Good morning. Its 9am in singapore, 1am in london, and 8pm in washington dc, where the impeachment inquiry continued to unfold on thursday and President Trump went on the attack. Hes furious about reports that he asked attorney general william barr to hold a press conference clearing him of any wrongdoing in that phone call with ukraines leader, in which mr trump asked for an investigation into his political rivaljoe biden. At the time, military aid to ukraine was on hold. Mr barr refused to hold a news conference. This, as highly anticipated public impeachment hearings are due to begin next week. Vice president mike pence accused the democrats of using the inquiry as a way of overturning the 2016 election result. What is going on in washington, dc today is a disgrace. Behind closed doors, there is a so called impeachment enquiry that i think the American People know is nothing more than a partisan impeachment, the latest effort by democrats to try and overturn the results of the 2016 election. Our correspondent Laura Trevelyan has been following the impeachment inquiry closely over the last few days, and from dc gave us more details on why William Barrs refusal to do what mr trump reportedly requested is significant. It is significant because, in fact, Thejustice Department did look at whether or not that phone call between President Trump and ukraines leader, in which he seemed to say do us a favour while military aid to the ukraine was being held up, and then went on to speak about investigations into his political rivals, the bidens. TheJustice Department looked at that to see if it had violated Campaign Finance law in other words, was the president getting something of benefit from the ukrainian leader, potentially, by pressing him to announce an investigation . TheJustice Department concluded that no finance law had been broken. That was their conclusion. Nonetheless, the president has always wanted a public declaration nonetheless, the president , as always, wanted a public declaration of loyalty, which his attorney general did not do, and this raises eyebrows in washington because william barr has been loyal to the president and has gone further than some would think previous attorney generals would. On this occasion, he stood his ground and did not provide the declaration of loyalty that the president wanted. It is moving quickly and there are a number of characters in it which can be hard for our viewers to keep up with. There was a former National Security adviserjohn bolton he was refusing to testify in this case behind closed doors. Where do you think it will go from here . Can he be forced to testify . There is actually a Different Court case looming with somebody else that the impeachment enquiry wants to hear from. And if that person is compelled to testify, then here in washington, what is being suggested is that john bolton would also comply with the spirit of that ruling. It does get very confusing. John bolton is a lawyer himself and someone who is highly intelligent and extremely political. He is waiting to see what the legal position is on whether or not other people who were in government are being told that they must appear. His testimony would be key if he did appear, because he had many concerns about the way the president was conducting Foreign Policy with the ukraine and, in particular, bolton is said to have said he did not want to be any part of the drug deal that was being cooked up over ukraine. Also making news today a new yorkjudge has ordered President Trump to pay 2 million in damages for improperly using money from his Charitable Foundation for political purposes. Last year, the new York Attorney Generals Office launched a lawsuit against the president , saying he used funds from the donald] Trump Foundation for his own personal, business and political interests. An agreement between the United States and china to roll back tariffs is said to be facing fierce opposition at the white house and from outside advisers. Chinese officials said earlier that tariff reductions had been agreed, and a us official confirmed it. But media reports from the us say there is a divide within the administration over whether rolling back tariffs will give away american leverage in the negotiations. There have been heavy downpours across large parts of northern england, with flooded roads and cancelled train services. The don river has breached its flood defences in parts of sheffield, leaving hundreds of people stranded at a Shopping Centre. There are also reports of people stranded at another Shopping Centre in rotherham. Hundreds gathered for the funeral of a mother and her two sons who were killed in a brutal attack earlier this week in northern mexico. Relatives carried out the home made caskets as friends and family turned to one another for comfort. But this isnt the last funeral, as the suspected drug Cartel Gunmen killed six other members of the american mormon family. Germanys chancellor Angela Merkel has rejected sweeping criticisms of nato made by the french president. In an interview, Emmanuel Macron said a lack of strategic Decision Making between the United States and its nato allies was leading to what he termed brain death in the bloc. Now, take a look at this a lucky escape for the crews of two powerboats that were racing and then flipped over and crashed on the first day of the key west powerboat races in florida. The race was stopped while the crew members were rescued. Fortunately, there were no serious injuries. Some believe it will be the greatest global rivalry of the century china versus the United States. Tensions between the two countries go far deeper than the current trade war. Military disputes over the South China Sea have become more heated, and the us accuses china of the wholesale theft of American Intellectual property. So, how does america see its relationship with its most important rival . David grossman has this special report from washington. Washington has changed its mind on china. A few years ago, it was seen as a potential ally. Now, it is regarded as a deadly rival. Its easy to see this as simply a product of the man at the top. We cant continue to allow china to rape our country, and that is what they are doing. But the shift in us china policy goes much deeper than a few stump speeches or late night tweets from the president s bedroom. I dont know if, with another politician, you would have seen this sharp turn. They were across everything, and there was a sense that our approach was not working. From speaking to insiders inside washington, the reason is clear it is not just trade, but power. Robert spalding was the chief architect of the us National Security strategy published in 2017. How big a threat is china do you think china is . I think it is the most existential threat since the nazi party in world war ii. I think it is a far greater threat than the soviet union ever was. It is the number two economy in the world, its reach into the governments and all the institutions of the west far exceeds what the soviets could ever manage. According to the us government, china has gained the system according to the us government, china has gamed the system of International Trade and steals the newest technology. The result has been a huge wave of factory closures and job losses. More and more companies came to the conclusion that partnering with china ultimately was not turning out to be profitable, and could actually be downright negative. Chinas more assertive military, in places like the South China Sea, has also alarmed policymakers in washington, as has chinas stated aim of becoming the world leader in new technologies like robotics and ai. If china were to succeed in these areas, then it probably supplant the United States as the leading power in the world. Although mr trump is keen to sign a phase one trade deal with china, us rhetoric is as tough as ever. The fbi has over 1,000 investigations involving attempted theft of us based technology that leads back to china. If the chinese do not make a serious effort and demonstrate a serious effort to reduce their non compliance with intellectual property, then i dont see any change. The Chinese Government disputes the us characterisation of its activities. It denies stealing intellectual property or gaming International Trade system, and claims sovereignty over the South China Sea. It seems, then, unlikely that us china relations will get warmer soon. From here in washington, this is seen as a battle for the future that america could not afford to lose. David grossman, bbc news, washington. You can watch David Grossmans documentary rivals americas endgame this weekend on world news. Here in the uk, on the campaign trail for the general election on the 12th of december, the two main Political Parties have been setting out their plans for the economy. Labour has promised investment on a scale never seen before to overhaul infrastructure in all areas of the uk. That is their quote. The tories have also vowed to borrow to fund more spending, rewriting their current financial rules. We will borrow some more to invest. But we know all too well what happens if debt gets out of control. Excessive debt would risk everything the british people have worked so ha rd to the british people have worked so hard to achieve. Over the past decade of recovery. We have the chance now of real change. A decade spent rebuilding our society and saving our planet for our children and our grandchildren, than the homes we need, investing to create the well paid jobs, homes we need, investing to create the well paid jobs, secure homes we need, investing to create the well paid jobs, secure with trade union rights restored. Creating clean, green energy and transport networks. Youre watching newsday on the bbc. Live from singapore and london. Still to come on the programme the kartarpur corridor opens on saturday, allowing sikhs to cross from india into pakistan to visit one of their holiest sites. Also on the programme the sumo wrestler who is taking on ancient rules to give women a chance to compete at a professional level. The israeli prime minister, yitzhak rabin, the architect of the middle east Peace Process, has been assassinated. A 27 year old jewish man has been arrested, and an extremistjewish organisation has claimed responsibility for the killing. At polling booths throughout the country, they voted on a historic day for australia. As the results came in, it was clear. The monarchy would survive. Of the american hostages, there was no sign. They are being held somewhere inside the compound, and student leaders have threatened that should the americans attempt rescue, they will all die. This mission has surpassed all expectations. Voyageri is now the most distant man made object anywhere in the universe, and itjust seems to keep on going. Tonight, we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms, or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals. This is newsday on the bbc. Im rico hizon in singapore. Im Nuala Mcgovern in london. Our top stories President Trump denies asking the attorney general to exonerate him of any wrongdoing over his controversial phone call to the ukrainian president. A new yorkjudge orders President Donald Trump to pay 2 million for misusing funds from his charity to finance his 2016 political campaign. Lets take a look at some front pages from around the world. Here in singapore, the Straits Times is leading with the story weve been looking at a possible agreement between the us and china to roll back tariffs. Its a move that would help ease the trade war between the two countries. On the front page of koreas joongang daily theres a report about rising tensions with the us in the region. It reports washington wants south korea to make greater contributions to defence in asia. And the front page of the arab news isjust in. Its lead story reports that six people have been killed by Iraqi Security forces during Anti Government protests, adding the violence shows no signs of abating. Now, what stories are sparking discussions online . Yes lets looks at what is trending right now. These amazing pictures are from finland, where thousands of egg shaped balls of ice have covered a beach. Its the result of a rare weather phenomenon, where small pieces of ice are rolled over by wind and water. Shes an author who has captivated readers with her epic political novels. Minjin lee is National Book award finalist, herfirst book, free food for millionaires, tells the story of class and immigration in america, and her second, pachinko, explored xenophobia against korean immigrants injapan. Critics say she tackles all these sensitive issues by creating rich narratives and compelling characters. Minjin leejoined me earlier in the studio and i asked her where she gets her inspiration from. Im so troubled by the way ordinary people are treated around the world, especially the way historically they are left out of the narratives and i think for me i am really curious about it so i wanted to write about it. Everyone is really curious about the idea and the theme right now of equality. It is a very relevant issue that is being discussed today amid all this political climate. I think that the idea of equality threatens people who are in power, however the idea of equality is a wonderful thing for people around the world and as we can get more excited about it and have more democratic peaceful engagement, it is a good thing. When you write your novels they are very compelling, colourful narratives. How do you try to engage with your readers . I try to think about the things that i am interested in and the people id care about. I think very often even though things may seem political, is about ordinary decisions that you and i make. How we can go somewhere. Everyday lives how to get married, how to stay married, how do we raise our children, educate them. Is a very important, ordinary concerns, however they are political. In the books that you have written, which particular character do you really connect with and why . Surprisingly, i connect with the villains. The bad guys antagonists why . What are the names of the islands . My first character in my first book is head and he is a wall street person, he is very powerful and sexy, and in my second book it is also the villain. And i think i connect with them because they are very unnatural to me, and they hurt people and they want to understand why they do these things, because i think in many ways i am a coward and they want to understand how people empower stay in power. So if you like the villains, which is your favourite protagonist . I love the protagonists, when you are writing for a long time you want to have more drama and some of these bad guys and good guys and how they interact, it is very exciting. And of course it is very exciting, the literary world as awaiting the third instalment of your korean trilogy, tell us a little bit about this new book. When you send kids to tutoring centres, in addition to regular school, that is something that middle class people around the world are doing, and minjin lee are very important for koreans. And your second book pachinko is being made into an apple tv series what does it feel like your book is coming to life . I am really surprised, and i hope it is a wonderful show. Starting saturday, indian sikhs will be able to visit one of their religions holiest shrines in pakistan without a visa. India and pakistan signed the agreement last month in a rare moment of cooperation. Pilgrims will be able to use a new, special corridor, that will lead straight from the border to the temple in kartarpur, 4 kilometres away. This comes against a backdrop of tension over the kashmir region, close to kartarpur. India and pakistan both lay claim to the area, leading to two wars between the countries. The bbcs Pratiksha Ghildial is there. Im at the border point between india and pakistan. Just across the border from here is the sikh holy shrine which holds a lot of importance for the sikh community. As you can see, there is the pakistani flag flying over here. Sikhs gather here every day to have one glimpse of the holy shrine through a pair of binoculars fixed overhead. It is believed the founder of sikhism spent the last days of his life at this shrine and that is why it has such significance for the sikh community. On a clear day, they are able to see the white painted dome of the shrine from here, and they are ecstatic that the government has taken the step to let the pilgrims from one side of the border visit which is of great significance for them. Translation we have come here to pray. I congratulate everyone. Translation we have heard so much about this holy shrine. We really want to go, especially because they have just got married and i want to seek less things. Creating a deal on this corridor has not been an easy process. India and pakistan have been trying to reach a deal on it since the late 90s but traditional hostilities kept coming in the way. But at last, the mood here in punjab is of happiness and excitement. Sikh community has been given what they have been for years. Formal Peace Process between india and pakistan is nowhere in sight, but still, this is a key moment in the people to people relationship between the two countries. Now lets turn our attention to sumo wrestling. Hiyori kon is an amateur sumo wrestling champion in japan where women are still barred from competing professionally. Hiyori is hoping to change that and make a place for women in the ancient spoort. She is one of the bbcs 100 women 2019 and the subject of Award Winning film little miss sumo. Bbc 100 women names 100 influential and inspirational women each year and shares their stories. Find them on facebook, instagram and twitter, and use 100women. You have been watching newsday. Im Nuala Mcgovern in london. And im rico hizon in singapore. Stay with us. Coming up. A deal or not a deal . Well be taking a more in depth look at that possible us china trade deal and well see if a thaw in relations is already on ice. And before we go, wed like to leave you with these pictures. The celebrations roll on in south africa following their teams victory at the rugby world cup. Crowds of singing and dancing supporters have welcomed the team the springboks in soweto in their nation wide victory tour. They set off from the capital pretoria and are heading all the way to cape town, visiting major cities along the way. Thats all for now stay with bbc world news. Hello. Thursday brought us a day of heavy and persistent rain across some parts of the country, particularly for parts of northern england. There was 75mm of rain by the end of the day in sheffield and many areas have seen flooding problems and quite a lot of travel disruption too. We still have numerous flood warnings and severe flood warnings in force as well. Although the worst of the rain will be easing away, river levels will be lagging behind the main rainfall, so still a lot of flooding problems through friday morning. Now, the overnight rain has slowly been shifting a little bit further south, but an amber warning was issued from the met office for up to 100mm of rain across parts of south and west yorkshire, derbyshire, and Greater Manchester too. As we head through friday morning, weve still got that rain band with us, it becomes fairly light and patchy and as we head through the day, it will be confined to eastern parts of england. Its cold, quite a frosty start for many of us to friday, weve also got a few wintry flurries across the highest parts of highland scotland. By the afternoon, lots of sunshine developing, away from eastern parts of england where you keep the cloud and a little bit of patchy rain. Temperatures between about 6 and aberdeen to around about 11 in cardiff. Still in the chilly side. Into friday evening then, that area of cloud and rain slowly clears off towards the east, have a look at the blue colours, that indicates quite a cold start to your weekend, in fact, subzero temperatures for many of us, particularly in the north first thing saturday, but really wherever you are, you could well wake up to quite a sharp frost. After that chilly start to saturday, more cloud work in from the west, some room for northern ireland, western parts of scotland, and england and wales with some of that rain of the highest ground could be falling as sleet and snow but certainly rain down at lower levels Eastern England and scotland should stay dry and bright throughout the day and it will feel you pretty chilly, just 5 10 celsius, our top temperature on saturday. Really heading into the second half of the weekend, and it is still unsettled, there is low pressure drifting will towards the near continent, a small ridge of higher pressure in between before the following system moves in from the atlantic that means that the rain should clear away from the south on sunday, many of us should see a dry day. Quite a bit of frost around first thing and temperatures by the afternoon somewhere between about 6 7 degrees, a little below par really for this time of year but at least it is looking dry for sunday. And the outlook for next week is a fairly unsettled one still, showery rain around at times, some sunshine too and temperatures rather chilly for the time of year. Bye for now. Im Nuala Mcgovern with bbc world news. Our top story President Trump has denied asking the Justice Department to clear him of wrongdoing over a phone call with ukraines president that is at the heart of an impeachment inquiry. Us reports say attorney general william barr declined mr trumps request to hold a press conference to declare no laws were broken. Mr trump calls it a conjob. A new yorkjudge has ordered President Trump to pay 2 million for misusing funds from his charity to finance his 2016 political campaign. And these pictures are trending on bbc. Com. Thousands of egg shaped balls of ice have covered a beach in finland. Its the result of a rare weather phenomenon where small pieces of ice are rolled over by wind and water. Thats all. Stay with bbc world news
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