this is bbc news. prime minister keir starmer brushes off labour volunteers helping harris, after donald trump's presidential campaign accuses his party of interfering in the us election. a bbc investigation finds russians accused of crimes offered choice — go to war instead of court. russian president tells brics leaders he's open to mediation in the ongoing ukraine conflict. hello, i'm geeta guru—murthy. we are bringing you breaking news from turkey. heavy gunfire and explosions have been heard from the main facility of turkish aerospace industries in capital ankara. the turkish interior minister ali yerlikaya is calng the incident a terrorist attack. "unfortunately, we have martyrs and wounded people after the attack," he said. the minister did not provide specific casualty figures but promised to keep the public

informed about developments, urging reliance on official sources for information. tai is a key player in turkiye�*s aerospace industry, designing, developing, and manufacturing various air platforms. the cause of the explosion and the subsequent gunfire remained unclear, with some media reports claiming a suicide attack had occurred. emergency services were dispatched to thesite, state—owned anadolu agency reported. television images showed a damaged gate and a nearby clash in a parking lot. earlier they showed huge clouds of smoke and a large fire raging at the site in kahramankazan, a small town some a0 kilometres north of ankara. this is the latest set of images we are getting.

haberturk tv said there was an ongoing "hostage situation" without giving further details, while the private ntv television spoke of gunshots after the blast which took place around two hours ago. there was no immediate claim for the attack. the blast occurred as a major trade fair for the defence and aerospace industries was taking place in istanbul which was visited this week by ukraine's top diplomat. turkey's defence sector, which is widely known for its bayraktar drones, accounts for nearly 80% of the nation's export revenues with revenues expected to top $10.2 billion in 2023. these are the latest images

from just outside ankara, the headquarters of a turkish aviation company, reports of an explosion and gunfire, reports potentially of a hostage situation and we are obviously waiting for confirmation of all of these lines, but clearly there has been some sort of event at the headquarters of the turkish aviation company, and that is reportedly in a small town about a0 kilometres north of ankara. we believe that the moment president erdogan is in russia for the brics summit so not clear whether president erdogan will be returning following of this attack, or what was the cause, if it was indeed a terror

attack what would be the cause and who would be behind it. turkey is a key player globally and has key diplomatic relationships with a number of countries in the middle east but of course we also know there is ongoing links with russia and ukraine and does not clear yet who is behind this but it is reported there was heavy gunfire and explosions on the turkish aerospace industry, and the interior minister has called the incident a terrorist attack. they have not yet given specific casualty figures but more information obviously will be released. we will update you on that as soon sir keir starmer has insisted his relationship with donald trump isn't in jeopardy after his presidential campaign team filed a legal complaint against the labour party — accusing it of �*blatantly interfering' in the american

election. his team pointed to a now—deleted social media post, that offered accommodation to some labour members travelling to the us to campaign for mr trump's rival kamala harris. the prime minister says that labour activists were volunteering in their own time. 0ur political correspondent tom symonds has the latest. wa nted wanted to, labour activist to head to america to campaign for kamala. it was posted by labour's head of operations on linkedin and has since been deleted. linkedln and has since been deleted. . g linkedln and has since been deleted. ., g ., , linkedln and has since been l deleted._ his deleted. donald] trompe! his team are furious _ deleted. donald] trompe! his team are furious the - deleted. donald] trompe! his team are furious the british i team are furious the british are coming to is his rival. with his lawyers have now sent this legal letter to the us federal election commission demanding an immediate investigation. where the linkedin post says there are ten spots to offer, the letter

suggests labour is paying something, making it illegal foreign national contributions. this trompe supporter agrees. the advertisement didn't say you would _ the advertisement didn't say you would be _ the advertisement didn't say you would be going - the advertisement didn't say you would be going in - the advertisement didn't say you would be going in your. the advertisement didn't say. you would be going in your own free time, _ you would be going in your own free time, didn't _ you would be going in your own free time, didn't say— you would be going in your own free time, didn't say you - you would be going in your own free time, didn't say you had i free time, didn't say you had to pay— free time, didn't say you had to pay your— free time, didn't say you had to pay your own— free time, didn't say you had to pay your own air - free time, didn't say you had to pay your own air fare - free time, didn't say you hadl to pay your own air fare which at the — to pay your own air fare which at the moment _ to pay your own air fare which at the moment are _ to pay your own air fare which at the moment are very, - to pay your own air fare which at the moment are very, very| at the moment are very, very expensive. — at the moment are very, very expensive. said _ at the moment are very, very expensive. said you - at the moment are very, very expensive. said you are - at the moment are very, very| expensive. said you are going to have — expensive. said you are going to have free _ expensive. said you are going to have free accommodation. | expensive. said you are going. to have free accommodation. if you look— to have free accommodation. if you look at— to have free accommodation. if you look at the _ to have free accommodation. if you look at the wording - to have free accommodation. if you look at the wording of- to have free accommodation. if you look at the wording of that| you look at the wording of that advert, — you look at the wording of that advert, there _ you look at the wording of that advert, there is _ you look at the wording of that advert, there is little - you look at the wording of that advert, there is little doubt - advert, there is little doubt that— advert, there is little doubt that is_ advert, there is little doubt that is against _ advert, there is little doubt that is against american . that is against american electoral— that is against american electoral law. _ that is against american electoral law.— that is against american electoral law. �* ., , electoral law. but labour says there have — electoral law. but labour says there have always _ electoral law. but labour says there have always been - electoral law. but labour says | there have always been foreign volunteers in us elections and this one is no different. the defence minister]ohn healey signing a new agreement with his german counterpart took time out to see the party organisation looking for recruits wasn't doing it officially.— officially. any labour suoporters _ officially. any labour supporters over - officially. any labour supporters over in i officially. any labourl supporters over in the officially. any labour - supporters over in the us, being part of the democratic election campaign, are there as individuals and their in their own time, they are there at their own expense, and if they

have accommodation out there that will also be provided by volunteers.— that will also be provided by volunteers. anyone who loves olitics volunteers. anyone who loves politics might _ volunteers. anyone who loves politics might like _ volunteers. anyone who loves politics might like to - volunteers. anyone who loves politics might like to be - volunteers. anyone who loves politics might like to be part l politics might like to be part of this knife edge american election. �* . , , ., election. activists do it sim -l election. activists do it simply because - election. activists do it simply because they i election. activists do it l simply because they love politics and particularly american politics and just being close to a campaign and being close to a campaign and being part of the campaign can being part of the campaign can be good fun. the being part of the campaign can be good fun-— be good fun. the us election regulator _ be good fun. the us election regulator has _ be good fun. the us election regulator has not _ be good fun. the us election regulator has not yet - be good fun. the us election i regulator has not yet responded to trompe's complaint, and this is a story playing much bigger here than in america. the prime minister has told reporters this will not make it harder to handle a new president trump. we had dinner last month, he said, and established a good relationship. let's speak to sam white, keir starmer�*s chief of staff from 2021 to 2022. thanks for being with us. we just had reports today of potential event in turkey, we

have ongoing global words, the uk's relationship with whoever is the next us president is absolutely crucial, isn't it? has labour made a really big mistake year?— has labour made a really big mistake year? there is a great ruote mistake year? there is a great quote that _ mistake year? there is a great quote that is — mistake year? there is a great quote that is used _ mistake year? there is a great quote that is used all- mistake year? there is a great quote that is used all the - mistake year? there is a great quote that is used all the time| quote that is used all the time in us politics that says, all politics is local, and this is no exception. what you have here is a knife edge, an election so close to 50—50 that there is everything to play for by both sides of the campaign, and it feels to me that the tone of the letter which again tone of the letter which again featured in your piece had as featured in your piece had as much kamala harris�*s campaign much kamala harris�*s campaign in its target sites as it did in its target sites as it did the labour party and it seems the labour party and it seems to me very much in the spirit to me very much in the spirit of a very close—run election of a very close—run election knock—about and if that is a knock—about and if that is a stick to beat an opponent and stick to beat an opponent and claim they are in some way claim they are in some way connected to foreign influence connected to foreign influence then so be it. especially if then so be it. especially if

you are donald trump and you you are donald trump and you have previously have previously been on the receiving end of accusations of benefiting from foreign interference. 0ne benefiting from foreign interference. one of the oldest tricks in politics as you make sure you neutralise it by accusing your opponents of the exact same thing.— exact same thing. never the less, exact same thing. never the less. for _ exact same thing. never the less, for the _ exact same thing. never the less, for the trompe - exact same thing. never the less, for the trompe team i exact same thing. never the | less, for the trompe team to file this legal notice when they could win the election in two weeks' time, dealing with a keir starmer government, that is not a good place for the labour party and the labour prime minister to bn, is it? fit, prime minister to bn, is it? couple of things, one, i think it is about the campaign are not a serious realignment of strategic interests across the world. i don't think when we look back news in

go about breaking news in ankara is another example of just how much is happening with the middle east and with ukraine. we see today reports that may be north korean soldiers are being deployed in ukraine. we have seen russia convene a brics with other commonwealth countries. we have clearly seen a period where the needs of allies in the liberal democratic west pushes them towards finding ways to cooperate whoever is in the white house...— white house... that is the oint, white house... that is the point. isn't _ white house... that is the point, isn't it? _ white house... that is the point, isn't it? this - white house... that is the point, isn't it? this legal l point, isn't it? this legal letter written on behalf of donald trump by his legal team names morgan sweeney, matthew doyle, director of communications, people who are at the very top of the uk government in terms of advisors, and it talks about the law that us candidates can solicit, accept or receive

contributions or donations, whether that is directly or indirectly. the key point is when it comes to dealing with whoever is there, this doesn't necessarily put the british government on the best fitting if donald trump wins at a very tense time geopolitically as we have said. what is keir starmer going to do if this legal process continues? you're absolutely — process continues? you're absolutely right _ process continues? you're absolutely right to - process continues? you're absolutely right to point i process continues? you're | absolutely right to point to the importance of the relationship between keir starmer and whoever wins the next election. the start operation would point to quite how much effort keir starmer and david lammy and others have put into building relationships with the trompe camp, and they would point to the dinner between donald trump and keir starmer a couple of weeks ago and the amount of contact david lammy has been making. i do think they appreciate how important it is and i do think

whoever is in the white house number ten, whoever is in the white house numberten, and whoever is in the white house number ten, and you will remember the great criticism made of tony blair's administration was that they were too close to what was at the time viewed as a right—wing republican president in the form of w bush. the political interests of the us and uk are so important in this period of geopolitical risk, that gravity pulls them together and i think this will be seen as the storm in a teacup that it is. finally, the fact that the head of operations was posting this and she is a paid member of the labour party, some are saying this shows this is an official labour party move being done in labour party move being done in labour party move being done in labour party time, organising to go out even if they are operating in their own time as volunteers. it operating in their own time as volunteere— volunteers. it is not official and i volunteers. it is not official and l have _ volunteers. it is not official and i have no _

volunteers. it is not official and i have no reason - volunteers. it is not official and i have no reason to - volunteers. it is not official. and i have no reason to think otherwise. there is a dirty secret at the heart of all of this and i am afraid it applies to the left and the right of people active in politics, we quite like it. we love getting involved in a campaign. quite a few people will pay their own money and time to go over and campaign in election campaigns. have you done that? i campaign in election campaigns. have you done that?— have you done that? i don't think i have you done that? i don't thinki have. _ have you done that? i don't thinki have. i— have you done that? i don't think i have. i was- have you done that? i don't thinki have. i was in - have you done that? i don't thinki have. i was in dc- think i have. i was in dc getting on for 20 years ago when i was working for the last labour government and i was over there working for the chancellor and we were pursuing economic issues but i was taken aside by a member of the democrat party, a senior official, who said to