welcome to newsday, reporting live from singapore, i'm mariko oi. the headlines... president biden visits buffalo which witnessed a mass shooting at the weekend and urges americans to reject the "poison" of white supremacy. what happened here is simple and straightforward, terrorism. terrorism. domestic terrorism. also on newsday — after holding out for nearly three months — ukrainian forces leave their last refuge in mariupol. more than 200 of them are searched by the invading army — and taken to territory controlled by the russians. the bbc investigates the disappearance of a prominentjournalist who kick—started china's #metoo movement. and the leader of north korea

condemns his health officials — as a huge wave of covid cases — sweeps through the country. live from our studio in singapore... this is bbc news. it's newsday. it's 7am in singapore, and 7pm in new york state where president biden has travelled to buffalo, to meet the families of ten people killed in a racially—motivated mass shooting at the weekend. mr biden called white supremacy a "poison" which is running through the us. the bbc�*s nada tawfik was there as the president spoke and she sent us this report. america has a long and troubled history with racism and guns. the city of buffalo is the latest deadly chapter.

joe biden, the latest president to console a community in mourning. in an all too familiar ritual, mr biden and the first lady paid their respects to the victims who were massacred here as they were shopping for groceries. after meeting with family members of the victims, he gave a forceful speech, calling the attack domestic terrorism and urging americans to reject white supremacy. white supremacy is a poison. it's a poison. it's running through... applause. it really is. running through our body politic, and that's been allowed to fester and grow right in front of our eyes. no more. i mean, no more. this 20—year—old was working in the grocery store at the time. he survived after being shot by the gunman in the neck. his parents say they will never forgive the white supremacist

who terrorised their son. he called me, that's how i found out. and he, he was screaming. and he said "mom, mom, get here now, get here now. "i've been shot. " and i drove as fast as i possibly could. he stayed on the phone with me the whole time. i asked them what they wanted to see come out of this tragedy. i don't want to hear about unity. i don't want to hear that. i want to hear what laws are being draughted right now, that's what i want to hear. i want to hear how are we reshaping the curriculum in schools for these children so they can learn about the true history about african americans in this country? that's what i want to hear. the community is still trying to grasp how i hate the poor the community is still trying to grasp how a hate born online could turn this 18—year—old into a violent extremist.

and if red flags are ignored. authorities are still coming through the suspects history of threatening statements and online posts. he remains in custody on suicide watch. buffalo will forever be marked by the memory of this mass shooting, as the people here try to cope and move forward together, the worry is america is headed in the opposite direction. nada tawfik, bbc news, buffalo. you can read more on this story on our website, bbc.co.uk/news let's take a look at some other stories in the headlines... flooding and landslides in the sentience state of assam have killed at least 11 people. more than 30,000 have been displaced and many roads and bridges have been destroyed. most train services have also been cancelled, cutting off several areas. assam regularly faces flooding during the monsoon season but experts say climate change has increased the frequency and intensity of the floods.

the spanish government has approved draught legislation that would remove the requirement for 16—17—year—old girls to secure parental consent before voluntarily terminating a pregnancy. the government also aims to boost the development of hormonal contraception for men, stressing that contraception was not the responsibility of women alone. the proposals would ensure state sick pay for women who have to take time off work because of incapacitating menstrual pain. anti—narcotics agents in the united states have found a tunnel linking the mexican city of tijuana to a warehouse in san diego. it's equipped with a rail track, electricity and a ventilation system.mexican drug cartels have built dozens of tunnels across the border, but this is one of the longest and best built structures discovered so far. six people have been arrested, accused of conspiring to smuggle drugs into the us. the prosecutor at the

international criminal court in the hague says his office has despatched 42 personnel — including forensic experts — to investigate suspected war crimes in ukraine. karim khan said it was the largest field deployment yet undertaken by his office. the evacuation of ukrainian troops from the azov—stal steelworks in mariupol has continued, with a convoy of at least seven buses carrying soldiers escorted by pro—russian forces. more than than 260 soldiers left, after a negotiated surrender. they've been taken to areas held by russian—backed rebels. meanwhile, western military sources say, vladimir putin is now directly involved, in the day—to—day running of the war, taking decisions, normally made by senior military figures. 0ur correspondent laura bicker, reports. it has been a brutal and bloody 83 days, but their battle is over for now.

the wounded from azovstal are carried out of the vast steel plant filmed by the very force they've been fighting. russia will be keen to air these images which they say show surrender. but the ukrainians say this deal is about survival. tonight, as more fighters lay down their arms and are taken into russian territory, ukrainian leaders are keen to stress this was a way to save the country's heroes. for more than two months the russians have bombarded this industrial site. analysts believe the latest attack used phosphorus bombs, but a small fighting force refused to give up. they may have also helped prevent russia from pushing further north. translation: thanks . to the mariupol defenders the enemy was prevented from deploying 20,000 personnel into other regions.

and so was unable to rapidly take zaporizhzhya. civilians also used the site's vast network of tunnels at the site as a refuge, aided by soldiers. but supplies dwindled and this cold and foetid bunker was cut off from the world, the situation became desperate. finally, after two months, women and children were allowed out into the light. as they arrived at the evacuation centre, i met katarina, who had escaped with her two children. the boys, aged six and ii, are adapting to being back outside and they play much as they did in the dark. their games involved defeating the russians. their father is a fighter and remains at the plant. translation: under - the bombardment, the bombs were so heavy it felt

like the bunker walls were moving and the rooms themselves became smaller. sometimes there was an hour break and we would hope, that is it, that is maybe the end of it. her home city of mariupol has been hollowed out by the russian assault. this once vibrant port, now a shell, littered with death and destruction. from the depths of the steel plant, wounded ukrainian fighters made a plea for safe passage. many already have died from sepsis, they claim. the russians say those injured will be treated and there are reports of a prisoner swap, but it's not clear what will happen to the hundreds of fighters still at azovstal — among them is thought to be katarina's husband. translation: | really - want to help them but i do not know how, i feel powerless. he's a very strong man, strong in spirit, and has been supporting me all my life.

the azovstal fighters may have obeyed an order to save lives, but their resolve in the face of insurmountable odds has made them a symbol of ukrainian resistance. laura bicker, bbc news. bbc eye has investigated the disappearance of sophia huang xue—chin, a prominentjournalist who kick—started china's #metoo movement. in september 2021, sophia and a fellow activist were arrested en route to the airport to the uk, where sophia was meant to be studying on a british government scholarship. now, the two are expected to face trial for "inciting subversion of state power." the bbc reveals what happened to sophia and why in the uk, there's been silence. jessie lau reports. translation: i am sophia. i was sexually harassed.

this isjournalist huang xue—chin. translation: then he grabbed me, kissed me from the top - of my head to my forehead. a sexual assault drove her to kick—start china's #metoo movement. lastjune, she was awarded a scholarship to pursue gender studies at the university of sussex in the uk, but in september, sophia and another fellow activists were arrested. they are being held on suspicion of inciting that could see them facing behind bars. translation: when i found out she was missing and probably i arrested, i was super shocked. she just wrote reports on how to help victims in the #metoo movement. in china, women's rights campaigners are being targeted in a wider state crackdown on freedom of speech. dozens of online accounts related to gender issues have been blocked. this person worked as a censor

for one of china's largest social media platforms. translation: sophia - is a very famous reporter. in china, they use propaganda to attack her. it's difficult to differentiate between a state internet commentator and an ordinary user. this is a scary phenomenon. sophia reported on some of china's most high profile #metoo cases, sparking a dialogue that encouraged more women to speak out. today, she would be here in brighton at the university of sussex. at the time of sophia's disappearance, the university publicly stated its concerns about her safety, but in an e—mail leaked to the bbc following our request for comment, students and staff were warned not to discuss her situation. translation: my first reaction | to the news was one of outrage,

you claim to nurture future activists and leaders in feminism, but then you are instructing your students not to discuss this matter. it'sjust like being in china. the university told the bbc "this is a sensitive matter and media requests should be dealt with by the press office citing data protection concerns." sophia has now been detained for over seven months. the cases have been handed to prosecutors and they are expected to face trial soon. the chinese embassy in the uk told the bbc it is committed to upholding social equity and justice. the wayboard didn't respond to the bbc�*s request for a statement. jessie lau, bbc news. you're watching newsday on the bbc. still to come on the programme... a day return to paddington for the queen — as london's new elizabeth line is officially opened.

this morning, an indian air force plane carrying mr gandhi's body landed in delhi. the president of india walked to the plane to solemnly witness mr gandhi's final return from the political battlefield. ireland has voted overwhelmingly in favour of gay marriage, in doing so, it's become the first country in the world to approve the change in a national referendum. it was a remarkable climax to what was surely the most extraordinary funeral ever get into a pop singer. it's been a peaceful funeral demonstration so far, - but police are tear gassing the crowd, we don't- yet know why. the prelaunch ritual is well established here. helen was said to be in good spirits butjust a little apprehensive. in the last hour, east timor has become the world's newest nation.

it was a bloody birth for a poor country and the challenges ahead are daunting. but for now, at least, it has time to celebrate. this is newsday on the bbc. i'm mariko 0i, in singapore. 0ur headlines... president biden has visited buffalo which witnessed a mass shooting at the weekend. he urged all americans to reject the "poison" of white supremacy. ukrainian fighters leave the azovstal steel plant in mariupol in buses escorted by pro—russian forces, as the longest siege of the war draws to a close. the rise in the cost of living is being felt here in asia — particularly when it comes to food. it's something that the united nations world food programme chief recently warned could lead to widespread social unrest, similar to that seen recently in places such as sri lanka.

so how vulnerable is this region to soaring food prices and who will be hit the hardest? we can speak now to sridhar dharmapuri, who's from the un's other food agency — the food and agricultural organisation — and whojoins me from their regional headquarters in bangkok. thank you so much forjoining us this morning. about six months ago, i spoke to one of your colleagues who is telling us that food inflation in asia wasn't as bad as elsewhere, what is the situation in asia right now?— right now? even before the current situation _ right now? even before the current situation and - right now? even before the current situation and come| current situation and come about, over the past two years, the food price index had been steadily rising because of conflict, climate change, land degradation, low productivity and of course obeyed. now, the cost of a healthy diet, which

is what agencies would recommend is approaching $4 a day per person in asia, and the cost of an energy restart is approaching a dollar per day in asia. more affordable in the current time, especially for —— unaffordable right now, for people who earn less than $2 a day. so as prices rise, particularly in food deficit countries, it's the poorest who are affected the most, and as of now, while we've had a slate breather over the last month on the price index, it's a breather, it's not really a break from the trend that we've been seeing. d0 break from the trend that we've been seeing-— been seeing. do you share the concerns of— been seeing. do you share the concerns of the _ been seeing. do you share the concerns of the world - been seeing. do you share the concerns of the world food - concerns of the world food programme where they said we could be seeing social and even political unrest in food prices keep going up? the likelihood

is definitely _ keep going up? the likelihood is definitely there _ keep going up? the likelihood is definitely there because - is definitely there because food is the most important for all the people living in the region, just like all over the world, and the increase in food for some countries such as actually approaching 40%, using lower income available for other important things such as health care and education. that definitely puts a lot of pressure on households in order to make ends meet, and that could lead to social unrest, food is a very basic need for everyone as we know. some governments _ everyone as we know. some governments in _ everyone as we know. some governments in asia - everyone as we know. some governments in asia have i governments in asia have controlled exports of their commodities in order to keep the air supply at home. is that the air supply at home. is that the right kind of measure is? that would raise global prices even higher.

that would raise global prices even higher-— even higher. indeed, understandably, - even higher. indeed, understandably, that even higher. indeed, i understandably, that is even higher. indeed, - understandably, that is to protect their own consumers, but they do not have long—term benefits. what they actually recommend is to focus on some smart spending, and that is to support consumers in their own countries in another way, through gas transfers and social protection measures which help the most vulnerable to get the food that they need at the lowest prices possible, and this was a success story during cold dead, so this can definitely contribute. the other important thing to keep prices stable is to keep trade open for food, fuel prices stable is to keep trade open forfood, fuel and prices stable is to keep trade open for food, fuel and for fertiliser. any ad hoc policy actions on export restrictions. 0ne actions on export restrictions. one other way to do this is to decrease and minimise food loss and waste and improve food safety, because that will maximise the food that we already have in many of the countries. from the food and agricultural

organisation, thank you so much forjoining us on newsday with your analysis. forjoining us on newsday with your analysis-_ your analysis. thank you very much. the un human rights office says it's deeply concerned about the apparent rapid spread of covid—i9 in north korea. the un says it believes around 700,000 people are ill — it believes around 700,000 people are ill — and that the country's �*very limited' health care system is not equipped to cope. 0ur correspondentjean mackenzie reports from neighbouring south korea. dressed as hand sanitisers, north korean children celebrate their country being covid free. just weeks before 0micron finally breached its defences. the country has done little to prepare for what is now a nightmare scenario. people are unvaccinated, malnourished, and hospitals are not equipped to treat them. dr park works as a neurosurgeon in north korea.

i've been there over 20 times since 2007 and i was working at a major hospital in pyongyang and i would have trouble seeing ventilators in the icus. they have trouble getting normal supplies, just things like a scalpel. concerned about supplies, kimjong—un has been touring pharmacies. there isn't enough medicine, he says. he's ordered the army to distribute stockpiles but it's unlikely they have what people need. you need anti—virals. they don't have that. i'm certain of it. it's a matter of incredible urgency that we get that the pills to them as soon as possible because it has to be taken within five days. instead, state broadcasts have resorted to the most basic advice... drink water, rinse your mouth with salt water. "we were sick," this man says, "but every night and morning i made us gargle

with salt water." north korea's leader thought he could shut the virus out. for years he has sealed his borders, cutting off food supplies. this man runs a network of sources in north korea. getting information is difficult and he is hearing the lockdown has made it even harder for people to get food. "in some areas where there are lots of infections, "people aren't allowed to leave their homes now," he tells me. "in north korea, if you are stuck at home, there is no way to make money. "suddenly, i'm hearing more cases of people starving to death." kim jong—un has some difficult decisions to make. he has to decide how hard to lockdown and what is going to be more dangerous for his people, and his grip on power. is it for people to get sick

or potentially starve to death? the world health organization has said it is ready to send vaccines and medicine but the north has yet to respond. soon, it might be too late. we should not wait for them to ask us to help them. have packages ready, have cargo ready to go, because each day we wait people are dying. how many will pay that price before this secretive state opens its doors to help? jean mackenzie, bbc news, seoul. let's take a look at some of the stories in the headlines in the uk.... police in london say they have arrested an mp from the governing conservative party on suspicion of rape and sexual assault. they said the unnamed politician was in custody over allegations dating between 2002 and 2009. his party has asked him not to enter the precincts of parliament while an

investigation is ongoing. the british foreign secretary — liz truss — has outlined the uk government's plans, to introduce legislation in the coming weeks, to unilaterally change the northern ireland protocol — part of the brexit deal, signed by boris johnson. the protocol introduced checks on goods, moving between britain and northern ireland. this was liz truss. the eu says unilateral action is not acceptable. the irish government has said that deeply regrets the move. queen elizabeth has made an unexpected visit to paddington rail station in london — to see the new service — the elizabeth line — which starts running in a week, more than three years later than planned. it's one of the uk's biggest public infrastructure projects in the last 50 years. 0ur royal correspondent nicholas witchell reports. it will carry her name for centuries to come. so there really was only one person to open it. all those mobility issues were put to one side

as the queen came to see the elizabeth line for herself. four billion over budget and more than three years late it may be, but today was a day to celebrate its formal completion. she walked slowly and carefully, leaning slightly on her stick, but without any obvious difficulty. at a ticket machine, she was presented with something called an 0yster card and shown where to place it. the elizabeth line will open to passengers next week in time for the platinum jubilee celebrations. and judging by today, the person who'll be at the centre of those celebrations is getting ready herself. decisions will still be taken day by day about the queen's attendance at the different jubilee events, but there's clearly a determination to be seen as widely as possible. nicholas witchell, bbc news. that's all for now —

stay with bbc world news. hello there. heavy rain, thunderstorms have been moving northwards and eastwards through the evening and overnight after what was the warmest day of the year so far, 27.5 celsius at heathrow airport — so that's in the warmth ahead of these weather systems, but this low pressure is driving those in, it's dragging that warmth and that moisture northwards and eastward. so, a lot of that heavy rain will have cleared except for the northern isles by the end of the night. warm, as you can see, for most areas, but windier in the northwest. a little bit of fog first thing, particularly for england and wales, but plenty of dry, bright, sunny weather, strong sunshine. it looks like drier weather will be around for northern ireland, the early rain across northern and western parts of scotland,

as well, clears for lengthy spells of sunshine. but it is winded — gusts of wind potentially 50 mph in northern and western areas. that rain approaches later, the clouds gathering in the south. but ahead of that, 20—24 celsius, i think, on the cards for wednesday. now, as we head through this evening, it looks like we could see some more thunderstorms dragging their way northwards, that heavy rain coming in from the west — and it looks torrential, it could be very wet for a time through this evening and overnight before again, it clears out of the way. so we're watching that one. gusty winds, hail, thunder and lightning, but a warm end to the night, bringing us into a ridge of high pressure, pushing in for thursday night. could be that we see some thundery showers, though, across southern and eastern areas, but otherwise it's looking like a drier day, too, after that overnight rain, a little bit of dampness, gray weather, low cloud, and a risk of some rain for the west of scotland. and as i say, a risk of some thundery showers in southern and eastern areas. but with the sunshine elsewhere, temperatures once

again in those high teens to low, possibly mid 20s for many parts, the warmest in southern and eastern areas. that ridge of high pressure then builds through for a time as we go into thursday night, but again, i think more widely wet during the day on friday. the weekend then brings that high pressure into southern areas with the weather fronts towards the north. so it looks as if friday will be more widely unsettled during the day this time, and then, the driest weather, but fresher weather for the weekend in the south, a bit more unsettled further north as ever. you can keep up to date, including the warnings, on the website.

this is bbc news. we'll have the headlines and all the main news stories for you at the top of the hour, as newsday continues — straight after hardtalk. welcome to hardtalk, i'm stephen sackur. for the last decade, the founder of wikileaks, julian assange, hasn't known freedom. first he was holed up in the ecuadorian embassy in london. for the last three years, he's been in belmarsh prison outside london. his lawyer is making a last—ditch attempt to stop the uk government extraditing him to the us to face espionage charges. my guest is stella moris, the lawyer who worked on his defence team, became his wife, and is the

mother of two of his children.