nasa says it will start offering tourist and commercial trips to the international space station from next year. flights into orbit and back are likely to cost more than $60 million. the united arab emirates says only a state actor could have carried out the attacks on four tankers off its coast in may. america has accused iran of being responsible. tehran has denied any involvement. the us says it will impose tariffs on mexico on monday, this is bbc news, i'm ben bland. unless the two sides reach agreement over immigration. president trump says our top stories: there is a "good chance" twenty years after the first of success in talks. astronauts took residence on the international space station, france have kicked off nasa says it will allow tourists the women's world cup on board. with a decisive victory against south korea in paris. the score was 4—0. the hosts are favourite these missions will be privately to win the tournament. funded, dedicated commercial spaceflights allowing approved commercial activities to be conducted on board the stations. ethiopia's prime minister calls for unity and an end to violence in sudan, after talks here in the uk, the high court has with protestors and the military, thrown out a private prosecution the clock is ticking on tariffs,

as president trump says a deal is against borisjohnson, over allegations he lied during the eu referendum campaign. possible between the us and mexico. if talks fail, duties the case centred on the claim, are imposed on monday. that the uk gave the european union and france have kicked off £350 million a week. the women's world cup in style — but the judges overturned an earlier decision to issue a summons to mrjohnson, as helena wilkinson reports. are you going to be the next prime minister? the leadership contest is well under way, but today, borisjohnson had a different battle. in court, his lawyers were trying to stop him from facing a criminal trial. this is the man who accused boris johnson of misconduct in public office. last week a court decided there was a case for mrjohnson to answer and he was due to be summoned. but today, that decision was overturned. we've just given the green light for every politician to lie to us about our money for ever. that's a terrifying idea which i cannot accept, and i'm not going to give up. this was one of the main messages of the vote leave campaign.

borisjohnson had claimed £350 million was being sent from the uk to the eu every week. it was a contested claim, with many people saying it was a lie. but did it amount to a criminal offence? in court, borisjohnson‘s barrister argued that the offence of misconduct in public office, which is what mrjohnson was facing, had never been used in the context of a statement in a political campaign. adrian darbishire qc said the offence was about the secret abuse of power and that there was nothing secret about what mrjohnson was claiming. £350 million a week. let's spend it on our priorities. his supporters say the case should never have got to court. to try and fight political debate through the criminal courts is what happens in dictatorships. it's not what happens in democracies. for mrjohnson, an unwelcome distraction now gone away, allowing him to focus on his next campaign — to become the new prime minister.

helen wilkinson, bbc news. now on bbc news — talking books. award winning novelist and poet kapka kassabova talks to stig abell about her childhood spent behind the iron curtain in bulgaria. hello and welcome to talking books at hay festival in wales with me, stig abell. every year the festival brings to a small tented village a group of politicians and artists, writers and thinkers, heady of people designed to stimulate debate and ideas. i'll be talking to kapka kassa bova and ideas. i'll be talking to kapka kassabova his book border is both a literal exploration of a base where east meets west and a poetic

meditation on how we create divisions between people through a combination of race and religion, history and a chance. kapka kassabova, welcome to talking books. applause . kapka, the book has a combination ofa . kapka, the book has a combination of a sort ofjournalist . kapka, the book has a combination of a sort of journalist and . kapka, the book has a combination of a sort ofjournalist and poet about it, in terms of the use of language and the inquiring mind. but before we talk about how you go about writing this, perhaps you could give us a brief reading. u it could give us a brief reading. " it was the pet name bulgarian border soldiers gave the electrified

wall of barbed wire that ran through the forest and sealed off the country from its neighbours. the official name was the installation. installation was ostensibly there stop enemies from infiltrating. but if you look at the top of the way, parts of which still stand, you see that it points to the real enemy, inwards. in the twilight zone the soldiers lived, counted the months and sometimes years until the promised leave, and sometimes died by their own hand or the hand of a commrades gone berserk. the only company consisted of the pet dogs, trying to consult some and hunt others. there were two types of bodyguards, career soldiers and those 19—year—old is on compulsory two year military service who had drawn the board a lot. border duty was the most dreaded service, because the kernels charge of the border forces were notorious for being, in the words of a former soldier, demons and human disguise. anotherformer soldier, demons and human disguise. another former guard said to

soldier, demons and human disguise. anotherformer guard said to me, "when you have no contact with the outside world, they can make you believe anything". it is well oiled feudal barbarity, life behind the installation was a perfect microcosm of totalitarian society. and the strip of land that ran alongside the installation was no is the furrow of death. even a bird ‘s footprints could be seen in its carefully tended soil." you say you have been haunted by borders all your life and isa haunted by borders all your life and is a subject that you have devoted a chunk of your life now to writing about. why is that. why has the subject of borders or did you? going up subject of borders or did you? going up behind the iron curtain was a formative experience for me and no doubt from a whole generation, a nick -- doubt from a whole generation, a nick —— growing up. i guess today we think, at least in the west, where we are privileged enough to think of borders from their more benign side,

as it were, we are used to thinking of borders in terms of protecting us. of borders in terms of protecting us. we will come back to this, no doubt. but the experience of actually living behind a hard border was the quintessential experience for me of living in a totalitarian society. it's not one that protected you, but one that prevented you, as it was. it was deeply damaged by the communist state where people were abused and murdered. was one of the reasons you wanted to write this book was because people in the west are not aware of it or have forgotten it or underplayed of it, was there a sense of what went on in these lands is no longer known as much of that should be was yellow here, partly. iwas much of that should be was yellow here, partly. i was less driven by a sense of mission than by a more instinctive sense of, well, and obsession, really, and urge to write

about what's hidden, what's now out of view, what's. .. watto knew was going to be narrative goldust, in a way. —— what i knew. the border zone was a place of an excavated, extraordinary, but an excavated stories of what felt to me great human relevance, not just locally stories of what felt to me great human relevance, notjust locally or regionally, or even historically only, but universally and in a timeless way. so i, with a writers instinct, i went there and they started gathering stories. so it was really obsession and fascination that drove me. and a little bit of angen that drove me. and a little bit of anger, i guess. you mention some astonishing things in this book. you talk about the fill —— forced expulsion of ethnic turks from bulgaria in 1989, an act of ethnic

cleansing, does it surprise you that thatis cleansing, does it surprise you that that is not well known. and although it is not a mission statement to educate people, that these untold stories you want to tell and there are few stories here that are untold, effectively. it does not surprise me. nothing surprises me. i guess having grown up both behind the iron curtain but also in a kind of peripheral part of europe which is seen, from perhaps we'll come back to this idea of what is the and what is the periphery, but very much growing up with a sense of growing up growing up with a sense of growing up in growing up with a sense of growing upina growing up with a sense of growing up in a kind of marginal, in the margins. asa up in a kind of marginal, in the margins. as a writer now am drawn to the margins, to the people of the margins, to that which is out of view ——i margins, to that which is out of view —— i am drawn. and, certainly, when you come across stories like the one you just mentioned, of the 202,000 bulgarian turks who were expeued 202,000 bulgarian turks who were expelled into turkey, just a few

months before the fall of the berlin wall, which went largely unnoticed, very little reported in the west... i really wanted to tell that story. because i'm not a historian and i'm not really interested in official history, i wanted to tell that story through individuals and they went in search of such people in turkey and in bulga area, in the border zone. and how much of the horrors of that time linger? because you are coming to this in the time we live in now, communism has fallen, the border zone is a different kind of place, their issues to do with borders, of immigration coming into europe, for example, but it is a very different political set up now. did you find that the horrors of that period are still resonating? the place is still haunted? absolutely. it is still haunted. the forests are haunted. the forests, and part of the no man's land between greece and

bulgaria, in particular, there are patches of forest where all the trees are initialled. through different historic errors, you can see initials are scratched by people who were crossing the border in dire circumstances dating from the 1990s, but also going back to the greek civil war, world war ii, and then you've got the cold war in between. so it's a very symbolic place, this no man's land, in particular, but to go back to the types of people. i guess one way to find out whether, you know, how history has moved on or hasn't on the ground is to start listening to people's stories. and one type of person who inhabits the border zone is, of course, the bodyguard, just kind of archetypal. are the gate keepers, the

bodyguards, regardless of whether it was during the cold war, when it was a very deadlyjob. so that there are still killers, old men now... never be brought to justice. still killers, old men now... never be brought tojustice. no. no. because the system encourages it. because the system encourages it. because it was part of the system was actually enshrined in law that these bodyguards were trained and instructed and encouraged to shoot any trespassers they saw. of course, most of the time they simply arrested people. but there were also cases of spontaneous executions along the border. so that was one type of person. and, i guess, the counterpart to the border gatekeeper is the fugitive, which is another another type of person i wanted to meet. so a travel to berlin to meet a man who is now in his 60s and he was a young man when he attempted to cross the bulgarian turkish body in

the 19705 and was arrested, but survived. and there's a big story there. —— border. and of course there. —— border. and of course there are the refugees of today, tho5e there are the refugees of today, those trying to cross the border in the other direction, counter to the direction of the fugitives of the cold war. did you feel a sense of catharsis of people talking to you, i5 catharsis of people talking to you, is it nice for them to have an out5ider coming in and show interest in their lives and given the chance to speak, give them a voice? people already have a voice. it's just that it often isn't heard in places, in marginalised places. but it certainly struck me that in wounded places like this, and such sort of topographie5 of trauma, where mass trauma has occurred over a long period of time, including now, because the trauma of the border continues in the shape of the refugees from the middle east trying

to cross in similarly desperate circumstances to previous, to fugitives of previous era5, in such wounded places, one looks for any opportunity for healing, really. and conversation can be healing. silence can also be healing. let's talk a bit, surely, about how you transmit that listening into writing. but perhaps before we do, let's hear another bit of the book. "i spent some time in a village in a mountain range between bulgaria and greece called the red dobbie mountains stop in this village is known for its centenarians, who are now apparently dying out, as in the next generation don't live so long, but there's a bit of a mystery surrounding that. and there's an encounter. "you know the secret of longevity? a voice

suddenly said. he had materiali5ed glycogen at the table. he was a wee bit of a man with a hatchet face and straw hair. his eyes were so pale they look pleased by so much time in they look pleased by so much time in the high altitude 5un. they look pleased by so much time in the high altitude sun. the secret is to have three hearts, he said. one for loving people, another for loving yourself, and the third want to love the mountains. co5t loving yourself, and the third want to love the mountains. cost is here has three hearts, he pointed to the greek owner of the taverna. he reminded me of the wizard of oz. speech wa5 reminded me of the wizard of oz. speech was fast and garbled, helped by his mixing of bulgarian and greek word5. that's the secret, he said, not yoghurt. hi, i am synco wa5 word5. that's the secret, he said, not yoghurt. hi, i am synco was the name. he got up and bowed un5teadily. if they ever open up the old road between greece and bulgaria so we can feel normal again, co5ta said, as they have been promising for yea r5, said, as they have been promising for years, u5ele55 days, the both of them, they will now sponsor a statue right by the border pyramid. the statue would be of the code, costa

said. life—sized. well, he said, chuffed. like most in the village, is eco— looked ageless, but he had history. in his late 205 he had been stopped by a police car on a deserted road above the village and beaten to a pulp. the beating had changed him forever. the flesh fell away from him, his between funny. after a spell in hospital, there was a spell injail, after a spell in hospital, there was a spell in jail, because after a spell in hospital, there was a spell injail, because he had been a spell injail, because he had been a notorious people smuggler. drinks on the house today, kostas rose from his chair, because i can see this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." and that is a good example of the people who populate this book. talk about the way you've written it. because although it has these continuing moments of interesting people, there is an interest in poetic vocabulary under the act of expression itself, and the book is constructed around various poetic

words. there is the bulgarian word for evil eye, the greek word for competition, which gives us the word agony. you have a poet's year, and an eye for language and its impact. is that important? this isn'tjust a simple travel story for you. you are excavating the idea of how language works as well. yeah, i'm so glad that you bring this up, because it is really the key to understanding this region, notjust the border zone but the south—east balkans, which is where this book is very much located, culturally, historically, and the great paradox of this border is that it sort of seve rs of this border is that it sort of severs communities and cultures which were naturally enmeshed for many centuries. it is a hugely cosmopolitan, historically, hugely cosmopolitan, historically, hugely cosmopolitan part of europe, you know? with the buy is untimed, 0ttoman, slavic legacy. so the three

languages that are spoken in the three countries on this border all had to find their way into the book, because they are part of the texture of local life. and i wanted to ca ptu re of local life. and i wanted to capture some of what the border tried to destroy, which is precisely this sort of rich human narrative and way of life. so i very much, i was very much aware that these words would be foreign, as it were, to an english language reader, or anyone who is not from this region. but it didn't matter, because it felt, um... itjustfelt didn't matter, because it felt, um... itjust felt necessary. so of course we know agony, and a lot of words we know come from greek anyway, and a lot of words still used in the balkans come from turkish are actually from old turkish, which is arabic. so i woven a few of those words, which are also things in everyday life, such as

roadside drinking fountain known as the chishma. everybody in the balkans knows what a chishma is. it isa balkans knows what a chishma is. it is a very civilised thing, you know, even on the most godforsaken road, in any part of the balkans, this is courtesy of the ottomans. you will find a working roadside water fountain, usually with spring water, crystal—clear spring water, and i think there is a beauty to that, and there is also a story around that. and you are telling the stories in a language that isn't your original one. it seems to be another extraordinary thing. this is a poetic book about poetry and three other languages, written in the fourth language. does that give you a sense. . . fourth language. does that give you a sense... i mean, is not helpful to you ina a sense... i mean, is not helpful to you in a way, that you are telling this through the english language, because you are this 0bserver, you are both part of that world but also slightly distant from it, and your communication kind of settles along similarlines? communication kind of settles along

similar lines? absolutely. i think ifi similar lines? absolutely. i think if i were to write in my mother tongue, bulgarian, about this border, or about any subject that is very close to my heart, i wouldn't be able to do it, or not in the same way. why not, don't you think? i think it is a matter of not being overwhelmed by the emotional charge of what it is that you are tackling in the book. and i think the fact that i have been an english—language brighter all my adult life, really, has given me that, has added to the outsider— insider perspective. which makes these books possible, for me. how universal a book is this? although it is very much sat in the land you are writing about, you quote a line from another author in the book, which is "all peoples are, ina sense, the book, which is "all peoples are, in a sense, immigrants". are you telling a universal story about people sense of home or what happens

when people are forced to move and people come into contact with other people, or when cultures mingle and i separated? people, or when cultures mingle and i separated ? it people, or when cultures mingle and i separated? it is the edge of europe, a specific area, but is this a universal thing? europe, a specific area, but is this a universalthing? i feelthis is the case, i hope that is how it comes across. these are universal stories. these are in some cases archetypal situations that people find themselves in. you know, can i cross this line? this whole idea of transgression, who is in, who is out. it is very much an archetypal human experience. also, loss, in the case of today's refugees and yesterday's refugees, total loss. literally carrying all your belongings in a plastic bag stop i think it is important, like some of the people of the border zone, have

done, for all of us to find that bit of poetry, that bit of life, with which we connect deeply, and which we truly love. well, that is quite a good link into dancing, because you wrote a book about dancing, about tango, calls twelve minutes of love. tango, calls twelve minutes of love. tango is of course a dance that was forged in immigrant communities, a combination of cultures coming together. why are you so interested in the tango? you wrote a book about it, it was clearly essential part of your life. what does it mean to you? is not a moment of beauty in the world ? is not a moment of beauty in the world? tango is the well's most beautiful dance, of course. argentinian tango, not ballroom tango. that was an obsession i had for a number of years. tango. that was an obsession i had fora number of years. i became interested in why people became so caught up in the culture of tango, which is now a global phenomenon. and i decided to trace the story of the tango itself from its roots, and

its roots are in immigration, in fa ct. its roots are in immigration, in fact. it is the song and dance and the music of the exiled, is how it started. european immigrants to argentina and uruguay, what is known as the ile de la plata region. but it also has its roots in black music. so it is a confluence of exile. and i was interested in why people who become part of the global tango community, as i was, for ten yea rs, tango community, as i was, for ten years, almost and up living the tango, finding a home in the tango. so it is a kind of secular religion, almost. you have said obsession again. i noticed it, you said you became obsessed. where did these

obsessions come from, kapka? do you get them and then you have to follow them and write about them? is that what motivates you to write? well, i think i am a storyteller. i am a lwa ys think i am a storyteller. i am always looking for a place where i can connect with a story that is bigger than me, larger than my own experience. the tango, the story of the tango, is very much one of collective, of collective agony and ecstasy, if you like. but it is also the music, the making of tango music, is a wonderful story, and one of the poets of tango, and argentinian poet, said" tango is a sad thought that can be danced". that is kind of, you can see that in this book, it is full of sad thoughts that i danced. it is moments of beauty about a land that is wanted. yeah, and again, you

know, what. .. you is wanted. yeah, and again, you know, what... you know, in the midst of loss, and tango is very much, you know, the subject matter of its songsis know, the subject matter of its songs is often loss, lost love, lost homeland, the first recorded tango song was "my sad night", which says it all. 1916, i think it was recorded. the question is, and it all but lost, what can be salvaged? what are we still have, what can we share? and i think there is always a story there. please join me in thanking the wonderful kapka kassa bova. thanking the wonderful kapka kassabova. applause. thank you.

hello there. the atmosphere on friday was in an extremely lively mood. a lot of rain for some of us, thunder and lightning, and even reports of one or two funnel clouds. these pictures came from somerset. this certainly looks like a funnel cloud. a funnel cloud is very similar to a tornado, itjust doesn't touch the ground. this is the radar picture from friday evening. showers and thunderstorms developed across the west country, south—east wales, drifted up into the midlands. still some hefty showers around through the first part of saturday morning. the thunder and lightning risk much lower at this stage. 0utbrea ks of persistent rain drifting into southern scotland, northern ireland, certainly affecting northern england and there's some very windy weather down towards the south. it all comes courtesy of this, an area of low pressure, only slowly drifting north through the day ahead. it will bring some unseasonably windy weather and some outbreaks of rain at times. the rain is likely to be sitting across the south and east of scotland,

into northern england, wales, the midlands, east anglia, nudging to the south—east. really, the spiral of rain sits in the same place throughout the day. elsewhere we see some spells of sunshine but also showers breaking out, and those winds will be brisk indeed, especially for southern and eastern parts of england, which could see gusts of a0 or 50 miles an hour, which could well have an impact on some outdoor events. those temperatures really disappointing. 1a in newcastle, maybe 17 in cardiff. the weather will start to come down during saturday night. that area of low pressure finally spins away to the north—east, taking much of the rain with it. clear spells, it's going to be a bit chilly in one or two places, and as the winds fall lighter, i would not be surprised to see the odd mist and fog patch here and there sunday morning. sunday's weather still dominated by dutch low pressure, but it's moving away. not as many lines on the chart, not as many isobars. a of sunshine and showers.

the show is most plentiful across northern ireland and scotland. fringes of western england and northern wales. eastern england should not see too many showers, it was a largely dry with some sunshine, and those winds will be noticeably lighter especially in southern areas. it will feel a bit warmer, 15 in belfast, 19 in london. but the week ahead looks very unsettled. outbreaks of rain at times. it will often be quite windy, and for a while at least it 00:28:34,032 --> 4294966103:13:29,430 will feel very cool indeed.