to unseat mr barnier. in the end, 331 were cast to remove him. the budget — which was the cause of his downfall — is now defunct. france has been plagued by political uncertainty since the summer election resulted in a hung parliament — a result that can't be changed in an election before next july. in the meantime, president macron will address the nation on thursday evening. he's also expected to appoint a new prime minister quickly — not least because president—elect trump is due in paris this weekend for the opening of the notre dame cathedral. our paris correspondent andrew harding reports. moments before the voting began here in paris tonight, michel barnier made a final ratherforlorn mp to french mps. plea to french mps. the prime minister urged them to back him and his government and his budget, or create chaos. translation: ican't-

believe a majority of mps here will vote to destabilise our institutions at a moment where our country is going through a deep moral, economic, financial and silly crisis. but the answer came back fast and conclusive. the speaker of parliament revealing that 57% of mps had voted no confidence in the government. politicians from the hard right and hard left of french politics briefly uniting on this one issue. translation: i don't feel my head spinning and i don't consider this a victory. we had a choice to make and the choice we made was to protect french people. having tasted blood, many french mps now want more, specifically they want president emmanuel macron ousted. heading home from a trip

to saudi arabia tonight, a badly weakened president has made it clear he is staying put. it is 62 years since france last found itself in a situation like this. on that occasion, president de gaulle stood his ground and eventually regained control of parliament. today feels rather different. france is in debt, public frustration growing, a nation wrestling like so many now with the forces of polarisation and populism. "i think it's tragic," says this woman of today's vote. "nobody is considering the consequences." "there is a lot of anxiety," this man adds. "i'm upset both with the forces on the left and the far right." tonight, a government has fallen but france's political deadlock remains firmly in place. andrew harding,

bbc news, paris. i spoke with rainbow murray, professor of politics at queen mary university of london. why do you think we saw him fall we saw michel fall? do you think it was because of this budget bill that he pushed past the assembly? the broader cause was the huge political division in france which came to the fore when emmanuel macron pulled a snap election which led to some which led to three evenly sized factions the left, the centre and the far right, none of them could form a majority and none of them could work together and so, michel barnier was doomed to fail from the start because he always had a minority government and it was not surprising

that he felt obliged to push his budget through using the constitutional mechanism that allows him to bypass parliament because the left said that they could not supported because it made too many concessions to the far right the far right so they could not support it because of the concessions to the left and even when trying to compromise, there was no solution in sight and now everything is come to a head and both sides of the opportunity to make things even more difficult for emmanuel macron. what do you think we will see emmanuel macron do next? appointing michel barnier into weeks, he cannot wait another two months and there are three reasons why he needs to act the first is that he has a visit to france later this week by donald trump for the reopening of notre dame. this is a lovely opportunity to put france back on the international stage and show it in its best light and he does not want that to get screwed up. he also needs to protect his own position the longer this crisis drags on, the more vulnerable he becomes

and he'll want to try to get a new government in place quickly and france has no budget and the current budget expires at the end of this month. thousands of protesters have marched on the south korean parliament in seoul, demanding the resignation of the country's president. opposition politicians have formally introduced a motion to impeach yoon suk yeol for his bungled attempt to impose martial law. it's unclear if it will pass as the ruling party say they won't support it — but the country's largest trade union has launched what it is calling an indefinite general strike — saying more than a million members will only return to work when he resigns. our asia correspondent, laura bicker, reports from seoul. cheering. this candle lit cam followed a night of chaos. they gathered on the steps of the parliament with one aim — to call for the impeachment of a president who declared martial law. translation: because we have a history of defending _ democracy a few times, the people will strongly defend democracy once more.

translation: i'm out - here as a citizen who could not sit by and watch the democracy breaking down. "resign," the group chanted, before their mexican wave. such a different scene from last night's turmoil. president yoon plunged his country into martial law. soldiers broke through the windows of parliament to prevent elected members from overturning his decree. they were unsuccessful. and after six hours, seoul's parliament, notjust its president, were back in control. today, the building bore the scars of that struggle. repairs have already begun, as has a motion to impeach the president. translation: if they're willing to violate human| rights under martial law,

it's obvious that they're also ready to sacrifice people's lives. stay alert and fight with us. protests sprung up in other parts of the city, as south koreans took a moment to reflect. the prospect of martial law brought back chilling memories of authoritarian rule. in the 19705 and �*80s, groups of students in seoul took on dictators, often clashing with riot police and risking their lives. their defiance and resilience helped south korea become a democratic country. south koreans value their democracy. they fought for it, some died for it. and although they may be questioning just how robust it may be, they've turned out in their thousands to protect it. but president yoon remains in power. some tried to march some tried to march to his office, but they to his office, but they

were blocked by police. were blocked by police. it's unclear whether mr yoon it's unclear whether mr yoon hears their calls to resign. hears their calls to resign. but until he does, these but until he does, these demonstrations, however demonstrations, however peaceful, will only grow. peaceful, will only grow. laura bicker, bbc news, seoul. laura bicker, bbc news, seoul. let us speak to let us speak to sydney seiler, former sydney seiler, former national intelligence officer national intelligence officer for north korea at the national for north korea at the national intelligence council intelligence council at the white house. at the white house. thank you so much forjoining thank you so much forjoining us tonight on bbc news. it has us tonight on bbc news. it has been an extraordinary past few been an extraordinary past few days in south korea what we days in south korea what we have witnessed. do you think have witnessed. do you think that we will now see the that we will now see the impeachment of the president impeachment of the president and that is pretty certain? well, as you know, the votes are very close in right now as it stands around 300 members of parliament and the needs to be two thirds majority and i would involve eight members from president yoon�*s party and jumping across the aisle and

joining with the opposition.

my first tour in korea having my first tour in korea backin having my first tour in korea back in 1982 in mentioning earlier about the martial law that was in place in the 70s and 80s and the turmoil and demonstrations that had tear gas wafting across campuses in south korea. and this is not something that is unprecedented in it is meant to dismiss rather to have confidence that so far, the democratic systems are working and the process is under way to hold them accountable and trying to defend his actions based upon his interpretation of his authorities as president i think south korean democracy will be strengthened in the process. will be strengthened in the rocess. �* ., , will be strengthened in the rocess. ~ . , ., process. and we have seen a vibrant and _ process. and we have seen a vibrant and robust _ process. and we have seen a vibrant and robust protest i vibrant and robust protest scene that you do see in a city vibrant and robust protest scene that you do see in a city like seoul and tell us more like seoul and tell us more about that.— about that.— like seoul and tell us more like seoul and tell us more about that. when i first went there, there _ about that. when i first went there, there _

about that. when i first went there, there was _ about that. when i first went there, there was a _ there, there was a demonstration on campus usually about that. when i first went there, there was _ about that. when i first went there, there was a _ there, there was a demonstration on campus usually in exchange of one side and in exchange of one side and tear gas on the other and there tear gas on the other and there were reallyjustified legal were reallyjustified legal means by which people could means by which people could articulate their voices in any articulate their voices in any manner other than protest like manner other than protest like this and so, this is gained a this and so, this is gained a great following through history great following through history particularly in 1987 when major particularly in 1987 when major demonstrations led to the demonstrations led to the foundation for the modern the region, —, foundation for the modern democracy that we see today in democracy that we see today in south korea and so, the south korea and so, the protests are part of political protests are part of political participations for the korean participations for the korean people and the like to have people and the like to have their voices heard and at the their voices heard and at the same time, we see them and the same time, we see them and the numbers that we see them in, we numbers that we see them in, we should not be thinking that should not be thinking that society itself of the political society itself of the political system itself is somehow system itself is somehow collapsing in the process. what collapsing in the process. what about regional, _ about regional, _ collapsing in the process. what about regional, the _ collapsing in the process. what about regional, the impact - about regional, the impact here, we know it comes at a collapsing in the process. what about regional, the _ collapsing in the process. what about regional, the impact - about regional, the impact here, we know it comes at a time or south korea's tensions time or south korea's tensions with their neighbours to the with their neighbours to the north have been particularly north have been particularly high. we have also seen as high. we have also seen as stepped of collaboration with stepped of collaboration with

the united states as an ally in the united states as an ally in the united states as an ally in the united states as an ally in the region, is there any impact on all of that? in the region, is there any impact on all of that?— on all of that? in the short term, on all of that? in the short term. i — on all of that? in the short term, i would _ on all of that? in the short term, i would think - on all of that? in the short term, i would think no. . on all of that? in the short i term, i would think no. north korea in particular is watching events unfolding in the south and drying comfort and encouragement from them in terms of what they said about not wanting to deal with president yoon and the poisonous atmosphere in the relations that you get from president yoon and similar conservatives. so, things are trending in north korea's well without them doing anything and if they did a orjust feed the narrative that there was some security dimension that justified the action and in the longer term, justified the action and in the longerterm, if justified the action and in the longer term, if we are honest, the opposition is likely to replace president yoon and as many of the same views towards north korea that president yoon did and we should not be deploying our nuclear deterrent capabilities and should not be

engaging in large military exercises but rather should be engaging in talking to them. so, there will be a shift potentially in our approach to north korea that the alliance will have to take. we have done it for 70 years we've gone between progressives and conservatives and i'm certain the alliance will align itself to make sure that they know this is not an opportunity to take advantage of the situation.— take advantage of the situation. ,., ., ., , ., situation. good to get your perspective _ situation. good to get your perspective and _ situation. good to get your perspective and thank - situation. good to get your perspective and thank you | situation. good to get your. perspective and thank you so much forjoining us.- perspective and thank you so much forjoining us. much for “oining us. thank you so much much forjoining us. thank you so much for— much forjoining us. thank you so much for the _ much forjoining us. thank you so much for the invitation. - around the world and across the uk. this is bbc news. let's look at some other stories making news the scottish government has unveiled plans to scrap the uk—wide two—child benefit cap. campaigners say the policy is the uk's biggest single driver of child poverty, and the labour government has come under repeated pressure to scrap it. holyrood also announced increases for some income tax bands, record spending for the nhs, and investment in affordable housing. economists at the 0ecd have warned that interest rates may fall more slowly in the uk than previously thought,

due to the tax and spending measures announced in the budget. the international thinktank predicts the bank of england will cut its base rate from the current four—point—seven—five % to three—point—five % by early 2026. a barrister representing lucy letby says she continues to maintain her innocence — after she was interviewed about more deaths. detectives asked her about incidents at the countess of chester hospital, and liverpool women's hospital, where she trained. letby is serving a whole life sentence for the murders of seven babies and the attempted murder of seven more in chester. you're live with bbc news. police in new york city are searching for a gunman who shot dead the chief executive of one of the united states's largest health insurance companies. brian thompson was fatally shotjust before 7am local time on wednesday. he was found outside the hilton

hotel in midtown manhattan,

they had little doubt they had little doubt the killing was premeditated. the killing was premeditated. in midtown manhattan in midtown manhattan early this morning, 50—year—old brian thompson, early this morning, 50—year—old brian thompson, the ceo of unitedhealthcare, the ceo of unitedhealthcare, was shot and killed was shot and killed in what appears at this early in what appears at this early stage of our investigation to stage of our investigation to be a brazen, targeted attack. be a brazen, targeted attack. this does not appear to be this does not appear to be a random act of violence. a random act of violence. after the shooting, the street after the shooting, the street here was quickly closed off here was quickly closed off and the police investigation and the police investigation has been continuing all day. has been continuing all day. and while they say they do not and while they say they do not yet have a motive, yet have a motive, significantly, perhaps, significantly, perhaps, mr thompson's wife has given mr thompson's wife has given pretty scary, huh? a phone interview to nbc news a phone interview to nbc news in which she said her husband in which she said her husband had been receiving had been receiving threats of some kind. and although she didn't threats of some kind. and although she didn't go into any detail, go into any detail, that will clearly feed that will clearly feed into the investigation. into the investigation. gun crime in new york is lower gun crime in new york is lower than the national average than the national average and extremely rare in central and extremely rare in central manhattan. manhattan. those close by when it happened those close by when it happened spoke of their shock. spoke of their shock. i mean, it's new york. i mean, it's new york. it's kind of, it's not normal it's kind of, it's not normal

here at 8:00 and 7:00 in the morning, but it's here at 8:00 and 7:00 off a worldwide investigation. arrested in london, fawad saeidi was carrying £250,000 in cash. he was one of many couriers

moving dirty money for drugs gangs and the police soon found they were linked back to russia. back to russia. another day, another exchange, another day, another exchange, watched by a surveillance team. watched by a surveillance team. the two men walk off the two men walk off with the money. with the money. the gang in the car who handed the gang in the car who handed it over, receive an online it over, receive an online transfer of cryptocurrency. transfer of cryptocurrency. many of the couriers many of the couriers were under the direction were under the direction of this russian woman, of this russian woman, yekaterina zhdanova. yekaterina zhdanova. as the lockdowns bit as the lockdowns bit and criminals found it and criminals found it harder to move cash, harder to move cash, her network and another made her network and another made them a multi—billion dollar them a multi—billion dollar offer they couldn't refuse. offer they couldn't refuse. 71 couriers have been 71 couriers have been arrested in the past three arrested in the past three years across the uk. years across the uk. investigators saw them investigators saw them receiving bags of cash receiving bags of cash from gangs and providing from gangs and providing the equivalent the equivalent in cryptocurrency. in cryptocurrency. one gang picked up cash one gang picked up cash from 22 different groups from 22 different groups in 55 places nationwide. in 55 places nationwide. now the cryptocurrency was now the cryptocurrency was provided by exchange networks provided by exchange networks overseen by yekaterina budanova overseen by yekaterina budanova and this man george rossi and and this man george rossi and

his associate elena chirkinyan. his associate elena chirkinyan. they've been sanctioned today by the us government. they and others had access to billions of dollars of funds from ransomware attacks orchestrated from russia. so for every £1 million the couriers received, the controllers in moscow sent the gangs $1 million in crypto. the gangs used that to buy drugs from south american cartels. the russian gangs took a commission as their network, laundered the cash through bogus companies and moved it around the world, and eventually it could be banked with its criminal origins obscured. we see violence, extortion and coercion in communities in the uk caused by the drug trade. there is a straight line between those harms and the money generated from drug sales, and the extortion from ransomware. that's what we're attacking and that's why it matters. the nca says the network, based in moscow's business district, helped the russian state fund espionage and move cash for sanctioned

members of its elite.

in chief of vogue for nearly a0 years. and she's the driving force behind a new immersive exhibition celebrating the changing history of the catwalk. inventing the runway uses vogue's archive — dating right back to its first publication in 1892. it's on at the lightroom in kings cross in london — and our media editor katie razzall went to meet her. this is spectacle, beyond spectacle. you were there. i was there. it was extraordinary. anna wintour, flanked by british vogue's boss and the company's creative chief, relives the moment back in 2017, when fashion designer karl lagerfeld created a space station—inspired catwalk set for chanel. it was just a pleasure and amazing to be there, and you couldn't wait to see what he was going to come up with next. now we have a front—row seat on the history of the catwalk, with an immersive exhibition with an immersive exhibition at london's lightroom, dreamt at london's lightroom, dreamt up by vogue's reigning queen. up by vogue's reigning queen. i think for someone who goes i think for someone who goes

to so many shows, you get to so many shows, you get a little, notjaded but you get a little, notjaded but you get used to the experience, used to the experience, but it isn't one that but it isn't one that many people do have that many people do have that opportunity to see. opportunity to see. and what we were very, and what we were very, very keen with this show very keen with this show is to make sure that you felt is to make sure that you felt like you were actually there. like you were actually there. what struck me is just how it's what struck me is just how it's democratised over the... democratised over the... you see right at the beginning... you see right at the beginning... it started as a very elitist, it started as a very elitist, you had to be invited, you had to be invited, and now everyone can come and now everyone can come to the party, which is to the party, which is what the glasses are. as it as it should be. as it as it should be. anna wintour has been at anna wintour has been at the helm of vogue since 1988. the helm of vogue since 1988. she's behind the global fashion she's behind the global fashion event new york's met gala, event new york's met gala, but what most people but what most people want to know is she like this? the tyrannical magazine boss played by meryl streep in the devil wears prada. and for our interview, wintour�*s sunglasses stayed on. want to know is she like this? people are obsessed with the glasses. you're probably like, i'm so bored of talking about these glasses. that would be true. is it a shield?

is it about short—sightedness? i just wonder

firmly entwined. katie razzall, bbc news. before we go — the world's oldest known wild bird has laid an egg at the approximate age of 7a. meet wisdom — a laysan albatross at the midway atoll national wildlife refuge in the pacific ocean. the us fish and wildlife service filmed this video of her with her latest partner looking after the egg. members of her species usually only live for 12—40 years. however, she was first identified and tagged in 1956. the species generally mates for life but she is already thought to have outlived at least three partners. stay with us here on bbc news.

continuing political crisis in south korea as well. it will be back with more headlines of the top of the next hour.— top of the next hour. thank you for watching. _ hello there. the weather is set to stay pretty unsettled as we head towards the weekend, but it's not a complete wash—out. there will be some drier, brighter interludes from time to time before the wet and windy weather moves through, and then it will turn noticeably colder, particularly for the second half of the weekend. so one weather front has been bringing some heavy rain — that's sweeping its way east. a brief lull, but only briefly, before the next system starts to pile in, so rainfall accumulations are going to start to pep up over the next few days. widely, we could see 50mm of rain, but across north wales, north—west england, some areas could see 70 to 80mm, possibility of further localised flooding. so not a bad start for many across central and eastern areas, clouding over

from the west, and some of that rain really turning quite heavy, with gale—force gusts of winds particularly for the highlands and islands. here, we'll see 8 or 9 degrees. highest values, though, further south of around 13 or 1a celsius. so a slightly milder feel to things, but a spell of very wet weather will sweep its way through. and as we move towards the early hours of friday morning, the wind direction changes once again, back to a north—westerly. so a slightly cooler start to friday, but friday should be a relatively dry start with some sunny spells coming through. there will be a few scattered showers into the far north—west, and with elevation, some of these a little wintry. but later on, the next system starts to push in from the atlantic. yet more wet and windy weather to come. 0n the whole, friday will be a slightly cooler day, 6 to 9 degrees. now, this area of low pressure could still be just that little bit further north, but at the moment, the current thinking is that it's going to move its way across the country.

and with elevation across the pennines and the southern uplands, we could see some snow as it clears through. but it was going to move through during the early half of saturday. the wind directions swing around to a northerly. some of those showers with elevation could turn quite wintry as well. temperatures down again, 5 to 8 degrees quite widely across the country. for the second half of the weekend, though, it looks likely that we're going to start to see high pressure building in from the west. it'll still be a windy day, a cold wind coming down from the north. but on the whole, sunday will be drier with more sunshine coming through, but it will feel very chilly indeed. take care.

this is bbc news. we'll have the headlines for you at the top of the hour, which is straight after this programme. welcome to hardtalk. i'm stephen sackur. internal division has cost the palestinian people dear. the feud between the secular and islamist political movements, between fatah and hamas, exposed weaknesses that israel has ruthlessly exploited. now, more than a year on from hamas's october 7th attack on israel and the idf�*s overwhelming military response, what options do palestinians have? well, my guest is arab barghouthi, son

of marwan barghouthi, imprisoned in israel for murder. seen by many palestinians as a leader—in—waiting, could new leadership re—inject hope into the palestinian body politic? arab barghouthi, in ramallah, welcome to hardtalk. thank you so much for having me. it's a great pleasure to talk to you today. let us start with the situation your father is in. i believe you were 11 years old when your father was taken by the israelis.

he's been imprisoned inside israel ever since. i know your family fights hard to gain access to him,