Plus: US reporter's Russian spy trial, and Taiwan's gay politicians ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
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| Hello. It's a pleasure to be stepping in to write your newsletter today. We have the latest on Julian Assange's new-found freedom, including an in-depth look at how the deal for his release was agreed. From Russia, Steve Rosenberg reports on the opening of the spy trial of US journalist Evan Gershkovich, and scroll down for a road trip like no other in northern Europe. | |
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TOP OF THE AGENDA | Assange arrives home after guilty plea | | Julian Assange pleaded guilty to one charge in court and was allowed to walk free. Credit: Reuters | Having been declared a free man after his lengthy legal battle ended with a hearing in a US territory in the western Pacific, Julian Assange left the court and quietly nodded to the snapping cameras that surrounded him. Then he set off for home and has just landed in Canberra. Until very recently, the Australian had feared a long sentence in a US high security prison for leaking vast amounts of military information. So how was his release won? As James Landale and Tiffanie Turnbull explain, Australian government pressure, British legal process and a realisation by the US that it needed a deal all led to the Wikileaks founder's freedom. Public opinion hasn't always been on his side in Australia. But after his guilty plea to conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information secured the deal, many in the country are celebrating his freedom as he begins a new life back home. Our live page has the latest reaction and analysis.
Walking free: Watch the moment Julian Assange left the court building after being released by Judge Ramona Manglona.
Why Saipan? You may not have heard of the Northern Mariana Islands before but now the world's eyes have been on its capital. This is why it hosted the Assange hearing.
A controversial figure: From leaking classified files to claiming asylum to avoid extradition over a rape allegation he denied, here's the background to Julian Assange. | |
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WORLD HEADLINES | | Mpox outbreak: A new strain of the deadly virus, formerly called monkeypox, is spreading quickly in the Democratic Republic of Congo and is worrying health officials. | | Israel-Gaza: Many Palestinians still face "catastrophic levels" of hunger, according to a UN-backed assessment, but experts say evidence does not indicate a famine is occurring in the north after aid supplies increased. | | In Japan: In a case likely to stoke local opposition to US military presence, an American soldier has been charged with the kidnapping and rape of a teenage girl in Okinawa, where an air force base is situated. | | I Feel Love: Kanye West and the estate of Donna Summer have reached a settlement over a copyright dispute after he allegedly used an uncleared sample of her huge disco hit. | | Attenborough portrait: Having recently revealed his striking red painting of King Charles, artist Jonathan Yeo has unveiled a portrait of veteran broadcaster Sir David Attenborough in green, appropriately. See it in all its glory. | |
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UK ELECTION LATEST | The gambling scandal that's shaken the campaign isn't going away, with more politicians being investigated. Our political editor Chris Mason explains why the saga matters. Later, Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour challenger Sir Keir Starmer face off in the final leaders' debate on the BBC. Get all the latest on our rolling live coverage. | |
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| US journalist's espionage trial begins | | WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich has been held in a Moscow jail for almost 15 months. Credit: Reuters | Evan Gershkovich was on a reporting trip to Russia for the Wall Street Journal when he was arrested on suspicion of spying last year, a charge he vehemently denies. Now he's gone on trial in the city where he was arrested. The maximum possible punishment: 20 years in prison. |
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| | Steve Rosenberg, Russia editor |
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| | Head shaven, and wearing a check shirt and jeans, Mr Gershkovich stood in the metal and glass cage known in Russian courtrooms as "the aquarium". He smiled to cameras but made no comment. I was among the group of media allowed into a courtroom to see him before the start of proceedings but we were soon asked to leave the room. This trial will now be held behind closed doors. Vladimir Putin has indicated he is open to the idea of a prisoner swap. The Kremlin knows that America makes deals to get its citizens back. |
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| | | My brother Evan: Danielle Gershkovich spoke to Steve in March, telling him about her brother's ordeal and how he was still managing to surprise his family despite being in a Moscow prison. |
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BEYOND THE HEADLINES | Breaking new ground for gay Taiwan |
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| | | Huang Jie made history in January when she became the island's first openly gay legislator . Credit: Getty Images | As the only openly gay person in Taiwan's parliament, Huang Jie has blazed a trail. The island is one of the most progressive in Asia for LGBT rights but she and others say their battle is far from over, having noticed intensifying voices of criticism. Will society's embrace of the LGBT community hold firm? |
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SOMETHING DIFFERENT | An epic Atlantic road trip | Join us on a zig-zagging journey in the Faroe Islands, over land and under sea. | |
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And finally... | If you're fortunate enough to have $6m (£4.7m) spare and you don't know what to do with it, consider this. A 1939 letter signed by Albert Einstein, encouraging Franklin D Roosevelt to develop the first nuclear bombs, is going up for auction. It's part of a sale of items once owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, who died in 2018. Here's more on the eclectic collection of artefacts. | |
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Medal Moments | Your daily newsletter guide to the Paris Olympics, from global highlights to heroic stories, throughout the Games. | |
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MORE BBC NEWSLETTERS | | The Essential List: The week's best stories, handpicked by BBC editors, in your inbox twice a week. Subscribe. | | In History: The past comes to life through the BBC's unique audio, video and written archive, each Thursday. Subscribe. | | US Election Unspun: Cut through the noise in the race for the White House, every Wednesday. Subscribe. | |
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– Iain | | | | |
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