mariana islands and gave us this update earlier. they said he will be landing in australia wants to hearing wraps up. his plan is committed to depart inside three hours time, that he would land around 6:1i1pm australian eastern time. that is later today. our correspondent shaimaa khalil was at the northern mariana islands and gave us this update earlier. julian assange is in the us district court house behind me where the final steps of the legal proceedings for his guilty plea are under way, his pleading guilty for one felony thatis pleading guilty for one felony that is illegally obtaining and disclosing classified national security material, no for him because as for the deal that was agreed the usjustice department, he will get credit for time served in the uk. he is here because crucially, this is here because crucially, this is continental usa, julian assange refused to go to mainland us because he deeply distrust the us government. in the past, he accused him of plotting to kill him, something that washington has denied so this picturesque island, where he remote in, this will be the place, the last chapter of the legal saga is played out. i must say, if you look at this, the courthouse itself is overlooking a beautiful beach, surrounded by lush green, i must tell you that it's so hot and humid but it feels like such a contrast to the scene where julian assange such a contrast to the scene wherejulian assange was released from, it's a prison cell in a jail in belmarsh prison london, he then hopped on a plane to get to bangkok and then he came here to saipan and then he came here to saipan and now he's in this courthouse. this has been an unexpected location, a bizarre location, if you will, two and a dramatic case and a dramatic turn of events. this legal saga has spanned almost a decade and a half, it has spanned five countries, it has involved relentless diplomacy and advocacy and has raised a lot of questions, specifically about freedom of speech especially when it comes to reporting on national security, many have said that while he's going to walk away free, that doesn't mean that it's automatically good news for freedom of speech because he has pleaded guilty for that one felony but here, in saipan, in the remote us pacific island, for the first time in a very long time, after the legal proceedings are finalised, julian assange will be able to go back to australia a free man. here with the story of how we reached this stage is our diplomatic correspondent caroline hawley. julian assange, a polarising figure, was already airborne when the world learned of the deal that secured his release. it's a whirlwind of emotions. i mean, i'mjust elated, frankly. it's just incredible. i don't know... it kinda feels like it's not real. light them allup... it was this footage released by wikileaks in 2010 that brought julian assange international attention. it shows an american helicopter gunship shooting unarmed iraqi civilians. it was part of a flood of classified material, military files and diplomatic cables, spilt by wikileaks that year. months later, an international arrest warrant was issued. sweden wanted to his question him about allegations of sexual assault made by two women. to avoid extradition, he sought refuge in ecuador�*s london embassy. he spent seven years there, but in 2019, a dramatic moment, as he's dragged out after the ecuadorian government withdrew his political asylum. he's jailed for skipping bail, and soon it was the americans asking for his extradition. backed by his supporters, he fought against it in the courts and lost. his extradition was approved in 2022. butjulian assange kept appealing until finally this deal allowed him to fly out of the uk. we don't know the full details of the negotiations to secure his release, but australia, his home country, had been pushing hard for it. the charges were first brought under donald trump. his former vice president, mike pence, said julian assange had endangered the lives and should've been prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. here on a little—known pacific island that's us territory, there's one last legal procedure. away from the holiday—makers, a judge approving his guilty plea before he can reunite with his family. a bizarre final twist in this long—running saga. caroline hawley, bbc news. for more on this, let's speak to antony loewenstein, freelance journalist who supported wikilea ks and julian assange since 2006. what is top of your mind as you see events unfold today with julian assange finally in court in this us territory in the pacific? relief. over'oyed, reall . pacific? relief. over'oyed, really. like i pacific? relief. overjoyed, really. like so many - pacific? relief. overjoyed, i really. like so many people, currently in sydney and really, the majority of australians, for years, the majority of australians, foryears, based the majority of australians, for years, based on public opinion polls, wanted our citizens to be released. it was always seen as an absurdity that an australian citizen who does not hold american citizenship, who's barely spent any time in america i was able to be charged under the espionage act for practising journalism. and the majority of australian wanted in high because it also go to the question of australia's relationship with the us which is always seen as very unequal, australia is a state of washington. in this example four years showed that australia's belief that our own citizens should come home singly secondary to what the us want so i'm overjoyed and hope that when julian want so i'm overjoyed and hope that whenjulian comes home, he can spend time with his family and recuperate after years and years of incarceration.- and recuperate after years and years of incarceration. what do ou years of incarceration. what do you make _ years of incarceration. what do you make them _ years of incarceration. what do you make them of _ years of incarceration. what do you make them of the - years of incarceration. what do you make them of the fact - years of incarceration. what do you make them of the fact that is now officially pled guilty to the single charge of conspiring to attend and disclose us documents? he had no choice- _ disclose us documents? he had no choice- i _ disclose us documents? he had no choice. i do _ disclose us documents? he had no choice. i do know _ disclose us documents? he had no choice. i do know the - disclose us documents? he had no choice. i do know the ins - no choice. i do know the ins and out of the legal manoeuvre behind the scenes between his legal team and that's up to him and his team to explain the decision that he made but there was no other way to get out and i think it's still outrageous that the us administration demanded that he pled guilty to a charge of doing things that the vast majority of good journalists do all the time, namely, finding sources, releasing information, national security journalism releasing information, national securityjournalism would not exist if all this was made illegal. and the heavier amazing news of him being released and come back to australia is that it still cast a shadow over either investigative journalist in the us and elsewhere that if you alp said the empire, if you upset washington which is what this was about, no lives or avalos from wiki leaks document despite what the us claims many years ago but what they did do is embarrassed america and if you embarrassed america, you will pay a price. and eventually, as a journalist myself is use wikileaks documents for 2016 articles and books and various other stories, there is no other major media organisation in my aduu major media organisation in my adult life that is contributed more to understanding how global power works, whether it's a rock, afghanistan, guantanamo bay, putin, cia, palestine, wikileaks documents palestine, wikilea ks documents reveal that. palestine, wikileaks documents reveal that. i palestine, wikileaks documents revealthat-_ reveal that. i 'ust want to get ou u- reveal that. i 'ust want to get you up to — reveal that. i just want to get you up to speed. _ reveal that. i just want to get you up to speed, we - reveal that. i just want to get you up to speed, we have - reveal that. i just want to get i you up to speed, we have some reported in the quarters that have been sending us updates of what the judges been saying, thejudge has been running through the charges and asking a sergeant if he understands the details of them, he also reminded — she also reminded that there are consequences to him feeling guilty like access to the us. do you acknowledge — understand there to any legal implications to him pleading guilty? implications to him pleading uuil ? ~ ., �* implications to him pleading uuil ?~ ., m, guilty? we don't really know the details. _ guilty? we don't really know the details, is _ guilty? we don't really know the details, is the _ guilty? we don't really know the details, is the short - the details, is the short answer. essentially he's coming back to australia and given his australian passport, his an australian passport, his an australian citizen and the fear, for example, cannot artist the us, i'm not convinced they will upset him too much considering his fear correctly of going to the us to actually face a judge, he wanted to go to a us client stayed here near australia so the ins and outs of that, we don't know. i would hope, and time, with australian passport, he can be a free man. he is a free man. if it means he cannot go to america are, somehow i don't think that a lot of that, we don't know. i would hope, and time, with australian passport, he can be a free man. he is a free man. if it means he cannot go to america are, somehow i don't think that'll obsession too much.- somehow i don't think that'll obsession too much. thank you very much _ obsession too much. thank you very much for— obsession too much. thank you very much for your _ obsession too much. thank you very much for your thoughts . very much for your thoughts today. freelance journalist has been following the case since 2006. ican give i can give you updates from jonathan who is in the courthouse in the pacific island, he says that the judge has been running through the charges and asking julian assange if he understands the details of them, she is also ran to the details of the charge of conspiracy against him to communicate in national defence documents authorised persons saying this is what the government would have to prove this in any trial. julian is explained has been explaining what he did last, he says that he is working as a journalist, acquire classified information are believed he was protected by the first amendment and believe the espionage act's conflict with the first amendment but accepts are difficult to win a case that argues he broke the act. we will have more information coming out from the courthouse a bit later on as it comes to us. so in the meantime, let's move on to our next story. that involves kenya. doctors in kenya say police have shot dead at least five people in the capital, nairobi, during huge protests against planned tax increases. dozens more have been injured. demonstrators broke through police cordons and entered parliament, setting part of the building on fire. kenya's president has described the protests which have spread across the country as "treasonous". from nairobi, barbara plett usher sent this report. they called for a total shutdown, and in towns across kenya today, tens of thousands took to the streets. in nairobi by lunchtime, there were running battles as police tried to hold back the tide of fury. but then this... ..hundreds of demonstrators pushed through the gates of parliament, overwhelming officers lined up outside. the response was quick and brutal — live shots fired. reports of five killed in the street and dozens more wounded. 0thers made it inside, challenging the government's authority in the building where mps had been voting on the contentious finance bill. this is as close as we feel safe to get to parliament because police are firing live rounds there. the government had warned protesters to stay away from parliament, and this has been the response. but the fact that the protesters were able to breach the building and that there have been casualties could galvanise them further. it may also increase the pressure for a government crackdown. this is uncharted territory for president ruto. at the end of the day, he addressed the nation. i have directed all the organs of our national security to deploy measures to thwart any attempts by dangerous criminals to undermine the security and stability of our country. those on the streets earlier were united in anger. i want to demand that our leaders give us accountability. there has been too many years of the system going round and round. we never get accountability from these leaders, such that it has come to a point when we as the people can tell them no and they still go ahead and do what they want to do. this evening, the wounded were being treated in hospital as the streets began to calm. the days ahead will show if protesters heed the president's warning. kenya's powerful are facing an unprecedented challenge from the people. barbara plett usher, bbc news, nairobi. around the world and across the uk, this is bbc news. you're live with bbc news. israel's supreme court has ruled that ultra—0rthodox jewish religious students can no longer be exempt from military service. with the gaza war leading to a shortage of military recruits, the issue has become increasingly divisive within israel. far—right religious parties in benjamin netanyahu's coalition government have strongly opposed a change in the law. hanging over benjamin netanyahu had with this coalition that the possibility that two of the orthodox party that make up our 0rthodox party that make up our of and of number of reasons to pull out of this has been the absolute essential one could do so and could bring down his coalition and i will lead to elections that has been certain that benjamin netanyahu was to avoid so, this could have very big political applications, there is a protest that's planned from thursday, from the next couple of days but as far as we know, at the moment, it's not going to be a really big one. this may build, if and when ultra orthodox religious students are being actually brought into the army against their will, that's when you can see this schism within israeli society really come out onto the street and until then, this might be something that will cause the options and cause problems but warren necessarily be another issue that begins to tear the pantry apart. —— tear the country apart. in the uk — a fifth conservative figure is now being investigated by the gambling commission over alleged bets on the timing of the general election. the conservative party has withdrawn its support for two candidates craig williams and laura saunders. now russell george — a conservative member of the welsh parliament is being looked into as well. labour has suspended one of its candidates — kevin craig — who admitted he had bet against himself losing in a suffolk constituency. and a cabinet minister said he was joking when he told the bbc he'd won more than 2,000 pounds on the timing of the election. here's our political editor chris mason. this is craig williams, a friend and parliamentary aide to the prime minister, he turned down my request for an interview but said this on social media this afternoon. i remain on the ballot paper on the fourth ofjuly and i hope to secure your support after years of delivering. i committed an error ofjudgment, not an offence, and i want to reiterate my apology directly to you. that video followed this statement from the conservative party this morning. as a result of an ongoing internal inquiry, we have concluded that we can no longer support craig williams or laura saunders as part of parliamentary candidates at the forthcoming general election. and so, on the radio at lunch time, one key question. why has this decision been taken now not a week or more ago? well, look, i'm as disappointed and angry as the prime minister is and various other conservative spokesmen who have commented on this in recent days. these bets should not have been placed, and it is right that we've had this internal process and those inquiries have led to the decision today to suspend these candidates. here is where craig williams was the mp and is hoping to be reelected. i think craig williams has been incredibly stupid for such a small amount of money, for any amount of money, but for a few hundred pounds, i mean, he is an idiot. well, ijust think it's all blown out of proportion. far more terrible things have been done in the house of commons than this. enter another politician from montgomeryshire, this is conservative russell george who sits in the welsh parliament. he is not a candidate in the general election. he bet on a july election over a week before it was called. i understand he didn't know about mr williams�* bet nor mr williams, his. in a statement, mr george said he would cooperate fully with the gambling commission, adding... "i have stepped back from the shadow cabinet while the investigation is ongoing. i have done this as i do not wish to be an unnecessary distraction to their work." and this is laura saunders, the conservative candidate in bristol north—west who is now no longer supported by the conservatives. i asked her for comment today. she hasn't replied. it's taken rishi sunak the best part of two weeks to act on this. that is just weak leadership. but hang on a minute, labour are disowning this guy tonight, a candidate and a donor. i'm kevin craig, and it is the honour and privilege of my life to be labour's parliamentary candidate here in central suffolk and north ipswich. he is also being investigated by the gambling commission, a labour spokeswoman said. in a statement, mr craig said, "a few weeks ago when i thought i would never win this seat, i put a bet on the tories to win here with the intention of giving any winnings to local charities. while i did not place this bet with any prior knowledge of the outcome, this was a huge mistake for which i apologise unreservedly. i will comply fully with the investigation." it has been quite the day. amid all the political shenanigans, the emperor ofjapan is in london on a state visit. a yen for his thoughts on all of this stuff. chris mason, bbc news. let's get more detail on the emperor and empress of japan being welcomed by king charles and camilla at the start of a three—day state visit to the uk. 0ur senior royal correspondent daniela relph reports. the centrepiece of any state visit, the grandeur and glitter of the state banquet. senior members of the royal family led the guest list, as the king tried out his japanese. welcome back to britain. earlier, there was a seven with ceremonial welcome for princess empress masako. the spectacle of a state visit, the first of the king has hosted since his cancer diagnosis. this is a state visit during an election campaign. this state visit was planned well before the election was called, having already been delayed due to the covid lockdown. there was no appetite for a further postponement. instead, all the big political moments have been stripped away, so no trip to downing street and no formal meeting with the prime minister. the carriage journey included a masked empress. she has a chronic allergy to horsehair. the japanese royal couple are anglophiles. they both studied at oxford and maintain links to the uk. arriving at buckingham palace, the royal welcome has not included princess anne. she remains in hospital in bristol after suffering concussion. in an accident at her estate in gloucestershire on sunday night. today, her daughter, zara tindall, went to see her mother, as did the princess's husband sir tim lawrence. how's she doing, sir? doing fine. not everyone could be here. kanpai. but this is a state visit that unites two royal households and celebrates their shared experiences and friendship. daniela relph, bbc news. before we go, a recap of our top story — the founder of wikileaks, julian assange, has officially plead guilty to a single charge of conspiring to obtain and disclose classified us national defence documents in court. 0ur correspondents are watching the developments in the courtroom as his sentencing unfolds, and you can find all that and more on our website's live page. that's bbc.com. there is a live bait up and running, i can see our correspondence is in the courthouse, hisjust been updating the pay is coming to the prosecutors in a sarge's case is talking about chelsea manning, the former us army who supplied wikileaks with the confidential documents that they would go on to publish in 2010. they are reminding the court that she was sentenced to 35 years in prison in 2013 before his sentence was commuted to seven years by president 0bama. turning back tojulian assange, the prosecutor is making it clear that if the wikileaks founder takes this deal, his presumption of innocence comes to an end and he will waive his right to an appeal. plenty more information they're coming out from this case, do check out our website, from this case, do check out ourwebsite, bbc from this case, do check out our website, bbc .com/ news, i can also tell you thatjulian assange, he will not face for the present time after pleading guilty but what in fact be expected to return to his home country of australia and he did leave the uk on monday after spending five years in prison they're fighting extradition to they're fighting extradition to the us. this long—running saga which goes all the way back to 2010 looks to be coming to an end here today and it's taken place on the northern islands which is us territory in the pacific, we heard from our reporter reporting on this saying it's there because julian assange is reluctance to be on us soil, proper as due to his distrust of how he has been treated by the us as this case is unfolded. we can tell you as well done now, just to recap in case you're just well done now, just to recap in case you'rejustjoining well done now, just to recap in case you're justjoining us, julian assange has pleaded guilty in the us court in that north mariana island, guilty and this and his years long legal battle. plenty more for you in the coming hours on the story, no doubt, across all our platforms. that's all for now — stay with bbc news. hello there. tuesday was a hot day for england and wales. it was the hottest day of the year so far in wales, but temperatures were even higher in england, in the south east, in the strong sunshine, 29 degrees in east sussex and 30 celsius in surrey. scotland, northern ireland were cooler on tuesday, thanks to more cloud and some rain in scotland really pegging the temperatures back here. not much rain as we head into wednesday morning. sunny skies for england and wales. some cloud will bubble up, bringing the threat of one or two showers over the welsh hills and the pennines, but it's in scotland that will see some showers developing as it brightens up here and there — some of the showers could be heavy and thundery. and in the afternoon, a bit of rain coming in from the west across northern ireland. some sunshine ahead of that should lift the temperatures a bit higher. the high temperatures, though, are going to be across england and wales. another hot day and, again, 30 degrees likely in the south east of england. things are going to change a bit, though, on thursday. this area of low pressure is coming in from the atlantic, pushing ahead of it, this weather front. as that moves its way eastwards, it'll be followed by atlantic air, cooler and fresher air that will push away all that heat and humidity into the near continent. now, let me show you that weather front, because this is it. it really is just a narrow band of cloud, little or no rain on it. ahead of it, some sunshine following it, some sunshine, but close to the low, some stronger winds bringing showers or longer spells of rain into scotland, northern ireland, one or two showers crossing the irish sea. it is going to be cooler everywhere on thursday. plenty of sunshine, i think, for england and wales, and for a good part of the day, still very warm across eastern parts of england. but with that weather front out of the way as we head into friday, we still have the low pressure running to the north of scotland and still some quite brisk winds for the time of year in scotland — some outbreaks of rain probably in the north of the country. a few showers elsewhere, the odd shower maybe for northern ireland, moving into the north west of england. further south, it's likely to be dry, and we'll see some sunshine coming through from time—to—time. temperatures are still going to be around 17 degrees in scotland and northern ireland and back down to 23 celsius at best in the south east of england. now, heading into the weekend, we're still in that slightly cooler, fresher air. many places will be dry with some sunshine, the best of it probably across southern parts of england. and this is where we'll see the highest of the temperatures. china's premier warns political and business leaders against decoupling from the world's second largest economy. we'll look at what lies ahead. plus — one of the largest wholesale clubs in the united states says its seeing demand from a surprising group of customers. hello and welcome to business today. i'm steve lai. let's begin in china, where the world economic forum's summer meeting is under way. in a speech, chinese premier li qiang urged countries to oppose the "vicious cycle" decoupling from the world's number two economy. he also rebutted allegations that beijing was unfairly subsidising chinese companies making green technologies. eshwar prasad is a professor of trade policy at cornell university. he says decoupling is a real risk to china's technological ambitions. there are two important themes in this case, one as you correctly pointed out was about rebutting the notion that china has been protectionist or 25 to favour industries of the western economies like europe and the us are also counting on for their own electric vehicles and green energy revivals, but there was also a lot in a speech about the chinese economy itself, about how it is trying to move towards a more technologically sophisticated economy, how it is trying to deal with the root problem is, as he described it, besetting the chinese economy, and the two themes did seem to be