this is bbc news. the headlines: in the most staying dry, showers in the east of england. american prosecutors have announced charges againstjulian assange, of wikileaks, and the uk government must now decide whether to extradite him. welcome to bbc news, broadcasting to viewers he was taken into custody in north america when ecuador withdrew the protection of its embassy in london and around the globe. after nearly seven years. our top stories: he faces conspiracy charges american prosecutors announce in the us related to one of the biggest ever leaks charges againstjulian assange of government secrets. thousands of protestors have been of wikileaks, arrested in london after seven years in hiding. rallying in sudan despite a curfew, his lawyer says they'll fight and the military coup which has extradition to the us. removed long—time president omar al—bashir. this sets a dangerous precedent for after 30 years of dictatorial rule, a military council is now all media organisations and in charge in khartoum. journalists in europe and also a french court has ruled in favour around the world. of a farmer who blames defying a curfew, huge the us biotechnology firm, monsanto, crowds take to the streets of sudan's capital as the military for his health problems. seizes power after 30 paul francois says he became ill years of dictatorship. after inhaling a now—banned weedkiller made by monsanto. after a decade of legal battles, a french cerealfarmer he has accused the company of giving wins his case against the american agricultural giant monsanto over insufficient safety warnings. the safety of its weedkiller. the first privately—funded mission to the moon ends in failure.

the israeli spacecraft made the distance, but couldn't make the landing. wikilea ks co—founder julian assange faces possible extradition to the united states on conspiracy charges, related to one of the biggest ever leaks of government secrets. he was arrested on thursday at ecuador‘s embassy in london, where he took refuge in 2012, and has now been found guilty of failing to surrender to a court. he fled to the embassy to avoid extradition to sweden over a sexual assault case, since dropped. the uk government must decide whether to send him to the us. james landale reports. this was the momentjulian assange's seven years of self—imposed asylum came to an end.

older, greyer perhaps, but still defiant, still protesting. we must resist! you can resist! the ecuadorian authorities revoked his asylum and allowed in the police to arrest him for breaching bail. inside, he had resisted the officers, shouting, "this is unlawful, i'm not leaving!" before they handcuffed him and led him outside. what we've shown today is that no—one is above the law. julian assange is no hero, he has hidden from the truth for years and years. and it is right that his future should be decided in the british judicial system. this afternoon, assange was brought to westminster magistrates' court. he gave a thumbs—up to supporters outside. and inside, he waved to the public gallery. but the judge called him a narcissist, with a laughable defence, and found him guilty of failing to surrender to the court in 2012. he was remanded in custody and will be sentenced at a later date.

he's also facing conspiracy charges in the united states, relating to a massive leak of government secrets almost a decade ago. this sets a dangerous precedent for all media organisations and journalists in europe and elsewhere around the world. this precedent means that any journalist can be extradited for prosecution in the united states, for having published truthful information about the united states. the wikileaks website that julian assange founded has, over the years, published hundreds of thousands of secret military and diplomatic documents, many from the us. revelations that government officials argued put lives at risk. perhaps the most disturbing leak was this video, of a us military helicopterfiring at iraqi civilians and journalists in a 2007 attack that left at least ten dead. this pertains to publishing

work nine years ago. publishing of documents, of videos, of the killing of innocent civilians, exposure of war crimes. this isjournalism. it's called conspiracy, it's conspiracy to commit journalism. in 2010, assange was investigated by swedish prosecutors about claims of sexual assault, allegations he denied, and eventually avoided by seeking asylum in the ecuadorian embassy. can you hear me? from his diplomatic bolthole, he continued to campaign and defend himself, but eventually, he outstayed the welcome of his ecuadorian hosts. in particular, the new president, lenin moreno. translation: we have taken asylum away from this brat and removed a stone from our shoe. in the future we'll give asylum to people who deserve it. and not to miserable hackers whose only intention is to destabilise governments.

to some, julian assange is a champion of free speech. to others, a dangerous conspiracy theorist. either way, after almost seven years in that building, he's now at least facing justice. this evening after assange left court by a back entrance, the labour leaderjeremy corbyn said he should not be extradited. for now, the former guest of ecuador is facing a new life of confinement, initially at least at the pleasure of her majesty's government. james landale, bbc news. matt, you've written aboutjulian assange in this case, where do you stand? a brat or a hero? neither. i think this case was really more about each ofjournalism than it is about each ofjournalism than it is aboutjulian about each ofjournalism than it is about julian assange personally. he's obviously had a remarkable career, but this, the president of

this case, potentially said — it has enormous ramifications for journalists not just in enormous ramifications for journalists notjust in the united states over the world because he is a foreigner in the united states has demonstrated it would prosecute people who are not even within its own shores for conspiracy charges. in the states, journalists have considerably more protection than many other parts of the world, including here. what you think this said, he charged dog participating in the hacking of government computers with chelsea manning, charged in being involved in the theft, not just the charged in being involved in the theft, notjust the distribution, that could be more serious. the problem with the indictment, the indictment very narrowly describes one particular behaviour where allegedly assigns assisted chelsea manning in trying to crack a government password and it appears to have done so unsuccessfully

smacked assange. the government knew about this 6— seven years ago and declined to prosecute. the issue is the rest of the indictment describes behaviours that are completely consistent with the normal practices of journalists like consistent with the normal practices ofjournalists like protecting sources, attempting to prevent disclosure of sources identities does make sources'. all of these things are things we do in the course of normal practices, especially with whistleblowers like kelsey manning. so this should send hl up anyone does make hl by anyone who does any sort of intelligence reporting. do you think there will be more on the e—mails stolen in the clinton campaign? i've been following this case for 1.5 years pretty intently, neither julian

assange nor anyone from wikileaks has ever been questioned by any american officials regarding to the 2016 election. it's possible there isa 2016 election. it's possible there is a procedural reason for this, but they indicted foreign nationals from russia or its — for being involved in the 2016 hacking case. assange has never been questioned, there is no reason to expect there will be further charges on that score, however, it's possible they will be other charges related to prior activities from what i understand.” hope we can talk to you again. thank you very much for your time. after months of protesting saddam, the long—time president 0mar al—bashir has been removed from power in a military coup. after 30 years of dictatorial rule, a military council is now in charge in khartoum. but there are many questions about how much will really change in one of the world's poorest nations. 0ur africa editor

fergal keane reports. the revolution isn't over, it simply has a new enemy. the new boss, the general linked to past atrocities, declaring the old boss, president bashir, had been overthrown. translation: i announced that the former head of the regime has been removed and is in a safe place. i announce the formation of a transitional military council that will manage the matters within the period of two years. with a few words he was deposed. in an age when civil society is challenging leaders across africa, the president had seemed on movable. —— unmovable. omar al—bashir came to power in a military coup in 1989 and survived for 30 years through cunning and brutality, he was a master manipulator of his own party's factions. the indictment for genocide

in darfur in 2010 wasn't enough to force his departure. he was a pariah in the west but still welcomed in africa and the middle east. but a spiralling economic crisis last year khartoum, his face was vanishing. and for a generation which has known nothing but omar al—bashir‘s rule euphoria is understandable. translation: to see bashir stepping down is enough for us. oh, our young people, this is such a big joy. translation: the protest will go on until the sudanese people are assured that their revolution will not be stolen from them. and what of these younger soldiers who sided with the demonstrators? firing on a building where they believed bashir loyalists were preparing an attack. will they accept that the old guard attempts to hijack

the revolution? the fractures here are deep and dangerous. saddam doesn't fit into any easy political spectrum. tonight is defying the army curfew. they will do so until the people or the generals win the fight for sedan. data sudan. the son of a white police deputy in louisiana has been arrested over a series of recent fires at black churches. holden matthews, who's 21, is charged with three arson attacks on religious buildings. his father helped in the arrest. no one was hurt in the fires, but as the state governor has said, they evoked painful memories

from the civil rights era of a ‘very dark past of intimidation and fear‘. the british prime minister has been defending the six—month delay to brexit she accepted in brussels late on wednesday night. the uk was due to leave the european union on friday without having reached any agreement but now has until october 31st to find a deal that will get through parliament in london. theresa may has told mps brexit remains her priority, but many within her own party have accused her of "surrender", and called on her to resign. here's our political editor laura kuenssberg. the fury isn't so fast any more. our eu exit has slowed right down. the prime minister didn't get her way. so she was back explaining to parliament today, we might not leave the european union for another six months. statement, the prime minister. her hope still to make it happen earlier, but not many on these benches think it could be done. i deeply regret that we have not been able to secure agreement in this house for a deal that would allow us to leave in a smooth and orderly way. i know that this whole debate

is putting members on all sides of the house under immense pressure. for brexit to happen anytime soon, the prime minister needs labour to compromise, but there is still hostility between the two. the second extension in the space of a fortnight represents not only a diplomatic failure but is another milestone in the government's mishandling of the entire brexit process. the delay is toxic for some tories. perseverance is a virtue, but sheer obstinacy is not. so, prime minister... hear, hear! laughter. eurosceptics know a thing or two about being stubborn as well. does my right honourable friend the prime minister appreciate the anger that her abject surrender last night has generated across the country? will she resign? a sharp collective intake of breath. i think you know the answer to that.

and, as per usual, the tories have split. can i thank the prime minister for going out to brussels, standing up in the national interest and coming back with an extension that means we are going to avoid the car crash and disaster that would be involved in a hard brexit. nothing about brexit has happened in haste, and now the speed of this whole process is slowing down. laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster. stay with us on bbc news. including this, the committee made real, a marble staircase thought to have been claimed by christ has been restored to its original state after nearly 300 years. pol pot, one of the century's greatest mass murderers, is reported to have died of natural causes. he and the khmer rouge movement he led were responsible for the deaths of an estimated 1.7 million cambodians.

there have been violent protests in indonesia, where playboy has gone on sale for the first time. traditionalist muslim leaders have expressed disgust. the magazine's offices have been attacked and its editorial staff have gone into hiding. it was clear that paula's only contest was with the clock, and as for her sporting legacy, paula radcliffe's competitors will be chasing her new world best time for years to come. quite quietly, but quicker and quicker, she seemed just to slide away under the surface and disappear. this is bbc world news, the latest headlines: american prosecutors announce

charges against wikileaks founder, julian assange, following his arrest in london. his lawyer says he now faces extradition to the us. defying curfew orders — huge crowds take to the streets of sudan's capital after the military seizes power. staying with that story. eric reeves is a sudan researcher, analyst and author, and senior fellow at harvard university. i spoke to him earlier. he believes the military will play a key role in how the situation develops. what we most need to know is how the army will spread. we know that the most senior generals, including awad ibn auf, will stay within the council and trying to overtake the regime of omar al—bashir. but once you get lower into the ranks, brigadier generals, colonels, majors, it is a different matter and it seems to me the army will be

towards the people. if the army, insufficient numbers, sides with the uprising, that will affect a move towards civilian government. on the other hand, the security services are other hand, the security services a re loyal to other hand, the security services are loyal to this regime, other services are also backing it. they may decide to act in their best interests. you have a lot of moving parts, a lot of heavily armed and mutually suspicious bodies so we simply cannot know until we know more about how the army is going to split and which way. in heavy militarised states, so much is invested on how much money the top ra nks invested on how much money the top ranks are making under the current set—up. do you think the top ranks may have miscalculated the mood in the country? i think so. one of the

things that struck me, following the regime for over 20 years now, if they really do not know anything about economics. they had a boom 12 yea rs, about economics. they had a boom 12 years, from 1989 — 2011, petrol dollars rolled in but with the secession of south sedan and the loss of that income, the economy has begun a process of collapse that has only accelerated. it is now suffering from hyperinflation, shortage of foreign currency, critical imports of weed, bread, medicines, refined petroleum products which are necessary for transportation, pumping of water — this is an economy that is imploding and is the regime under omar al—bashir showed no sign of understanding really what was necessary. military and security budgets were 70% of the national

budgets were 70% of the national budget as a whole and there is nothing, nothing, that would suggest that awad ibn auf any idea how to reverse the collapse. he was ahead of intelligence in the four at a time when the killing was most intense. when genocide was most destructive. —— darfur. and he has taken that talented to the highest office in the land as head of this council. i know you know a lot about this subject but i will have to ask you to be brief. is there something the rest of the world can do to help? it is important that international actors of consequence make clear they will not accept awad ibn auf as head of state of sudan.

the european union today made some comments, as did the us congress but the african union and the united nations have been extremely weak. awad ibn auf cannot be recognise as head of state or it will only embolden him and those who will side with him. a french court has ruled in favour of a farmer who blames the american biotech giant, monsanto, for his health problems. paul francois says he became ill after inhaling a now—banned weedkiller made by monsanto. he has accused the company of giving insufficient safety warnings. caroline rigby reports. the imposing building of lyon's appeals court, far removed from the cereal fields paul francois once farmred, far removed from the cereal fields paul francois once farmed, but this marks the latest stage in a long legal battle for the 55—year—old. the court found us biotech giant monsanto guilty for the poisoning of paul francois, who used one of its weed killers.

translation: it is a huge sigh of relief. it has been a 12—year battle, 12 years where my life had to be put on hold and my family had to suffer. mr francois says he suffered memory loss, headaches and stammering, after inhaling vapour from the now banned herbicide. medical tests found the hazardous chemical chlorobenzene in his body and on thursday, the court ruled in favour of mr francois's claim that it made him sick and that the product's safety labelling had been inadequate. translation: this decision is a turning point in the battle against big companies, the giant manufacturers of pesticides. today, pesticide victims can hope to obtain justice from the court. mr francois is reported to be seeking more than $1 million in damages, though any compensation will be determined in a separate future ruling. bayer ag, which acquired monsanto last year, says it's considering its legal options,

including filing an appeal in france's highest court. in a statement, the german pharmaceutical company added that plant protection products... monsanto's products are used around the world. the ruling in france comes as it faces thousands of lawsuits in the united states over alleged cancer links to its bestselling glysophate based weedkiller, roundup. the company has already been found liable in two trials in california, resulting in tens of millions of dollars in damages — rulings bayer is appealing against. caroline rigby, bbc news. it was meant to be one of a kind, the first privately—funded mission to the moon. and israel's spacecraft beresheet did get there, but instead of a soft landing israeli officials had to announce a crash—landing, with the prime minister in attendance.

we had a failure in the spacecraft. we unfortunately have not managed to land successfully. we are the seventh country to orbit the moon and the fourth to reach the moon's surface and... it's a tremendous achievement up till now. well, we didn't make it, but we definitely tried. if at first you don't succeed, you try again. officials say the craft had several technical and communication problems as it neared the lunar surface. its main engine apparently failed. the aim of the $100 million mission was to take pictures and conduct experiments. until now, only government space agencies from the former soviet union, the us and china have made successful landings. a marble staircase thought to have been climed by christ on his way to be sentenced to crucifixion has been restored to its original state after nearly 300 years. the so—called holy staircase, which lies in rome, has been a popular place for catholic pilgrims for centuries.

kathryn armstrong has more. it may look like your average marble staircase but for many catholics around the world, this particular set of 28 stairs has huge significance. the scala sancta, or holy staircase, is thought to have been climbed byjesus on his way to be sentenced to crucifixion. but for nearly 300 years, the stairs have been encased in wood to protect them from the wear and tear of millions of pilgrims who, by tradition, crawl up them. now for a limited time only, the staircase has been uncovered. translation: i'm really emotional because i'm having family problems. i think about my children and their health. i will pray for my family, for everyone, and for peace. translation: i already did it when it was hidden steps, translation: i already did it when it was a wooden steps, but it is much more moving now.

if you think about the fact that jesus was here and where he was held and when he suffered, it's very emotional. while preparing the staircase for the public, experts from the vatican museums were amazed to find thousands of notes that had been left by pilgrims over the centuries, including one from an italian man who had escaped slavery. the steps will remain open to the public for two months, before being covered once more to preserve them for future generations. kathryn armstrong, bbc news. briefly, the main story, a reminder that wikileaks briefly, the main story, a reminder that wikilea ks co—founder julian assange faces possible extradition to the us on conspiracy charges related to the biggest leg of government secrets. he was arrested on thursday. he has now been found guilty of failing to surrender to a court. he fled to the ecuadorean embassy to avoid extradition to sweden over a sexual assault charge

which has seems being a job. much more news on the bbc website. thank you for watching. hello. the calendar‘s taking us forward into mid april but the weather seems to want to go backwards, more of a hint of winter rather than spring in the weekend to come, as we'll see. for the day ahead, plenty of dry weather, although there will be a bit more cloud in the sky than we've had recently, we're going to see some sunny spells. it's high pressure in control, blocking atlantic weather systems, keeping things settled, though things are fairly cool coming around that area of high pressure, and an increasingly chilly and strong wind this weekend. there will be frost around despite the start, plenty of sunshine for early risers but the chance of catching one or two showers towards eastern parts of scotland, and for the cloud building into east anglia and the south—east, there could be the odd shower around here during the morning and afternoon, before somewhat drier air returns to the eastern counties of england to give some sunshine to end the day.

elsewhere, we will start to see some sunshine, some cloud building but it will stay mainly dry. this easterly breeze is stronger than it's been in recent days, keeping temperatures in the east around seven to 10 degrees. maybe ten to 12 degrees again in north—west scotland, that's what we have had for the past few days. the wind direction is favourable for a bit of warmth, a bit of shelter here. through the night into saturday morning, some areas of cloud around, maybe still the odd shower feeding down towards the far south—east. but on the whole, a lot of clear weather, and yet again, gardeners and growers need to be aware there'll be a frost for many of us as the weekend begins. i love this view, it's high pressure, low pressure at loggerheads, for control of the weekend weather, it's high pressure maintaining its control, winning the battle and it stays with us for the weekend, with a strong wind coming from the east. that's going to be more noticeable, there'll be some sunshine abound, some cloud building as saturday begins and while most places will stay dry, still for south—east

england and east anglia, the passing shower could include some hail, particularly over higher ground, and it will feel a bit colder. the wind in the west is picking up over the weekend, noticeably so, some gusts over northern ireland. more cloud on sunday here, maybe a bit of rain in the far west, into the isles of scilly as well. cloud building after a sunny start elsewhere, but sunny spells, still most places staying fairly dry and still coldest in the east, but nowhere is particularly warm for the time of year. temperatures are well below average now. this is what we're expecting this weekend, dry, some occasional sunshine, stronger wind. it'll feel colder, frosty nights, it's next week that temperatures are on the up again.