welcome to bbc news — broadcasting to viewers in north america and around the globe. my name is mike embley. our top stories: who exactly is backing down? president trump's senior officials claim their tough policies have forced tehran to "put on hold" threats to american interests. theresa may offers britain's politicians a vote on holding another brexit referendum but only if they approve her withdrawal deal. the government will therefore include in the withdrawal agreement bill, at introduction, a requirement to vote on whether to hold a second referendum, and this must take place. a rallying call on abortion law — protestors gather across the us as several states pass laws to restrict terminations. and we report from hungary on why the country's ruling populists think campaigning

against immigration is still a vote winner. hello. the sharply rising tensions between the us and iran seem to have eased, with a public statement from the acting us defence secretary claiming american "counter measures" have put on hold what he called the potential of attacks from iran. patrick shanahan was speaking just after he and secretary of state mike pompeo gave a closed—door briefing on the middle east to members of congress. the us recently deployed a carrier strike group to the gulf to tackle unspecified threats. barbara plett—usher has the story. last week us officials told us that the threat of iranian attacks were serious and that it was imminent. what mr shanahan is saying now is that the potential attacks are no longer imminent, but

the threat is still there, it hasn't gone away. it has been "put on hold," as he phrased it. he said it was a show of american force that deterred attacks on american interests. but he said this is about deterrence. it is not about war, and the focus now was to try to prevent the iranians from making a miscalculation. we're not about going to war. this is about continuing to protect our interests in the middle east and conducting the missions that we are there to perform. he and other senior officials were briefing congress about the intelligence, there were a lot of questions about it and concerns raised about the aggressive tone and actions that the administration took. afterwards, i think you saw reaction that divided predictably along partisan lines, some republicans said, yes, the intelligence was obviously credible, the administration's actions were appropriate and the us should be prepared to take strong action if it

was necessary. some democrats said, well, what i heard didn't reallyjustify all that war talk last week, and they warned strongly about the dangers of another war in the middle east. as for iran, iran has said it's the united states that is the threatening party. iranian officials have said that the americans are playing a dangerous game by increasing their military presence in the region and that they're also conducting economic warfare with their crippling sanctions. barbara plett—usher for us there. also from washington, the iranian—american journalist and commentator negar mortazavi told me the war of words looks likely to continue, but for the moment at least, negotiations may be back on the table. we were in dangerous territory over the week, and the talk seems to be moving towards the escalation, if i can say, a little bit, from president trump's signalling that he still wants negotiations, he still wants a deal and today the resistance that came from the democrats right after the briefing and also the comments from the acting secretary of defence. but i think it's still not sure how they iranians are going to react to this tomorrow and if we're going to be again in escalation mode or in a form of deescalation mode, in this war of words

that has started. the man who is now national security adviser to president trump, john bolton, one of the architects of the iraq war of course, is on record from long ago, saying he favoured a war with iran. there was some suggestion that mr trump was unhappy with that kind of talk. do you feel mr bolton is, his profile is fading slightly? it could be. i think that there is an understatement, it's no secret thatjohn bolton wants a conflict with iran. he wants a fight with iran, and he has always talked about a regime change and a need for a regime change in iran. so it's no secret to anyone and i think it is becoming increasingly harder for his camp to try to sell a military conflict,

both to the american people to the democratic minority, and now it seems like to the president. we still have to remember that john bolton is president trump's top national security adviser. he still calls some of the shots and there is a constant pull and push between isolation as president and the super hawkish national security adviser that we see over the week unfold, and i guess we have to wait and see ifjohn bolton stays in this position, if he gets marginalised or if he eventually leaves the white house, like some of his predecessors. we tend to talk about the iranian leadership, but of course, there is no unified leadership, is there? what kind of impact does all this have on iran, would you say? there is no unified leadership, as in, there are moderates in the iranian political structure, there are hardliners, but on the specific topic as far as military conflict with the us, there seems to be one voice coming from tehran and that is the voice of not wanting a war and not wanting

this military conflict. the top hardliner, the supreme leader in iran, seems to be clear that he does not want a war and that the president and his, basically the administration, the elected body of the government also has signalled that they don't want a conflict. they don't want this fight with the us. of course, because the iranians are not going to win a fight with the us army, but at the same time we have the hardliner as the supreme leader. and even the president talking more of a hardline rhetoric saying that they're not going to negotiate with washington, with president trump, and that's going to complicate things, because president trump's ultimate goal is to negotiate with tehran and to get what he has called "a better deal" all along. still in the middle east, the us state department has expressed concern that syrian government forces may have again used chemical weapons. a spokeswoman says there are indications of a chlorine attack on sunday during a syrian government offensive against the rebel—held north—western region of idlib. the us says the assad regime is violating a ceasefire that's protected millions of civilians in the area, and threatens a "rapid response" if the attack

is confirmed. the british prime minister has said parliament has "one last chance" to deliver brexit, and urged mps to back what she called her "new deal". it contains new guarantees on workers‘ rights, environmental protections and the irish border, even the possibility of a temporary customs union and a vote on whether to hold another referendum. but its chances of winning enough support look slim. this report from our political editor laura kuenssberg contains flashing images. win or lose, when her plan comes to a vote, and soon, few in this audience believe it's anything other than her last shot. the majority of mps say they want to deliver the result of the referendum, so i think we need to help them find a way, and i believe there is now one last chance to do that. and today i'm making a serious offer to mps across parliament — a new brexit deal.

newly packaged up together but familiar promises. extra protection for workers‘ rights and the environment, giving mps a say on the fraught issue of customs and acknowledging many of them want a chance at least to vote on another referendum. i do not believe this is a route we should take, but i recognise the genuine and sincere strength of feeling across the house on this important issue. the government will therefore include in the withdrawal agreement bill, at introduction, a requirement to vote on whether to hold a second referendum. you've had nearly three years, but the opposition parties have already said they will not vote for this deal. isn't it simply too late for you now to be offering a compromise, and many mps simply don't want to listen?

wait and look at the details of the bill, and think about the importance of delivering brexit, because this is the way that we can ratify an agreement and ensure that we leave the european union. applause go on, nigel! theresa may's last efforts to win over parliament have been a parallel universe to what's playing out a across the country. all chant: nigel, nigel! the european elections in a matter of days only happening because the government's failed. tories and labour both jangling with nerves, as smaller parties, pushing clarity not compromise, stand to gain. cameraman: squish up, you lot! voters will give a verdict with parliament's meltdown the backdrop. labour won't give number 10 a way out. we can't support this bill because it's basically a rehash of what was discussed before and it doesn't make any fundamental moves on market alignment all the customs union, or indeed protection of rights. the vote is still more than a week away. the prime minister won't give up and minds could still change, but rejection of this bundle of new measures may already have taken root.

there've been rallies across the us in favour of abortion rights, in protest at the moves by an increasing number of republican—led states to restrict terminations and, bring the issue once again before the supreme court. last week, alabama enacted the strictest abortion law in the country. caroline rigby reports. all chant: hey hey, ho ho, abortion is... from washington, dc to florida... what do we do? all chant: stand up, fight back! all sing: took it back, took back my body... ..new york to los angeles, hundreds of protesters across all 50 states joined forces to defend a woman's right to abortion, a direct response to republican—controlled states passing tougher legislation to restrict terminations where, in so many cases, men had the final

say on the rights of women. in alabama, where all of the males were voting on it and, like, not a single woman, like, voted to keep it passed, it'sjust, like, they're men and they don't know what women have been through, so for them to vote on passing that law, it's not right. earlier this month, the state of alabama passed the most restrictive law yet — a nearly outright ban on abortions, including in cases of rape and incest. several other states have also passed bills that outlaw abortions as soon as a heartbeat can be detected. across the country, almost 30 states have introduced proposed, or are currently considering, some form of restriction. addressing a rally in washington, dc, the senate minority leader chuck schumer said women's rights must not be eroded. republican legislatures are waging a war to unravel a woman's fundamental rights. they are responsible for 300 newly—proposed restrictions. we are here to send these folks a message — not on our watch!

all chant: this is what democracy looks like! but on this subject, the united states of america are anything but united. the supreme court now contains severaljudges appointed by donald trump, and many republicans hope its conservative majority will ultimately vote against a woman's right to terminate her pregnancy anywhere in the us. that would overturn roe vs wade, the landmark 1973 case which legalised abortion nationwide — a potential move the united nations has voiced concern about. we are calling on the united states and all other countries to ensure that women have access to safe abortions. at an absolute minimum, in cases of rape, incest and fatal foetal anomaly, there needs to be safe access to abortions. all chant: my choice! my voice! but although thousands turned out to fight against restrictive abortion laws, president donald trump knows

many of his supporters, particularly christian evangelicals, remain strongly pro—life. and as campaigning ramps up ahead of next year's presidential election, the voices on either side of the debate will only grow louder. caroline rigby, bbc news. let's get some of the day's other news. the head of the un world food programme has told the bbc children are dying in yemen because some corrupt officials in houthi—controlled areas are diverting vital aid. because of it, david beasley says the wfp has taken the unprecedented step of warning of a possible suspension of aid. he appealed to other houthi leaders to intervene. millions in yemen are on the brink of starvation. argentina's former president, cristina fernandez de kirchner, has appeared in court at the start of a corruption trial. she is accused of taking bribes from construction firms in exchange for inflated government contracts. she says the case is politically motivated. johnson &johnson has been ordered to pay at least $25 million

to a woman who alleges she got cancer from the compa ny‘s talcum—based products. it's already had huge damages awards against it for similar claims, and faces at least 14,000 more. it says its products are safe. japan has asked foreign media to begin referring to japanese people with their family names first, as is the norm in east asia. the new convention would come into force later this year whenjapan hosts a 620 summit. it means prime minister shinzo abe will instead be abe shinzo. severe storms, tornadoes and flash floods have hit southern and central parts of the united states, and look to be heading north. in 0klahoma — dozens of people had to be rescued from rising floodwaters, as andy beatt reports. after the storm, the floods. at least 50 people rescued as the country's worst weather since 2012 left homes, farms and roads up to a metre underwater.

it's probably about knee—deep in our garage. and then we go into our house and comes up to about our ankles. i texted brendan and was like, "brendan, i might have to swim into the house!" he was like "what do you mean?" i was like, "i opened the front door, it was already up to our porch!" hardest hit — parts of oklahoma and texas, swamped by 20 centimetres of rain in less than 2a hours, with missouri declaring a state of emergency. touching down across the southern and central states, at least 20 tornadoes. anybody on the west side of mangum, in mangum, you need tojust take shelter, this is a large tornado. there's the storm chasers. oh my god! right there. officials say 4 million people in the region could be at risk, but as yet, there are few reports of injuries. and despite fears of widescale damage, only a handful of homes have taken a direct hit. couldn't believe it, we left a half—hour earlier and it was all there, you come back and it's completely demolished.

to blame for this recent spike in tornadoes, the jet stream. it's following a more southerly route than normal, bringing heat to the south but cold conditions to the west. the temperature contrast, driving violent storms, torrential rain, and heavy hail. although the worst may have passed for some, forecasters warn millions more in the path of this severe weather system, as it tracks north and east, while a second is expected later this week. stay with us on bbc news. still to come: the ultimate kitchen nightmare. the chef and entrepreneur jamie oliver explains why his restaurant group is going into administration. this morning, an indian air force

plane carrying mr gandhi's body landed in delhi. the president of india walked to the plane to solemnly witness mr gandhi's final return from the political battlefield. ireland has voted overwhelmingly in favour of gay marriage. in doing so, it's become the first country in the world to approve the change in a national referendum. it was a remarkable climax to what was surely the most extraordinary funeral ever given to a pop singer. it's been a peaceful funeral demonstration so far, but suddenly the police are tear—gassing the crowd. we don't yet know why. the pre—launch ritual is well established here. helen was said to be in good spirits, butjust a little apprehensive. in the last hour, east timor has become the world's newest nation. it was a bloody birth for a poor country, and the challenges ahead are daunting. but for now, at least, it is time to celebrate.

this is bbc world news. the latest headlines: president trump's officials brief congress on the threat from iran. they claim that iranian risks to american interests in the gulf have been "put on hold". theresa may offers british mps a vote on whether to hold a second referendum, but only if they approve her brexit withdrawal bill. europeans head to the polls this week — in a vote likely to be seen as a referendum on the merits of a unified europe. the rise of populist eurosceptic parties has put pressure on the traditional eu establishment. the model for many of these groups is hungary, where prime minister viktor 0rban has thrived politically on a strong anti—immigrant policy. in 2015, he ordered a fence built along hungary's southern border with serbia and croatia to prevent migrants getting in. gene mackenzie reports from budapest.

the gabor family have two passions — swimming and their prime minister. viktor 0rban has won popular support here in hungary, partly by giving financial help to large families. an ardent nationalist, 0rban has waged war on migrants. hungary was at the forefront of the refugee crisis, and although most people were just passing through, within weeks he'd built a fence to keep them out. now giant eu election billboards tell people to support the prime minister's plan to end immigration. these posters are absolutely everywhere. voters are being bombarded with this

message to stop migration. and this is a country where last year there were fewer than 700 asylum seekers. in the border town of kubekhaza, the mayor is one of 0rban‘s most vocal critics. most of hungary's media now has some link to the government, and migrant stories are constantly in the news. what do you hear on the news about what's happening in western europe?

we've asked many times to speak to someone from 0rban‘s party, fidesz, but they've refused, so we head to one of their campaign events. why is your eu election campaign focused on migration when migrants have virtually stopped coming to hungary in recent years? well, it's not a question whether in this timeframe they're coming or not. this is mobilising our effort, that's the reason. that's what we are expected to talk about. concerned by the direction hungary is heading, a new young opposition party is fighting back. we decided to do a march to stand up for the values, the european values. how do you about the relationship that 0rban is forging with the eu at the moment?

as nationalist parties across europe seek to capitalise on migration, for many, viktor 0rban is their hero, hungary, their inspiration. jean mackenzie, bbc news. there'll be full coverage of the european election results, which are on sunday, in special programme presented by ros atkins from inside the european parliament in brussels. that's the results of the eu elections 2019 — this sunday from 2000 gmt on bbc world news. jamie 0liver‘s recipes are popular with amateur chefs everywhere, and his boyish enthusiasm for cooking made him a tv star. but in the uk, jamie's restaurant empire has collapsed, with 1,000 jobs being lost. emma simpson reports. so, what you get...

from the cheeky new chef on the block... look at that! ..to campaigner, tv star and books, jamie 0liver‘s built an empire as britain's most successful chef, and he opened dozens of restaurants too. come in and see us at jamie's italian. nothing was being served up today, though. his restaurant business collapsed, 22 outlets closed with immediate effect. around 1,000 jobs lost. in a statement, jamie oliver said: so, what went wrong? itjust got a bit too chain... chainy. chainy, yeah. whereas just around here, there are so many quirky little restaurants, and just one—offs that you can go to. today's news isn't a total surprise.

this chain almost went bust a couple of years ago. jamie oliver put in £13 million of his own money to save it. 12 outlets already closed last year in a restructuring plan, but it's clear that turnaround hasn't worked. it's been tough for lots of other casual dining chains too. prezzo, byron, carluccio's, just some of the brands who've had to close outlets, counting the cost of overexpansion. mid—market restaurants are being squeezed at both ends, and they're finding it quite hard to make money at this time. if they're not offering exactly what consumers want, then they find they can't make money because the cost of wages, the cost of business rates and the cost of running promotions to get people through the door are simply too much. we're gonna fry that off... his other businesses may be thriving, but it seems jamie 0liver‘s restaurants weren't able to keep up with changing tastes in what's become an increasingly crowded market. emma simpson, bbc news. playing a grand piano is hard enough, but doing it hanging

from a crane is adding a whole other level of challenge. but this is classical pianist alain roche, playing high above a hospital construction site in switzerland. a crowd gathered to watch as he was pulled up by a cord, and swung about by a crane operator. why? well, this is how he explains it. translation: i wanted to confront these two universes, which are the opposite of the classical piano — the grand with the dust. the raw side of the construction site, and i have the impression there are two different poems, but together they can be one.

there is much more on the bbc website. and you can get in touch with me and most of the team on twitter — hello. there's predominantly fine weather, with the gardens looking drier, the sight of rain bouncing off the ground could be viewed by some with envy, but that's what we had in the edinburgh area for a time on tuesday as the thundery shower moved through. but for much of the uk, tuesday was sunnier and warmer compared with monday, and it was dry. and there's more dry weather around for most parts of the uk in the day ahead. big exception, though, northern isles and northern scotland. here, we are going to see a weather system close by, with cloud and some outbreaks of rain. in fact, some persistent spells of rain, some heavier bursts as well, and a stronger, cooler northerly breeze. and you see this area of cloud from north wales, southernmost parts of northern england into the north midlands, that mayjust produce a shower as most other places are dry, a good deal of sunshine. it feels every bit as warm

as it did on tuesday, that means high teens, and a few spots into the low 20s. now, on through wednesday night and into thursday morning, you'll notice that the rain still hanging around northern scotland, 0rkney, though clearing away from shetland. this strip of cloud probably doesn't have any rain associated with it. for many, it's clear skies and for the clearer parts of northern england and northern ireland, temperatures in the coldest spots ending up close to freezing. now, for many of us, thursday is going to start with some sunshine. there's still some outbreaks of rain, though, with the cloud in the breeze in northern scotland, and the cloud increasing for northern ireland. towards the western coasts of england and wales mayjust produce a little patchy rain, whereas most areas will stay dry and clearly, if you've got the sunshine, still the warmth as well. still a few spots into the low 20s. now, by friday, we are expecting a bit more in the way of widespread cloud, though the rain has eased from northern scotland. but from northern ireland and through england and wales, as the cloud thickens, a bit of patchy rain moves its way further south. could start to turn more showery into the afternoon as it does so the further south it gets. but still where you get to see some sunshine,

there's still some warmth out there. but there are some weather changes on the way, just in time for the bank holiday weekend, as our atlantic weather takes over once again with an area of low pressure moving in. and that does mean there'll be a bit more cloud around, the potentialfor seeing a bit of wet weather at times, not a washout by any stretch of the imagination. there'll still be some sunshine occasionally but notice temperatures just edge off a few degrees. it'll feel slightly cooler, probably more so because the breeze starts to pick up and there's less sunshine to be had, and the chance of rain. now, the chance of any substantial rain, at least across southern parts of the uk, remains low. and that's your latest forecast — bye bye.

this is bbc news, the headlines the sharply rising tensions between the us and iran seem to have eased with a statement from the acting us defence secretary that american "counter measures" have put on hold what he called the potential of attacks from iran. patrick shanahan was speaking just after he and secretary of state mike pompeo gave a closed—door briefing to members of congress. the british prime minister has said parliament has "one last chance" to deliver brexit, and urged mps to back what she called her "new deal". it contains new guarantees on workers‘ rights, the irish border, and a vote on whether to hold another referendum. abortion rights protestors have held rallies across the us in protest at the moves by an increasing number of states to severely restrict terminations. last week, alabama enacted the strictest law in the country, effectively making abortion illegal even in cases of rape and incest. republicans hope to bring the issue again before the supreme court.