driving through welcome to newsday, reporting live from singapore, i'm karishma vaswani. the headlines. president biden signs into law the biggest ever investment to tackle climate change. this bill is the biggest step forward on climate ever. and it's going to allow us to boldly take additional steps to reach all climate goals. a series of explosions rocks russian occupied crimea. for the second time in a week — a military base is targeted. in the us state of wyoming, a battle for the future of the republican party is underway — as a prominent critic of donald trump tries to fight off a primary challenge.

four days after the author salman rushdie was stabbed, we speak to the man who was with him on stage — and was attacked at the same time. welcome to bbc news — we start in the united states where president biden has signed into law the biggest ever investment to fight climate change in the us. the bill, known as the inflation reduction act, includes more than four hundred billion dollars of new spending. the bill — which marks a major victory for the biden administration — also contains reforms to the price of prescription drugs and tax rises on corporations. mr biden said it was one of the most significant laws in america's history.

let's have a listen to some of what he said about the significance of the climate element of the bill. this bill is the biggest step forward on climate ever. ever. that is going to allow us to boldly take additional steps towards meeting all of my climate goals. it includes ensuring that we create clean energy opportunities in front line and front line communities that have been smothered, smothered by the legacy of pollution and fight environmental injustice that has been going on for so long. for more on this i am joined now by our correspondent peter bowes who is in los angeles. huge win for biden — but more than a year in the making — and considerably less than what the democrats wanted? yes, it is, significantly less in

the $2 trillion was put together as a package of measures by the democrats who did not see the light of day. there was a lot of concern within the party across standout senators who were concerned that this would not tackle inflation in that it would add to inflation during these difficult times that the us is going through. and it's better than nothing butjust a few weeks ago, looked as if, nothing is of the president would get because of the president would get because of the president would get because of the opposition and so, this major achievement in getting the bill through and highlight that climate change initiatives and the fact that this is going to make it easierfor them to meet his claimant goals on them to meet his claimant goals on the international stage, that is going to benefit the presidents usually because they have been some concerns expressed receive that america may be back at the table as far as climate change is concerned but the rest of the world was not seeing the us make any significant

changes. seeing the us make any significant chances. . v seeing the us make any significant chances. . �*, ., . ., . changes. that's on the international sta . e changes. that's on the international staue and changes. that's on the international stage and wondering _ changes. that's on the international stage and wondering what _ changes. that's on the international stage and wondering what you - changes. that's on the international stage and wondering what you thinkj stage and wondering what you think about the timing of this and serves the domestic front given the conversation in us media has been dominated by what's happening with president trump. do you think this is an attempt to move the attention away from that back to the main policies of the democrats? i away from that back to the main policies of the democrats? i think the timin: policies of the democrats? i think the timing is _ policies of the democrats? i think the timing is purely _ policies of the democrats? i think the timing is purely coincidental. the timing is purely coincidental that the biden would have welcomed the passage of this bill anytime over the last year and the fact that we are seeing a lot of action on the sidelines, a lot of trauma in the road of donald trump, that doesn't have any bearing on the passage of the spill which is far asjoe biden is concerned, is much bigger than a lot of the drama that is going on. and in terms of pure domestic

politics, against mr biden something to campaign on the next three months of the midterm elections, planning to travel the country and campaign was matched to get through with this bill and can also say to the american people, look, i kept my promise. i wanted to make these changes and make it easier to get the cost a perception that he make prescription drugs down into to promote solar energy. thank you for your analysis. to the war in ukraine now and russia is blaming what it calls "sabotage" for a series of explosions at an arms store and another military facility in occupied crimea. the blasts, which also hit a power station and damaged a railway, came a week after a string of blasts destroyed russian warplanes at a black sea base on the crimean coast. ukraine has described the latest incident as "demilitarisation in action".

this is what a russian—appointed local governor in crimea had to say about the explosions: as of now, the information that we haveis as of now, the information that we have is that two people were injured. one mama said by shrapnel fragment and the other wounded person was buried under a wall. after ordered five columbus to be closed off for all civilians within this area is under way. —— five km. the united nations chief antonio guterres is to travel to lviv, in western ukraine, on thursday to meet both president zelensky and the turkish president recep tayyip erdogan. he'll then travel on to ukraine's black sea port of odesa. mr guterres last visited ukraine in april, when he witnessed some of the destruction in towns previously occupied by russian forces. i'm joined now by drjenny mathers, who is a senior lecturer in international politics at aberystwyth university in wales.

just to map all of the south, a lot of lines coming in, calling the sabotage, but some suggestion from ukrainians that this may not be completely accidental. explain what is going on here. it’s completely accidental. explain what is going on here-— is going on here. it's important to realise that _ is going on here. it's important to realise that ukrainians _ is going on here. it's important to realise that ukrainians have - is going on here. it's important to realise that ukrainians have been| realise that ukrainians have been very good at maintaining operational secrecy. keeping close control over key bits of information which might reveal too much to the russians about the capabilities and the deployment of their forces and so, ukrainians want to be a big cage like, don't keep the russians guessing about what happened to and how they did this. by the same time, the giving a strong hands that yes, they were indeed responsible for the spectacular attacks. behind the front lines in russian controlled crimea stoplight with these conflicting narratives, is impossible say at this point is gaining ground in the conflict and

was ahead? if you look at the trends and how things are moving. russia has had a very considerable advantage in terms of the amounts of material that he can throw at ukraine and the amount of weapons, the amount of ammunition and so on with the overwhelming force, but the ukrainians of the advantage over strategy and stealth and they've been really clever at deploying the forces that they have to try to cut off russia's supply line and also to try to attack their command centres and russian forces have been steadily degrading by these ukrainian attacks and also some of their own mistakes and ukrainians are being supplied by the west and trained by the west and gaining valuable experience in strategy and so on. still, the russians of

overwhelming force but their abilities to which the war and the way that they have recently is being degraded stoplight professor, what do you make of the word the russians are using here. they are saying this is sabotage. but are using here. they are saying this is sabotage-— is sabotage. but is this allowed them to do. — is sabotage. but is this allowed them to do, in _ is sabotage. but is this allowed them to do, in this _ is sabotage. but is this allowed them to do, in this case? - is sabotage. but is this allowed - them to do, in this case? sabotage su: nests them to do, in this case? sabotage suggests that _ them to do, in this case? sabotage suggests that random _ them to do, in this case? sabotage suggests that random people - them to do, in this case? sabotage suggests that random people are i suggests that random people are around that they could round up and arrest and the queues of this crime and it makes it sound quite casual and it makes it sound quite casual and perhaps, a bit unprofessional. whereas a vertical them ukrainian paramilitary forces a special forces, it makes it sound level organise, lumbar professional and perhaps a lot more worrying. it's where the russians can downgrade what is happening but imply that the solutions are within the russians control in the sense that they can arrest people and deal with the

problem stoplight don't forget you can find stoplight don't forget you can find more analysis online, including from our correspondents on the ground in ukraine and in moscow. that's all at bbc dot com forward slash news — or simply download the bbc news app. let's take a look at some of the stories in the headlines in the uk. new figures confirm the squeeze on people's living standards. they show the real value of wages has fallen at its fastest rate since records began just over 20 years ago. the office for national statistics says average wages did rise by 4.7% between april and june. but that's been massively outpaced by inflation, meaning the �*real value' of pay has fallen by 3%. here's one economist�*s assessment of what the impact will be:

this is going to feel really painful for people because we are seeing a real wages plummet in my feel so tough is because off the back of a decade in which wages were stagnant stoplight the high court has been told that government ministers — who have backed sending asylum seekers to rwanda — were warned by their own independent adviser that the rwandan government tortures and kills political opponents. the warning from a foreign office expert came weeks before the government tried and failed to send asylum seekers to rwanda. the former footballer ryan giggs has told manchester crown court he has never been faithful in relationships, but denied ever physically assaulting a woman. he denies charges of controlling behaviour, and assaulting his former partner kate greville and her younger sister emma in november 2020. let's turn to the us now, where voters in the state of wyoming

are going to the polls today in a republican primary election, seen as a key test of donald trump's enduring popularity. this woman, liz cheney, is the incumbent. fiercely critical of the former president, she's facing a major challenge from harriet haagerman, a political newcomer and trump—backed candidate. so far, potential candidates, like those in south carolina, washington state and michigan, who've been openly critical of donald trump, have had huge trouble winning republican primary races. our north america correspondent, john sudworth, has been speaking with voters across the state of wyoming. at wyoming'sjunior rodeo finals... ..some children don't stay on for long. a fitting metaphor, perhaps, for the state's republican congresswoman liz cheney and her hard fall from grace. for the most part the state of wyoming is very big trump supporters.

so when she goes against the masses it doesn't work good for us. for hours, donald trump chose not to answer the pleas from congress. liz cheney is one of only two republicans to have joined the committee investigating donald trump's attempts to cling to power. the people of wyoming are going to tell her, "liz, you're fired, get out of here." cheering. "get out of here." and he is out for revenge, personally picking her challenger, harriet hageman, who is now way ahead in the race to become the official republican candidate. wyoming is a place of stunning beauty but the high rocky mountains loom over a landscape with deepening political fault lines, too. with 70% voting for trump here, truth is now in the minority. the widespread belief that the 2020 election was stolen from donald trump in wyoming is very

concerning to me as a journalist. and all i can do is report people's beliefs and i report the truth. they are not bad people, it is just a heartfelt belief that they have. and other than that, they're just ordinary folks here in wyoming. ordinary folks but extraordinary times. there has never been an individual who is a greater threat to our republic than donald trump. liz cheney's famous father, once a hate figure for the american left, now on common ground. and at the polling stations some democrats have been registering as republicans to try to keep liz cheney on the party ticket. i've never agreed with one thing liz cheney has ever said but i respected how she fought for democracy. election denialism is now a potent political force, notjust here, but in arizona, wisconsin, other key states. the process remains intact, the polling booths and ballot papers, but amid a torrent

of misinformation and false, something seismic is shifting and the concern is the very essence of democracy is under threat. doorbell rings. good morning. we are just knocking on doors for liz cheney. these republicans, rare voices of support for liz cheney, are from out of state. evan and his dog have driven 17 hours to be here, from austin, texas. when you have republicans, former republicans, independents, democrats, a socialist, knocking on doors for liz cheney, of all people, i think you have to look at why. and i think the reason is she is standing for principle and she is saying, "i don't care if i lose myjob, i'm going to do the right thing." all eyes are on the "cowboy state" and a test for party and country — just how much donald trump still calls the tune. john sudworth, bbc news, wyoming.

the most polarised presidential race in brazil for the most polarised presidential race in brazilfor decades. 97 people killed to date one of the worst days of violence. over the last ten days, 500 died. to czechoslovakia must be free! russians observing a national day of mourning for the 187 mariners who died on board the kursk.

stay with us, stayed with us chanted this ocean of humanity. well, joked the pope, do you want me to desert from? rome? this is newsday on the bbc. the biggest investment to tackle climate change. a series of explosions rocks russian occupied crimea. for the second time in a week — a military base is targeted. sri lanka has defended its decision to allow a controversial chinese surveillance ship to dock at one of its ports. a government spokesman said it was offering the same facilities it extends to vessels from other countries, and that the stop—over

is to allow the ship to take on supplies. but both india and the us have raised concerns. ranga siri—lal has been at the port for us: sri lanka along the controversial chinese ship to enter and it's likely to upset india which is been a strong supporter for the island nation to overcome its economy crisis. this vessel is a research and survey ship but media reports that it and survey ship but media reports thatitis and survey ship but media reports that it is a spy ship that could be even used for intercontinental ballistic missile launchers. delhi asked them to suspend the ships arrival and is now docked at the southern border, which is raising concerns from both india and us. it is they will closely monitor events and take all measures to safeguard its purity in economic interests. the ship at a time sri lanka is

negotiating with china, it will research its depth. reporting. now to brazil, where campaigning is officially under way in a race that will see the right—wing incumbent, jair bolsonaro, take on the left—wing former leader, luiz inacio lula da silva. the latest opinion poll puts mr lula da silva in the lead with forty—four per cent of the vote, with mr bolsonaro on thirty—two per cent. our correspondent katy watson reports from brazil. horns honk back on the road and back on the bike. it's bolsonaro's favourite way of campaigning. driving throuthuiz de fora, he paraded for his fans. this is a small city that has huge significance for bolsonaro. it was here four years ago he was stabbed at a rally, a defining moment in the previous campaign and a moment he alluded to at today's event, saying he'd been born again.

translation: it was here | they tried to stop us in 2018. i think the hand of god that saved me. he wanted me to be president. and brazil is doing so well. it's a rich country, robbed by the left who was in power. chants of "mito" — or myth — his nickname among his devoted fans. he is the mito. he is the best one for brazil. he is the best president for brazil. he is honest, he is very popular. i can trust in bolsonaro. his rival lula chose to kick off his campaign at a car factory, staying true to his political roots as a union leader and metalworker in sao paulo. translation: you made me the best president brazil ever had. _ he's got this woman's vote without a doubt. translation: lula defends the rights of the poorest, the most humble, -

and bolsonaro supports the rich. if bolsonaro wins, i'm scared. it's a noisy start to the campaign and says a lot about what's to come — two men on either end of the political spectrum, two men who conjure up both adoration and hatred among people here. we'll see that play out in the coming weeks. plenty of bolsonaro supporters are convinced anything less than a victory for their candidate will only mean one thing — a stolen election. there may not be any basis for these allegations, but in such a divided country, there are some people who will try anything to stamp out the opposition. katy watson, bbc news, injuiz de fora. it's four days since the author salman rushdie was attacked at a literary event in new york state.

he suffered what his son calls life—changing injuries and remains in hospital. a suspect is in custody. henry reese — who runs an organisation which supports writers in exile — was about to introduce salman rushdie when he was attacked himself. mr reese, who is still carrying his injuries, told my colleague laura trevelyan how he is doing: i'm doing well. everything is proceeding, i'm doing quite well and i think our concern is for notjust for himself, but what he means to the world is important to the world and this has an impact on both his own personal being but everything he represents the values that he represents the values that he represents that so many of us share. the fact that it had been there at

the institute that dedicates itself to going to the best of humanity. does it underscore the importance of writers more than ever? here does it underscore the importance of writers more than ever?— does it underscore the importance of writers more than ever? here you are in the united — writers more than ever? here you are in the united states, _ writers more than ever? here you are in the united states, which, - writers more than ever? here you are in the united states, which, for- in the united states, which, for all its rambunctious newness in the political environment is a completely free country. , on the stage of institution whose mission is to have discussions, conversations and welcome the arts and humanities and protect those values and to have this happen there is an affront to all of us. share values and to have this happen there is an affront to all of us.— is an affront to all of us. are the values that _ is an affront to all of us. are the values that salman _ is an affront to all of us. are the values that salman rushdie - values that salman rushdie represents to you, all the more important in the wake of what is happened to him?— happened to him? there can be an hint happened to him? there can be anything more _ happened to him? there can be anything more vivid _ happened to him? there can be anything more vivid and - happened to him? there can be anything more vivid and its - anything more vivid and its materialisation of our values of having our mission is to protect

writers and to see some one like salman rushdie assaulted for his life is unimaginably, it strikes, it is hard to describe what it is to see that happen in front of you. the writers and our programme were in the audience watching. the former uk pop vital in theatres * who has died at the age of a1. the cause of death is not known but his family say he was found in his us apartment. the scottish singer rose to fame when he gave this memorable audition singing baby one more time for the itv show popstars in 2001 — before going on to finish third

on pop idol the following year. after turning down the offer of a record deal with the entrepreneur and record executive simon cowell, his debut single colourblind went straight to the top of the charts — and he went on to forge a successful stage career performing in west end shows, including chicago and guys and dolls. the last tasmanian tiger, or thylacine, died in the 1930s, but the species may come back to life if a group of scientists succeed. researchers from the university of melbourne and biotechnology company colossal biosciences are working together to bring back the tiger. they're hoping to take stem cells from a living species with similar dna and turn them into "thylacine" cells — or the closest approximation possible.

hello there. a north—south divide across the country today. northern areas looked largely dry with plenty of sunshine, but again, across england and wales, closer to a thundery low than we're likely to see these thundery showers developing. again, they could be heavy enough to cause some localised flooding, especially from the midlands southwards. you can see that thundery low to the south, a ridge of high pressure building in across the north. this weather system will arrive across northern and western areas on thursday. so again, for large parts of england and wales, we'll see the clouds bubbling up, thunderstorms breaking out pretty much anywhere, but certainly across the midlands,

in towards south, southeast england. further north, widespread sunshine around, light winds too. a very pleasant day, with temperatures reaching around 18 or 19 degrees, england and wales. little bit cooler, still quite humid in the southeast, top temperatures 20—23 degrees. as we move through wednesday night, the showers and thunderstorms continue to rattle on across to east anglia and the southeast. and then eventually, they'll clear away and we start to see some wetter weather and breezier weather pushing into scotland and northern ireland, so temperatures recovering here. a few chilly spots under the clear skies, northern england, 11—15 across the south and east. here's thursday's pressure picture, then. this weather front bringing outbreaks of rain into scotland, northern ireland, perhaps western england and wales through the day. some heavy bursts mixed in there, quite a lot of cloud, generally. across the east and southeast of england, though, apart from the odd shower around, we should see some good spells of sunshine, so a quieter story here. a little bit warmer with more sunshine in the southeast, up to 25 degrees. around 20 or 21 as well across scotland and northern ireland. into friday, looks like that weather front eventually clears away from the southeast of england. we've got further sunshine and showers, scotland

and northern ireland, northwest england, but quite a bit of sunshine, i think, across central, southern and eastern england. and again, quite warm — 25 degrees. around the high teens in the north and the west, these sorts of values closer to the seasonal norm. we hold onto the run of westerly winds as we head into the weekend, this feature bringing an area of wet and windy weather across scotland. as we move through saturday night into sunday, though, we'll look at the next system, which will bring a spell of wet and windy weather across the whole of the uk during sunday. so for saturday, then, it looks like its northern areas which will see the showers. drier further south. sunday, though, looks unsettled across the whole of the uk, with outbreaks of heavy rain in places.

this is bbc news. iam shaun i am shaun ley with the latest headlines. president biden has signed into law the inflation reduction act, a $a30 billion climate change and health care bill aimed at promoting clean energy, lowering greenhouse gas emissions and bringing down health care costs. the first day of campaigning is under way in brazil's presidential elections. the two frontrunners are brazil's current presidentjair bolsonaro and the former president luiz lula da silva. kenya's opposition leader raila odinga has rejected the outcome of the presidential election which saw him narrowly lose to william ruto. mr odinga urged people to stay calm but called the result illegal and has suggested he'd go to court.