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[00:00:10] Live from London. This is BBC
[00:00:12] News. I'm Kasia Madera. Iran says
[00:00:14] says a deal with Oman on a shipping shipping route through the Strait
[00:00:17] Strait of Hormuz is in its final
[00:00:19] final stages. Israel says two of of its soldiers have been killed
[00:00:23] killed in southern Lebanon as it
[00:00:24] it resumes
[00:00:38] We have a special report. Myanmar's Myanmar's military leader visits visits Thailand as Bangkok pushes
[00:00:41] pushes for re-engagement with its
[00:00:43] its regional neighbours. I'm Tadhg
[00:00:46] Tadhg Enright and coming up in business. business. Shares in the Google parent
[00:00:50] parent alphabet fall after the chief
[00:00:53] chief executive of its DeepMind division division steps aside. This, as the
[00:00:56] the tech giant seeks to keep pace
[00:00:59] pace with its rivals. Also coming
[00:01:01] coming up, we're going to meet the the 97-year-old woman who successfully
[00:01:05] successfully broke her own world world record, becoming the oldest
[00:01:08] oldest person to complete a wing
[00:01:11] wing walk. A warm welcome to you.
[00:01:22] you. We start in the Middle East, East, where there are reports of
[00:01:25] of a possible breakthrough over one one of the world's most dangerous
[00:01:29] dangerous and significant waterways. waterways. Iran says they're close
[00:01:32] close to finalising an interim agreement agreement to establish shipping routes
[00:01:36] routes through the Strait of Hormuz, Hormuz, the narrow channel through
[00:01:39] through which much of the global global energy supply passes. However,
[00:01:42] However, Tehran has warned that a
[00:01:43] a deal would only go ahead if certain
[00:01:47] certain third parties did not obstruct obstruct the process. Now for his
[00:01:50] his part, President Trump has said said that the waterway would reopen
[00:01:53] reopen very soon or Iran would, in
[00:01:56] in his words, be hit very hard. If If confirmed, an agreement could
[00:01:59] could begin to ease a crisis that
[00:02:02] that has shaken markets. Yet a ship
[00:02:04] ship tracking data shows only a small small number of vessels are actually
[00:02:07] actually currently able to transit transit the strait. Meanwhile, in
[00:02:11] in his first meeting with his US US counterpart Marco Rubio, the new
[00:02:15] new UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband Miliband has said that Britain would
[00:02:18] would work with the US to secure
[00:02:20] secure a lasting ceasefire in the
[00:02:23] the Iran war and reopened the strait. strait. But in a broadcast interview
[00:02:27] interview after the meeting, Ed Miliband Miliband insisted the UK would never
[00:02:31] never take part in offensive military military action. Now he spoke to
[00:02:34] to my colleague Helena Humphrey, Humphrey, who asked him what he and
[00:02:38] and the US Secretary of State, Marco Marco Rubio, had achieved. Well,
[00:02:42] Well, the number one priority for for this government is to tackle
[00:02:44] tackle the cost of living crisis crisis that people are facing. And
[00:02:48] And my job as Foreign Secretary most most immediately is to work with
[00:02:52] with our closest ally, the United
[00:02:53] United States, on getting a ceasefire
[00:02:56] ceasefire and a lasting ceasefire ceasefire in relation to the Iran
[00:03:00] Iran war. Now we are working night night and day to try and make that
[00:03:03] that happen. That was a large part
[00:03:05] part of our discussions today. I
[00:03:08] I am hopeful that this may happen, happen, but we are not there yet
[00:03:11] yet and we've got to do everything
[00:03:14] everything we can to get this ceasefire
[00:03:16] ceasefire in place. The work between between Iran and Oman is obviously
[00:03:20] obviously crucial to that, but then then we've got to make sure it is
[00:03:23] is an enduring ceasefire, that we we don't have a nuclear Iran. Ed Ed Miliband there speaking to Helena
[00:03:27] Helena Humphrey now we'll get a little little bit more on that potential potential agreement. But just to
[00:03:30] to bring you up to date on what the the Israeli military has been saying,
[00:03:33] saying, they claim that two soldiers soldiers have been killed and four
[00:03:36] four others have been severely injured injured in southern Lebanon. Now
[00:03:39] Now this comes as Israel resumes resumes strikes on the country for
[00:03:42] for the first time in more than a a month. Lebanese state media said
[00:03:45] said one person had been killed and
[00:03:49] and 11 had been wounded. Well, our our correspondent Jon Donnison is
[00:03:52] is in Jerusalem. He gave us the latest
[00:03:56] latest on the actions in Lebanon Lebanon and also that potential agreement
[00:04:00] agreement between Oman and Iran to
[00:04:02] to open the Strait of Hormuz. Well,
[00:04:05] Well, let's start with that effort effort to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
[00:04:08] Hormuz. And basically at the moment
[00:04:10] moment we only have Iran's word for for the fact that any progress has
[00:04:14] has been made. The Iranian foreign foreign ministry saying that they're
[00:04:18] they're very close to an agreement agreement with Oman to effectively
[00:04:20] effectively allow ships to pass in in on the northern route into the
[00:04:24] the strait along the Iranian coast coast and then for ships to come
[00:04:28] come out, hugging the coast. So all
[00:04:31] all eyes now really on the White White House and President Trump's
[00:04:34] Trump's Truth Social account to see see what his reaction is. But it
[00:04:38] it does seem that some progress there
[00:04:41] there is being made. However, you you know, lots of potential pitfalls.
[00:04:44] pitfalls. It's a very complex, region.
[00:04:47] region. This a lot of conflicts interlinked. interlinked. And in Lebanon, as you
[00:04:50] you say, for the first time in a a month, really we've had a significant significant flare up in violence
[00:04:54] violence there. The Israeli military military saying two of its soldiers
[00:04:58] soldiers killed, four severely injured, injured, apparently when they were
[00:05:02] were carrying out demolitions in in southern Lebanon. And they entered
[00:05:04] entered a booby trap building Israel
[00:05:08] Israel then responded or issuing issuing its first evacuation order
[00:05:11] order in southern Lebanon for more more than a month and carrying out
[00:05:15] out strikes which we think went on
[00:05:18] on into the night. And John. So just
[00:05:21] just in terms of that ongoing conflict
[00:05:25] conflict when it comes to Israel Israel and Lebanon, nothing seems
[00:05:28] seems to be ceasing just an escalation, escalation, obviously deeply concerning
[00:05:32] concerning for the people of southern
[00:05:34] southern Lebanon. Yeah, absolutely.
[00:05:38] absolutely. Many have not been able able to return to their homes. Some
[00:05:41] Some of them have. Many villages villages have been completely destroyed.
[00:05:43] destroyed. And while Israeli forces forces continue to occupy a large
[00:05:47] large chunk of southern Lebanon, Lebanon, I think it's about 5% of
[00:05:51] of the country in total in terms
[00:05:53] terms of land area, it is almost
[00:05:55] almost inevitable that there is the
[00:05:58] the possibility of flare-ups. And
[00:05:59] And the reason this matters, given
[00:06:02] given the broader situation in the
[00:06:04] the region, is that Iran has insisted
[00:06:06] insisted that Lebanon must be part
[00:06:10] part of a broader deal with the United
[00:06:13] United States. If they want a ceasefire
[00:06:15] ceasefire in Lebanon, too. As part part of that broader deal. So if
[00:06:18] if we get flare-ups there, it could
[00:06:23] could undermine those efforts to to achieve a deal with Iran, which,
[00:06:25] which, to be frank, are only limping limping along at best at the moment.
[00:06:29] moment. So our thanks to John Donaldson
[00:06:31] Donaldson there outlining just how how complicated and interwoven all
[00:06:35] all of these issues are. Let's get get some more analysis. Doctor H
[00:06:39] H a Hellyer is an expert in Middle Middle East security and senior associate
[00:06:42] associate fellow at the Royal United United Services Institute for Defence
[00:06:46] Defence and Security Studies. Doctor Doctor Hellyer, let's get your expertise.
[00:06:49] expertise. Oman, Iran talking. Just
[00:06:52] Just remind us how important Oman
[00:06:55] Oman are to these conversations. conversations. Thank you very much
[00:06:58] much for having me. I think it's
[00:07:00] it's very difficult to overestimate, overestimate, frankly, how important
[00:07:03] important Oman is in this regard.
[00:07:06] regard. Oman has been the key. Regional
[00:07:09] Regional actor that has been dealing dealing with the Iranians when it
[00:07:13] it comes to, this particular set
[00:07:15] set of negotiations. With, you know,
[00:07:18] know, I have to say not enough support support from outside of the region
[00:07:21] region in this regard. It's negotiating,
[00:07:25] negotiating, ostensibly on behalf behalf of Muscat, of course, as the the Omanis, but really everybody
[00:07:29] everybody knows that it's doing so
[00:07:32] so on behalf of the wider GCC. And
[00:07:35] And by extension, the US and the the world when it comes to the Strait
[00:07:38] Strait of Hormuz because of course course the interests of the Omanis
[00:07:42] Omanis in the Strait of Hormuz, are,
[00:07:46] are, are pretty much the same as
[00:07:47] as the rest of the GCC, vis a vis
[00:07:50] vis the Iranians. And certainly the the international community. So,
[00:07:53] So, I think that the Omanis are really
[00:07:55] really quite critical, crucial. And
[00:07:58] And the most substantial actor in
[00:08:00] in this regard. And a further further
[00:08:02] further development, Iran's President
[00:08:04] President Masoud Pezeshkian has spoken
[00:08:09] spoken to the supreme leader. Just
[00:08:11] Just talk us through how significant
[00:08:15] significant that is. I think it's it's significant, just as a signal
[00:08:18] signal that the process that the
[00:08:21] the Iranians have been making clear, clear, would would play out has been
[00:08:25] been playing out. The Iranian regime,
[00:08:28] regime, of course, is headed, by
[00:08:31] by the supreme leader. It's, it's
[00:08:34] it's a very important component of of that regime. I don't think anybody
[00:08:38] anybody should be in denial about
[00:08:39] about that. But I think that the
[00:08:42] the reports that you've seen are
[00:08:44] are also meant to send a message
[00:08:47] message to not just the people of
[00:08:49] of Iran, but more widely, that the
[00:08:53] the regime doesn't have massive cracks, cracks, at least on this issue. And
[00:08:57] And I think that's true. I think think that's accurate. I think that
[00:09:00] that the, the entirety of the regime regime has a very singular view when
[00:09:04] when it comes to the Strait of Hormuz.
[00:09:07] Hormuz. They see it as leverage,
[00:09:09] leverage, that they need in order
[00:09:11] order to make sure that the United
[00:09:14] United States, and the Israelis don't don't attack Iran again. I'm not
[00:09:17] not sure that it is that leverage, leverage, but I think that they're
[00:09:20] they're very clear, and cohesive cohesive about this point. And on
[00:09:24] on the point that you make on the the United States especially, we're
[00:09:26] we're just getting a line from the the AFP news agency that Pakistan,
[00:09:30] Pakistan, which is of course one one of the mediators in all of this,
[00:09:33] this, are saying that they hope that that this potential Strait of Hormuz
[00:09:37] Hormuz agreement will then lead to
[00:09:40] to resumption of Iran-u.s talks.
[00:09:42] talks. Is that realistic? Is that
[00:09:45] that hopeful? It's realistic. I'm
[00:09:47] I'm not sure how much people should
[00:09:52] should put into the talks in terms terms of, you know, credibility or
[00:09:56] or reliability. When it comes to
[00:09:59] to the Iranians, the Iranians have
[00:10:02] have been attacked in the midst of
[00:10:05] of negotiations with the United States.
[00:10:07] States. Now multiple times. And they've they've made it very clear that they
[00:10:11] they don't trust the United States,
[00:10:14] States, to engage in good faith negotiations.
[00:10:16] negotiations. They feel that those
[00:10:18] those can be set aside at any point.
[00:10:21] point. The US has its own reasons,
[00:10:22] reasons, of course, for being, suspicious suspicious of, of the Iranian regime
[00:10:26] regime and of course, the Iranian
[00:10:29] Iranian regime, is notorious in the the region for all sorts of things,
[00:10:32] things, not least of which have to
[00:10:34] to do with Syria. The Gulf Arab states,
[00:10:37] states, and so on. But when it comes comes to the negotiations, there
[00:10:40] there now have been several rounds rounds of negotiations between the
[00:10:44] the Americans and the Iranians when
[00:10:45] when the midst of negotiations, the
[00:10:49] the United States launched attacks.
[00:10:51] attacks. I do say that the Iranians
[00:10:54] Iranians haven't been again, you you know, angels in any of this in
[00:10:58] in the slightest. But I think that that the level of distrust that now
[00:11:01] now exists is so high that one has has to be very cautious about expecting
[00:11:05] expecting any breakthroughs in that
[00:11:06] that regard. But they also need better
[00:11:09] better relations if they're going going to have economic recovery.
[00:11:12] recovery. So I do think that it's it's likely that there will be talks.
[00:11:16] talks. I suspect that the Iranians Iranians will not be rushing into
[00:11:20] into these talks, especially given given that the US has mid-terms later
[00:11:24] later on this year. And it works works in the Iranian interest to
[00:11:28] to tread carefully, slowly, as compared compared to the Americans in this
[00:11:31] this regard. Yeah. The issue of trust trust critical doctor H a Hellyer
[00:11:34] Hellyer from RUSI, as always, thank thank you so, so much. My pleasure.
[00:11:38] pleasure. Thank you. Now the head head of football's governing body
[00:11:41] body has apologised for mistakes mistakes made in the pursuit of his
[00:11:45] his controversial plan to sell off off stakes in competitions to private
[00:11:48] private investors. But Gianni Infantino Infantino plans to remain in his
[00:11:52] his role as Fifa's president after after senior executives rallied behind
[00:11:56] behind him, releasing a statement statement of support. But is this
[00:12:00] this enough to secure Infantino's Infantino's position? While Craig
[00:12:02] Craig Foster is a retired captain captain of the Australian national
[00:12:05] national team, a human rights activist activist and a sports analyst. He
[00:12:08] He gave us his assessment of Infantino's
[00:12:11] Infantino's outlook. Very, very sadly,
[00:12:13] sadly, it's enough for his management management and what they call the
[00:12:16] the leadership team. And I say sadly,
[00:12:19] sadly, because we've had one resignation,
[00:12:22] resignation, we've had one senior senior administrator come out with
[00:12:25] with a mea culpa and say, look, basically basically this whole thing was unbeknown
[00:12:28] unbeknown to us. It's shocking, you
[00:12:30] you know, and it can't go on. We
[00:12:33] We even had a Mattias Grafstrom the
[00:12:35] the Secretary General, a leaked email
[00:12:37] email saying to the staff that it's it's sad and reproachable. And now
[00:12:40] now after a meeting in Morocco, apparently
[00:12:43] apparently all is is sunny again. again. And that's got to be a real
[00:12:47] real concern for all football stakeholders stakeholders around the world. You You know, my message to all former
[00:12:51] former players is you have to do do something and speak up here. My
[00:12:54] My message to all fans around the the world is that you have to hold
[00:12:57] hold your own federation accountable, accountable, because no one should
[00:13:00] should be supporting this. What's
[00:13:02] What's happened is we've had a backflip
[00:13:04] backflip from the management and and leadership team of Fifa within
[00:13:08] within just the last 48 hours, and and that tells us that the rot goes
[00:13:12] goes much, much deeper. We knew that that it wasn't just about Infantino,
[00:13:15] Infantino, but the real question question for footballers, people
[00:13:17] people around the world is like how
[00:13:19] how low can this go? And if this
[00:13:22] this is what organisational institutional institutional culture actually is
[00:13:26] is at Fifa, then clearly it needs
[00:13:28] needs very significant reform. It's It's obvious that, you know, I think
[00:13:32] think when you come to the Balagan Balagan affair, a whole range of
[00:13:35] of issues we go back to the peace
[00:13:37] peace Prize, but particularly this
[00:13:40] this unilateral, approach and project project from Infantino that was then
[00:13:44] then going to be forced through on on member federations to sell off
[00:13:47] off part of its most precious asset. asset. If this is now acceptable
[00:13:50] acceptable to Fifa management and
[00:13:52] and it is then surely Fifa management
[00:13:56] management along with Infantino need need to be changed. Yeah. So what
[00:13:58] what does this say about the whole
[00:14:01] whole of Fifa? Because obviously obviously we had previous leaders
[00:14:05] leaders of Fifa, said Plata. He was was embroiled in controversy. What
[00:14:07] What does Fifa need to do in order
[00:14:10] order to clear. Its. Arguably it's
[00:14:14] it's a difficult back history. Yeah.
[00:14:17] Yeah. So as you say, this is a repeating
[00:14:20] repeating cycle now and that's the the real challenge for global football
[00:14:23] football and all of the stakeholders stakeholders is that this is going
[00:14:27] going to occur again. The question question is whether next time it
[00:14:30] it may not be caught, you know, by by external media. It may not be
[00:14:34] be leaked by people inside the organisation. organisation. It may have been forced
[00:14:38] forced through and all of a sudden sudden some of the key assets may
[00:14:41] may well have been sold off in circumstances
[00:14:45] circumstances of, you know, very very serious concerns about conflict conflict of interests and abuse of
[00:14:48] of the position of the President. President. So therefore, what it
[00:14:51] it says to us is if we're going to to end the cycle, we need reform
[00:14:55] reform of Fifa. There's a lot of of different conversations happening
[00:14:57] happening about that. As to whether
[00:15:00] whether it needs, you know, a rotating rotating president or it needs a
[00:15:04] a chair of an internal board or whatever whatever the case is. But it certainly
[00:15:07] certainly needs reform. I think the the other two points quickly to make
[00:15:11] make is that the fans and the players
[00:15:14] players have to have a stake and and power in this game. They're the
[00:15:17] the two voices and we always say say that football is for the people
[00:15:20] people of the world and yes it is, is, but the people of the world have
[00:15:23] have no access. They have no leverage leverage and they have no power and
[00:15:27] and it's not being managed in the the interests of the fans and the the people of the world. The only
[00:15:31] only way that's going to happen is
[00:15:32] is if the fans come together in a
[00:15:36] a global organisation and create
[00:15:38] create leverage and power so that that they have a real stake. And
[00:15:41] And if players do that and I'm talking talking here about FIFPro, which
[00:15:44] which is the global players union, union, they need to be stronger.
[00:15:47] stronger. They need to make sure sure that the legendary players of
[00:15:50] of the world are on board onside onside with them instead of being
[00:15:54] being this close and captured by by Fifa. And those two stakeholders
[00:15:58] stakeholders have to really now get
[00:16:00] get themselves organised and accept accept responsibility on behalf of
[00:16:03] of all the players of the world and and all the fans of the world to
[00:16:07] to actually force reform through through at Fifa. Craig Foster there,
[00:16:10] there, who used to captain the Australian
[00:16:13] Australian national team. We are
[00:16:15] are going to take a short break and
[00:16:18] and what more? There is lots more more coming up. We're going to meet
[00:16:22] meet the 97-year-old woman who broke
[00:16:24] broke her own world record by becoming becoming the oldest person to complete
[00:16:28] complete a wing walk, so head for for heights there around the world,
[00:16:31] world, across the UK you're
[00:17:35] question on BBC News. Welcome back.
[00:17:43] back. You're with BBC News. Coming Coming to you from the very heart
[00:17:46] heart of our newsroom here in central central London. Hello. Four women
[00:17:50] women have told the BBC that they they were sexually assaulted and
[00:17:53] and harassed at an Army training training college for teenagers in
[00:17:57] in North Yorkshire. The Army Foundation Foundation College in Harrogate is
[00:18:01] is the largest military training training establishment for under
[00:18:04] under 19 seconds in the UK and receives
[00:18:07] receives all the Army's 16-year-old 16-year-old recruits. The Ministry Ministry of Defence says that the
[00:18:11] the culture of care at the establishment establishment was recognised in its
[00:18:14] its latest Ofsted report, as well
[00:18:16] well as during a visit from the Children's
[00:18:19] Children's Commissioner and safeguarding safeguarding authorities in January.
[00:18:21] January. Our senior UK correspondent
[00:18:24] correspondent Sima Kotecha has more.
[00:18:26] more. It ruined my life. I've lost
[00:18:30] lost all my confidence. The words
[00:18:32] words of women who went to the largest largest army training college in
[00:18:35] in the country for 16 and 17 year-olds.
[00:18:38] year-olds. Speaking to the BBC for for the first time. It needs to be
[00:18:42] be closed down and I don't get why why it hasn't. It just doesn't make
[00:18:46] make sense. The Army Foundation College College in Harrogate is for teenagers
[00:18:49] teenagers who want a life in the the armed forces, but now it's at
[00:18:53] at the centre of serious allegations allegations from several women who
[00:18:56] who went to the college in recent
[00:18:58] recent years, claims of harassment harassment and sexual assault. They
[00:19:01] They were like, do you want to come
[00:19:03] come into the room? And me being
[00:19:06] being a naive 17-year-old girl was
[00:19:08] was like, yeah, fine. Tilly. Not
[00:19:10] Not her real name, says she was raped
[00:19:12] raped by fellow recruits. They started started taking my clothes off and
[00:19:16] and then this led to them doing stuff
[00:19:18] stuff I didn't consent to. There
[00:19:21] There were a lot of them. They touched
[00:19:23] touched me in places, made inappropriate inappropriate comments, calling me
[00:19:26] me a thing rather than a girl. Like
[00:19:29] Like some of the other women we spoke spoke to, Tilly reported it to the
[00:19:32] the police. We're not providing the the full details of all their investigations
[00:19:36] investigations to protect their identity.
[00:19:39] identity. Monica, also not her real real name, says she too was attacked
[00:19:42] attacked by a junior soldier. Set Set against the door so I couldn't
[00:19:46] couldn't get out. He then pushed pushed himself up against me and
[00:19:48] and started kissing my face and touching
[00:19:50] touching me all over. He sexually sexually assaulted me. All of the
[00:19:54] the women we've spoken to went to to this college over the last five
[00:19:58] five years. Data obtained by the
[00:20:00] the BBC through a Freedom of Information
[00:20:02] Information request shows that North
[00:20:05] North Yorkshire Police recorded 16 16 sexual offence crimes over the
[00:20:08] the last year at this college, including
[00:20:13] including voyeurism and exposure exposure and sexual assault. These
[00:20:15] These are recorded complaints and and it's not clear how many led to
[00:20:19] to prosecutions. If this was anywhere anywhere else it would have been been closed down by now. I think
[00:20:23] think as a matter of urgency, there
[00:20:24] there should be an independent inquiry
[00:20:27] inquiry into the college led by someone
[00:20:29] someone with significant safeguarding
[00:20:32] safeguarding expertise. A recent recent Ministry of Defence survey
[00:20:35] survey suggests almost 70% of women
[00:20:37] women in the armed forces experienced experienced at least one sexualised
[00:20:41] sexualised behaviour in the last
[00:20:42] last year. In 2021, gunner JAAC Beck
[00:20:45] Beck took her own life at her barracks barracks in Wiltshire months after
[00:20:49] after she was sexually assaulted assaulted by Warrant Officer Michael
[00:20:53] Michael Weber. Last year, a coroner coroner ruled the assault and the
[00:20:56] the army's failure to take appropriate
[00:20:58] appropriate action more than minimally minimally contributed to her death.
[00:21:02] death. Weber was jailed for six months.
[00:21:05] months. The government defines a
[00:21:07] a child as anyone under 18 in response
[00:21:10] response to the allegations made made in this report, the Ministry
[00:21:13] Ministry of Defence says unacceptable unacceptable and criminal behaviour
[00:21:16] behaviour has absolutely no place place in our armed forces and these
[00:21:20] these reports are extremely distressing distressing and serious. It says
[00:21:23] says it's created the defence Serious
[00:21:25] Serious Crime Command, which is independent independent and outside of the army
[00:21:29] army chain of command and has a specialist specialist team who help victims
[00:21:33] victims throughout the process of
[00:21:36] of justice. The Army is a tough training
[00:21:40] training environment with high standards, standards, but the supervision and
[00:21:43] and discipline of junior recruits recruits and their instructors is
[00:21:46] is now in sharp focus. After so many
[00:21:50] many serious allegations, Sima Kotecha,
[00:21:53] Kotecha, BBC News. Myanmar's military
[00:21:57] military leader turned president president Min Aung Hlaing has arrived
[00:22:00] arrived in Thailand for an official official visit. It's his first trip
[00:22:03] trip outside the country since he he launched a coup that ignited a
[00:22:07] a civil war which left thousands thousands dead and wrecked the economy.
[00:22:10] economy. Well, now his diplomatic diplomatic engagement is part of
[00:22:13] of an attempt to end the country's
[00:22:16] country's international isolation. isolation. Our South East Asia correspondent correspondent Jonathan Head is at
[00:22:19] at government House in Bangkok. He He told me about what we can expect
[00:22:23] expect over the course of this visit. visit. This is where dignitaries,
[00:22:26] dignitaries, top leaders come to to meet the Prime Minister. It's It's the seat of government in Thailand.
[00:22:30] Thailand. Min Aung Hlaing has spent spent the last couple of hours here
[00:22:32] here in meetings with Thailand's Thailand's top leadership, but he
[00:22:36] he has a full two day visit in which which there's going to be a business business forum where Thai businesses
[00:22:39] businesses are going to look into into how they can invest more in
[00:22:41] in Myanmar. He's going to be given given a full dinner. He's going to
[00:22:45] to be meeting a whole range of Thai Thai officials. This is a much larger
[00:22:48] larger scale visit than I think many many people expected. For a first
[00:22:52] first official visit since the coup. coup. And as you say, he's been out
[00:22:55] out in the cold. The South East Asian
[00:22:57] Asian position has been that Myanmar Myanmar is in, in the doghouse that
[00:23:01] that the Myanmar military leaders leaders have refused to honour the
[00:23:04] the promise they made five years years ago to de-escalate violence
[00:23:07] violence and talk to the opposition. opposition. Min Aung Hlaing has now
[00:23:10] now completely dismissed that agreement agreement that he signed five years
[00:23:13] years ago. And a lot of South East East Asian countries are saying we
[00:23:17] we should not be engaging with him him until we see some real concessions
[00:23:19] concessions that might end this catastrophic catastrophic civil war in Myanmar
[00:23:23] Myanmar that's still ongoing. There's There's still bombardment of villages
[00:23:26] villages and hospitals. I mean, there's there's no sign of it toning down
[00:23:30] down or of any overtures being made
[00:23:32] made to the opposition in Myanmar Myanmar despite the notional transformation
[00:23:36] transformation of men into a civilian civilian president. So there are
[00:23:39] are a lot of South East Asian countries countries or some that really disagree
[00:23:42] disagree with what Thailand is doing. doing. But Thailand argues it's a
[00:23:45] a special case. It's got a very long
[00:23:47] long border, the longest of all with
[00:23:49] with Myanmar 2500km. But Min Aung Aung Hlaing is there to stay. He's
[00:23:52] He's got the backing of China, but but they have to start doing business
[00:23:55] business with him and they've really really elevated relations pretty
[00:23:58] pretty much back to what they were were before the coup with this visit.
[00:24:02] visit. And have we heard anything anything about the opposition leader,
[00:24:05] leader, Aung San Suu Kyi? We've heard
[00:24:09] heard very little. But we did, of
[00:24:12] of course, have this photograph published published on Monday showing her meeting
[00:24:16] meeting a delegation from the Red Red Cross. Now, it wasn't much, but
[00:24:20] but because the ICRC confirmed it it was actually the very first proof
[00:24:23] proof of life anyone's had of Aung
[00:24:24] Aung San Suu Kyi being alive. And And we think reasonably healthy for
[00:24:28] for more than two and a half years. years. And what's interesting is
[00:24:32] is the Burmese military rulers have have been under enormous pressure pressure from their neighbours, from
[00:24:35] from Aung San Suu Kyi's family to to show that she's alive and well.
[00:24:38] well. They've refused to do it. They They released that photograph on
[00:24:42] on Monday, largely because the Thais Thais couldn't have allowed this this visit to go ahead without being
[00:24:46] being sure she was alive. And there there are others saying, well, that's that's fine. I mean, at least it's
[00:24:49] it's good to know she's alive. But But this is a very small concession. concession. The real concessions
[00:24:54] concessions people have been asking asking for from the military is to
[00:24:57] to stop this relentless, destructive destructive war against those who
[00:25:00] who oppose their coup and to start start dialogue. And we haven't heard
[00:25:04] heard anything from Min Aung Hlaing Hlaing or the military people around
[00:25:06] around him that suggest they're ready
[00:25:09] ready to do that. Our thanks to Jonathan
[00:25:12] Jonathan Head in Bangkok there on
[00:25:14] on the visit by the Myanmar's leader
[00:25:17] leader there. We're going to cross
[00:25:18] cross over live to Italy, to Perugia,
[00:25:22] Perugia, to Umbria, in fact, because
[00:25:24] because as you can see, Pope Leo
[00:25:27] Leo is there meeting members of the
[00:25:30] the public and he's there to mark
[00:25:34] mark the 800th anniversary of Pope
[00:25:36] Pope Francis. Saint Francis of Assisi.
[00:25:40] Assisi. This is a pastoral visit visit to this Italian town where
[00:25:44] where it brings to an end four days
[00:25:46] days of encounters, workshops and
[00:25:49] and what the Vatican are describing describing as opportunities for sharing,
[00:25:53] sharing, especially answering young
[00:25:54] young people's questions. He's also
[00:25:58] also presided over mass. There an
[00:26:00] an important moment for Pope Leo,
[00:26:04] Leo, who's proclaimed this year as as a Franciscan
[00:29:42] question on BBC News. Here at BBC
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[00:30:02] the facts. Watch our BBC Verify reports reports on the BBC News channel or
[00:30:05] or go online to find out more. With
[00:30:13] With BBC News our main headlines headlines now. Iran says a deal with
[00:30:16] with Oman on a shipping route through through the Strait of Hormuz is in
[00:30:20] in its final stages. Israel says says two of its soldiers have been
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[00:30:25] as it resumed strikes on the country.
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[00:30:57] walk. So much more on all of those those stories coming up.