i'm rico hizon in singapore. the headlines: the debate begins on capitol hill over the articles of impeachment against president trump. the international court ofjustice is set to hear from gambia's lawyers that rohingya muslims still face an ongoing risk of genocide. i'm samantha simmonds in london. also in the programme: india passes a controversial new citizenship law which critics say turns muslims into second—class citizens. greta thunberg is named time magazine's person of the year, on the same day she accuses governments of avoiding real action on climate change.

good morning. it is 9:00am in singapore, 1:00am in london and 8:00pm on capitol hill in washington, where the housejudiciary committee has been debating for the last hour or so the articles of impeachment against president trump. after what will be a spirited discussion, they will most likely vote later on thursday, ahead of a vote in the full house next week. if the president is impeached, the senate would hold a trial in the new year. with me is our north america correspondent peter bowes. peter, tell us more about how this debate is unfolding. well, this is a

debate, as we expected, that is very impassioned from both sides. the democrats saying that president trump has committed constitutional crimes and should, in effect, face the music. these two articles of impeachment, the charges against the president that he abused his position as president, and abuse of power, and also tried to essentially lock the process to withhold information power, and also tried to essentially lock the process to withhold from congress —— block. allowing his close associates from the white house to give evidence. from their part, the republicans equally impassioned in their arguments, saying that this is, and a number of them have said the same thing, that this is a sad day in america and the president, they say, is being impeached on the flimsiest of evidence. so what is the timetable from here, peter, after the house

judiciary committee debates on these articles of impeachment? well, the debate will continue on thursday, then there will be a vote of the judiciary committee. and of course, the democrats, as we know, have a majority on that committee, so these articles of impeachment are likely to be passed, and then at some point next week the full house of representatives will vote. and again, the democrats have a majority, and if they vote in favour of these articles of impeachment, at that point we can say that president trump has been impeached. the next stage will be a trial in the senate. that is likely to take place at the beginning of next year. and it's a different scenario in the senate, because the republicans have a majority there, and the most likely outcome is that the president will be found not guilty. thank you for that update, joining us from los angeles, our north america correspondent peter bowes.

let's take a look at some of the day's other news. harvey weinstein has reportedly reached a $25 million settlement with dozens of his alleged victims. according to the new york times, the tentative agreement would not require the disgraced movie mogul to admit wrongdoing, and he wouldn't pay money out of his own pocket. mr weinstein is also facing criminal charges. isa is a tentative agreement, it hasn't been signed off by a judge yet. some of the accusers of harvey weinstein are not involved. they disagree with this settlement. but it's significant because it ends years of legal rambling. more than 30 women have accused harvey weinstein of sexual harassment, of rape, settling it seems for this $25 million pay—out. but significant as well because so many people think harvey weinstein has got off lightly here. $25 million is not that much when it is divided between 30 people. $500,000 each. and we thought the original settlement pot was going to be much bigger, may be as much as

$90 million. and then, as you say, harvey weinstein does not have to admitany harvey weinstein does not have to admit any wrongdoing in this civil case. and nor, it seems, does he have to pay any money out of his own pocket stop it seems the insurance companies are acting for his former studio and are going to foot the bill. and it also offers him and the board members of that company some indemnity. so there's been a lot of anger since the new york times first reported this tentative deal that harvey weinstein here is getting off lightly in the settlement of these civil suits. it is a matter of hours before polls open here, as uk voters decide who will form their next government in a general election. candidates will contest 650 seats in the house of commons, the uk's lower legislative chamber. polling stations will close at 10:00pm gmt, which will also see the release of an exit poll from the bbc and other uk broadcasters. 0ur election results special broadcast will begin just ahead of that.

join us on bbc world news from that point as we follow every result as it comes in over the course of the night. two more people have died following the volcano eruption on white island on monday, bringing the total number of fatalities to eight. 30 more people are still in hospital, and police say it is still too dangerous to try and retrieve the bodies of eight more people still on the island, because of a risk of further eruptions and gases. more than 70 soldiers have died in an attack by suspected islamist militants in niger. it happened at a military base in inates which was also attacked injuly, when 18 soldiers died. military officials say militants shelled the camp, causing ammunition and fuel to explode. the chilean air force says it has found debris believed to be from a military plane that went missing on its way to the antarctic with 38 people on board. it was located around 30 km south of where the plane last made contact. a huge air and sea search has been underway, involving ships and planes from several countries.

conservation groups have signed an open letter calling on the thai government to stop serving shark fin at state events. the un estimates 73 million sharks are killed for their fins every year. young consumers in china are turning away from shark fin soup, and it is no longer used in official banquets. but consumption is growing in places like thailand, vietnam, and indonesia. tests are being carried out on a painting discovered in northern italy to determine whether it is a work by the austrian artist gustav klimt, presumed stolen in 1997. a gardener found what is thought to be klimt‘s portrait of a lady behind a trapdoor when clearing ivy from the walls of the gallery where it had disappeared. completed in 1917, it is valued at more than $65 million. to the hague now, where myanmar‘s leader, aung san suu kyi,

has been defending her country against accusations of genocide at the international court ofjustice. the nobel peace prize winner said military action against rohingya muslims in 2017, in which thousands were killed and many more fled the country, was the result of necessary operations against rohingya militants. 0ur myanmar correspondent nick beake reports now from the hague. many have given up on aung san suu kyi. not these loyal supporters. they told us they'd travelled 5,000 miles from myanmar to be with her today. she has sacrificed her life and her family for the country and for the people. so this was the least we could do, to be here in her time of trial and distress. she'd come to tell the world there had been no rohingya genocide on her watch. are 750,000 rohingya lying, ms suu kyi? do you have any sympathy at all for the rohingya? could it be that the harrowing

evidence she heard yesterday, of myanmar‘s army trying to eradicate the rohingya muslim people, had shaken her? changed the mind of someone once famous for her defence of human rights? no. regrettably, the gambia has placed before the court an incomplete and misleading factual picture of the situation in rakhine state in myanmar. aung san suu kyi claimed the rohingya exodus in 2017 was sparked by attacks by rohingya militants. she did admit the myanmar army, which she doesn't control, had killed civilians in the security operation that followed, but that perpetrators would be brought tojustice. can there be genocidal intent on the part of a state that actively investigates, prosecutes and punishes soldiers and officers who are accused of wrongdoing? this has been another remarkable day in the extraordinary life of aung san suu kyi.

the nobel peace prize winner now defending a charge of genocide. for years, the western world championed her cause. today, she accused it of failing to understand what had been happening in her country. there was no regret, there was no apology. she said simply there was no case to answer. she left thejudges to consider her words. the international court of public opinion may have already made up its mind. nick beake, bbc news, the hague. india's parliament has passed a controversial bill that will fast—track citizenship claims for immigrants, but not if they are muslim. 0pposition parties said the bill was part of an agenda by india's governing hindu nationalist party, the bjp, to marginalise india's 200 million muslims. but the government denied it is discriminatory. from delhi, pratiksha ghildial reports. it is an issue that has divided

india down the middle. a proposed new law offers amnesty to illegal immigrants from its neighbouring countries. but on one condition — they must not be muslims. it is one of the most controversial decisions by the hindu nationalist bjp government. the government says it is not discriminatory, but aims to help minorities fleeing persecution in pakistan, afghanistan and bangladesh, all islamic countries. campaigners like these say that, by excluding muslims, the government is undermining the values on which india was founded. secularism and religious tolerance. and that faith should not be a consideration for citizenship. many are suspicious, and see it as a tool to marginalise the muslim community. this just seems to be the framework

for a hindu nation and in general if you've seen the last five years, the anti—muslim rhetoric has been huge. there's a large number of violent attacks going on against the community all over the world. this will put them in a further vulnerable spot. there have been furious scenes in parliament as the government tried to defend the move. translation: this is not meant for taking away anyone's rights. it's to give people rights. there's a difference between a refugee and an infiltrator. but activists say this sends out a negative signal to the country's 200 million—strong muslims. clearly you are catering to your hindu base, you know, by telling them that this country is only for hindus. the world's largest democracy had a big heart when it could accommodate people.

right now we are coming across to the world as petty, vindictive. that's not what india stands for. but excluding muslims is not the only reason why this controversial. protests have broken out in the north—eastern states as people say they don't want any migrants settling there, irrespective of their religion. there are concerns about what this proposed new law means for india's secular democracy. as it grapples with the complex issues of religion, citizenship and identity. you are watching newsday on the bbc. still to come on the programme: why the sound of the sea could help fish to restore damaged coral reefs. also on the programme: the island region of bougainville votes overwhelmingly to back independence. but what happens now?

john lennon was shot at the entrance to the dakota building in the centre of new york. there's been a crowd here standing in more or less silent vigil and the flowers have been piling up. the 14th ceasefire of this war ended at the walls of the old city of dubrovnik. this morning, witnesses said shells were landing every 20 seconds. people are celebrating the passing of a man they hold responsible for hundreds of deaths and oppression. elsewhere, people have been gathering to mourn his passing. imelda marcos, the widow of the former president of the philippines, has gone on trial in manila. she's facing seven charges of tax evasion, estimated at £120 million. she pleaded not guilty. the prince and princess

of wales are to separate. a statement from buckingham palace said the decision had been reached amicably. this is newsday on the bbc. i'm rico hizon in singapore. i'm samantha simmonds in london. our top stories: the debate begins on capitol hill over the articles of impeachment against president trump. the international court ofjustice is set to hear from gambia's lawyers that rohingya muslims still face an ongoing risk of genocide. let's take a look at some front pages from around the world. the straits times leads on the story we had earlier on myanmar‘s leader aung san suu kyi defending her country against allegations of genocide at the un international court ofjustice. she was responding to widespread claims that myanmar committed

atrocities against the country's muslim rohingya minority. the japan times has the details on a survey which found that 1 in ten people injapan identify as lg bt or another sexual orientation, 2.8% described themselves as bisexual while 1.4% said they were questioning their sexuality. and the new york times takes a look at the rise of the far—right in italy. the paper reports that the rise can be partially attributed to china emerging as a textile powerhouse in the country, undercutting local businesses. now, what stories are sparking discussions online? yes, let's looks at what is trending right now. pakistan's cricket team enjoyed a good day with the ball on wednesday, as test cricket

returned to the country for the first time in ten years. their bowlers took five wickets from opponents sri lanka for 202 runs. it's the first test match to be played in pakistan since militants attacked sri lanka's team bus in 2009, killing eight people. now you probably weren't aware that coral reefs actually make a sound. have a listen to this: ocean sounds researchers have found that broadcasting sounds of healthy coral reefs underwater attracts young fish back to abandoned habitats. it's called ‘acoustic enrichment‘. it could play a role in bringing asia's degraded reefs back to life. to get more on this, i spoke to the author of the study tim gordon, a marine biologist at the university of exeter, who's on lizard island off

the coast of queensland. those are some of the sounds that we hear on those are some of the sounds that we hearona those are some of the sounds that we hear on a healthy brief. the co nsta nt hear on a healthy brief. the constant crackle, it is almost like fraying bacon or rice crispy is, thatis fraying bacon or rice crispy is, that is invertebrate, that snapping shrimp and the urchins, some of the other grunt and others are some of the noises fish make. that is a lot of chatter among the different marine life underwater! but has it really worked? your goal was to lower back these fish to degraded reefs ? lower back these fish to degraded reefs? this certainly is a lot of chatter. we find that baby fish at the start of their life, they spend their lives out in the open ocean, they float around in the deep blue sea and they grow big and strong, and when they are ready to start aduu and when they are ready to start adult life they come back to settle ona adult life they come back to settle on a roll brief. 0ne adult life they come back to settle on a roll brief. one of the key ways they do that as they listen out to a

coral reef. when we produce the sounds of a coral reef, they make habitat sounds more appealing to them. weigh only the baby fish? we did that study targeting those young fish for two reasons, firstly because we already know that they are very attracted to sound, and we know that they are out there looking for somewhere to live stopping the olderfish for somewhere to live stopping the older fish may have already settled and set up shop on a coral reef. if you are looking for new fish to con lies a reef, baby fish is where you are looking. britain may be in the midst of election fever right now, but in the island region of bougainville another big vote has just taken place. the people there have decided overwhelmingly to back independence in a referendum that could see the small pacific territory break away from papua new guinea and become the world's newest country. a whopping 98% of voters chose independence, but the result is non—binding.

so what happens next? former irish prime minister, bertie ahern, who oversaw the vote as chair of the bougainville referendum commission explains. tomorrow, the prime minister of pub in new guinea and the president of bougainville will go to a region of bougainville will go to a region of bougainville where they will start the process of taking what people have decided on the referendum and deciding what future is. i don't think there will be any quick move to independence but what there will be isa to independence but what there will be is a change in policy, a change in direction, and support and work with the autonomous bougainville region. i think the outcome of the election will have a significant movement, i think the president of

papua new guinea will change the atmosphere and the direction of policy hair. because bougainville's previous attempt to break away in the 1980s resulted in a long and muddy civil war. is there a feature that result, if people don't get their way, they could be violence? that result, if people don't get their way, they could be violence ?|j hope not stopping the whole campaign was extraordinary, i've spent the better pa rt was extraordinary, i've spent the better part of 18 month here just working to get this opportunity to the people, and what happened was when they had the bitter civil war and conflict between papua new guinea and the people of bougainville, many people lost their lives. it was a small region but a very bitter campaign of violence, and since then there was a peace agreement, many years ago. as part of that peace agreement, they decided they would have to be, by 2020, a referendum. that would include amendments on the ballot

paper. so my mission here was to give that opportunity. it was extraordinarily peaceful and joyous, people went to the polls and registered the poles. it is difficult terrain, the atolls, mountains, and people live kilometres away from the normal road, they live in forests and hills, so to get such a huge turnout has been extraordinary. but they wa nt to has been extraordinary. but they want to see change, unfortunately in the last 20 years, the commitment that were made by papua new guinea we re that were made by papua new guinea were not honoured stopping the resources given, the infrastructure given went on it, so now that is a chance and we will have to see political leaders will deliver on these things. the people will be watching very carefully, and the post referendum task force, which we have been helping as well, sets out how they should proceed from here, but it will be not without challenges that we will just but it will be not without challenges that we willjust have to

watch how it plays out. she's the youngest individual ever to be named time's person of the year, and there's no denying that greta thunberg is making an impression. she's calling out world leaders for making excuses to avoid taking action on climate change. at a climate conference in madrid, she accused world powers of always finding loopholes to avoid making real change. 0ur science editor david shukman reports. ms greta thunberg. a global celebrity at the age of 16, greta thunberg was here to energise the talks, not with emotion, but with a calm reminder to world leaders that the latest facts about rising temperatures and melting ice. how do you react to these numbers without feeling at least some level of panic? how do you respond to the fact that basically nothing is being done about this without feeling the slightest bit of anger?

she was speaking as the negotiation seemed to be in slow motion, dragging on over technical details, while the gasses heating the planet and blasted into the air in ever—greater quantities, with many countries accused of using loopholes to wriggle out of plans to cut their emissions. i still believe that the biggest danger is not inaction. the real danger is when politicians and ceos are making it look like real action is happening when in fact almost nothing is being done apart from clever accounting and creative pr. there was applause for greta thunberg in the great hall, but actually a lot of the seats were pretty empty. not every national delegation was here to listen to her message. greta has inspired a movement

that is losing patience. young protestors took over the hall to demand faster action. what matters, is whether anyone is listening. you have been watching newsday. i'm samantha simmonds in london. and i'm rico hizon in singapore. stay with us. coming up, us aviation regulators failed to ground boeing 737 max despite the risks. we'll see how a study showed the aircraft was more accident prone than most. and before we go, we'd like to leave you with these pictures. cambodia's kite enthusiasts have been competing in the country's 23rd kite festival, aimed at preserving a tradition that dates back to around 400 bc. as with many of the country's traditions, kite flying was banned during the ultra maoist khmer rouge regime in the 1970s. but it was revived in the 1990s and now kite—making as well as kite—flying are regaining popularity.

that's all for now, stay with bbc world news. we have already had two deep areas of low pressure affecting the weather. this massive cloud is coming in for the day ahead, and we have got further lumps with those weather fronts laying across the atlantic to bring us some further spells of rain. it's notjust rain for the concern for the day ahead, as it comes into the cold air we can see some hill snow as well. we've seen snow showers and thunderstorms which have continued in the north over the night and with those heavy showers, the potential is there to continue to wash the grit off the surfaces, the roads and the pavements, so quite slick conditions.

it could be quite icy further south — we have had a lot of damp weather and temperatures have forecast in the towns and cities to get to around freezing. it could be icy and frosty through this morning but already in the west we have seen that change. as this comes in across the moors and the welsh mountains there could be a smattering of snow, more likely a few centimetres across northern ireland and northern england into southern scotland. we could stay in the showery cold regime all day in northern scotland but it is going to feel quite raw as the clouds increasing all the time bringing this eastwards into that cold air and giving us snow over the hills in the north. it does eventually get a bit milder in the south and west and more showery as you can see through the afternoon when the sunshine returns but with it also some stronger winds, so these strong north—westerly winds will blow the rain away from southern areas, but it kind of hangs around in the north through the night and into friday, with showers rushing and on that north—westerly, so another cold —feeling day, but we're back to sunshine and showers for most on friday except as you can see northern and north—eastern parts of scotland with their persistent rain,

hill snow too, and heavy showers elsewhere, some hail and thunder, temperatures perhaps doing a little better than the day ahead but feeling cold with that wind. that wind which will continue to blow through friday night into saturday, significant snow is expected across the alpine regions, some really heavy winds battering eastern europe, there are warnings out quite widely across parts of central and southern europe. turin expecting some snow on friday and we wouldn't like to rule out some winteryness across many alpine regions. here in the uk it is going to stay chilly, we will see further sunny spells and showers but it will often be quite windy especially in the south, there could be further bouts of rain and hill snow, notjust necessarily in the north. as ever, the warnings are on the website.

i'm samantha simmonds

with bbc world news. our top story: the debate begins on capitol hill over the articles of impeachment against president trump. they will most likely vote later on thursday, ahead of a vote in the full house next week. if the president is impeached, the senate would hold a trial in the new year. the international court ofjustice is set to hear from gambia's lawyers that rohingya muslims still face an ongoing risk of genocide. and this video is trending on bbc.com. greta thunberg has been named time magazine's person of the year. it comes as she accused leaders at a un climate conference of avoiding real action on climate change. that's all, stay with bbc world news. more on our website,

bbc.co.uk/news, and the news app.