welcome to bbc news, i'm reged ahmad. our top stories: the top ten debate. democrat presidential hopefuls take to the stage in houston. and i'm laura trevelyan, in houston, where i'll be watching the debate and getting some early reactions. we have a special report from syria's idlib province, where government and russian forces are targeting hospitals with airstrikes. britain's prime minister is forced to deny claims that he lied to the queen in order to get parliament suspended. and we go inside the deadly, dirty world of myanmar‘s jade mines, where hundreds are killed every year

searching for green gold. the top ten leading democratic contenders hoping to take on donald trump in the 2020 us presidential election are going head—to—head in a much—anticipated televised debate. healthcare has featured heavily at the start, but all eyes are on how centrist and former vice presidentjoe biden, seen as the frontrunner, will perform against other contenders. that includes popular hopefuls elizabeth warren and bernie sanders, who are both calling for radical change. let's head to houston and laura trevelyan, who can give us an update on the debate. well, a very serious debate taking place here tonight in houston. the

big issues being debated— gun—control, china, afghanistan, healthcare. and joining me now to talk about how it is going is bill press, democrat and host of the bill press, democrat and host of the bill press pod. thank you forjoining us. so going into this, joe biden‘s camp said he had a target on his back but he was going to try and expose that the others had plans but may be no way to pay for it. how is he going so way to pay for it. how is he going so far, do you think? i thought he did very well at that. but let me say first of all that i think the democratic party, it is obvious tonight, is very much helped by having a field cut in half. because i think tonight we saw the superstars. we saw — we know why they are there on stage, and every of them is better informed, better experienced, and better qualified to runa experienced, and better qualified to run a country than donald trump. and i think they also that tonight. it was an extraordinary, lively debate. a lot of differences on the issues, but also a lot of unity, and a lot of energy, and back tojoe biden,

you know, they went afterjoe from the very beginning. but he came, i think, prepared to make his case, to defend his position, that on healthcare you just can't throw out everything we have got an overnight go to some great big magic plan in the sky, which are liberal like me might want. he said look, what's it going to cost you? and by the way, neither elizabeth warren or bernie sanders, i think, neither elizabeth warren or bernie sanders, ithink, could neither elizabeth warren or bernie sanders, i think, could answer him. no. so it was a very lovely back—and—forth. i thinkjoe biden held his own. and a very interesting moment from beto o'rourke when the topic of gun—control came up, of course here in texas the el paso one happened, and another when in odessa, and beto o'rourke had this viral moment where he said yes, we are coming for your guns. viral moment where he said yes, we are coming for your gunslj viral moment where he said yes, we are coming for your guns. i said in the last week or so, he had really, really started to fade. people really started to fade. people really writing him off. the gun issue had brought beto back. and

tonight i thought he really won the night with his passionate stand about gun control, saying it is just not up to you whether you turn in your assault weapon. we are going to make you turn it in. we are going to buy it back from you, or to quote him, hell yes we are going to take your ar 15. i think it is certainly what that crowd wanted to hear, and i think it is what the american people wanted to hear. and how about senator kamala harris? how is she doing tonight? she had to face questions on her record as a prosecutor in san francisco. questions on her record as a prosecutor in san franciscolj questions on her record as a prosecutor in san francisco. i was impressed with kamala harris, both amy klobuchar in minnesota and kamala harris had questions about their role as district attorney and as prosecutors in their respective states. amy klobuchar i thought did little better than kamala harris in defending her record, frankly. i also thought amy klobuchar had one of the best lines of the night when she turned to bernie sanders on healthcare and said, yes, you wrote yourdamn healthcare and said, yes, you wrote your damn bill, but i read it. which

was a real killer line. and she said 149 million people would lose their private health insurance, didn't she? she did, and with kamala harris, she defended her record i thought not as well, not as strongly. i don't think she had a great night tonight. so bill, the front runner so far, in your view? great night tonight. so bill, the front runner so far, in your view?” think there are three front runners. i had to give your political answer, butjoe biden and elizabeth warren and bernie sanders. and of the three of them, i thinkjoe biden and elizabeth warren had the best night tonight, and i think that could be the final two, and maybe even the ticket in 2020. bill press their weather prediction, thank you for joining us. well, that debate still has a little bit under an hour to run, so has a little bit under an hour to run, so we has a little bit under an hour to run, so we will get right back to it and we willjoin you at the end. thank you very much. the democrat—controlled house judiciary committee in the us congress has voted to broaden its powers to investigate president trump, which could

eventually lead to impeachment, although this does not necessarily mean one will happen. a recent opinion poll says 59% of us voters oppose removing the president from office. let's get some of the day's other news: members of the public have been paying their respects to the former zimbabwean president robert mugabe, whose body is lying in state at a stadium in the capital, harare. his family and the government have disagreed over mr mugabe's final resting place. state television is reporting that the country's current president has agreed the mugabe family's wishes should be respected. the government in the bahamas has issued a tropical storm warning for the same group of islands where hurricane dorian left at least 50 people dead and more than 1,000 others missing. it said the storm had the potential to strengthen into a cyclone within the next day or two and move towards florida. british airways has started cancelling flights scheduled for 27 september, when another strike by pilots is expected.

ba plans to run more flights than they did on strike days earlier this week, but the majority of flights will be cancelled. doctors in syria say hospitals in rebel—held areas are being deliberately targeted with air strikes by the syrian government, even though that is a war crime. the move is the latest atrocity in a conflict that began more than eight years ago and has left hundreds of thousands of people dead. our middle east correspondent quentin sommerville and cameraman darren conway have travelled to idlib, in the north—west of syria, where opposition fighters, islamist extremists and civilians are largely surrounded by government forces. here is their report. the sick, the injured, the needy. there is little space left for them in idlib.

dr mohib khaddour treats more than 1,000 patients a day, with just a tiny staff. there is a large number of patients and it's just a few doctors. the specialists, there is — we have three or four, just. the current ceasefire came too late for amal. her name means "hope", something fast diminishing in idlib. she lost her father, her mother and her brother in one years. she just has a sister, also injured in the last attack. unfortunately, she needs many operations and skin grafts. it's a very sad story, i think. life is collapsing here.

"why is this happening?" she whispers. 3.5 million people in the province are wondering the same. the world isn't listening. doctor, do you have any doubt that the regime and russia are targeting specifically hospitals and medical facilities? never. i'm sure that russian air force and the regime, assad regime, attack many times all hospitals and health facilities. it's fact, like sun, like moon. it's fact in syria, and many hospitals destroyed, and still destroyed 'til now. syria's war is reaching new depths in idlib. this was a hospital until russia and the regime took it out, one of many we passed that appear to have been specifically targeted.

in fields or in hillsides, the onslaught found them. nearby buildings remained untouched. the united nations passed on a record of their co—ordinates to russia to ensure their protection. instead, it became a target hit—list, as the same places were hit again and again. russia and the regime's campaign has been horribly effective. it's terrifying. all of these towns and villages that we've gone through have been abandoned, because this is a war against what matters to people — their homes, their schools and their hospitals. this was a hospital until a few months ago. it's one of 40 that have been attacked since april this year, and it's causing people to flee in their tens of thousands. this is the last refuge of those who oppose a government which has

brought their country to ruin. how can you still, in these dire straits, pass over co—ordinates to russia which are then shared with the regime, which will involve more targeting when this ceasefire ends? so, the co—ordinates is a preventative mechanism. many of the facilities... but it isn't preventing attacks on hospitals. at the same time, i think we now are further strengthening the mechanism, further... 40 hospitals have been attacked in the last few months. and many more schools have been attacked, and many water points have received direct hits. so the system is broken. so the system of preventing and protecting the civilians has completely failed. as humanitarian workers, i don't think we can be blamed for that. i think, as humanitarian workers, we provide life—saving assistance, and we really ask everybody with these co—ordinates to make sure this is respected. if anything, sharing the co—ordinates should bring more awareness — more, also, accountability. that gives little reassurance on the ground. life here is filled with peril.

going to work is an act of courage. medical staff say they have a target on their backs. so head nurse nair al—aswad takes care when he goes to a hospital in a secret location. his hospital is buried deep out of reach of the bombs. we were told to move fast too. even under this solid rock, they await the next attack. the un says humanitarian operations are about to reach breaking point. air strikes aren't the only worry. if regime ground forces advance a few kilometres, then here will be abandoned too. so people continue to race to the border. we headed south, deep into idlib, escorted by the self—styled salvation government. the men who rule here are deemed terrorists by the west,

but these camps are full of families and innocents. the assad regime doesn't discriminate. there's no question that attacking civilians, hospitals, schools is a war crime. do you think anybody will ever face justice? i don't think. nobody cares. i hope i can see justice in syria for everyone who injures syrian people, but i don't think i will see it, or in my life, at least. amal and taznin have known only this war. it's far from over, but already the living, the dead, the injured, have been forgotten here. stay with us on bbc news. still to come: did israel bug the white house? we will talk to a former insider about how common it is for friendly countries to spy on each other.

george w bush: freedom itself was attacked this morning, and freedom will be defended. the united states will hunt down and punish those responsible. bishop tutu now becomes spiritual leader of 100,000 anglicans here, of the blacks in soweto township, as well as the whites in their rich suburbs. we say to you today in a loud and a clear voice "enough of blood and tears. enough!" translation: the difficult decision we reached together was one that required great and exceptional courage. it's an exodus of up to 60,000 people caused by the uneven pace

of political change in eastern europe. iam free! this is bbc news. the latest headlines: there've been impassioned exchanges about healthcare at the start of a televised debate, involving the ten leading contenders for the us democratic party's presidential nomination. doctors in syria have told the bbc that hospitals in rebel held areas of idlib province are being deliberately targeted with air strikes. the prime minister has denied lying to the queen about his reasons for suspending parliament. boris johnson was speaking after scotland's highest civil court ruled wednesday that the shutdown was unlawful because it was intended to hinder parliamentary debate. mrjohnson also dismissed concerns about newly released government papers detailing preparations for a no—deal brexit scenario — that contained warnings of medical shortages,

food price rises and major cross—channel trade delays. he said the documents were just sensible preparations. our political editor laura kuenssberg reports. almost a year to the day, this document was snapped by a beady—eyed photographer in westminster. a hint of the turmoil the government believed might come if we leave without a deal. 12 months later, after leaks and suspicion, at last, ministers have been forced to publish the actual details. do you understand what on earth we're doing? great, because i don't. let's hope they do know what they're doing, because leaving without arrangements in place could mean shortages of some food, protests, severe disruption at the irish border, and much more. if we have to come out on 31 october with no deal, we will be ready. and the ports will be ready, and the farming communities will be ready,

and all the industries that matter will be ready for a no—deal brexit. all chant: stop the coup! after clashes in parliament, mps did change the law to make it much harder for the government to take us out if there is no agreement with brussels by the end of october. but the prime minister is adamant he'd find a way round that to stick to his deadline. so neither side has any intention at this stage of backing down. if we were to allow the country to leave without a deal on 31 october, we would not be serving our constituents well, that we would be complicit in doing something that would be very disruptive in the short—term, very damaging in long—term. reporter: is there any progress? do you want to tell us what's going on? i'm very impressed. the only clear way out of the wrangle for the prime minister is of course to do a deal with brussels and leave the eu in an orderly fashion. there are whispers of progress in london and brussels, but the eu's chief negotiator is not so sure. we are still ready to examine objectively any concrete and legally operational proposal from the uk.

the law has been changed to make it harder for the prime minister to take us out of the eu without a deal, but it's not completely off the table. so, while ministers suggest these are just worst—case scenarios, the anxiety in whitehall and beyond can't disappear. nor can downing street escape a judge's ruling yesterday that the way they suspended parliament was against the law. number 10 is fighting on many fronts. this is not normal — the prime minister having to deny that he lied to the monarch. did you lie to the queen when you advised her to prorogue, to suspend parliament? absolutely not. and that — indeed, as i say, the high court in england plainly agrees with us, but the supreme court will have to decide. there'll be that other verdict next week, but the opposition just doesn't buy the government's arguments, or whether they're ready for no—deal.

that's why we're so angry that parliament was prorogued, because i should be in parliament at the moment with the ability to interrogate the prime minister and ministers. mps could be ordered back on the road to westminster by the courts next week. we're in a strange limbo. the only certainty — change of some sort is on the way. five people have been arrested on suspicion of planning to fly drives near heathrow. members of climate change activist group were held on conspiracy to commit a public nuisance. they were protesting against the airport's planned expansion. israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu has strongly denied a report in politico magazine that his country was behind surveillance devices found near the white house and other sensitive areas in washington. in a statment the prime minister said it was a blatant lie. the technology that was discovered, tricks phones into sending their location, identity

and, data usage. fred flights is president of the center for security policy. i asked him what israel woul gain if it did spy on a friendly country like the us. most nations spy on each other. when i worked at the white house, we were warned that the facility is surrounded, probably by listening devices by a variety of countries. russia, china, probably cuba, probably iran. there are some countries that don't spy on one another, the us and the united kingdom. we have something called the five eyes agreement, we agree agree not to spy on each other. that is not the case with the us and israel. we shouldn't be spying on each other but i not that in late 2015, there was a wall streetjournal article that the united states was spying on communications of prime minister netanyahu to find out his interactions with members of the us congress on the nuclear deal with iran. this was nsa reporting and i imagine that when we go to israel over this, they are going to say, well, maybe we shouldn't have done that but you've spied on us too.

in a statement from netanyahu's office, it does say there's a long—standing commitment and a directive from the israeli government not to engage in any intelligence opperations in the us. so are they not being quite truthful? i don't think they're being truthful. i think they spy on the us government, i'm sure they spy on the british government. do you think that when friendly governments spy on each other, it damages relations in the long—term? it does, that is why the us and the uk do not spy on each other. we have a special relationship where we don't do that. the members of the five eyes, the us, australia, new zealand, canada and the uk, we've agreed not to spy on eachother. i think we should have a relationship like that with the israelies but i imagine there are other nations who are friendly to the united states but spy on us nevertheless. fred flights. myanmar is home to the world's biggestjade mines, an industry estimated to be worth over $30 billion annually.

but the hundreds of thousands of so—called 'scavengers' who search for the translucent 'stone of heaven‘ are migrants whose lives are threatened by landslides, drug addiction and disease. bbc burmese has gained rare access to the mines.

brussels' king baudouin stadium is home to the belgium football team. it's also been a venue for athletics, tennis and rugby union. but one day every year it plays host to a different kind of sporting event, where the competitors are — how would you put it — a little more mature. the bbc‘s tim allman explains.

you could call this a silver head generation going for gold. it has been nicknamed the olympics for seniors. athletes from around a dozen local care homes taking part in all sorts of events. the aim is to encourage the elderly to remain active and to help them socialise. all in all, it seems to be working. translation: did not do too badly. i am happy. each time they organise an event, i'd love to participate because it is a different atmosphere. translation: used to do spot but since i arrived here, no. it is only today that i started doing sport again. i enjoyed. carers and family members are also invited along to offer their support. some of the events are not what would you would describe as official olympic

sports but everyone gets a medal and eve ryo ne sports but everyone gets a medal and everyone is a winner. stay with us. hello there. over the last couple of days, the remnants of two different ex—tropical weather systems have been in charge of our weather. first we had the leftovers of what was hurricane dorian passing to the north of the uk. we saw outbreaks of rain and brisk winds and during thursday, it was ex—tropical storm gabriel that moved through. not much left of it. just a stripe of cloud moving southwards on a frontal system and as that cold front moves away from the south on friday, and high pressure builds in behind, we will be left with a lot of fine weather, good spells of sunshine, but a significantly fresher feel. humid air that has been associated with that ex—tropical storm being pushed up to the continent.

being pushed out into the continent. we start off with cloud in the channel islands and a bit of rain but that will clear quite quickly and then a lot of sunshine and dry for the majority. it will be windy in scotland but further south, the winds light. however, in the fresher air, temperatures a bit lower. top temperatures of 20—21 degrees for plymouth, cardiff, london, more like 17 in aberdeen. through friday night, temperatures will dip away. particularly down towards the south where winds will remain light. further north, more in the way of a breeze and more cloud in northern ireland and scotland, and some rain pushing back into the far north—west. the overnight lows seeing one or two spots down towards the south getting down to 3 or 4 degrees. high pressure still in charge for most of us as we go into saturday morning, but notice frontal systems trying to squash in towards the north—west, bringing some outbreaks of rain and also some pretty strong winds. much of the rain on saturday

is likely to be confined to the northern and western parts of scotland, and a bit more cloud into northern ireland and the far north of england. further south, a lot more sunshine and temperatures creeping up in southern parts — 22 or 23 degrees. always cooler and fresher across the north where it will be windy, and particularly windy on saturday night through the far north of scotland and then into sunday, it looks like this frontal system will try to push a bit further south but uncertainty as to how far it will get. maybe patchy rain into northern england and north wales. to the north of the front, something fresher and to the south, we could get up to 25 degrees. but looks like all of us getting into fresher air for the start of the new working week. however, with high pressure in charge, it will be largely dry.

this is bbc news. the headlines: all the leading contenders for the american democratic party's presidential nomination are debating together for the first time. there were impassioned exchanges about healthca re, with former vice presidentjoe biden defended his version of president obama's healthcare plan against more radical and costly proposals put forward by his main rivals. britain's prime minister has denied lying to queen elizabeth about his reasons for suspending parliament. boris johnson was speaking after scotland's highest civil court ruled that the shutdown was unlawful because it was intended to hinder parliamentary debate. that verdict will be reviewed by the uk supreme court next week. doctors in syria have told the bbc that hospitals in rebel—held areas of idlib province are being deliberately targeted with air strikes by syrian government and russian forces. united nations investigators have

said required precautions were ignored and war crimes may have been committed. now on bbc news, panorama. he died, like, right across the road from where i live. two people actually got murdered so close to where i go to school. growing numbers of young people are carrying knives. it literally happened, like, two minutes from my house. it's like i've been desensitised to the whole thing. and some even take knives to school, thinking it will make them safer. little kids start at probably age seven carrying knives now. the consequences can be devastating, as i know only too well. my childhood completely went when that happened. my own brother was stabbed

to death when i was 11,