welcome to bbc news, broadcasting to viewers in north america and around the globe. i'm duncan golestani. our top stories: us officials announce 17 new charges against wikileaks founder julian assange, as he continues to fight extradition. india's prime minster narendra modi wins another five—year term in a landslide victory for his hindu nationalist party. after 17 years behind bars, john walker lindh, dubbed the american taliban, is released from prison. and tying the knot in taiwan, where it's now legal for same—sex couples to get married.

authorities in the united states have announced 17 new charges againstjulian assange. they accuse the wikileaks founder of receiving and unlawfully publishing the names of classified sources. mr assange is currently serving a prison sentence in the uk and is already fighting extradition proceedings to the united states based on an earlier indictment over hacking. our washington correspondent chris buckler reports. ever sincejulian ever since julian assange was dragged out of the ecuadorian embassy in london, the united states has been seeking his extradition. he sought asylum for years, claiming political persecution. but now in british custody, the us is increasing the pressure to try to

ensure mr assange faces the courts in america. the founder of wikilea ks in america. the founder of wikileaks had already been accused of conspiring to hack a us government computer that led to the leak of hundreds of thousands of military documents. now he faces 17 further charges, connected to the publication of information that the us says boat people's lives in danger. free julian assange! however, julian assange‘s very vocal supporters, who believe he is as much a journalist as a campaigner. members of wikileaks believe it breaches their us‘s first a moment, the constitutional right to a free press, and they point to what he has hoped to expose. including this video of a us military helicopter firing at the billions in iraq in 2007, killing at least ten people. the former us army intelligence analyst chelsea manning, who is already served seven

yea rs manning, who is already served seven years in prison for leaking information to wikileaks, was jailed again last week, specifically for refusing to testify against assange. i will not co—operate with this or any other grand jury, so it doesn't matter what it is or what the case is, i'm just not going to comply or co—operate. julian assange is currently being held in a julian assange is currently being held inajail julian assange is currently being held in a jail in london. the authorities in sweden also want to question him about a rape allegation. he is expected to fight both extradition attempts. but the man who once courted publicity even as he claimed asylum inside an embassy knows that finding refuge this time might prove rather more difficult. chris buckler, bbc news, washington. the indian prime minister narendra modi has won a second 5—year term in a landslide election victory. the contest had seen his hindu bjp party set against a broadly secular opposition. the vote was widely seen as a referendum on mr modi's nationalist policies. our south asia correspondent rajini vaidya nathan has the latest.

narendra modi, india's strongman, has retained his grip on power. back for a second term, the boy who sold tea has grown into one of the world's most powerful men. translation: it's the people who have won. i dedicate this victory humbly to the citizens of this country. i only have one emotion to express — long live mother india. if this was a referendum on his popularity, he's seen off his challengers forfive more years. celebrations here are about more than just this election. mr modi's bjp party secured an historic landslide victory, but it also disrupted a political landscape dominated by the same party, the same family, since independence in 19117.

rahul gandhi, torchbearer for india's first family, humiliated by mr modi and by the nation, the great hope who never delivered. his performance in this election derided as uninspiring, out of touch. political royalty but no match for the former chai runner. while his opponents campaigned, mr modi went on a pilgrimage. in this deeply religious country, he's electrified millions of hindus, but scorched its minorities. india's secular soul, enshrined in its constitution, is at stake. this has been an extremely polarised election. when modi has fought this election on fear, the fear of muslims, the fear of infiltrators, the fear of outsiders, this entire idea of giving back hindus their hindu pride. so, when that comes into question, it is very difficult to lose an election. mr modi rode to power in 2014

promising to serve the poor, the weak and the marginalised. many say he's failed to deliver. "he promised jobs and housing in the last five years. "he's not fulfilled that. "what can i expect from him now?" asks shanaz, who sleeps on the streets. unemployment may be the highest in nearly 50 years, but for believers like surendra, he's their only hope. "he'll remove unemployment this time. "the job's been left half—done, but it will happen." narendra modi offers a vision of hope and national pride, of protection against outside threats, but he's reinvigorated a climate of fear and suspicion. will he be able to steer a country now characterised by deep divides towards the bright future he's promised 7 rajini vaidyanathan,

bbc news, delhi. let's get some of the day's other news. international air regulators are meeting in texas to discuss the return of the boeing 737 max airliner to service. the plane was grounded in march after two crashes in five months killed almost 350 people. the meeting comes as the us federal aviation administration faces allegations that it didn't detect or disclose serious design flaws on the plane. in sri lanka, a hardline buddhist monkjailed for contempt of court, has walked free, after a presidential pardon. galagodda utay uhnarasarra was sentenced to six years in prison in a court hearing. he was also accused of inciting violence against muslims. president trump has announced a $16 billion bailout for us farmers who've been badly hit by the trade war with china.

he said the emergency aid would help to keep what he called america's cherished farms thriving. the man nicknamed the american taliban has been released from a federal prison in indiana. john walker lindh served 17 years of a 20 year sentence, following his capture by us forces in afghanistan in 2001. lindh was let out early for good behaviour, but not everyone thinks he's done his time. donald trump has said it shouldn't have happened and the us secretary of state mike pompeo called the release unconscionable. the bbc‘s nick bryant has more. john walker lindh was dubbed the american taliban following his ca ptu re american taliban following his capture in afghanistan in the aftermath of the september the 11th attacks. in december 2001, the fact that there then 20—year—old who'd been raised in san francisco fought

alongside caliban fighters shocked and already traumatised nation, then in the early days of the bush administration's war on terror. in his trial in 2002 he confessed he made a mistake joining his trial in 2002 he confessed he made a mistakejoining the his trial in 2002 he confessed he made a mistake joining the taliban and told a federaljudge he never supported terrorism, but there's been strong criticism of his release from this prison in indiana after serving 17 years of a 20 year sentence serving 17 years of a 20 year sentence because serving 17 years of a 20 year sentence because government documents suggest he still harbours extremist views. the government report into thousand 17 claimed that too continue to advocate for global jihad and to write and translate violent extremist texts. donald trump today said he wanted to block lindh‘s release and asked his top lawyers to explore just how to do that, but there was

else is that here's a man who has not given up his... not even a little bit. the lawyers have gone through it with a fine tooth comb. if there was a way to break that, i would have broken it in two seconds. i knew about it very well. as john walker lindh re-enters american society, he'll be subject to stringent restrictions stop he'll not be allowed to go online without special permission. nick bryant, bbc news, washington. history has just been made in taiwan. same—sex couples are registering their marriages for the first time, a week after lawmakers voted to legalise gay marriage. taiwan is the first country in asia to make it legal. let's go straight to the bbc‘s cindy sui, who is in taipei. cindy, quite a remarkable day for the country? yes, it is. the couples here are ecstatic, so excited,

because some have been waiting for yea rs because some have been waiting for years to get married. this is a 30 years to get married. this is a 30 year struggle for iwan to have marriage equality and this hasn't come easy, there were lawsuits and a lot of opposition initially from the public. there was a referendum in which most of the people who voted decided they did not want same—sex marriages to have the same rights as heterosexual marriages. they didn't even heterosexual marriages. they didn't eve n wa nt heterosexual marriages. they didn't even want to call it marriage is. so this is quite a dramatic event that happened in taiwan's, quite a milestone, not only for taiwan but for asia. cindy, is this issue now settled, do you think, or will there continue to be pushed back from conservatives? already conservative groups including religious groups and parents groups are saying they are going to fight this, they are saying this is the worst day in the history of democracy entire one because they're accusing the government and the parliament of going against the wishes of the majority of the public and they're

threatening to hold another referendum to knockdown this new law that the parliament passed last friday legalising same—sex marriages. cindy, why do you think it is taiwan's leading the way with this as opposed to other countries in the region? many people have asked this question and it's definitely not a coincidence that taiwan is the first place in asia. its because of the democratic foundation taiwan has built over decades of grassroots movements, fighting for democracy, that's allowed groups like lgbt rights groups and other groups who really foster their strength and also build support in the community and build public awareness. so this is something that didn't happen just overnight stopping many people have asked, can this have a domino effect in other parts of asia? it's difficult to say because after all, in other parts of asia homosexual activity is still considered a

crime. next door in mainland china, lg bt websites crime. next door in mainland china, lgbt websites are still regularly block. in fact, the news of taiwan becoming the first country in asia to legalise same—sex marriage was blocked in by now, people couldn't even blocked in by now, people couldn't eve n rea d blocked in by now, people couldn't even read it on the state media or even read it on the state media or even social media. cindy s, we will leave it there but thank you very much. cindy sui in taipei. stay with us on bbc news. still to come: crooks and crochet. te brazilian prisoners who are using knitting to help rebuild their lives. 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 news. our main headline: us officials announce 17 new charges against wikileaks founder, us officials announce 17 new charges against wikileaks founder, julian assange, as he continues to fight extradition. let's stay with this now. bradley moss is a lawyer who specialises

in national security cases, in washington dc. he's been critical of mr assange in the past but is concerned about the implications of the latest charges for freedom of the press. explained to us whyjournalists, news organisations be concerned about this? let me be very clear i am nota about this? let me be very clear i am not a fan ofjulian assange, i despise the individual but the charges under the espionage act passed in 1917, is based on the receipt and publication of leaked classified material, something that every single media outlet, no matter how large or small, do this. they encourage a source to how large or small, do this. they encourage a source to leak information and then publish it. that is the basis of investigative

journalist. there will always be tension between the government and a media outlet releasing that. but there has never been a time where they have actually tried to prosecute a journalist for the mia publication of classified materials and today we went through that barrier and indicted julian assange because of that. is there an argument to be made that he is not simply receiving information as a journalist but of actively encouraging it? journalists always encourage sources saying, what can you get to me? what can you provide? that is how you build stories. think of any major story around the world that had big leagues from within government, there is i was an element where the journalist had to prod the source for more detail but as long as they did not pay the

source or as long as they did not pay the source or pack things — one of the chargesjulian source or pack things — one of the charges julian assange source or pack things — one of the chargesjulian assange has been accused off — it has been understood this is a legitimate part of journalism. it is not nice and it is messy but it is how it works. the concern is that if they can do it to julian assange they can do it to the bbc, the new york times, anybody. was that a crackdown on leakers under the 0bama administration. is this an extension of that or a huge leap? this is significant. the 0bama administration was very adamant about going after the individuals that people in government service who elected out. they held security clea ra nces who elected out. they held security clearances and signed secrecy agreements so that they was an understood liability. but the 0bama administration had all these details

aboutjulian administration had all these details about julian assange administration had all these details aboutjulian assange and refused to charge him not because they had any particular liking forjulian assange but did not want to risk the precedent. donald trump has chosen to pursue this in a way that has never been done in the history of the espionage act. good to get your analysis. thank you very much. there's growing speculation the british prime minister theresa may will announce her resignation in the coming days, possibly as early as friday. it's after a backlash from cabinet colleagues against her proposed new deal on brexit. here's the bbc‘s political editor, laura kuenssberg. she may soon have much more time for smalltalk. several of theresa may's colleagues believe she'll announce her date to depart in the morning. reporter: is it over, prime minister? others say she can't last past monday,

just when, bizarrely, the prime minister's going to the polls to give a verdict on her fractured party. morning. calls to quit growing after one of her colleagues jumped first. i have no doubts that i made the right decision, and, of course, it's for the prime minister to decide what's right for her and for the country. thanks very much. others still in cabinet may soon be concentrating on trying to get the top job themselves. reporter: will you be following in the steps of angela leadsom and resigning to strengthen your position? no. it is a political emergency. by chance on the same day as a strange investigation to a suspicious item on whitehall, while behind number 10's gates, theresa may has hunkered down for so long now. loyalists have been in and out of number 10 all day. feline comfort may be the only around. with restive backbenchers who want theresa may out, the home secretary and the foreign secretary both paying a visit to express

unhappiness about her brexit plans. publicly, at least... discussions between the foreign secretary and prime minister should remain confidential, and i'm not going to change that this morning. he's saying she should stay, at least to host the american president, who'll be in town in 10 days' time. theresa may will be prime minister to welcome him, and rightly so, and we are absolutely at one with the united states. there was no sign in the commons of the laws that would take us out of the eu, the bill theresa may hoped so desperately to pass. the lights might have gone on, but she's not at home. theresa may's in her constituency tonight, wondering perhaps, as her colleagues and the country does, too, whether her time has at last run out. laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster. a violent tornado has caused heavy

damage in the us state of missouri, killing at least three people. the state capital, jefferson city, was also hit. rescue teams are carrying out door to door checks to make sure people are safe. storms have also hit neighbouring oklahoma and texas. ramzan karmali reports. the damage from yet another tornado has hit american west. according to the weather service, 70 twisters have been reported in the last week along. wednesday estate of missouri and some said it felt like an earthquake. the trail of destruction has been felt in missouri. the body ofa has been felt in missouri. the body of a couple were found over 180 metres away from their home. the state highway patrol identified a third victim, 56—year—old who died

when her mobile was destroyed. at least 20 people have been taken to hospital as well. injefferson city, people were urged to stay at home. there would toppled trees and power lines. 6000 have been left without electricity. the state government said he was grateful there were not more state fatalities. thankful for the people on the ground doing a good job. when you have chaos, it is a matter of trying to organise chaos and that is what we are doing, getting people saved, making sure everything is ok, checking on people and property. some residents were still trapped in rubble. we have some work to do, boys. this car dealership is one of hundreds of businesses and homeowners who now have to start the tough job of rebuilding but, with severe weather set to continue over the next few days, that task has become just that

bit harder. ramzan karmali, bbc news scientists in chile have discovered the world's second largest continuous ice field has split in two, as a result of climate change. the southern patagonian ice field covers more than 12,000 square kilometres and feeds dozens of glaciers in southern argentina and chile. but now, because of global warming, the ice field has melted and severed, exposing the rock below. scientists have warned it may be a sign of things to come. life behind bars can be tough. apart from the obvious lack of personal freedom, there can be boredom, and often the threat of violence. 0ne prison in brazil is trying a novel way to help rehabilitate inmates and it involves two needles and some balls of wool. the bbc‘s tim allman explains. these men were once into crime, now

that owing to crochet. all of them taking part in a programme called fixed point, where inmates are introduced to knitting, and needlework. the idea is they can develop new life skills and hopefully build up some self esteem. translation: here on the inside there is nothing to do decide they football or cutting your hair. this because me down and helps me ove rco m e because me down and helps me overcome addiction, smoking cigarettes and doing drugs. for me, crocheting was really good. this is some of what they produce, their fashion show. from the cellblock to the catwalk. it is the brainchild of gustavo silvestre, who even showcase their work in sao paulo fashion week. he thinks they can take control of their lives. translation: they define the themes. this time

they wanted to speak about opportunity because one of the problems they have when they leave prison is the opportunities they face. a standing ovation is some reward. a slight reduction in their prison term is another. all these inmates seem to be proud of what they have achieved, even the ones who may feel they were stitched up. tim allman, bbc news. finally from us, the driver of a stolen motorhome has been causing chaos on the streets of los angeles. the incident caused at least six traffic collisions and six people we re traffic collisions and six people were also sent to hospital for minor injuries. the driver was not the only passenger. there were two dogs also on the front seat. you can see the damage caused to the front of

the damage caused to the front of the motorhome. police caught up with the motorhome. police caught up with the vehicle and they arrested the driver. you are watching bbc news. hello there. we saw a top temperature of 25 degrees at heathrow, in london, on thursday. there was a lot of sunshine around. it felt warm for many places and that's led to a fairly mild night across some southern areas. temperatures no lower 11 or 12 degrees in the london area to start friday. but a big cooler in some of the rural spots. now, the pressure chart for friday shows this feature which will bring thicker cloud, maybe a few showers to more western parts of the country through the day, but we're starting off with plenty of sunshine. more cloud across parts of scotland and that cloud will tend to extend a little bit further southwards. like i mentioned, that feature bringing in a few showers to parts of western england and wales. hit—and—miss showers really. many places staying dry. the best of the sunshine and the warmth again across the south—east quadrant — 22 or 23 degrees. around the mid—teens celsius further north.

this is of the area of low pressure which is going to be the game—changer through the bank holiday weekend. introducing cloud, the breeze and the lower temperatures. so we will start off with a bit of sunshine around for the bank holiday weekend. then it goes downhill really through saturday night into sunday. and it will be cooler for all for bank holiday monday, with a scattering of showers. the picture for saturday though isn't too bad for much of the country, particularly in england and wales. best of the sunshine here. maybe just one or two showers around. but it's scotland, northern ireland, the far north of england, which starts to cloud up later in the day, and we'll start to see the rain pushing in and it will becoming breezy too. temperatures here 10—15 degrees. high teens, low 20s celsius across england and wales. then this area of low pressure moves in during saturday night and it turns wetter across many northern and western areas. and gradually that weather front will be sinking slowly southwards and eastwards throughout sunday. some of the rain could be quite heavy, persistent across northern areas, and then the showery rain starts to push in into parts of wales and into england. eventually reaching the south—east later on in the day.

maybe something a little bit brighter to end the day across northern ireland, northern england. but a cooler feel to the day across the north. could just make 20 or 21 degrees across the south—east. that cold front sweeps south—eastwards, introduces cooler air. and then for bank holiday monday, this second area of low pressure will be hanging around, bringing quite a breezy day, much cooler—feeling day. more cloud across the northern half of the country, perhaps more persistent rain here. whereas for england and wales, i think it's slightly to be a breezy with a mixture of sunshine and showers, most of these across western areas. and those temperatures nine t oaround 17 or 18 degrees. and those temperatures nine to around 17 or 18 degrees. so it will be noticeably cooler. it looks like it remains pretty unsettled throughout next week as well, on the coolest side with plenty of showers, particularly across northern areas. a little bit of sunshine especially in the south.

this is bbc news, the headlines:

the usjustice department has unveiled seventeen new charges against the wikileaks founderjulian assange. mr assange was first charged last month over his alleged role in publishing hundreds of thousands of american military documents nine years ago. mr assange is already fighting extradition proceedings in london. the indian prime minister narendra modi has led his party to a resounding victory in the general election. mr modi's hindu—nationalist bjp and its allies are poised to get more than 340 seats in parliament. addressing supporters, mr modi said it was a big victory for democracy. president trump has reacted angrily to the release from federal prison ofjohn walker lindh, the so—called american taliban, saying it was deeply troubling and wrong. mr trump told reporters he had asked if the release could be stopped but was told nothing could be done. now it's time for a look back at the day in parliament.