this is due to the news a lifeboat from berlin russia's opposition leader of alexina evolving is on his way to germany for medical treatment following a suspected of poisoning a plane carrying the comatose novelli has taken off from the russian city of angst heading for a berlin. also coming up on the show the political crisis in bello rusa deepens as the authorities crack down on the government's opponents protesters in the capital mens' go for much chain of solidarity and at the u.n. is demanding the release of all political prisoners. tens of thousands of police

some of the biggest wildfires ever to hit california the blazes worst parts by lightning strikes and the state's governor is blaming climate change. i'm going to richard sennett welcome to the show russian opposition leader alexina vonnie is on his way to germany for medical treatment following a suspected of poisoning a plane carrying a volley has it taken off from on the airport before that an ambulance brought the ailing russian opposition politician up from the hospital he'd been in the care of russian doctors there since another flight he was on it was forced to make an emergency landing 2 days ago involving a collapsed after drinking tea and has been in a coma his supporters say he was

a deliberately poisoned or russian doctors at 1st said he was too ill to travel but health officials later back to down and said they would allow me to be transported to germany. we took the decision not to oppose his transfer to another hospital the one that his relatives indicated to us. that was what volleys wife yulia had been desperate to hear she'd been fighting since arriving at the hospital on thursday 1st to get her husband's own doctor to see him then to get the german medics and. we believe that the doctors that deliberately delaying so that the chemical substance in my husband alexei's metabolism has time to disappear that's why they won't let him leave the hospital alex says health situation it's probably very bad so we don't believe the doctors in the hospital and we demand that their hand my husband over

you know we didn't kill come here the sheriff a hospital in berlin 2 years ago it's magic successfully treated another russian dissident who seem to have been poisoned that was pussy riot activists pure vessel off the group flown vessel off out sent medics to go get novelle me and persuade the russians to let him well joining me for more is due to the reporter katie stevens who's been following this story for us in the valley is on his way here do we have an idea of when he's going to arrive in berlin well this evacuation flights will take about 5 hours so he'll arrive in berlin early on saturday morning this is obviously quite a sensitive operation here the critical condition he's actually in a medically induced coma at the moment so he's going to be under close supervision by the german doctors who are on that flight within his wife is also believed to be on that flight it's a special medical evacuation planes that has

a ventilator it has a machine to do the work of his heart and lungs everything to try and keep him in a stable condition as possible before he arrives and is transferred to the hospital to receive specialist treatment and so why isn't the only being a. brought to berlin specifically well this is something that his family and his team have really been pushing for they don't seem to trust the doctors in the russian hospital and what they're saying about these condition as to the choice of the sheraton it in particular in berlin it is one of the most highly regarded hospitals in germany and often treats high profile patients including the chancellor angela merkel it also has a long history of treating political dissidents and opponents from abroad so the former ukrainian president sorry prime minister yulia tymoshenko the russian activist who was treated there in 2018 for a suspected poisoning case back in 2010 another 2 russian dissidents who are living

in berlin america will receive medical treatment at the sharia tave respected mercury poisoning so it does have experience in handling these kind of cases right so top hospital that also does have experience as you say with exactly this kind of case but can we say definitively whether this was indeed an intentional poisoning well that's certainly what. these family his supporters his team are all saying they believe very strongly that he was poisoned his spokeswoman has said that on thursday at the airport he was completely fine he then drank a cup of tea and suddenly was taken very early on the flight and they believe that it was possibly this tea that was poisoned russian doctors at the hospital where we've used being treated to push back against that interpretation they actually say that they've ruled out poisoning and instead they're pointing to a possible metabolic disorder talking of low blood sugar levels as a possible reason for develop the falling unconscious his personal physician is skeptical about that he has said me was healthy had been undergoing regular medical

checks and had no underlying conditions so when casting doubt on interpretation. nouvelle these supporters will point to the fact that he has been jailed most part . hines and i actually was in prison last year he was rushed to hospital in what was another suspected poisoning case according to his team and supporters and it's not the 1st time that the kremlin has been blamed for the alleged poisoning of activists and dissidents so you might think back to alexander litvinenko in 2006 or the screen pals the former double agent to was poisoned along with his daughter and 2018 now the kremlin has denied all responsibility in any of these incidents and as it certainly will do if this does is proven to be a poisoning which may be difficult but certainly in the in his supporters pointing the finger at the kremlin all right and we'll be looking for more information to come in the days ahead kitty stevens i thank you so much for your reporting. what

about there is now where thousands of anti-government protesters have formed a chain of solidarity across the capital minsk authorities are holding one of the leaders of striking factory workers and are threatening the demonstrators with criminal charges the u.n. is calling for the release of all those who've been detained. shoulder to shoulder in support protest is again standing firm in minsk. a chain of solidarity stretching kilometers through the belly routine capital as far as the detention center where anti-government protesters have been held since the disputed election nothing after the biggest but when you see that you. realize that you know national and no one has stopped to say when you go to for solution card to resign it helps to keep our spirits up and not to get sad. was the show the beginning we

were really enthusiastic now people are starting to say the protests a calming down the people it has a mystique we have to remember that the regime had ruled for 26 years it's impossible to overturn in just 10 days. the opposition is still encouraging people to attend mass demonstrations and urging the authorities not to use force and the u.n. is calling for all political prisoners to be released. soon authorities say nearly all have been freed. for groups or many are hoping luka shimko is losing his grip on power but the hard line leader insists he will solve the political crisis in the coming days. through from well let's take a look now at some of the other stories making news around the world's demonstrators in iraq have set fire to the gates of the parliament building in the southern province of basra the main oil producing region protesters are and.

government inaction over the assassination of several political and women's rights campaigners. turkish president. has announced a large natural gas discovery off the black sea coast i do want to says the find will ease turkey's dependence on gas imports and could make it an energy exporter analysts say the discovery is a significant but not a game changer. libya's u.n. back to government in tripoli and a rival parliament in the east have announced a cease fire both administrations say they want to end an oil blockade that has been crippling the economy since the start of the year. the czech republic has marked the anniversary of the invasion of czechoslovakia the soviet action ended the 1968 prague spring the brief period of liberalization in the then communist state more than

a 100 people were killed and hundreds more injured and the taint boils and. lots of us now where dozens of wildfires are ravaging california at least 6 people have been killed while tens of thousands of others have fled to safety the blazes are some of the biggest ever to hit the states and they're also threatening renowned wineries in sonoma and napa valley the fires were started by lightning strikes and california's governor is blaming climate change. this is all that's left of karen hansen's parliament in northern california she and her family are in they had 2 minutes to evacuate that small farm the full flames obliterated it behind never say a thing like it was the whole sky was red and orange i mean if. i remember just read 9 and it was coming over the hill. there and it was massive i've never seen one like it and it only took

a few minutes to get here the flames she describes the still making their way across california in the form of hundreds of separate fires they were sparked by thousands of lightning strikes and fanned by record breaking hate with more than 3000 square kilometers of land destroyed many fear their plots may be next. are really were. they were birds down there 3 days. by tomorrow maybe you know well no more but pretty much i'm thinking we're going to lose our. fun now it's unpredictable nature of verses and understaffed fire fighting force all floridians have warned that much of what will happen next depends on weather conditions as the heat wave continues across california many more properties a likely to succumb to the flames to lebanon now and in the wake of the deadly explosion that devastated the capital beirut this month we're hearing

a remarkable stories of everyday heroes there's a camel is a noone is want to such case here behind me you can see her holding the 3 newborn babies that she rescued after rushing into their ward amid the confusion after the blast she has her story. this is the inside of beirut st george's hospital now it seems miraculous it's still standing at all. the blast happened it was. about to finish i would shift at 7 so at $630.00 we heard the very loud noises. and everything. i was able to remove myself from underneath. to see the babies i saw. bleeding they had cuts everywhere they wouldn't respond to me i was screaming at them. i couldn't find the babies they misplaced and everything

was on the fluid. on the floor from the ceiling blast everywhere so i had to move. and pick up the babies the 3 of them and get back to safety. pamela kept her cool during a harrowing scene. i was really afraid i was holding the baby. that the babies were not to make it i might slip and. from my hands i found myself alone holding these 3 babies. on the fluid getting sutured with no anesthesia and there was no electricity finally she made her way outside but her journey was far from over. as i was walking people started asking me how can we help you. i started telling them please give me something to cover the babies

they started to take their t. shirts off and giving it to me so i could have the babies and keep them from getting. when i see this. hope and i'm happy these kids to buy. i hope this gives just have a better future. one against the odds story of bravery under pressure let's go now to a reminder of the top story that we are following for you here russian opposition leader alexina vonnie is on his way to germany for medical treatment following a suspected of poisoning a plane carrying the comatose have only has taken off from the city of and is heading for prelim. that's a news update at this hour remember you can always stay up to date on our website dot com you can follow us on twitter and instagram absolutely w. news and i rejoice and brillant for me and the whole team here thanks so much for

watching. but you know all of a mug or just. for the russian side. street. so many different walks of life. some are. all clear.