Three hours of breaking stories, and checking out the truth behind them. We start in brazil and a Landmark Summit to protect the amazon rainforest. The leaders of eight South American countries that share the amazon, have gathered in the city of belem. Scientists are concerned that, deforestation in the amazon may be approaching an irreversible Tipping Point. Brazils president Lula Da Silva is hoping for a co ordinated regional approach, to tackle illegal mining and logging as well as other environmental crimes. Our reporter Azadeh Moshiri looks at whats at stake in the summit. The amazon is, of course, beautiful, but its also hugely important in the fight against climate change. And thats because it stores so much carbon dioxide, which drives the Climate Crisis were currently facing. And yet the forest is under threat of deforestation. Now, 60 of it is located in brazil, which is why the country is taking the lead in hosting eight other countries in south america who share the amazon. And this is a big deal. Its the first time in 45 years that theres been a coordinated meeting for a Regional Response to the crisis the amazon is currently facing. And domestically, president lula has made a lot of big commitments. That includes reversing the deforestation that was rising under his predecessor, president jair bolsonaro. And if you look at the numbers, hes doing a very good job because the National Space agency has said that injuly of 2023, theres been a 66 drop compared tojuly of 2022. And if you look at the last few months, thats a drop, a trend that weve been seeing. Now, hes also committed to zero deforestation by 2030. So how is he going about things like this . Well, hes looking to tackle things like mining and illegal logging. And if you look at the fines in the first seven months of 2023, theyve already risen by nearly 150 . So those are really big actions that hes taking in a short amount of time. Now, the outcome of the summit isntjust important to those who are looking at combating climate change. Its also hugely important to Indigenous Leaders and activists who are looking at protecting their ancestral land. And so while the results of this summit are currently unknown, theres a lot of hope in terms of what this could mean for the amazon itself. So, do the scientists share that hope and how it important do they think the summit is . I asked the brazilian meteorologist and specialist in global warming, carlos nobre. The summit is very important, the most important meeting of president s in the region ever and we are in a critical moment, very close to the Tipping Point that most of the amazon will disappear and the forest will degrade. We hope the president s will agree on getting to zero deforestation, zero degradation, wildfires, certainly before 2030. The amazon is at this Tipping Point and we have to stop Forest Degradation all over the amazon. Can you give viewers a snapshot of what is currently being lost . Firstly, this is from our Science Editor back in 2019. The problem is, more and more of it is being chopped down, it is hard to believe but an area the size of a Football Pitch is being cleared every single minute. What that means is that forest that could cover more than 2,000 pitches is just vanishing every day, and all the signs are that this rate of devastation will accelerate. Well, indeed it has. Even since 2019. You were talking about a Tipping Point, carlos. How much of the amazon is under threat . Yes, so far the amazon is originally 6. 5 million Square Kilometres and 2 million Square Kilometres square have been deforested and another million degraded. We are very close to the Tipping Point. If we exceed 25 of Forest Deforestation we are going to cross the Tipping Point, mostly in the southern portion of the amazon, but at least in the seven months of this year deforestation in the amazon in brazil has declined a lot. 43 injanuary july, and it seems it will continue declining. So we are hopeful that not only brazil but all amazonian countries will pursue going to zero deforestation and Forest Degradation within a few years. It is notjust brazil, as you said, it is eight countries which contain and have parts of the amazon within their borders. Are there common solutions, do you think . To start with, we have to understand that Something Like 90 of deforestation is completely legal all over the amazon, so this is Land Grabbing and also illegalforestation in land holding farms. For all the amazonian countries, most of the deforestation is very high, brazil number one, bolivia, peru, ecuador, venezuela, they have to combat the organised crime. Most the illegal deforestation is linked to drug trafficking, organised crime, to the land grabbers. So, it has to be effective, combating the organised crime. Satellite Monitoring Systems detect illegal deforestation almost daily so it has to be almost like a war against organised crime. If those countries are successful in combating the environmental criminals, im sure they will reduce deforestation very, very quickly, and they will reach zero in a few years. Lets turn to the Major Political emergency unfolding in west africa following the Military Coup in niger. Diplomatic efforts to find a resolution have stepped up with a warning from washington. Speaking to the bbc the us Secretary Of State Antony Blinken has voiced his concern that nigers military leaders, might turn to the Russian Mercenary Group wagner for help. The group is active in neighbouring countries theyre seen here in the Central African republic last month, and wagners leader has welcomed the takeover. The coup leaders are currently Standing Firm against calls to restore democratic rule. Heres what mr blinken had to say about wagner a little earlier. For sure, we have concerns when we see Something Like the wagner group possibly manifesting itself in different parts of the sahel. And here is why we are concerned. Because every single place that this group, wagner group has gone, death, destruction and exploitation have followed. Insecurity has gone up, not down. It has not been a response to the needs of the countries in question for greater security. I think what happened and what continues to happen in niger was not instigated by russia or by wagner but to the extent that they try to take advantage of it and we see a repeat of what has happened in other countries where theyve brought nothing but bad things in their wake, that wouldnt be good. The wagner leader, yevgeny prigozhin, has released an Audio Message referring to the coup in niger. The recording emerged on telegram, though the date and location cant be independently verified. Mr prigozhin had this message apparently for the coup leaders. Translation we are always on the side of goodness, justice and on the side of those who fight for sovereignty and for the rights of their people. Call us any time. And more on this from our security correspondent, frank gardner. Your assessment of the comments from Antony Blinken and is this A Fork In The Road . It Antony Blinken and is this A Fork In The Road . ,. , the road . It is a critical unction because diplomatic the road . It is a criticaljunction because diplomatic efforts the road . It is a criticaljunction because diplomatic efforts to i because diplomatic efforts to reverse the coup have not worked. Niger is one of several countries in west africa belonging to something called ecowas, the Economic Community of west african states, and they have got together and said enough is enough, we cant have any more, if the Coup Plotters were not backed down, we will intervene militarily, and the one week deadline expired on sunday. The bark is worse than its bite of ecowas and they are clearly reluctant and they have not even got in an mmc on how to intervene militarily. They have not even got unanimously. It is inevitable that the wagner group will want to move in because they have so not very successfully mali and burkina faso where they have a very lucrative arrangement with those governments, they provided Security Solutions and i use the word very broadly. Because they are accused of horrendous human rights atrocities and massacres of civilians which they deny. In exchange for that they get very lucrative contracts and rights and diamonds and gold, and niger is the seventh largest place for uranium and france has been getting about 15 of its uranium lead from niger but im sure that wagner group would like to move in creating a belt of countries where they have operations and also they have operations in sudan and other countries. That is wanner sudan and other countries. That is wagner grow sudan and other countries. That is wagner group but sudan and other countries. That is wagner group but in sudan and other countries. That is wagner group but in terms sudan and other countries. That is wagner group but in terms of sudan and other countries. That is wagner group but in terms of the | wagner group but in terms of the west, the french and the us, they have got troops in niger and they have got troops in niger and they have used it as a base, what is the prospect for that now . It is looking re rim prospect for that now . It is looking pretty grim for prospect for that now . It is looking pretty grim for western prospect for that now . It is looking pretty grim for western and pretty grim for western and International Forces in pretty grim for western and internationalforces in niger and International Forces in niger and there internationalforces in niger and there are 2600 french and us troops in the country, it is a huge country of only 27 Million People, very large areas, and the french and americans and germans and italians and the british have used it as a base to fight the jihadists insurgents, the ones linked to alqaeda and isis but they have not been able to defeat them and there is a bit of a hangover from French Colonial rule where a number of people of niger have supported the coup saying we have got nothing from the french. They failed to defeat the french. They failed to defeat the insurgency and so did the american so we welcome the russians. It looks like it will be the next domino to fall in those countries that have succumbed to west african coups and i cannot see an intervention from a ecowas doing anything but igniting possibly a regional war. Anything but igniting possibly a regional war. Anything but igniting possibly a reaionalwar. ,. , regional war. Thanks for oining us. We have regional war. Thanks for oining us. We have the regional war. Thanks for oining us. We have the regional regionalwar. Thanks Forjoining Us. We have the regional summit regionalwar. Thanks Forjoining Us. We have the regional summit in we have the regional summit in Nigeria On Thursday which will be a critical meeting. Around the world and across the uk. This is bbc news. Lets look at some other stories making news. Nhs flu jabs and Covid Boosters will be scrapped for under 65s this winter. 12 Million People aged 50 to 64 who were eligible during the pandemic can no longer get the free jabs. The rollout of boosters, is expected to start in october, a full month later than usual. A man has been arrested, after a stabbing close to the british museum. The Metropoliton Police stress the incident is not terror related with no outstanding risk to the public. The man who was stabbed in the arm has been taken to hospital. Civil servants in the Scottish Government spent Tens Of Thousands of taxpayers money, including nearly £10,000 on vip airport services. Formerfirst minister nicola sturgeon, and her staff were given fast track security and access to lounges at uk and european airports. Officials say all purchases were subject to robust authorisation. Youre live with bbc news. Details have emerged that suggest that tens of millions of voters could have been accessed by hackers who targeted the elections watchdog. The Electoral Commission said there was little risk of hostile actors being able to influence the outcome of a vote, but apologised for the breach in its systems. The chair of the Electoral Commission, John Pullinger joined us earlier. This was a complex cyber attack that affected part of our system and the part that it affected meant that a hostile actor was able to gain access to the copy that the Commission Holds of the Electoral Register which as you said contained details, the names and addresses of people who are on the Electoral Register across the uk. Also e mails and some other internal systems. You said in a statement earlier that you regret that sufficient protections were not in place to prevent this. Why were they not . We have known about hostile actors for some time wanting to target exactly this sort of thing. Wanting to target exactly this sort of thin. ,. , wanting to target exactly this sort ofthina. ,. ,. ,. , of thing. First of this was a very sophisticated of thing. First of this was a very sophisticated attack of thing. First of this was a very sophisticated attack using of thing. First of this was a very. Sophisticated attack using software to get in and evade the systems and i think we must be continuously vigilant for these kind of things. Cyber threats are changing all the time and we need to keep adapting and as we said in a statement, we are learning from this and upgrading our systems but it is a fact of modern life that we have to continue doing so. We will continue doing so for the future looking forward to Potential Future threats. But there were failings . Potential future threats. But there were failings . Well, Potential Future threats. But there were failings . Well, we Potential Future threats. But there were failings . Well, we are Potential Future threats. But there were failings . Well, we are being| were failings . Well, we are being oen here were failings . Well, we are being open here and were failings . Well, we are being open here and we were failings . Well, we are being open here and we have were failings . Well, we are being| open here and we have apologised were failings . Well, we are being open here and we have apologised for the fact that data has got out and we identified this as soon as we could and we then go on to fix it. This is something that is always a risk that we need to be alert to and alive to and respond and hopefully by defending it, if not by defending it, by being absolutely open about what happens, that people can respond accordingly. Irate what happens, that people can respond accordingly. Respond accordingly. We have mentioned respond accordingly. We have mentioned how respond accordingly. We have mentioned how complex respond accordingly. We have mentioned how complex the i respond accordingly. We have mentioned how complex the hack actually was and i read out in the introduction of the view from the Electoral Commission that the bottom line is, it is not throwing open the prospect of any sort of influence over potential elections, so how can you be so sure . You be so sure . First of all, this affected the you be so sure . First of all, this affected the copy you be so sure . First of all, this affected the copy of you be so sure . First of all, this affected the copy of the you be so sure . First of all, this| affected the copy of the Electoral Register that the Commission Holds, the individual registers that are used in elections are spread around the country and used by individual returning officers in each local authority. So that is spreading out which is itself a resilience but there was also no ability to alter or delete or do anything to the data so peoples electoral data has not been destroyed or amended in any way. In any event when it comes to elections there are separate systems which are nothing to do with this so we can be completely confident that the actual process of elections has not and cannot be affected by this particular attack. Breaking news from the us. The republican us president ial candidate ron desantis has replaced his campaign manager, according to a spokesman speaking to reuters, as he tries to reboot his flagging bid to overtake the front runner donald trump in the race for the 2024 nomination. We have had a number of attempts to rebuild his flagging campaign in recent weeks and months. This particular move comes four days after the biggest individual donor to a Group Supporting ron desantis told reuters he would not donate any more money unless ron desantis attracted more donors and adopted a more moderate approach. We have seen in recent months, i refer to a flagging polling rating, the latest polling put ron desantis� s National Support at 13 which is well behind donald trump who sits at about 47 . So more changes coming for the ron desantis campaign. They are trying to rebuild. That information coming in from the news agency. We will have more on this later. Now, one of the countries that experienced extreme heat and Forest Fires Injuly was portugal. And august has seen no let up. Fires, like these shown here, are raging in the centre and south of the country, and monday saw the hottest temperature of the year 46. 4 celsius, in santarem, north of the capital lisbon. One of the many people battling the heat in the south of portugal is the former bbc correspondent alastair leithead. We started speaking about 45 minutes ago and i think the heat overcame your computer but you were telling us how bad the fires actually work . Yes, my computer is now in eyes, i hope we can get through this. I can hear the buzzing of aircraft which are doing trips from the nearby reservoir to the site of the fire which is just over the reservoir to the site of the fire which isjust over the hill behind me, about three kilometres from where we are. It has not moved very far today because it has been such a calm day. We had 30 mph hot winds from the east of the interior from spain, from the hottest parts of the peninsula, and that doubled the size of the fire in the matter of hours. Firefighters, almost a thousand of them now fighting the fire, in 330 plus vehicles with around 11 12 aircraft, they are trying to contain it before the wind changes. This is the big danger, that the winds are swirling around and if it picks up and starts blowing again, the fire can cut off through valleys and downhill areas of Eucalyptus Forests and pine wood and the fire can spread once again so everyone is very nervous but hoping The Fire Brigade i doing what they can. Taking the opportunity to get under control as much of it as they can. How close are the files to you . I know last year they got up to your house. How close are the fires. Yes, this was a fire that started again, on a day when barely we have these instruments and it was on top of when really we have these east wins and it was on top of us very quickly. Part of our house was burned last year but it was just the outside. We were very fortunate. Im lucky at the fire came to the valley but lucky that more damage was not done unlucky. You have got to cut the land around your houses and stream it down in the spring so that fai does not get to the buildings. Firefighters drop water on building specifically sash so that it does not get to the buildings. They have been around for they have been around 1400 people evacuated from houses. The nearest town is just over the evacuated from houses. The nearest town isjust over the hill and evacuated from houses. The nearest town is just over the hill and the fire was on the edge of the town yesterday. People were getting very nervous. When you cannot see the son of a smoke in the town centre, people get very worried. People are still on high alert and concerned that the weather can change and the wind can change quickly here and then we could be in a very difficult situation once again. Tell then we could be in a very difficult situation once again. Then we could be in a very difficult situation once again. Tell me more about the size situation once again. Tell me more about the size of situation once again. Tell me more about the size of the situation once again. Tell me more about the size of the response situation once again. Tell me more| about the size of the response from the authorities because you are experiencing the third heat wave of the year. Experiencing the third heat wave of the ear. ,. , , the year. Yes. It has been very hard and where the year. Yes. It has been very hard and where we the year. Yes. It has been very hard and where we are the year. Yes. It has been very hard and where we are on the year. Yes. It has been very hard and where we are on the the year. Yes. It has been very hard and where we are on the coast the year. Yes. It has been very hard and where we are on the coast it. The year. Yes. It has been very hard and where we are on the coast it is| and where we are on the coast it is and where we are on the coast it is a bit cooler, this is why it is more unusual. Biggerfires are a bit cooler, this is why it is more unusual. Bigger fires are usually in the mountains close to the spanish border and there was one last year which was huge but it was controlled. The advantage here is that it controlled. The advantage here is thatitis controlled. The advantage here is that it is close to a road so The Fire Brigade are able to get to the flames and direct the fire into areas of Flat Farmland without lots of shrubs and trees and eucalyptus. I spoke this morning to the nearby vineyard, and they themselves, 45 of their staff thought the fire as it was coming at them yesterday, and we thought they would have lost their harvest and the new winery but they went out with water trucks and ploughs to plough the land between where the fire is coming from and where the fire is coming from and where it is going to and that happened to our local farmers who cut big swathes of land to try and stop the flames. The problem is, in the womb, Eucalyptus Trees have all that burns, in the wound. There can be sparks sent 200 metres and if somebody does not put them up quickly, anotherfire begins, that is why the fires can be so dangerous, especially with high winds. It dangerous, especially with high winds. , winds. It sounds frightening, the wait can change winds. It sounds frightening, the wait can change in winds. It sounds frightening, the wait can change in an winds. It sounds frightening, the wait can change in an instant wait can change in an instant because of the change in the wind. The way it can change. We because of the change in the wind. The way it can change. The way it can change. We have also very steep the way it can change. We have also very steep valleys the way it can change. We have also very steep valleys and the way it can change. We have also very steep valleys and when l the way it can change. We have | also very steep valleys and when it is so very hot it can create its own Weather System and its own wind that takes things in a particular direction. 0ne takes things in a particular direction. One of the worries our friends have at the moment, they have 30 horses, and they are much closer to the front edge of the fire, and they are very afraid of it suddenly turning to the west because they know it is then just a value that the flames will come up and if it does that it could reach our valley they know it is then just a valley that the flames will come up. We have friends watching out for each other to get an idea of what is coming and at the moment it is still calm. The forecast is the wind will stay from the south and low but tomorrow its a different matter and so we are hoping The Fire Brigade will take control of the area they are fighting at the moment before the wind returns stronger. Just are fighting at the moment before the wind returns stronger. The wind returns stronger. Just as ou the wind returns stronger. Just as you conclude the wind returns stronger. Just as you conclude we the wind returns stronger. Just as you conclude we saw the wind returns stronger. Just as you conclude we saw pictures the wind returns stronger. Just as you conclude we saw pictures of. You conclude we saw pictures of some of the response from the authorities. Nearly a thousand firefighters in this area. 309 fire trucks and 13 aircraft. It is a huge response. Thanks Forjoining Us and good luck in the coming days. Before we go some lovely pictures to show You A Black Bear blamed for a string of break ins in california has been captured after more than a year on the run. The animal weighing 35 stone is believed to have forced her way into more than 20 homes in the lake tahoe area to steal food. The bear nicknamed Hank The Tank will be moved to a new home, 1,200 miles away at a sanctuary in colorado. Stay with us here on bbc news. Hello there. I think most of us have had to manage our expectations a little with summer 2023 across the uk, and the next few days no exception, im afraid. So far today the best of the sunshine has been through the north scotland, Northern Ireland and northern england. There has been a bit of a north south divide. Further south it was a cloudy, misty, murky, drizzly start to the day and that cloud and drizzle is pushing its way steadily east as we speak out of wales, out of south west england, over towards the capital and along the kent coast for the remainder of the afternoon. In fact, we draw a line really from north wales over to lincolnshire. Anywhere north of that will continue to see the best of the sunshine. A few scattered showers. The winds will strengthen close to gale force across the northern isles, tied in to storm hans thats affecting scandinavia at the moment. But one unifying factor is the feel of the weather still disappointing for this time of year. High teens for most, maybe, if were lucky, 20 or 21 degrees. Now, as we go through the evening and overnight, well see that rain easing away from the kent coast. We keep some Cloud Filtering in across the south west. Where weve got the breaks in the cloud temperatures into single figures, but it feels quite humid down to the south west by the end of the night as were tapping in to that warmer air coming from the near continent. High pressure is building and we will start to see an improving picture on wednesday, but this warm front toppling across the high will still introduce more in the way of Nuisance Cloud and drizzle. Quite murky conditions once again on those exposed west coasts. Northern and eastern areas seeing the best of the sunshine and potentially the best of the warmth on wednesday, but all of us will be a degree or so up in comparison to of late, so low 20s, possibly as high as 24 or 25 degrees. Thats the mid 70s fahrenheit. Warmer still as we go into thursday. Were going to tap into some extreme heat thats pushing its way up from iberia. By the time it gets to us, its not going to be, obviously, as hot. But nevertheless, thursday is likely to be the hottest day of the week as we see those temperatures widely into the mid 20s, possibly as high as 27 degrees. Thats 80 fahrenheit. But its not expected to last, as somewhat cooler and showery conditions are set to return from friday and into the weekend. Thats it. Take care. This is bbc news, the headlines. Saving the amazon leaders from eight South American countries gather to thrash out an urgent plan to protect the rainforest. Thousands turn out in ireland for the funeral of the singer sinead oconnor. France and colombia make 0connor. France and colombia make it through to the quarterfinals of the womens world cup. And were live from the fringe in edinburgh, where comedians and theatrical performers have gathered for the festival s 76th year. Time for a look at the Business News now. We start in the worlds second biggest economy, china. Thats because the country saw a big fall in both exports and imports in july. Its a worrying sign for the health of the Global Economy given so many countries do so much trade with china