president trump has made a surprise thanksgiving appearance in afghanistan to visit us troops, his first trip to the country as president. mr trump told them he believed the taliban would agree to a ceasfire and their efforts, and those of afghan soldiers, had led to the insurgents wanting to make a deal. as australia's bushfire crisis continues, protestors in sydney have demanded the government takes climate change seriously. fires have killed at least six people and devastated parts of new south wales and queensland. and these pictures are trending on bbc they're of an 18 thousand year old puppy, found in siberia, though scientists have been unable to determine whether it's a dog or a wolf. the animal has been remarkably preserved in the snow and ice, with its fur and teeth all intact. stay with bbc world news

i'll be back at1 o clock for more newsday with sharanjit but now on bbc news, hardtalk welcome to hardtalk. i'm shaun ley. sometimes a tv drama does more to entertain, it brings to live an of world an audience failed to see. the american tv series the wire, which methodically dissected america's war with drugs, was an eye—opener for many. wendell pierce‘s role as detective bunk moreland brought him international attention. now he's on stage in london as the protagonist in arthur miller's play death of a salesman. he describes the play as the american hamlet but in today's america, you are on your own.

wendell pierce welcome to hardtalk. thank you for having me. 14 years ago, hurricane katrina, you are visiting your parents when the evacuation was mandated. it was your family home, the ctu had grown up m, family home, the ctu had grown up in, we are family and friends still lived in. how are the memories of what you saw when you return to what had been your home? those images in my mind are indelible. they will a lwa ys my mind are indelible. they will always mark a distinct period in my life. for all of our lives, always mark a distinct period in my life. forall of our lives, really. there is always pre— hurricane katrina and post hurricane katrina. it will be a defining moment in new

0 rlea ns it will be a defining moment in new orleans recent history. my father was 80, my mother was in her late 70s. in their golden years and to see everything you have built destroyed at that time of your life. i lost my older brother used before. and those are just two of the darkest days for my parents. i vowed then to make sure to get them back into their home before their dying day so they could actually have some sort of sense of redemption and recollection of what they had built their lives around. redemption is a powerful word and it is one that you return to a lot in what you have written and spoken about then and sense. in your book you describe the impact of the levees are failing and the destruction unleashed. hundreds

of people drowned as the water flattened everything in its path. it was biblical. an historic african—american neighbourhood of 40,000 souls, among the cities forest, ceased to exist. one of the bridges... in that neighbourhood it is historic and the sense in the most violent segregated times of louisiana and new orleans, it was neighbourhood where african—americans were come into the city, the way people come from the hinterlands into london, people came to new orleans and it was through the ninth ward. it was land owned four generations in a family where anyone who had taken that track had

gone through and to see that neighbourhood affected that way was devastating and it also has a legacy of knowing in 1927 in that area, they did blow the levies to protect they did blow the levies to protect the cd. a little further out but it was destroyed then. —— city. after hurricane katrina people were suspicious by that neighbourhood was so suspicious by that neighbourhood was so heavily damaged. i believe it was a complete failure of the levy system around the city that destroyed the city. not a malicious act but to this day a lot of people feel it was a malicious act. particularly because people said do not rebel and leave it as it is. absolutely and we still have to fight that today. there has been no effort on the part of city government or state government to actually rebuild it but that has been plans to build a cruise ship terminal down that so if you let it

linger, once that cruise ship terminal comes on board, then all of a sudden that property is very valuable and so you see those effo rts valuable and so you see those efforts that are made by city planners that are not in the best interest of people who do not have the social, political and economic power that they should. there is a bigger point about the status of african americans to this day of whether or not the united states is their home and is of a nation. you come from a very patriotic family, you are very proud of your father's war service, and he was proud of his service and a nation. and he flag. when the crisis hit new orleans, the country did not answer the call. what happens we do not believe outlying eyes. hurricane katrina lifted that veil and should people

that there is a disparity of two americans, those who abide and those who are black, those who are rich and those who are poor. class and race are always intertwined and even 110w race are always intertwined and even now when you see videos of unarmed ligament killed by police officers, overreacting, because they have a pre— judgement in their head about the black man being a criminal, even with those pieces of evidence, people still want to dispel this idea that there are two americans. the lesson that they have to learn which is, until we reconcile that, we are cannibalising ourselves. you are destroying the very thing that makes america great, which is its people and african—american people that the reason my family is patriotic is because of the african—american community built america. first and slaved an event afterwards. if there is one group of

people that should not believe in the viability of constitution and liberty and justice for all is a people that have been denied it for generation after generation after generation, but we still believe in that idea of equality so much so that idea of equality so much so that we are willing to continually vigilantly fight for that we are willing to continually vigila ntly fight for those constitutional ideas. vigila ntly fight for those constitutional ideaslj vigila ntly fight for those constitutional ideas. i wanted to ask you about life in new orleans after katrina because one of the motivations you had was seeing the absence of help, the absence of an outside force. reagan satirised that. it was not there... the immediate... that immediate week. what you drew from that was a belief in self help which you have maintained to this day. in what ways 7 maintained to this day. in what ways? first of all, it was not born

out of katrina, it was something that has i was been a part of the african—american culture and experience. that is where the civil rights movement was about, exercising your right of self—determination, going all the way back to the entire experience starting in 1690 stop it is not those who have our best interests at heart that will tell you always self rely on others, government, dependent, in a way that is not true at all. if you just look at this sense of improvisation, which i believe is just a sense of improvisation, which i believe isjust a unique contribution to the human diaspora from the african—american culture, to be changeable and have a sense of individualism in the midst of constriction. you said anything improvisational nature of jazz, constriction. you said anything improvisational nature ofjazz, of oui’ improvisational nature ofjazz, of our political movements like the civil rights movement and ifeel as

though we have to do that and you see it in a bad way when it comes to the economic system because what happens is, what we depicted on the wire was an underground economy. if you do not have access to the mainstream economy, it will create an underground economy to survive and people will do that. that is pa rt and people will do that. that is part of human nature. that is what happens with the numbers. people ran numbers and the government all of a sudden said, i kind of like that idea and we will call it the lottery. tax it. that is what is happening with marijuana around the world, cannabis as we should probably now say. to give it a posture sense. the chef posh. it is a part of exercising your right to self—determination that i realise in the face of government failure. we had to call on the best part of

ourselves to do that and that is when i organise my neighbourhood to do our own redevelopment. when i organise my neighbourhood to do our own redevelopmentm when i organise my neighbourhood to do our own redevelopment. it was not—for—profit, building houses. do our own redevelopment. it was not-for-profit, building houses. we have built about 40 houses. sold it toa group have built about 40 houses. sold it to a group that is now continuing that reconstruction. starting a supermarket to provide food. that reconstruction. starting a supermarket to provide foodlj that reconstruction. starting a supermarket to provide food. i saw a need for a commercial district and we saw a need in food desert which is areas designated as not having access to a decent grocery store. i found it quickly, as any actor will, that my business acumen, there are ups and downs. the story loved it about1.5 ups and downs. the story loved it about 1.5 years. we still have a convenience store. then barack obama moved anything? in terms of

attitudes to race? that is going to be an ebb and flow constantly. one of the greatest misconceptions was at this idea that we are post— racial because barack obama became president. the ugly part of human nature is the fact that it will a lwa ys nature is the fact that it will always be there, we have to be vigilant and we see in this age, the veil being lifted and show you how racist america still is... do you mean because president trump is still in office? we have stephen miller literally feeding the media, the manifesto of white supremacist and light nationalist, stephen bannon, trying to unify white nationalist. the operative word is nationalism so the hungarian white nationalist are going to get together with the kosovo white

nationalist because they are nationalist because they are nationalist but that ignorance of policy and idea, they rationalise it and it is just hatred of someone else and until america starts to realise that they are cannibalising themselves and realise they cannot afford to be to america's, we will suffer a dysfunction of self—inflicted wounds until we come to that realisation. i raise a question of the impact of barack obama because the tenant among african—american turnout fell between his first election and his re—election by something like seven percentage points are... because we made the mistake of taking those voters for gra nted made the mistake of taking those voters for granted and in a democratic primary debate, kamala harris mentioned it herself. black women in the recent election of a democratic senator in alabama,

stacey adams would have been governor if it was not for voter suppression, and in florida also. women... other major constituency in a democratic party taken for granted. the way she is treated in the debate as if she is only ask questions about race, only ask questions... that is the unconscious bias. that is what happens on the democratic side and the republican side. they need to pull away a certain amount of the black vote which will automatically cause turnout to go down and suppress votes in different areas.|j turnout to go down and suppress votes in different areas. i wonder if some of the people who voted for donald trump, african—americans, is

legitimate... legitimate frustration with the pace of change under democrat presidents of the last quarter century was make no, that's. .. some quarter century was make no, that's... some of it quarter century was make no, that's. .. some of it may be, what happens is... i actually met a young man, and african—american in new o rlea ns man, and african—american in new orleans who voted for donald trump. that is when i knew he was going to win. i actually met him on halloween night... a week before polls... and he was a contractor and he said he was looking for another way. he is looking for another way out. i tried this way and i want to try another way. usually, for black americans it comes out of economics. they're looking for some sort of way we can stop the economic suppression, the red line that keeps us out, and a lot of time, they carry the stick

for american politicians, if you vote for me, you might become a member of the rich guy club and that works especially under the largest voting bloc, the poor white folks. if you can have a right—wing populist when the presidency, a man who not many months before people had written off, why can't you have a democrat populist when the presidency? why not have a radical left—wing voice? because that might energise. i think that's possible. you've seen that reflected in the primary right completely left, a lot more radical... bernie sanders. sanders, warren, the voice of alexandria... i prefer to say aoc, because i always butcher her name, ms cortez, congresswoman cortez, they have given voice and platform to that. someone said at the best

and last election, when some elections. you have the voice, you have the populist, you have to move the needle by actually getting the groundwork of getting people into the polls. because four years ago you were backing hillary clinton rather than bernie sanders. yeah. and now, looking where you sit now, does bernie sanders look quite as unelectable as he looked four years ago? for me, i mean, hillary clinton, i was supporting hillary clinton, i was supporting hillary clinton because i felt as though her cv was one of the greatest that could ever have been presented by any presidential candidate. but she didn't connect. i feel that she. .. there was death by 1000 cuts, you know? there was death by 1000 cuts. you know, we litigated that all these three years. everyone comes to these three years. everyone comes to the table and says it was this, it was that, and i say all of the above. and joe biden, could he win

the general election if he were a candidate? i think any democrat and every democrat could win. you think trump isi every democrat could win. you think trump is i absolutely think trump is beatable. anything we have to do is get away from the partisanship and speak to his supporters. there are millions of people that support donald trump against their own best interests. and you have to point that out. you are playing, as i said at the start of the programme, willie loman in death of a salesman at the moment. you have described the part of the american hamlet. yes, it is. that is why i said, before that said before you com pletely before that said before you completely fatigued, physically, emotionally, psychologically. it is a challenge, the greatest challenge i have ever had in my life, and not just in my career, in my life. i seem just in my career, in my life. i seem to be unable to find a way, every evening, to climb mount

everest. and that is before the lights go up, i am looking up at this peak saying i have to summit by the end of the evening. and when i have gu ests the end of the evening. and when i have guests come back, they are a lwa ys have guests come back, they are always surprised by how festive a.m., and happy. like, youjust did willy loman. i'm like, man, ijust climbed mount everest. and usually i'm filled with energy and i'm up all night, and then spend the entire day preparing for it. he's a whose dreams are shattered by his experience. yes. are kind of faces the daily grind, and the daily grind ultimately wins in the most terrible way possible for him and for his family. it's not a hopeful play. way possible for him and for his family. it's not a hopeful playm isa family. it's not a hopeful playm is a cautionary tale. you know, because the hope is in the fact that you see all the mistakes he makes. if he would only see... if he would only listen to his son, if he would

only listen to his son, if he would only listen to his son, if he would only listen to his wife, if he would only listen to his wife, if he would only see what was ahead, if he only realised that his best days were ahead of him and not behind him, and if he only realised that all that he'd put his faith into was a false dream, and the real dream, the real american dream, was the family and the love that he had around him. he would not, you know, fall victim to his hubris. and he is investigating... during the play, i'm investigating just a deep self reflection on our my best days behind me? what are my inadequacies? where have i failed ? behind me? what are my inadequacies? where have i failed? where have i put my false hope? and it's come to jesus moment, as we call it, for me

and for him. and what it is is, and the broader message, is a condemnation of capitalism and democracy, and how it can destroy the individual, if we allow the larger idea to be master dazed and to become instead of capitalism being something that can find a common good just become about greed —— bastardised. democracy is not equalfor all if every —— bastardised. democracy is not equal for all if every man and woman don't have access to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, then the whole idea of democracy fails. we know everyone, by the nature of our humanity and existence, everyone will not be successful, but have an idea of how we can lend a helping hand to our fellow man, but it's a condemnation of all of the bad parts of democracy and capitalism. and

it's a cautionary tale. are you hopeful or pessimistic about the prospects of reuniting americans? let's leave the kind of politics aside, butjust the kind of common values that can bring americans together. if... yes, because what happens is there is always an epiphany for people when they start to realise how much we have in common, and it happens for different people at different times. and i think, if we take the time to go into each other‘s communities, if we ta ke into each other‘s communities, if we take the time to actually reach out to someone who disagrees with you, then that's. .. that's to someone who disagrees with you, then that's... that's where the possibility is. it's — it's strange, because as i sit here in a studio and i'm buying a radio station in

new orleans, we have to look at our contribution to the dynamic. for media outlet to become partners in, with the power that they have of influence, has really, really thrown fuel on the fire. and, whenever someone says fuel on the fire. and, whenever someone says that they don't fall into line with their partisanship, you seem into line with their partisanship, you seem like an alien. i virulently oppose all of the politics ofjon voigt, but i did ray donovan with him. and we were constantly sharing ideas, really exposed to all kinds of different things, and he is get, getting the national arts award from president trump. and i agree with all of those who say he is probably getting it because he supports trump. so trump looks around and says who can i give this to? and

who's to say that those won't the reasons that obama gave it to tony morrison, you know? —— toni morrison. but i know him as an actor and a friend. we have even had a political arguments. and i congratulated him on social media the other day, and i was attacked, you know, and i wasjust like, i don't want to allow politics to come between a friendship. it shouldn't between a friendship. it shouldn't be like that. my thing is, if someone be like that. my thing is, if someone is my friend, i am willing to ta ke someone is my friend, i am willing to take those lumps. but if we could get past that and try to look into each other‘s manatee, then i don't understand why politics became the forefront of our existence. i mean, now it is the forefront of our existence, and it shouldn't be. it's important but there are other parts. it is not the master. yes, it is the

seventh, it is not the master. and if we can find other parts of our humanity to put up into the forefront, i think that's more important. wendell pierce, thank you very much for being with us on hardtalk. thank you. a real pleasure to have you, thank you. hello there. yesterday we had much brighter weather push into northern areas of the uk, so through the afternoon in scotland, we had skies like these — a bit of sunshine coming through. that was one of our weather watch pictures from around about the fort william area in the highlands. the sunnier skies were associated with the colder air, and that colder air is pushing southwards. and so it's going to bring

a change in our weather, a change to drier weather, with more sunshine to go around. but cold by day and by night, with some sharp overnight frosts just around the corner. indeed, for those of you getting up early on friday, we're looking at a cold start to the day, a risk of a few icy stretches as rain clears and temperatures drop away. showers continue to affect northern and eastern scotland, and some of our eastern coastal counties of england. but across inland areas, particularly for the northern half of the uk, it's a cold start to the day, with a touch of frost outside. now, through friday morning, there will be plenty of sunshine for the vast majority of the country. but again, some patchy cloud coming and going across northern scotland, and running down these eastern coastal areas of scotland and england as well, bringing plenty of showers to these coastal areas. inland, though, plenty of sunshine. but through the afternoon, temperatures struggling — just 3—7 degrees celsius, something like that. and then, as we head through friday evening and overnight, we keep those clear skies. could be a few mist and fog patches forming, but it's going to be a cold night, with a widespread and sharp

frost developing for most areas of the country. well, that takes us into the weekend, and high pressure is still with us for the most part, bringing a continuation of the dry, settled, sunny story. but this low pressure gets close enough to the south—west to threaten a bit of rain into south—west england. certainly there'll be more cloud across these south—western areas, and a cold wind will develop as well. elsewhere, a few mist and fog patches to start the day, slow to clear, but for most of us, more in the way of sunshine again. there will be a few showers coming and going in northern areas of scotland. now, through saturday evening, that rain could extend a little bit further eastwards to threaten dorset, perhaps into the isle of wight for a time, before pulling back southwards as the low pressure moves south into france. high pressure then takes over. could have this little weather front across northern scotland bring some slightly thicker cloud here on sunday, and a greater number of showers moving in across the far north. a change in the wind direction brings showers into the thames estuary, so it'll likely be quite wet at times into the north—west of kent.

but, away from these areas, plenty of sunshine again. after a cold and frosty start, temperatures 4—7 degrees celsius, and we keep the cold weather for the first half of the new week. it gets milder towards the end of next week. that's your weather.

you not i'm sharanjit leyl in singapore. this is newsday. the headlines: serving up a thanksgiving surprise in afghanistan. president trump tells us troops the taliban's pushing for a ceasefire. the taliban wants to make a deal — we'll see if they want to make a deal — it's got to be a real deal but we'll see, but they want to make a deal and they only want to make a deal because you're doing a greatjob. that's the only reason they want to make a deal. anger at australia's bushfire crisis. after six deaths and widespread destruction — calls for the government to take climate change seriously. i'm nuala mcgovern in london. also in the programme.