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narrator: pediatric surgeon. volunteer. topiary artist. a raymond james financial advisor tailors advice to help you live your life. life well planned. narrator: funding was also provided by, the freeman foundation. and by judy and peter blum kovler foundation; pursuing solutions for america's neglected needs. announcer: and now, "bbc news". caitriona: i am caity in washington and this is "bbc world news america." the presumed death of the leader of the wagner group leaves the security of an african nation in jeopardy. spain's football federation president refuses to step down in the face of controversy over his actions at the world cup.

working to solve a major housing crisis in brazil where tens of thousands of people are trying to find shelter. why micro houses might be the answer. hello and welcome to world news america. russian authorities say they have recovered the flight recorders from where wagner chief yevgeny prigozhin's private plane crashed. . . he was believed to be one of the 10 people who died the kremlin said it is a lie that they were involved. the crash what happened months after prigozhin let a failed mutiny. we have more from moscow. >> i was on a conference call earlier with president putin's spokesman. a select group of russian and foreign journalists.

you can more or less ask any question you want to. i asked dmitry peskov for his reaction to accusations from western officials that the kremlin might affect something to do with that plane crash two days ago that reportedly killed yevgeny prigozhin. it is not just western officials who think this. there are many russians who believe it, too. dmitry peskov said the claims are an absolute lie. he said we talk about this issue we should be guided only by facts. we do not have many facts at the moment. the facts need to be clarified during the investigation. he was echoing some earlier remarks by president putin who also called on people to await the results of the official investigation. will that convince people at home and abroad who believe there is some sort of link between russian authorities and

the death of the wagner boss? i do not think it will, and this is why. time and again when accusations are leveled against the kremlin, there is only one tactic and that is to deny. if we cast our mind back to the beginning of last year, when there was that buildup of russian troops on the border with ukraine, then there were accusations leveled at the russian president that he was preparing to invade ukraine. what was the response then from the kremlin? yet again, another denial. caitriona: in the wake of yevgeny prigozhin's presumed death, the futurof the wagner group is in the air. one african country where wagner is active is molly. -- mali. the gap left by french forces a year ago. the first journalist to travel to northern mali since then and

he spent -- he sent this special report. >> across vast deserts with unseen conflict with wagner fighters. it is impossible to operate here without security. that is the only way to reach camps like this one. this is the only school in the area. these children are being taught to recite verses from the quaran. they are orphans who live in an area controlled by al qaeda. we have spent five days on the road to reach this remote camp. these children have been hidden from the world. their lives were destroyed by

the so-called islamic state. a woman and her daughter walked hundreds of miles from the village they lived into reach the camp. >> islamic state forced us to come here. all of our men were killed. they burned all of our food. >> there is little in the way of medicine or food. some of the children are suffering from a fever. jihadists may be in retreat -- it has had a big impact. last year, help from the west was pushed aside. support on the streets for pressure group. a military operation by the french and did as wagner fighters took up arms. just days ago, prigozhin appeared in this video promising. some of his supporters claim --

>> we are for justice and happiness for the african people. >> the west has accused wagner of human rights violations in africa. these pictures released by the french military before they left show fighters burying bodies in a mass grave. this month, bases like this one started pulling out. beating more areas in mali. the big question now is, what role will wagner play in africa and who is left to stand up to the islamic threat? caitriona: more than 80 spanish footballers are boycotting games

for spain's national team until football federation president luis rubiales is removed from his post, including the entire spanish women's team. rubiales has refused to resign after intense backlash for kissing jenni hermoso and grabbing his crotch in celebration after a win in the world cup final. this report contains footage of some of the material people have found offensive. >> when the spanish team lifted the world cup last sunday, it was a historic moment. but the way in which the national football federation president, luis rubiales, celebrated made the last few days bittersweet ones for spanish football. the controversial kiss he gave star striker jenni hermoso has been hogging the headlines. so, too, has this image of him celebrating the victory. after days of mounting pressure,

mr. rubiales has been expected to resign. but at an extraordinary general meeting of the football federation, he stunned onlookers by insisting the case was consensual and he remained defiant. >> is it so serious but i have to leave for having done the best job for spanish football? do you really believe i have to resign? i will tell you something, i will not resign. i will not resign. i will not resign. >> this was supposed to be a week when spain celebrated women's football and the greatest ever achievement by its national team. but instead all of that has been overshadowed by one man's behavior and the backlash against it. >> jenni hermoso herself condemned the kiss while many other public figures called for him to face sanctions. this episode has fed into an

intense debate in spanish society about gender equality and sexual consent. >> this is a critical moment in this country. people are moving toward more gender equality but this looks like an abuse of power and that is what we are fighting against. >> players from other countries have also spoken out. >> it totally ruined what was supposed to be the most special moment of their careers. >> the government said it is taking action to remove mr. rubiales from office and this should be spanish football's # metoo moment. mr. rubiales' celebrations have triggered an institutional crisis in spanish football. the question now is how much this episode might have damaged spain's image as a modern sports superpower. caitriona: two weeks after the deadliest wildfires in u.s.

history on the hawaiian island of maui. officials are releasing the names of nearly 400 people who are still missing. the fbi is asking anyone on the list to survive to come forward. search teams are combing through the charred remains of a historic town. with me now is our north american correspondent. local authorities have begin a legal action against the power company. >> the energy company hawaiian electric were said to have been warned about the dangers of these high winds bringing down power lines and sparking wildfires and they did not turn off the grid in time. they are not the only people to bring legal action. there is a class-action suit by some of the residents of maui. hawaiian electric is facing a great deal of legal jeopardy at the moment. caitriona: meanwhile, there is

still a large number of people unaccounted for. the recovery has a long way to go. what is the latest? >> the authorities have released a list of just under 400 people they believe is missing. they say it is a much more complete list than they had earlier in the week and they are urging people to come forward who are alive and might be on the list so they can be excluded. they are asking residents to give their dna so they can identify people from the remains they are sifting through in places like lahaina. it is a grim business that will continue for some time but they are hopeful that some of these people believed to be missing will be found. what unquestionably, the 150 death toll is likely to rise. caitriona: more broadly speaking, how is the recovery process going in terms of getting back people to their homes? >> it is taking a lot of time. it is a long way from the coast and they have to get a lot of

people and materials in their. they are going through lahaina and looking through a lot of damage so this will take a long time for maui to get back to what it was. caitriona: thank you for joining us. canada is experiencing its worst wildfire season on record with tens of thousands of people evacuated from their homes and more than 1000 fires still burning. 2/3 are in the western province of british columbia and the northwest territories were hundreds of homes have been destroyed. our correspondent reports. >> so that is my house on fire. >> joanna and duncan have been friends and neighbors for decades. >> i think that is us. >> residents had never seen anything like the inferno that tore through their community, destroying almost everything in

its path, including their homes. >> it was blindingly bright. it would get into a house and you just got this raging fire with a kind of skeleton iced dwelling in the forefront. it was moving from one to the next. at one point there were just dozens. >> duncan lost most of what he built and owned, including his dad's war medals. but his family is safe and he remains positive. >> i am very philosophical about this stuff. it happens and it is terrible. in my case, i wish i had thought it through better to get stuff out and put it in -- i have a pickup truck. >> it is still too risky for residents to return. but from the lake, the devastation is clear. this shows how indiscriminate these forest fires are. here you have three or four

waterfront properties completely gutted. just above them and apparently right in the middle of the fire, as well, all the houses are completely pristine. at some places the fire line is right up to the front door. security cameras, some residents watched helplessly in real time as their houses burned. others witnessed firefighters saving their properties. it is a testament to local rescue services that no lives were lost. >> there were situations where our staff was surrounded on all sides by fire and they would not like me to tell you they were trapped. there is no question it has been dangeous. we have seen winds that ripped trees out by the roots and laid them down like toothpicks. >> on a visit to a local evacuation center, i asked the regional premier if he thought climate change might be to blame for the record number of

wildfires? >> without a doubt. the ferocity of the fires, the extent of the burning, the historic nature of the firefighters -- fires not just in british columbia, but devastating fires linked to human caused climate change. >> the biggest fires might have been tamed but there is still a significant threat. the speed of the fires has been relentless, so has the response of the emergency services. this chopper dropping buckets to take water up to the hill to douse out fires continuing to burn. this crisis has undoubtedly strengthened the bond between the fire crews and the grateful public. most here expect these events to become much more common in the future. caitriona: all 19 defendants in

the georgia election interference case have surrendered voluntarily ahead of friday's new deadline including former president donald trump. hours after he was processed at the fulton county jail, his campaign website began selling mugshot branded -- donald trump posted on x, formerly known as twitter. it shared a link to his website and his mugshot with an all capital letters caption, "election interference, never surrender." >> donald trump is making the most of his mugshot. he is turning it into a symbol for his campaign. that will almost certainly galvanize more republican support because it has already increased after each indictment. the mugshot might be particularly effective in drumming home his message, that he is a victim of the washington establishment, he is a political martyr and he will never surrender.

as to how the campaign will play out, trump's legal cases will force him to burn more cash and create nearly impossible logistics because it is hard enough to run a campaign, never mind when you are also facing 91 felony counts in four different jurisdictions. the georgia case is complicated because of all the defendants. the location, already a number of defendants have said they are requesting the trial be moved from the state to a federal court. trump is expected to do the same. also, the size. trump's lawyer has indicated he plans to request a separate trial so they are not all lumped together and one defendant already has such a deal. you are looking at the possibility of multiple trials in different locations. all of this legal wrangling can be wrapped up into trump's campaign message as he goes along but it seems his goal is to delay the trials as long as he can in hopes he can win the

white house befre any possible convictions. the next step in the georgia case is the arraignment, when trump will be able to formally enter his plea of not guilty and that is expected to happen in early september. caitriona: the cost of living crisis in brazil has left as many as 50,000 people without a place to live. local authorities say around 34,000 people are slipping in the streets, a number that has risen considerably since the covid pandemic. the city is thinking of ways to house families before the winter hits. our south america correspondent reports from brazil. >> the difference between the haves and have-nots could not be clearer in the southern hemisphere's biggest city. expensive apartments tower over. people cannot even afford to live here in the largest slum.

this is paradise city for those who live here, it is hardly ideal. >> she and her husband pay 58 pounds per month for this room but that cannot afford it. their granddaughter has a heart condition. the little they aren't goes toward medicine to keep her alive. while the landlord is understanding, it is getting harder. despite being given food and aid from local charities. >> my dream is to have my own house, of course. keep pushing through. because today, paying rent, we do not make ends meet. >> even more difficult are the lives of these families. their home, the busy streets of sao paulo. tents are multiplying across the city. those who sleep under canvas are the lucky ones.

many have to make do with just a blanket. every day getting harder as winter sets in. the city council is struggling to fix the crisis as the number of people sleeping on the streets grows. authorities are getting creative. this is being touted as a solution to the problem of homelessness here in sao paulo. these boxes behind me are known as micro houses, 18 square meters, they can house a four- person family and they are cropping up across the city. she lives in one with her two children and husband. the pandemic it them hard. they lived in a shelter until this opportunity came up. they can stay here for up to two years for free while they get themselves sorted. >> it is a way of looking after people with an international housing concept of housing first. offering housing as the first step trying to get them back on

their feet. >> for their family, it is a start. even if it is not there forever home. >> my daughter is asking, where are we going? is this our house? that breaks my heart. i cannot say it is our home yet. >> the hope is staying off the street at least gives these families a fighting chance for a better future. caitriona: to talk more about brazil's homelessness epidemic, our south america correspondent joins us. with this new micro housing fix, will it fix the problem because there are big numbers of people sleeping on the streets? katie: the estimate of trying to deal with 4000 people with this project up micro houses. experts put the number of people sleeping on the streets as much as 50,000. clearly it is just a small part. the fact they are trying to introduce homes is a different

approach. the fact you can encourage people to be in their own homes, have their own address so they can apply for jobs and get job support as a holistic approach rather than putting people in shelters and get them off the street without giving them a path forward and a slightly more positive future. that is the different approach we are seeing. they are hoping that will help. once those people leave the micro houses, more people can come in and i could be a bigger project going forward. caitriona: it said in your report the pandemic is a large cause for the spike in homelessness. how has brazil managed to pick itself up after the pandemic? what is the situation at the moment? katie: brazil did not escape the problems of high inflation and unemployment but it has picked itself up better, inflation has fallen, joblessness has fallen.

there has been economic growth. things are looking up, but at the end of the day, it is about pure cost-of-living. what we are seeing with the homelessness situation is clear, it is far from perfect. the president is very keen on trying to bring down poverty and get more people jobs. the political will is there but this is a huge country and the challenge is picking up after the pandemic to encourage everyone -- caitriona: a challenge that is not unique to brazil, as we know. katie in sao paulo, thank you for joining us. i and other news, police in greece arrested 79 people for arson. the civil protection minister said arsonists have attempted to start new wildfires on the outskirts of athens and promised to hold those accountable.

police said intelligence services are investigating the incidents. around 20 people have died in the wildfires. the u.s. marine corps has confirmed the pilot was killed in a plane crash you're a military base in california. the f-18 jet crashed about 15 miles from the center of san diego outside the marine corps air station. the body has been found and identified as a pilot from the second marine air wing. the marine corps has launched an investigation into the incident. in japan, tests show samples of sea water taken after the first release of fukushima are well within limits but japan faces backlash from neighboring countries. tokyo's embassy in beijing have warned people not to speak japanese. now, before we go, have a look at this. india's moon rover has began exploring.

here is the moment the vehicle rolled out from the spacecraft. it will now start to conduct experiments, including taking samples to look for frozen water. it is thought that water on the moon comes from space rocks that crashed into the lunar surface early in its history and have been frozen in time. studying it could give insight into the beginnings of the solar system. i am caitriona perry. thank you for watching world news america. narrator: funding for this presentation of this program is provided by... narrator: financial services firm, raymond james. narrator: funding was also provided by, the freeman foundation. and by judy and peter blum kovler foundation; pursuing solutions for america's neglected needs. ♪ ♪

wow, you get to watch all your favorite stuff. it's to die for. now you won't miss a thing. this is the way. the xfinity 10g network. made for streaming. geoff: good evening. i'm geoff bennett. amna nawaz is on assignment. on "the newshour" tonight... with hundreds of people still missing, indigenous hawaiians worry their needs will be forgotten as maui tries to recover from devastating wildfires. russian dissidents fight alongside ukrainian fo