this is bbc news. the headlines: donald trump's presidential campaign accuses the uk's labour party of foreign interference in the us election. the us secretary of state says now is the time for israel to end the war in gaza — to capitalise on its success against hamas. from the dock to the frontline, the people accused of crimes being pressured intojoining the russian army. and — the group of friends who've met at the pub every week for more than half—a—century. hello, i'm catherine byaruhanga. thank you forjoining us. a bbc investigation has found that russia has expanded its recruitment of prisoners to fight in the war in ukraine — including those merely accused of a crime. work undertaken alongside the independent russian website, mediazona,

to compare thousands of dog tags from russian prison recruits with leaked records found a shift from the most serious offenders to those convicted of, or still awaiting trialfor, much lower level crimes. olga ivshina reports. this is andrey perlov�*s olympic medal. his daughter alina is showing it to us because he is in a pre—trial detention facility, facing ten years in prison. he stands accused of embezzling around three million roubles, almost £24,000, from the football club where he was managing director. but the 62—year—old has been offered a way out. he can avoid a trial altogether if he signs a contract to join the army and fight in ukraine. translation: my father refused to sign the contract. _ for him, it would be tantamount to admitting his guilt. he's not going to do that.

a new law means that investigators and even defence lawyers are now obliged to offer an opportunity to go to the front line to almost anyone accused of a crime in russia. but it hasn't always been that way. these are the faces of some of the violent criminals who fought and died for russia in ukraine. like this man, who burned two people alive, and this man, who brutally stabbed his own mother and left her to die. however, now it's no longer just dangerous offenders being recruited into the army. we have analysed almost 20,000 dog tags from convicts who went to the front line against detailed data that was leaked to us. in the beginning, prisoner recruitment was handled by wagner and its late leader yevgeny prigozhin, who specifically targeted high security institutions. translation: multiple convictions for murder l or robbery, great. if you screwed up with prison officials or have bitten the cops, it's even better.

we need your criminal talents. they want the sort of hardest criminals or the worst of the worst, because they're going to be using them in assault units. but our research shows that as russian losses increased, recruitment has spread to any kind of prison, including pre—trial detention centres. and some people do sign up. yaroslav lipavsky chose to go to the front line as soon as he turned 18. he was accused of intentionally causing harm to another person, alongside others. he was dead within a month. but the effort to get people into the army is increasing. the bbc has received a leaked recording of an investigator explaining how the pressure the men to sign up under this new law. it has been revoiced to protect the source. translation: listen, - your husband has already got three years for theft. he can get six more for this other crime. do you need this? i offered him a chance

to sign a contract. if his request is approved, he will go to war and close the case. that's it. do russians care about convicts or those who are in prison? i suspect that they don't. and i suspect that's another reason why the russian government turned to them. but andrey perlov maintains his innocence, so he continues to refuse the contracts he is being offered. we asked the russian authorities about perlov�*s case and whether they are unfairly pressuring detainees tojoin the army. they did not respond. translation: he tries | to keep himself cheerful, but if this goes on, they will break him. it cannot go on indefinitely. after a career chasing medals, andrey perlov continues his fight for a fair trial and not a dog tag around his neck. olga ivshina, bbc news. let's speak to dr lana haworth — russian legal expert,

at dickson poon school of law, king's college london. thank you so much forjoining us on bbc news. just talk us through these changes to the russian criminal court and how it has unfolded?— it has unfolded? what the russian government - it has unfolded? what the russian government is - it has unfolded? what the i russian government is really doing is slowly putting on a legal basis practices that used to be illegal. so you may recall the notorious mercenary group wagner and its leader yevgeny prigozhin, going round the prisons and recruiting mercenaries. it was a way of swelling the russian ranks without a general mobilisation. but things changed to last year and not long ago before yevgeny prigozhin died in a plane crash. so prior to 2023, you needed a pardon to be excused from criminal liability. that was awarded by the president.

but basically, injune 2023, the law was changed and since then a presidential pardon is no longer needed during the period of mobilisation or martial law if the person with a conviction decides to sign up. that was later extended to include people who are facing an investigation or trial. dr lana haworth, what about crimes committed on the battlefront? does this mean war crimes potentially with these changes could go unpunished? yes. potentially with these changes could go unpunished?- potentially with these changes could go unpunished? yes, in a nutshell. _ could go unpunished? yes, in a nutshell, that _ could go unpunished? yes, in a nutshell, that is _ could go unpunished? yes, in a nutshell, that is the _ nutshell, that is the possibility. even though russia signed up to all four geneva conventions, what it means is that the russian criminal code has provisions that penalised war crimes. however, this is now completely undermined by this astonishing article which

has been introduced this year, article 78.1, that permits the authorities to turn a blind eye, to ignore criminal wrongdoings while committed, committed while serving a military service contract. dr lana haworth, thank you so much forjoining us. we just want to bring in some breaking news now under current trip by the us secretary of state antony blinken. we can now report that he will be going to saudi arabia, qatar and also the uk. this report coming in from our correspondent tom bateman, who is travelling with the secretary of state. he will be arriving in the uk where he will be meeting arab leaders. we will have much more on that story on bbc news. the oxford astrazeneca vaccine is seen as one of the great successes of the pandemic, credited with saving over six million lives in its first year. but in rare cases, it was also

responsible for serious side—effects, like blood clots in the brain — which in some cases, were fatal. now the financial scheme set up to support those injured by vaccines has been criticised as being �*arbitrary�*, with the payouts too low. our medical editor fergus walsh has been to meet some of those affected. jane wrigley used to be a runner, now she can barely walk. do you want to hold my hand? yes, please. 0k. before i had the vaccine, i was a very independent, active woman doing half—marathons. and now i have no independence. i can't even shower myself, can i? no. jane suffered a blood clot in her brain two weeks after her first dose of the astrazeneca vaccine in march 2021, and required emergency surgery. as other cases emerged throughout europe, doctors gave the vaccine induced clots

a new medical term — vitt. lisa shaw, a presenter at bbc radio newcastle, was 44 when she died — three weeks after her first astrazeneca covid vaccine. her death was attributed to vitt blood clots. lisa's husband gareth is bringing up their son zach on his own. he made a claim through a government scheme set up to support those harmed by vaccines and eventually received £120,000. the amount of this one—off payment hasn't increased since 2007. she died because she took the product that the government told her to get, and they believe that £120,000 is what makes up for that loss. i think it's insulting. my son will go through the rest

of his life without a mam. gareth waited a year for his payment — jane, two years. she agrees the money is inadequate. it doesn't really compare to what it's taken away from me. i mean, ian can't really work. i can't work, either. from 2000, there were an average of two successful claims a year under the vaccine damage payment scheme. post—covid, there have been 188 — all but a handful for the astrazeneca vaccine. a further 253 people were told that although the vaccine was responsible for their injuries, they didn't meet the threshold of 60% disability, and so get nothing. of nearly 16,000 covid vaccine claimants, around half have yet to be notified of the outcome.

but the harms caused have to be set against the huge benefits of covid vaccination. it's estimated vaccines prevented over 120,000 covid—related deaths in the uk up to september 2021. adam finn was a member of the committee which advised the government on covid vaccines. the protection these vaccines were able to deliver rapidly, even just after the first dose, really saved a lot of people's lives. but he believes the vaccine damage payment scheme is flawed and needs reform. at the moment, we are seeing what appears to be a fairly arbitrary compensation scheme, presumably designed to be simple and effective. but it's not really responsive to the level of disability that people experience and it's certainly not changing over time as the cost of living rises. around 50 families affected

by vitt blood clots are taking a group legal action against astrazeneca for compensation. both the department of health and astrazeneca said their sympathy went out to anyone who had lost loved ones. the government says it will look closely at the concerns of affected families. astrazeneca said it couldn't comment on ongoing litigation, but patient safety was its highest priority, adding, "regulators around the world state the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks of extremely rare side effects". the legal case could take years to have a full hearing. fergus walsh, bbc news. and if you're watching here in the uk, a special programme is available with the full story —? covid vaccine: fighting for a payout. that's on the bbc iplayer now. we just want to bring in some

breaking news coming in from french authorities, saying that two people have died after a boat carrying migrants sank off the coast of calais. we will bring in much more on those developments here on bbc news. around the world and across the uk. this is bbc news.

renowned british actor idris elba has announced plans to invest in africa's burgeoning film industry. mr elba has several ongoing projects across the continent, including a film studio in ghana and an eco—friendly city in sierra leone. he's urged african leaders to recognise the industry's potential as soft power and invest in its growth. idris elba has been attending the africa cinema summit in accra and spoke to the bbc. a warning, this report does contain some flashing images. i'm a ga boy, so i like my sun, i like the heat, i like my food.

we have to invest in our storytelling. our culture has oftentimes been told back to africans from outsiders. all you're going to see is trauma, how we were slaves, how, you know, we were colonised, how it's just war. and when you come to africa and you're raised here, you know that's not true. so it's really important that we own those stories of our traditions, of our country, of our languages, of the differences between one tribe and another. the world doesn't know that. they don't understand it. and it isn't until we can sort of own that.

when you see me, you see a little version of yourself and that encourages us. you know, it's cyclical. i'm here to bolster the film industry. that is a ten—year process. i won't be able to do that from overseas. i need to be on continent. i'm looking at a pan—african way of looking. so i'm going to live in accra, i'm going to live in freetown, i'm going to live in, you know, zanzibar. i'm going to try and go where they are telling stories to make a film here in my studios in accra one day. that's my exciting project. that's what i'm here to do. that's what i'm trying to do. imagine meeting the same group of friends at the pub on a thursday night for 56 years. well, that's exactly what a group of six friends from south yorkshire have been doing since 1968.

the men, all now in their early 80s, believe they have only missed about two dozen meet—ups. our correspondent, joe inwood is with them now. it isa it is a little early for drinking but i guess if you are celebrating more than 50 years of being friends, why not? you can make an allowance. i'm going to bring in ten, one of the original members of the group. you have had a huge reaction worldwide to people finding out about your group, yourfriendship. what finding out about your group, your friendship. what has finding out about your group, yourfriendship. what has it been like, ken? your friendship. what has it been like, ken?— your friendship. what has it been like, ken? the reaction? it's been _ been like, ken? the reaction? it's been amazing. _ been like, ken? the reaction? it's been amazing. i _ been like, ken? the reaction? it's been amazing. i can't - it's been amazing. i can't understand it. a friend of mine summed it up when he said, i can't understand what the fuss is about some old fight raw sitting in a pub and i think i agree with him.— sitting in a pub and i think i agree with him. you have every week, agree with him. you have every week. you _ agree with him. you have every week, you have _ agree with him. you have every week, you have barely - agree with him. you have every week, you have barely missed i agree with him. you have every| week, you have barely missed a week, you have barely missed a week, what is so special about this friendship to all of you? well, it's difficult, really.

but i think we are all very similar, from similar backgrounds. we all have a tremendous sense of humour. we can laugh at ourselves and, yeah, it'sjust can laugh at ourselves and, yeah, it's just that, rodri. can laugh at ourselves and, yeah, it'sjust that, rodri. i am going to bring in peter over here. you have been speaking about the themes you guys talk about. every week there are different subjects. how has it changed over the 50 years you have been doing this? originally, it was soccer and sex, — originally, it was soccer and sex, and _ originally, it was soccer and sex, and now it is pensions and prostates _ sex, and now it is pensions and prostates. we quite often talk about — prostates. we quite often talk about our ailments now, which we never— about our ailments now, which we never talked about when we were _ we never talked about when we were younger. so, yeah... the amount— were younger. so, yeah... the amount of— were younger. so, yeah... the amount of subjects that we cover— amount of subjects that we cover at_ amount of subjects that we cover at the pub isjust tremendous. cover at the pub is 'ust tremendous.�* cover at the pub is 'ust tremendous. �* ., ., tremendous. and there are do ou tremendous. and there are do you think _ tremendous. and there are do you think lessons _ tremendous. and there are do you think lessons that - tremendous. and there are do| you think lessons that younger people, younger men especially, could take from your friendship

in opening up to each other and being honest about their feelings for each other? yes, but the problem _ feelings for each other? yes, but the problem is _ feelings for each other? yes, | but the problem is nowadays, they— but the problem is nowadays, they att— but the problem is nowadays, they all have mobile phones. they— they all have mobile phones. they meet up on social media. we are — they meet up on social media. we are from the old school, rock— we are from the old school, rock and _ we are from the old school, rock and roll days, we all meet up, rock and roll days, we all meet up. it's— rock and roll days, we all meet up, it's nothing to do with phones _ up, it's nothing to do with phones. there is a proper social_ phones. there is a proper social reaction between us. there — social reaction between us. there was a period during the covid pandemic when you did have to meet up over zoom. how did it change everything for you guys? it did it change everything for you guys?— did it change everything for you guys? it carried on as it was, actually. _ you guys? it carried on as it was, actually. the - you guys? it carried on as it was, actually. the only - you guys? it carried on as it| was, actually. the only thing that— was, actually. the only thing that changed, some of the lads that changed, some of the lads that left, — that changed, some of the lads that left, one went to australia, one went to pennsylvania, danejoined australia, one went to pennsylvania, dane joined us on zoom _ pennsylvania, dane joined us on zoom 50— pennsylvania, dane joined us on zoom. so we had a bigger group then— zoom. so we had a bigger group then than— zoom. so we had a bigger group then than we have on a normal week — then than we have on a normal week. �* ., ., , week. i'm going to bring in bill very — week. i'm going to bring in bill very quickly. _ week. i'm going to bring in bill very quickly. how - week. i'm going to bring in| bill very quickly. how much week. i'm going to bring in - bill very quickly. how much has this meant to you, this friendship, overthe

this meant to you, this friendship, over the course of your life? it friendship, over the course of your life?— your life? it has made a fantastic _ your life? it has made a fantastic difference. - your life? it has made a fantastic difference. in | your life? it has made a i fantastic difference. in the early— fantastic difference. in the early years. _ fantastic difference. in the early years. i _ fantastic difference. in the early years, i could - fantastic difference. in the early years, i could only. fantastic difference. in the . early years, i could only visit occasionally _ early years, i could only visit occasionally because - early years, i could only visit occasionally because of- early years, i could only visit occasionally because of work commitments _ occasionally because of work commitments. but - occasionally because of work commitments. but since - occasionally because of work commitments. but since i. commitments. but since i retired, _ commitments. but since i retired, i've_ commitments. but since i retired, i've become - commitments. but since i retired, i've become a - retired, i've become a full-time _ retired, i've become a full—time thursday- retired, i've become a . full—time thursday night retired, i've become a - full—time thursday night lads like the — full—time thursday night lads like the rest _ full—time thursday night lads like the rest of _ full—time thursday night lads like the rest of them - full—time thursday night lads like the rest of them and - full—time thursday night lads like the rest of them and i i like the rest of them and i would _ like the rest of them and i would not _ like the rest of them and i would not miss— like the rest of them and i would not miss it - like the rest of them and i would not miss it for- like the rest of them and i would not miss it for the i would not miss it for the world _ would not miss it for the world. yeah, _ would not miss it for the world. yeah, just- would not miss it for the world. yeah, just carry l would not miss it for the . world. yeah, just carry on. thank— world. yeah, just carry on. thank you _ world. yeah, just carry on. thank you very _ world. yeah, just carry on. thank you very much. - world. yeah, just carry on. thank you very much. it i world. yeah, just carry on. thank you very much. it is| world. yeah, just carry on. i thank you very much. it is 56 years of friendship. i think thatis years of friendship. i think that is probably something you can raise a glass too, even on a wednesday morning! cheers, everyone. wow, and cheers to you, joe. thank you for bringing us that story. i think we are quite jealous, we would love to be part of that conversation! just a reminder of some of our top stories, we have a headline in from french authorities saying two people have died after a boat carrying migrants sank off the coast of calais. you are watching bbc news.

an independent commission, set up by the uk and welsh governments is to examine how to improve the water industry, amid crumbling infrastructure, pollution and rising bills. it's been described as the largest review of the sector since the late 1980s. our business editor simonjack reports. water bills are going to rise a lot if we are going to fix a crumbling water infrastructure that has seen sewage spills, leaks and outages soar. it's provoked public fury at the company's that many — like becky mulvey from ilkley — have seen as prioritising profit over people. i'm not prepared to pay more in my bills until i am ensured that we are going to get our rivers, lakes and seas cleaned up. i am not paying more for debt and for dividends and for people to line their pockets. absolutely not. the government agrees the industry and regulation isn't working, which is why it's launching the biggest review of the industry in the 35 years since privatisation, which could see the reform or abolition of current regulators.

the water industry itself welcomed the move. i don't think anyone can look at the current system and think that it's working well. we have not had enough investment in the past and our system is creaking under the weight of climate change and population growth. and, ultimately, ithink all of us bear some responsibility for that, including the regulator, which has consistently denied sufficient investment to be put into the system. but this new commission will not report back until next spring. the negotiation about how much bills will rise in england and wales over the next five years is happening now. ofwat initially agreed to average price rises of £19 a year, or a total of 21% above inflation, by 2030. but the numbers vary a lot depending on company and their spending needs. ofwat agreed to a rise of 44%, or £37 a year, for southern water customers, but only 11% — or £9 a year — for customers of northumbrian. water companies have invested nearly £200 million since privatisation in facilities like this new storm drain to cope with higher rainfall.

but they've also paid out 50 billion in dividends, millions in pay and saddled some companies with unsustainable debt. the government say nationalisation would cost taxpayers billions and take years in which the problems would only get worse. so whatever this new commission concludes, it seems inevitable that the failures of the past will mean higher bills in the future. simon jack, bbc news. the inquest into the death of 16—year—old warrington schoolgirl brianna ghey is due to start today. brianna was stabbed to death in a park in february last year. the inquest, which is expected to last three days, will examine what might have been done to prevent her death. nick garnett has more. brianna ghey leaves home and takes a bus to meet up with friends on a saturday afternoon. two 15—year—olds — scarlettjenkinson and her friend eddie ratcliffe, marked here by the letters x and y — are waiting for her.

the three head off to a country park in warrington. in a quiet area of the park, they attack brianna — a frenzied, brutal, sadistic attack, stabbing her 28 times before the two teenagers run off, leaving her to die alone. i sort ofjoked and said that because if brianna doesn't come home soon, i'll probably have to ring the police. got to the front door and the front door was open, and it was two policemen stood in the house and they said that they'd found a body. and i remember the first thing that i said to him was that i knew — i knew that something was going to happen. you are under arrest. it didn't take long for the police to track down the teenagers responsible — jenkinson and ratcliffe convicted of brianna's murder. the girl is now in prison for at least 22 years. he's serving at least 20. jenkinson had onlyjust been transferred to brianna's school after she was caught giving a younger girl cannabis—laced sweets.

a safeguarding review this summer found she had difficulties with relationships, but decided this wasn't enough to make the authorities suspect that scarlett would go on to commit murder. the three—day inquest will look at what could have been done to stop it happening, and ask if the school and others should have realised brianna could have come to harm when she came into contact with scarlettjenkinson. it will also investigate whether brianna, who was transgender, was properly supported and looked after at school. nick garnett, bbc news, warrington. a world—first vaccine for the winter vomiting bug norovirus is to be trialled by thousands of uk adults. each year, the illness costs the nhs £100 million, with 12,000 hospital admissions and 80 deaths. the vaccine will enter it s

final stages of testing in the next two weeks, with around 25,000 people expected to be recruited globally for the trial. now it's time for a look at the weather with tomasz. hello. wednesday's shaping up to be a fine day across most of the uk with some pleasant sunshine. however, the morning could look like this, particularly across southern and central areas of england. mist and fog. really quite thick in places, but the fog shouldn't last. it will clear later in the morning and thanks to the position of this area of high pressure and our southerly winds, it'll feel pleasant in that sunshine. and i think the mild air is here to stay at least until thursday. beyond that, somewhat cooler air will arrive off the atlantic. so the short term, then, that fog forming across southern and southeastern parts of england, into east anglia, lincolnshire and further north into the vale of york. but i think it's in the southeast and east anglia, where the fog will be thickest, possibly visibilities as low as 100m or less. elsewhere, clearer skies,

and this is the forecast for 8:00 in the morning, and the temperatures typically around nine or 10 celsius. so once that fog eventually clears away and it may take time, it may first lift into low grey skies before that sunshine comes through. but once it does, it'll be a fine day. just the possibility of a few afternoon showers, so don't be surprised if there's some spots of rain for a time in the south. so here's the forecast, then, for thursday — we still have those southerly winds. that mild air is with us. can't miss this. a weather front is approaching, but it's just to the west of our neighbourhood at this stage, at least through most of thursday. some sunshine from london, norwich, all the way to aberdeen. hazy skies for belfast and then later in the day, the possibility of that rain arriving in northern ireland. and then eventually, it will arrive come friday, because this weather front will be slap bang over the uk. if anything, an area of low pressure will form and very gusty winds will develop across southwestern parts of the country. it's still relatively mild air, so temperatures around 15 or 16, maybe even 17, but that slightly fresher air starts to reach western parts of the uk.

and how about the weekend and into next week? well, the jet stream will start spreading weather fronts our way, so that does mean somewhat more unsettled weather. but into next week, it does look as though the jet stream may go further north once again with high pressure building. so here's the outlook. from thursday onwards, the weather does go downhill as we head into friday with some outbreaks of rain. similar weather for saturday and sunday. fingers crossed things should improve by the time we get to monday. bye— bye.

live from london,

this is bbc news. donald trump's presidential campaign accuses the uk's labour party of foreign interference in the us election. the us secretary of state says now is the time for israel to end the war in gaza — to capitalise on its success against hamas. fresh airstrikes overnight in beirut. we'll bring you the latest from our correspondent in the region. the uk is to sign a new defence agreement with germany — as it seeks to strengthen post—brexit ties with europe. and after their trip to australia, king charles and queen camilla arrive in samoa for a commonwealth summit.

hello, i'm catherine byaruhanga.