Mcconnell is the republican leader in the senate with a huge say in which laws make their way through congress. Hes masterminded some of his partys key achievements of recent years including the but he has a frosty relationship with donald trump and called him � morally responsible for the january sixth attacks on the capitol. Mcconnell is the republican leader in the senate with a huge say in which laws make their way through congress. In a moment well speak with our correspondent in washington, but first lets hear from Mitch Mcconnell making his announcement on the floor of the senate just a short time ago. One of lifes most unappreciated talents is to know when its time to move on lifes next chapter. So i stand before you today, mr president , and my colleagues to say this will be my last term as republican leader of the senate. Im not going anywhere anytime soon, however ill complete myjob my colleagues have given me until we select a new leader in november and they take the helm nextjanuary. Lets speak to our washington correspondent gary 0 donoghue. We heard what he had to say there, what should we take away from this . Well i think in some ways Mitch Mcconnell is a man who is inhabiting the party that is unrecognisable in terms of the party he joined. Its moved so far to the right under donald trump that its not something hes particularly in sync with. No, hes particularly in sync with. No, he is a conservative and there are still elements of the republican credo that he goes along with, particularly on things like Social Policy and financial policy, but when it comes to things like americas place in the world, free trade, he is completely out of step with the predominant mood and said that party. In some ways this was inevitable, hes also 82 years old, he has suffered Health Scares in the last year or two, and as he said there, sometimes you realise the time is up and the time for the next generation has come. Unlike some of the other people at the top of american politics, he thinks that his time has come. American politics, he thinks that his time has come. Gary, thank you, Gary Odonoghue his time has come. Gary, thank you, Gary Odonoghue there, his time has come. Gary, thank you, Gary Odonoghue there, our Gary Odonoghue there, our correspondent in washington. Lets correspondent in washington. Lets also seak correspondent in washington. Lets also speak to correspondent in washington. Lets also speak to jeremy correspondent in washington. Let� s also speak to jeremy hobson, that also speak tojeremy hobson, that appears on npr stations around the united states. How appears on npr stations around the united states. United states. How will that change the face of the united states. How will that change the face of the republican united states. How will that change the face of the Republican Party . I l the face of the Republican Party . I think its becoming more of the trump Republican Party. When i saw there was a news alert about Mitch Mcconnell today, i thought it had to do with him endorsing president froms candidacy for ferguson because he still has not done that. But there was a question about whether he was going to have to fall in line. The fact that he decided get down out now, as your correspondent said, hes getting way up correspondent said, hes getting way up there in age, but also he isjust not in tune with todays trunk magda Republican Party. Since january six for the most part, he has not talked to President Trump since 2020. Its kind of amazing. Hes the most powerful republican in the senate, obviously one of the most powerful republicans in america, and he hasnt talked to the other most powerful republican in america since 2020. He stands for conservative principles but a lot of people in his party have moved away from him. We to look no further than the funding for ukraine, which Mitch Mcconnell is in favour of and it couldnt even get a vote in the Republican House of representatives. Plenty to talk about on the show there isnt a . Jeremy hobson from there isnt a . Jeremy hobson from the npr stations across the us. The widow of the russian Opposition LeaderAlexei Navalny has told the European Parliament that her husband had been tortured for three years on president putins orders and then murdered. In her address in strasbourg, which received a standing ovation, Yulia Navalnaya said that people outside russia need to understand that Vladimir Putin is not a politician, but the head of an organised crime gang. She said he cant be negotiated with, and is capable of anything. She promised to continue his work towards a free russia. In a moment well speak with a member of European Parliament who was in attendance during her speech, but first lets listen to some of the key moments. On his orders, alexei was tortured for three years. He was starved in a tiny stone cell, cut off from the outside world and denied visits, phone calls and then even letters. And then they killed him. Even after that, they abused his body and abused his mother. On the one hand, The Public Murder has once again showed everyone that putin is capable of anything and that you cannot negotiate with him. And lets just take a moment to remind ourselves of what we know about Alexei Navalny� s death. He was of course a vocal critic of president putin. He died in prison in siberia earlier this month hed been serving a 19 year sentence, on charges which his supporters said were baseless, and politically motivated. Officials say he had fallen ill, and passed away suddenly. His mother has previously said the official Death Certificate presented to her claimed her son had died of natural causes. His wife, along with several World Leaders have, directly blamed Vladimir Putin for mr navalny� s death. Last week, the us announced more than 500 new sanctions against russia over navalny� s death and the invasion of ukraine. Lets speak to andrius kubilius, former lithuanian Prime Minister and member of the European Parliament he was watching Yulia Navalyna speak thank you forjoining us here on The World Today. Before we talk about the content of that speech, we saw there the standing ovation. Just described to us the atmosphere there as she spoke. It described to us the atmosphere there as she spoke as she spoke. It was of course very emotional as she spoke. It was of course very emotional because as she spoke. It was of course very emotional because alexei as she spoke. It was of course very emotional because Alexei Navalnyl as she spoke. It was of course very emotional because Alexei Navalny was a few years ago was awarded by the parliament for his fight for democracy, forfreedom in russia. Many of us especially those who were with the russian opposition, we knew his team which is now based in vilnius, so his murder was very close to us, so to listen to his widow yuliya was something very special. Widow yuliya was something very secial. �. ,. , widow yuliya was something very secial. �. , special. And again we heard the owerful special. And again we heard the powerful comments special. And again we heard the powerful comments that special. And again we heard the powerful comments that she. Special. And again we heard the powerful comments that she made. What impact do you think they will have. What will change as a result of what shes doing now . First have. What will change as a result of what shes doing now . Of what shes doing now . First of all, of of what shes doing now . First of all. Of course of what shes doing now . First of all, of course she of what shes doing now . First of all, of course she described of what shes doing now . First of all, of course she described in i of what shes doing now . First of all, of course she described in a l all, of course she described in a very clear way what is putins regime. She called him a mafia crime boss, a Mobster Leader of a gang. Thats what we have in moscow at this moment. And this is what we have need to have, someone talking that well, maybe, the war should be concluded, negotiation with putin he doesnt want to talk so yuliya was very precise in saying that if we want to help russian transformation, if you want to make the dream of democracy become a reality, statements of concern for condemnation of solidarity with russian opposition and what she called in a very precise way, they are not having any kind of impact on what putin is doing it if we want to help russian people, we need to have more instruments in our hands and we need to use them to power. She named one of those instruments like to go off the mafia money which has hidden somewhere in europe. We need to do that and much more effective way. I will add to that no additional instrument the fact of which we need to use most effective ways defeat of putin in ukraine, we can assist a ukraine with his military, and support we need to support the opposition in russia because the transformation is needed in order to have novellis dream become a reality. Have novellis dream become a reali. ,. , have novellis dream become a reali. , , reality. You feel those instruments ou seak reality. You feel those instruments you speak of reality. You feel those instruments you speak of are reality. You feel those instruments you speak of are sufficiently you speak of are sufficiently powerful . With a huge number of sanctions that have been laid out russias doorstep over the last couple of years and still we see Vladimir Putin behaving the same way. Vladimir putin behaving the same wa. , Vladimir Putin behaving the same wa. , , way. Sanctions may be, can be effective but way. Sanctions may be, can be effective but i way. Sanctions may be, can be effective but i doubt way. Sanctions may be, can be effective but i doubt about,. Way. Sanctions may be, can be| effective but i doubt about, you know, effective those sanctions we are including those sanctions a list of ordinary guys who are working in the prisons because they are not travelling abroad, they do not have any experience abroad for them, and what we need to look really, we need to look to the sanctions which can diminish money flow into russia pockets come into the budget of russia. We need to be much more strict on prohibition of export of russian oil and gas. That is what were doing but we need to do even more. But also, you know, iwill say what is needed for us, what i see as some kind of basic challenge for the western leaders especially, is from one side we need to believe that russia can become a democracy. That russia, his dream, of navalny, that his dream can become a reality this is not the case with everybody and there are also people who. Russia will never become a democracy. If we allow us to keep that approach to russian future, then of course our supporters and opposition will be very limited. From another side we need not to be afraid of putin defeat, because in some cases we can hear that, you know, in the western capitals when somebody saying that, well, putin defeat there can be someone even worse and thats what we need to avoid and that is why in some cases even Military Assistant to ukraine, we need to overcome those two basic challenges, from one side we need to believe russia can become a democracy, from the other side we need not to be afraid of putin defeat. Side we need not to be afraid of putin defeat. , ~ ,. ,. ,. , putin defeat. Thank you for oining us, putin defeat. Thank you for oining former putin defeat. Thank you for oining us, former Lithuanian H Putin defeat. Thank you forjoining us, former lithuanian prime putin defeat. Thank you forjoining i us, former lithuanian Prime Minister and member of the european. Thanks for being here. And ghanas anti gate cracked outcome of the west african nation has passed a tough new bill imposing a Prison Sentence for anyone convicted of identifying as lgbt q convicted of identifying as lgbt 0 plus. Around the world and across the uk, this is The World Today on bbc news. Lets look at some other stories making news. A Power Company that has received £6 billion in uk green subsidies has kept burning wood from some of the worlds most precious forests. A Bbc Panorama Investigation has found that drax took timber from rare forests in canada it had claimed were no go areas. Drax says its wood pellets are sustainable and legally harvested. Aims to band landlords from evicting tenants without a reason, proposed changes come from people who had concerns about no fault evictions and wanted to increase rates for land holders. The Rapperja Rule says he has been denied entry into the united kingdom, just days before his tour was due to start in cardiff. The us musician was due to kick off the british leg of his latest tour in the Welsh Capital on friday. He says his criminal record was the reason for the refusal. Youre live with bbc news. Emma caldwell was strangled in her body dumped in the woods of South Lanarkshire back in 2005. Ian caldwell was also convicted of ii caldwell was also convicted of 11 charges of rape and multiple sexual assaults against 21 other women, making him one of the most prolific sexual offenders in scotlands history. Lorna gordon has this report. Emma caldwell had a happy upbringing but when her sister died you abused women who were not necessarily vulnerable but we were in a vulnerable position. Your conduct has caused extreme and enduring suffering for so many women. Emma caldwell had a happy upbringing but when her sister died from cancer, in her grief, she turned to drugs and prostitution. Shell always be in our thoughts. Shell always be there. Shell always be my emma. The trial heard of her mothers anguish, of how she and her late husband scoured the streets of glasgow searching for emma in the weeks after their daughter went missing. Packer was described in court as a Jekyll And Hyde type character, a violent, obsessive use of sex workers. Packer admitted indecently assaulting emma in the months the trial heard from more than 20 women who said hed violently attacked them. Some told of how hed taken them to this isolated woodland. It was here that emmas body was found. One of those who gave evidence against packer, and whose voice has been changed to protect her identity, thinks the concerns that she and other sex workers had about him were ignored by the police. I dont think i have ever been so angry with the police. I am disgusted with how women were treated back then by the police. They made us fear them rather than see them as safe people we could go to tomake reports. Instead of receiving justice and compassion they were humiliated, dismissed compassion they were humiliated, dismissed and in some instances they were arrested. Whilst at the police gifted were arrested. Whilst at the police gifted freedom to an evil predator to rape gifted freedom to an evil predator to rape and to rape again. Gifted freedom to an evil predator to rape and to rape again. Police in scotland apologised to rape and to rape again. Police in scotland apologised and to rape and to rape again. Police in scotland apologised and said to rape and to rape again. Police in scotland apologised and said those that spoke up at the time to duck and the support they deserve. It is clear that and the support they deserve. It 3 clear that further investigation should have been carried out into emmas murderfollowing should have been carried out into emmas murder following the should have been carried out into emmas murderfollowing the initial inquiry into thousand five. The lack of investigation until 2015 caused unnecessary distress to her family and all of those women who came forward to report sexual violence. Emmas family were praised for their courage and determination. No closure for them, Thejudge Courage and determination. No closure for them, the judge said, even as their daughters killer was finally brought to justice. Lorna gordon, bbc news at the high court in glasgow. French authorities have confirmed that a rescue of people trying to cross the channel was carried out today. Three people had fallen overboard, two were missing, presumed dead, and one person was recovered from the water but couldnt be resuscitated. Earlier our correspondent in paris, hugh schofield, gave us this update. I understand its not the number of people that were on this particular boat but the number of rescues that have taken place during the day. It seems like its been a very, very busy day for crossings. That probably means there was a Weather Window which the groups that operate these crossings thought they needed to exploit as quickly as possible. Because from very early in the morning there were crossings going out, and the french authorities were police were intervening and from that in the day to rescue people and difficulty, and overall throughout the last not quite 2a hours even, theyve rescued 180 people. The most serious of these incidents was this afternoon with the boat with 50 or so people on board, were told by the maritime authority, got into difficulty some distance off the coast and it was when two navy vessels and a helicopter got to the scene that they were un