of heavy bombardment. a bbc investigation reveals a man suspected of being the british army's top ira informant admitted to killing another man suspected of spying in 1990. i want the opposition. cut their throats _ i want the opposition. cut their throats. �* . . , iwant the opposition. cut their throats. �* . ., , ., , throats. and critics praised the brutal finale _ throats. and critics praised the brutal finale of _ throats. and critics praised the brutal finale of succession. - throats. and critics praised the brutal finale of succession. a l brutal finale of succession. a succession podcast host watch the final episode with the writer and creator. welcome back to the programme — our top story — putin has accused ukraine, of trying to provoke russia after russia's capital moscow was hit in rare drone attacks, with several buildings damaged after air defences shot them down. the russian defence ministry says

kyiv staged "a terrorist attack" using eight drones — a claim denied by ukraine. it follows an attack on kyiv, with ukrainian officials saying more than 20 drones had been destroyed. one person was killed in what was the seventeenth attack on kyiv since the start of may. there's been some mixed reaction from ukraine's allys. in a statement, the white house has said the us "does not support attacks inside of russia". they are also trying to find out about what happened earlier in the day. meanwhile in estonia, the uk's foreign ministerjames cleverly was asked about the drone attack and said ukraine does have the right to attack russian territory. ukraine does have the legitimate right to defend itself. it has a legitimate right to do so within its own borders, of course but it does also have the right to project force beyond its borders to... to undermine russia's

ability to project force into ukraine itself. so, legitimate the military targets beyond its borders are part of ukraine's self—defense. and we should recognise that. that is not to say that i have any particular assessment over the attacks in moscow. more broadly, military targets beyond its own border are internationally recognised as being legitimate as part of a nations self—defense. that is significant in terms of a difference in tone what we heard from the white houses james cleverly saying ukraine's self—defense can in certain instances go beyond their borders with a very interesting intervention they are from the uk foreign secretary. more action on

our program. more action on our program. here's our diplomatic correspondent paul adams — i asked him if he thought this attack has touched a nerve with president putin. i think this is something where whoever was responsible, the intention seems to have been to give muscovites a flavour of what the people of kyiv have been experiencing for months, especially during the month of may where it has come under such repeated attack. the scale of what happened in moscow overnight was very small by comparison, but the impact, the psychological impact, is clearly designed to mirror that in some way to sow a level of uncertainty and fear among the people of moscow. the foreign ministry has talked about taking the harshest of measures in response. it is unclear where they might go tactically.

yes, that is partly because we do not yet know where this attack came from. there was an assumption that ukraine was behind it in some way or another but i have been talking to an expert who has been taking a closer look at the airframes involved, which are rather novel ones, which seem to be modified commercially available airframes and his belief is that while it is perfectly possible that they could have been fired from inside ukraine, some 500 kilometres or so from the russian capital, he thought it more likely that they were fired from somewhere much closer to moscow. he didn't think that would be a complicated thing to carry out and these are small devices, they didn't seem to be equipped with very much in the way of explosive munitions. he thinks possibly they were carried

out in some way by operatives inside russia, perhaps with ukrainian direction. but not with any particular desire of achieving an explosive result. this was more about sending a message of capability and as i said before, just injecting an element of fear and uncertainty into the minds of the people of moscow but also the russian leadership, that this is something ukraine or sympathisers of ukraine are capable of. breaking news, it concerns nato but not ukraine it concerns kosovo and the news they are. in the last little while an announcement to the nato military alliance will deploy an additional 700 troops to kosovo. that's come from jan stoltenberg in the last little while. a day after

protesters were hurt in classes. those some of the recent pictures that information coming from jan stoltenberg at a conference for that we decided to deploy 700 more troops from the operational reserve force from the operational reserve force from the operational reserve force from the western balkans and put in additional battalion of reserve forces on high alert and so they can be deployed if needed. additional troops, 700 more troops being deployed to kosovo after those disturbances. we will keep an eye on that. if there is more we will return to it. the origins of the covid virus remains a point of contention. the site is telling the bbc news it's possible that for the george ga who is director of the chinese centre for disease much of the pandemic has said in a new bbc podcast at the question of covid origins remains in open one.

0ur correspondent in china sent this report from new york. ever since the world got its first glimpse of the deadly disease circulating in wuhan, china has dismissed the theory that covid might have leaked from a lab known to have been experimenting with coronaviruses, as a lie. but now, one of china's most senior scientists seems far less forthright when i ask him about that possibility. you know, i haven't seen anything. you know, a lot of people have some suspicions, but i haven't seen anything. but nor can you rule it out? for science you have to be open—minded. that means everything is possible. don't rule out anything. don't rule out anything, he says. but the lab leak theory was ruled out. perhaps its association with this man helped cast it

as a conspiracy theory. have you seen anything at this point that gives you a high degree of confidence that the wuhan institute of virology was the origin of this virus? yes, i have. as did the claims from some western scientists of overwhelming evidence that the virus, which started in bats, passed naturally to humans, perhaps via other animals in a market, a route by which deadly pandemics are known to have emerged in the past. it was that past precedent that influenced the world health organization mission to wuhan when it too effectively ruled out a lab leak. one of the scientists tells me in an interview for our podcast. everyone is biased, i am biased for natural origin because of everything we have seen in the past. the sheer amount of consumption of wild animal meat is such a known high—risk situation.

all along other scientists, while agreeing that covid may well have come from animals in a market, say there is not yet enough evidence to definitively rule out the other possibility, that it leaked from a lab. and with a change of presidency here in the us, that view, now somewhat freed from its political associations, has gained traction. following a review ordered by president biden, two out of eight us intelligence agencies are now said to favour a lab leak with low to moderate confidence. and there is a renewed focus on the wider issue of the risks of lab work with dangerous pathogens, although the political partisanship still looms large. robert redfield was a trump appointee to one of america's top scientificjobs. i have 12 living grandchildren, they are at high risk of a pandemic in the next decade or two and i think that will be caused

by man, not by nature, either intentional or by terrorism, or possiblyjust a lab accident. you've no right to tell me not to ask questions. i have all the rights. under what grounds? the signs of china's heavy handed political control have been there from the start. and the mystery of what happened in wuhan has become one of the most controversial questions of our time. but it's also one of the most important. where did covid come from? john sudworth, bbc news, new york. let's go live to new york and live tojohn~ — let's go live to new york and live to john. . ,. ., ., . let's go live to new york and live tojohn. ., ,. ., ., . to john. fascinating watching your re ort. in to john. fascinating watching your report. in terms _ to john. fascinating watching your report. in terms of— to john. fascinating watching your report. in terms of intervention i report. in terms of intervention from the stop chinese scientist, how significant would you say that is? it's important to say that not saying he thinks the virus came from the lab, merely that he doesn't yet

think there's enough evidence to rule that possibility out. and it's worth noting of course that we have seen over recent years from china this emerging narrative being pushed through its propaganda channels that the virus didn't come from china at all. this idea that it may have been brought in from beyond china's border, a theory without foundation. many scientists would say, the majority i think but nonetheless that has become the prevailing narrative. in that sense you could say that although the comments look out of stop and look a little risky you could see them in that light is having a large degree of overlap with the chinese government. this idea that we simply don't yet know where it came from. either from a market orfrom a lab, three where it came from. either from a market or from a lab, three years on to some up where he really positions himself, we have no clue how this thing started. himself, we have no clue how this thing started-— himself, we have no clue how this thing started. john, inyourpocket as ou been thing started. john, inyourpocket as you been talking — thing started. john, inyourpocket as you been talking to _ thing started. john, inyourpocket as you been talking to so _ thing started. john, inyourpocket as you been talking to so many -

you been talking to so many different people. of course it has been dismissed —— in your podcast. all the theories, leak from a lab, did that consensus, did that come too early that conclusion, do you think? �* , , , ., ., think? it's interesting, you are riuht. if think? it's interesting, you are right- if you — think? it's interesting, you are right. if you think— think? it's interesting, you are right. if you think back - think? it's interesting, you are right. if you think back to - think? it's interesting, you are| right. if you think back to those first few months of 2020, as the pandemic was emerging in wuhan and spreading around the world leered very early on from influential scientists that the lab leak was if not impossible that in extreme unlikelihood. it was dismissed in that way very early on. as part of our podcast we been trying to speak to people on all sides of the debate, those people that still lean strongly to the idea of a natural origin for that was interesting is some of those scientists who were involved in some of those early papers dismissing the lab leak is a conspiracy theory do admit today that perhaps they were a little too quick or went a little too far in

pushing that narrative. that raises all sorts of questions again, which hopefully listeners will be able to hear us discuss on the podcast, why might that have been? was there a sense that science itself was slightly reluctant to consider the possibility that science might have been to blame? could there have been this danger that in working so hard to dismiss what those scientists saw then as a conspiracy theory that they actually helped file? the pendulum swung back too far in the other way. all this and more as part of the podcast. indie other way. all this and more as part of the podcast-— other way. all this and more as part of the podcast. we know others have looked at the — of the podcast. we know others have looked at the central _ of the podcast. we know others have looked at the central question. - of the podcast. we know others have looked at the central question. but l looked at the central question. but the chinese themselves investigate the chinese themselves investigate the lab leak theory? hat the chinese themselves investigate the lab leak theory?— the chinese themselves investigate the lab leak theory? not that we've heard of so — the lab leak theory? not that we've heard of so far. _ the lab leak theory? not that we've heard of so far. but _ the lab leak theory? not that we've heard of so far. but interestingly, l heard of so far. but interestingly, george gal suggests there was some form of officialformal

george gal suggests there was some form of official formal government investigation into that lab. he says it wasn't done by his department but he hasn't seen the result but he has heard that they found no evidence of any wrongdoing. heard that they found no evidence of any wrongdoing-— any wrongdoing. thank you so much for the a quick— any wrongdoing. thank you so much for the a quick point _ any wrongdoing. thank you so much for the a quick point to _ any wrongdoing. thank you so much for the a quick point to john's - any wrongdoing. thank you so much for the a quick point to john's new i for the a quick point tojohn's new podcast, it's called beaver, the hunt for covid origin. it starts today with new episodes weekly on radio four and bbc. let's turn to a bbc investigation on one of the british top agents within the ira. freddie scappaticci — who is on the left here — admitted in 1990 that he had shot dead a suspected informer. we uncovered this detail from court during a bbc spotlight investigation into his activities. scappaticci is thought to be linked to the murders of over 20 people but he always denied he was the army agent known as "stakeknife" which is the code name of a high—level spy who successfully infiltrated the ira.

we're going to cross live now to our newsroom in belfast withjennifer 0'leary — who can tell us more about this investigation. tell us a bit more about that central plank of what i was describing in the introduction. this describing in the introduction. is you outlined there, he was an ira spy you outlined there, he was an ira spy catcher and the man who always publicly denied he was the army agent known as steak knife. the ria always had a problem with leg. it really organised in the late 19705 and set up a really organised in the late 19705 and setup a security unit specifically and set up a security unit specifically to flush out spies for the scappaticci joint that unit for the scappaticci joint that unit for the here's a thing, and our programme we report that he was already then working for the british army. that unit exacted a brutal tally of executions of the suspected informants. scappaticci is linked to the murders of 20 people. our investigation has uncovered that in

1990 he made an admission remarkably to another suspected ria spies. that he had shot dead a suspected informer. is he had shot dead a suspected informer. , ., , he had shot dead a suspected informer-— he had shot dead a suspected informer. , . , ., ~ ., informer. is there any more known about the details _ informer. is there any more known about the details of— informer. is there any more known about the details of that _ informer. is there any more known | about the details of that admission? at february 1989 a man called joe fenton was shot dead in a west belfast alleyway for being a suspected informer. he had been interrogated by scappaticci's to unit the ira internal security unit. several months later another suspected informer was brought to the same house to be interrogated. during that in derogation scappaticci made a number of admissions to the second suspected informer, unlike many others he survived because police raided the property. he went on to give evidence in court put it in his deposition he detailed his interrogation, his ordeal and he

made references to friday scappaticci including graphic references, scappaticci had made about the manner ofjoe fenton staff and including the line that he said he had done it. no one was ever charged with the murder ofjoe fenton. sis. charged with the murder of joe fenton. �* . ~ charged with the murder of joe fenton. �* x' ., charged with the murder of joe fenton. �* ., ., , . fenton. a quick thought, any closer to the operation _ fenton. a quick thought, any closer to the operation can _ fenton. a quick thought, any closer to the operation can report - fenton. a quick thought, any closer to the operation can report about? | to the operation can report about? the report is currently in what's described as a security checking stage. that report is focused on the activities of the army agent known as steak knife. it is expected to be published later this year. it may shine a light on what many believed to be one of the most mercury is episodes of the troubles. jennifer o'lea in episodes of the troubles. jennifer o'leary in belfast. _ episodes of the troubles. jennifer o'leary in belfast. thank- episodes of the troubles. jennifer o'leary in belfast. thank you. - a gender—critical academic, says she is determined to speak at the oxford union later today, after some students responded angrily to her invitation to a talk. there's been a row about

whether professor kathleen stock should be allowed to attend the debate, with some people arguing that her views on gender identity are transphobic. gender—critics believe that sex is biological, as you could see a large number of students of gathered outside to protest trying to block her from speaking. people cannot change their sex and that sex is distinct from gender—identity. the prime minister said professor stocks invitation should stand. we will keep an eye on that story and if there is any more movement, any more detail to bring you from oxford we will return to it. succession, the critically acclaimed sky atlantic/hbo drama, has come to an end after four gripping seasons. dubbed as one of the greatest tv shows ever made, the series

is a satirical dark comedy—drama that delves into the complex world of power, politics, and a wealthy family dynasty. following the highly dysfunctional and fictional roy family, who control the world's largest media and entertainment company, the show explores the power struggle for control between the children when ceo logan roy is no longer at the helm. critics have widely praised the end of the emmy—winning tv drama succession, with their descriptions ranging from "perfect" and "beautiful". the guardian's lucy mangan describes the tv drama. "it was — a succession at its finest. the telegraph's ed power, says perfect finales are difficult to pull off, and writerjesse armstrong came close", but added it "wasn't quite as shakespearean as we may have hoped for". and finally daniel fienberg in the hollywood reporter says... earlier i spoke to comedian sara barron who presents

the succession fan podcast, "�*firecrotch & normcore' who gave her reaction to the finale. i think, one of their very interesting things of this show is it doesn't really put a foot wrong and i sometimes feel that it just me who feels that way but i realise that no, it's this weird thing. it's hard to make something perfect but i think if you are a fan of succession and everything that is unique about it is interesting to you in the first place, then you are going to think that somehow they did the impossible and they managed this flawless ending. am i right in saying that he watched the final episode with jesse armstrong, the writer and creator. tell me what that was like? i read the quote from the telegraph and said it's difficult to pull off and said it's difficult to pull off a finale.

what did he think in terms of watching it, what he had imagined? i can't speakfor him as much as i would like to be able to be him as much as myself but the reason i was so rudely talking over you was because it was so exciting. we were sat in the row, the same row as him but there was an aisle before him. my foot was inches from his foot watching the finale which is a great way to do it. it was really interesting because in a way, there is no more fascinating, interesting and exciting way to experience something like that with a show creator in such proximity. 0n the other hand, and i don't know how it felt to him because it would have been too bizarre of me

to spend the entire finale just awkwardly looking over my shoulder at how he was feeling. why do you think it worked so well? you look at the writing, the music, it is absolutely spectacular, the acting. this is one story when they were talking about the boat scene, filming it in one take. they had bits of film so the camera could relearn extraordinary take. what was it, in terms of those parts, why does it work so well? i think it's a few things. one, on our podcast, we have had the chance to talk to a lot of different actors who have worked on the show and they all say that the way it operates as a tv show, these are theatre actors in hollywood actors.

it seems that it is a very singular television experience and as much as you do do that many takes and they set it up almost as though it is more of a play and then they film the play. we were talking the other day to the actor who plays willa, conor�*s girlfriend, she starts off as a playwright and then becomes one of the people we root for most of the show. she was saying just sometimes as a person watching the orchestrations of how they shoot of of it. putting the film into the camera and all the seamless take. putting the film into the camera and all the seamless take. she said, she just cries watching that because of the efforts that everybody puts in a so spectacular so it seems, all i can begin to think is thatjesse armstrong has very good taste in people and everything else and he has assembled in this way that is so singular all of these people who are the absolute best at what they do.

and they drive themselves into the ground to make the best product possible. great analysis without i still have three episodes to go without any spoilers so a real success. i want to show you some footage of a beard rescue in the us with public at these pictures with up the bear was able to scramble out the back seat of a car in nevada. police were called to the scene with local residents discovered that beer they then constructed an elaborate plan using a long piece of rope to pull the door open from a distance and that bearfor the door open from a distance and that bear for free. the door open from a distance and that bearforfree. 0ff the door open from a distance and that bear for free. off it goes, scampering around her woods. early go waiting for the bear to make the escape. just to close their programme, our main story those

drone attacks on marco, very interesting listening to the reaction from moscow in the last hour. —— moscow. also the white house say we do not support attacks inside russia. a slightly different nuance from the british foreign secretary in the last hour. luis is here at last few hours to take us to that story and the headline. that is it from there if are you for being with us for the last three hours with us for the last three hours with up i will see you at the same time tomorrow. bye—bye. hello. for some of us, it has been a while since we last saw any rain, particularly across parts of england and wales. in fact, close to swansea there's been no measurable rain for more than three weeks. plymouth, nottingham, sheffield, not far behind. it has rained a little more recently than that in parts of northern ireland and scotland. over the next five days, unlike southern europe where there is going to be quite a lot of wet weather, across our shores many places

are going to stay bone dry. there is a persistent area of high pressure, keeping it largely dry. western parts will see the warmest and sunniest part of the weather. further east. there will be more cloud and as a consequence, it will feel a lot cooler for some eastern coasts at times. three tonight, we are going to see this cloud rolling its way westward once again. we keep some clear skies in western scotland, northern ireland, it mayjust go a little bit chilly. scotland, northern ireland, for scotland, northern ireland, the last head of the ne glasgow for the last head of the new 2a in glasgow for this evening and tonight it all over again rose its way westward for the players through western scotland, northwest england, that's where it will turn a little bit chilly. temperatures generally between six and 11 degrees. tomorrow parts of east wales, a good part of the recent scott we're or cloudy, will roll its way back towards the east coast. if you are spending your day along the coast and it stays cloudy where you are exposed to the breeze temperatures are likely to

only get 214, 16 degrees for the parts of northeast scotland only getting to a car or 13 degrees will work however, further west in the sunshine temperatures around glasgow likely to get to 25, 20 6 degrees, 23 for western parts of northern ireland. many western parts of england and wales not too far behind. into thursday really it is more of the same the cloudiest and coolest weather to be found across eastern parts of scotland, the eastern parts of scotland, the eastern side of england, further west more sunshine, more warmth, temperatures around 23 or 24 degrees. as we head towards weekend high pressure remains the dominant weather feature for that we will continue to see winds blowing around that area of high pressure whether you are exposed to the priest come around eastern coast it will feel quite cool and cloudy at times. the highest temperatures the sunshine further west.

today at six, russia promises the harshest possible measures against ukraine after drone strikes on moscow. russian tv showed what officials say was one of eight drones which reached the capital but were shot down. translation: the kyiv regime has l chosen the path of scaring russia | and russian citizens by launching strikes on residential buildings. this is a clear sign of its terrorist activity. i

of its terrorist activity. heard some of those explo today,