war, the fighting in the korean war, we speak to a south korean veteran who was held captive in the north. # nothing compares, nothing compares to you. the # nothing compares, nothing compares to you.— compares to you. the irish sinner compares to you. the irish singer and _ compares to you. the irish singer and activist - compares to you. the irish singer and activist sinead l singer and activist sinead o'connor dies at the age of 56. president biden�*s son hunter unexpectedly please dann pleads not guilty to two charges of tax offences. live from our studio in singapore, this is bbc news. eight�*s newsday. hello, there. thank you for being with us. we begin with korea, and today marks the 70th anniversary of an agreement

that throws one of the 20th century's most brutal conflicts. although the armistice has largely held, it has never been replaced by a peace treaty, which means south korea and north korea are still technically at war. to take part in the celebrations, officials from moscow and beijing are visiting the north, becoming the first known foreign visitors to the reclusive state since the pandemic border closure. meanwhile, tens of thousands of south korean prisoners of war have been held captive in the north since the early 50s. a tiny number have managed to escape, but most are thought to have perished as our solar correspondentjean mackenzie correspondent jean mackenzie reports. newsreader: news that communist troops have invaded southern korea. for three years fighting engulfed the korean peninsula. in the 70 years since, peace has eluded it. newsreader: a set of documents is signed by general harrison. - the delicate armistice signed

in 1953 has never been replaced by a peace treaty, and tens of thousands of captured south korean soldiers have never been returned. ide bong is one of the very few who managed to plot his own escape. he lost his fingers, not to war, but to the 5a years he was forced to work in a north korean coal mine. translation: we gave our entire youth to that coal mine. _ we had no rights. you must have missed home terribly. who wouldn't? i was all alone and scared. i could face a meaningless death at any moment. at what point did you give up hope that anybody was going to come for you? north korea was saying it didn't have any prisoners of war, and so nobody wanted to question it.

it seemed as if the south korean government didn't want to make any efforts to retrieve us. south and north korea are marking 70 years since the armistice. but for the prisoners of war, the battle is not over. they were branded outcasts in north korea, left to perish in the mines. few, if any, are still alive. but their children remain. this woman spent her childhood being beaten at school, punished by association. she was six when her father was killed in a gas explosion at a north korean mine. only after his death did she find out he'd been a south korean soldier. translation: in thatj moment, i hated him. i blamed him so much for making us all suffer.

she too, decided to escape north korea and the misery of being an outcast. how do you feel about him now? now i respect him and try so hard to remember him. i feel different to other north korean defectors because i'm the proud daughter of a south korean war veteran. by the time lee arrived home, already an old man, his parents had passed away, believing their son had been killed in action. the absence of peace between the north and south have left lee and the families of these soldiers struggling to find peace of their own. jean mackenzie, bbc news, seoul. thank you forjoining us on newsday. firstly, iwant thank you forjoining us on newsday. firstly, i want to ask you about russia and china sending their officials to

pyongyang today. it is obviously a very big occasion for them. yes, absolutely. we feel pretty much somewhat frightened and saddened by this specific, again, event, because here in south korea of course, we commemorate this specific day, july 27, as the anniversary of the signing of the armistice agreement. however, on the other end, north korea, they celebrate this as a victory day of the korean war, unless you specifically they are again the russian military delegation and the high officials as well to celebrate it together, so almost like a more strengthened, cooperative framework among those three, again, the north, russia, china is of course threatening the peace of the peninsula and the

stability of the region too. of course they are going to probably blame asked first again, that we are also trying to strengthen our deterrence capability, together with of course the united states, our ally, and even with japan or even with the european countries, as well, so i don't personally agree with the term, but we definitely do seem more intensified tensions in the region, which is again saddening.— region, which is again saddening. region, which is again saddeninu. , saddening. yes, indeed, new mentioned — saddening. yes, indeed, new mentioned tensions. - saddening. yes, indeed, new mentioned tensions. north . saddening. yes, indeed, new. mentioned tensions. north korea has been testing many missiles recently, haven't they? and while it has been a while since their last nuclear test, its military capabilities are definitely expanding, so how concerned are ordinary south koreans?— koreans? absolutely we are concerned. _ koreans? absolutely we are concerned. again, - koreans? absolutely we are concerned. again, we - koreans? absolutely we are concerned. again, we of- koreans? absolutely we are . concerned. again, we of course do have a kind of security dilemma situations. again, even

in this country we have of course many different voices, and more like critical voices, critics meaning they are much more critical about the current government's approach, again, to strengthen our deterrence capability. those critics will say we should not aggravate the north or china or even russia unnecessarily. however, as you just mentioned, again, they missile capability especially has been just increasingly more and more powerful, and their provocations by them hasjust been outrageous. today isjoe lycett 27th, but until today, only in this year from january, we did have more than 20 times of missile tests by them, and they are trying to have surveillance satellites too, so having all those much more advanced capabilities, again, most of us, the majority of us

again, even though we do have critical voices, again, even though we do have criticalvoices, but again, even though we do have critical voices, but the majority of us are very much concerned, and the majority of us again do think the deterrence capability is necessary. i deterrence capability is necessary-— deterrence capability is necessary. deterrence capability is necessa . ., ., necessary. i want to ask you about unification, _ necessary. i want to ask you about unification, because l necessary. i want to ask you l about unification, because you are representing the ministry of unification, and i remember backin of unification, and i remember back in 2018, during the multiple trump— kim summits, something like 70% of the south korean public were eager to reunite the two countries. it seems like that has started to change since the us and pyongyang's talks have stalled, but also that reunification would come at a huge economic cost. so what do people think about reuniting the two? yeah, which is again _ about reuniting the two? yeah, which is again a _ about reuniting the two? yeah, which is again a pretty - about reuniting the two? yeah, which is again a pretty sad - which is again a pretty sad thing, but more and more south korean people are now becoming more and more pessimistic, or even negative about reunification. according to one

of the recent public data, more than 60% of the respondents who are in their 20s or 30s, they said we probably do not need to have unification. the number has been growing, and especially younger people. if you see public data among our students who are in elementary school, idyll school, high school, idyll school, high school, they are pretty much sceptical too. school, they are pretty much scepticaltoo. economy school, they are pretty much sceptical too. economy is one thing, but on the other side of this, there can be a lot of chances, if we reunify with the north, however probably, from my perspective, i would say the bigger concern of us is trust. how can we really trust this kind of regime? north korea they stole for example money from the crypto currency system and the use that money to

develop this kind of threatening weapons which again undermines all the stability of the region too, so how can we believe this kind of criminal like, and i'm sorry to use this term, howeverthey like, and i'm sorry to use this term, however they violate so many of those international rules and laws, and how can you really trust them? so that i think is more of a fundamental question these days, especially among the younger people. thank ou so among the younger people. thank you so much _ among the younger people. thank you so much for— among the younger people. thank you so much forjoining _ among the younger people. thank you so much forjoining us - among the younger people. thank you so much forjoining us on - you so much forjoining us on newsday this morning. to some developing new is now, and a group of soldiers in niger have appeared on national television to say they have carried out a coup. they said they had dissolved the constitution and closed the borders, but they did not directly refuse to the president, who has been held by troops from the presidential guard since early on wednesday.

earlier, the presidential guard fired warning shots at pro bazoum protesters, and antony blinken, the us secretary of state, currently on a visit to new zealand, called for the immediate release of president bazoum. he also said american aid to niger was linked to the nation maintaining democratic governance. to cambodia now, the prime minister has announced he will resign and hand over to his son in early august, this just three days after his party again won all seats at an uncompetitive election. he first flagged a transition of power to his son back in 2021. our southeast asian 0ur southeast asian correspondentjonathan 0ur southeast asian correspondent jonathan head 0ur southeast asian correspondentjonathan head has the details. this handover was not unexpected, it was signalled many months in advance but it is still a big moment for cambodians, most of all have never known any leader, salmond

has had thejob never known any leader, salmond has had the job for 38 years. it is happening a bit faster than many expected and we have to expect that hun sen is confident now he won't face any challenges from inside his own party and that the election conducted last week, albeit one that was essentially unopposed because the main opposition party was banned, but that went smoothly enough for him to take what is after all quite a big and risky step. he is handing over power to his 45—year—old eldest son, who is a very different personality from his father, far less abrasive and mercurial. i think the hope is that he and other younger generation people who are moving up into positions of power will present a fresher and slightly more modern face to cambodia's ruling party but they will face in very significant challenges. hun sen always based his legitimacy on bringing peace and prosperity to cambodia after the terrible years of war and revolution in the past. and that achievement is very much his. but peace came a long time ago. most

young people don't remember any times of war, and the economic growth that cambodia has experience, it has been very high, has come with very high costs. there is yawning inequality, terrible injustices, lots of land of actions, rapacious expectations of cambodia's resources and very high levels of corruption. hun manet is relatively untested, he hasn't held high political office, he became head of the army, became more visible during the election campaign, but nobody knows whether he can manage the sort of tumultuous ingredients of cambodian politics as skilfully as his father did.— as his father did. jonathan head reporting _ as his father did. jonathan head reporting there. - to the united states where president biden's son hunter has unexpectedly pleaded not guilty to two charges of tax offences. ajudge in delaware had been deciding whether to approve a deal under which hunter biden would avoid conviction on a separate charge of illegally owning a gun, on the assumption he would enter a guilty plea. but the process

ran into some hurdles. 0ur north american correspondent peter bowes spoke to me earlier, and explained what has been happening and why it is rather unusual. this is an unusual situation. everyone expected this to be a relatively straightforward court appearance, where this deal between prosecutors and the defense would be, to use the judge's own words, "rubber—stamped" in the court. and the judge said she wasn't able to do that. we expected hunter biden to, as you've just explained, to plead guilty to two tax charges that he didn't pay on time, his taxes in 2017 and 2018, but also to admit this more serious gun charge, that he was in possession of a gun while using drugs. and it seems as if it is the combination of these two charges that thejudge is questioning, that it may, she questioned whether it would give him immunity from future liability if he were to face charges

in the future, especially as they apply to taxes, if this deal gives him some sort of future immunity. she wasn't clear from the detail that she was given and she sent the two sides away. the prosecution and the defence, gave them two weeks to present her with a deal that, at least in her mind, makes sense and she is able to understand it. and only then will she make a decision as to whether she can indeed in the court, rubber—stamp this, and that would ultimately mean that hunter biden wouldn't face anyjail time. well, republicans have always alleged that he was offered a lenient plea deal because he is the president's son. while president biden says he's a private citizen and this is a personal matter. but could this become a huge headache as we, of course, head into the presidential elections? well, yeah, republicans have described this as a so—called "sweetheart deal", that he's being given preferential treatment because of who he is.

and clearly, all of this is entwined in politics, even though, as you say, the white house insists that he is indeed a private citizen. but the longer this drags on, and it was interesting, there was an acknowledgement from the prosecution in court today that investigations against hunter biden are continuing, although notably the prosecution didn't say precisely what they were investigating. but investigations are continuing. the longer this goes on, as we get closer and closer to the election next year, where hunter biden's father is trying to become the president again for a second term, joe biden, clearly this is going to potentially cause problems and to some extent could overshadow that campaign byjoe biden. it around the world and across the uk, this is bbc news.—

uk, this is bbc news. time is tickin: uk, this is bbc news. time is ticking on _ uk, this is bbc news. time is ticking on the _ uk, this is bbc news. time is ticking on the prime _ uk, this is bbc news. time is ticking on the prime ministerl ticking on the prime minister �*s pledge to halve inflation by the end of the year. when he made a promise, inflation had been at over 10% so his target is to get it down to around five. richmond in north yorkshire is an historic market town and relies on tourism. with household budget squeezed, a people cutting back on many breaks and eating out? is it breaks and eating out? is it seem to — breaks and eating out? is it seem to be? _ breaks and eating out? is it seem to be? rock - breaks and eating out? is it seem to be? rock of - breaks and eating out? is it seem to be? rock of the sea, levels, anything between 90 and 100% most nights, including weeknights. 100% most nights, including weeknights-_ 100% most nights, including weekniuhts. , , weeknights. there is good news, food rises are _ weeknights. there is good news, food rises are not _ weeknights. there is good news, food rises are not rising - weeknights. there is good news, food rises are not rising as - food rises are not rising as fast as they were stop by the average grocery shop is still costing significantly more than it did a year ago stop many are we really wondering when that pressure on household budgets will start to ease.

you are likely bbc news. the irish singer sinead o'connor best known for number one single nothing compares two u has died. she was 56. in a statement, herfamily said has died. she was 56. in a statement, her family said they are devastated. we have been looking back at her life. # since you been gone i can do whatever i want # i can see whomever i choose... sinead o'connor, nothing compares 2 u. # i could eat my dinner in a fancy restaurant... quite why a song becomes such a huge global hit is often a bit of a mystery. but one thing is for certain. the emotion, the heartbreak. # nothing compares 2 u...

there was nothing fake here. herfirst hit, mandinka marked her out as a performer with an edge. when a record executive had started talking about her hair, she shaved it off. she was wary, angry. she had a troubled upbringing and spent part of it in care. butjoining a band revealed her gift. # chiquitita, tell me what's wrong... she had the voice and charisma to be a chart—friendly pop star. used to worship god as a mother. now look at what we're doing each other. but saw herself as a protest singer. in an era before the truth about the abuse of children within the catholic church had been widely accepted, her views marked her

out as a troublemaker. # i have sinned a lot... but she had a global platform to speak her mind and she was always going to go too far. that moment came when she ripped up a photograph of the pope on american tv. a few years later she declared that she was mother bernadette, ordained by a breakaway catholic sect. after that she announced she had converted to islam. her life was turbulent but she was more than open about her struggles, her mental health. it's been an eventful life for you, sinead. well, as my friend said to me the other day, "you're not boring"! i sometimes get upset because you get a lot of, you're a terrible person this and that. my mates would say, "you're just not boring". # i thought that living

with you was sometimes hard... she continued to perform but losing custody of her son, shane, left bereft and then, aged 17, he was found dead. # nothing compares... sinead o'connor. those were real tears. i want to tell you about the actor kevin spacey who of course is one of the most successful stars of stage and screen of his generation. he's been cleared of all charges of sexual offences against him in the uk. the allegations were made by four men uncovered more than a decade up to 2013 while he was the artistic director at the old vic theatre in london.

he broke down in tears when he heard the verdict and said he was humbled by the verdict. competition is heating up at the 2023 women's world cup. 0n the 2023 women's world cup. on wednesday, ireland became the first team knocked out of the tournament with a 2—1 loss to canada. the group stage continues on thursday. it will see the us against the netherlands, portugal take on vietnam and host australia will meet nigeria. live now to sydney and let's bring in katie silver. i understand you've found some american fans because we will see a rematch of the last world cup final, usa versus netherlands. that's right. to call them usa fans, tbc on that. we arrived in the fans own which opened 15 minutes ago and the game will

kickoff in about a0 minutes and as you say, it's a rematch of that historic game at the end of last world cup. the netherlands of lost to the us last two times they played since then so the us is slightly in the favourite but let me just bring slightly in the favourite but let mejust bring in slightly in the favourite but let me just bring in america and arnold, two americans from california but in netherlands outfits. ~ california but in netherlands outfits. , california but in netherlands outfits. ., california but in netherlands outfits. ~ , ., ., ., california but in netherlands outfits. ., ., outfits. why? so my oma and opa were both raised _ outfits. why? so my oma and opa were both raised in _ outfits. why? so my oma and opa were both raised in holland, - outfits. why? so my oma and opa were both raised in holland, my l were both raised in holland, my opa is completely dutch, we have dutch heritage so we came to represent both.— to represent both. your parents. _ to represent both. your parents, your _ to represent both. your parents, your dad - to represent both. your parents, your dad is - to represent both. your- parents, your dad is dutch, your mum dutch indonesian and your mum dutch indonesian and you had a lovely experience of the dutch team in new zealand? we did. we actually got to, after— we did. we actually got to, after watching the usa play in auckland, going to dunedin to watch — auckland, going to dunedin to watch the dutch play. we checked into the hotel and it is where _ checked into the hotel and it is where the dutch team were staying — is where the dutch team were staying stop my daughter he got to be _ staying stop my daughter he got to be able to take a team

picture _ to be able to take a team picture with the dutch girls and — picture with the dutch girls and for— picture with the dutch girls and for a father, it couldn't have — and for a father, it couldn't have been any more special for me, _ have been any more special for me. to — have been any more special for me. to be _ have been any more special for me, to be honest. she ended up being _ me, to be honest. she ended up being on— me, to be honest. she ended up being on the big screen in the game — being on the big screen in the game. she ended up playing a game — game. she ended up playing a game and for me, as a father, it was— game and for me, as a father, it was the _ game and for me, as a father, it was the whole part of my trin — it was the whole part of my trin it— it was the whole part of my trip. it wasjust it was the whole part of my trip. it was just unbelievable. this— trip. it was just unbelievable. this trip— trip. it was just unbelievable. this trip i_ trip. it was just unbelievable. this trip i understand is in aid of your christmas present. you are a soccer player and got to come out for your christmas present. to come out for your christmas resent. �* , . r' to come out for your christmas resent. �* , ., ,~' ., present. i've been asking for ears present. i've been asking for years and — present. i've been asking for years and years, _ present. i've been asking for years and years, let's - present. i've been asking for years and years, let's go - present. i've been asking for years and years, let's go to l years and years, let's go to the world cup. i wouldn't care if it was three of my christmas presents. i'm so happy i am here. ., , here. loving it? absolutely. highlights? _ here. loving it? absolutely. highlights? definitely - here. loving it? absolutely. highlights? definitely being i here. loving it? absolutely. i highlights? definitely being on the big screen _ highlights? definitely being on the big screen and _ highlights? definitely being on the big screen and the - highlights? definitely being on the big screen and the fan - highlights? definitely being on | the big screen and the fan walk with all the dutch fans was great and then the team victory was amazing. great and then the team victory was amazing-— was amazing. thank you. they are going _ was amazing. thank you. they are going to — was amazing. thank you. they are going to be _ was amazing. thank you. they are going to be torn _ are going to be torn about who they are cheering for the game is kicking off in less than a0 minutes. i am wearing orange. does that

mean i am supporting the netherlands? thank you katie silver in sydney and i know my home countryjapan did quite well. australia, katie's home country is up against nigeria today so do stay tuned because of course we will have a lot more on our website as well with all the latest actions from the women's world cup. of course excitement is really, really heating up. but also all of our top stories are on our website so do check it out as well but for now, thank you so much for watching newsday. hello there. generally, over the next few days, it's going to be a mixture of sunshine, but also some showers. over the last 2a hours, we have seen quite muggy air heading our way

from the atlantic. it's brought with it a lot of cloud, had some rain around as well. but before the rain arrived in eastern england, it was quite warm on wednesday. suffolk was the warmest place in the country with temperatures of 2a degrees. but this was the cloud that's been streaming in from the atlantic. it's been bringing with it some steady rain as well. all on these weather fronts here, the worst of the rain is going to get moved away out into the north sea. it dries off later on in the night, but there's still a lot of cloud. and so it's going to be a much warmer start to thursday with temperatures typically 1a or 15 degrees, but a dull, misty, damp start and fog over the hills. the rain may continue on and off through the day in northern parts of mainland scotland, possibly through the english channel and along the south coast, where it's going to be breezy. elsewhere, the winds do become lighter. it may well brighten up a little bit, as well. some sunshine coming through. that could trigger some showers, a few sharp ones in the north—east of england.

but it should be slightly warmer across northern ireland, wales and western areas of england, with the highest temperatures again in eastern parts of england. first day of the fifth the test match begins at the oval and it may well be a bit frustrating. some help for the bowlers, but there may well be some rain around, especially in the afternoon. as we head into the end of the week, and we're going to keep an eye on this area of low pressure that's sort of dominating the weather at the moment. but it gets closer and brings more showers in on friday to northern ireland, especially later on in the day, perhaps into western most parts of scotland. otherwise, a few mist patches, some sunshine at times, a few showers developing here and there, but probably not too many. many places, i think, we'll have a dry day on friday. and those temperatures could still reach 2a, maybe even 25 degrees across east anglia.

but another weekend, another area of low pressure — that's going to dominate the weather again. it'll slide its way eastwards across the northern half of the uk. and this is where we may well find some persistent rain at times and there'll be some stronger winds wrapped around then moving over the irish sea into the north—west of england and north wales. whilst there'll be some sunshine in the south, there will be some showers and it's not particularly warm.

could overshadow that campaign byjoe biden. america's central bank is back at its hiking cycle, and it's

that says there might be more to come. and british banking giant natwest continues to remain under pressure over an inaccurate bbc story about the closure of nigel farage's current account. welcome to asia business report with me mariko 0i. 0ur welcome to asia business report with me mariko 0i. our top story for you this morning, the us federal reserve has moved to hike the cost of borrowing once again. the central bank raised interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point, bringing it to the highest level in 22 years. and as my colleague michelle fleury explains, they have left the door open for more. . , have left the door open for more. ., , ., , more. the federal reserve has moved with _ more. the federal reserve has moved with unprecedented - more. the federal reserve has i moved with unprecedented speed to get inflation under control. since march of last year, it has raised its benchmark rate by five at a quarter percentage points. its latest move is likely to pick up the cost of borrowing for american businesses and consumers even

further, with inflation showing prices rising more