this is bbc news. our top stories: ukrainian troops continue their counter offensive, in the south of the country as they struggle to retake areas seized by russia. the threat here isn'tjust the artillery you can hear, it's also these landmines all along this pathway. president biden warns of the threat to equality and democracy — from �*election deniers�* and �*maga republicans�*. too much of what's happening in our country today is not normal. donald trump and the maga republicans represent an extremism that threaten the very foundations of our republic. an urgent international appeal is launched to help the millions of people affected

by the flooding in pakistan. just look at all there is water. it's like being in the middle of the ocean except over there are people's houses and there are people's houses and there are people's houses and there are many more in far—flung communities and the water levels here are rising. welcome to our viewers on pbs in america and around the globe. inspectors from the united nations have finally arrived at the zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in ukraine, which has been occupied by russian forces since march. shelling around the plant has led to fears of a catastrophic nuclear accident. ukrainian troops are pressing ahead with a counter—offensive in the nearby region of kherson, to retake areas seized by russia. our correspondent quentin sommerville filed this exclusive report from the front line, in the donbas region of eastern ukraine. and a warning, there

are some distressing scenes in his report. in donbas, there will be no harvest. as russian shells fall about us, these fields and furrows are instead ploughed by gun tracks and fighting men. ukraine's national guard leads us through the barrage. they pause only briefly and by the cover of tree lines. this is a war of artillery, of seemingly limitless firepower, and of scorched earth. the destruction is measured in the square kilometres. with phosphorus and cluster bombs, russia burns and scores what it seeks to capture. a canopy of acacias gives some protection from drones. but from here onwards, they must go on foot. the breakthrough in kherson has buoyed spirits,

even as russia's dominance in donbas rings out loudly. but this war isn't only being fought at long distance. take care, there is a land mine, be careful. careful. the threat here isn'tjust the artillery you can hear, it's also these landmines are all along this pathway. that's why i'm following very closely in the footsteps of the men ahead. there's another one. explosion. and there are more threats — some locals are ambivalent, others hostile to ukrainian forces. but not sergiy. where is your wife? is it hard being apart? translation: yes.

every hour, every moment i miss her. it's difficult without her because i love her, and she loves me. what a life. but i think we will get through it all, everything will be for the better. despite the shelling, yeva and her mother appear numb to danger. we can hear the shelling all around us. explosion. translation: i am afraid. i have a small selection of medical supplies which could be helpful. if suddenly, god forbid, something happens to my child or to anybody at all, i will give them first aid and take them somewhere for further treatment. but at the moment, as long as i have strength, i want to stay at home. so for now, julia and yeva will hang on here amid the illusion of a normal life. in villages and towns for hundreds of kilometres, there's no school, no

work, no life. a country frozen in time and in conflict. few live this war as fast and as close to danger as ruslan and his team of army medics. the cost of hesitation lies all too apparent by the roadside. speed is a matter of life and death for them and for their patients. their ambulance can't afford to wait until the shelling stops. but there are times when even ruslan and his medics have to take cover. explosion. translation: over there, you can see smoke. - their mortar is working. ruslan, we can see incoming russian mortarfire here. what do you do when you have casualties out there and this kind of firepower is coming in?

what decisions do you have to make? translation: we see the enemy and the enemy sees us, _ but the enemy hides in the tree line there, disguising himself. we can't do that, our ambulance is exposed. we have to pick up the injured and take them out. man screams. russia's viciousness is the daily burden of ukrainian combat medics. this man curses in agony. only moments earlier, he was wounded by a mine. they're still not sure of his injuries. but in this field hospital, they have an intimate knowledge of the damage that shrapnel and artillery do to the human body. they are covered in blast wounds, their limbs broken. his colleague too has been hit. time is critical here for two reasons — the patient�*s life, and the medics never know when more casualties will arrive. quentin sommerville,

bbc news, donbas. president biden has made an impassioned speech in defence of american democracy. he warned that donald trump and what he termed "maga republicans" represent a form of extremism that threaten the us way of life. he urged all americans to come together to defend american democracy regardless of their ideology. donald trump and the maga republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic. i want to be very clear, very clear up front. not every republican, not even a majority of republicans are maga republicans. not every republican embraces their extreme ideology. i know because i've been able to work with these mainstream republicans. but there's no question that the republican party today is dominated, driven, intimidated by donald trump and the maga republicans.

and that is a threat to this country. these are hard things. but i'm an american president. not a president of red america, blue america, but of all america. and i believe it's my duty, my duty to level with you, to tell the truth, no matter how difficult, no matter how painful. and here, in my view, is what is true. maga republicans do not respect the constitution. they do not believe in the rule of law. they do not recognise the will of the people. they refuse to accept the results of a free election. and they're working right now as i speak in state after state to give power to decide elections in america to partisans and cronies, empowering election deniers to undermine democracy itself.

i'm joined now by candy woodall, political reporter for usa today. what do you think president biden was trying to do with that speech? i biden was trying to do with that speech?— that speech? i think he is t in: that speech? i think he is trying to _ that speech? i think he is trying to rally _ that speech? i think he is trying to rally democrats| that speech? i think he is i trying to rally democrats for the midterms and make them about trump. he was a unifying force for democrats in the 2020 election, it likely helped joe biden win the presidency, including in pennsylvania where joe biden won by 80,000 votes and that is where he was speaking tonight but it's an incredible challenge because there are still thousands of voters in pennsylvania who believed donald from's election disinformation that it was fraudulent or stolen and these are incredible challenges and joe biden was speaking about

those challenges tonight, he said it's a threat to democracy, he called out those election lies and called on all americans to stand up to defend democracy. d0 americans to stand up to defend democracy-— democracy. do you think he achieved — democracy. do you think he achieved what _ democracy. do you think he achieved what he _ democracy. do you think he achieved what he set - democracy. do you think he achieved what he set out i democracy. do you think he achieved what he set out to j democracy. do you think he - achieved what he set out to do? according to analysts in a story i will publish in two hours, no. these analysts say this will move the needle very little, thatjoe biden would be better off sticking to the message that they know works and polling shows works which is that democrats are the party of abortion rights right now. the decision that sent abortion rights back to the states and overturn roe v wade has been a galvanising force for democratic voters, it also

attracts republican voters and independents. we have seen that independents. we have seen that in some of our primary and special elections, we have seen that in referendum votes and analysts in battleground states told me that they thought president biden would have been better off sticking with messages about roe v wade or his recent legislative wins and thatis his recent legislative wins and that is obviously not what happened. i that is obviously not what happened-— that is obviously not what ha ened. ., ., ., happened. i love that we have the preview — happened. i love that we have the preview before _ happened. i love that we have the preview before it's - happened. i love that we have the preview before it's even . the preview before it's even published in usa today but i wonder what that also looking to 2024, i know we talk about the midterms but he had one line that said we are onlyjust starting, did you read it that way? starting, did you read it that wa ? �* ., , ., ., way? i'm not sure. there are a lot of opinions _ way? i'm not sure. there are a lot of opinions right _ way? i'm not sure. there are a lot of opinions right now- lot of opinions right now including from within his own party. usa today calls including a recent poll that my

colleagues covered showed democrats want a change, many republicans would like to see trump on the ballot again in 2024 but democrats would like to see a change. 0ne analyst i talked to said he did thinkjoe biden was trying to cement his legacy, that he was ultimately this unifier in a moment in time to fight for that sole of the nation when it seems like america's democracy is at risk. that is what he talked about a lot tonight, democracy being at risk and a lot of historians will tell you presidents think about their legacy a lot and if this was one of the speeches joe biden would count among his legacy, his message tonight was that america's democracy is fragile and that everyone needs to fight to preserve it.— to fight to preserve it. candy, thank you _ to fight to preserve it. candy, thank you for _ to fight to preserve it. candy, thank you for spending -

thank you for spending time with us here. let's turn to pakistan now, where the disasters emergency committee has launched an urgent appeal to help the millions of people affected by the floods caused by exceptionally heavy monsoon rains this year. more than a thousand people have died and around a million homes have been destroyed or damaged. 0ur correspondent pumza fihlani reports from dadu, close to the indus river. finally on safe ground — but kareem is injured. it takes a group of people to carefully help her out of the boat. she's shaken and disoriented. translation: one of | the walls fell on my leg. i was stuck there and couldn't move for days. i've lost everything. i thought i was going to die. kareem is then treated by medics. officials say 80% of dadu is already under water, and it's spreading to more villages. people need saving and there isn't much time. the military, aid agencies, and villagers are all part

of a frenzy to evacuate those stranded. wejoined them. just look at all this water. it's like being in the middle of the ocean, exceptjust over there are people's houses, and there are many more in far—flung communities, and the water levels here in dadu are rising. and officials say around 250,000 people are at risk of drowning unless they can get them out to safety. after some time searching, we come across a village. tens climb on board, but not everyone can make the trip. some have left relatives behind. translation: i left everyone behind, but i'm worried, - because i don't know when the next boat will arrive and when i'll be able to return to them. but i have to go and find food for us, we are going hungry. on our way to dry land, we come across more people and pick them up. they've been in the water for hours.

three boats had gone past them in a rush to get to other villages. for one of the men, help came too late. translation: our friend drowned just moments i before you arrived. he slipped, and he was swept away. we couldn't save him. he's gone. in other parts of dadu, families who've lost their homes are sleeping on the roadside. some do not even have tents, let alone food. and it's all become too much. "our children are hungry," she says. "we're not getting any food, why is no—one helping us?" the water is coming from all sides — from the overflowing indus river and the mountains in the north, and in the middle of it all are people growing more desperate by the day. pumza fihlani, bbc news, dadu. stay with us on bbc

news, still to come: japan declares war on retro technology — after discovering almost 2000 govenment processes are still carried out using, mini disks, floppy disks and cds. she received the nobel peace prize for her work with the poor and the dying in india's slums. the head of the catholic church said mother teresa was a wonderful example of how to help people in need. we have to identify the bodies, then arrange the coffins and take them back home. parents are waiting, and wives are waiting. hostages appeared — some carried, some running — trying to escape the nightmare behind them.

britain lost a princess today. described by all to whom she reached out as "irreplaceable", an early morning car crash in a paris underpass ended a life with more than its share of pain and courage, warmth and compassion. this is bbc world news. the latest headlines: ukrainian troops continue their counter offensive in the south of the country — as they struggle to retake areas seized by russia. president biden has used a prime time speech to warn of the threat to equality and democracy from election deniers and "make america great again" republicans. authorities in the city ofjackson, in the us state of mississippi, have urged people who still have water supplies to shower with their mouths closed. some 180,000 residents in the city have spent days without running water afterflooding brought the main

water treatment facility to the brink of collapse. 0ur correspondent, louisa pilbeam, has more. the water's running at the samuel house, but it's not safe. and mother danika is scared it'll harm her children. i have me and six kids here, and i have to constantly remind them, "do not brush your teeth with that water, do not wash your face with that water!" me, as a parent, i'm going to do whatever it takes for us to survive in this water crisis. they're surviving at home on bottled water, and boiling what comes out of the tap. and the children are learning at home in a state of emergency injackson, mississippi, where schools are closed, as are restaurants and businesses. james clipper went two days without water at his apartment. now the water's running, but it's not looking good. it's kind of dirty, you know? the water's kind of dirty. i don't know if it's from the rust or whatever the case might be. it's frustrating.

everybody�*s frustrated, you know? and thank y'all for everything, man — in protecting the country. in the majority—black southern state, the national guard is giving out water, keeping people alive. some 180,000 residents of the state capital are without it. y'all some good co—workers, doing all this. problems at the 0b curtis water plant, that supplies the city, began after heavy rains caused the pearl river to spill into the streets four days ago. us presidentjoe biden has pledged aid. the biden—harris administration, we're committed to helping the people of mississippi cope with this current emergency, and we are going to continue to work with the state and local government officials to explore, i can tell you, all options. those options need to come quickly for the sake of those who need help now. louisa pilbeam, bbc news. let's get some of the day's other news. a cargo ship carrying a grain shipment from ukraine has run

aground in turkey's bosporus strait. it's halted shipping through istanbul. turkish officials say lady zehma suffered rudderfailure, but was safely anchored. the ship is one of six that left black sea ports in ukraine under a un—brokered export deal. rosmah mansor, the wife of ex malaysian prime minister najib razak, has been sentenced to ten years in prison. she was found guilty on three charges of soliciting and receiving bribes to help a company win a $280 million project. just days earlier, her husband started serving a i2—yearjail sentence for corruption charges related to the state—owned fund i—mdb. chengdu has become the latest chinese city to be locked down after a fresh outbreak of covid—i9 as beijing continues to pursue its controversial "zero—covid" policy. around 21 million people have been ordered to stay indoors, with just one person per household allowed to go out for essential shopping.

divers have managed to stop fuel leaking from a ship that's beached off the coast of gibraltar after colliding with an lng tanker. the hull of the 0535 broke off and started leaking fuel. james neish from the bbc�*s interactive unit, who'sjust returned from gibraltar, says it's a race against time to pump the fuel out of the sinking ship. it has about 500 tonnes of fuel on board. interestingly, this is not cargo, this is fuel for its own engines and consumption. that means this sinking vessel is not double hulled, because it is not transporting fuel. so the fear is that if the ship breaks apart, there are concerns it might break in two because of the strain of tide water, of the collision. if the tank breaks, hundreds of litres would spill to the coast of morocco and up the coast of spain.

it would be the costa del sol, costa did lose and this beautiful cove in gibraltar. i've just come back from there, the ship is metres away from this lovely beach, which is very, very popular with locals and tourists. now some good news through the morning, they are pumping the fuel from the ship, about 250 tonnes of diesel, half of that operation is now complete. there is a lot of concern but also optimism. to japan, somewhere which most of us associate with high tech and innovation. but it's also a country whose government still uses floppy disks. it's reported up to 1,900 government procedures still require businesses to use the storage devices and now the country's digital minister has "declared war" on floppy disks and other retro tech that's still used. taro kono says regulations would be updated to allow people to use online services instead. earlier i spoke to the wall streetjournal�*s tokyo bureau chief, peter landers, who said mr kono is on a mission to digitalise japan.

i think right now, bureaucrats love paper most of all, they like the idea of someone looking for a construction permit for example, to bring in a piece of paper, having a shelf on the wall where everything is neatly organised, and the floppy disk was kind of what the bureaucrats might consider... an inferior substitute but at least it's a physical think someone could bring into city hall. and now the minister is saying, we need to make all of this illegal. it's so interesting, we often have this idea ofjapan being forward in the future, the bullet train introduced many years ago, years before other high—speed rail, but what is this attachment floppy disks, and retro tech, particularly within government circles that you think might try and be more on the cutting edge?

japan is really strong in hardware, if you talk about industrial robots, some of the most advanced come from japan, video game machines, little parts that go into smartphones, but this is really more of a software problem. it's getting information that might be on my desk into the hands of a government official, maybe a list of employees or something. it could be anything. i think that's where japan really is struggling and finally is recognising that. the covid—19 pandemic really inspired these reforms. how so? early in the pandemic, you had health officials trying to fill out forms by paper and sending a fax to the central government... hang on, fax? yes, they are still used here. we saw it on the front

page of the wall street journal a few years ago, the minister was having a war against the fax and this is the new campaign. is anybody pushing back? 0ne cyber security minister admitted a few years ago that he had never used a computer. i'm just wondering what the public reaction is, to floppy disks still being in use or indeed to this war on floppy disks? i think there is a lot of sympathy for the minister dealing with this, kono. he isa he is a public relations pro as well. he knows this is a way to get attention for his initiatives. people here are familiar with bureaucracy. may be accustomed to it so that it another reason why change has been slow. no—one would object to improving procedures but they are also accustomed to bringing in paper and floppy

disks, that kind of thing, so maybe there wasn't a strong impetus for reform until now. thanks to peter for that and thank you for watching bbc. stay with us if you can. hello there. summer 2022 was certainly a memorable one, wasn't it? and as we bring summer to a close, these are some of the standout headlines — england'sjoint warmest summer on record, and the driest year so far for the uk since 1976. now, there is actually some rain in the forecast as we go through friday and towards the weekend. the weather is set to change. we've got this weather front here gathering pace into the north west, and this weather front�*s been bringing some showers. now, those showers may well linger for parts of england and wales — fairly isolated, but nevertheless, they'll still be there. the best of the sunshine, north wales, northern england and eastern scotland. showery outbreaks of rain gather into the far north west of scotland and northern ireland. here, temperatures perhaps at around 18 celsius the high —

but it will be another hot and humid afternoon for central and eastern england, with temperatures into the high 20s. all change as we move into the weekend — for some, there will be some thundery showers around or longer spells of rain, and it will turn increasingly windy for all. as an area of low pressure anchors itself out to the west, spiralling around that low in an anti—clockwise direction is a series of weather fronts that'll bring some rain, some of it fairly persistent, through northern ireland and southwest scotland throughout the weekend — and that could have an impact. it will certainly have an impact on the feel of the weather. elsewhere, sunny spells and scattered showers. not a bad day to the far north of scotland, highs of 19 here — but in the sunshine, in east anglia, if you dodge those showers, you should see highs of 24 celsius. more wet weather in a similar position coming up through southwest england, wales, and then, sitting across northern ireland and southwest scotland. showers elsewhere — if you dodge those showers, you still keep those blustery

winds, but it will still feel quite warm in the sunshine for parts of england and wales, as temperatures still likely to peak at highs of 25 celsius — disappointing under the cloud and the rain. the low pressure is not set to move very far very fast at all — into the early half of next week, it anchors itself down to the southwest. the wind direction still coming from the south, still relatively mild, but still, we could see some showers and those showers could be heavy and quite widespread for the early half of next week.

this is bbc news. the headlines... president biden has made an impassioned speech in defence of american democracy. he warned that donald trump — and what he termed "maga republicans" — represented a form of extremism that threatens the us way of life. mr biden asked all americans to defend democracy regardless of their ideology. ukrainian troops pressing ahead with a counter—offensive in the south of the country, are meeting fierce resistance from russian forces. skirmishes have taken place as inspectors from the united nations arrived to check on the safety of the russian occupied zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. an urgent international appeal has been launched, to help the millions of people affected by the flooding in pakistan. a third of the country is currently submerged and more than 1,100 people have died in what the un has called

a "climate catastrophe".