welcome to bbc news. i'm mike embley. our top stories: a leading opposition figure in belarus reportedly abducted by masked men amid more mass protests against president lukashenko. two dozen wildfires blaze across california as the heatwave sees los angeles county hit its highest ever temperature. australian journalists fly home from china after taking refuge in their embassy, following questioning by china's ministry of state security. typhoon haishen has lashed south korea's east coast causing landslides and bringing down power lines. after a series of gruesome attacks on horses across france, police arrest one man but suspect several

others are involved. hello. one of the leading opposition figures in belarus has been abducted by unidentified men, according to local reports. witnesses say maria kolesnikova, one of the three women who joined forces to challenge president lukashenko in 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 is saying it has no information about her being detained. the bbc‘s jonah fisher has this report. maria kolesnikova was, until today, a political survivor. pretty much the last belarus opposition leader who is not injailand who has

not 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 she disappeared. a passer—by saw that she was taken to the bus with the — 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 triumvirate of women who took on president lukashenko in august's election. svetla na ti kha novs kaya was their candidate, and she's 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. but 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 these people who are here 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‘ demonstrations have no clear leadership or structure, and just one key aim, to remove an unpopular president from power. jonah fisher, bbc news. i spoke just now to rachel denber, from the campaign group human rights watch, and asked her for her reaction to events in belarus. well, it's completely outrageous that maria kolesnikova has been abducted.

unfortunately, i can't say it's an aberration. it's something we've come to expect from this government. she's not the first person to be abducted in this way, and she's not the first person in the opposition coordination council who has been targeted. ivan kravtsov, the press secretary, has also been abducted and is missing, and there is another member of the coordination council who has also been abducted, other members of the coordination council have been arrested and are currently serving short—term prison terms. and yet another one was forced to basically leave the country. and the government has filed criminal charges against the coordination council as a group. so, it's not surprising, it's completely outrageous, and the authorities have to immediately free these members of the coordination council. rachel, are you concerned for her safety and for the personal safety of the others detained? we are — human rights watch

is absolutely alarmed and deeply concerned about the safety of maria kolesnikova and the others. i — we can only assume the authorities are either threatening to use — either threatening them or perhaps using some of the methods that they have used against the many hundreds of protesters, you know, beatings and the like. so, we're very concerned about personal safety. the determination of the people staying on the streets is surely impressive. what do you make, though, of the international reaction? well, the international reaction so far has been full of condemnation for lukashenko and for the crackdown. i think that there needs to be more. i think — look, the international community now has two opportunities to launch long—term scrutiny of belarus, and that's what we really need right now. lu kashenko is counting on the west, counting on other governments, counting

on the un, to just get fatigued and to turn away. and that's why, when the un human rights council opens its session next week, they need to adopt a resolution that really turns up the scrutiny on belarus, that sets out a monitoring and a reporting procedure, and also, you know, governments have to think about individual sanctions. just very briefly, if you don't mind. russia's ally — lukashenko‘s ally, russia, has a veto, of course, on the security council, and the united states has its focus, really, on many other things, doesn't it? is there much chance of action from there? well, what we're looking at now is the human rights council, which russia is not on, in this period. so, i really think we can count — we should be counting on the un human rights council in geneva to take some serious action. rachel denber from human rights watch. the poisoned russian opposition

leader, alexay navalny, has been taken out of his medically—induced coma. doctors treating him in berlin say his condition is improving. he was flown to germany after falling ill on a flight in siberia in august. doctors say he was poisoned with the nerve agent novichok. his team believe that was on the orders of russian president vladimir putin. he has denied any involvement. strong winds and extreme heat are threatening efforts to contain more than 20 wildfires in california. and forecasters are warning conditions could deteriorate further on tuesday. more powerful hot winds are expected. nearly a million hectares of land across the state have already burned this year. it's the worst season for wildfires since records began. live now to chip franklin, a talk show host and filmmaker from kgo radio in san francisco. it's very good to talk to you. it's very good to talk to you. it's a pretty bad scene, as far as we can see, but it's different, isn't it, the way this is looking between northern and southern

california? especially los angeles. los angeles county recorded a record 120 fahrenheit, never seen before. so the effects of climate change are really happening here. we get these wins in southern california called the sa nta a na southern california called the santa ana wins, normally from the west to the north of the ocean, these are basically hurricane strength wins. people will say one day this will go all the way to the ocean. we are keeping ourfingers crossed that it won't be this year, but it really is bad temperatures in the bay area. —— santa ana. it doesn't take much, people can get trapped. and if people get complacent, these fires could come over the hill. and covid-19 could come over the hill. and covid—19 exacerbates the situation, because where can they go? they can't gather in large groups because of the virus, and the president, ugh,

he has that he should give federal emergency management funds to us because of our politics. it's a tough place right now. you mention climate change, is a contentious issue in the united states. doesn't look likely at some point, sooner or later, some areas cannot be lived in? well, you know, that is the same. people go into the forest, and we can't get to them, and there really is little we can do when a fire comes and they don't evacuate. they would be trapped. so if that is what you mean as faras trapped. so if that is what you mean as far as places you can live, you are right. we have to consider that. climate change has really affected the way we're going to live. the drought is going to be every year and year, california is my home, i wouldn't live anywhere else. but if we don't get a new president, and we don't get action, i mean, it might be too late to a certain extent, to stop the effects of climate

change. these fires right now are not just change. these fires right now are notjust threatening our lives, we are the fourth or fifth biggest economy in the world. we are the breadbasket for much of the world. everything from alfalfa to omens to read, strawberries, we grow them here —— almonds and wheat, so if that is affected, it will affect not only us, but the entire world. chip franklin from kg oh, thank you very much. —— kgo. the fiancee of the murdered saudi dissidentjournalist jamal khashoggi has criticised saudi authorities for the final sentences over his killing. the court ordered eightjail terms ranging from 7—20 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 man who effectively leads the country, crown prince mohammed bin salman. two australian journalists have

flown home from china after a diplomatic stand—off. both men were advised by australian officials to leave for their own safety. chinese police had demanded interviews with michael smith, from the australian financial review, and bill birtles, china correspondent for the broadcaster, abc. they took refuge at separate australian missions as negotiations over their departure went on. 0ur sydney correspondent, shaimaa khalil, joins us live. give us more on the background here. this has been a really tense time line for the two journalists. we know this started last week when australian diplomats warned bill birtles that he should live diner, a similar warning was given to the abc's management by the department of foreign affairs and trade, and after the second warning, the abc has decided to evacuate bill birtles and bring him back. it was due to be on a flight back. it was due to be on a flight last thursday, but on the eve of his departure, at midnight, he was holding a gathering, a farewell gathering. seven chinese policeman showed up on his

doorstep on wednesday at midnight, and said he was banned from leaving the country and that he should come in for questioning by the chinese authorities, on what they described as a national security case. bill birtles then contacted the embassy, he had been sheltering in the embassy for the next four days. then there was a back—and—forth between australian diplomats and the chinese authorities about lifting about travel ban on the condition that he sit down for an interview. we don't know if he was accused of anything, we don't know if he was questioned about his coverage and his journalism inside china, but we also know that a similar situation happened with michael smith, he is the correspondent for the australian financial review in shanghai, he took rescue in australia because my consulate in shanghai, the two men then got on a plane —— australia's consulate, and are back in sydney. it's a dramatic and worrying development, because they were the last two

australian correspondence working for australia rod casting corporation —— australian broadcasters and media, and is the first time since 1970s that australia does not have accredited media inside china. shaimaa khalil, thank you very much for that. stay with us on bbc news. still to come: the boat that took six months to travel from bangladesh to indonesia, with more than 100 rohingya refugees on board. 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: a leading opposition figure in belarus is missing — following more mass protests against president lukashenko. maria kolesnikova was seen being bundled by masked men intoa van. two dozen wildfires are blazing across california as strong winds and heat hamper efforts to contain them. meanwhile the heatwave sees los angeles county

hit its highest ever temperature. 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, some train services suspended. mark lobel reports. wild weather has hit the south—eastern tip of the peninsula, with 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 carved a trail of destruction and left people missing. in north korea, state tv pictures show the extent of the damage there. heavy rain and strong winds left high waves that flooded streets and left buildings partially submerged in water. the country bore the brunt of recent typhoons, and there are fears of the damage being wrought on its agricultural sector and the country's tenuous food situation. waves crash as the peninsula comes to terms with a spate of storms that has taken lives, closed businesses, cut power and clogged the country's transport systems, there are now calls to quick action to designate the hardest hit as a special disaster zones and receive extra aid. mark lobel, bbc news.

president trump has demanded a reporter remove his face mask during a press briefing on monday. the reporterfrom reuters news agency was trying to ask a question — he said he would speak up but did not remove his mask. here's the exchange. you are going to have to take that off, please. how many feet are you awake? if you do not ta ke are you awake? if you do not take it off, you are very muffled so if you would take it off it would be much easier. that's better, yes. better. the wearing of face coverings has become highly politicised in the us. the president has refused to order americans to wear them and mocked his presidential challenger, joe biden, for wearing one. the british prime minister has declared that if a trade deal with the european union is not reached by the 15th october, both sides should move on — that seems to mean the uk would go on to trade with european states on international trading terms. with the latest round of negotiations due to get under

way, it's reported the government is planning a new law which could change parts of the uk's divorce deal with the eu — in particular the special arrangements for northern ireland. the government's critics say it's in danger of breaking an international treaty. our political editor laura kuenssberg reports. 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 declaring if it is not done in five weeks, it won't be done at all. what the prime minister is saying is eminently 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, well, that's a different question. there's 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 bloc. 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 way. 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's a threat to the deal already done — an icily diplomatic reminder from its most senior official. "the agreement is an obligation under international law and prerequisite for any future partnership." in other words, mess around with what's past and the future could be off. the full implementation of the withdrawal agreement, and in particular the protocol in ireland and northern ireland, are essential. these are legal obligations under international law, this is a matter of trust. downing street's adamant the government stands by last year's deal and only wants to make limited changes. yet beware the black—and—white on wednesday when parliament will receive the exact plans. the government simple cannot withdraw unilaterally from elements of an international treaty which it has signed up to, and it is deeply worrying for northern ireland. on northern ireland and on trade, a lot of haggling lies ahead. we've gone from the eu, but the arguments about what's next aren't forgotten yet. laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster. tennis, and the women's world

number one, ashleigh barty, has announced she won't play at the french open, due to start in paris at the end of the month. she has also pulled out of the us open, currently under way in new york. on monday organisers said fans will be allowed inside roland garros despite the increase in coronavirus cases in france. the tournament was postponed from may because of the pandemic and is scheduled to start in paris on 27th september. police in france have arrested a man in connection with a series of gruesome attacks on horses, mostly in the north and east. authorities believe several people are involved. about 20 horses have been killed and dozens more mutilated. the bbc‘s tim allman has this. it looks idyllic, doesn't it? horses grazing in the northern french countryside. but appearances can be deceptive. this is remy, a blacksmith, with his pony, noel. noel had his eye gouged out, one of three horses attacked in two separate

incidents at this time. translation: at first i thought it was accidental, and i told myself in a small village like this, it can't be possible. i walked around the pasture several times to see how they could have been injured like that and realised that it was not possible. and this is happening nationwide. dozens of attacks: ears being chopped off, legs being stabbed, animals killed. there are all sorts of theories. a satanic cult? a gruesome trophy hunt? some kind of internet challenge? the country's interior minister met with horse breeders north of paris, voicing reassurance and dismay. translation: we are extremely shocked by these despicable acts. there have been 153 investigations throughout france. about 30 acts are particularly serious. either resulting in the death of the horses, or extremely violent injuries.

this is a computer—generated image of a potential suspect, and after it was issued, a man was arrested. he is being questioned, but police believe several people could be involved. the attacks began at the start of the year but have become more frequent in recent weeks. these horses may still be in danger. tim allman, bbc news. hundreds of rohingya refugees have landed in the indonesian province of aceh after six months at sea. the landing is one of the biggest 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 except what would fit on their boat. our reporter resty 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 concerns which led indonesian

authorities to threatedn to push back another boat with nearly 100 rohingya people in june, who were also rescued by locals. both boats may be part of a group of 800 rohingya, who left southern bangladesh earlier this year. around a million muslim rohingya have fled persecution in myanmar into neighbouring bangladesh. but the refugee camps there are overcrowded and squalid, and human traffickers make a lot of money by promising people sanctuary abroad. conditions aboard these boats can be deadly, and not everybody makes it to the shore. resty woro yuniar, bbc news, indonesia. and briefly, our main news for us, two dozen wildfires are now raging across california, one started by a firework at a party. the fires are made worse bya party. the fires are made worse by a heatwave across the state with the highest ever temperature in los angeles cou nty temperature in los angeles county being reported. much

more for you any time on our website and our twitter feeds. thank you for watching. hello there. although for many of us, monday was a cloudy day, we did have some rain as well across north—western areas, we also had a few brighter moments, and that was of those captured towards the end of the day across parts of devon by alan 0. now, on the charts for tuesday, we've got low pressure to the north of the uk, high pressure to the south and this front working eastwards. now, this area is called a warm sector. and that's going to be moving right across the uk. bringing warmer air, yes, but increasing amounts of humidity. all that's going to do is thicken the cloud up and bring some outbreaks of drizzle, some mist and fog patches forming around our coasts and hills. so it will turn increasingly murky over the next few hours. some dampness around, as i say. a few spots of drizzle, no great amounts butjust some

dampness in the air across the west first thing. starting off with the day on tuesday, we start off with that extensive cloud. the best of the sunshine, actually, northern and eastern scotland, north—east england 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 across the west, so staying quite grey. despite that, temperatures still into the 20s. rain moves into the north—west of scotland, becoming persistent towards the end of the day, and if we do see any lengthy clear breaks, with some sunshine, it will feel warm, it will fill humid. that rain will continue to push southwards as we go through tuesday night as this cold front extends towards england and wales, taking its rain with it. the front itself is moving towards high pressure so the front is weakening all the time. as it takes its cloud, the rain increasingly turns patchy as it works towards the south and the east. temperatures on wednesday, lower, and about 5 degrees lower across the north and east. you will notice that change. but across the south—east, we're stilljust about hanging onto that warm air. temperature still around 22 or so in london. it will turn a bit fresher, though, on thursday. we say fresher, it will be

fresher, but of course in the sunshine, it still september, it is still warm in that sun. 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 far north—west of scotland. our temperatures for many of us between around 15 and 19 degrees celsius. and then we finish the week with low pressure moving and bringing wet and windy weather to the north—west. again the front weakens as he pushes through the south—east. that's your weather.

this is bbc news. the headlines: it's reported that one of the leading opposition figues in belarus, maria kolesnikova, has been abducted by masked men amid more mass protests against president lukanshenko. the european union has officially strongly condemned what it calls arbitary and unexplained arrests and detentions before and after the falsified presidential election in august. two dozen wildfires are blazing across california, as strong winds and heat hamper efforts to contain them. the fires have been made worse by a heatwave across the state, scientists have recorded the highest ever temperature in los angeles county — 49.1; degrees celsius. hundreds of rohingya refugees have landed in indonesia after six months at sea. they'd travelled from bangladesh. locals in aceh helped the boat come ashore and the refugees have now been moved to a shelter, where they will be tested for coronavirus.