more than 160,000 tv and movie actors are now joining the picket lines after talks between the union representing the actors and hollywood studios and producers failed to reach an agreement last night. the actors willjoin more than 11,000 writers already on strike since may — marking it the first dual hollywood strike since 1960, when ronald reagan was the president of the screen actors guild. today's announcement is already having an impact over in the uk, where the cast of the film 0ppenheimer walked out of its london premiere thursday night in solidarity with the strike. according to the union's rules, besides being banned from on and off camera work, actors are not permitted to promote their shows or movies, not allowed to do interviews or be photographed on the red carpet and they're not allowed to participate in emmy awards campaigns. the strike is expected to have ripple effects throughout hollywood. 0ur sophie long spoke with the president of the actor's union fran drescher and national executive director and chief negotiator duncan cra btree—ireland earlier today.

why have you decided to call the strike? because we were stonewalled and we had in earnest extended 12 days, which is unprecedented, because we know the gravity of what a strike is and its impact on not only our members but everybody impacted by a strike outside of our membership. we had hoped in that extension, there would be deep inroads accomplished but there was not. we continued to be cut out of the conversation. they went behind closed doors. they cancelled meetings with us. a lot of time was wasted and, frankly, i think we were duped so they could keep promoting their summer movies a little bit longer. the strike is now on. what would it take for you to call it off? it would take the companies coming forward and making a fair deal.

they know exactly what is needed, they have it in hand, they can sign on the dotted line today. the key to this strike was always in the hands of these companies but the fact is they are unwilling to make the deal that would treat our members fairly. that is how we got to this point. i spoke to la correspondent peter bowes. what is standing in the way of an agreement? i think, and just listening to fran drescher there, there's a huge gulf between what the unions want and what the employers are prepared to give. 0n the issue of residuals, the repeat fees that actors have traditionally received, say in television, when a show is repeated years after it's made, an actor receives some income from that. the whole ecosystem of streaming television is very different. there's fewer shows in a season, longer periods of time when actors are out of work. what they want to see is an entirely new framework

that rewards them adequately for their performances, but also tides them over during those quiet times. clearly, they're not close to that kind of agreement. the other big issue is artificial intelligence. and while an offer has been made on artificial intelligence, and guarantees about not using an actor's likeness digitally without their permission, clearly they�* re not close enough together, there's concern about background actors. these are people you see behind the scenes, if you like, in a scene, in a film, in a television show, people walking by, not speaking, they�* re background actors. and there's a big disagreement on how those people should be protected from digital technology. so, peter, what impact is this all going to have on the entertainment industry? it's going to be huge. not only on the entertainment industry but the los angeles economy more generally. if you think about it, there's so many different industries involved in television and film production. there's the costumers,

the caterers, the film editors, sound people. all of these people are out of work because the actors are not working and the writers are not working as well, to the tune of tens of millions of dollars every week. it's a wide community, especially those individual actors, especially at the lower end of the pay grade, who would suffer real hardship because of this dispute. we mentioned that writers have been on strike since may. we spoke to howard rodman, former president of the writers guild of america and novelist and screenwriter. thank you forjoining us. are you surprised to see actors walking out and joining the writers on the picket lines? i'm not surprised the actors arejoining us. i'm delighted. the reasons the actors are joining us are the same

reasons we went out, that the companies are not prepared to pay adequately to our members who create the product that enables them to amass this great wealth. anything near adequately for our work. so, the — the ascension of streaming services that really kind of broken the system in terms of shorting seasons, lack of residuals, in all kinds of ways. we're saying you got to fix it. they're saying "we're kind of sorta happy with the way it is." howard, just to jump in there, sag-aftra told the bbc they want to see a fair deal before they would end the strike. from your perspective, what would a fair deal look like? i think a fair deal in a practical sense enables writers to lead a middle class existence, something that was possible

for successful screen and television writers for decades and decades and decades, and now no longer is. for actors it's the same thing. and we also think a fair deal also should contain adequate recompense for insuccess, if we do a show that creates wild value for them, some of the should go to the people who created it. there's a kind of philosophical difference here, we believe that what we create is of value, they see what we create as a cost. i think that's the main dividing line between the way the two parties see it right now. i want to ask but the they here. disney ceo bob iger spoke to cnbc. he said the studios were able to reach a fair deal with directors, they hope to do the same with actors and writers. he added the following. he said, "there's a level of expectation they have that's just not realistic, and they're adding to the set of the challenges

this business is already facing, that's quite frankly very disruptive." what do you think about that? if the businesses are facing so many challenges, why are people like bob iger and ted and reid hastings making $30—, $40: $50 million a year? it feels like they're being rewarded for success. if those businesses are successful, why are they trying to put downward pressure on our ability to earn a living? if we're going to see actors and writers on the picket and howard, final question — we heard also that ai is a big sticking point here. what's your biggest concern about how ai may be used in this industry? there are many fears about al. certainly for, as you heard, for the people who are background, the current proposal they have made is they can hire you for one day, capture your face, and they own that likeness forever and ever

and ever and ever. you could be paid for one day's work and appear in 30 tv series and 100 movies. that's wrong. for writers it's a whole other thing. i don't want a motion picture executive sitting at their keyboard and going, chatgpt, "write me something like mission impossible." and chatgpt spews forth something like mission impossible. and then someone like me is hired to rewrite it. no. human beings are what create value. human beings are what create copyrightable work. we don't want to be replaced by machines. it's very simple. as i said, actors arejoining the picket lines on friday. howard rodman, thank you so much for joining us. appreciate you having me on. a senior russian military officer says he's been dismissed from his command in southern ukraine for allegedly speaking the truth about the dire situation on the front line.

in a message to his troops — shared via a russian mp critical of the military — major general ivan popov said he had highlighted problems of fatigue and casualties as well as a lack of artillery support and accused more senior officers of treachery. 0ur russia editor, steve rosenberg, reports from moscow. three weeks after the mutiny by wagner mercenaries. 0ne three weeks after the mutiny by wagner mercenaries. one more sign of disunity within the russian ranks. translation:: good evening, my beloved gladiators. a russian commander says to his men in a voice message. major general ivan popov, commanded the 58th combined arms army in russian occupied southern ukraine, but he has been dismissed. senior military officials sensed some kind of danger from military officials sensed some kind of dangerfrom me, he claims. they conconducted an orderfrom claims. they conconducted an order from the defence minister injust a day, and got rid of

me. our injust a day, and got rid of me. 0ursenior commander injust a day, and got rid of me. our senior commander hit us from the rear, treacherously, and despicably, beheading the army. major general popov said he talked firmly with the military leadership about problems on the front—line, including supply, strategy, and what he called the mass deaths and injuries of russian soldiers from enemy artillery. there's nothing to suggest this is the start of another insurrection. but it shows that disagreements persist within the russian military. and within the political elite here, on how the war in ukraine is being fought. in other news: the world health organization has classified the widely used artificial sweetener aspartame as possibly carcinogenic to humans. it said the decision followed limited evidence that it may increase the risk of liver cancer. however it said aspartame posed little risk, so the current safe daily limits remain unchanged. famous brands containing the sweetener include diet coke, pepsi max and 7

up free, but it can be found in thousands of products ranging from toothpaste and chewing gums to yoghurts. thejury in the pittsburgh synagogue shooting trial has decided that the shooter is eligible for the death penalty after two hours of deliberation over two days. the trial will now move onto the sentencing phase, which involves victim impact statements. the shooter killed 11 worshippers in october 2018 — the deadliest anti—semitic attack in us history. a new report released today by unaids shows that the world is on track to end aids by 2030. investments — particularly in eastern and southern africa — have led to a reduction in new hiv infections and increased access to treatments. globally, the number of people on anti—retro—viral treatment has risen almost fourfold since 2010. but millions of people are still missing out on treatment. the japanese government's plan to release treated radioactive water from the fukushima nuclear plant into the pacific ocean could begin any day now. the planned release was backed

by the un's nuclear watchdog last week but has sparked concern and anger in both the country and region. 0ur tokyo correspondent shaimaa khalil has been given access to the daichii nuclear plant and sent in this report. a triple disaster that crippled the country and shocked the world. japan's most powerful earthquake triggered a tsunami that swept through the east coast, killing more than 18,000 people. and causing this — a nuclear meltdown. this is the fukushima daiichi nuclear power plant now, surrounded by tanks filled with radioactive waste water. this is what more than a million tonnes of water looks like. think 500 0lympic sized pools and that's what you get in over 1,000 tanks. this is water that's been used to cool the destroyed reactors from the fukushima nuclear meltdown in 2011. the water is treated and then stored here, but now these tanks

are running out of space. japan has just been given the go ahead to release the treated contaminated water into the sea. but it's causing a huge amount of anger and anxiety, notjust here, but around the region. tepco, the company running the plant, says the water will be treated, diluted and tested for safety before it's discharged. here at the advanced liquid processing system, all radioactive compounds will be removed except one tritium, so the water won't be completely radiation free. tritium, tepco says, will be well below international safety standards of concentration. as part of the testing process, this fish is swimming in water at the same radiation level as that which will be released. translation: i am a radiation expert, so i know that tritium has very little effect on the human body and living organisms. we are all concerned about the same thing, radiation. and that is why we are so anxious. i hope that these data and images will help to

reassure people a little. but fukushima fishermen are not reassured. they're furious. for years, they've struggled to fight the stigma and convince people to buy their fish. now they say the reputational damage from the water release plan will be another huge blow. fishing has been in toru takahashi's family for generations. his son and his grandson now run his boat. he worries about the uncertainty discharging the waste water would bring long. pop of translation: before we were able to fish i across four other prefectures. now we're not allowed to do that. they just don't want to be associated with us. the prices were recovering little by little, but now they could drop drastically. i've had so many conversations with the japanese government and tepco. nobody wants to release this dangerous water. if it's so safe, i told them,

just take it to tokyo. the government may have all the technical approvals it needs, but it doesn't have the support of those who'll be most affected by this plan. the people of fukushima will once again have to navigate their way through its troubled waters. shaimaa khalil, bbc news, fukushima. around the world and across the uk, this is bbc news. bringing you different stories from across the uk. i've suffered from mental health issues, alcohol addiction, i was homeless for a while. it's been a struggle for me. debbiejames has lived in poverty for most of her adult life. she says she's often been treated as subhuman, ignored and stigmatised. we are all worthy of dignity and respect. everybody�*s got their own story, and everybody�*s got a right to have their story heard. the wealth divide in the bournemouth, christchurch and poole area is stark.

multimillion—pound houses in sandbanks stand only a few miles away from some of the most deprived parts the country. those behind this project are encouraged by the momentum that's begun. we won't eradicate poverty, but if each of the people in our audience follow through, you know, at different levels you make the change. for more stories from across the uk, head to the bbc news website. you're live with bbc news. there have been two major developments in women's reproductive rights here in the us. we'll start with the us food and drug administration that approved the first over—the—counter birth control pill. the daily contraceptive, opill, could become available without prescription as early as next year. almost three dozen medical organisations signed a statement supporting over—the—counter contraception without age restrictions. meanwhile the republican—led house of representatives voted to limit abortion access in the military. a group of far—right lawmakers tied the measure to a defence policy bill,

as part of a broader push to play into culture—war issues. the outlook for the bill itself remains in doubt. my colleague helena humphrey spoke earlier with representative kathy manning of north carolina for her perspective. congresswoman, thank you very much forjoining us here on bbc news. i want to start with the news today from the fda, the news that it's approved the first over—the—counter birth control for women in the united states. how do you think that will affect women in this country? this is an enormously beneficial development, particularly for women who don't have the financial ability to see a doctor on a regular basis, to get their birth control. it is also particularly important, in light of the supreme court decision that decimated the roe versus wade standard for abortion that had been in place for 50 years. so the ability to access birth control is even more important today than it was a

year and a half ago. according to a kaiser poll, at least 70% of women, according to a kaiser poll, at least 77% of women and over actually support this move. but at least one supreme court justice, clarence thomas, has argued that the court should reconsider past rulings codifying the right to contraception access. could this be a new battle ground, do you think? well, we thought that was going to be a new battle ground when the dobbs decision was released, and we read clarence thomas�*s concurring opinion where he stated quite clearly that he intended to go after griswold versus connecticut. that was the case in 1965 that first recognise that a woman had the right to use contraception. the fact that clarence thomas wants to go after that decision and upend a woman's access to birth control was extremely concerning to us and that's why i introduced my right to contraception act last year. that act would guarantee a woman's right to use the full range of fda approved birth

control, and it also created the right of medical professionals to prescribe or provide the full range of fda approved birth control. that bill passed the house on a bipartisan basis last year, although 195 republican members of the house voted against that bill, including all the north carolina house members from north carolina, my home state. so that bill did not pass the senate. we've reintroduced it this year. do you anticipate any further resistance? we are going to continue to push forward that bill. it's going to be tough to get it passed in the house with the current house majority. we are hoping to get it through the senate, but this fta development is a huge benefit to women who want to access birth control, particularly the birth control pill. and what do you think, congresswoman, about abortion being used as an issue in

the annual defence policy bill? i think it is outrageous that republicans are taking a bill that is so critically important to our national defence, to our service members, and trying to use this as a culture war vehicle. we should be passing the ndaa without any of these culture war issues. let's leave that aside and let's do what we need to do to keep our country safe. us officials are downplaying recent comments critical of the israeli government, ahead of next week's visit by israel's president isaac herzog. tensions have risen between the two countries with president biden saying in a recent cnn interview that some members of the israeli government are "some of the most extreme" he has ever seen. on wednesday, a us state department spokesman refuted a new york times opinion column titled, the us re—assessment of netanyahu's government has begun. our middle east correspondent tom bateman has more. well, this isjust a newspaper

column in the new york times by tom friedman but it's had a lot of coverage in the israeli media over the last 2a hours, and i think that's because it adds to the sense of noise, the sense of tension between the current american administration and the current israeli government. there have been a series of statements now over the last week from various senior american officials, voicing displeasure about what is going on in israel — so, for example, the outgoing us ambassador to israel tom nides saying that it's the job of the americans to stop israel going off the rails, he said. then, we have the white house's national security council calling for the right for peaceful assembly for israelis amid massive internal dissent, civil disruption and protest on tuesday against the israeli government's planned judicial reforms, which opponents see as stripping the checks and balances — democratic checks and balances —

of the courts, stripping its powers here in israel. and then, crucially, joe biden in an interview with cnn this week, saying that this is one of the most extreme israeli governments he's known and saying that those extremist cabinet members — these are people who are massively aggressively pro—settler, staunch ultranationalists, anti—palestinian, one who's got a conviction for racist incitement, for example, against palestinians — mr biden saying that these people, who he said want to settle anywhere in the west bank, he described them as part of the problem when it comes to spiralling violence in the territory at the moment. president biden just returned to the white house after his europe trip. it culminated on thursday with a message to russia president vladimir putin: "you've lost". speaking after a summit with nordic leaders in finland, biden downplayed the chances of there being a lengthy stalemate, adding he believed putin would eventually decide it wasn't in russia's interest to continue fighting. our north america correspondent nomia iqbal has

more on biden�*s message this was a very critical trip for president biden. he wanted to show that the us is committed to supporting ukraine but there is some lingering doubts in europe about the extent of that commitment or any pledges made by the us because, of course, there is a presidential election next year and mr biden�*s closest rivals for now is his predecessor donald trump and donald trump could get back into the white house and we know that he was very sceptical, certainly about the nato alliance, but earlier we spoke to the pentagon press secretary pat ryder and he made the point of saying that this isn't just about america, the us is working very closely with 50 other nations to give support to ukraine so i think they are trying to emphasise that this is again more president biden always emphasising this is a global alliance. the other extraordinary thing about the trip was if you think

back to five years ago, mr biden�*s predecessor donald trump was in the same site, in helsinki, effectively on the doorstep of russia but he was so different, he was standing with the russian president putin and he made the same stunning rebuke of us intelligence when it came to allegations of election interference in 2016. and that moved shot notjust people in washington but allies around the world. in people in washington but allies around the world.— around the world. in contrast mr biden _ around the world. in contrast mr biden presented - around the world. in contrast mr biden presented a - around the world. in contrast mr biden presented a very i mr biden presented a very different tone and use the opportunity to show the nato alliance is strong with the ascension of countries like finland and sweden so perhaps this is a way of showing mr biden is trying to do some repair work and restore the image of america in the eyes of the world. the first film in ten years by the celebrated japanese animator hayao miyazaki is being released today. how do you live? — a feature length animation — is opening in cinemas across japan,

ending a decade—long wait by fans of the veteran film—maker, who's now 82. the project's been in the making for seven years, though the director's ghibli studio has been deliberately silent about it. there has been no trailer, no stills, and no word on plot, save an enigmatic poster with a drawing of a bird. miyazaki has made some of world's most popular animated films including howl's moving castle, my neighbour totoro, and the oscar—winning, spirited away. he says how do you live? will be his last. hello, there. there's still no end in sight to the unsettled run of weather that we're in the middle of at the moment. we had a day of sunshine and showers on thursday but we've got something wetter and windier moving in for friday. it's this area of cloud, an area of low pressure that will continue to develop, continue to strengthen through friday and saturday, and will ultimately bring some strong winds across many areas, with gales for some. those winds strong

enough to bring some localised disruption. now, the rain from that system has already started to arrive across the south—west of the uk. there's been a bit of damp weather, as well, for northern ireland and western scotland, so you might see a little bit of light rain here for the next few hours. mild start to the day, friday — 1a, 15 degrees celsius — but it will be blustery, as well, with some of the strongest winds through the day across wales and south west england, where gusts into the 50s of miles an hour could be strong enough to bring down some tree branches, maybe one or two weak trees, and certainly there'll be large battering, dangerous waves hitting the coastline. through the rest of the day, that area of rain extends across the whole of wales, the whole of england, reaching southern scotland and right across northern ireland, where the rain looks particularly heavy through the course of the afternoon. northern scotland, a lot of cloud, a cool wind here, but at least the weather, for a time, will be a little bit drier, at least. temperatures across the board below average forjuly. now, on into the weekend, the same area of low pressure smack bang over the top of the uk. this time, though, the strongest winds will be working a little bit further eastwards, so we'll see those potentially disruptive gusts of wind reaching parts

of eastern england as well. again, the winds strong enough to bring down a few tree branches. rather than the persistent outbreaks of rain that we have on friday — saturday, it's a slightly less grim day. not greatest of weather, really — it's a day of sunshine and showers. the showers really widespread, some of them heavy and thundery. i suppose one of the benefits of those strong winds is any individual shower won't stay overhead for very long, before it gets blown across the sky, but i think it is a day where many areas will see several showers during the day. on into sunday's forecast, again, it's another showery one, perhaps some longer spells of rain across northern scotland. still blustery, but those winds are starting to calm down a little bit. temperatures still below average for the time of year. any better next week, weather—wise? well, not really. it stays unsettled, and that means we are going to see further showers. of course, it won't be raining all the time — there will be some warm spells of sunshine between the showers but it'll still be quite wet for the time of year.

of 17—year—old nahel marzouk in this is bbc news. we'll have the headlines at the top of the hour, straight after this programme. welcome to hardtalk with me, zeinab badawi. france has been embarking on a bout of soul—searching

after the shooting dead