we look ahead to the launch. hello, i'm catherine byaruhanga. let's bring you some breaking news. we have been following the policy change from the united states, giving ukraine permission to use long—range missiles inside russia. we have some reaction coming from the kremlin, which has said that if the united states allowed ukraine to use us made weapons to strike inside russia, it would lead to a rise in tensions and deepen the involvement of the united states in the conflict. this is reaction from the reuters news agency, citing two us officials and a source familiar with the

decision that was reported on sunday thatjoe biden had given ukraine permission to use long—range missiles inside russia. their reaction from the kremlin is that if the united states did allow ukraine to use these long—range missiles inside russia, it would lead to a rise in tensions and deepen the involvement of the united states in the conflict and add fuel to the fire. we will have more on that story and bbc news. the parents of a british teenager who took his own life after falling victim to sextortion have made a direct appeal to criminals in nigeria calling on them to stop targeting children. murray dowey was only 16 when he ended his life last year. our correspondent angus crawford has been to meet his parents. from these streets, criminals target british children — trick, bully, blackmailthem.

for kids, once you get those pictures from their social media handles, you are good to go. children like murray dowey. he was a great kid and he went up to his room and he was absolutely fine. and, you know, we found him dead the next morning. and we had no chance to intervene, to notice there was something wrong and try and help and fix it. it happened so quickly. murray wasjust 16. tricked by someone posing as a girl online, he sent them compromising pictures. then he was told to pay up or they'd be sent to friends and family. i don't know if they have any humanity to stop and think about what they're actually doing, but you know, you have to question how would they feel if it was their child or their little brother or theirfriend? you can't put into words how painful it is and how devastating, and how that gap, that murray gap is just going to be there for the rest of our lives.

and i suppose all for the sake of a few quid. a few quid that ends up here in nigeria. you use a profile of- a beautiful girl and he will keep imagining, wow, this is my girlfriend. l well, the painful part - of it is that they will never want to tell anyone - when this is happening. this man isn't the one who blackmailed murray, but he's done it to others. it took our bbc colleagues in lagos months to persuade him to talk. i don't have anything tojustify that, - that what i'm doing. i know that it's bad, but ijust call it - survival of the fittest. you're terrorising children. so we play him a message from scotland. you've ended murray's life. you know, he didn't deserve to die in the way he did. and it breaks my heart to think what his last few moments or hours of getting relentless messages and threats and the terror he must

have felt and the panic. that's one of the hardest things to think, what his last sort of few moments or hours in life were like, because of you. to be honest, i am almost. crying, like, i feel very bad. these are the suspected internet fraudsters. an arrest operation. more than 100 suspected scammers in one raid. police are trying to break the gangs, but seem overwhelmed. there's loads of things i feel guilty and i wish i had done, but... i don't think we could have done anything different, sweetheart, i really don't. but roz and mark's anger isn't only aimed at the people committing this crime. i just don't think as adults, we have any comprehension of what children are actually doing. they also blame the tech platforms, who they say aren't doing enough to stop it. social media companies could do so much more, and the reason they don't do so much more is money. it will stop them making more

billions than they're making. they make big headlines about caring and trying to stop it. it's just, they need to put their money where their mouth is. the technologies are there for them to stop so many of these crimes to be perpetrated, so much of the harm being shown and then forced onto kids through algorithms. but they don't, you know, they don't care because all they care about is profit. how have we got to this point where somebody making some money for shareholders is more important than children dying? you know, itjust... it's ludicrous. roz and mark, speaking out in murray's name to keep other young people safe. everything in life passes. there's nothing that is worth taking your own life for. so if something happens to you, put that phone down and go and get somebody you trust and tell them it's happened. and don't be ashamed of what you've done. thousands of children are sharing images and what have you. it's happened.

phone down. go and talk to somebody about it and it. it won't be the end of the world. it really won't be the end of the world. um, yeah, we can't have this happening to more children, like what happened to murray. and angus crawford joins us live from salford. how big is this problem of sextortion rings coming out of nigeria, and what do you think the reaction will be of those calls from murray dowey�*s parents? calls from murray dowey's parents?— parents? that is a difficult question _ parents? that is a difficult question to _ parents? that is a difficult question to answer. - parents? that is a difficult question to answer. such | parents? that is a difficult. question to answer. such is parents? that is a difficult - question to answer. such is the stigma, the embarrassment, the fear of those who fall victim, it is hugely underreported. but there is an organisation, the national organisation for missing and exploited children, based in the us, they say in

2022, there were 10,000 reports of sextortion that came to them from children. a year later, that had risen to 25,000. that gives you a sense of the huge scale of the problem. figures i have seen suggest something like a0 self—inflicted deaths and suicides among young people in the uk, us, canada, australia and new zealand in the last two years. what is extraordinary about what the dowey family is doing is that they are getting out there despite their grief and despite the fact that they say there will always be a murray shaped hole in their life, and they want to send two clear messages. the first, talk about this, discuss it, make sure it's not a taboo and if the worst happens, put the phone down and talk to someone you trust because nothing is worth dying over. the embarrassment is not worth taking your life over. the second thing, as you saw in that report, was that they want to get the message out to the criminals,

particularly in west africa, that this is not a consequence free crime, that what may be happening thousands of miles away from you is ending in the deaths of young people and destroying families.- destroying families. angus crawford- _ authorities in india have announced further restrictions for construction activities and vehicle movements in the capital delhi to combat worsening air quality, which has now been categorised as "se v ere plus" a blanket of toxic smog has covered the city of thirty million people for the past week. the smog has spread to the pakistani city of lahore — where schools, universities, and parks have been closed, and a lockdown planned in an attempt to try to limit damage. so what is life like inside the city? our pakistan correspondent, caroline davies, has this report. lahore was known as the city of gardens.

now you can hardly see the green through the grey. in the last two weeks, air quality has hit unprecedented toxic levels. some cannot escape it. translation: we are compelled to go out i because we have children. if we stay home, what will we do? we have to earn our livelihood. there is no other option. not everyone is a job holder. we are labourers. we need to earn to be able to eat. respiratory problems, eye infections, coughs, asthma — this ward estimates they've seen up to 25% more patients. and winter is almost here. in the coming one or two weeks, there will be the cold wave that will hit lahore and major cities of pakistan. so cold waves along with

the smog is a lethal weapon. and i am expecting there will be a significant surge in the respiratory diseases. lahore's markets are far from empty, but some have no choice but to stay inside. irum has three children, two with special needs. cough is not going. everyone in our home is having cough. and these two kids are more affected with smoke as compared to the other people in the home. the kids with special needs have low immunity. very good. three, two, one. schools are closed, so are the parks. they are greatly disturbed by all this haphazardness because they don't have anything to do. it is very difficult to survive in this environment. and we are thinking that it is high time to shift somewhere, because every day we are affected by it. pakistan sees smog most years. the provincial government insists it was trying to control it, but hadn't prepared for this level.

air quality index is beyond our control and i must admit that it is actually a surprise for us. we were not ready to, you know, face such kind of surge in aol whole of the government is actually working towards mitigation of smog. we know that this is a long battle. change requires money and political will. if pollution outpaces pakistan's efforts, lahore, and the millions who live here, may stay trapped in these toxic clouds. caroline davies, bbc news. around the world and across the uk, this is bbc news.

senegal�*s governing party looks set to secure a resounding victory after sunday's general election. president bassirou diomaye faye's pastef party has a clear lead with most votes counted. the two main opposition parties

have already conceded. mr faye was elected president back in march, on a radical socialjustice platform, but with no majority in the national assembly with which to carry it out. let's speak now to our west africa correspondent nicolas negoce. tell us how significant this result is, and what kind of policies would the president want to put in place? it is very significant. - want to put in place? it is very significant. it - want to put in place? it is very significant. it looks l want to put in place? it 3 very significant. it looks like a historic win for the pastef party so far. this election has symbolic significance. the critical challenge was for the president to win over those who elected him. they still support his programme and according to the first results we have, it seems people back him on the

ambitious reforms he wants to step up in senegal. what is important in senegal is the economy, the fact that more than 20% of young people in senegal are unemployed. that's why there are so many young senegalese trying to leave senegal, doing that dangerous journey. so the priority for president bassirou diomaye faye will be to fight corruption. you mentioned that president faye came to power in march following massive popular protests. supporters of him and his prime minister, how are they now being viewed within senegal? they now being viewed within sene . al? . senegal? there are mixed

feelinqs- _ senegal? there are mixed feelings. there _ senegal? there are mixed feelings. there are - senegal? there are mixed - feelings. there are supporters of the pastef party who are very happy with what they have been doing since they came to power eight months ago. it seems most of the 7 million voters in senegal back the pastef party for what they have been doing and what they have promised. the opposition are saying the prime minister and president faye promised there would be a new relationship with france, so they wonder what is going to happen in the coming months.— what is going to happen in the coming months. nicolas negoce, thank yon _ the hotly anticipated new film wicked is due to hit uk cinema screens next week, having just premiered in new york, and is about to be screened for the first time in london. fans of the hugely successful theatre musical have had to wait three years since the adaptation

was first announced. the story is based on a novel by author gregory maguire and tells the backstory of elphaba, who goes on to become the wicked witch of west in the wizard of oz. let's speak to anna smith, film critic and host of the girls on film podcast, who can tell us more. is this set to be a success, considering how popular the wicked musical is? i considering how popular the wicked musical is?- wicked musical is? i think it will be a _ wicked musical is? i think it will be a big _ wicked musical is? i think it will be a big hit. _ wicked musical is? i think it will be a big hit. i'm - will be a big hit. i'm imagining that a lot of people who have seen the musical have already booked their tickets and are excited about it. i can also see this being like barbie in the sense that people want to go along with their friends. they might even dress up. and of course, you have nostalgia for both the film and the musical at the same time. it's a pg film that can appeal to a lot of ages, and judging by the trailer, there is a huge sense of spectacle. it looks like something you would want to see

on the big screen. h0 something you would want to see on the big screen.— on the big screen. no one in the uk has _ on the big screen. no one in the uk has seen _ on the big screen. no one in the uk has seen the - on the big screen. no one in the uk has seen the film - on the big screen. no one in the uk has seen the film as| on the big screen. no one in. the uk has seen the film as it has not premiered here. i wanted to ask you what you think the successors of the film might be, especially ariana grande, and national pop star, is starring in the film as well as cynthia erivo, a great musician. might that be the key to success for the film? ~ , ,., y the key to success for the film? ~ , ,., , , film? absolutely. this film would not _ film? absolutely. this film would not work _ film? absolutely. this film would not work without - film? absolutely. this film | would not work without the right casting and i am hopeful about it. they both have incredible voices and good acting skills and a lot of chemistry and charisma. that is a huge part of it. but you also have to have all the costume, production, visual effects in place, and it seems they have worked hard on that and got people at the top of their game and have tried to work on creating a whole world to immerse audiences in. interestingly, the film is being split into two halves.

how does that work and could it be a negative for some fans? it's an interesting one. there will be one out on friday and another one a year later. we don't know how they are going to split it, but i imagine they would work like where you have the interval in the stage show. in that case, i'm hopeful that at least you would have a satisfying story and something that stands alone. where it can work against a film if it split in two halves if it is either a cliffhanger was something where you don't feel a sense of satisfaction. i'm hoping that with this, they have done it to get to grips more with the characters and use most if not all of the songs. if they do justice to the musical and bring out the emotion of the story, it will work. the bring out the emotion of the story, it will work.— story, it will work. the film is set to — story, it will work. the film is set to centre _ story, it will work. the film is set to centre on - story, it will work. the film is set to centre on the - is set to centre on the relationship of the two female characters. how important is that? ., , characters. how important is that? ., characters. how important is that? . ., that? that is key to the musical's _ that? that is key to the musical's success - that? that is key to the musical's success and l that? that is key to the i musical's success and for that? that is key to the -

musical's success and for me as the host of the girls on film podcast, we are always interested in stories that celebrate female relationships and their complexities. there is romance in this story, but i believe like the musical, it will centre around two women. that is something that resonates with audiences and that we need to see more of. the film comes out at a time when you have gladiator two now in the cinemas. there is also a paddington film set to be released. we that hurt wicked's chances? ., ., ., ~' released. we that hurt wicked's chances? ., ., , chances? you look at the barbie and oppenheimer _ chances? you look at the barbie and oppenheimer phenomenon | chances? you look at the barbie . and oppenheimer phenomenon and wonder if people would want to go for a double bill. i don't know if you could repeat that organic success, but anything that gets people into the cinemas and encourages them to keep going is a great thing and all three films you have mentioned will hopefully do that. �* ., ,, mentioned will hopefully do that. ., ,, . . that. anna smith, film critic and host — that. anna smith, film critic and host of— that. anna smith, film critic and host of the _ that. anna smith, film critic and host of the girls - that. anna smith, film critic and host of the girls on - that. anna smith, film critic| and host of the girls on film podcast, thank you.

and of course, we will have much more on the premiere when it happens in london, a short distance from our newsroom. our culture team will be there and we will have mo