i'm kasia madera in london. for an historic summit where he will meet us president donald trump. the headlines: he arrived at the chinese border city of dandong on saturday night, on his way to the much anticipated lights, cameras, awards — second us—north korea nuclear it's hollywood's big night, summit, scheduled for but who will be the middle of this week. pope francis has promised concrete celebrating at the oscars? action to tackle child sex abuse. the pope said the clergy guilty donald meets kim, the sequel. north korea's leader is on his way of abuse were "tools of satan". to hanoi for his second summit with president trump. and this video is trending on bbc.com. i'm rico hizon in singapore. the duke and duchess of sussex also in the programme, are in morocco where they've been meeting schoolgirls in the atlas mountains. it's harry and meghan‘s last official foreign tour before they become parents. victims of clerical sexual abuse have said pope francis' promise to protect children from paedophile priests is a stunning let—down. and colombia says more than 100 venezuelan soldiers have deserted good luck to them. that is all from as political pressure builds me. stay with bbc news. on president maduro. now on bbc news it's time

for hardtalk with zeinab badawi. welcome to hardtalk with me, zeinab badawi. does comedy have the power to transcend borders, religions, and politics? and can build bridges between different communities who may miss trust and misunderstand one another? well, my guest to date thinks so. is one of the arab world's most popular comedians, nemr abou nassar. brought up in the united states and lebanon, he quit hisjob as united states and lebanon, he quit his job as an insurance broker to become a stand—up comic. he believes humourcan become a stand—up comic. he believes humour can change the world. but does he risk promoting misunderstanding and perpetuating stereotypes through his comedy?

nemr abou nassar, welcome to hardtalk. thank you so much for having me. there you are at the age of five in united states watching television and you decided there and then that you want to do either be a stand—up comedian or a ninja turtle. why not a ninja turtle? well, the stem cell research is not where it should be. and i think religious people oppose it. a musing stand—up comedy to finance the ninja turtle dream. in this cross. will see what happens. you are lebanese american, yourfamily moved happens. you are lebanese american, your family moved to san happens. you are lebanese american, yourfamily moved to san diego happens. you are lebanese american, your family moved to san diego when your family moved to san diego when you were two years of age because of the civil war at the time in lebanon. and you went back to lebanon. and you went back to lebanon when you were ten years of age. how important is this dual identity to you as a comic? it's. .. i think it gives me the only reason

iam i think it gives me the only reason i am worth watching, really. get me that perspective. because i have, an equal parts are lebanese avei and an equal parts are lebanese avei and an equal parts are lebanese avei and an equal part is american. i think they are two very interesting lives to live. when you grow up in america everything is given to you. there is stability, an infrastructure that is nurturing for a child to grow up in a very secure and safe environment, and then you take a child a new transport him into a post— civil war lebanon and it is the polar opposite. there is no infrastructure, neither for opposite. there is no infrastructure, neitherfor children or anyone at the time we got that. it was after the civil war. so you go from having a school where you had an ocean view and everything was nice and there were better than ever been, to a country that has ocean views but there are bullet holes everywhere and stop. it was a jarring experience. and so is that what made you, to use your own words, a purpose driven comedian. you want to actually build bridges between communities, the arab world, and the non— arab world is.|j between communities, the arab world, and the non- arab world is. i think the reason it morphed into that is because i have had perfect harmony

between my american and arab side. i have never found that there is anything that could not be harmonious the tweet me too. so when i see the lack of harmony between b two sides of the world it surprises me andi two sides of the world it surprises me and i feel that using my comedy i can easily reflect on what i have a bring them together. so why not? to be honest comedy think that harmony express you have and ease in american society is to do with the fa ct american society is to do with the fact that you are christian arab?|j fact that you are christian arab?” don't think so. because nobody in america things unchristian. everybody in america presumes a muslim. so any time i do tv or radio they end up asking me questions as they end up asking me questions as they was on. and they end up answering without telling them i am christian until the very end. and then, usually, because they will be saying something very critical of islam, and at the end when they are convinced and the argument has been won, for lack of a better term, and then i tell them, by the way, i am christian. a neatly why didn't you tell us earlier? and then i will say idid not tell us earlier? and then i will say i did not want to be the reason you

wouldn't believe me. you think they wouldn't believe me. you think they would look upon you less favourably? no, is it is asking me a question about islam and i say, well, first of all, i am a christian, ifeel like that is me saying i don't want you to associate me with islam. which i would mind for stuy would —— i would be more than prattley associated with any religion. your fiance is in fact muslim. in lebanon, we have killed each other for so long. and be won anything. and i think we realised it is not working. so there is also a harmony... nobody cares any more. it is not about what religion you are, it is about who you are. your religion does not define you. it is what you do as a religious person or not that defines it. so that realisation comes to be naturally stop what it is just when you said that you want to promote greater understanding and you have said arabs have not been able to export your culture effectively to the west, but so much of that arab culture in so many people's mind, both in the arab world and outside, has a lot to do with islam, hasn't

it? well, it does. but the beauty of arab culture doesn't have to do with religion. i think religion is a reflection of arab culture. that is what i've always thought. but what is arab culture? i mean lebanon... hospitality. you see women wearing bathing suit on the beach. in many parts of the golf you see then covered. for me, arab culture isn't a language. i speak english fluently. a language. i speak english flu e ntly. we a language. i speak english fluently. we have people who speak arabic only, people speak english, we are all of the same habits and customs. i think the culture isn't a language, it isn't a religion, what it is is the hospitality. for me i have always defined arabs as people who when you walk into the home it becomes your home. people who will a lwa ys becomes your home. people who will always do something to make you feel at ease. if they are eating, you mustjoin us for a meal. for me these are the things that are boys be distinctive. we know they generosity, hospitality is a great virtue in the arab culture. for me i

like the old school arab culture of honour and ability. pre— isis and all this other stuff when this is what we were branded as. when i first went to lebanon from america, i was surprised by the spirit of the people. the arab spirit is a spirit that refuses to be dominated, it refuses to be shut down. and in lebanon i was to find lebanese people as people who, no matter how ha rd people as people who, no matter how hard you push them down, they still would not collapse. and i think that is something that defines what an arab is a. but a lot of people now, rightly or wrongly, to find being arab as being muslim and, u nfortu nately, arab as being muslim and, unfortunately, there is a tiny minority amongst the muslims who have caused —— who of course carry out acts of terror —— divide. have caused —— who of course carry out acts of terror -- divide. yes, of course. that has become the defining feature... and i blame arabs for that. and i do that is unapologetically put a widow pushback. jussie, in america you

have timothy brady, you have a bunch of white people who blow buildings at —— jussie, of white people who blow buildings at ——jussie, in of white people who blow buildings at —— jussie, in america. of white people who blow buildings at ——jussie, in america. much more doesn't act. they do not get branded under that. what we get branded with an arab society, as you mention, we do not export our culture today, obviously our culture is exporting mathematics, sciences, alcan traditions can't be denied, but nobody knows that. we have a problem when extremism comes out within an effective way of addressing it. we don't have a seinfeld... you are talking about jerry seinfeld ?” don't have a seinfeld... you are talking about jerry seinfeld? i am talking about jerry seinfeld? i am talking about jerry seinfeld? i am talking about the show. we don't have friends, movies, getting people to love arab culture in the way that arabs love american culture. one where you think you can tackle this is that you use jokes about ids, the so—called islamic state, or isis, in your repertoire, is there anything funny about is is, isis? first of

all, comedy is the biggest weapon in the biggest war in the world today is the war of narrative. it is and weapons, even if you look at is, the circle islam exec, they are pushing an ideology, their battle is to push an ideology, their battle is to push an ideology, their battle is to push an ideology of hatred, it is in their tactical brilliance, it is their tactical brilliance, it is their ability to recruit people —— so—called islamic state. the most powerful weapon of narrative is comedy. if you make a joke out of isis, and in my comedy, what they do isa isis, and in my comedy, what they do is a show the power of humour, how when three isis suicide bombers were themselves up in lebanon, kill 56 people, the next day the lebanese we re people, the next day the lebanese were making jokes. that is our lebanon has addled violence. we make jokes because we don't allow the enemy to realise... that is jokes amongst the lebanese people. but when you tell these kind ofjokes to the western audience you are just perpetuating the stereotype of, he's and arab american comedian he's talk about acts of terror and terrorists and so on for you are just

perpetuating the stereotypes will stop no, i'm not. as well as making it very clear that we are subject to terrorism. when i start talking about ice is blowing people up it comes as a surprise that we suffer from. they thought we were isis. already you are starting to pushback against that. and we are dealing with the spirit of how arabs deal with the spirit of how arabs deal with extreme situations. by making jokes you are showing the enemy they did not get you. that is how you demoralise them. but the families of the victims of isis their atrocious jokes, the wanton killing, the exceptional expectation of girls and women is able, do you really think that the families of the stick them is would think these are funny? -- the settlers were treated. yeah. because only the families of victims in lebanon, they have help me write these jokes by telling them some themselves. my show is two hours long. the isis trekkersjust themselves. my show is two hours long. the isis trekkers just a few minutes. it is not the entirety of the chauffeur stoppered as part of an overall message. joan rivers said soon after the tragedy of 9/11 she

started making jokes about the 3000 widows who have lost their husbands in the attack and she said after she had made thatjoke she was spat at on the street and... i have never madejokes about on the street and... i have never made jokes about the victims. i have made jokes about the victims. i have madejokes about made jokes about the victims. i have made jokes about the victims. i have made jokes about the violent people, isis. for us, thejokes... made jokes about the violent people, isis. for us, the jokes... she talked about the families of the victims. it would help if something we re victims. it would help if something were to hear thejoke, but victims. it would help if something were to hear the joke, but the joke and the context of it is how we made fun of isis by making them thejoke. so like they are wearing flip—flops and they are fighting a kind of thing. and that makes them seem weak and they are not. they may have lost caliphate. .. and they are not. they may have lost caliphate... are they not weak? they lost the calvert. they were not able to come in to lebanon. and lebanon isa to come in to lebanon. and lebanon is a very weak country. so you think jokes about isis, is, help them be defeated. it helped in lebanon. if there any subject you would notjoke about? there is a lot of debate

about? there is a lot of debate about the red lines, and so on. would you joke about the profits of islam? no, i wouldn't. why would you joke about the profits of islam? no, iwouldn't. why would i do that? i was wondering whether you have any life that you draw. for me i draw the line on a joke only works if it is clever and funny and provide some kind of perspective. i know how to do shock comedy. there area know how to do shock comedy. there are a lot of comedians today he will makejokes are a lot of comedians today he will make jokes about religion or whatever and they say i don't care if you get offended... for me, i care. i want you to get my message. at the end of the day, and tried to unite people and bring people together. it is not a interest to do jokes that the people in the bad light. you don't want to offend anybody. i don't want to offend a summary anybody. i don't want to offend a summary for the sake of offending summary. summary for the sake of offending summary. you know that british comedian rikki jameis says event is never given, it is taken. he also said if you are offended it does not mean you are right. and i never go to talk about another comedian and how they do theirjokes. where do i agree with ricky gervais is is as comedians, when we put our material

out there, it is for people to take it or leave it. that people to get offended and you worry, kalex orban people, i guess that is your modus operandi. for me it is important that we push towards a certain goal. i think political correctness has been a bit overstated. i haven't had a problem with political correctness, because when they have gone into situations i have found that maybe i should reword the joke a bit different me to get the point across. if there is a pointer to a joke you are good. if you are just making thejoke, joke you are good. if you are just making the joke, you asked joke you are good. if you are just making thejoke, you asked me if i make fun of the prophet muhammad or sayjesus, or any religious figure, i was sayjesus, or any religious figure, iwas ina sayjesus, or any religious figure, i was in a show in qatar, recently, where a comedian madejokes i was in a show in qatar, recently, where a comedian made jokes about jesus and the crowd was shut down. and he came up to the show and said i thought qatar was muslim, why are they loving? said it is not because they loving? said it is not because they are pro—1 religion, they don't wa nt they are pro—1 religion, they don't want you to make fun of people's bates, because that is sacred. jesus is also wait printable prophet of the muslims. but in this particular comedian's ignorance, he thought i

make checks onjesus they will applaud. you mention political correctness now. there is a debate amongst comedians. jerry seinfeld, for example, talking to bbc, the american comedian, that the college audiences have become too quick to condemn a joke as a racist or sexist. do you agree with that?” haven't had that experience. personally, i haven't. maybe your jokes arejust too personally, i haven't. maybe your jokes are just too safe.” personally, i haven't. maybe your jokes are just too safe. i highly doubt it. my material is highly controversial. the subject matter is ideal with this stuff people shy away from. however, i have a way of dealing with that, i have done shows that many universities, all over the world, i think because my purpose isn't to get the love, my purpose is to get the laugh the point across. that i always hypersensitive to if it is not working, why isn't it working? i don't like to push my views on people. i want people to accept my views. if you laugh at some guy and challenging you with andi some guy and challenging you with and i have convinced you, that is my

ultimate goal. that is the power of comedy. another comedian believes that an audience's aldridge are sometimes justified. is that an audience's aldridge are sometimesjustified. is that that an audience's aldridge are sometimes justified. is that i don't think it is a bad thing for comics to consider the impact of the with their choosing. and i don't think it is killing comedy. is political correctness limiting? has his career suffered ? has his career suffered? comics who are worth anything, this discussion we had about our yes, it is not going to hurt my career because if you are doing it for a specific purpose, people know what you are about. political correctness has forced me to take some words out of my act but come up with newjokes, without having a pre— are preordained. can you give me an

example? i would say friends thinking was retarded. coming from lebanon, it is based on its french origin meaning late. somebody messaged me after i used it and said ido messaged me after i used it and said i do not like that word. and had to walk out. we had a dialogue and he explained to me the use of the word. it was not... late schizophrenic. that is how you change... that did not hurt my act when i changed it. when i felt i needed to get a joke across used to say the word pussy, like stop being the pussy. the reason is because i understand the

origin of the word, from the 16th century. now it has become basta dies. when i said it onstage because consternation. i then wrote about its origin and then people started applauding and people applauded. and isaid it applauding and people applauded. and i said it is worth remembering that an arab brought the pussy back. had it not been for the political correct reaction i got but because my intense was the people to enjoy the show, had to find a way how to make it enjoyable or cut it out. self—censorship for political correctness... there are things... i mean, you have to be a mature adult,

you have to be educated. if there is a word you are using that is not necessary and an offence people... but comedians limit themselves in other ways because of censorship which is a different thing. you perform all over the world, including saudi arabia. any legal... last year to a mixed audience is that it was wonderful to see huge progress. how powerful it is when people come together and stand up comedy can rise to its full potential. you do not say everything you want to in saudi arabia? my goodness, no. stay away from religion, which i already do, and politics, meaning the king of whichever country. and you can say

anything you want. why except that kind of censorship is mac as an arab, ifind it disrespectful to go into another country and the challenge... but you are an arab going into an arab country...m challenge... but you are an arab going into an arab country... it is the most easy, done over subject in comedy. it is a simple scapegoat. it ta kes a comedy. it is a simple scapegoat. it takes a certain person and talk about what they do wrong. it is difficult to talk about the society thatis difficult to talk about the society that is allowing these people to be in power. ideal with that is allowing these people to be in power. idealwith the that is allowing these people to be in power. ideal with the society... you are giving an elaborate answer to the fact that you cannot say what you want to say... because you would be arrested. i do not care about

being arrested. i be arrested. i do not care about being arrested. 114 illegal shows before the legal thing happen... there was a fatwa against you. there was. as i continued to slowly push the envelope, i have a responsibility towards the crowd. if i were to do so that to insult the king, i would i were to do so that to insult the king, iwould be i were to do so that to insult the king, i would be kicked out of the country but the people in the show are injeopardy. as a pioneer, i have to craft my way. when i first started doing shows injordan to now, one can say is started doing shows injordan to now, one can say is not only different but other comedians... the iranian american comedian says the reason i criticise the government in the united states is because we can.

that is why we came to america because we have freedom of speech. you do not have that in so many arab countries and surely it is a matter of regret for you? freedom of speech is definitely a matter of regret, forget comedy. even political humour in america is cheap, it is stated. ifi in america is cheap, it is stated. if i make a trumpjob in america is cheap, it is stated. if i make a trump job today and in america is cheap, it is stated. if i make a trumpjob today and is not get re—elected, i cannot do that joke again. but you do make trump jokes. he said you have a joke about why some arab americans voted the trump is because some are tired of having relatives visit from overseas. that is a throwaway joke. everybody expects me to say it a particular joke

everybody expects me to say it a particularjoke about donald trump. when you are making fun of donald trump, what are you making fun of? yewtree, racism. 1 trump, what are you making fun of? yewtree, racism. itake trump, what are you making fun of? yewtree, racism. 1 take the name out of thejoke yewtree, racism. 1 take the name out of the joke and keep the bases. ——it does not bring anything to the people. we are seeing comedy festivals across the world and you say you are proud of comedy in the middle east and how it is a release by young people. should they not be challenging their energy into venting their frustration in a political way, through at this, to effect the changes that they want to see? that is an outstandingly good question. when comedy started

changing, it started with lenny bruce... a jewish community who changing, it started with lenny bruce... ajewish community who died in the mid—1960s. bruce... ajewish community who died in the mid-1960s. committed suicide. he was outlawed the perform in many cities because of censorship. he was taken to court, stripped of everything, ended up killing himself. started pushing that envelope. then we have richard pryor... and yet start to realise the daily comedy is a powerful form of start to realise the daily comedy is a powerfulform of activism. in the middle east, it is such an infantile scene, that started in 1989 with one kid and you have from that, in the past 20 years, you have comedy clu bs, past 20 years, you have comedy clubs, a healthy way of expression,

uniting people, bringing christians, muslims and dues together.“ uniting people, bringing christians, muslims and dues together. if that is not activism, i do not know what is. yes, it is not at its peak and we have free speech issues but 20 yea rs we have free speech issues but 20 years ago the issues were less. if we do not get out there and improve the situation, it is never going to change. it sucks the me but we have to do what we have to do. the comedy can change the world, build bridges and also help bring change within countries. if i was to put an american and arab in one room, from all different backgrounds, everyone in one room and they are all laughing at the same joke? what does that say? they are more similar than they are led to believe and when they are led to believe and when they leave that room, it will be

harderfor they leave that room, it will be harder for them they leave that room, it will be harderfor them to be they leave that room, it will be harder for them to be at odds with each other. i filmed a special in lebanon and los angeles but did not reveal i was cutting between the two shows. thank you to being on hardtalk. what a difference a year makes. at the end of february 2019, we were feeling the effect of the beast from the east, the coldest mass of air to affect the uk in a number of years. widespread cold and snow and

widespread disruption. fast forward and it could not be more different. ourair not coming and it could not be more different. our air not coming from the east, instead we are bringing it up from the south—west and this has brought exceptional warmth. on sunday afternoon, parts of western wales got up to 19.1 degrees, provisionally that is a new record for wales in february and more to come. in the next few days, warm sunshine, frosty nights and foggy mornings. only slowly will it start to turn more unsettled but not particularly cold. monday morning, quite chilly particularly in the south. well below freezing in one or two places. not as cold here. some listed as a round. fog patches most likely through parts of yorkshire and up to north—east england. when the fog develops it could be quite

dense and slow to clear. through monday, most of us and join blue skies and sunshine apart from the far north of scotland with rain outbreaks. look at the temperatures. one or two spots could hit 19 degrees. nine would be more typical for this time of year. it is all because of high pressure sitting to the south—east of the uk. not many isobars on the chart. light winds to ta ke isobars on the chart. light winds to take us to tuesday morning. almost a sunny day. maybe the odd spot of rain in the north—west scotland otherwise it is dry and still exceptionally warm for the time of year. as we get into wednesday, more for developing at this stage. foggy murky start. much shifting through the day. some patches of lingering for the good part of wednesday. in the sunshine, it will feel warm. things start to change on thursday.

a little weather system tries to push in the walls of the south. on a frontal system towards the north with the potential of rain. but not for all of us. increasing chance of rank, breezy weather and turning cooler as we turned towards the weekend.