welcome to newsday, reporting live from singapore. i'm mariko oi. the headlines — "an environmental bomb of mass destruction" — president zelensky accuses russia of blowing up a crucial dam on the dnipro river, unleashing a flood of water. translation: for the sake of its own security, - the world should show now that russia cannot get away with such terror. but moscow denies involvement, and accuses kyiv of sabotaging the dam. prince harry takes on the tabloid press at the high court. he says the papers�* behaviour had put him into a "downward spiral". the us—based pga tour has announced a shock merger with its saudi—backed rival, liv golf, ending a bitter split in men's professional golf. and on patrol with the taliban,

the bbc finds evidence of major success in clamping down on opium growing in afghanistan. live from our studio in singapore, this is bbc news. it's newsday. thank you for being with us. we start in ukraine, and the attack on a crucial dam in the south of the country. thousands of people have been forced to evacuate, because of rising flood waters. the dam sits between russian—held territory to the south and ukrainian territory to the north. kyiv says that moscow is to blame, and so do nato and the eu, which has called the destruction a "war crime". at a un meeting, russia has accused ukraine of sabotage. the uk prime minister, rishi sunak has said to kherson now, and this report from our ukraine correspondent, james waterhouse. i think it is still — if you go by what us officials

are saying just today — it is still in its early phases. it has started nevertheless where ukrainian forces, small new units are probing different parts of this vast front line. they're trying to find different weaknesses, so what the destruction of the dam means is that a major potential crossing point has effectively been taken off the table. it means ukrainian forces couldn't cross along the dam itself, and it also means that they couldn't mount some kind of amphibious assault involving boats, involving troops making their way across, trying to form some kind of temporary crossing to eventually push forward. that would be the most ambitious attempt — i think in military circles, it was seen as one of the least likely paths for a counteroffensive — but for kyiv, it's about making russia guess, and i think what we've seen from invading forces is an effective counterpunch. after months of ukraine and the west talking up this counteroffensive,

russia has previously tried to seize control of the narrative in the information war, and should moscow be behind the destruction of the dam, then it is a counterpunch. but working out exactly who is behind it, who's behind this apparent detonation — i don't think we will ever realise, but we need to be bright—eyed to the military dynamics around, at a crucial phase for ukraine in this conflict as it tries to unlock what has been months of static fighting. a breach of a barrier designed to protect. this is the major kakhovka dam, failing to contain a reservoir resembling a sea. the waters of ukraine's dnipro river surge downstream, towards dozens of towns and villages. this is effectively a front line, which separates territory ukraine controls and russia occupies. close to the dnipro�*s mouth, the city of kherson. officials are worried this flooding

could become catastrophic. when our team arrived this afternoon, it didn't take long to find out what life here is like. "it's dangerous," says katarina. then... explosion. russia may have retreated here last year, but they're not far away. it takes a lot in these parts to make people leave. back upstream, you can't really see what's left of the dam and hydroelectric plant. so, who did this? russia controls this area, but blames ukraine. kyiv is in no doubt. translation: the kakhovka hydroelectric power station. l it was an absolutely deliberate, prepared explosion. they knew exactly what they were doing. translation: tonight, the kyiv regime emitted another terrorist crime. the kakhovka hydroelectric dam was blown up, which led

to the flooding of significant territories. so what is the significance of the nova kakhovka dam? it supplies water to huge swathes of agricultural land, including in crimea. and the reservoir behind it provides water to cool the zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant further upriver. both areas are under russian control. the reservoir is huge, the dnipro river is especially wide here — 150 miles long, and up to ia miles across. this is what the dam looks like undamaged. our colleagues at bbc verify say this image of a smaller bridge was taken just days ago — but since early this morning, this is what the dam has turned into. thousands of people are at risk from flooding. whole villages are underwater. here, the landscape is transformed. whoever destroyed the dam knew this would happen, and decided it was worth it. one ukrainian mp watched as the river burst its banks.

"you can see how the water is coming "up every second," he says. "it's starting to rise." ukraine has been ravaged by becoming a giant battlefield. a country forever remoulded, and now a region partially submerged. james waterhouse, bbc news, kherson. prince harry has become the first senior member of the royal family to give evidence in court for 130 years, after taking to the witness stand in his civil case against mirror group newspapers. he's accused the publisher of using unlawful methods, including phone hacking, to get stories about him — something they deny. our media editor, katie razzall, has been following the case at the high court in london. in a cul—de—sac in central london, the world's media, focused on itself, and one man. others have settled

claims over the years, but here was prince harry, determined to have his day in court, telling those inside a packed court 15, and an overflow annex, that every single article written about him had caused him distress, and agreeing he had felt hostility to the media, even before he knew about their methods. he was asked about this line in his witness statement... prince harry told the court he was talking about journalists responsible for causing a lot of pain, upset, the press in general. asked if he was in the witness box to "put a stop to "the madness," he replied, "that is my hope." harry's case is that specific articles in mirror group newspapers from 1996 to 2011 were based on phone hacking and other unlawful information gathering, often by private investigators. today, he was questioned about them in detail. he says the journalist behind this story, about a visit

from his mother on his 12th birthday, was a known user of private investigators. mgn's barrister told him journalists could not have hacked his mobile phone, as he didn't have one back then. harry replied, "it could have been my mother's." how could journalists know he was at the particular pub, as reported in this article, prince harry asked. "isn't it likely the celebrity chef owner contacted "the paper?", mr green suggested. and mgn's barrister told him this story of a thumb injury had already been reported by the press association the day before. harry claims that just encouraged others to take stories further, using illicit methods for that extra information. he says he was often teased at school after these kinds of articles. it caused him paranoia and distress, led him to dump friends, even to distrust his own brother, william, when a disagreement leaked. mgn denies phone hacking and unlawful information gathering for the articles under scrutiny, in a civil trial, on which a judge, not a jury, will decide, explains this lawyer. on the balance of probabilities, is it more

likely than not that the mirror engaged in phone hacking? or is it more likely than not that they didn't? they are weighing up just to see where that balance tilts so it is a slightly different standard — a lower standard, if you like. the prince also had sharp words for the former daily mirror editor, now tv presenter, piers morgan, saying he makes him physically sick, and that he wants to hold him and others accountable for their vile behaviour. mr morgan denies wrongdoing. for the best part of five hours inside here, prince harry calmly, quietly, seriously answered the questions put to him, questions designed to show that his claims are wrong. in his witness statement, he was broad in his criticism of the media, and he raised eyebrows, and some hackles, when he described not just the british press, but the government, as at rock bottom. but then he has broken so many of the rules of being a royal. political criticism is just another one to add to the list. he, though, has found his

calling — to make reform of the press his life's work. it has been an intense day for prince harry. the first time a senior royal has been cross—examined in more than a century, and there is more to come tomorrow. katie razzall, bbc news. now, the world of golf is in shock, after the pga and dp world tour have agreed to merge with their bitter rival, liv, which is a breakaway circuit, backed by saudi arabia. the launch of liv rocked men's professional golf over the past year, after it poached several top players, lured by its huge prize money. for more on this, bar stool sport's dan rappaport. thank you forjoining us. some pga players are staying loyal to the pga, like tiger woods. they can be too happy about this. you have been speaking to some of them. what do they tell you? yeah, i wouldn't be happy if i was in their position as well.

a lot of these guys were offered, the rumour $300 million, and they didn't go because the commission of the pga tour asked them basically to stay loyal to the tour. he told them we will fight this thing off, we will make our tour better, don't take the money, stay with us, so they did. now there are a lot of golfers who did take the money, phil mickelson, dustinjohnson, cameron smith. now those guys are going to be able to come back and play in the same tournaments as the guys who said no to the money, with the hundreds of millions of dollars in their pockets. so that's going to be one of the hardest things for monaghan to navigate in this whole thing, looking best players in the eye who he looked in the eye and telljust one year ago, don't leave, we are doing our own thing. now he is doing the exact opposite. yeah, i want to ask you what has changed, because as you say, joe monaghan, pga tour commissioner, he was very critical of liv until now and now he says the deal will benefit the sport. i mean, is this all about money? i

benefit the sport. i mean, is this all about money? i think it is all about _ this all about money? i think it is all about money - it is all about money unfortunately. i think the pga tour, i don't know but i think the strategy was, and we are going to put a line in the sand, takea going to put a line in the sand, take a hard—line stance against this, and if people don't watch their tournaments, and if we keep most of the best players in the world, then it will be a money loser. it won't make money in and the saudis will get bored or turn their attention elsewhere. that was a miscalculation. the saudis have money on a different tour —— different scale, theyjust played —— paid a soccer player $600 million to come and play in saudi arabia, so they were willing to keep spending, even if it was losing money, which would force the pga tour to do the same to keep its players but the pga tour doesn't have a $650 billion fund to draw from, so they had to go into responses, sponsors, their reserves, and they couldn't continue to do that, so it got to a point where they couldn't continue to do that, so it got to a point where there were two other key players in this, not the pif or monaghan, but it is

jimmy dunne, a financer in the united states, who really broke at this deal and decided that instead of trying to fight off this money... i instead of trying to fight off this money. . ._ this money... i 'ust want to “um this money... i 'ust want to jump in h this money... i 'ust want to jump in and — this money... i just want to jump in and ask _ this money... i just want to jump in and ask you, - this money... i just want to l jump in and ask you, because this money... i just want to - jump in and ask you, because a lot of people have been saying saudi is trying to sport wash its image, especially after it has been accused of killing a journalist and so on. do you think they're sport washing is actually working now? i think they're sport washing is actually working now?- actually working now? i don't know if the — actually working now? i don't know if the public _ actually working now? i don't know if the public has - actually working now? i don't know if the public has a - actually working now? i don't| know if the public has a better perception of saudi arabia than they did before. i think there has been more attention onto the atrocities into that country, but if the goal of sports washing wasn'tjust to convince the average person that saudi arabia is a great country but to get a seat at the table, to get into these rooms, and golf is a very rich sport, you have mercedes and rolex as sponsors, they wanted to normalise themselves as may be not to the public but to the investors. it is hard to say after today that they haven't done it. . ~ after today that they haven't done it. ., ~ , ., after today that they haven't done it. ., ~ i. ., after today that they haven't done it. . ~' i” ., ., done it. thank you for “oining us on mi done it. thank you forjoining us on the programme. -

around the world and across the uk, this is bbc news. bbc news — bringing you different stories from across the uk. matlock has had more than its fair share of devastating floods. last year the flood defence will collapse so work began to rebuild it. the aim of the well is to protect homes and businesses from future flooding. something florist robert young welcomes but says the work has come at a cost. after a0 years operating in matlock, he has decided to relocate his business to a nearby downtown.- relocate his business to a nearby downtown. some kind of perception _ nearby downtown. some kind of perception that _ nearby downtown. some kind of perception that matlock - nearby downtown. some kind of perception that matlock is - perception that matlock is difficult to get to, and we want to get over that idea and it is open for business. we should be _ it is open for business. we should be finished by the autumn. the a6 due to reopen in september. it is hoped that matlock can get back to business as usual.

for more stories from across the uk, head to the bbc news website. you're live with bbc news. now to afghanistan which used to be the source of more than 80% of the world's opium but last year poppy cultivator was banned by the taliban and the taliban government has had major success in cracking down on it with expect suggesting open farming is down by as much as 80% in a year but in a country breathing from an economy crisis, farmers say this is just another blow. men who were once fighting for this land now control it. and they're enforcing the diktat of their leader. this is the taliban's

this is the taliban�*s anti— this is the taliban's anti— narcotic unit. the afghanistan, they stopped when they see a field of poppy. i told you to destroy it yourself, they say. hidden from view, of woman screams back in anger but then retreat indoors. within minutes, it is all gone. the p°ppy minutes, it is all gone. the poppy that this family spent months growing. their son is detained for defying the band. released later with a warning. we have —— we've been given rare access to the taliban's campaign to eradicate poppy in nangarhar province. that have been at it for five months already so now we have

to get to more remote areas near the border with pakistan to find standing crop. so the field to the right, that's already been destroyed. and we're walking to another one, which they are in the process of destroying right now. farmers hear no how harmful opium is, there are high levels of addiction in their own country but there is no other option. this field belongs to ali mohammed mir. his field was destroyed. translation: if you don't have enough food in your house - and your children are going hungry, what else will you do? if we grew wheat instead, we won't earn enough to survive. when they hit those stocks hard, it comes flying in the air and the resident gives a pungent smell effect in the air

right now. the taliban go armed and in large numbers. there have been instances of clashes with angry locals. they are accused of profiting from opium when they were fighting against foreign forces and the afghan regime. a claim that taliban deny. but now, from what we've seen and from satellite images, there's evidence of an unprecedented reduction. this is helmand province. it used to be afghanistan's opium heartland. wheat now stands where poppy was grown. this man tells us that in this taliban stronghold area, farmers have all but complied with the order. translation: we are very upset. we can't meet our families' needs. i've had to take a loan.

hunger is at its peak and we haven't got any help from the government. we met the main spokesman of the taliban government, who told us they banned opium because it's harmful and goes against their religious beliefs. farmers say they're not getting any support from your government. how do you plan to help them? translation: opium causes a lot of harm. | we call on international organisations to help. but then, at the same time, you're making the operations and the funding of aid agencies in this country extremely difficult by the ban on afghan women working for them. you can't have it both ways. translation: they shouldn't link humanitarian issues with politics. the whole world is affected by opium addiction. opium from these field

producers nearly all of the heroine sold in europe. how will prices — heroine sold in europe. how will prices be _ heroine sold in europe. how will prices be impacted? - heroine sold in europe. how will prices be impacted? we went to kandahar, and major p°ppy went to kandahar, and major poppy growing went to kandahar, and major p°ppy 9f°wing province went to kandahar, and major poppy growing province to find out. we met a farmer holding onto a small stash of his harvest from last year. we are not naming him to protect him. he told us the price of each of these bags is now five times but it was before the band. he is waiting for it to rise further so it can sustain his family longer. for now, the taliban appear to have accomplished what no one else could. but there are questions about how long they can sustain it. yogita limaye, bbc news, kandahar. let's ta ke let's take it live to new hampshire where chris christie is holding a town hall meeting.

he announced his 2025 presidential campaign, presenting himself as the under candidate willing to go toe to toe with the front runner, former president donald trump. live pictures from new hampshire where chris christie is speaking. two chinese snooker players have been banned from the sport for life for their involvement in a match fixing scandal. li hang and liang wenbo will also have to pay a $53,000 fine after they were found guilty of fixing matches and approaching other players to encourage them to cheat. eight other chinese players have received bans ranging from 20 months to just over five years. all ten players have untiljune 20th to appeal against the ruling.

totte n ha m tottenham hotspur is have announced angie custer called blue as their new manager, making him the first australian to lead a team and if the english premier league. he was born in greece but emigrated to australia when he was five years old. let's cross live to melbourne and join max who present football on stand was an has a postcard. i understand that have been some raised eyebrows about this apartment but how much of an excitement is this generating in australia? ., , ., australia? people here are so excited. australia? people here are so excited- a _ australia? people here are so excited. a lot _ australia? people here are so excited. a lot of _ australia? people here are so excited. a lot of it _ australia? people here are so excited. a lot of it is - australia? people here are so excited. a lot of it is pride, i excited. a lot of it is pride, it is the first australia to manage a job in the premier league, it is a combination of an amazing story that ange postecoglou has. he moved over here when he was five and worked his way up through the

australian football system, he was incredibly successful here and then injapan and now in scotland. it has raised eyebrows. this is not the first time it has with ange postecoglou. there was hubris amongst scottish football fans seeing someone successful in japan and australia saying that their leg was bigger and more important and their leg was bigger and more importantand in their leg was bigger and more important and in the premier league they are saying, he has only been good in scotland but he has proven over and over again that he has the skill, ability, empathy to communicate with young footballers in such a way which means he has been successful. whether or not he is successful at tottenham is a different question but it is a huge appointment for them. in terms of australian football, obviously sam kerr is one of the most recognised female footballers around the world but there are not that many socceroos playing at the top level anywhere and so being the most high—profile person in the

man's game from australia, he's feeling that void and doing it brilliantly when it comes into tottenham at a time when the previous two long—term managers were paid buckets of money, demanded the newest, shyness footballers and did not deliver anything, they football was insipid and boring and he plays attacking football and they just need some home, the totman fans. i mean, it is the hope that kills you but maybe he will not be successful but people in australia are incredibly proud. he people in australia are incredibly proud. people in australia are incredibl roud. , , ~ incredibly proud. he seems like a bit of a character _ incredibly proud. he seems like a bit of a character with - incredibly proud. he seems like a bit of a character with a - a bit of a character with a very interesting story behind him. what can fans expect from him? , .., him. what can fans expect from him? , .. , . him. what can fans expect from him? , . ., , . ., him? they can expect real honesty — him? they can expect real honesty and _ him? they can expect real honesty and they - him? they can expect real honesty and they can - him? they can expect real l honesty and they can expect somebody who takes responsibility and does not necessarily criticise their players or referees when things

are not the right which is in stark contrast with conte and mourinho. when he arrived in scotland, he was a bit of a joke, people loved about his name, saying what is this aussie doing here and the reason why there was a kind of xenophobia with anybody with an australian or american accent trying to talk to english people about football, in the same way people presume that if you have an english accent you are an authority in a game when most of us do not know what we're talking about. in terms of the football, he plays fast, attacking football, . .. of the football, he plays fast, attacking football, . . .- attacking football,... sorry, i have to jump _ attacking football,... sorry, i have to jump in _ attacking football,... sorry, i have to jump in because - attacking football,... sorry, i have to jump in because we i attacking football,... sorry, i- have to jump in because we have have tojump in because we have run out of time. thank you so much forjoining us and thank you to you forjoining us on

newsday. hello, there. you've probably noticed the weather not really changing very much over recent times, and that's because high pressure's been firmly dominating. and with high pressure around, its not rained very much anywhere. but in warwickshire, in church lawford, you'd have to go back to the 11th of may — that was the last time it rained — so that's nearly four weeks of dry weather. some of the warmest weather has been across in northern ireland, county tyrone — it's been very warm in castlederg for the last nine days, but five of these recent days have seen temperatures reach 2a celsius — that's six above average. now, it's the west that had the highest temperatures again on tuesday, but england, stuck underneath this area of cloud, had much lower temperatures in many areas — for example, in leek, in staffordshire, 18 celsius on monday, 12 celsius on tuesday. we also had some cloud dropping the temperatures in parts of west scotland as well. now, over the next few hours, we're seeing that cloud again thicken up across parts of england, wales, northern and eastern scotland.

you might find a few spots of drizzle, although predominantly, it will be a dry start to the day on wednesday. the best of the early—morning sunshine, like recent times, will be across these western areas of the country. could be a few mist patches, clearing and lifting, and then the sunshine comes out. i think there is a better chance of seeing this cloud break up across the midlands, east wales, so you probably will see some sunshine. but there could be some areas of eastern england again that keep the cloud all day. where that happens, temperatures into the teens — but otherwise, i think more of us will see temperatures into the low 20s. and with those sunny conditions out west, we'll see some very high levels of pollen building in across parts of england and wales, so it could be quite a sneezy day for hay—fever sufferers allergic to grass pollen. now, for thursday, again, there could be a bit of cloud around across eastern areas — probably east scotland, northeast england, the favoured spots for holding on to that. but otherwise, plenty of sunshine around, and those temperatures again reaching the mid—20s in the very warmest areas. we then do start

to see a change, courtesy of this storm system — storm oscar, that's been bringing some torrential rain to madeira. what that'll do, it moves to the southwest of the uk, and it shoves a load of humid air across the country. and so, we'll see a change in the weather conditions as we head into the weekend. as it turns more humid, we'll start to see some showers and thunderstorms break out. and, although the rain from these will be hit—and—miss in nature, some could see the first significant rain for four weeks.