live from london. this is bbc news. the israeli military says about 300,000 palestinians have left the city of rafah since they've been ordered to evacuate on monday. but the un warns they're moving to an area which lacks basic infrastructure. these are the live pictures in malmo, sweden, where more than 10,000 people are protesting over israel's participation in the eurovision song contest. lam i am alive outside the arena in malmo, where in a few hours�* time, the grand final of the eurovision song contest will take place. there are protests, controversy and a headache for the european ebu who have organised the event. we will have organised the event. we will have all the latest in a few minutes. nearly 2,000 people have been evacuated from

ukraine�*s kharkiv region — russia says its forces have captured five settlements in the area. and the most powerful solar storm in 21 years triggers celestial light—shows in many parts of the world, with scientists expecting another display later this evening. hello. the israeli military says about 300,00 palestinians have left the city of rafah since monday, when israel told them to move to a nearby district of gaza. the israelis have declared a narrow coastal strip at al—mawasi to be a safe humanitarian zone, but the un says it has no running water or proper sanitation. israel is planning an assault on hamas fighters in rafah and has ordered tens of thousands more residents from eastern districts of the city to leave. evacuation orders have also been issued for thousands of people

in parts of northern gaza. last night, a long—awaited us government report criticised israel�*s use of american—supplied weapons in the gaza war, saying it�*s reasonable to assess they have been used in breach of international humanitarian law in some instances. this report from our middle east correspondent, yolande knell. now a ghost town. parts of rafah that were crammed full of people just days ago are rapidly emptying out. palestinians fleeing in their thousands, as israel signals it�*s now set to push in further from the east, issuing new evacuation orders. "there�*s no choice, we have to go to the coast like everyone else", ahmed says. israeli air strikes and artillery shelling have caused panic and palestinian casualties. israel says it�*s taking action

against hamas in one of its last strongholds, here attacking a launch site for rockets fired at an israeli city. but with israel�*s capture of one main border crossing and another blocked off by fighting, this is the fifth day with no aid getting into southern gaza. there are severe shortages of food, clean water and fuel — deepening the humanitarian crisis. so far, israel�*s military is describing its offensive in rafah as "limited". but the world is watching to see if this turns into the full—scale invasion that the country�*s allies have warned against. and as israeli tanks and troops await orders near the gaza border, there�*s been another strong statement from washington. it says that with some of its strikes on gaza, such as this attack on a residential building late last year, reportedly killing over 100 people, many of them children, israel may have used american—supplied weapons in breach of international law.

israel has consistently denied any violations. and yet the new report may yet have an impact on plans back here in rafah, where there�*s already a growing sense of emergency. yolande knelljoined us a little earlier from jerusalem with the very latest from the israeli government. the israeli military have spoken about how its forces have been involved, they say, in face—to—face combat in the areas around rafah, saying, too, that there were four rockets fired towards the karem shalom crossing in the south—eastern corner of the gaza strip where humanitarian aid has been unable to get through for the past few days. we have had the israeli military saying that across the gaza strip in the past day it has carried out dozens of strikes. these have not only been in rafah but in the centre of the gaza strip where a funeral has been taking

place for 25 people killed in an air strike overnight. palestinian health officials have said that at least 37 people were killed in the latest air strikes. we know too that the israeli military has been issuing evacuation orders for tens of thousands of people in other parts of the gaza strip in the north, particularly in the area, jabalia, that is an area where israeli forces withdrew from, it could be a sign that palestinian armed groups are moving back and they are planning to return there. what more could we expect from the israeli ministry? we saw earlier in the week, it issued orders for people in eastern gaza, it then sent ground troops into those areas. what can we expect to happen? the us assessment a couple of days ago was that what was happening in rafah remained a limited and precise

operation, not the full—scale ground invasion which there has been so much concern about. even we can see at the moment, it is still causing this new humanitarian crisis in the south of the gaza strip, what is happening at the moment. all eyes are on the borders to see if there are going to be more forces crossing in, if this is going to be a ground invasion of rafah. you know, previously we have had israeli leaders saying it�*s something that needs to happen in orderfor israel to be able to declare a full victory over hamas in this war and try to bring home israeli hostages. all eyes are on the al—mawasi area, where now 300,000 people are believed to have moved to. what kind of humanitarian situation is unfolding there? there have been serious concerns about basic services on that part of the gaza strip. it was called a safe

zone by the military, saying it has recently been expanded, un agencies say it is anything but. people there have not been protected from the fighting, and because humanitarian supplies are so restricted anyway, they have not got in that location, the sandy dunes close to the beach of the gaza strip, proper sanitation, properwatersupplies, still the same severe shortages we are now seeing across southern gaza. it remains an extremely desperate situation. meanwhile, at the eurovision song contest in the swedish city of malmo, thousands of people are protesting about israel�*s involvement. the israeli performer, eden golan, is in tonight�*s final, but was met with booing when she performed her song, hurricane, yesterday. the israeli prime minister, benjamin netanyahu,

has wished her success, saying she had already won against an "ugly wave of anti—semitism". let�*s cross now to my colleague mariam moshiri in malmo. thank you very much. i am outside the malmo arena where the eurovision song contest takes place in a few hours�* time. across the city there are huge protests taking place as we speak and we estimate around 10,000 people have taken to the streets to protest against israel�*s participation. this comes as the city gets ready to host the grand final. we know the protests are peaceful, they are lots of families and children taking place in the protests. the protesters have gathered in central malmo and are walking towards the arena. police tell me they will not be allowed to enter the square around the arena where i am. it has to be said, security is really tight in the

city. there are police everywhere i turn. there are police spotters on holdings, police helicopters and there are drones around the city as well. security is very tight indeed. the competition is going to start in just a few hours�* time and as the protesters down the other end of town continue their protest, the fans here are gathering ahead of the 68th annual eurovision song contest, and this has been one of the most controversial competitions in many years. the unprecedented news earlier that the netherlands have been disqualified from the competition because of what ebu organisers described as an incident between joost klein organisers described as an incident betweenjoost klein the dutch singer and a member of the swiss, the swedish crew, excuse me, a few days ago. we have also had the irish contestant earlier on today refusing to take part in the final rehearsal in protest at alleged behaviour by

the cannes tv network, the israeli tv network. let�*s talk to our culture correspondent charlotte gallagher. took me through what has happened today. it�*s been such a controversial day and also very confusing as to what will happen later. ~ ., �* ~' ., confusing as to what will happen later. ~ ., �* ~ ., ., later. we don't know what will ha en later. we don't know what will happen later- _ later. we don't know what will happen later. there _ later. we don't know what will happen later. there has - later. we don't know what will happen later. there has been | later. we don't know what will l happen later. there has been so later. we don't know what will - happen later. there has been so much chaos and controversy. the very popular irish act pulled out of theirfinal popular irish act pulled out of their final dress rehearsal saying there had been incident that needed urgent attention from the organisers, and rte, the national irish broadcaster says it was comments made by israeli broadcasters inside the arena about the irish contestant. that is the complaint. we are hoping they will perform tonight, but in this situation we don�*t know at the moment. the french contestant stopped their dress rehearsal halfway through to make a speech about peace. joost klein has been disqualified from the netherlands.

spokesperson from norway have pulled out, citing the situation in malmo. they will not give the results for norway tonight, somebody else will have to do that, and it hours to go until the contest and something else might happen or something might happen on stage tonight. it feels like the ebu have lost some control over the situation will stop some have said the wheels will come off. what will happen next? i�*m have said the wheels will come off. what will happen next?— have said the wheels will come off. what will happen next? i'm sure they can't wait for — what will happen next? i'm sure they can't wait for it _ what will happen next? i'm sure they can't wait for it to _ what will happen next? i'm sure they can't wait for it to be _ what will happen next? i'm sure they can't wait for it to be over. _ what will happen next? i'm sure they can't wait for it to be over. i'm - can't wait for it to be over. i'm sure they _ can't wait for it to be over. i'm sure they can't _ can't wait for it to be over. i'm sure they can't wait _ can't wait for it to be over. i“n sure they can't wait for it to be sure they can�*t wait for it to be over go to bed and hope it never happened. there has been so much chaos this week on incidents keep pepping up, chaos this week on incidents keep popping up, they think they have sold something and something else p°p5 sold something and something else pops up. we are hearing it a tense atmosphere backstage, that is the opposite of what eurovision is usually about. usually competitors are supporting each other, cheering each other on. there has been bus in the arena, for the israeli act, eden

golan, and last night when they were told thatjoost klein was not going told thatjoost klein was not going to perform in the rehearsal. some of the crowd going in there are not very happy, so i think we probably will hear blues on television tonight. that could continue. thank ou, tonight. that could continue. thank you. charlotte- _ tonight. that could continue. thank you, charlotte. the _ tonight. that could continue. thank you, charlotte. the ebu _ tonight. that could continue. thank you, charlotte. the ebu want - tonight. that could continue. thank you, charlotte. the ebu want us i tonight. that could continue. thank you, charlotte. the ebu want us to | you, charlotte. the ebu want us to thinkjust about the you, charlotte. the ebu want us to think just about the music. you, charlotte. the ebu want us to thinkjust about the music. the slogan of eurovision is united by music and one of the big stars of this evening is the italian songwriter and star angelina mango, the italian contingent had gone straight through to the final, and her song is probably one of the top ten favourites for tonight. i caught up ten favourites for tonight. i caught up with hurley and asked about the controversy and tension —— i caught up controversy and tension —— i caught up with her.

i feel a lot of tension, like everyone knows. it�*s a little bit difficult to be in the present and enjoy every moment, but we are doing music and that is special gift that is something that i don�*t want to lose and i don�*t want others my instinct to do music and do peace in every way. so i think i can leader this experience in a good way, with music, because music saves. you must be so excited — music, because music saves. you must be so excited about _ music, because music saves. you must be so excited about tonight, _ music, because music saves. you must be so excited about tonight, what - music, because music saves. you must be so excited about tonight, what an i be so excited about tonight, what an amazing performance, and amazing song, millions around the world watching. how do you feel? i�*m watching. how do you feel? i'm really excited. _ watching. how do you feel? i'm really excited. i— watching. how do you feel? i“n really excited. ijust did my rehearsal, my last rehearsal, and i�*m so sad because it�*s the last time i go on the stage, but i want to enjoy it, have fun and give everything i have two the audience,

because it�*s beautiful. your everything i have two the audience, because it's beautiful.— because it's beautiful. your song is hi . h because it's beautiful. your song is high energy. _ because it's beautiful. your song is high energy. give _ because it's beautiful. your song is high energy, give us— because it's beautiful. your song is high energy, give us this... - because it's beautiful. your song is high energy, give us this... your. high energy, give us this... your song is anything but boredom,! tile. high energy, give us this... your song is anything but boredom,! he. i song is anything but boredom,! no, i want to talk— song is anything but boredom,! no, i want to talk about _ song is anything but boredom,! no, i want to talk about people _ song is anything but boredom,! iirr, i want to talk about people who realise how to see positive things against negative things. it�*s a great message for me. i talk about it as something good, not something bad. boredom is time we have to concentrate on ourselves. titer? concentrate on ourselves. very important — concentrate on ourselves. very important. what _ concentrate on ourselves. very important. what would - concentrate on ourselves. very important. what would it - concentrate on ourselves. very important. what would it mean to win tonight? i important. what would it mean to win toniaht? ., �* ., ., ~ ., tonight? i don't want to think about it. i don't want _ tonight? i don't want to think about it. i don't want to _ tonight? i don't want to think about it. i don't want to think _ tonight? i don't want to think about it. i don't want to think about - tonight? i don't want to think about it. i don't want to think about the i it. i don�*t want to think about the end and i very superstitious, so i just want to have fun. this end and i very superstitious, so i just want to have fun.— end and i very superstitious, so i just want to have fun. this year is some of the _ just want to have fun. this year is some of the best _ just want to have fun. this year is some of the best music— just want to have fun. this year is some of the best music ever. - just want to have fun. this year is l some of the best music ever. what just want to have fun. this year is - some of the best music ever. what is your favourite song over then your own? i your favourite song over then your own? ., �* ., .,. , own? i don't want to choose. i 'ust want to say — own? i don't want to choose. i 'ust want to say that i own? i don't want to choose. i 'ust want to say that i'm i own? i don't want to choose. i 'ust want to say that i'm really i want to say that i�*m really interested about and curious about

everything that is different from my culture. i really like to see instruments that i don�*t know and sounds that i�*m don�*t listen so much in my life. it�*s very important to live and to be inspired by this experience. live and to be inspired by this experience-— live and to be inspired by this experience. live and to be inspired by this exerience. , �* . , experience. olly alexander will be the uk's lots _ experience. olly alexander will be the uk's lots of _ experience. olly alexander will be the uk's lots of people _ experience. olly alexander will be the uk's lots of people watching l experience. olly alexander will be | the uk's lots of people watching in the uk�*s lots of people watching in the uk�*s lots of people watching in the uk, what you think of his act? i really love him, in the last two days, i had lots of meetings with him because we were near and he is really a nice person and i love his performance. totally. best really a nice person and i love his performance. totally.— really a nice person and i love his performance. totally. best of luck with tonight. _ performance. totally. best of luck with tonight, thank _ performance. totally. best of luck with tonight, thank you _ performance. totally. best of luck with tonight, thank you for - performance. totally. best of luck l with tonight, thank you for speaking with tonight, thank you for speaking with us. very nice of her to take time out of her very busy schedule today to speak to us. and a big fan of the uk�*s entry. that�*s exciting.

he will perform later tonight in the grand final. today is very much about the fans coming here, enjoying themselves, there are people from all walks of life who have travelled from far, from not so far, to come and watch the grand final, and one of those people is the president of the 0g ae australia. the fan club in australia for eurovision. tell us about eurovision this year because it has been controversial. it about eurovision this year because it has been controversial.- it has been controversial. it has been an interesting _ it has been controversial. it has been an interesting and - it has been controversial. it has i been an interesting and potentially challenging season of eurovision, but we are very excited about the ability to unite through music and celebrate the incredible diversity of music and culture that we have, especially here in the final tonight. especially here in the final toni . ht. ., especially here in the final toniaht. ., ., ,., , tonight. tell me more about the big act for tonight. _ tonight. tell me more about the big act for tonight, because _ tonight. tell me more about the big act for tonight, because for - tonight. tell me more about the big act for tonight, because for once, i act for tonight, because for once, the first time in a long time, there are lots of acts that could win it.

it's are lots of acts that could win it. it�*s a really open field for this year�*s competition, the big ones including italy, switzerland, there is a lot of incredible acts. those are my personal favourites. australia didn�*t make it! why not? in the grand scheme of things, electric fields did an incredible performance, they put it out on stage and we were in a really challenging semifinal, lots of songs really stepped up on the staging and music, so it played out the way it did. �* , ., ~ music, so it played out the way it did. 2 ., ~ ., music, so it played out the way it did. 2 ., ~'.,,., ., , did. let's talk about the fans here because we _ did. let's talk about the fans here because i've seen _ did. let's talk about the fans here because i've seen so _ did. let's talk about the fans here because i've seen so many - did. let's talk about the fans here j because i've seen so many people because i�*ve seen so many people from all over the world who are so excited. they don�*t feel like they are put out by what has happened. fans will come to eurovision, eurovision itself is incredibly large and we do feel safe and secure with the police and security force presence that is here, so for me

personally, i have felt very safe and secure knowing that venues are well protected. and secure knowing that venues are well protected-— well protected. let's talk about the netherlands _ well protected. let's talk about the netherlands and _ well protected. let's talk about the netherlands and their _ well protected. let's talk about the netherlands and their entry, - well protected. let's talk about the netherlands and their entry, they l netherlands and their entry, they have been disqualified and won�*t perform tonight. interestingly, the third biggest ticket buyer in the world was the netherlands. so many dutch people here tonight. they will be disappointed, won�*t they? yes. be disappointed, won't they? yes, the decision _ be disappointed, won't they? yes, the decision is _ be disappointed, won't they? yes, the decision is bit _ be disappointed, won't they? yes, the decision is bit of— be disappointed, won't they? yes, the decision is bit of a _ be disappointed, won't they? 1a: the decision is bit of a surprise, but at the same time, the european broadcasting union has an obligation to protect its staff, working on the show, so we will have to let the legal process play out and we will see what happens in future. find legal process play out and we will see what happens in future. and we have also heard _ see what happens in future. and we have also heard from _ see what happens in future. and we have also heard from the _ see what happens in future. and we have also heard from the irish - have also heard from the irish contestant, bambie thug, who has said they will not perform in the final rehearsal. it�*sjust said they will not perform in the final rehearsal. it�*s just another layer of headache for the ebu. personally, the ebu will have to

think about ways they are protecting the safety and well—being of their artists that are taking part in eurovision, but in the grand scheme of things, with a lot of different eurovision competitions, there has been controversy. who eurovision competitions, there has been controversy.— eurovision competitions, there has been controversy. who do you want to win tonight? — been controversy. who do you want to win tonight? italy. _ been controversy. who do you want to win tonight? italy. but _ been controversy. who do you want to win tonight? italy. but who _ been controversy. who do you want to win tonight? italy. but who will- win tonight? italy. but who will win? probably _ win tonight? italy. but who will win? probably croatia. - win tonight? italy. but who will win? probably croatia. it's - win tonight? italy. but who will win? probably croatia. it's a i win? probably croatia. it's a brilliant atmosphere - win? probably croatia. it's a brilliant atmosphere ahead l win? probably croatia. it's a l brilliant atmosphere ahead of win? probably croatia. it's a - brilliant atmosphere ahead of the grand final in a couple of hours�* time. nearly 200 million people around the world watching, it�*s a huge event, the biggest music competition in the world, and organisers will be looking forward to it all being over, i think. back to it all being over, i think. back to you. thank you. and we will get the latest from the final in a few hours�* time. now we turn to news from ukraine. russia says it�*s captured five settlements in the northeastern ukrainian region of kharkiv, since it sent troops over

the border there on friday. ukraine disputes the claim. the local governor acknowledged heavy fighting was continuing, but described the situation as �*under control�*. more than 1,700 people have been evacuated. the us—based think tank the institute for the study of war reported that russia had likely taken several villages. these are pictures of volunteers helping people in settlements around kharkiv evacuate. russia also claimed to have captured a village further south in the donetsk region. in the russian—occupied city of donetsk, the authorities say three civilians were killed and others injured in ukrainian missile strikes, one of which hit a restaurant. our correspondent in kyiv, james waterhouse, has more. it creates for ukraine an unwanted new north—eastern access ——axis to the front line and this is a front line at the moment which is more than 1000km long and it is a front line

which ukrainian forces are struggling to contain, with the delays of the arrival of american ammunition and weaponry and with russia continuing to make its size count and taking ukrainian territory further south. crucially for kyiv, it is having to redeploy already stretched personnel to the kharkiv region to contain this incursion which we are told is being contained for now. there has been heavy fighting, really, for the past 2a hours and i think while few think they are able, even with the gathering of tens of thousands of russian troops across the border, few think they are able to take cities like kharkiv because they failed the first time around. but it appears for now to be russia trying to form a buffer zone, trying to extend the distance between russian territory and the fighting it is waging in ukraine, because ukrainian forces have been increasingly shelling targets inside russia. so the question, really, as president zelensky admits, is what is going to happen next? we are containing it for now but is this russia

building for something more? i spoke to francis farrell, a reporterfor the kyiv independent in kharkiv. he�*s visited areas that have been under sustained russian shelling and he explained what he�*s witnessed. in the town of vovchansk, which is actually only about five kilometres from the state border of russia, it was liberated in september 2022, but since then, because it�*s so close to russian territory, it�*s been constantly shelled since then. but now there�*s a distinct, clear escalation of the attacks on this town. in the one hour that we were there, there were about 15 huge gliding bombs landing on the town. there have been civilian casualties and amid reports that russia could now be attempting to take that city back to occupy it again, that�*s why the police are really upping their efforts to get people out of there. but some people are still sticking

to their homes, sticking to whatever they have, even if it�*s just ruins. and, francis, when you�*re in vovchansk, you came under shelling yourself. just describe what happened. so these are these glide bombs that russia has been using more and more lately. so they are huge 250 or 500 kilogram bombs which the russians attach glide kits to, to make them fly further. and so you can hear them from a long, long way away. and once they arrive, the sound is huge. the ground shakes. and it doesn�*t matter if you�*re in a house, if you�*re in a basement, nothing can can save you at that point if it does hit. thankfully, the closest ones were about 400 kilometres away. 400 metres, sorry, but even then you feel the ground shake and you could see the destruction, their reach, wreaking on the town. and we�*ve seen pictures of residents of that town and surrounding areas being evacuated. just describe how many people were still there, considering this is a part of the country that had previously

been under russian occupation. so at the moment, from a pre—war population of around 17,000 to 20,000, there are only about 1,500 people left in the city. the police told us today that just yesterday hundreds of people were evacuated from the town and more dozens were coming through just constantly today. unfortunately, there are still children there. there are always these people who try and stay no matter what. they�*re holding on to their house, their animals. they�*re sometimes just afraid, frozen in shock. but slowly, more and more, as the attacks intensify and more and more of them are being convinced. and explain what it was like seeing the northern lights are close to the

front lines. i the northern lights are close to the front lines. ., the northern lights are close to the front lines. . ., , front lines. i saw that in the east of ukraine. _ front lines. i saw that in the east of ukraine, another— front lines. i saw that in the east of ukraine, another intense - front lines. i saw that in the east of ukraine, another intense part| front lines. i saw that in the east l of ukraine, another intense part of the front line. it�*s a natural phenomenon but we could see it so well in the middle of the city, and that was because we are in a country at war, where there is complete blackout at night and complete curfew, so it was really beautiful, you could see soldiers posting pictures of it all over social media, and you can attach some poetic meaning to it if you want. it was a brief moment of peace and calm in this horrible time. reminder of one of our headlines this hour, there are protests happening in the city of malmo in sweden, thousands protesting israel�*s involvement, these are pictures from early on in the day. you are watching bbc news. stay with

us. hello, let�*s start with the space forecast. there is a very high chance of the sky is being lit up once again by the aurora borealis. perfect conditions for many of us with clear skies, and the advice is to keep watching the sky from late evening onwards. but you need to get your eyes used to that dark sky, because the aurora isn�*t quite as bright as some of those photographs suggest. this is the probability of seeing the aurora. the reds indicate 90—100% probability. and further south, 50—50. because it will be right above our heads, even people in the further south area, you might even still see it somewhere along the horizon. here is the forecast, dry for most today, but scattered thunderstorms on the way, some could be torrential.

the forecast for the rest of the day and into the second half of the afternoon, some scattered showers, it may be some cracks of thunder in the forecast for the highlands, maybe one or two for the lowlands and southern uplands. but on the whole, a sunny and very warm day for many of us, temperatures in the low to mid 20s in some spots. even coastal areas will see temperatures of around 20 or more. the winds are very light. if you are unlucky you might be under some of the thicker shrouding the north sea coast. this evening, aurora time, not completely clear, so fingers crossed it won�*t be too cloudy. the aurora could hang around for a good hour or two, so there is plenty of opportunity to go out again to try to catch a glimpse of that light spectacle. remember, it is not quite so vivid, you have to get used to it. high pressure slips away on a sunday, that has been on top of us giving us giving us

the settled weather just in time for the aurora. on sunday we start to see storms developing across western parts of the uk, some will be torrential, the chance of some flash flooding out towards the west. but temperatures tomorrow perhaps as high as 26. bye— bye.

this is bbc news — the headlines... the israeli military says about 300,000 palestinians have left the city of rafah since it ordered them to evacuate on monday — but the un warns they�*re moving to an area which lacks basic infrastructure. thousands protest against israel�*s involvement in the eurovision song contest in malmo, sweden ahead of tonight�*s grand final. the netherlands is out of the eurovision song contest — after the dutch singer, joost klein is disqualified. police are investigating a complaint made against the singer. russia says it�*s captured five settlements in the north—eastern ukrainian region of kharkiv since it sent troops over the border there on friday — ukraine disputes the claim. the most powerful solar storm in more than two decades hits the earth — triggering spectacular

celestial light shows in many parts of the world. now it�*s time for a look at today�*s sport with hugh ferris. hello from the bbc sport centre. there�*s been one definite and one more than likely relegation in the english prmeier league on saturday. the team who know they�*re down is burnley, after their 2—1 defeat at spurs. they actually took the lead at the tottenham hotspur stadium as they searched for the win that would keep them alive — but it was only for a matter of minutes, as the equaliser and then eventually the winner came that condemned burnley to returning to the championship afterjust a year in the top flight. luton are all but down — and while it isn�*t mathematically confirmed — their 3—1 defeat at west ham will very likely be the final nail. they, too, took the lead, but conceded three goals in the second half to finish the game three points behind nottingham forest with just a game to play and with a much

worse goal difference. manchester city have returned to the top of the table — for a day at least — after thumping fulham 4—0. two goals from josko gvardiol, one from phil foden, and a latejulian alvarez penalty means pep guardiola�*s side are two points clear of arsenal, having played the same number of games. they�*ve won their last seven premier league matches, averaging four goals a game. this group of players for many years have done it. we are in the latter stages, we have the final. they lost against aston villa, our destiny is in our hands, the dream has arrive, the last game against west ham at home. destiny belonging to us. we create chances, and now recover. come back to manchester and

recovered, and then a few days in london and play the final. wins, too, for crystal palace and everton, and there were three goals from the 87th minute onwards at bournemouth, who were beaten 2—1 by brentford. newcastle and brighton drew. and we mentioned forest earlier — they could confirm luton�*s relegation and their own survival with a point against chelsea. that�*s just under way at the city ground. meanwhile, england�*s women rallied after a poor start england�*s women are closing in on victory in their first t20 international against pakistan in birmingham. england rallied after being 11—4 after 17 balls, posting 163—6 thanks mainly to captain heather knight and danielle gibson. then pakistan hit a quickfire 41 as england eventually posted 163 for 6 in their 20 overs. pakistan have regularly lost wickets in their chase,

mainly to engalnd�*s spinners. they�*re nine wickets down and their run chase looks done rafa nadal has been beaten in the second round of the italian 0pen, as he continues what is very likely to be his final year before retiring. he lost in straight sets in rome to hubert hurkacz. nadal has won this tournament ten times, but has struggled to reach his normalformidable levels on clay and struggled from the outset against the polish seventh seed, losing his first service game, and then on two further occasions, as he lost 6—1, 6—3. if in my mind, if it is closer one way or the other way, i can be in roland—garros and try my best. physically, i have some issues, but not probably get enough to say not playing in the most important event of my tennis career. much easier for the top seed iga swiatek, who breezed past

yulia putinseva in straight sets to reach the last 16. former world number one naomi 0saka is also into the fourth round — she beat daria kasatkina 6—3, 6—3 and she�*ll play seventh seed qinwenzheng next. well, from a former world number one to a current one. novak djokovic was struck in the head by a water bottle, following a straight—sets win over corentin moutet at the italian 0pen on friday, so he arrived at his next practice session looking a little different. djokovic was signing autographs forfans, as he bids to win his first title of the season in rome, and came prepared for any further incidents — kitted out in his very own bicyle helmet. keep an eye on the football and the cricket on the bbc sport website. the taliban in afghanistan say more than 300 people are now known to have died in devastating flash floods in the north of the country. a spokesman for the interior ministry told the bbc that most of the casualties

were in the province of baghlan. emergency teams have been sent to rescue those stranded by the floodwaters. on friday, a massive torrent of water swept away hundreds of houses in several villages. dozens of people are still missing. with me is our reporter, sofia bettiza, who has been following the story. this sounds like a really devastating situation. what more can you tell us? devastating situation. what more can ou tell us? . v devastating situation. what more can ou tell us? . �* , ., you tell us? that's right, a devastating _ you tell us? that's right, a devastating situation - you tell us? that's right, a devastating situation for i you tell us? that's right, a - devastating situation for thousands of people in afghanistan. essentially, the northern part of the country has been hit by unusually heavy rainfall. that has caused the flooding that we are looking at now. no bbc has been sent videos and photos that show the damage. in those images we can see violent torrents of water seeping through houses in several villages. we can see people trapped in their

homes, people trapped under the rubble, underthe homes, people trapped under the rubble, under the mud. there is a man who is described as watching helplessly as his four children and wife are swept away by the water. we don�*t yet know the full scale of the damage. but the un has confirmed that more than a few hundred people have died. more than 2000 homes have been destroyed. and many people have been destroyed. and many people have been left homeless. taste been destroyed. and many people have been left homeless.— been left homeless. we hear about different kinds _ been left homeless. we hear about different kinds of— been left homeless. we hear about different kinds of natural— been left homeless. we hear about different kinds of natural disasters| different kinds of natural disasters and afghanistan. when we look at flooding, is this becoming more common? some people have suggested this as may be linked to climate change. this as may be linked to climate chance. . , ., , change. there are several components that lead to flooding. _ change. there are several components that lead to flooding. as _ change. there are several components that lead to flooding. as you _ change. there are several components that lead to flooding. as you say, - that lead to flooding. as you say, climate change, the fact that our planet is getting warmer is definitely one of them. that is because climate change causes more extreme rainfall. according to

experts, afghanistan is one of the countries in the world that is most at risk because of climate change. last year the winter was very dry, and so it is very difficult for the soil to absorb such a huge amount of water. the other thing to keep in mind is that afghanistan is one of the poorest countries in the world. it has been ravaged by decades of war, and so when things like this happen, the country isn�*t exactly well—equipped to deal with natural disasters. in terms of what happened next, there is a big search and rescue operation under way. you mentioned _ rescue operation under way. you mentioned some _ rescue operation under way. you mentioned some of the stories that we were hearing that from this region in afghanistan. what more are witnesses on the ground telling you? unfortunately, this is not something unusual in afghanistan. every year we are seeing that people in the

country died because of flooding, because of heavy rainfall, and this happens especially in the countryside, in places that are very difficult to reach. there is a search and rescue operation, but it�*s proving to be very difficult. also, houses there are very poorly built. some people who have been rescued had been given food and water and tents. we could also hear accounts of people going to hospitals and looking for their loved ones. the search and rescue operation is very much under way, but they fear that because so many people are still missing that the death toll could still go up very significantly. thousands of demonstrators in georgia have again taken to the streets of tbilisi, in the latest protest against legislation that would force organisations to declare foreign funding.

0pponents say the bill — which they�*re calling the "russian law" — aims to silence critical voices in civil society and independent media. the governing georgian dream party, which hopes to get the law passed on monday, says it�*s needed for transparency. the bbc�*s rayhan demytrie sent this update from tbilisi. this is the meeting point of these protests that are taking place, and people will be marching to tbilisi�*s europe square. this protests taking place after a few days of a major campaign of intimidation against opponents of this controversial law, which people are protesting against. georgia has been swept with protest against the bill for nearly three weeks now. the reason why people oppose this law is because it targets civil society organisations and people are really worried it

will strengthen the democratic space in georgia, but most importantly that it will close this window of opportunity which this country has it right now to join the european union. georgia was granted eu candidate status last year, and most of its western partners, most eu institutions have urged the georgian government not to adopt this law. but the georgian government says that it but the georgian government says thatitis but the georgian government says that it is its sovereign decision, that it is its sovereign decision, that it is its sovereign decision, that it wants to ensure transparency of non—governmental organisations, and it is set to adopt this controversial law on monday. here in the uk, a police officer has been shot in the leg with a crossbow and a man was stabbed in what was described as a "serious assault and weapons incident". police shot and arrested a 54—year—old suspect, who is now in hospital. the incident happened last night near high wycombe, from where frances read sent this report. 0fficers now on the scene after one

of their own was shot with a crossbow. in this quiet cul de sac yesterday evening, police were first called to a stabbing. it was when they got here that the officer was shot in the leg. armed police then shot a 54—year—old man and arrested him on suspicion of attempted murder, as families ran for cover. i got out of the car and he said, "get back in the car. there�*s somebody with a crossbow." and then ijust phoned my daughter and said to her, "just lock all the doors, shut the windows," and we just had to wait. ijust grabbed my son and told my partner to quickly get home. we got home, and then within minutes it wasjust all kicking off and there was pandemonium everywhere. children still aren�*t on the play park this weekend. it, too, has been sealed off. the swings are empty and families have to find somewhere else to play. thames valley police has now referred itself to the independent office for police conduct. that�*s usual practice after any police shooting. forensic officers have now

started their work here. police have said the man who was arrested remains in hospital under a police guard. frances read, bbc news, high wickham. the met office says the northern lights will be visible again this evening in parts of the northern hemisphere, after a spectacular light show last night. the phenomenon was caused by an intense geo—magnetic storm originating from the sun two days ago. earlier i was joined by my colleague, tomasz schafernaker, from bbc weather — who was lucky enough to see the aurora borealis in london last night. i asked him, how was it seeing them in the big city. it was a dream come true. i mean, it�*s many people�*s dreams to see the northern lights, but in the big city at home, from your own garden, from the park, it was fantastic. and, you know, at about 10:30, i started to see a green tent in the sky, and we all knew it was going to happen, but you

never really quite believe it. and then i went to the park, i got my, very importantly, eyes used to the dark sky and we saw that spectacular display. and you know what the amazing thing about this aurora was? it was so special. we do get auroras in the south of the uk occasionally. of course they�*re better further north. but in the south folks tend to see just a bit of a tint low on the horizon and that�*s the best we get. whereas i had the aurora right above my heads. i mean, you could literally lick it! we can see the pictures there, just right above your head. and obviously, tomasz, people watching who like me, missed the show, what luck do we have to try and catch it tonight? well, you know, there�*s a very good chance that we�*re going to. it�*s definitely going to happen tonight, for sure. the greatest chance is always a little bit further north across the uk,

but almost anywhere is likely. and if you look at that graphic, the red colours is pretty much 90 to 100% and then a slightly less of a chance in the south. but i think if you�*re out there, you get your eyes used to the dark. you should just about catch it. a bit of a tip — try and search it with your phone first because our eyes aren�*t as sensitive at the beginning. just explain that for us. so, how do you train your eyes to be able to see? well, you know, i�*m trying to think of an analogy, you know when you suddenly switch the lights off, when you go to bed at night and you�*re in your bedroom, you can�*t see anything. you know, you can barely walk. but but after a few minutes, after five minutes, your eyes start to see everything. i mean, you could almost read in the moonlight. the same goes with our eyes, they need time to adapt. so our phones will see it, but there�*s a bit of a lag with our eyes. and, sure, they�*re not quite as bright as what we see on some of the pictures. i think people tend to turn up the saturation of the colours a little bit. but you know what? hey, look, it�*s fantastic. maybe once in a lifetime for some of us. the bbc�*s tomasz schafernaker there. doctor darren baskill is a lecturer in astrophysics

at the university of sussex. he explained the science behind what we saw. what an amazing display we had last night. so what�*s happening is that the sun has a very complicated magnetic field, and that magnetic field inside the sun winds up and winds down over the course of 11 years. we call it the solar cycle. we�*re approaching the peak of this solar cycle, which will happen in the next year or so. so, the sun is making massive bubbles of gas, it�*s all flung in our general direction. and we were lucky enough last night for the magnetic bubble to hit the earth. and the particles, it squeezes particles into the earth�*s atmosphere, and when those particles electrons collide with the gases inside our atmosphere, it makes the sky blue. so, the different colors you could see — and myself, i mean,

we�*re lucky here with the university of sussex in that we�*re surrounded by the countryside, so it�*s a really nice and dark place to observe the night sky. but last night i could see greens and and and purples. the green colours are caused by oxygen. the red colours are caused by nitrogen in our atmosphere and the purple colours caused by hydrogen and helium. so those are vibrant colors we could see last night, all caused by the different chemical gases in our atmosphere. we can actually our viewers can see the pictures that you sent to us. they�*re really incredible. these are scenes that you might see in a country like finland or norway, but you had people all around the world, not only in the uk, but also in the united states. earlier, we�*ve heard of people in ukraine also being able to see these pictures. how did that happen? so, because the sun is reaching its maximum peak in this cycle.

these bubbles of gas are getting more energetic when they come in our direction. and so we tend to see from the uk, we�*ll see the aurora maybe once or twice every solar cycle, once or twice every 11 years. the last solar cycle 11 years ago, so back in 2015, i could see some aurora, but they were very faint and low on the horizon. but last night was something completely different. and i saw the news reports of being able to see the aurora, and i was expecting something, you know, just a little hint or something like that. so initially i didn�*t go out, but then i got a text message from a couple of our old students, old physics students from the university of sussex. and they sent me a message and said, "just go outside with your camera." and it lit the entire sky. so, this is an event that will happen maybe four or five times a century.

so, a big thank you to alex and rachael for encouraging me to go outside with my camera. and for a guide on how and where you�*ll have the best chance of seeing the northern lights across the uk tonight, you can visit bbc news 0nline — that�*s bbc.co.uk/news — and by using the bbc news app. for decades, conservationists across the uk have been culling grey squirrels to help protect the remaining red squirrel population. however, there�*s bad news for the reds at a sanctuary on anglesey, where after a long abscence a breeding colony of greys has been discovered. 0ur climate editor, justin rowlatt, has more. the island of anglesey is the last stronghold of red squirrels in wales, thanks to this man. dr craig shuttleworth has been trapping and killing grey squirrels since 1997.

we�*re using live traps. in fact, we�*ve got one in here. i can here it growling away. we take boxes like these and we put them up on the trees. his aim was to clear the island so these guys could flourish. and it worked! craig and his colleagues caught the last grey in 2013. the a0 reds that were left have multiplied to 800. but a couple of weeks ago and islander sent craig this — a photo of a mature male grey squirrels. and he isn�*t alone! camera traps caught images of these guys too. we�*ve had animals on the island before, but this was different. when i saw the images i thought "this is a breeding colony." why is it so urgent? the urgency is because they breed, they compete with the red squirrel but also they can carry squirrelpox virus, which always kills reds. now, craig has caught eight grey squirrels in the last couple of days.

but you know there are more out there, don�*t you? unfortunately, yes, we�*ve got some images on a camera trap. so he�*s put some real traps out and we�*re going to see if we have caught any. there is something in the first trap. but it�*s a red. nothing in those, but you can see the doors are still open. the other traps are empty, but craig says he will keep on going until he catches these rogue squirrels. so, you are a red squirrel warrior. i�*m one of a number. there are hundreds of groups, of individuals as well, who do this — in northumberland, in cumbria, lancashire, north wales. that�*s why red squirrels are still persisting when there are greys, because of our determination to make sure the reds survive. but craig does have another plan. he wants to release more of these in north wales — pine martens. they eat some greys and mightjust help hold back the invaders. in the meantime, though, craig will be relying on his traps. justin rowlatt, bbc news, anglesey.

for more on this, alan mcdonnelljoins me now, who is the head of nature restoration for trees for life. thank you forjoining us on the programme. i know you are involved in repopulating red squirrels in different parts of the uk. how concerning is it for you that there is a new breeding colony of greys on anglesey? it is is a new breeding colony of greys on analese ? , ., , ., , anglesey? it is really worrying. estimates are _ anglesey? it is really worrying. estimates are that _ anglesey? it is really worrying. estimates are that are - anglesey? it is really worrying. estimates are that are just - anglesey? it is really worrying. | estimates are that are just over anglesey? it is really worrying. - estimates are that are just over the thousand red squirrels left in wales -- 3000. thousand red squirrels left in wales -- 3000, , , , thousand red squirrels left in wales -- 3000. . , , , thousand red squirrels left in wales -- 3000. , , , , thousand red squirrels left in wales --3000. , , , -- 3000. just tell us why it is so deadl , -- 3000. just tell us why it is so deadly. why _ -- 3000. just tell us why it is so deadly, why these _ -- 3000. just tell us why it is so deadly, why these grey - -- 3000. just tell us why it is so deadly, why these grey squirrelsj -- 3000. just tell us why it is so - deadly, why these grey squirrels are such a threat for not only the red

squirrels, but for the environment and animals two humans around? red su uirrels and animals two humans around? i» squirrels will be outcompeted for habitat and food. greece squirrels also carry a squirrel pox virus. grey squirrels can survive, but red squatters will always die from that. they are a direct threat to the red squirrel population.— they are a direct threat to the red squirrel population. what options do ou have squirrel population. what options do you have right _ squirrel population. what options do you have right now? _ squirrel population. what options do you have right now? are _ squirrel population. what options do you have right now? are you - squirrel population. what options do j you have right now? are you worried to be much the other colonies emerging in different parts of the uk? , .,. emerging in different parts of the uk? ,. .,.,, emerging in different parts of the uk? ,. .,., emerging in different parts of the uk? grace scholars are good at exoanding. _ uk? grace scholars are good at exoanding. but _ uk? grace scholars are good at expanding, but efforts - uk? grace scholars are good at expanding, but efforts like - uk? grace scholars are good at| expanding, but efforts like craig shuttleworth�*s, keeping grey squirrels at bay with culling, is a good strategy. in scotland, we have 120,000 red squirrels. that is still fragile. 0urwork 120,000 red squirrels. that is still fragile. our work is to take wrestlers from healthy parts of the and move them to former parts of the

range in the north and west highlands. —— is to take red squirrels. we let them go to habitats that work for them. those photos quickly establish new breeding populations. so we have red squirrels and refugees away from the grey squirrels. those populations we have established mount may be reach about 5000 squirrels. it is important to establish a stronghold thatis important to establish a stronghold that is the from the threat —— that is free from the threat of grey squirrels. is free from the threat of grey su uirrels. . ~ is free from the threat of grey squirrels-— is free from the threat of grey su uirrels. . ~' ,. , . squirrels. thank you very much, thank you _ squirrels. thank you very much, thank you for— squirrels. thank you very much, thank you forjoining _ squirrels. thank you very much, thank you forjoining us - squirrels. thank you very much, thank you forjoining us on - squirrels. thank you very much, thank you forjoining us on bbc| thank you forjoining us on bbc news. prince harry and meghan are in nigeria this weekend as part of the duke�*s promotion

of the invictus games. earlier, harry played a seated volleyball match with army veterans, many of whom were wounded in battles against the country�*s islamist insurgency. harry�*s team — dressed in yellow — took on a squad led by nigeria�*s chief of defence staff, the country�*s top commander. the prince�*s team took an early lead — but ended up losing the match 25—21. incredible pictures of their coming in from nigeria. we will be bringing you more on that, of course. there were four that events for prince harry and megan. we know he held a meeting with army officials and was due to speak there. meanwhile meghan has been holding a women�*s empowerment meeting as well. stay with us here on bbc news.

more headlines at the top of the hour. hello, the show is not over yet. we have a music show on and a light display in the heavens. saturday has a pretty good chance of catching the aurora borealis, or the northern lights. living conditions will be good if not excellent across much of the uk. from about 11pm onwards, clear skies. get your ice use to the dark sky away from the bright city lights if you can. the red cooler is pretty much 90—100%. then that chance drops off somewhat as you head southwards across the uk, but it really could happen almost anywhere. the weekend

weather forecast has some uncertainty. the weather will produce a spectacle of its own, thunder storms in the forecast for sunday. the outlook for the rest of the evening and into the overnight hours, around about midnight, much of scotland the aurora should be visible easily here, certainly out of town, beautiful displays of green, purple and violet. also the chance of catching it further south. if you are unlucky, you mightjust have to wait for that bank of cloud to go away. remember, the water will last for a couple of hours, so there will be plenty of opportunity to go out to check again. a relatively mild start to sunday with a lot of sunshine. 0n mild start to sunday with a lot of sunshine. on a sunday we start with high pressurejust a bit in charge of the weather. thanks to this high

pressure, we will have had the clear skies and a chance to catch a glimpse of the aurora. but that high is slipping away, low pressure moving in, weatherfronts which is slipping away, low pressure moving in, weather fronts which will be responsible for sparking off some of during sunday. some will be quite nasty across western parts of the uk. no temperatures, high is up to about 26 degrees in london. that�*s it from me. bye—bye.

live from london. this is bbc news with the headlines. the israeli military says about 300,000 palestinians have left the city of rafah since they�*ve been ordered to evacuate on monday. but the un warns they�*re moving to an area which lacks basic infrastructure. more than 10,000 people protest against israel�*s involvement in the eurovision song contest in malmo, sweden, ahead of tonight�*s grand final. iam i am alive here in malmo outside the main arena where in a few hours�* time the eurovision song contest final will be taking place. this week�*s contest has been mired in controversy, protests and problems for the european ebu. we�*ll have all the latest in a minute�*s time. —— in a few minutes�* time.

hundreds of people have been killed and thousands of homes destroyed