the sprinter, krystina timanovskaya, has been granted a humanitarian visa by poland.lete raised fears for her safety after an attempt to force her to return from tok to belarus for criticizing her coaches. here is the message she posted on instagram. >> i asking international ympic committee for help. i was put under pressure and they are trying to forcibly take me out of the country without my consent. i asked the ioc to intervene. >> the international olympic committee is deciding what action to take. >> we will continue nversations with her and the japanese authorities to determine the next step in the upcoming days. >> the belarus olympic committee released this statement in response. they claim coaches decided to withdraw her from the games doctor's advice about her emotional and psychological state. this is ms. timanovskaya failed and true the polish embassy earlier today. she is likely to leave for poland in the coming days. here is poland's deputy foreign minister. >> every person who cannot return to belarus for political reasons and wants to come to poland c

the belarusian sprinter, krystina timanovskaya, has flown from tokyo t warsaw.ble to stay in poland on a humanitarian visa, having refused to return from the olympics toelarus, aring for her safety. a former belarusian minister are now living in exile in poland tweeted this, we are glad that krystina timanovskaya managed to get to warsaw safely. we hope that the agony of the regime will soon and and krystina will be abl to return to conquering new sportseaks in the new belarus. her flight landed in warsaw airport. there is. y, ms. timanovskaya flew back via austria. on sunday, she was brought to the airport against her will by belarusian officials because she had criticized her coaches on social media. she then took refuge in the polish embassy in tokyo. >> we have been told that she is not coming out in public this evening, that she will be taken to a place of safety. this has been a long journey. she began in tokyo earlier today, flew via vienna, a change in plan. originally she was due to fly directly here to poland there were concerns about her safety. one a

we were waiting to hear from the belarusian athlete krystina timanovskaya.et'sjust listen sure what the translation situation is, but let's just listen in. sure what the translation situation is, but let'sjust listen in.- is, but let's 'ust listen in. please raise is, but let's 'ust listen in. please your — is, but let'sjust listen in. please raise your hand, _ is, but let'sjust listen in. please raise your hand, namely - is, but let'sjust listen in. please raise your hand, namely media l is, but let'sjust listen in. please i raise your hand, namely media you are representing and ask your question, i will repeat it into the mac in order to provide a better sound. i mac in order to provide a better sound. . . . , _ mac in order to provide a better sound. ., ., ., , ,, ., ,., sound. i am also happy to greet you here, international— sound. i am also happy to greet you here, international crisis _ here, international crisis management, certification of the election— management, certification of the election in belarus and first of... studio: we don't have a tran

launch a formal investigation into the case of krystina timanovskaya.nt. (pres) so, the two people mentioned there specifically by the ioc so, the two people mentioned there specifically by the ioc are artur shumak, he's the deputy director of belarus's national track—and—field olympic training centre — and yury maisevich, the head coach of the belarusian olympic track—and—field team. there are already sanctions from the international olympics committee on belarus. mariko oi explains. the ioc has started an official investigation into the matter. it's receiver— investigation into the matter. it's receiver the resort from the national— receiver the resort from the national olympic committee —— the report _ national olympic committee —— the report. they're going to continue the investigation. they said it will take some — the investigation. they said it will take some time. of course, the ioc has banned — take some time. of course, the ioc has banned the country's president and his— has banned the country's president and his son — has banned the country's

krystina timanovskaya the belarusian sprinter who refused her team's orders to fly home from the olympices is on her way to vienna. it's not clear why the 24—year—old has taken the flight to vienna and not to warsaw — her original planned destination after she was granted a humanitarian visa by poland. she arrived at narita airport from the polish embassy, where she had been helped following events on sunday when she had been taken to the airport against her will by belarusian officials because she had criticised her coaches on social media. mariko oi is in tokyo. we were just watching their the pictures of the flurry at the airport. the media and the press tried to figure out where she was headed?— press tried to figure out where she was headed? indeed, sally, there was a _ she was headed? indeed, sally, there was a bit _ she was headed? indeed, sally, there was a bit of— she was headed? indeed, sally, there was a bit of confusion... l there was a bit of confusion... as you said, she is currently on a flight to vienna, austria. originally, she was scheduled to board a direct flight from

krystina timanovskaya tells the bbc that she asked poland for protection because of serious concerns for her safety. translation: i can't go back to belarus now, of course. it is definitely not safe for me. i have no idea when i can go back. it may be five, or ten years. during the day, the belarus opposition leader held talks in downing street, urging the uk to put pressure on the ruling regime. we are fighting for rule of law in our country, for democratic changes and mrjohnson gave me to understand that they will be with us. we'll be live in belarus to ask how the widely—criticised president lukashenko is likely to respond. also tonight... a tanker has been hijacked by armed men in the gulf of oman and ordered to sail to iran. men in the gulf of oman the number of drug—related deaths in england and wales is at the highest level since records began. at the olympics, a sensational silver for team gb�*s keely hodgkinson, who's just 19, in the women's 800 metres. needs now this great dismount. a great comeback by simone biles, after struggling with mental health issues, taking a bronz

krystina timanovskaya arrived in warsaw from japan last night. athlete has been given a polish humanitarian visa after fears for her safety. while a the olympic games in tokyo, the sprinter criticized her coaches on instagram when they entered her into a race without her knowledge. her coaches threatened her with problems at home unless she left japan immediately. >> they came to my room and set i had no chance to run 200 meters and i should go home and it is nuts -- it is not safe to do it. when i went to the car my grandfather called to say you can't come back home because on tv they say a lot of bad words about you. >> today, the ioc says it is waiting to speak to belarusian team officials. krystina says she regrets her emotional tone, but not her action. >> it is so dangerous for me. i don't know when i can come back home. i love my country, so i wanted to come back home. >> belarus is ruled by president lukashenko, the man often described as europe's last dictator. the opposition politician says krystina is one of many belarusians to suffer

the belarusian sprinter, krystina timanovskaya, has flown from tokyo to warsaw.us, fearing for her safety. he tweeted this... along with this image of the two of them you can see that her flight landed in warsaw airport. can see that her flight landed in warsaw airport. today ms timanovskaya flew back via austria. on sunday, the sprinter was taken to the airport against her will by belarusian officials because she had criticised her coaches on social media. she then took refuge in the polish embassy in tokyo before leaving japan. bethany bell is at the airport in warsaw. we've the airport in warsaw. been told that she's not planning to we've been told that she's not planning to come out in public this evening. she'll be taken to a of safety. it's been a very long journey as you say, she began in tokyo earlier today. she flew via vn. that was a change in plan we understand she had been due to fly directly here to poland. there were concerns about her safety. one austrian official who spoke to her and vienna said she was very relieved to be there that she was safe.

here are pictures we understand of the fact that the belarusian sprinter krystina timanovskaya left theembassy early. she is going to come onto the polish embassy in tokyo after she sought protection after refusing her team's orders to return home. we will bring you the latest on that story as and when we get it. time to concentrate on what's been happening in the sport at the games. live to tokyo and sarah mulkerrins. sarah, talk us through the emotional return to competition of simone biles. yes, everybody was waiting for that moment after it simone biles confirmed that she would take part in the being final. that was on last night here in tokyo, and we know everything that she has talked about over the last week about mental health issues and also struggling with what we call the twisties in the sport of gymnastics. but she was able to feel comfortable enough to take part in this being final, and she was able to walk away with a metal, a bronze medalfor simone biles. she said afterwards she was so proud of her cell. she said she put no expectation on herself going in if she did not k

-ii ever since krystina timanovskaya made those very public criticisms of the sporting authority, therefor. this scandal has become political and one state media presenter said the only thing that krystina timanovskaya won in the olympics was a visa to poland. no medals just olympics was a visa to poland. no medalsjust a olympics was a visa to poland. no medals just a visa. that is one of the reasons why she didn't feel safe to return here to minsk and today we are seeing another developing story, which is a sign of how little tolerance there, intolerance for dissent, one of the faces of the opposition protest that we saw here last year, she went on trial alongside another opposition activist, now the two of them are accused of extremely serious charges, they are accused of plotting to overthrow the authorities here, they are facing up to 12 years behind bar, and the trial itself was closed for security reasons but the family outside told us they believe that is because there is no evidence against these two, and they say this entire trial is simply about silencing critics of the author

krystina timanovskaya left japan with her olympic dreams shattered, but her route to safety secured.says she just wants to run. her life was sports, not politics until a row with her coaches left her too scared to go home. but here inside belarus, state television has slammed her claims as cheap hype. "the only thing timanovskaya won in tokyo," this presenter says, "is a polish visa." on the streets of minsk, though, we did find sympathy for the sprinter who's fled because there is zero tolerance of dissent here now. "we're all afraid," dmitri says. "me, too, sometimes, because the situation is unstable. " the danger is real. we pass the prison where opposition activists have been locked up since mass protests last year. but somehow maria kolesnikova is still smiling. the protest leader appeared in court today charged with plotting to seize power. she and a fellow activist are facing 12 years behind bars. maria's father brought her flowers. but had to pass them on via her lawyer. alexander hasn't been allowed to see his daughter for ten months, an extra punishment. and the woman who

rupert: this was the moment earlier this evening when krystina timanovskaya stepped onto polish soil.e from the belarusian officials she says were forcing her to the tokyo against her will. the saga had begun two days earlier with this social-media post. rupert: next, ms. timanovskaya s spotted at a tokyo airport about to board a flight to istanbul. it is very clear she didn't want to go. the belarusian team says that claim is nonsense, that she was being sent home because of her emotional and psychological state. the polish government has decided to believe her story and to offer refuge. what's going on here in tokyo has very much the whiff of history about it, because back in the days of the cold war, olympic defections were a regular event. last one i can find was in los angeles in 1984. now we have someone defecting from belarus, a country described as the last dictatorship in europe, and she is going to poland,a country that was once part of the soviet bloc and is now very much the opposite. last year, belarus was rocked by huge protests demanding an end to the 27-year rule of al

krystina timanovskaya, the sprinter from belarus, has told the bbc that her country is not safe, anded a humanitarian visa by poland, after officials from belarus tried to send her home early from the olympics against her will. there's growing international condemnation of the regime of president alexander lukashenko, who has ruled belarus since 1994, and who stands accused of widespread human rights abuses. our correspondent sarah rainsford sent this report from minsk, the capital of belarus. she is a young athlete thrust into a political row she never sought. when sprinter krystina timanovskaya publicly criticised her coaches at the olympics, they tried to force her back to belarus. she refused. speaking to the bbc from tokyo, she said she was now scared for herself and for her family. translation: i can't go back to belarus now, of course. - it is definitely not safe for me. i have no idea when i can go back. it may be five or ten years. and today came another reminder of the danger for dissidents. in kyiv, a young belarusian activist was found hanging in a park. but his friends d

krystina timanovskaya — the sprinterfrom belarus — has told the bbc that her country is not safe and. she has been granted a humanitarian visa by poland — after officials from belarus tried to send her home early from the olympics against her will. there's growing international condemnation of the regime of president alexander lukashenko who has ruled belarus since 1994, and who stands accused of widespread human rights abuses. our correspondent sarah rainsford sent this report from minsk, the capital of belarus. she is a young athlete thrust into a political row she never sought. when sprinter krystina timanovskaya publicly criticised her coaches at the olympics, they tried to force her back to belarus. she refused. speaking to the bbc from tokyo, she said she was now scared for herself and for her family. translation: i can't go back to belarus now, of course. - it is definitely not safe for me. i have no idea when i can go back. it may be five or ten years. and today came another reminder of the danger for dissidents. in kyiv, a young belarusian activist was found hanging in a par

krystina timanovskaya arrived in warsaw from japan via vienna last night.r fears for her safety. while she was at the olympic games in tokyo, the sprinter criticised her coaches on instagram when they entered her into a race without her knowledge. her coaches threatened her with problems at home unless she left japan immediately. they also come to my room and they say that i have no chance to run 200 metres and i should come back to home and it's not their decision, it's theirjobs to do it. and when i pick out my clothes and go to the car, my grandmother, she calls me and she says, "you can't come back to home because on the tv, they say a lot of bad words about you." today, the ioc says it's still waiting to speak to belarusian team officials. speaking to the bbc, krystina says she now regrets her emotional tone, but not her action. now it's so dangerous for me. i don't know when i can come back to home. i love my country, so i wanted to come back to home. belarus is ruled by president alexander lukashenko, the man often described as europe's last dictator

krystina timanovskaya arrived in warsaw from japan via vienna last night.hes on instagram when they entered her into a race without her knowledge. her coaches threatened her with problems at home unless she left japan immediately. they also come to my room and they say that i have no chance to run 200 metres and i should come back to home and it's not their decision, it's theirjobs to do it. and when i pick out my clothes and go to the car, my grandmother, she calls me and she says, "you can't come back to home because on the tv, they say a lot of bad words about you." today, the ioc says it's still waiting to speak to belarusian team officials. speaking to the bbc, krystina says she now regrets her emotional tone, but not her action. now it's so dangerous for me. i don't know when i can come back to home. i love my country, so i wanted to come back to home. belarus is ruled by president alexander lukashenko, the man often described as europe's last dictator. the opposition politician pavel latushko says krystina is one of many belarusians to suffer repress

krystina timanovskaya is at the polish embassy in tokyo, and it's believed she plans to go to poland on wednesday. the athlete says she was forcibly taken to the airport for criticising coaches, but belarus says she was removed from the team because of her emotional state. the spokesperson for the international olympic committee, mark adams, hasjust spoken about the incident at a press briefing. this is what he said. we spoke yesterday twice to krystina timanovskaya, we spoke to her twice, she reassured us once again she is feeling safe and secure, i believe there is and secure, i believe there is a call going on this morning with her as well, and together with her as well, and together with the relevant authorities and competent organisations, she is planning herfuture, we are also in contact with the unhcr, our partner, which is helping out, we were in contact with them right from the get 90, with them right from the get go, on the evening of, as i was mentioned yesterday, we were there on the night of the incident. she is in a safe and secure place, we have contacted the embassy o

krystina timanovskaya left japan with her olympic dreams shattered, but her route to safety secured.until a row with her coaches left her too scared to go home. but here inside belarus, state television has slammed her claims as cheap hype. "the only thing timanovskaya won in tokyo," this presenter says, "is a polish visa." on the streets of minsk, though, we did find sympathy for the sprinter who's fled because there's zero tolerance of dissent here now. "we're all afraid," dmitri says. "me, too, sometimes, because the situation is unstable." the danger is real. we passed the prison where opposition activists have been locked up since mass protests last year. but somehow maria kolesnikova is still smiling. the protest leader appeared in court today charged with plotting to seize power. she and a fellow activist are facing 12 years behind bars. maria's father brought her flowers. but had to pass them on via her lawyer. alexander hasn't been allowed to see his daughterfor ten months, an extra punishment. there's a small group of friends and family and supporters who've turned up here

krystina timanovskaya, the sprinter from belarus, has told the bbc that her country is not safe and shego home for many years. she has been granted a humanitarian visa by poland after officials from belarus tried to send her home early from the olympics. our correspondent sarah rainsford in in minsk. yes, there's been a whole series of events recently that have really refocused attention on the situation here in belarus, almost exactly one year from those highly contested presidential elections and the massive street protests that followed. there's been a massive crackdown by the authorities in belarus. human rights groups talk of hundreds of political prisoners now in this country. also all the key opposition figures are either abroad, forced into exile or in prison here in the country itself, and now even olympic athletes are being swept up in it all. she's a young athlete thrust into a political row she never sought. when sprinter krystina timanovskaya publicly criticised her coaches at the olympics, they tried to force her back to belarus. she refused. speaking to the bbc from tokyo

but first — to the sprinter from belarus, krystina timanovskaya, who refused orders to fly home frome feared for her safety has arrived in poland this evening after being granted a humanitarian visa by the polish government. earlier today, the most prominent opposition leader left in belarus, maria kolesnikova, made a defiant appearance as she stood trial for trying to overthrow president lukashenko. from minsk, sarah rainsford reports. krystina timanovskaya left japan with her olympic dreams shattered, but her route to safety secured. the belarusian athlete says she just wants to run. her life was sports, not politics until a row with her coaches left her too scared to go home. but here inside belarus, state television has slammed her claims as cheap hype. "the only thing timanovskaya won in tokyo," this presenter says, "is a polish visa." on the streets of minsk, though, we did find sympathy for the sprinter who's fled because there is zero tolerance of dissent here now. "we're all afraid," dmitri says. "me, too, sometimes, because the situation is unstable." the danger is real. we

well we're at| warsaw airport where we expect krystina timanovskaya to arrive within the next hour or was going to fly directly here, but there were concerns about her security and she flew via vienna instead. she was met in vienna by an austrian official who said she was safe, but worried about her future. here in poland, we are not being given many details about what will happen to her after she arrives, but they will give her a humanitarian visa and there are plans to bring her husband here. he fled from belarus after the incident at the olympics. he is now in the ukraine. we understand that he will then come to poland tojoin his wife we understand that he will then come to poland to join his wife and we understand they will certainly speak to each other tonight. but a big, very open future for this sprinter, she said she was not part of political protests, but she understands that it may be some time before she can return to belarus. j thank you. the british security guard who died last thursday in a drone attack on a ship off the coast of oman has been named as adrian underwood.

krystina timanovskaya left japan with her olympic dreams shattered, but her route to safety secured.hlete says she just wants to run. her life was sports, not politics until a row with her coaches left her too scared to go home. but here inside belarus, state television has slammed her claims as cheap hype. "the only thing timanovskaya won in tokyo," this presenter says, "is a polish visa." on the streets of minsk, though, we did find sympathy for the sprinter who's fled because there is zero tolerance of dissent here now. "we're all afraid," dmitri says. "me, too, sometimes, because the situation is unstable." the danger is real. we pass the prison where opposition activists have been locked up since mass protests last year. but somehow maria kolesnikova is still smiling. the protest leader appeared in court today charged with plotting to seize power. she and a fellow activist are facing 12 years behind bars. maria's father brought her flowers. but had to pass them on via her lawyer. alexander hasn't been allowed to see his daughter for ten months, an extra punishment. and the woman

the belarusian olympic athlete krystina timanovskaya has been granted a humanitarian visa by poland. she sought help from police at tokyo airport on saturday as belarusian officials tried to force her onto a plane home, after she criticised the team's coaches on social media. the american gymnast simone biles will compete in the beam final, after pulling out of previous events at tokyo 2020. it'll be herfinal chance of an individual medal. a total of 26 medals are up for grabs on day eleven of the games. palestinian families facing eviction from their homes in a neighbourhood in eastjerusalem say they will reject a suggestion by the supreme court of israel that they rent their properties from a jewish settler organisation. they were appealing against a lower court ruling and demand recognition of their rights to the properties. now on bbc news, hardtalk�*s zeinab badawi is in barbados to speak to sir hilary beckles who chairs a commission seeking justice and reparations for the descendants of enslaved africans. welcome to hardtalk with me zeinab badawi, coming to you from barbados. i

krystina timanovskaya has been granted a humanitarian visa.oin herfrom ukraine, where the president has stepped up security for bela rusian exiles. police in texas say a truck carrying suspected illegal migrants has crashed, killing at least ten people. local media reported that the crash took place when the van lost control on a highway in brooks county, about 150 kilometres from the us border with mexico. the driver was amongst those killed. the mexican government is suing major us gun companies, accusing them of failing to stop the illegal flow of weapons across the border. thousands of murders in mexico have been linked to the trafficking of arms. the un says it's deeply concerned about the safety of tens of thousands of civilians in the afghan city of lashkar gah, the capital of helmand province. taliban militants and government forces are waging an intense battle for control of the city. a un spokesman said there were reports of increased civilian casualties, and of homes and hospitals being destroyed. afghan and us airstrikes on taliban

when sprinter krystina timanovskaya publicly criticised her coaches at the olympics, they tried to force. she refused. speaking to the bbc from tokyo, she said she was now scared for herself and for her family. translation: i can't go back to belarus now, of course. - it's definitely not safe for me. i have no idea when i can go back. it may be five or ten years. and today came another reminder of the danger for dissidents. in kyiv, a young belarusian activist was found hanging in a park, but his friends don't believe it was suicide. vitaly shishov fled to ukraine last year to avoid arrest. he'd been helping a flood of other opposition supporters who followed. the opposition leader, svetla na tsikhanovskaya, is in forced exile herself. she's been in london, part of a tour seeking international support. she wants tougher measures, more sanctions against alexander lukashenko, the man she tried to topple as president. this is our pain, belarusian pain. we think that much more can be done, much more pressure, much more assistance, braver decisions, stronger actions. since the disputed electi

the belarusian sprinter, krystina timanovskaya, who is now safe in poland, said she was taken to theion to change the political system in a country. and this is also not our mission, and it is not our aim. and this is true for this case and many other issues. what our responsibility and our remit is is to protect the athletes as much and as far as we can and then to sanction those or to keep those out of the games who are infringing there on our values. a new kind of content creator is emerging on youtube. so—called virtual youtubers are people who use 3d character models to engage with their audience anonymously on the video—sharing site. these "v—tubers", as they're called, are becoming more and more popular with some reportedly earning millions. 0ur reporter miles emmanuel spoke to two of them using their online personas. hello. you are watching the bbc. meet veepaii and apricot — two british women, aged 22 and 23, who work as online content creators and use animated avatars to replace their identity. some virtual youtubers, �*vtubers', use body tracking technology, like this, to

krystina timanovskaya is expected to travel on to poland where she's been granted a humanitarian visaa is just the latest twist in the troubled last 12 months for belarus and the president alexander lukashenko. his regime has drawn worldwide criticism for its human rights abuses. sarah rainsford has this report from the belarusian capital minsk. she's a young athlete thrust into a political row she never sought. when krystsina tsimanouskaya publicly criticised her coaches at the olympics, they tried to force her back to belarus. she refused. speaking to the bbc from tokyo, she said she was now scared for herself and for her family. translation: i can't go back to belarus now, of course. i it's definitely not safe for me. i have no idea when i can go back, it may be five or ten years. and came another reminder of danger for dissidents. in kyiv, a young belarusian activist was found hanging in a park. his friends don't believe it was suicide. vitaly shishov fled to ukraine last year to avoid arrest. he'd been helping flood of other opposition supporters, who followed. the opposition lea

when sprinter krystina timanovskaya publicly criticised her coaches at the olympics, they tried to force back to belarus. she refused. speaking to the bbc from tokyo, she said she was now scared for herself and for her family. translation: i can't go back to belarus now, of course. - it's definitely not safe for me. i have no idea when i can go back. it may be five or ten years. and today came another reminder of the danger for dissidents. in kyiv, a young belarusian activist was found hanging in a park, but his friends don't believe it was suicide. vitaly shishov fled to ukraine last year to avoid arrest. he'd been helping a flood of other opposition supporters who followed. the opposition leader, svetla na tsikhanovskaya, is in forced exile herself. she's been in london, part of a tour seeking international support. she wants tougher measures, more sanctions against alexander lukashenko, the man she tried to topple as president. this is our pain, belarusian pain. we think that much more can be done, much more pressure, much more assistance, braver decisions, stronger actions. since the

an audio recording said to be a conversation between krystina timanovskaya and her coach has also beencial media — here's sarah rainsford again with more details. it does appear to contain the voices of krystina tsimanouskaya and her coach and another belarusian olympic official and from that conversation it is quite clear that the athlete is in tears and she is under extreme pressure to return to belarus. the voices can be heard telling her she needs to stop, she needs to calm down, she needs to stop talking, she is told several times. it is a long conversation, some 20 minutes long and the message is essentially you are like a fly caught in a spider's web. if you keep struggling, you will get entangled. earlier i spoke to vitaliy schevchenko, russia editorfor bbc monitoring and i asked him what details could be verified about the athlete's case. well, at this point it is one person's word against somebody else's. krystina tsimanouskaya was supposed to compete in the women's 200 metre event today but then yesterday she complained on social media that she was unexpectedly entered in th

this is bbc news, the headlines: the belarusian olympic athlete krystina timanovskaya has been granted airport on saturday as belarusian officials tried to force her onto a plane home, after she criticised the team's coaches on social media. the american gymnast simone biles will compete in the beam final, after pulling out of previous events at tokyo 2020. it'll be herfinal chance of an individual medal. a total of 26 medals are up for grabs on day eleven of the games. palestinian families facing eviction from their homes in a neighbourhood in eastjerusalem say they will reject a suggestion by the supreme court of israel that they rent their properties from a jewish settler organisation. they were appealing against a lower court ruling and demand recognition of their rights to the properties. now on bbc news, hardtalk�*s zeinab

krystina timanovskaya has been granted a humanitarian visa.r from ukraine, where the president has stepped up security for belarusian exiles. police in texas say a truck carrying suspected illegal migrants has crashed, killing at least ten people. local media reported that the crash took place when the van lost control on a highway in brooks county, about 150 kilometres from the us border with mexico. the driver was amongst those killed. the mexican government is suing major us gun companies, accusing them of failing to stop the illegal flow of weapons across the border. thousands of murders in mexico have been linked to the trafficking of arms. the un says it's deeply concerned about the safety of tens of thousands of civilians in the afghan city of lashkar gah, the capital of helmand province. taliban militants and government forces are waging an intense battle for control of the city. a un spokesman said there were reports of increased civilian casualties, and of homes and hospitals being destroyed. afghan and us air strikes on taliban posi

the belarusian sprinter krystina timanovskaya, who is now safe in poland, said she was taken to the airportsystem in a country. and this is also not our mission, and it is not our aim. and this is true for this case and many other issues. what our responsibility and our remit is is to protect the athletes as much and as far as we can and then to sanction those or to keep those out of the games who are infringing there on our values. the ioc�*s thomas bach there, ending that round—up from tokyo by lucy hockings. he is the president of the ioc, he was there at a committee, and lucy hawking is rounded up before. let's see how that leaves the medals table with just one day to go — china are top with 36 golds, ahead of the usa, the hosts japan, and — in fourth place with 18 golds — team gb. downing street says there are no plans to cancel a decision to put down an alpaca on a farm in gloucestershire that's twice tested positive for the infectious disease bovine tb. tens of thousands of people have signed a petition calling for a reprieve for the animal, called geronimo. with more, here's andrew

krystina timanovskaya arrived in warsaw from japan via vienna last night.h humanitarian visa after fears for her safety. while she was at the olympic games in tokyo, the sprinter criticised her coaches on instagram when they entered her into a race without her knowledge. her coaches threatened her with problems at home unless she left japan immediately. they also come to my room and they say that i have no chance to run 200 metres and i should come back to home and it's not their decision, it's theirjobs to do it. and when i pick out my clothes and go to the car, my grandmother, she calls me and she says, "you can't come back to home because on the tv, they say a lot of bad words about you." today, the ioc says it's still waiting to speak to belarusian team officials. speaking to the bbc, krystina says she now regrets her emotional tone, but not her action. now it's so dangerous for me. i don't know when i can come back to home. i love my country, so i wanted to come back to home. belarus is ruled by president alexander lukashenko, the man often described a

the sprinterfrom belarus — krystina timanovskaya — speaking earlier to the bbc in warsaw. i can�*t believe it. well, that�*s just one of three medals team gb have taken on day 13 of the games including gold on the track cycling. matt wolves won the olympic only and at the first time of asking. andy smith found that the rest of the day in tokyo so far. olympic debuts just don�*t get better than this. 23—year—old matt walls from 0ldham after the ride of his life. walls was already at the european champion in the omnium, one of track cycling�*s most brutal spectacles — four energy—sapping races culminating in a 100—lap epic, and after dominating the event from start to finish he did more than enough to clinch the title. fortune favours the bold and there were none bolder then walls in this one! if he wasn�*t a household name before he is now after a win dedicated to his family back home. i wouldn't be here now without my parents when i was a youth growing up travelling round the country racing, there's no chance i'd be here without them, so big thank you to them. it wasn�*t a

committee says it has received a written report by the belarus national olympic committee into the krystina timanovskayais the significance of that and what do we know about the report and what happens with that now? 50 the report and what happens with that now?— with that now? so the belarusian _ with that now? so the belarusian olympic i with that now? so the - belarusian olympic committee bela rusian olympic committee was belarusian olympic committee was asked to submit an olympic report yesterday and as he said the ioc has received the report and said it was start an official investigation, revisiting all sides of the story at the ioc has said it will probably take quite a while to come to that conclusion but of course the ioc has also banned the country's president and his son attending olympics in tokyo for failing to protect the athletes in demonstrations against them. thank you for that update, in tokyo. president biden has said the democratic governor of the state of new york, andrew cuomo, should resign. it's after an investigation found he had sexually harassed women while in office. the five

the case of belarus sprinter krystina timanovskaya after she refused her team's orders to fly home wasred for. the sense here in tokyo is that these athletes ultimately came to the rescue of these games. thejudgment and the motives behind pressing on with these olympics will always be debated. but for many, the fact that we are here at the closing ceremony after so many magic moments represents a triumph of sports resilience and defiance. like so much here, tonight's ceremony still managed to impress. surely the next host, paris, won't face such challenges. defined and delayed by the pandemic, the olympics were finally over. but the moments they provided will live on. dan roan, bbc news, tokyo. as we've heard, the games were held in some of the most difficult circumstances. let's talk to our tokyo correspondent, rupert wingfield—hayes. how do you assess these games and how will they how do you assess these games and how will they be how do you assess these games and how will they be remembered beyond the sport? it how will they be remembered beyond the sort? . , how will they be rememb

krystina timanovskaya, the belarusian sprinter who refused her team's orders to fly home from the olympic games, is on her way to vienna. it's not clear why the 24—year—old has taken the flight to vienna and not to warsaw, her original planned destination after she was granted a humanitarian visa by poland. she arrived at narita airport from the polish embassy, where she had been helped following events on sunday, when she had been taken to the airport against her will by belarusian officials because she had criticised her coaches on social media. with more, here's mariko oi from tokyo. the ioc has confirmed she is on her way to poland although at the moment she is on a flight to vienna, austria. originally we thought she would be taking a direct flight from tokyo but because of security concerns they decided to change her destination and she is on her way to vienna before heading for poland which has offered her a humanitarian visa when he can continue her training as an athlete if she chooses to do so. if you remember 18 months ago in late may there was a plane carrying an opposition jo

well, after a very long trip all the way from tokyo via vienna, krystina timanovskaya has arrived inpressing sentiments of support and solidarity for her. and there are also plans for her husband to come to warsaw as well. he fled belarus to ukraine after the news of this incident occurred. and we understand that he will be joining herfairly soon. this though, of course, was a journey that was full of incident. initially she was planning to fly directly here. then she flew via vienna because of security concerns, but all of this, of course, shining the spotlight on the very difficult situation in belarus at the moment. nearly 90% of the adult population in england has had their first dose of the coronavirus vaccine — many of them delivered at large venues like the one set up at ashton gate stadium in bristol, in western england. when it opened injanuary it was the uk's first mass vaccination hub. but with such a high rate of take—up, these huge centres are now being wound down, in this case to make way for the football which starts at the weekend, as robin markwell reports. full time

krystina timanovskaya has now been granted a humanitarian visa by poland and today gave an exclusivetion: i was very surprised, i didn't under stand because i didn't say anything political. ijust said that my trainers decision behind my back. i was very surprised. i was very surprised. you heard miss timanovskaya there explaing that her argument was not political. in fact her original complaint was about being entered into a relay race at short notice. but many fear she would have been punished anyway. on that, here's the polish deputy foreign minister. the head of the belarusian olympic commitee is the son of mr lukashenko, so criticising the coaches she also criticised the belarusian political systme. but for us this wasn't that important. she was forced to leave tokyo and against her will she was forced to go to belarus. it was against her will so it was quite natural for us to help her. the risks which she may have faced on her return to belarus is what concerns her. we were trying to keep the athletes and ms tikhanovskaya, put her on a plane and she might face the same fate. spe

the belarus olympic athlete krystina timanovskaya is seeking asylum in poland after belarusian officialse eu are now able to enter the uk without quarantining. more soaring temperatures predicted in turkey where authorities are battling a series of devastating wildfires.

well, you saw krystina timanovskaya speaking to bbc newshour in that report — and we can see a littled because i didn'tl say anything political. i just said that my trainers took decisions behind my back and i was very surprised. i want people to stop being afraid, i want them to speak out because when there is pressure it's really important not to keep silent. i think that when i know that it's safe and i can return, i want to because my family is there, it's my motherland, i love my country and i didn't betray my country as it has been said now but it's my home. the belarusian athlete there speaking to bbc world service. in the united states an investigation into the governor of new york andrew cuomo is found that he sexually harassed multiple women including senior employees at his office. the five month long investigation found that the governor cuomo had violated federal and state laws while creating a climate of fear in the workplace was up he has previously denied any wrongdoing. you're watching bbc news working to take during that pause and check the weather with nick miller.

the sprinter from belarus, krystina timanovskaya, has told a news conference in poland that she refusedbecause she was worried about her safety. she's now been granted a humanitarian visa by the polish government. the 24—year—old athlete claims she was removed from the belarus national team after criticising her country's coaching staff. she's been speaking to journalists in warsaw. when i was in olympic village, some coach and some men from our team, they come to my room and they say that i should say that i have some injury and come back to home. if i will not do it, then i can get some problem in my country. and they don't know which one problem, but after this day, they also come to my room and they say that i have no chance to run 200—metres, and i should come back to home, and it's not their decision, it's just theirjob to do it. and when i pick out my clothes and go to the car, my grandmother, she called me and she say, "you can't come back to home because on the tv they say a lot of bad words about you, that you have some mental problems and maybe you can go to "some hospital in

an audio recording said to be a conversation between krystina timanovskaya and her coach has also beenedia — here's sarah rainsford again with more details. it does appear to contain the voices of krystsina tsimanouskaya and her coach and another belarusian olympic official. and from that conversation it's quite clear that the athlete, the sprinter is in tears and she is under extreme pressure to return to belarus. the voices can be heard telling her she needs to stop, she needs to calm down, she needs to stop talking, she is told several times. as you say, it is a long conversation. some 20 minutes long. and the message is, essentially, you are like a fly who is caught in a spider's web, she is told at one point. if you keep struggling you are just going to get entangled. vitaliy shevchenko is russia editor at bbc monitoring and joins me now. how are the belarussion media covering this story? what is the reaction on social media? the incident shows how alexander lukashenko�*s tightening grip on belarusian society has spilt over into the world of sport doesn't. at this point is one per

belarusian olympic sprinter, krystina timanovskaya — who is set to fly to warsaw after receiving a humanitarian bbc�*s newshour that she was concerned for her family back home and that her criticism of the belarusian olympic authorities were not political. she also said she loves her country and did not want to betray belarus. she said she was warned that she faces punishment if she ever returns to belarus following her refusal to follow team orders. the number of covid—i9 deaths in the uk is slowly rising, according to the latest figures from the office for national statistics. the number of deaths registered in the uk in the week ending 23july 2021 was 11,160 — which was 8% above the five—year average. 392 involved covid—19 — 124 more than were reported in the previous week. scotland's first minister nicola sturgeon is to set out plans today for the lifting of most legal covid—19 restrictions in a statement to msps. the whole of scotland is currently in level zero of the virus alert system, and the first minister has said she is hopeful of going further on 9 august — which could see physical