they are wa lone and kyaw soe oo.ck beek injust hope to speak to our correspondence nick beek in just a hope to speak to our correspondence nick beek injust a moment. —— correspondent. a baby boy for meghan and harry. a proud prince harry tells that mother and baby are both doing well. we go live to myanmar, just outside yangon, and speak to nick beek. tell us more. yangon, and speak to nick beek. tell us more. good morning, incredible scenes in yangon, within the past half hour. the two reuters journalists who have been behind bars for the past 18 months made their own walk to freedom. it is a very long path here at this present, reporters and photographers gathered and saw them walk towards this gate, which was then opened. reuters collea g u es which was then opened. reuters colleagues came out and greeted the pair, they have been serving a sentence of pair, they have been serving a sentence of seven pair, they have been serving a sentence of seven years but were released this morning as part of this amnesty grante

why have youecided to free wa lone and kyaw soe oo? we got no explanation his government minister.is an admission that e twcommitted no crime? this british advisor to aung san suu kyi is being credited for securing the pardon. he believes it could mark a turning point in myanmar's relations with theest. >> what i've learned from all of this is dialogue works. we are to help, we need to engage with the international community, the myanmar government, to bring peace and prosperity. nick: tonight the journalists who inadvertently became global icons of press freedom finally embracednce again the roles they had been denied, husbands and fathers. nick beake, bbc news. jane: let's have a look at the day's other news. mikesecretary of state pompeo has visited baghdad on an unannounced trip. iraqi government sources said he met iraq's prime minister an . yet canceled a visit to germany hours before he was due to meet chancellor merkel becaus wof whe called pressing issues. german authorities have find it -- fined porsche nearly $6,000 over the diesel emissions tandal. prosecutors saidt the

minister, just a word for the bbc, why have you decided to free wa lone and kyaw soe oo today?. is this an admission that these two reporters committed no crime? this british advisor to aung san suu kyi is being credited with securing the pardon. he believes it could mark a turning point in myanmar‘s relations with the west. what i've learned from all of this is dialogue works here. if we are to help rakhine, we need to engage with the international community, the myanmar government, to really bring peace and prosperity. tonight, thejournalists who inadvertently became global icons of press freedom finally embraced once again the roles they had been denied — husband and father. nick beake, bbc news, yangon. you can read more about the case and the journalists' fight for justice and freedom on our website, bbc.com/news. in the main article, if you scroll down, you'll find a link to the original reuters investigation entitled massacre in myanmar by wa lone and jaw soe oo and their team, which won a pulitzer prize. do check it out. stay with us on bbc news, still to come. the smil

minister, just a word for the bbc, why have you decided to free wa lone and kyaw soe oo today?ernment minister. is this an admission that these two reporters committed no crime? this british adviser to aung san suu kyi is being credited with securing the pardon. he believes it could mark a turning point in myanmar‘s relations with the west. what i've learned from all of this is dialogue works here. if we are to help rakhine, we need to engage with the international community, the myanmar government, to really bring peace and prosperity. tonight, thejournalists who inadvertently became global icons of press freedom finally embraced once again the roles they had been denied — husband and father. nick beake, bbc news, yangon. a british soldier has died after being trampled by an elephant while on an anti—poaching operation in malawi. guardsman mathew talbot, who was serving on his first deployment with the 1st battalion coldstream guards, was on a patrol when he was killed by the animal. his commanding officer described him as determined and big—hearted. a woman whose parents died

wa lone and kyaw soe oo say they now want to get back to work. and this video is trending on bbc.com. famous faces gathered in spectacular outfits for the met gala, an annual benefit event in new york. a full compilation of some the best outfits is on our website — bbc.com/news. that's all. stay with bbc news. and the top story in the uk: liverpool are through to the uefa champions league final after they beat barcelona 4—0 in the second leg of the semi—final at anfield. now on bbc news, live to singapore for asia business report. trade wars slide, asian stock markets follow the us, lower ear to after donald trump's brate to impose after donald trump's brate to impose a fresh round of tariffs on chinese exports. google that. the latest from the tech giant's annual developer conference as it unveils new devices and software. good morning, asia, hello, world. it's wednesday. glad you could join us it's wednesday. glad you could join us for another exciting mid week addition of asia business report. i'm rico hizon. we start of the australian ——us ch

treatment of wa lone and kyaw soe oo gained global media attention.ournalists in prison for doing their job. just a word in english, please? >> i'm really happy now. i want to thank you for everne whhelped us inside in the prison and also around the worlse people wishing to relea us. i want to say thank you very much. i'm really happy to see my family a my colleagues. i can't wait to go in my newsroom n. nick: th was the story they were covering, the rohingya crisis. their investigation forced myanmar'army to admit they murdered 10 rohingya men in the western state of rakhine. but the journalistwere jailed as enemies of the state. this has been a traumatitime for the friends and family of the two reporters, but it has also had a chilling effect on fellow journalists in myanmar, and it also has raised big questions about the directionsa that aung suu kyi is taking the country. the nobel peace prize winner's government has been accused of targeting other journalists as well as democracy activists. until now, all internaonal pressure to release the reute

wa lone and kyaw soe oo. their convictions sparked an t outfrom diplomats. they are freed.air earned the pulitzer prize for international reporting for the story that got them jailed. >> in a prison and also around the world, people wishing to release us, so i would like to say thank you very much, and i'm really happy and excited to see my family and my colleagues and i can't wait to go to my newsroom. >>. [ applause ] and there is the reuters newsroom in singapore, it erupted in cheers as journalists watched their colleagues leave prison. the president in myanmar has pardoned other prisoners in mass amnesties. symbolling of the importance of press freedom around the world, and reuters releasing this avoid of the two men. it makes me want to cry, being reunited with their children. gosh. >> can you imagine that moment? >> his daughter was born when he was in prison for telling the truth. that is really something. welcome home. >> 5007 days. yes, welcome home to you both. >>> ahead, let's talk some major show downs between the house democrats and the trump administration on

wa lone, and kyaw soe oo had been sentenced under myanmar's official secrets act for reporting on a massacre of ro hin -- rohingya civilians. the pair earned the pulitzer prize for international reporting for the story that got them jailed. >> inside in a prison and also around the world, people who are wishing to release us, so i would like to say thank you very much for everything. i'm really happy, excited to see my family and colleagues. i can't wait to go to my newsroom. >>. [ applause ] reuters newsroom as you can see there in singapore erupting. cheers as journalists watched their colleagues leaving prison, and now here's some new footage of the two journalists being reunited with the families just a short time ago. imagine that reunion. the president of myanmar has pardoned thousands of other prisoners in mass amnesties, customary around the traditional new year. steven adler described the two men as courageous reporters and symbols of the importance of press freedom around the world. >> his daughter was born while he was in prison, simply for telling the truth. >> major show downs b

month these two journalists from the reuters news agency were released from prison — wa lone and kyaw soe oocre of rohingya muslims by the myanmar government. but democracy activists in the country say despite their release — myanmar is still a country where speaking your mind can land you injail. our correspondent nick beake has been investigating. this is a comedy act that could have landed you in prison during the humourless military dictatorship. a satirical sketch burmese style often at the expense of the powers that be, but those who hoped in 2019 the army would see the funny side were mistaken. when the still powerful generals watch this grainy show, streamed live on facebook, they have the performers arrested for painting the performers arrested for painting the armed forces in a bad light. so this morning this woman is going to court accompanied by her mother and sister. they have no idea if she will be coming home tonight. this kind of situation is really bad, we did not make any violence, we just went to the streets and performed in front of the people. it really shows what other

wa lone and kyaw soe oo was sentenced to seven years in jail although the government had admitted the massacre. both say they will never stop being journalists. prince harry and the duchess of sussex are celebrating the birth of a baby boy. prince harry said the both had been an amazing experience and that they are still thinking about names. the electoral commission in istanbul has called for a rerun of the mayoral election. recep tayyip erdogan alleges fraud. the newly elected mayor has called the move treacherous and an attempt to take back the people's vote. you are up—to—date on the news. it is now time for hardtalk. welcome to hardtalk. i'm stephen sackur. this year marks the 50th anniversary of one of the most remarkable feats of exploration in the history of humankind. the apollo 11 mission which landed man on the moon. i'm in florida to meet one of the crewmembers. while neil armstrong and buzz aldrin were setting foot on the moon's surface, michael collins was piloting the command module which got them all home. 50 years on, how does he reflect on the significance of that ex

but wa lone and kyaw soe oo obtained eyewitness testimony by non—muslims from a village of the murdered the army to admit for the first time that its troops had killed people unlawfully. many believe this is the real reason the who two journalists were prosecuted. but myanmar‘s leader has consistently and at times angrily rejected international pressure to release the two men. a former political prisoner herself, who once relied on international media for her campaigns, she insisted the journalists had been convicted fairly. and while they are out, other burmese journalists still face prosecution. the freedoms so many believed would be protected by an elected government in myanmar are not yet secure. jonathan head, bbc news bangkok. jonathan head, bbc news bangkok. the met gala in new york is one of the biggest fashion events of the year — known for its exclusive guest list, its expensive tickets and — most of all — its extravagant outfits. this year's theme was "camp", and as neda tawfik reports, the costumes didn't disappoint. and a warning, her report contains flashing images. the

burmese authorities released award-winning reuters journalists wa lone and kyaw soe oo today after months of global outrage and pressure. the pair had been behind bars for nearly a year and a half. they reported on the systematic expulsion and murder of rohingya muslims from burma in 2017 and uncovered a massacre committed by the burmese military against a group of rohingya in the village of inn din. the two men were convicted to a seven-year sentence last september r for allegedly violatining burma's colonial-era official secrets act. just last month, burma's supreme court rejected the pair's final appeal. they were awarded the pulitzer prize in april and were honored in last year's time magazine person of the year feature. this is wa lone speaking shortly after he was freed from prison. >> i am very happy and thank you so much to everyone who helped us while we were in prison and who wished for our release. i want to say thank you very much. >> i am really happy and excited to see my family and my colleagues. i can't wait to go to my newsroom now. amy: in the united states bipartisan gr

release brought relief and joy. ( car horns ) >> yang: a thumbs up and a wave today, as wa lone and kyaw soe oo walked to freedom. they were swarmed by cameras after leaving yangon's notorious insein prison. >> i'm really happy, excited toe my family and my colleagues. and i can't wait to go to my newsroom now. >> yang: the two reuters journalists were arrested in december, 2017. they had been investigating a brutal military campaign that forced some 700,000 rohingya muslims to flee to neighboring bangladesh. authorities in mostly-buddhist myanmar charged the journalists had secret government documents, and last september, they were envicted of breaking stat secrecy laws and given seven-. year sentenc the two men argued they were targeted for their reporting, and their case sparked a global anmpaign for their release. myanmar's civili leader aung san suu kyi was accused of not doing enough to stop the persecution of rohingya, or to free the journalts. today, without explanation, the pair were included in a mass pardon of more than 6,500 prisoners. reuters editor-in-chf steve adler: om since the

and i think listening to wa lone and kyaw soe oo's, reaction, saying theyjust want to get back to theworld where there hasn't always been that kind of positive news. you yourself met their barrister, didn't you, amal clooney, who represented the two men while they were in prison. what more can you tell us about the role of the british government? well, first of all, amal clooney has been absolutely tenacious on this. and she is a superb lawyer. she deserves enormous credit for this. but, actually, the foreign office has been working very hard on this. i lobbied aung san suu kyi personally, last september. and dan chugg, who is our ambassador in myanmar, who may be well—known to some of your listeners for being the ambassador who strummed his guitar on the bbc programme inside the foreign office. but, actually, he also does more serious things and i remember when i went to see aung san suu kyi, he gave me a one pager, explaining why we thought there hadn't been due process in the case of these two journalists. and aung san suu kyi is someone who has suffered a lack of due process herse

and i think listening to wa lone and kyaw soe oo's, reaction, saying theyjust want to get back to thebbc programme inside the foreign office. but, actually, he also does more serious things and i remember when i went to see aung san suu kyi, he gave me a one pager, explaining why we thought there hadn't been due process in the case of these two journalists. and aung san suu kyi is someone who has suffered a lack of due process herself in her life, as someone who has fought hard for democracy. does that make it all the more disappointing then when she hasn‘t stood up strongly enough or done enough to support the journalists or spoken out against the... what happened to the rohingya minority? we have to give her credit, that, on this occasion, she said she would look into the lack of due process and she has and we've ended up with this presidential pardon. obviously, we hope this can be the start of a new chapter in our relations with myanmar and that same openness can apply to what's happening in the rakhine province with the rohingyas. the cause of this imprisonment was that these two