this is bbc news with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. a leading opposition figure in belarus is missing following more mass protests against president lukanshenko. two dozen wildfires blaze across california, while the heatwave sees los angeles hit its highest—ever temperature. a large spike in the numbers of coronavirus cases in the uk causes growing concern. and pepper the ‘culturally aware' robot, the answer to typhoon haishen has lashed south korea's east coast causing landslides and bringing down power lines. and pepper the ‘culturally aware' robot, the answer to the care home staff shortagee?

hello and welcome to audiences in the uk and around the world. we re covering all the latest coronavirus developments here in britain and globally. one of the leading opposition figures in belarus has been abducted by unidentified men, according to local reports. witnesses say that maria kolesnikova, one of the three women whojoined forces to challenge president lukashenko ahead of the recent election, was bundled into a vehicle in minsk and driven away. she had attended a mass demonstration in the capital on sunday. the interior ministry says it has no information about her being detained, as the bbc‘sjonah fisher reports.

maria kolesnikova was, until today, pretty much a political survivor. pretty much the last belarus opposition leader who is not in jail and who hasn't fled the country. this was her in minsk yesterday, taking part in a fourth weekend of demonstrations, calling for the country's president alexander lu kashenko, to step down. as the day came to an end the riot police fought back. dozens were detained and this morning miss kolesnikova was picked up from a minsk street. she walked to the post office and disappeared. a passer—by saw that she was taken to a bus... it was written there that it was the communications service, something like this. after that we couldn't contact her. her phone is not available.

miss kolesnikova was one of a trio of women who took on president lukashenko in august's election. svetla na ti kha novs kaya was their candidate and she is widely thought to have won the most votes, but president lukashenko declared victory. miss tikhanovskaya left the country. a few days later, i caught up with miss kolesnikova. do you feel safe here? you are the most prominent opposition leader who is on the streets of minsk. are you worried? no, i'm not worried. i'm very safe and when you see the people around me i'm happy. i feel very safe. if president lukashenko is hoping to crush the protests by detaining opposition figures, he's likely to be disappointed. belarus‘s demonstrations have no clear leadership or structure, and just one key aim, to remove an unpopular president from power.

jonah fisher, bbc news. officials have blamed a so—called ‘baby gender reveal party‘ for one of more than two dozen wildfires burning across california. a pyrotechnic — a firework or smoke bomb — set off to reveal whether a couple's soon—to—be—born baby is a boy or a girl — sparked a fire that's now covered more than 7,000 acres. all this while the state is sweltering in a record heatwave, with los angeles registering its hottest temperature ever at 49.1; degrees celsius. a short time ago, i spoke to tim rankin. he lives in one of the areas under threat in califorina and has his bags packed incase he has to flee. well, right now, the fire, there's really two flanks of there's really two flanks of the fire. the fire rate to the north of us has been able to stop that, and their little hotspots they are cleaning up. that's only a couple hundred

yards from our house. but now the fire has moved east of us, and it's actually coming around the hillside where we live. they're expecting someone wins to pick up later this afternoon, and the fire to start moving again this direction. that is terrifying for you. have you got a car packed? are you ready to go? yeah. we have two cars packed and ready to go. we almost left last night when the fire was coming up from the north, but they were able to get on it. they had some helicopters and they were able to stop it with some water drops, which was great. but yeah, we have two ca i’s great. but yeah, we have two cars with what we need in it. some pictures, hard drives into paperwork, and that's really all. what about the smoke? can you sense and smell the smoke? you have to keep your windows shut? yeah, unfortunately, the smell smell is in the house as well. there's not much you can do to get rid of it. we keep a mask on or do whatever we need,

but yeah, it's pretty smoky. what do you guys feel about your long—term future there? i was listening to some of your weather forecasters today and one guy was talking about bonkers weather. wildfires in one area, and this weather whiplash with snow. is it sustainable for you to live there, do you think? i know a lot of people have asked me the same question. this is a beautiful part of the country, and we have a lot of friends and we have a lot of friends and family here. wonderful people in this neighbourhood, specifically. it's hard to know whether we're just going to get up whether we're just going to get up and leave. so i really don't know what my future is. we'll get through this one day at a time. the fact that it seems to have been caused by a gender reveal party, forgive me, i knew nothing about this at all, but that identifying whether you're having a boy or a girl before the baby is born. how

does that make you feel? listen, it's criminal. regardless of what the event was, where they were right up the road from us is an area that was extremely high fire danger. they knew, they should have known that they should not have known that they should not have had any type of fire related activities there. so it's hard for me to understand that. tim renken speaking to me earlier. here in the uk, there are growing fears about the rate of new coronavirus infections in parts of britain. health officials say there's been a ‘big change' in numbers over the weekend. the latest official figures for the uk show almost 3000 new confirmed cases in the latest 24—hour period, far higher than in recent months, and wales is particularly badly hit. the bbc‘s health editor hugh pym has more. tonight, a new and wide—ranging local lockdown — people have been told they can't enter or leave the county borough of caerphilly

without a reasonable excuse. meetings with other people indoors and overnight stays will be banned. all this after the infection rate rose to the highest in wales. there has been a significant rise in uk coronavirus cases and a stark warning today from england's deputy chief medical officer. this is a big change, it's now consistent over two days, and it is of great concern at this point. if we are not careful, if we don't take this incredibly seriously from this point in, we're going to have a bumpy ride over the next few months. he said it was no longer restricted to isolated outbreaks. disease levels are now beginning to turn up on a wider basis, wider geographical basis, and that, again, is really a signal that we've got to change this now. he said there had been case increases in all age groups, but especially so among younger adults. that's the situation

in the council area of hertsmere, which includes some of london's commuter belt. it has moved into the top ten hotspots after a sharp rise in virus infections, including for young patients. today, i asked some local people for their views on that. figures for england show the virus has spread more quickly among younger people. early in august, just over 21% of new coronavirus cases were in the 20s, the following week that went up to 25%, the week after it was 29%, and it stayed at about that same level. don't kill your gran by catching coronavirus and then passing it on, and you can pass it on before you have had any symptoms at all. he has pointed to the example of france, where case numbers have risen steeply since early august. that was followed by higher numbers of hospital patients with the virus. the uk government is warning that could happen here. the bbc‘s health editor hugh pym reporting. over in india, the number of covid—i9 infections has

overtaken the total in brazil, and is now the second highest in the world, after the united states. more than 4.2 million cases have been reported in india, but despite the rise in infections, the country is opening up. 0fficial death rates, however, continue to be relatively low and india's ministry of health claims their strategy is working. dr nathan grills is a public health expert with the australia—india institute at the university of melbourne. he says the latest numbers from india show only a fraction of what's actually happening. we know from across the world that we underestimate the cases. 0ne that we underestimate the cases. one in ten cases may have been diagnosed. i think india can expect the same. especially with the testing not

being universal across india. it could be far more than ten times higher than that. i think also we're seeing lower death rates, but they probably only diagnosed a more severe cases of them because people with mild to hidden bones are being tested —— mild symptoms. mild to hidden bones are being tested -- mild symptoms. when you think about the property of people living above subsistence level in india, why is it the death rate higher —— why isn't? i think death rate higher —— why isn't? ithink india death rate higher —— why isn't? i think india is a very young country. the me the —— average age of death and most of the world in australia has been about 80, and the average age of life expectancy in india is about 68. so the very young country. there have been very few deaths, none in australia

below 30. i think that's a protective mechanism. all the —— old people are not in care homes as much in india. 85% of australia's deaths have been in ca re australia's deaths have been in care homes. some ways, old people are more quarantined in their homes with their families in india. that may also be a contributor. there's been a very strict lockdown in the early stages of this. that's been released because economically, they cannot continue like this. was that a mistake or do you think they are building up to some sort of herd immunity here? are building up to some sort of herd immunity here ?|j are building up to some sort of herd immunity here? i think in india, you probably can't avoid inevitable situations where there will be herd immunity. you can get to that place with a young population without really high rates of deaths, so i think opening up is the right

policy. there are two questions to ask. 0ne policy. there are two questions to ask. one is what the cost of not opening up, and the other is what the cost of opening up? i think it's probably less than it would've been in europe or america, but the cost of not opening up in india currently is massive, i think. typhoon haishen has touched down on the korean peninsula after hitting southern japan. the storm hit parts of the east coast across both north and south korea and made landfall in the city of ulsan. hundreds of flights were cancelled, with some train services suspended. mark lobel reports. wild weather has hit the southeastern tip of the peninsula, but sustained winds of up to 112 kilometres per hour. tens of thousands of

households were without power, and thousands of families displaced. further up the east coast, a city surrounded by water. leaving some major roads submerged. that's left south korea's second largest city in need of help. extra rescue workers have been rushed in as typhoon haishen hot on my card a trail of destruction and left people missing. —— and north korea, pictures show the extent of the damage they are. heavy rain and strong winds left high waves that flooded streets and left buildings partially submerged in water. the country 01’ submerged in water. the country or the brunt of recent typhoons, and there are fears of the damage being wrought on its agricultural sector and the country's food situation. as

the peninsula comes to terms with a spate of storms that has taken lives, with a spate of storms that has ta ken lives, closed with a spate of storms that has taken lives, closed businesses, cut power and clogs the country's transport systems, there are no calls to quit actions as a special disaster zones and receive extra aid. mark lobel, bbc news. stay with us on bbc news, still to come: we'll hear about this boat, which took six months to travel from bangladesh to indonesia with more than 100 rohingya refugees on board. 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 clear voice, enough of blood and tears. enough. the difficult decision we reach 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 a leading opposition figure in belarus is missing following more mass protests against president lukanshenko. maria kalesnikova was

seen being bundled into a van by masked men. two dozen wildfires blaze across california. one is believed to have been started by a firework at a party. meanwhile the heatwave sees los angeles hit its highest ever temperature the british prime minister borisjohnson has declared that if a trade deal with the eu is not reached by the 15th 0ctober, both sides should ‘move on‘, meaning the uk would go on to trade with the eu states on international trading terms. as the latest round of negotiations is due to get under way, the government is reported to be planning a new law, which could change parts of the uk‘s divorce deal with the eu. the bbc‘s political editor laura kuenssberg explains. by the time the branches are bare, the wrangling over business after brexit is meant to be done. yet the trade deal that was meant to be easy pickings is proving

difficult to conclude. the prime minister declared if it is not done in five weeks, it won‘t be done at all. what the prime minister is saying is sensible which is we all need to know where we stand by the middle of october so we know what we are planning for. the talks over how we will trade in future get going again tomorrow, but making progress is a different question. there is bellyaching over stubbornness on both sides and disagreement still on fishing and on government support for business, but just as the talks about the future are clearly in some trouble, there is dispute as well over what was exactly agreed in the past. this autumn irritation is familiar. there were plenty of threats on both sides last year. late nights and worried whispers before salutes, high fives and fist bumps when the divorce deal was finally done. but to forge that agreement, special arrangements were made for northern ireland, how to manage business across the border has been

complicated all along. north of the 310—mile line is part of the uk, out of the eu, but on the other ireland, part of the trading block. both sides agree some goods leaving great britain will have to be checked crossing into northern ireland, but there‘s still a dispute over whether to have declarations going the other and the uk wants to give its own ministers the power to decide exactly what happens to what kind of goods that are on the move. for the eu‘s top brass, that is a threat to the deal already done, an icily diplomatic reminder from its most senior official. in other words, mess around with what is past and the future could be off. the full implementation of the withdrawal agreement and the protocol in ireland and northern ireland are essential. these are legal obligations under international law. this is a matter of trust. downing street is adamant the government stands by last year‘s deal and only wants to make limited changes

but beware the black—and—white on wednesday when parliament will receive the exact plans. the government cannot withdraw unilaterally from elements of an international treaty it has signed up to and it is deeply worrying for northern ireland. 0n northern ireland and on trade, a lot of haggling lies ahead. we have gone from the eu, but the arguments about what‘s next aren‘t forgotten yet. laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster. the fiancee of the murdered saudi dissident journalist jamal khashoggi has condemned saudi authorities for the final sentences for his killing. the court ordered eight jail terms ranging from seven to twenty years, and commuted five death sentences. the assassination of mr khashoggi at the saudi consulate in istanbul two years ago has cast a shadow over the country‘s defacto leader, crown prince mohammed bin salman. hundreds of rohingya refugees have landed in the indonesian

province of aceh after six months at sea. the landing is one of the biggest such arrivals in years by the persecuted muslim minority, who originally fled myanmar. the refugees say they set sail from southern bangladesh in march, with no supplies other than what they could fit onto their boat. 0ur reporter resto woro yuniar, from bbc indonesia has more. it was in this confined space that almost 300 rohingya refugees spent nearly seven months at sea. eventually landing here in the indonesian province of aceh, where locals helped the boat come ashore. translation: most of them are women and children, and their conditions are not too good. we are going to check on them again once we arrive at the shelter. we are going to relocate them so they don‘t stay here. among those who came ashore were 181 women and 1a small children.

one person was rushed to hospital. officials say the passengers are being sheltered at a refugee centre where they will be tested for coronavirus. translation: from the red cross, we are going to help in the name of humanity, but more importantly, because of covid—19, we have to follow health protocols. it was the same coronavirus concernes which left indonesian authorities to push back the boat with nearly 100 rohingya people in june, who were also rescued by locals. boats may be part of a group of 800 rohingya, who left bangladesh earlier this year. around a million muslim rohingya have fled persecution myanmar into neighbouring bangladesh. but refugee camps there are overcrowded, and human traffickers make a lot of money by promising people

sanctuary abroad. conditions aboard this boat can be deadly, and not everybody makes it to the shore. resto woro yuniar, bbc news, indonesia. the largest—ever study of the use of so—called ‘intelligent‘ robots in care homes has found they can help improve the mental health of residents. hello, peter. in a care home in bedfordshire... hello, pepper. ..peter the human and pepper the robot have become friends. nice to see you again. tell me what was the most difficult thing that you and yourfamily had to go through during the second world war? well, it was the fact that... pepper has been programmed to play games or music, ask about meals, organise calls to relatives, but most importantly, pepper is a great listener. i also once think i saw a doodlebug... thank you for sharing this with me. it is interesting to know more about you. in the jargon, pepper is a culturally aware robot. do you feel that

pepper is your friend? all the time i'm with him, yes. really? yes. you don‘t think that‘s a bit odd, having a robot as a friend? well, life can be a bit odd sometimes, especially the older you get. the idea that a computer could be a carerfeels, well, alien, but an academic evaluation suggests a robot, actually, can do a pretty good job. i wasn't too keen on modern jazz... they viewed the robot almost like a person after two weeks. they didn't just see it as a tool or a robot. they saw it as something that they could really connect with. hello, mark. the pandemic has changed human interactions in the care home since we filmed but pepper never needs to wear ppe. can a machine really understand compassion? i am just a machine. the participants found me to be compassionate and that‘s what matters. we cannot say that the robot is

feeling real emotion or wants to care, but what is very important is the perception that people have, so when you see the robot you will see something that will behave as if it cares about people. alexa, answer the front door. demand for care services is increasing and the system is struggling to cope, but can artificial intelligence ever offer a real relationship? quite a few people get anxious that we are thinking of replacing carers, but that is absolutely not the case. it is, how can we use the technology to make our care staff more effective and efficient? and the technology is there to support us in doing so. i hope you have fun together. we like to believe that empathy is a human trait but, troubling though it may be, it appears some robots are actually more caring than some people. mark easton, bbc news. and that is it from me and the

team. bye—bye. hello there. although for many of us monday was a cloudy day, we did have some rain as well across northwestern areas. we also had a few brighter moments. one of those captured towards the end of the day across parts of devon. on the charts for a tuesday we‘ve got low pressure to the north of the uk high pressure to the south and this front working eastward. this area is called a warm sector that‘s going to be moving right across the uk. bringing warm air, yes, but increasing humidity. all that‘s going to do is taking the cloud up and bring some outbreaks of drizzle, mist and fog patches forming. will turn increasingly murky of the next few hours. a few spots of drizzle, no great amounts butjust some dampness in the air across the west. starting off with the day

on tuesday we start off with that extensive cloud. best of the sunshine north and east of scotland northeast england also starting out sunny as well. elsewhere, there could be a few breaks coming along in the cloud but it‘s always going to be a struggle to break the cloud against the west. staying quite grey. despite that, temperature still into the 20s. rain moves into the northwest of scotland becoming persistent was the end of the day for that if we do see any lengthy clear breaks some sunshine, it will feel warm, it will feel humid. that rain will continue to push southwards as we go through tuesday night. cold front extends towards england and wales, taking this rain with it. the front itself is moving towards high pressure so the front is weakening all the time. as it takes its cloud, rain and interns increasingly patchy as it works towards the south and east. temperatures on wednesday, lower and about 5 degrees lower across the north and east. you will notice that change. across the southeast, we‘re stilljust about hanging onto that warm air. temperature still around 22 or so in london.

it will turn a bit fresher on thursday it will be fresher but of course in the sunshine it still september, it is still warm. after a sunny start cloud on thursday will tend to spread across the sky particularly across northern and western areas. a few showers to brush into the northwest of scotland. temperatures for many of us around 15, 19 celsius without we finished the week with low pressure moving and bringing wet and windy weather to the northwest. again the front weakens as it pushes through the southeast. that‘s your weather.

this is bbc news,

the headlines. leading belarus opposition figure maria kalesnikova is missing — following more mass protests against president lukanshenko. the european union has strongly condemned the authorities in belarus for what it called arbitary and unexplained arrests and detentions before and after the falsified presidential election in august. two dozen wildfires are blazing across california — one believed to have been started by a firework at a party. the fires have been made worse by a heatwave across the state scientists have recorded the highest ever temperature in los angeles county of forty—nine point four degrees celsius. the latest "big change" in coronavirus infections across the uk is of "great concern", england‘s deputy chief medical officer has warned. the latest figures show a jump in the number of cases, with just short of three—thousand new confirmed infections in the latest 24—hour period which is far