this is bbc news, the headlines: the german connection — the bbc uncovers new evidence about the people—smugglers using small boats to cross the english channel. meet �*mini' — the baby monkey at the heart of a global animal—torture ring that's now been released back into the wild. kate bush has told her she is ready to release new music in an interview. the chief prosecutor in los angeles has recommended erik and lyle menendez should be resentenced by a judge and released on parole. the brothers were convicted of murdering their parents more than three decades ago. their case was recently brought back into the spotlight when it was retold in a netflix series. emma vardy reports from la.

this 911 call in 1989 sparked a murder case which gripped the world. brothers erik and lyle menendez, aged 18 and 21, claimed they'd found the bodies of their parents shot dead in their beverly hills mansion, but they later admitted carrying out the killings themselves. the defendants are in court with their attorneys, and the people are represented. during their trial, which was televised, the brothers said they'd been physically and sexually abused by their father and argued it was manslaughter. at the time, they were not believed and were eventually convicted of murder and sentenced to life without parole. but last year, new evidence was revealed which backed up the brothers�* claims of abuse and there were calls from some family members

for them to be released. lyle and erik have already paid a heavy price. discarded by a system that failed to recognise their pain. they have grown, they have changed, and they have become better men despite everything that they've been through. this is a case which divided america and continues to create a huge amount of debate. today, the district attorney for los angeles said he was recommending a lighter sentence for the brothers, which could now mean they walk free. they have been in prison for nearly 35 years. i believe that they have paid their debt to society. eric and i killed our parents together, so i'd say that makes us pretty close. erik and lyle menendez recently gained widespread attention once again, with two netflix series made about the brothers�* story. now seen as a case which, had it been held with society's modern understanding of abuse, may have had a very different outcome. emma vardy, bbc news,

los angeles. tower block inspections after the grenfell tower fire have found a widely used cladding system has not been installed properly in a number of incidents questioning its ability to resist a fire. the system known as rented eps has become increasingly popular for building and insulating flats in the uk and was not one of the types banned on tower blocks after grenfell. phil henry has more. this is a fire test carried out in australia for a cladding product, it is rented eps. if they saw what was underneath they saw what was underneath the concrete render most people would be fairly horrified. bleep. , would be fairly horrified. bleep. y a, a, , bleep. sorry, language, it is not resisted _ bleep. sorry, language, it is not resisted anything, - bleep. sorry, language, it is not resisted anything, it - bleep. sorry, language, it is not resisted anything, it has| not resisted anything, it has gone — not resisted anything, it has gone up _ not resisted anything, it has one u. ~ , ., not resisted anything, it has �*0ne u n . ~ , ., ., gone up. we showed it to residents _ gone up. we showed it to residents and _ gone up. we showed it to residents and experts - gone up. we showed it to - residents and experts dummigan expert, an expert in fire science. it expert, an expert in fire science-— science. it is expanded polystyrene. _ science. it is expanded polystyrene, the - science. it is expanded polystyrene, the same | science. it is expanded i polystyrene, the same as science. it is expanded - polystyrene, the same as the white — polystyrene, the same as the white packaging blocks that you

use to _ white packaging blocks that you use to get your hi—fi or your tv wrapped in. use to get your hi-fi or your tv wrapped im— tv wrapped in. after failing this fire test, _ tv wrapped in. after failing this fire test, expanded - this fire test, expanded polystyrene, or eps, was banned in australia on new buildings over two stories high. i've been trying to get hold of this video for the four years since the test was carried out. it has finally been made public. actually the insulation, it burns more easily than the insulation that was on grenfell. you get this city flame, a lot of black smoke and a lot of that smoking is carcinogenic so people who escaped from a fire might then get cancer —— sooty. the escaped from a fire might then get cancer -- sooty.— get cancer -- sooty. the walls of this blog — get cancer -- sooty. the walls of this blog are _ get cancer -- sooty. the walls of this blog are made - get cancer -- sooty. the walls of this blog are made entirely| of this blog are made entirely of this blog are made entirely of eps. in the uk non—flammable material is required between the floors. the construction industry says this makes it safe and the australian test isn't representative but post—grenfell inspections here and elsewhere have found the fibrex are often poorly fitted

or missing completely. something george boyd, a resident here for 20 years, has to live with daily. figs resident here for 20 years, has to live with daily.— to live with daily. as like a fire lighter _ to live with daily. as like a fire lighter when _ to live with daily. as like a fire lighter when you - to live with daily. as like a fire lighter when you are l fire lighter when you are starting a barbecue. except it's not sausages, its people inside these buildings. how could you even think that is right if you are a builder and you are responsible. it's like the whole thing is up in flames at the back. it has resisted anything. it'sjust gone at the back. it has resisted anything. it's just gone up. we'rejust anything. it's just gone up. we're just putting the buildings up, sell them. ifeel angry now but i'm also terrified that we are going to get another one of these, then what are they going to do? they are going to wring their hands, say how sorry they are, but they must start to understand that this is really dangerous for us. ., , that this is really dangerous for us. .,, a, ., for us. the developer barratt homes has — for us. the developer barratt homes has agreed _ for us. the developer barratt homes has agreed to - for us. the developer barratt homes has agreed to replace for us. the developer barratt i homes has agreed to replace all exterior walls at a cost of 13 million pounds but as yet there is still no start date. behind the cement render, this is what the cement render, this is what the polystyrene looks like. and while it has been removed from these high—rise blocks, it

remains the preferred method of insulating thousands of low—rise blocks of flats across britain. residents of this unassuming block of flats in macclesfield got a government grant to retrofit eps to improve its energy efficiency. but after grenfell, insurers consider it such a fire risk, the buildings insurance has recently gone up from 2000 up to £22,000 a year. many of the residents are pensioners like 0xo. it residents are pensioners like 0xo. , ., 0xo. it is so infuriating we are paying _ 0xo. it is so infuriating we are paying this _ 0xo. it is so infuriating we are paying this money - 0xo. it is so infuriating we | are paying this money out. 0xo. it is so infuriating we - are paying this money out. this was a government scheme paid for by the government, the council and the energy company. it seems ludicrous they are pushing this cost at us. if you knock on _ pushing this cost at us. if you knock on it — pushing this cost at us. if you knock on it you _ pushing this cost at us. if you knock on it you can _ pushing this cost at us. if you knock on it you can tell - pushing this cost at us. if you knock on it you can tell it - pushing this cost at us. if you knock on it you can tell it is i knock on it you can tell it is not concrete. sandra's and the other flats are leasehold and managed byjulianjones. this managed by julian jones. this -roduct managed by julian jones. this product is _ managed by julian jones. this product is still _ managed byjulianjones. try 3 product is still being fitted to buildings up—and—down the country as fit for purpose. i just worry about how many

people are fitting this to their building, not realising that they are either going to have huge insurance premiums, or at the worst case blocks might be uninsurable. i knew it was still being offered for sale but to see it on the front pages of all these people that are offering eco grants, there is not a single word on any of those websites that state that this product is classified as a cladding. so the fact, i've gone from incredulous to just being pretty angry, really. the ministry of _ being pretty angry, really. the ministry of housing says it expects insurance premiums where eps is correctly installed to be priced appropriately and will challenge cases raised with it where there are not. the department told me although eps cladding systems can meet uk safety standards in tests, after grenfell ministers expect fire inspections to properly assess if eps has been installed correctly to the required standard. phil hendrie, bbc news.

the baby monkey at the heart of a global monkey torture ring, has been released back into the wild. taken from the forest in indonesia when she was just days old, mini's owner tortured her and filmed it for sadistic customers mainly in the us and the uk. she and another monkey who was being held with her, were rescued after a bbc eye investigation. rebecca henschke — who spent over a year tracking down mini and her torturers — went along for her release. taken from the forest as a baby, mini's owner tortured her and filmed it for sadistic customers in the us and the uk. if you want to see the mini... after a bbc investigation exposed the ring, mini was rescued and taken to a sanctuary. after two years of rehabilitation at this sanctuary, she's ready to be released. back to the forest, mini. 0k. happy tears. because finally they're going. finally they're going. yeah.

it's been a struggle, but worth it. worth it. after being driven through the night to the coast, mini and her adopted family are being taken to a protected island reserve. this is a pristine forest—covered island which humans are rarely allowed to enter, so it's hopefully going to be a safe home for mini. everyone has to carry a monkey. i'm tasked with taking mini. it's ok, mini. the last step in the journey home. mini's moving around a lot now. maybe she can hear the other sounds of the like wild monkeys. sounds of the forest? yeah? it's not long now.

to get mini used to being back in thejungle, in the wild, she's going into this temporary cage. yeah. let's do it. baby. hey, yo. hey. yo, mini. yeah. after recovering from the journey, it's time for the release. there she goes. she's so curious and brave. leaping out into the trees. she's with her adopted family that's going to keep her safe and well in the wild. those that tortured her in this monkey torture ring are being put behind bars. but here in this jungle, mini is finally going free.

rebecca henschke, bbc news, eastjava. you can watch the full story of mini's journey back to the wild on the bbc world service youtube page and on the iplayer. let's turn to the middle east. us secretary of state antony blinken is in london meeting jordan's foreign minister. he told mr blinken that ethnic cleansing needed to stop in northern gaza. afterwards antony blinken gave this update on his talks. antony blinken gave this update on his talks-— on his talks. let's listen in. we have — on his talks. let's listen in. we have had _ on his talks. let's listen in. we have had good - on his talks. let's listen in. we have had good and - on his talks. let's listen in. - we have had good and important conversations this week including this morning on ending the war in gaza and charting a path for what comes next. those conversations will continue. but i think this is a moment of importance and urgency that we are working to seize. i also have the

opportunity to speak to the prime minister of lebanon and there we also have a sense of urgency in getting to a diplomatic resolution. and the full implementation of un security council resolution 1701, such that they can be real security along the border between israel and lebanon and people on both sides of the border can have the confidence to be able to return to their homes. what my conservative leadership hopeful robert jenrick has given a speech this morning on his vision for the united kingdom foreign and defence policy. here he is speaking in central london in the past hour. the first duty of government is to protect the public. protect them from criminals at home and defend them from hostile threats abroad. there is nothing, frankly, more important. it is why i take a very uncompromising approach to illegal migration. i make no bones about it. the situation

in the channel is a national security emergency. we have next to no idea who is crossing in small boats and we are hamstrung time and again in our ability to remove them. it is why i have said that we must leave the european convention on human rights so that we can stop the boats and we can remove the dangerous foreign criminals from our streets. it's also why i spent my campaign talking about building more prisons and locking up hyper prolific offenders for longer to keep our streets safe. hf longer to keep our streets safe. , ., ., , ., longer to keep our streets safe. i. ., , ., , safe. if you are trying to be more eco-friendly - safe. if you are trying to be more eco-friendly you - safe. if you are trying to be | more eco-friendly you could more eco—friendly you could soon have a wider range of products to choose from including designer handbags made using bacteria and muffins containing algae. experts are embracing a new area of science — called engineering biology — which it's hoped could make goods more sustainable. 0ur science correspondent, pallab ghosh, has the story. a designer handbag made using bacteria. they grow in a dish to produce this, which is a bit like wood

pulp but much stronger. it's mixed with a natural textile and dyed to end up with a material that ends up looking and feeling like expensive leather. and because it's not made from cows, it's much better for the environment. they give off huge amounts of planet heating gases when they burp. a lot of young people today are worried about the future, or worried about the planet and where it's going to be in a few decades. they have ethical concerns around animal cruelty. and so we're really seeing in this new generation a strong drive for these materials. and we've gotten a lot of support for that because of this need. you can look at these two. it's impressed the government's head scientist. professor angela mclean, believes that the science that created the handbag could transform our lives. what we're looking for is terrificjobs making products that will be much less polluting and much more

sustainable than their current equivalents, that will generate greatjobs, good environments, and prosperity. does this excite you? i think it does. yes, it does. it does. it really excites me because i feel like, um, i feel like we are seeing the beginning of a big revolution. this new area of science is called engineering biology, and it's all about harnessing and adapting the power of nature to produce all sorts of things. governments are particularly interested in it because it has the potential to produce many of the things we need in a sustainable way. researchers in bedfordshire are using engineering biology to turn these green algal plants yellow, then completely white, to make a new superfood. they add chemicals to the green algae solution, which speeds up evolution. they then turn it into a powder, which is rich in protein and can be used as a substitute for eggs and dairy by the food industry. this is the ultimate example of end products

produced using our algae, where we've completely replaced egg and dairy ingredients. can i try one? i challenge you to taste the difference. mm. gorgeous. this is completely like a regular muffin. that's. .. that's where we're going — mainstream foods. how would this taste if it had green algae in? it would be a very bitter, off—putting flavour. it's not something you would want to be eating. with no butter and eggs, these cakes are lower in fat and cholesterol, but taste just like the ones you shouldn't eat too much of. they've been produced using natural organisms, but the technology could potentially be improved by other companies by genetically altering the bugs to be more productive and versatile. the people who are leading this

discussion are people who are invested in ensuring that the technology receives the widest possible funding and the widest possible dissemination. the problem is that it's a technology that is messing around with living organisms to make them part of industrial systems, and whilst it has the potential to do good, it also has the potential to do harm. hundreds of lab—grown products are on their way. engineering biology is seen by governments as a solution to some of their biggest problems. their challenge, though, is to introduce it with the right safeguards to ensure it's a technology that people trust rather than one they fear. pallab ghosh, bbc news. the singer kate bush has told the bbc that she's "really ready to do something new" — 13 years after her last studio album. in a rare interview to mark the release today of an animation she's helped create for the charity warchild, the singer—songwriter says she has plenty of ideas. she's been speaking to the bbc�*s emma barnett about herfuture plans —

let's take a listen to some of that interview. i've been caught up doing a lot of archive work over the last few years on all kinds of different levels, redesigning our website, putting a lyric book together. and i'm very keen to start working on a new album when i've got this finished. interviewer gasps i've got lots of ideas, and i'm really looking forward to getting back into that creative space. it's been a long time. really? is it something that you've been wanting to do for a while? yeah, yeah, it is, really. yes, i mean, ithink, particularly the last year, i felt really ready to start doing something new. what do you think it is now about potentially wanting to make more music, new music again? is there something that's sort of changed with you or some inspiration, if you don't mind me asking? this animation has taken up a lot of time this year, so, really, once this has finished, i'll be ready to start anew. let's speak to the guardian's music editor

ben beaumont—thomas. thank you very much for your time. this is really being talked about given the fact that kate bush has always shied away from the spotlight and been fairly reclusive, last releasing the studio album in 2011. just put it in perspective as to what we are seeing and hearing from her. yeah, this is tremendously exciting prospect of new music from her, that 2011 album 50 words for snow was really at the top of her game, deeply emotional, quite piano led ballads that was also a concept album about snow but there was nothing kind of chilly about it. it was extremely warm, human, emotive music and yet we have all been waiting patiently to hear more because there was no diminishing of her talent from her 1980s heyday. she shot

to fame in _ from her 1980s heyday. she shot to fame in 1978, _ from her 1980s heyday. she shot to fame in 1978, best _ from her 1980s heyday. she shot to fame in 1978, best known - from her 1980s heyday. she shot to fame in 1978, best known for. to fame in 1978, best known for hits like wuthering heights, hounds 0f hits like wuthering heights, hounds of love, but what is interesting is she also attracted that new generation of fans in 2022 attr