To be the uk s next prime minister, liz truss and rishi sunak, have taken part in the first official hustings with conservative party members. the event in leeds was the first of 12 to be held over the next few weeks. to ukraine now where soldiers on the frontlines, are saying the rate of russia s bombardment of eastern ukraine has dropped by at least a half thanks to the arrival of sophisticated western weaponry. but is it merely a brief lull, or a sign, that the tide is turning in the conflict. 0ur correspondent andrew harding reports from donbas. the familiar sounds of war thunder across ukraine s front lines. but something is changing here in the donbas. we re rushing to a secret location and a rare rendezvous with a weapon that mightjust be helping to tip the balance in this war. the caesar is a gift from france to ukraine. today, its giant gun
And so here in the donbas, ukrainian farmers are racing to harvest and to store what they can, whatever the risks. andrew harding, bbc news, in eastern ukraine. let s get some of the day s other news: there have been fresh clashes between rival militia factions in the libyan capital, tripoli, after one group detained a member of another. the heavy fighting between the special deterrence forces and the tripoli revolutionaries battalion left at least three people dead, although some reports put that number at 15. the european commission has launched fresh legal action against the uk. it says there is a failure to comply with the post brexit customs and tax arrangements for northern ireland. the uk government said the latest claims were disappointing and legal action was in nobody s interest. the white house says president biden s mild covid 19 symptoms are improving and he is responding well to treatment. mr biden tested positive for the disease on thursday. the president is continuing
The most important thing i have been doing since i became secretary general. for this landmark secretary general. for this landmark deal secretary general. for this landmark deal to - secretary general. for this landmark deal to work, - secretary general. for this i landmark deal to work, they will have to be a de facto ceasefire in ukraine s black sea ports and safe passage for cargo vessels. it s a big gamble, and peace remains a distant prospect. ukraine s wheat is vital for the global economy, but the russian invasion has made growing and harvesting crops a dangerous occupation. 0ur correspondent andrew harding has been visiting frontline farms near the heavily bombarded city of slovyansk. it s harvest time in ukraine s war torn donbas. from his perch, vlodyr bukhantsov can the front lines, just one hillside away to the north. traces of smoke on the
Thousands of people remain trapped in horrifying conditions in mariupol in the south, and across the eastern donbas region. often the rescue operations to free them are led by volunteers who are taking enormous risks. 0ur correspondent andrew harding has been hearing from some of those volunteers and the people whose lives they ve saved. they sit in stunned silence on the school bus thatjust rescued them from hell. still weary with terror. two other buses with them did not make it back. it was so scary, is all she can manage to say. thousands here are running the russian gauntlet, trying to escape from the kremlin s new offensive in eastern ukraine. but imagine escaping this, and then going back in again and again.
Then another surprise. while we are speaking to his wife, yulia, her phone rings. it is her husband still held captive, but calling with important news. he spoke about a prisoner exchange, she says. my husband said the russians might swap him for prisoners held by our government. soon, i hope. so maybe everything will work out. perhaps it will. but for others still trapped in the town of popasna, no help at hand. this is as close as we can get to the town right now. you can hear the boom of artillery in the distance and some shells landing the other side of this field. we have been told all rescue efforts have now been suspended because of the danger, but that still leaves something like 2,000 civilians trapped in this town, and, we are told, many more civilians caught in other frontline towns. all evidence of a slow, grinding conflict with no end in sight. andrew harding, bbc news,