live from our studio in singapore, this is bbc news — it's newsday. thank you for being with us. we begin in ukraine where the country's generals are reporting significant progress in the counter—offensive against russia's invasion. they say their troops have breached the first line of russian defences in the south, near zaporizhzhia. general oleksandr tarnavskiy, told the observer newspaper that extensive minefields had blocked troops for several weeks, leaving them vulnerable to russian shelling and drone attacks. but the general has said that painstaking mine clearance has now allowed his forces to advance and they expect

to face far weaker russian defences ahead. ukraine says its forces are making gains in the south of the country and has recently expanded its units towards the strategic town of tokmak, which is a logistical centre for russian forces. last week, ukraine's military said it had captured the village of robotyne, in the zaporizhzhia region, amid a counteroffensive that is yielding incremental gains. sources in the ukrainian army have confirmed the breakthrough to the bbc. an adviser to president zelenskyy, aleksander rodnyansky, explained the significance for kyiv�*s forces. we've been waiting for this moment for quite some time. we've been hoping that we would pierce through the russian defence line, the first defence line, which was the hardest to pierce through, if you believe military experts when they talk about it. so hopefully now, when we reach the second and the third lines of defence that the russians have established, those will be easier to essentially overcome.

and perhaps hopefully this is the spot, this is the place where we can now actually put all the modern nato technology, the tanks that we've been getting, and the training that we've been receiving, put all of that to use, to our advantage. hopefully, it's the key moment. again, we'll see what happens. it's hard to predict at any point, including at this point. but you know what the objectives are. we have a common objective of liberating ukraine, not just for ukraine, but for the whole western developed democratic world, because this is a standoff between democracies and authoritarian systems and it's really key for everybody to chip in. so hopefully this is a key moment. hopefully we'll be able to build on that and make sure that we liberate all of ukraine in its 1991 internationally recognised borders. our diplomatic correspondent, paul adams, has this assessment, from kyiv. this offensive has been going on sincejune and if you look at the map you can see how little territory has been recaptured so far. ukraine is argued that this first stage

was i was going to be the hardest, punching through the well fortified russian defences, the mind, the trenches. and they also believe and perhaps this is also a hope, that the next lines, and there will be less well defended and the ukraine impounding of russian targets behind the front lines in recent weeks would have weakened the resolve of their opponents. so all of that remains to be seen and, clearly, if they feel at the moment they have an opportunity to press home their advantage, that gap in the russian line is tiny and ukrainian troops are working furiously to try and broaden it to make it big enough so they can send their armoured infantry, equipped with all of those western supplied tanks and other vehicles through the gap to try and move more quickly south in and move more quickly south in an attempt to try and cut russian controlled territory in two. that is the ultimate

objective. will we see any of this happen in the nearfuture? that is doubtful and the americans recently sounded pretty sceptical that that is objective at least for this year. it is true that here in kyiv there are people hoping quietly that this is indeed a turning point.— turning point. pauladams reporting _ turning point. pauladams reporting there. _ meanwhile, president zelensky has announced he'll ask permission from parliament this week to dismiss the country's defence minister oleksii reznikov. he's been ukraine's defence minister since november 2021, and has played a key role in securing billions of dollars in western military aid. but his ministry has been dogged by corruption allegations. he'll be replaced with rustem umyerov, the head of ukraine's main privatisation fund. here's president zelensky making the announcement. translation: this week, parliament _ translation: this week, parliament will _ translation: this week, parliament will be - translation: this week, parliament will be asked l translation: this week, | parliament will be asked to make a staff related decision.

i have decided to replace a minister of defence for ukraine. oleksii reznikov has been for more than 550 days of full—scale war and i believe we need new forms of interaction with both the military and society as a whole. meanwhile the south african president, cyril ramaphosa, says an independent inquiry has found no evidence that weapons were loaded onto a russian ship in cape town bound for russia. the us ambassador to south africa had claimed the russian cargo ship lady r had picked up ammunition and arms in cape town last december, and accused the country of supplying weapons to russia despite its claims of neutrality in the war in ukraine. president ramaphosa said the inquiry panel had no evidence to support the claim. when all matters are considered, none of the allegations made about the supply of weapons to russia have been proven to be true.

and none of the persons who made these allegations could provide any evidence to support the claims that had been levelled against our country. let's take a look at some of the stories in the headlines in the uk. maximum red weather alert have beenin maximum red weather alert have been in place in spain. residents in madrid have been asked to stay at home due to exceptional and abnormal rainfalls. australia is that it will send additional police to the solomon islands to boost security for the pacific games in november and keeping them there untiljune to assist with there untiljune to assist with the general election. the australian police contingent arrived to quell anti—government riots. china

has donated and constructed stadiums and other venues for the games. let's now turn to indonesia where leaders are gathering this week. they have a lot to discuss including the ongoing us china tensions, the war in ukraine and tensions over the disputed south china sea. let's begin a senior lecturer at the university of the philippines and hipjoints us live from jakarta where the meeting is taking place this week. thank you so much for joining us on newsday today. a lot to discuss but in your view what would be the top priority for the block? figs what would be the top priority for the block?— for the block? as far as the theme of— for the block? as far as the theme of the _ for the block? as far as the theme of the rcn - for the block? as far as the theme of the rcn concernsj for the block? as far as the - theme of the rcn concerns here, —— asean is dashed by the way we have countries here who are going faster than china for the first time in generations as

infrastructure, conductivity are going to be top of the agenda injakarta as far as asean is concerned but clearly there are also deepening worries about a number of crisis in asean�*s backyard, the crisis in asean�*s backyard, the crisis civil war myanmar or the crisis civil war myanmar or the crisis in the south china sea. there has been a push for more focused discussion and some sort of decisive solution of this matter.— this matter. quite a lot of seepolitical_ this matter. quite a lot of geopolitical tensions. - this matter. quite a lot of i geopolitical tensions. asean has previously been a accuse of being just a talking shop and when it comes to things like the philippines and china clashing in the church south china sea, is it something that asean can intervene with? —— clashing in the south china sea. i clashing in the south china sea. ~ �* . .

clashing in the south china sea. ~ a ., ., sea. i think asean has come far in making _ sea. i think asean has come far in making sure _ sea. i think asean has come far in making sure asean _ sea. i think asean has come far in making sure asean partnersl in making sure asean partners did not go at war with each other. they have been relations with fraught history. not to mention cambodia, thailand. and yet despite all of that i think even the use of threat of force has become unthinkable so i think are to be successful in creating community among themselves but unfortunately, themselves but unfortunately, the ability to help its members in dealing with their intra— and maritime disputes like the south china sea, with other powers, in particular china which has robust economic influence and geopolitical influence and geopolitical influence in a certain member countries of asean, definitely asean is not living up to expectation and precisely because it is not really consensus base. it works on the basis of unanimity and it is

almost impossible to get that on sensitive issues like the south china sea.— on sensitive issues like the south china sea. what about the situation in _ south china sea. what about the situation in myanmar. _ south china sea. what about the situation in myanmar. critics - situation in myanmar. critics have argued that asean leaders have argued that asean leaders have not done enough to address accusations of human rights abuse and so on. is there anything else you would expect asean leaders to do? in fairness _ asean leaders to do? in fairness to _ asean leaders to do? in fairness to the president of indonesia, he has been at the forefront of pushing forward defensive response to the situation in myanmar, including the possibility of more full—scale expulsion of myanmar or at least the junta. countries like malaysia and indonesia are pushing for more decisive response but countries like thailand are for a more constructive engagement with

myanmar so there is still a deadlock so it remains to be seen how that is resolved. but clearly, asean is going to fade into irrelevance and centrality into irrelevance and centrality in the region question if they cannot deal with really a massive crisis within its own member country which is myanmar. i member country which is myanmar-— member country which is myanmar. member country which is m anmar. ., ., , , myanmar. i want to briefly ask about us president _ myanmar. i want to briefly ask about us president joe - myanmar. i want to briefly ask about us president joe bidenl myanmar. i want to briefly ask| about us president joe biden is about us presidentjoe biden is not going to be there, the chinese premier will be there. what is your take on how is nations will have to balance this tricky relationship between the us and china? usually there is a lot of handwringing when a us president is going to be in town but it is not as though the chinese xi jinping town but it is not as though the chinese xijinping is going to be there. america is a geographically distant power and america is in a catch—up

mode of china's influence and geographic proximity and cultural proximity. but the us need to put something constructive on the table. more importantly the us does not have any economic partnership which includes china so the us is yet to put forward a major economic initiative. in the indo—pacific economic framework, the there is a lot of symbolism and not much substance. vice president kamala harris and other top us officials will be here and we hope to see more concrete details. is the ipf going to bring more market access or more digitalfree trade bring more market access or more digital free trade between the united states and the

region. an opec summit will also be held later this year. they are the details looking for. . ~ they are the details looking for. ., ,, , ., they are the details looking for. ., ,, ., ., , taiwan is being battered by its biggest storm in four years. a strong typhoon has brought winds of up to 190 kilometres an hour. our reporter, nicky schiller, is in the newsroom with more. the storm gathered pace as it approached taiwan, and what you can see behind me as one of the government webcams, where you can see the torrential rain pounding the lens. it is predicted in some areas that there could be at least half a metre of rain by monday. with those winds of 190 kilometres an hour, it's no surprise that trees and powerlines have been brought down in several coastal towns, causing, as you can see, damage to vehicles. the state—run taiwan power company says it is working hard to restore electricity to tens of thousands of homes and businesses. all domestic flights were cancelled on sunday.

roads have also been damaged, with the authorities warning that there is a risk of landslides in some mountainous districts. thousands of people have been moved to evacuation centres, whilst others are staying sheltering in their homes, although they have been told to stay away from windows in case they get broken by flying debris in those strong winds. the military have mobilised soldiers and equipment to help with those evacuation efforts and the flood relief. taiwan has escaped any direct hits by major storms since 2019. although the typhoon is expected to cause extensive damage, it is passing over a relatively sparsely populated area of the island. it will then move, forecasters say, across the taiwan strait and into china. nicky schiller reporting there. around the world and across the uk, this is bbc news.

voice-over: the uk, this is bbc news. bbc, bringing you different voice—over: bbc, bringing you different stories from across the uk. meet the knetemann of leicestershire, scott gibbons. whether it's car parts, payments or levi's, studies is there with his bag and let figure. i there with his bag and let fiaure. . . there with his bag and let fiaure. , ., . there with his bag and let fiaure. , ., g . ., figure. i beat the traffic and all that. figure. i beat the traffic and all that- a _ figure. i beat the traffic and all that. a couple _ figure. i beat the traffic and all that. a couple hours - figure. i beat the traffic and all that. a couple hours on | figure. i beat the traffic and | all that. a couple hours on a saturday, a group on sunday for two or three hours and a pet before the grouping. my work at a big airfield and tried to pick at least one or two bags there. you are dedicated. addicted and dedicated. absolutely love it. the fresh air, exercise, sense of achievement when you look back at what you've done and how many bags you field, stood for the wildlife.— the wildlife. this year he has felt around _ the wildlife. this year he has felt around 900 _ the wildlife. this year he has felt around 900 bags - the wildlife. this year he has felt around 900 bags so - the wildlife. this year he has felt around 900 bags so far. | felt around 900 bags so far. that works out roughly to be three tons of water. scott is 55 next week and says as long as there is little around you can't help but pick it up. voice-over: for can't help but pick it up. voice—over: for more stories from across the uk, head to the bbc news website.

you're live with bbc news. one person has died during the burning man arts and culture festival in nevada. it follows torrential rains which have trapped tens of thousands of people at the festival's desert site. david willis is there. # i wanna know, have you ever seen the rain?# they've seen it here — what is thought to be the longest, heaviest rainfall since this festival was launched 37 years ago. the day before people were due to start heading home, the dusty desert sand was transformed into thick clay, prompting organisers to lock the gates to anyone seeking to enter or leave. and they will remain closed until the ground hardens, allowing the tens of thousands of vehicles to leave through narrow desert roads without getting bogged down in the mud. when that happens depends

on the weather, of course, and there are further thunderstorms forecast. the advice to those stranded in the ankle—deep mud is conserve food, fuel and water supplies because it is unclear when they'll be leaving. this is hard. i'm sad. when are we getting out of here? that's a really good question. everyone says, "your guess is as good as mine." this week—long festival transforms a remote area of north—western nevada into a sprawling desert city but, even before the event got under way, organisers were dealing with flooding caused by the remnants of hurricane hilary. burning man culminates with a large wooden effigy being set alight. depending on the weather, that may not happen for several more days. david willis, bbc news, in black rock city, nevada.

this summer has seen another series of major wildfires around the world. researchers say forest fires are becoming more widespread, and more intense. here's our science editor, rebecca morelle. at times this summer, it has felt like the world is on fire. flames racing across swathes of land, destroying homes and lives. the images are unforgettable. but how bad has this wildfire season been? looking at the total area affected by fire so far, this has not been an unusual year, although we are only part way through it. but there are some exceptions. in europe, greece has seen some extreme fires, one the largest ever recorded in europe. but in countries like portugal and romania, the area burned has been below average. over in canada, huge fires have been raging for months, their worst wildfire season on record. but in the us, it has been quiet. in california, a wet winter and cool

spring has lowered the fire risk. in hawaii, though, the fire was small but its impact was enormous. the death toll is still rising, making 2023 the deadliest year for wildfires this century. hawaii kind of shows that you can have a really intense fires as well and it is the intensity of the fires as well, rather than the size, but how hot it was, how fast it spread and how easily it spread. it kind ofjust shows that those fires can be devastating and, you know, with the amount of people who have lost their lives. so what is the overall trend? are wildfires increasing? the answer is not straightforward. this shows how the total area of burnt land is changing over time. the line is going down, the areas decreasing year—on—year. it is driven by a fall in savannah fires, mainly in africa, part of the natural cycle. they make up about 70% of that total area burned. but as land use changes, the area is getting smaller. forest fires, on the other hand, cover a much smaller area but they

are becoming more widespread. on the forest area around the world, especially outside of the tropics, we have seen a substantial increase in fire, notjust in area burned but also in intensity of fire. this is where we see all those big implications. they generate a lot of smoke, they generate a lot of carbon emissions. if they are close to population centres, they can be deadly. as parts of the world battle wildfires, what is the impact of climate change? climate change is leading to hotter and drier conditions, helping wildfires to take hold. scientists estimate that, since 1979, the global fire season is now 27% longer, and the united nations projects that extreme fires could increase by 50% by the end of this century. where the fires occur is also shifting. we're also seeing this trend of wildfire activity going further north, which is why, um, in the uk, over the last five years,

we have seen a kind of upward trend as well in wildfire activity. the northern hemisphere season is not over yet, and summer is just starting in the southern hemisphere, so all eyes will be on what happens next. rebecca morelle, bbc news. almost a year on from the death of the queen elizabeth ii, there are plans for a permanent memorial. a specially formed committee will consult the public and the royal family, in choosing an appropriate tribute, to be unveiled in 2026. our royal correspondent, daniela relph, has more. a nice statue of her with a water feature around it, where people could throw money which could be gathered to support the charities that the queen supported when she was alive. but nothing too ostentatious and in—your—face. and it's striking that balance in terms of how you immortalise her. a traditional park with horses, where people can learn - to ride horses, i

new horse riders coming in, butjust keep it very traditional. - and it doesn't get much more traditional than the queen victoria memorial, dominating the view outside buckingham palace, an imposing tribute to a monarch. queen victoria got this huge memorial in a prime location, but queen elizabeth ii reigned for longer, arguably during more turbulent times. so does she need something bigger, better orjust different? archive: it was sir l winston churchill who proposed three years ago that a national memorial to king george vi be established. in 1955, the young queen elizabeth unveiled a statue to her own father on the mall in central london. a wartime king, it is a traditional, even austere interpretation of him. a statue of his daughter would tell a different story. one sculptor who worked with the late queen has her own ideas. i feel that there should be somewhere on the sculpture where you can press a button

and you hear her voice. because i very often find when you walk around london and you see the sculptures, you know, you perhaps don't notice them all. the location of the memorial will be crucial. some have suggested the fourth plinth in trafalgar square, although it's now a successful showcase for contemporary art. the public will be consulted in the months ahead, and it looks like some will have an alternative take on a fitting tribute. i would say maybe a form of music. a song by a famous british artist. what about lots of flowers, right? like a park and, yeah, just like a really elaborate, like, flower thing. i think it would be pretty appropriate. i think a statue, because this generation loves photos - and you need somewhere to take a photo. - daniela relph, bbc news. now we have to show you these pictures out of denmark. you may have heard mozart peformed but probably not

like this by barking dogs. take a listen. barking. barking i don't quite know what to say to that. what i can tell you is the three dogs who performed — cookie, sophus and sica — were chosen for their barking skills. the concert in copenhagen featured the danish chamber orchestera and the piece the dogs barked to was by leopold mozart, the father of wolfgang amadeus. that was a fascinating story coming into us. but a lot more

on our website including our top story this hour morning for you where ukraine's generals have been reporting significant progress in the counteroffensive against russia invasion. the country's president has announced its defence minister will be replaced. that is it for the programme. thank you for watching. a very warm weekend in prospect, some of the warmest weather via so far. the highest average over the summer was all the way back injune at 32 point to celsius. this week we expect to get a 30 celsius but some places could getjust a little bit warmer than that. certainly some very warm or even hot weather in the outlook with plenty of strong sunshine, butjust with plenty of strong sunshine, but just a with plenty of strong sunshine, butjust a bit of mist and fog

here and there. some to start monday morning particularly across parts of southwest scotland but a few patches elsewhere. tending to left and clear very quickly and then we will see lots of sunshine. a little bit breezy towards the far south—west, the far north of scotland but only the western and northern isles seeing more cloud and a few splashes of rain. fabric of eastern scotland and up to 25, 20 six degrees, parts of central and south—eastern england could well get a 29. through monday night stays dry with clear skies, still lives with clear skies, still lives with a front the far north of scotland with a few splashes rain and maybe the odd shower into the far south—west of england by the end of the night, 16 there in plymouth to start tuesday morning, very warm start, a mild start elsewhere. the tuesday the area of low pressure swelling to the south—west of us may introduce the odd shower across the south—west of england, parts of wales, possibly northern ireland, whether rodney norman culleton will weaken and elsewhere lots more sunshine

and plenty of water is well but and plenty of water is well but a slight shift in the wind direction will bring a slightly cooler day in the eastern side of scotland, 21 for aberdeen, further south 27, possibly 28. on wednesday the area of high pressure changes shape. shift to the east of us and we start to the east of us and we start to bring the winds up from the south so another surge of very warm air. when is stable in some places get up to 30 celsius or possibly even a little bit higher than that, so if you patches of mist and fog around some of the coast and elsewhere it is a story of warmth and sunshine. and as we head towards the end of the week we stick with the same theme, bridges could still go close to 30 on thursday, only very, very slowly will it earn more unsettled from the west.

the chinese developer, country garden, lives to fight another day as creditors give it more time to pay off its debt. plus the hunting of whales resumes in iceland — we look into this controversial practice in the only place where large fin whales are still hunted. welcome to asia business report, with me mariko oi. let's begin this morning in china.

the country's developer, country garden, has reportedly won approval from creditors to extend their deadline to key bond repayment, which means the company has narrowly avoided a potential default, at least for now. the debt crisis of the property sector is weighing heavily on the chinese economy, struggling to recover from the pandemic restrictions. tommy wu is a senior china economist and says country garden's problems are far from over. for now it seems country garden can extend one of the key that but then more debt payment will be required and will be due very soon so perhaps we are far from being out of the woods yet. so any potential default in the coming near—term would have pretty serious consequence in terms