street reception