From bitter enemy to close ally of the west. In whats being seen as an historic agreement, israel and the United Arab Emirates have reached a deal to normalise relations. Donald trump made the announcement at the white house, saying israel would now suspend plans to further annex parts of the occupied west bank. The uae is first arab gulf state to agree to formal diplomatic ties with israel. Our middle east correspondent, yolande knell, reports from jerusalem. The face of a man whos made an historic deal. Israels leader talking to the crown prince of abu dhabi and president trump. Already, there were signs of warming ties with arab gulf states who share fears over iran. And israeli minister in the uae. The delegation singing in the jewish sabbath. Now such scenes could become normal. We announced the establishment of a full and formal peace between israel and the uae. It includes the mutual opening of embassies, direct flights and many other bilateral agreements. This is the greatest advancements towards peace between israel and the arab rule in the last 26 years. But the palestinians feel betrayed. Past peace plans promise diplomatic relations with powerful arab states, only when their conflict with israel had been solved. Recently, they have been fighting israeli plans to annex in parts of the west bank which they want for a future state. Tonight, they want for a future state. Tonight, the uae justified what it called its bold step, saying israel agreed not to take action. Meanwhile, the white house congratulated itself. By uniting two of americas closest and most capable partners in the region, something which was said could not be done, this deal is a significant step to building a more peaceful, secure and prosperous middle east. For mr trump, with president ial elections looming and his friend, benjamin netanyahu, this is a majorforeign policy achievement. In a measure of its great popularity with israelis, tonight, the tel aviv municipality was lit up with the emma rathi flag. Joining me now from chicago is dr sara yael hirschhorn, shes visiting assistant professor in israel studies at northwestern university. Thank you for coming on the programme. Thank you for having me with you. So, what do you think the significance is then of the steel . I think each party is going to sell it as a victory for themselves but these are two nationstates that really were not at war with each other so the idea that they have now pronounced a piece seems rather artificial and a distraction from some larger agendas in the region. Thats interesting. We heard that this is the most significant step in 26 years, do you think that is simply overblown . I think that there we re overblown . I think that there were already quite diplomatic relations that had moved increasingly into the open in the last several years so it is not terribly surprising that this has now come about but i think we have two now looked at the larger picture of what has been given in return. The trumpet brokering of the deal and what the larger ramifications will be for the palestinians in the west of the region in the wake of this agreement. 0k, region in the wake of this agreement. Ok, lets region in the wake of this agreement. 0k, letsjust unpack one of those first and thatis unpack one of those first and that is the role of donald trump and that administration. How much credit do you think they deserve. Look, ithink they deserve. Look, ithink they have had an agenda going back to their conference in bahrain to bring arab states and israel closer together and also for the Trump Administration to be able to pronounce the deal of the century between israel and the arab world, so they certainly had a great stake in the issue but i would like to see more of what the actual tangible consequences of this will be. First of all, anything that has been announced right now is all preliminary, there has been nothing officially signed, and what ramifications will be for the other states signing peace treaties with israel, more important arab partners like saudi arabia as well as what this will mean for the Arab Peace Initiative and the Israeli Palestinian peace relations remains to be seen. And what does this do for donald trump domestically . think does much less than he will hope. There will be very little that will distract American Voters from 150,000 dead and very significant unemployment in this country, and even his evangelical brakes i think will be sceptical of the steel because it doesnt really conform to their ideological or theological commitments. Israel sending an ambassador to the uae is not necessarily going to bring around the Second Coming in their theology so i want how much it will matter to them when they go to the polls in november. Interesting stuff. You can find much more on the agreement between the United Arab Emirates and israel on our website. Theres a special section devoted to president trumps plans to bring peace to the middle east, and a look at what could happen next. Just log on to bbc. Com news in belarus, the interior minister has said everyone who was detained in this weeks protests will be released by 6am local time this morning. It comes as workers from state run factories joined thousands of people on the streets for a fifth day of protests over disputed election results. Theres been unrest since the long serving leader, alexander lu kashenko, was declared the winner of sundays president ial election, in a vote condemned by many countries as not being free orfair. Some of those detained by police were released on thursday, and tearful relatives gathered outside a jail north of the capital, minsk, hoping to be reunited with their loved ones. From there, our correspondent sent this report. Applause. Factory workers down tools across belarus today. The protest mood in the country is changing following a violent crackdown on protesters. People are finding new ways to make their voices heard. Although the number of protesters on the streets of minsk is going down, but the movement against president lukashenko will not go away back quickly. Today, the workers at this plant are going on strike against the violence that courts are using to stop protesters. Translation we demand honest elections, the change of regime, we demand freedom, democracy and peace in our homes. That is why we have come out. These are some of the people who were detained on sunday. The day when protest in belarus started. Now, they are free. After long days and nights of anxious searching and waiting, some families are finally reunited. But many are still looking for their relatives. People in the crowd show the men photos of family members on their phones in desperate hope that someone will have shared a cell with their loved ones. This woman is looking for her son, who was detained on monday. We have been searching for him for three days. He has three small children at home, she says. For former detainees, the memories of their experience in detention centres will likely haunt them for many years. People told us about brutal beatings and torture the detainees face inside. Translation they beat people ferociously, with impunity and they arrest anyone. The cells are overcrowded and we were forced to stand in the yard all night. We could hear women being beaten. I dont understand such cruelty. When men get arrested, it is the women who now go out onto the streets. The brutal crackdown he has changed the protest movement, but did not stop it. The question now is, how far will the regime go to maintain its grip on power . In lebanon, lawmakers have approved a two week state of emergency in beirut after last weeks deadly explosion in the capital. About a quarter of a Million People remain homeless, and many are still not accounted for. Protests calling for change within the lebanese leadership have continued. The government has resigned but remains in a caretaker capacity, and there are growing calls for the International Community to intervene. The bbcs paul adams has more. In the devastated port, navy divers still searching for victims. Under the now iconic shadow of beiruts shattered grain silos. More than a week on, dozens of people remain missing, some may never be found. Beiruts clean up, slow, labourious and painful goes on. It is a daunting task. This bankrupt country seems overwhelmed, unsure where to start. Hopes are not high that parliament can fix anything, meeting for the First Time Since the explosion, it rubber stamped last weeks declaration of a state of emergency. 0utside, tight security as it has been since the end of last year, lebanons ruling class held in such low regard, it can only meet behind barricades. A major demonstration is planned for saturday, the people of beirut determined that those responsible for wrecking their city are brought to account. The government said there will be answers by now, but it is not clear what, if any, progress has been made. America says it is willing to help uncover the truth, a top diplomat saying american investigators will soon be involved. The fbi will soonjoin lebanese and International Investigators at the invitation of the lebanese in order to help answer questions that i know everyone has about the circumstances that led up to this explosion and to work with lebanese in this regard. But as he met volunteers, he sounded a warning that proper recovery needs real change. And if that same spirit of unity in getting things done could not only be tapped to rebuild beirut, but to get necessary reform to bring about the transformation necessary and for lebanon to make things like this never happen again. The economic and fiscal reforms that are needed, the end to dysfunctional governance and empty promises. The medical challenge remains immense, with several of beiruts hospital still out of action, many of the 6000 people injured are still being treated in makeshift clinics like this jordanian field hospital. To make matters worse, the World Health Organisation says it is worried that coronavirus cases could rise in the wake of last weeks explosion. Stay with us on bbc news, still to come we speak to Hong Kong Media tycoon, jimmy lai, about his recent arrest. The big crowds became bigger as the time of the funeral approached. As the lines of fans became longer, the police prepared for a huge job of crowd control. Idi amin, ugandas brutal former dictator, has died at the age of 80. Hes been buried in saudi arabia, where he lived in exile since being overthrown in 1979. Two billion people around the world have seen the last total eclipse of the sun to take place in this millennium. It began its journey off the coast of canada, ending three hours later when the sun set over the bay of bengal. This is bbc news, our main headline this hour im Lewis Vaughan jones. The United States brokers a peace deal between israel and the United Arab Emirates. The palestinian president says it is betrayal of the palestinian cause. On monday, Hong Kong Media tycoon,jimmy lai, was arrested in a scene that shocked many. His newspaper offices were raided by hundreds of police. Mr lai, the founder of the apple daily, is the most high profile person to be detained under a controversial new security law. Hesjoining me now from hong kong, in one of his first media interviews after being released on bail. Thank you very much for speaking to us here on the bbc. Thank you for having me. You are thank you for having me. You a re clearly thank you for having me. You are clearly free at the moment but do you know what happens to you next . I dont know what is going to happen to me next because i have not given me a date of thejudgement. Because i have not given me a date of the judgement. I was given a bail of 300,000 cash and 300,000 dollars personal guarantee and my passport was confiscated so i cannot travel andi confiscated so i cannot travel and i am waiting for the next thing to happen. Are you scared . No, i am thing to happen. Are you scared . No, iam not. Why not . Why should i be scared . I have been doing this for 30 years and now is a time that needs my courage and it is a time that i have to go forward. I am not scared and i will go on and thatis scared and i will go on and that is my mission. Tell us what happened on monday when the Police Arrived at the newspaper offices. I was escorted down stairs by my maid. Soi escorted down stairs by my maid. So i went down and i saw a bunch of policeman, about 20 of them and they said, you are under arrest under the security law, i was shocked because is a draconian law and i might be sent to china. I told them i had just finished exercising and may i have a bath. They followed me to my room and my bathroom and they allowed me to close the door. I washed. They handcuffed me. Iwas close the door. I washed. They handcuffed me. I was very pleased to see that the whole tea m pleased to see that the whole team were hong kong policeman, that means i was not going to be sent to china. If they had some chinese mandarin speaking policeman, it would be almost sure i would be sent to china. Then i was sent to the Police Station and i was detained for 40 station and i was detained for a0 hours. During the a0 hours, they treated me very nicely and politely, while as a criminal, of course. What are they accusing you of doing . The first thing is, deception, which means we have companies that register on my company, this is while the leasing contract, the second is a reassignment so this is under the basic law. The third charge is collusion, subversion, which is collusion, subversion, which is under the National Security law so i am being charged three charges. What do you make of those charges under this National Security law . those charges under this National Security law . I am not allowed to say anything because the whole legal proceeding is still on. Ijust think the whole legal proceeding is still on. I just think a lot of those charges are trumped up charges but i am not allowed to say anymore. More widely, what do you think this means an what does it represent for the future of hong kong . does it represent for the future of hong kong . I think it means that ccp knows that implementing the National Security law, which has such a Strong Security law, which has such a strong response security law, which has such a strong response from the International Community and the Business Community here, definitely they know that they have done a blunder so i thought they would keep the National Security law in the profile to wait until the National Community is at peace, hong kong Business People also feel the comfort of continuing to do business because, the special security law, definitely supersede the national law, the rule of law here, we have the rule of law and it is obvious that our National Financial centre cannot survive because, without the protection of law, business has no protection except by the officials who have power over them to do business here and also the financial business, millions transferred in seconds without the mutual trust of people is not possible because without law there is no neutral trust. I understand that, i am afraid we are running out of time. One last question, in the last couple of hours donald trump was asked about your arrest and he said it was a terrible thing. Do you think the International Community is doing enough . I think that the International Community has done a lot but what is enough . 0nly history can tell. What is enough is for china to stop behaviour the way he behaved with the outside world because the so called law is of law of opposing value and that is why it creates such a concentration now between china and the free will. Confrontation. Now between china and the free will. Confrontation. Thank you,jimmy lai. The uk has added france and the netherlands to its list of nations from which incoming travellers will have to quarantine for 1a days. It follows a rise in Coronavirus Infections in several countries. Uk transport secretary grant shapps says the restrictions, which will also affect travellers from malta, monaco, turks and caicos, and aruba, will come into effect for the whole of the uk from saturday morning. This evening we will announce that there will be quarantine brought in for a number of other locations, now including france, holland and some others. That is because we have absolutely worked so hard to make sure that we are keeping our numbers down here and we cannot afford to reimport those cases from elsewhere. This weekend marks 75 years since japans surrender in the second world war. Once the fighting ended, the us occupied japan, imposing a constitutional democracy on the former empire, something that shaped International Relations in the region for decades to come. 0ne veteran, john hutchin, whos 96, was part of the Chindit Special forces, which fought behind enemy lines in burma, facing disease and monsoon rains. Hes been speaking to our correspondent, robert hall. Twice a day for five weeks, they attacked. Morning. And evening. 0ur losses were very heavy. Archive here they are in close up for the first time in newsreels, the chindits. They took their badge from the lion statues which guarded burmese temples, the ragged contingents from britain and the commonwealth, outnumbered by the japanese, unrecognisable through hunger and illness. John hutchin had volunteered for the chindits, fighting through the monsoons in 19aa. He came close to death. When i went in, i was 11 stone. I was now eight stone four, a skeleton. I had no energy, i had no fight, i had no spark. So the rule was, before we went in, if youre killed, youre dead because your purpose in there is to kill or be killed. If you were walking wounded, you carried on. If none of those things were possible and it impeded the advance of those 80 men, you were left. I was left. With four days rations. And ammunition. I lay and i couldnt move. And ifound i had a spark. I wasnt dead. I wasnt immobile, and i got up. And for four days and four nights, i marched alone. Until i reached our men. The lions of the chindit army are remembered here on the banks of the thames. A modest monument to outstanding bravery and resilience. I love talking about it because its a whole part of me, but i shall never, ever forget any of those men. And im delighted to have had the honour of being called a chindit. Remarkable. That is it from me. You can reach me anytime online. Hello there. Top temperature on thursday was 30 celsius. Nowhere got above 30. Thats the first time in over a week weve seen that, so temperatures are falling now over the next few days and well have a north south divide. Southern parts of the country will feel most humid, with the risk of thunderstorms over the next few days, whereas further north, higher pressure will tend to bring a lot of dry weather with some sunshine. But there will be some mist and low cloud across more eastern areas. So, for friday, weve got lower pressure to the south, this weather front generating the showers and thunderstorms. Higher pressure, though, across the north, which will bring the fine and settled weather, but we will start off with that low cloud and mist, across many central and eastern areas, which will tend to burn back to the coast through the day. Best of the sunshine western scotland, Northern Ireland, northwest england, where it will feel pleasantly warm. And further south, these thunderstorms could be quite vicious again, with the risk of localised flooding in places where they occur. Not as warm as it has been. In fact, the extreme heat will have gone. Were looking at temperatures around the mid 20s celsius at best, but cooler down the east coast, with onshore breeze and where it stays quite cloudy. As we head through friday night, it looks like those thunderstorms will continue to rattle on across southern areas. Again, the risk of some localised flooding in places, drierfurther north. Its going to be another warm and muggy night for many, particularly england and wales. Now, into saturday, then, its a similar story higher pressure to the north, lower pressure to the south, so this is where well see the showers and the thunderstorms continue. Again, some of them heavy with the risk of some localised flash flooding. Further north, well start off with a bit of grey mistiness across eastern areas. The best of the sunshine for western scotland, Northern Ireland and northwest england. It could stay quite grey along some north sea coasts. Top temperature 25 degrees in the southeast, the low 20s further north. Subtle changes, though, as we head on into sunday. It looks like that thundery low will drift a little bit further north as this High Pressure retreats away, so it looks like we could start to see some thundery showers edging northwards into north wales, the north midlands, perhaps into northern england, as we move through the course of sunday. But again, some of these will be on the heavy side. Top temperatures, 2a, 25 degrees. Again, cooler in the north and east with that onshore breeze. As we head on into next week, it looks like things will stay on the cooler side, with temperatures close to the seasonal average, with a mixture of sunshine and showers. This is bbc news, the headlines the United States has brokered a peace deal between israel and the United Arab Emirates. World leaders have given it a cautious welcome but the palestinian president says it is a betrayal of his peoples cause. Britain is to impose a fourteen day quarantine on all arrivals from france and the netherlands, after a surge in coronavirus cases in recent weeks. The measure will come into effect on saturday. Up to half a million uk tourists are thought to be in france at the moment. In belarus, workers at a state owned factory have gone on strike, calling on the president , alexander lukashenko, to step down following his disputed re election. The government has announced it will release all protesters detained in five days of clashes with police