not change what has happened in ukraine in - not change what has happened in ukraine in terms _ - not change what has happened in ukraine in terms of— - not change what has happened in ukraine in terms of russia's - ukraine in terms of russia's military efforts. he says they are still taking in effect in casualties, so emphasising this is very much not change and what they're doing at the moment and he said he wouldn't be drawn on hypothesising as to what president putin may do next. back to our top story — yevgeny prigozhin said in his audio message that wagner commanders had refused to accept government requests to sign contracts with russia's ministry of defence. today it was reported that the organisation is continuing to recruit fighters for the war in ukraine. so what lies ahead for wagner? we'rejoined by sorcha macleod — who's a member of the un working group on the use of mercenaries and an associate professor

at the university of copenhagen. thinking forjoining us. do you think that this was in mr bogosian words, it wasn't a mutiny but a protest about what was being threatened to be done for the wagner group? i threatened to be done for the wagner arou - ? ~ . �* threatened to be done for the wagner i rou . ? ~' ., �* , group? i think what we're seeing here is a prime _ group? i think what we're seeing here is a prime example - group? i think what we're seeing here is a prime example of- group? i think what we're seeing here is a prime example of what| here is a prime example of what happens when you outsource the use of force to unregulated actors the wagner group has been around for a number of years. it came out of the conflict in syria and has been active in many armed conflicts around the world and has been allowed to ask with the support the tacit support of the russian government and we have seen the fact that it has engaged in as trustees in many different countries including syria and libya, central african republic and ann marley. and

most recently in ukraine. —— miley. this is an action that has been unwieldy and also control in many different situations. it's really not a surprise to see what's happened in russia as we can. we heard from russia's foreign minister who said the wagner group operations would continue in its miley and the central african republic, what difference does it make whether yevgeny prigozhin is involved in that? how would the leader change, any change in leader, make a difference a day activities and strength of the wagner group? it’s strength of the wagner group? it�*s interesting if the russian government has officially acknowledge the existence of the wagner group because consistently in its responses to allegations and letters from the joint working group

about the commission of war crimes and crimes against humanity for example in mali and the central african republic, the russian governments response has been to say that the wagner group doesn't exist and has nothing to do with the russian government. indeed, the government of both central african republic and molly has said that they don't employ mercenaries and that they have instructors or trainers in miley and central african republic training the military. so there's a reason that wagner is in a different african trusses. its geopolitical and about extended russian djenepo vertical power but also about getting access to national resources. russia needs access to natural resources partly to circumvent international sanctions, so in terms of the

operations, particularly in west africa suddenly stopping, i don't think we would see that happening. more than a year ago, at the outset of the ukrainian war, invasion of ukraine, everyone was talking about how wagner was suddenly going to lead —— leave west africa and go to ukraine, that didn't happen. some wagner operates went to the conflict in ukraine but the vast majority stayed in africa and we have seen the wagner expand its operations since the invasion of ukraine. so evenif since the invasion of ukraine. so even if one individual is no longer in charge of the organisation, i think is too deeply entrenched in a variety of different countries for aid to suddenly stop operating. the other thing to understand is that there are multiple private actors of this type emanates and outs of russia. there's a lot of overlap between them. they have similar

profiles in terms of who they are recruiting. so this isn't a phenomenon that is going to disappear. phenomenon that is going to disappear-— phenomenon that is going to disauear. ., ~' . phenomenon that is going to disauear. ., . ., disappear. thank you so much for our disappear. thank you so much for your insight _ disappear. thank you so much for your insight for— disappear. thank you so much for your insight for that _ disappear. thank you so much for your insight for that sorcha - your insight for that sorcha macleod. thanks for your time. prince william is launching a project aimed at making homelessness in the uk "rare, brief and unrepeated". the homewards initiative will initially focus on six locations over the course of five years. st mungo's is a leading uk homelessness charity — supporting over 3150 people every night. emma haddad is the ceo — and joins me. thank you forjoining us. prince william has campaigned on the issue of homelessness and what difference he made to the issue of it an awareness of it? we he made to the issue of it an awareness of it? we welcome his initiative and _ awareness of it? we welcome his initiative and it _ awareness of it? we welcome his initiative and it is _ awareness of it? we welcome his

initiative and it is great _ awareness of it? we welcome his initiative and it is great to - awareness of it? we welcome his initiative and it is great to see - awareness of it? we welcome his initiative and it is great to see it i initiative and it is great to see it today on the ss is getting worse and not better he would buy the cost of living practice, churches of housing and credit living issues. it is a multifaceted response that is needed and it is bigger than anyone of us can solve on our own and we welcome anybody with interest and influence and the funded and his idea of putting that funding under influence locally, and see how we can get support with different partners is valuable. , ., , ., support with different partners is valuable. , ., , ., valuable. given that you said is an issue that is _ valuable. given that you said is an issue that is getting _ valuable. given that you said is an issue that is getting worse - valuable. given that you said is an issue that is getting worse with i valuable. given that you said is an | issue that is getting worse with the cost—of—living crisis and how achievable do you think it is that we can reach that goal the prince mention of making homelessness rare, and unrefuted? i mention of making homelessness rare, and unrefuted?— and unrefuted? i think if the focus on the funding _ and unrefuted? i think if the focus on the funding and _ and unrefuted? i think if the focus on the funding and collaboration l and unrefuted? i think if the focus| on the funding and collaboration is put in the right places, in particular our own prevention, so an upstream look at where people are

look struggling and try to help people before they reach that brink and follow over into on this nest, it can be prevented or at worst made brief and a nonrecurrent and had people off the streets as quickly as possible. and start and having to go back to the streets. sadly, what we are seen at the moment is an increase in the number of people becoming homeless and who were sleeping for the first time. as well as an increase in the number of people returning to the streets, when they might have actually recovered from promises once or twice before and managed to hold on accommodation but it's just become unaffordable. so, ithink accommodation but it's just become unaffordable. so, i think that aim and ambition is the right one it within reach, but it takes to write collaboration and money and influence and it takes the focus being put in the right place. in being put in the right place. in terms of the funding, of course, thatis terms of the funding, of course, that is something which is often the answer, isn't it? more funding. in practical terms, what would make the biggest difference with the use of

that funding and making homelessness rare and in stopping people falling back into it with their ultimate? we have a back into it with their ultimate? - have a chronic under supply of housing and in particular affordable housing, so we need to increase the amount of rented accommodation at lower value and of the renting sector. as well as supported housing where people need wraparound care and can't necessarily pull down independent living right away. the biggest difference to that would be increased in the housing benefit. the housing benefit has been frozen since 2020, which means that so many people who find themselves homeless, pushed into homelessness, ourfirst note of even managed to get back into accommodation when it happens to them. it's a mixture of the actual homes that are affordable underground of the homes with a wraparound support and care that many clients need, as well as an increase in benefits. housing

benefits, specifically, that many people that rely on and it is so outpaced by rent.— people that rely on and it is so outpaced by rent. thank you for your time. that outpaced by rent. thank you for your time- that is — outpaced by rent. thank you for your time. that is emma _ outpaced by rent. thank you for your time. that is emma haddad - outpaced by rent. thank you for your time. that is emma haddad from - outpaced by rent. thank you for your l time. that is emma haddad from saint mum goes, the homelessness charity us up thank you for taking the time to speak with us today. ajapanese defence intelligence official, has told the bbc, his country's armed forces would be prepared to shoot down any chinese spy balloons, spotted overjapan's territory in the future. it follows a bbc panorama investigation, that discovered evidence of one suspected surveillance balloon, travelling overjapan in 2021. 0ur security correspondent gordon corera has more details. i am sitting in my driveway and this thing is up in the sky. it was february when residents of the us state of montana saw something strange in their skies. i know there is a lot of questions about the flying objects. the spy balloon was then spotted moving all the way across the us. they're shooting it! that balloon was eventually shot down, but its journey raised questions about the nature and reach of china's foreign surveillance operation.

to find out more, bbc panorama has been working with corey jaskolski, founder of an artificial intelligence company. the ai has been sifting through millions of satellite images to track the balloon. we're looking for something that's maybe a0 meters across. and we're looking for that in millions, and millions, and millions of square kilometers of earth's surface. the balloon was tracked, passing close to a us nuclear base and all the way back to a probable launch site on hainan island in china. china claimed the balloon was a civilian airship used for scientific research, such as meteorology, and that it was an isolated event. but working with corey, the bbc can now reveal new details about other spy balloons. corey's ai programme discovered four satellite images of a balloon crossing northern japan in early september 2021. the japanese ministry of defence told the bbc that they suspected this was one of three chinese spy balloons that has flown over their territory since 2019.

it is strongly presumed that the balloons were reconnaissance balloons flown by china. the ministry of defence of japan is taking all precautions to monitor the situation on a daily basis. japan says it's prepared to shoot down chinese balloons in the future. for protecting lives and property of people in the territory of japan, it is possible to respond to the situation with the use of a weapon. the ai software also found evidence of another balloon off the coast of taiwan. the taiwanese government says it believed this was a weather balloon. but corey says that's unlikely. so i suspect, just based on the diameter of the balloon and the fact that the operating altitudes look similar, that looks an awful lot like the balloon that flew over the united states, overjapan. the chinese embassy say they respect all countries sovereignty and territorial integrity. but former us intelligence officials say they believe china may be using balloons

to intercept communications. if you're trying to pick up cell phone transmissions or understand communication patterns, then i could theoretically see where the balloon could be a useful platform for that. countries spy on each other all the time. but the very public nature of china's balloon flights has drawn new attention on the potential scale and ambition of china's surveillance programme. gordon corera, bbc news. and viewers here in the uk can watch the full panorama report — is china watching you? — on bbc iplayer now and on bbc one at 8pm tonight. some breaking news that the president of russia, president putin, is due to make an important statement later tonight. that is something that has come from tasks, and the kremlin describes it as an

important statement do to be made by president putin tonight and we would bring you that as soon as we get it. around the world and across the uk. this is bbc news. bbc news bringing you different stories from across the uk. shackle community centre has received funding from wigan council, yet one of the councillors who represents this area owes the authority money. he's fallen behind with council tax payments. the decisions were made like many residents within the area. do i pay my council tax or do i put food on the table or do i warm the home? the financial pressures felt by gyms are mirrored right across the region. dee is being supported by the charity moon and venus in bootle. they've set up this pop up shop in the strand shopping centre for six weeks. where we would give out cheap filling, nutritious foods such as bags of pasta and tomato sauce or potatoes. people are giving us

those back and saying, have you got something cheaper for me to cook? people receiving emergency food parcels are in desperate situations. for more stories from across the uk, head to the bbc news website. you're live with bbc news she has the an sentiment i were among the five men who were aboard the titan. kris and i would has been speaking to a correspondent nomia iqbal. the sentence, "we lost comm." i think that would be a sentence i will never want to hear in my life again. like, lost comm, as in, we lost communication. were you aboard the vessel, were you here?

yes, i was aboard the vessel, i was on the ship. i think i lost i hope when we passed the 96—hours mark. that's when i lost hope. and that's when i sent a message to my family onshore. isaid, "i'm preparing for the worst." that's when i lost hope. but my daughter, for example, she didn't lose hope until... until the call with the coastguard, when they basically informed us that they'd found debris. tell me just some memories that you have of your boy. so, he would not go anywhere without his rubik's cube. so, he used to teach himself through youtube how to solve the rubik's cube and he was really fast at it. i think his best was 12 seconds or something like that. what were your last moments or words that you shared with your husband and son,

do you remember that? well, wejust hugged and joked, actually. because shahzada was so excited to go down. he was like a little child. was it a lifelong dream of his? yes, absolutely. he had this ability of childlike excitement. they both were so excited. and how did mum feel about it, were you excited, as well? i was really happy for them because both of them really, really wanted to do that for a very long time. it was supposed to be shahzada and i going down. i stepped back and gave the space to suleman because he wanted to go. this seems like a difficult question to ask about how do you begin to get closure? if that's even possible. is there such a thing? i don't know. ithink...

he started so many amazing projects, he was involved in so many... he helped so many people and i think we really want to continue that legacy. is there anything you want to add, christine? that i miss them. that i really, really miss them. yeah. christine and i would speak into our correspondent nomia iqbal there. meanwhile, the greek authorities are facing new allegations about failing to help people

on board a migrant boat which sank earlier this month. there were 104 survivors, but it's thought hundreds of people lost their lives. the bbc has now heard evidence from several survivors who accuse the greek coastguard of sailing away from the boat, when it was clearly in serious difficulty. the heavily overcrowded vessel, which had set out from libya, went down around 50 miles south—west of the coastal town of pee—loss pylos>. of pylos. 0ur correspondent khalid karamat from the bbc�*s urdu service has the story. this boat left libya with around 700 people on board. more than half were pakistanis. this is haseeb rahman before he made this perilous trip. just one of the 12 pakistani men who survived. in athens, i spoke to him via video call from a greek detention centre. he told me he was thrown into the water and clambered back onto the sinking vessel. translation: i was in the water for an hour. l i swam to the ship as it was far away. they had to put a speedboat and were rescuing, but had gone far away. i tracked down another survivor, mohamed hamza. his testimony contradicts the greek authorities account that the migrants refused assistance.

he said the boat's engine had failed. it hadn't moved for hours before it sank, and their cries for help were ignored. translation: the ship that came at night. - we were telling them we don't want food or water. just rescue us. we were screaming, "help, help". this neighbourhood has a large, thriving migrant community, including a large pakistani diaspora. the street could easily be confused for one in pakistan. and it is here that pakistanis from all over europe are coming, looking for information, any clue, anything that can help them find their loved ones. zubair butt is looking for a teenager sayeed ali nadeem. he told me of huge sums his family had paid to send nadeem to europe. the agent has taken 2.5 million rupees and isn't answering calls now. the mother is really worried and so is the father. the boy is only 15 years.

for families searching for the missing relatives, there is little hope left. meanwhile, the greek authorities have rejected claims they didn't act quickly enough to the unfolding tragedy, insisting those on board told coast guards they wanted to be left alone so they could travel to italy. but the survivors testimonies continue to cast doubt on that version of events. khalid karamat, bbc news, athens. you're watching bbc news. it was the uk's most notorious racist murder and it prompted a storm of protest about policing up and down the country. now, a new suspect in the killing of stephen lawrence has been identified in a bbc investigation. he is matthew white, who died two years ago. he has never been publicly named before — and the bbc has found that the metropolitan police seriously mishandled key evidence related to him. stephen was 18 when he was murdered

in a racist attack by a gang of young white men in south london in 1993. two of the original five prime suspects were jailed for the murder in 2012. the other three have not been convicted of the crime. our correspondent daniel de simone reports. it's the most notorious racist murder in british history. 30 years on, we reveal disastrous police failures and identify a key suspect for the first time. stephen lawrence was murdered by a gang of young, white men in eltham, south london, in april 1993. the met police did not catch the killers.

i knocked on his door and said i have to talk to you about the stephen lawrence murder. . the stepfather said whitehead admitted to being present at the attack. it wasn'tjust him, and another witness had given a statement to the met years before in 2000, seen white

told him he was part of the attack. i've got surveillance photos from 1993 that show white looks like the unidentified leader attacking described by stevens friend and eyewitnesses. white died in this bedsit in 2021, a year after the mets stopped investigating stevens murder. scotland yard told us matthew white was arrested and interviewed in 2000 and in 2013. and that prosecutors twice said there wasn't enough evidence to charge. the evidence related to matthew white implicates the three and pipe suspects who remain free. deputy assistant commissioner matt ward

told us, stop after so many police fittings, will there ever be a full justice for stephen lawrence? hundreds of thousands of muslim pilgrims walked or rode buses today to mina a tented city near mecca for the next stage of the annual hajj that saudi officials have said could break attendance records. it's being held without covid restrictions for the first time since 2019. a record—breaking attendance is possible, with up to 2.5 million people from 160 countries likely to take part. here are some images from earlier today at the heart of mecca's great mosque. all muslims are expected to undertake the hajj at least once in their lives. before we go — i want to show you some stunning drone footage off the coast of australia — showing a humpback whale following an unsuspecting kayaker. take a listen.

mate, do you know there's a whale, just following you out front on the beach, really close? i don't think he knows. the man you could hear there was drone pilot jason iggleden who was clearly enjoying the spectacle. the kayaker was paddling around near bondi beach in sydney, seemingly unaware of his curious companion the entire time. whale sightings are not uncommon in this part of the world — a record 5,092 whales were spotted from various points along the new south wales coast on sunday, as part of an annual census conducted during the migration season. australia enforces strict rules on how close someone can get to a whale in a boat, but luckily for this person, they don't apply when the mammal chooses to approach a vessel, or when someone is in a kayak. amazing view but also probably quite terrifying. here's the weather. hello.

after all of the heat and the humidity of the weekend, a fresher story to take us through the week ahead. many areas did see some heavy thunderstorms overnight sunday, but to the south of the uk many spots are still staying stubbornly dry. the cracked ground here in hampshire. in terms of any meaningful rain for southernmost counties of england, perhaps later on this week there is something to come. i'll show you that in a moment. here we are, though, this monday with high pressure to the south of the uk, low pressure pulling away to the northeast. a few showers to come through the remainder of the day across the northern half of the uk. most of them fading out, though, once the sun begins to set. central and eastern areas staying clear overnight. towards the west, a bit more cloud arriving, the breeze lifting a little. a cooler night than last night. in many spots last night temperatures didn't get out of the mid—teens. they will be lower tonight, perhaps as low as six degrees somewhere in eastern scotland. and then through tuesday, an area of low pressure tries to approach from the atlantic, feeding in a lot of high cloud, turning sunshine hazy. some rain into northern england, northern ireland and scotland as we go into the afternoon.

to the south, bright skies and highs of 21, 22 degrees, 16 or 17 for northern scotland. and then overnight and into wednesday, we really start to pull in some humidity from the south. quite a muggy start to wednesday, a warmer night again — tuesday night. and then for wednesday, daytime, quite a lot of cloud around, some heavier and more persistent rain getting into scotland, northern england, and then some showers potentially running across eastern england that could at times be heavy and thunder. and you can see the temperatures here have come back up again up into the mid twenties, 25 degrees, 17, 18 across most of scotland and northern ireland. and then it's what this trailing weather front does on thursday that is the biggest question, possibly, in ourforecast for the week ahead. will it stick around close to the southeast of the uk, bringing some much needed rain here, or will it whisk away a little faster? current thinking has it perhaps bringing a decent amount of rain to the south east of england on thursday, 10—15 millimetres for some areas.

but as we look at our forecast day on day, that is just changing a little. so we will firm that up close to the time for you. but as you can see, towards the end of the week, we move back to that fresher feeling air.

hello, i'm lewis vaughanjones. you're watching the context on bbc news. this is yevgeny prighozhin's attempt to answer, he says, a lot of questions he has been getting, but it leaves a lot of questions unanswered, because we still do not know where he is.— know where he is. what has to be remembered _ know where he is. what has to be remembered is _ know where he is. what has to be remembered is that _ know where he is. what has to be remembered is that problems - know where he is. what has to be remembered is that problems in l remembered is that problems in russia _ remembered is that problems in russia do— remembered is that problems in

russia do not translate automatically or