live from london. this is bbc news... the iranian—backed lebanese group, hezbollah, says it has launched a barrage of rockets at northern israel, in response to tuesday's beirut explosion that killed a top hamas official. us secretary of state, antony blinken, begins his latest trip to the middle east and the wider region for talks — his fourth since hamas�* october attack on israel. police in london confirm they're investigating potential fraud offences in relation to the wrongful prosecution of hundreds of sub—post masters by the post office. the uk health security agency issues a week—long cold weather alert as parts of england still struggle with floods following a week of heavy rain. three arrests over a fire on a bangladesh train after at least four people, including a child, died. it comes ahead of this weekend's election. hello, i'm lauren taylor.

the powerful iranian—backed lebanese group, hezbollah, says it's launched a barrage of rockets at northern israel, in response to an explosion in beirut that killed a top hamas official earlier this week. a statement said they hit an air traffic control base in meron with sixty—two rockets. the israeli military said it had identified about forty launches from lebanon, and that it had responded, without giving details. these are live pictures from the lebanese israel border — we will keep across those and bring you any developments from there over the course of the hour. the eu's top diplomat. josep borrell is in lebanon for talks on the situatoion in the middle east. live now to our correspondent hugo bachega in beirut. this is what hezbollah said is the response to the killing of the hamas leader but how calibrated is it? it is interesting because this is happening one day after the influential leader of hezbollah gave a speech and said this attack that happened here in beirut on tuesday

that killed the deputy high mass leader would not go unpunished —— like deputy hamas leader would not go unpunished and the second israeli attack killed saleh al—arouri which was a blow for hamas but also this is a stronghold for hezbollah so i gain a vow for retaliation and the group saying these attacks that happened were its initial response following this attack. what we've seen is that since the beginning of this war between israel and hamas in gaza, hezbollah has been carrying out attacks almost every day and so far the violence has been contained two areas across the liver non—israel border because the israeli authorities have been warning against escalating the

situation saying this could lead to a catastrophic response not only for hezbollah which is the powerful organisation supported by iran but also for liver non—and here today josep borrell, the eu foreign policy chief, is having talks with the lebanese authorities including the caretaker prime minister, to talk about the situation along the lebanese— israeli border amid fears that the escalation of tensions there could lead to a major confrontation between hezbollah and israel. ., , ., israel. new refer to the visit of jose israel. new refer to the visit of josep borrell— israel. new refer to the visit of josep borrell and talks - israel. new refer to the visit of josep borrell and talks with - josep borrell and talks with officials from the government which is the official lebanese government but tell us how much influence they have on what hezbollah does and does not do on the border. yes. have on what hezbollah does and does not do on the border.— not do on the border. yes, this is the main challenge _ not do on the border. yes, this is the main challenge here - not do on the border. yes, this is the main challenge here because| not do on the border. yes, this is . the main challenge here because the authorities in lebanon have very little if any influence over hezbollah which is this powerful

sociopolitical organisation that acts almost as a state within a state here in lebanon on and it shows how difficult it is to try to contain the violence year that has been happening between the group and israel and here in liver non—there is the concern that this country could be dragged into another conflict with people here still remembering what happened in 2006, the caused by the war between israel and hezbollah in this country is going through a massive economic crisis as well so very little support, public support, for another military confrontation between them but it is incredibly difficult for the government to deal with the situation as they have very little influence over what the group decides to do.—

influence over what the group decides to do. , , decides to do. there will be views on what iran _ decides to do. there will be views on what iran decides _ decides to do. there will be views on what iran decides to _ decides to do. there will be views on what iran decides to do - decides to do. there will be views on what iran decides to do as - decides to do. there will be views on what iran decides to do as well because of funding. yes, because they are the main alliance of funding forces of the axis of resistance.— funding forces of the axis of resistance. . . , ., ., , resistance. that includes hamas in gaza, resistance. that includes hamas in gaza. also — resistance. that includes hamas in gaza. also the _ resistance. that includes hamas in gaza, also the huthis _ resistance. that includes hamas in gaza, also the huthis in _ resistance. that includes hamas in gaza, also the huthis in yemen, . gaza, also the huthis in yemen, carrying out attacks in the red sea and also groups and factions operating in syria and iraq so in many ways you have different factions across the region and we've seen that violence escalating across the middle east from the beginning of the conflict so you have these different players acting all across the region and the challenges facing all those countries and diplomats trying to contain the spread of this violence. ., ~ , .,

live now to our correspondent shaimaa khalil injerusalem. has there been any response from the israelis to the latest barrage of rockets coming from hezbollah? referred from the idf that they responded to the rocket attacks on northern israel in the latest data from the idf saying they responded to what they described as a terrorist cell responsible for the lunches and they also said the identified a0 lodges covering from the they want to bring you the latest from khan younis in gaza, we have heard from the palestinian red cross who say artillery and heavy gunfire from drones reported in the facility of a hospital in khan younis in the gaza strip for a third day now has been sustained fighting and bombardment in central gaza in

the three main refugee camps. people trying to flee further south to an area that itself people were told to go to for safety has been bombarded. there has also been heavy shelling and tank artillery in khan younis and tank artillery in khan younis and referred from both the idf and our sources on the ground with the idf saying they've killed numerous hamas militants from ground and air and destroyed, shaft and a weapons storage facility and what we've heard, the effective civilians on the ground in khan younis is of bombardment and strikes in every direction. people trying to flee to the southernmost city rafah and casualties arriving in the european

hospital and we understand 18 people have been killed in one air raid on a family home which includes two displaced people in khan younis. does the visit of antony blinken, the fourth visit, and israel not letting up on the offensive there, what will be message of that b? it will be the same but his mission is more complicated for two main reasons and one is because as we've been reporting the fighting in gaza, the ground offensive has been identifying the brood intensifying and that is really what the us has been pressing to change with the united states, state department

pressuring israel to scale down the offensive and use a more targeted approach even though we heard that, we units translated. maybe some targeted attacks and missions but not in centre or south of the bombardment and strikes continuing which will be yet another difficult conversation that anthony blinking keeps having with his allies but it becomes diplomatically difficult because he doesn't only have to call for the escalation but the day after and the future after the war, we've heard of a proposal that sees the general security with israel being responsible for the security presence and some sort of palestinian governance for no specification on who will govern gazza state department, secretary of

state to galvanise much of the israeli side but coming up with a unified stance from israel and this was the proposal, just a proposal now which has not been agreed on by the rest of the right—wing government and you have the finance minister and national security ministers calling for the displacement and relocation of people from gazza and this has been described as extremist and inflammatory comments so trying to bridge the gap within the benjamin netanyahu government is difficult and coming up with a unified stance which can then be taken to the negotiators is another one he has to face. ., ~ negotiators is another one he has to face. . ~ ,, negotiators is another one he has to face. ., ~' ,, , negotiators is another one he has to face. . ~ ,, , . live now to galip dalay, consulting fellow, middle east and north africa programme at chatham house. thank you for being with us. we know antony blinken is in turkey, a big regional player but a war of words

with israel so what is the message from anthony blinking —— from antony blinken to calm things down in the region? loss of sound. i'm so sorry to interrupt, we are having a problem with the sound with you, we will try to re—establish that line in a minute. we will move on first to the uk. the metropolitan police has confirmed it's investigating potential fraud offences, in relation to the wrongful prosecution of hundreds of sub—postmasters by the post office. around 700 people were blamed for accounting mistakes caused by faulty it software — which made it look like money was missing. some were wrongfully imprisoned, in a scandal which was

recently dramatised on itv. our reporter, vincent mcaviney, has more details. mr bates vs the post office has brought to light a story for years those in power wouldn't believe. for the post office branch managers across the country over two decades, it's been a nightmare they couldn't escape. i haven't got that money. and i don't know where it's gone. noel thomas, a former sub—postmaster in anglesea, was one of those wrongly sent to prison. this week has offered some catharsis after years of torment. the rest of the country knows how the government and the post office have dealt with us over the many, many years. it's been 18 years for me. and, you know, it's been hell for a lot of people. after a long battle, the court of appeal quashed noel and 38 others' convictions. but no—one responsible has been

convicted for their role. now, the metropolitan police has confirmed it's investigating potential fraud offences arising out of the prosecutions, relating to monies recovered from sub—postmasters of prosecutions or civil actions. the force is already looking into potential offences of perjury and perverting the course ofjustice. two people have been interviewed already under caution. but no—one has yet been arrested. as a result of the four—part itv drama, lawyers who act for claimants say that dozens more potential victims have come forward, finally ready to face their trauma. these people have been so heavily damaged psychologically by the post office and their actions, they've been so fearful of coming forward and going through the process again. now, what the drama has done is brought awareness, huge widespread sympathy to these people. so alongside that, family encouragement, and speaking with other sub—postmasters who have been on this journey, they have finally found

the courage to come forward. the post office has once again apologised for the distress this has caused. it has brought to attention the greatest miscarriage injustice in uk history. just as the leader might be justice denied. —— justice delayed might bejustice denied. some breaking news... an alaska airlines flight from the us city of portland has made an emergency landing after part of the aircraft blew out in mid—air. social media video shot inside the boeing 737 max 9 shows a window section missing. the passengers remain in their seats, oxygen masks dangling, looking remarkably calm.

alaska airlines said the 177 passengers and crew landed safely back at portland. it has temporarily grounded its 65 max aircraft for inspection. the aeroplane has a chequered safety record. in 2019 it was grounded worldwide for 18 months after two fatal crashes. meanwhile, the us supreme court has confirmed that it will decide whether donald trump will be kept off the 202a ballot in colorado and also other states. the colorado state supreme court removed trump from the primary ballot citing the constitution's1ath amendment to claim he should not be allowed to run because of his role in the january 6 insurrection. michael fanone is a former washington dc police officer who was very badly injured in the capitol riot — suffering from a heart attack and a brain injury. here's his assessment three years on. you know, we have seen a continuation of politically inspired violence in the aftermath ofjanuary sixth, and obviously nothing to the same scale that we all witnessed at the capitol that day. but we've seen attacks perpetrated

against law enforcement, against the fbi, threats made to elected officials, threats made tojudges, really, anybody that opposes maga. and the former president draws his ire and he knows that simply mentioning them. it leads to his followers attacking them, threatening them. you know, these i wouldn't even call them dog whistles any more. these are overt threats. he knows exactly what he's doing. let's return to our top story, the powerful iranian—backed lebanese group, hezbollah, says it's launched a barrage of rockets at northern israel, in response to an explosion in beirut that killed a top hamas official earlier this week. live now to galip dalay, consulting fellow, middle east and north africa programme at chatham house. i think we have a sound issue sorted

out. thanks for being with us. initially, on that response from hezbollah, what would you make of it? , , , a hezbollah, what would you make of it? , it? the response very much shows what danger _ it? the response very much shows what danger the _ it? the response very much shows what danger the region _ it? the response very much shows what danger the region is - it? the response very much shows what danger the region is facing i it? the response very much shows. what danger the region is facing the more that the wall lingers on, we don't have a ceasefire and everyone was fearing that and it might be realised. all sides are quite careful even though there is the response but no one is interested in a full—blown war with what you see in liver non—and yemen, which the huthi attacks have established as... on the maritime route, the more the war takes place, the more we might see accidental regionalisation taking place and that is why the ceasefire is another one agenda item

when antony blinken meets them, to bring an end to the suffering of the humanitarian calamity is we are seeing unfolding. the second is to prevent regionalisation of the war and the third is important to then have a conversation on the day and i think there is a difference between the sequencing between the regional actors and us administration with the idea and hope that they become more dominant but regionally it's about having a ceasefire first. and they are very much looking at how to reduce the sufferings and

particularly preventing one of the worst of this conflict which is more your hearing aid very concerning talk about the population because not until you have a ceasefire, the explosions will continue to take place and this is something they want to prevent at all costs. thank ou. a clean—up operation for communities is underway across parts of england this morning after days of heavy rainfall led to more than 1,000 homes and businesses being flooded. more than 200 flood warnings remain in place, mostly in the midlands, east anglia and the south. will batchelor reports. water levels may have peaked, but as they recede, they reveal a trail of destruction. homes flooded, treasured possessions lost, gardens completely submerged. the water actually started coming through the floor. not not through the door coming through the floor.

the water actually started coming through the floor. not through the door coming through the floor. some said it's gone down, but it's going to go back up. some have said it's going down. some have said it is coming up. so at the end of the day, all i know is i've got, what, five, six centimetres of water in my house. when this resident of gloucestershire's only island, human and canine return, that's when the real work will start. and for thousands, it has already begun. staff and locals pulled together to get this pub in somerset back open. while these neighbours in stevenson, hampshire tried their best to unblock drains, though, not everyone was so helpful. as they tried to recover some kind of normality. many know this will probably happen again. it's the second time this house in hampshire is flooded. the last was in 2007. while angie's home near bridgnorth in shropshire has flooded three times in the last year. it is what it is and you've just got to wait till it decides to go away.

and it's notjust homes. this farm in lincolnshire was completely submerged for the second time in four years when a river burst its banks. for now, all the farmer can do is move his livestock to higher ground, hoping the land recovers in time for lambing season. the prime minister, rishi sunak, is facing calls from opposition parties to convene an urgent cobra style task force to protect homes from further damage and to visit areas hit by flooding. he says the environment agency has people on the ground in all the affected areas. meanwhile, many communities are doing their best to help each other. this was in nottinghamshire, where the river trent was at its highest level in a quarter century with a cold snap predicted next and more rain likely it's going to be a long, hard winter ahead for many. will batchelor, bbc news. and we'll have more from our correspondents in nottinghamshire and gloucestershire later in the programme.

downing street documents seen by the bbc suggest that the british prime minister, rishi sunak, had serious doubts about the uk government's rwanda migration policy when he was chancellor of the exchequer. the papers, written in march 2022, indicate that his view then was that it would not stop the channel crossings. a source close to rishi sunak told the bbc, "the prime minister was always fully behind the principle of the scheme as a deterrent." the scheme to send some asylum seekers to rwanda for processing and potentially resettlement, in order to deter people from crossing the english channel in small boats, was first announced by then—prime minister borisjohnson in april 2022. live now to our political correspondent charlotte rose. talk us through what they doubt to have been. ,., ., ., , have been. good morning. this information _ have been. good morning. this information comes _ have been. good morning. this information comes from - have been. good morning. this information comes from uk - have been. good morning. this- information comes from uk government documents prepared in march 2022 and borisjohnson as prime minister and rishi sunak chancellor and it appears he was asking pretty fundamental questions about how the scheme was going to work. i think it

tells of three key things, firstly he was not convinced nero on the scheme would act as a deterrent to stop small about crossings on the english channel and secondly he was not convinced, in order to scale back the scheme because he did not think it was value for money and thirdly he did not want to introduce greek style reception centres to hold migrants and prefer to disperse them around the uk using hotels because he thought it would be cheaper for the taxpayer. i because he thought it would be cheaperfor the taxpayer. i guess you would argue at the time his job was to think about value for money and taxpayer money and therefore it is fundamental he asked these questions about the operational effectiveness of such a scheme and sources have told the bbc that the chancellor, then chancellor did fund the scheme and he is now passing the rand appeal and he is now —— the rand appeal and he is now —— the

rand bill —— rwanda bill. the uk official opposition, party, shadow home secretary said these documents show that the rwanda scheme is an utter con and goes say the government going for a gimmick rather getting a grip. the wider picture around all this as there are already members of the conservative party who do not think rishi sunak is committed enough to the rwanda plan, we saw the former immigration minister i will sign over it —— might resign over itjust before christmas. there will be questions about what is committed to the planners and villages have reservations from the start. politically awkward from his own party do you think?— party do you think? absolutely, there are others _ party do you think? absolutely, there are others on _ party do you think? absolutely, there are others on the - party do you think? absolutely, there are others on the right. party do you think? absolutely, there are others on the right of| party do you think? absolutely, . there are others on the right of the party who think the rwanda bill going through house of commons at the moment is not strong enough

because it would not remove the uk from european convention on you and writes in relation to immigration and therefore ultimately the uk could still face challenges in being able to deport people to second vector claims process there and they would like to see that and see the prime minister go further.- would like to see that and see the prime minister go further. thank you and we are monitoring _ prime minister go further. thank you and we are monitoring that _ prime minister go further. thank you and we are monitoring that story - and we are monitoring that story throughout the day. do check out our website for more on that story and the rest of the news and i will be back with you shortly with more on that and the rest of the day's news. stay with us here on bbc news.

hello, after such a wet week i can bring better news on we can forecast because although it will be colder, it will be drier. not completely dry with a few showers around, bits and pieces of rain especially as we start saturday because northern and eastern areas where we had a fair amount of cloud by the slice of clear skies filling in from the west allowing temperatures to drop with forest and for an ice to start saturday morning with temperatures dropping to freezing or below we are likely to see some ice and some fog clears useful that you exclude to clears useful that you exclude to clear with some rain persisting into the afternoon and cried persistent as well with some bits and pieces of showery rain and the odd shower out west with some sunshine, too, with highs 559 celsius and some bands of cloud in eastern england rolling through westwards into the middle and ring the odd shower and where we

see clear and starry skies, a widely called night with temperatures around or below freezing, may be down to —a abydos five celsius and lower in some parts of scotland. so brisk wind in the south—east corner and elsewhere mainly fine conditions or spells of sunshine and feeling cold at 2—6 c, particularly cold with morning fog lingering from lengths of time and as we head into monday, an area of high pressure strengthening centred on the north of the uk with some rise above that the south which means some quite strong winds and those easterly winds combine with cold air making for a decidedly chilly feel so brisk winds to the south, further north not as windy but persistent fog and misty, murky conditions, sunny spells as well with top temperatures in parts of scotland five celsius,

3-6 c in parts of scotland five celsius, 3—6 c elsewhere and some of these temperatures in wind—chill. turning as cold as they require zone but they mostly drive. —— staying mostly dry.

this is bbc news. the headlines... the iranian—backed lebanese group, his brother, says it has launched

a barrage of rockets at northern israel, in response to tuesday's beirut explosion that killed a top hamas official. that comes as top western diplomats, including the us secretary of state, antony blinken, are in the region for a fresh push to calm tensions. police in london confirm they're investigating potential fraud offences in relation to the wrongful prosecution of hundreds of sub—postmasters by the post office. more than 700 branch managers were accused of wrongdoing. the uk health security agency has issued a week—long cold weather alert. it comes as parts of england and wales are still struggling with floods following heavy rain with nearly 500 warnings and alerts still in place. there's been a wave of arson attacks on schools in bangladesh that were due to be used as polling stations in sunday's election. and police have arrested three people in connection with a fire on a moving train.

four people died in the blaze, which flared up on the outskirts of the capital, dhaka. officers said those detained had been found in possession of petrol bombs. two of the train�*s passengers are also being questioned in connection with the fire. there've been a number of acts of sabotage in bangladesh ahead of sunday's parliamentary election. the vote is being boycotted by most opposition parties who say it's a sham. well, prime minister sheikh hasina's awami league—led alliance is set to win a fourth straight term in the election. the main opposition, former prime minister khaleda zia of the bangladesh nationalist party is boycotting the poll — after hasina denied her demand to make way for a neutral caretaker government to run the election. akbar hossain has more. sheikh hasina is now the longest—serving prime minister in south asia. for the last 15 years, her government has been widely criticized for human rights violations and undermining the democratic process. many people believe that a one—sided election will only worsen

the country's economic and political situation because the west may not accept the results. there were widespread allegations of vote—rigging and fraud during the last two general elections. noor allam is a rickshaw puller in the northern district of rampur. he says he lost confidence in the electoral process. translation: they don't need our votes. _ they will win the elections anyway. it doesn't matter whether we go to polling centres or not. countries should fulfil their commitments. the united states, european union and britain are putting diplomatic pressure on bangladesh's government to hold a free, fair and credible election. but without participation from opposition parties, the election is neither inclusive nor competitive. candidates who are taking part in the elections are either ruling party men or their sympathisers. translation: right at the moment, i we can't say whether the elections i will be competitive or not,

but our main objective is to hold a vote election. we are working on that. many observers believe that the upcoming elections will turn bangladesh into a one—party state, an allegation often rejected by sheikh hasina's awami league party. live now to the capital dhaka to speak to our south asia correspondent samira hussain. can we say these elections are fair? i think certainly the feeling by lots of people here, the prime minister is contesting the elections but has no real opponent. there are candidates who are participating but

most independent candidates are sympathetic to the ruling government. the bangladesh nationalist party, the bnp decided to boycott the election because they don't think it will be free and fair. i realise where i am in data seems like it's quite busy but if you look at what was happening 2a hours ago, it is wall—to—wall traffic. it's actually a lot quieter because the bnp has asked for a two—day strike. they say because these are one—sided elections, their supporters should not go out to vote and should instead engage with a strike. a lot of shop are closed. he had been talking to people in the run—up to this. what have they been saying? run-up to this. what have they been sa in: ? , ., ., run-up to this. what have they been sa inc? ,., ., ., run-up to this. what have they been sa in? ., ., , saying? there is a lot of apathy when it comes _ saying? there is a lot of apathy when it comes to _ saying? there is a lot of apathy when it comes to this _ saying? there is a lot of apathy when it comes to this election. | saying? there is a lot of apathy i when it comes to this election. we

spoke to some people, one person who used to own a business and is now an employee and said it would be a better election if there was some kind of opposition, if the main party was contested. but speaking to supporters of the opposition party, they say in 2018 you could contest they say in 2018 you could contest the elections and say they are not fair. supporters were able to cast their vote. so what's the point now of this particular action because they have no faith this result will be any different. the question will be any different. the question will be about whether the results will really reflect the will of the people. really reflect the will of the --eole. . ~ really reflect the will of the --eole. ., ~' ,, let's return to that breaking news we brought to you earlier... an alaska airlines flight from the us city of portland has made an emergency landing after part of the aircraft blew out in mid—air. listen to this emergency call from a member of the cabin crew.

muffled speech. social media video shot inside the boeing 737 max 9 shows a window section missing. the passengers remain in their seats, oxygen masks dangling, looking remarkably calm. alaska airlines said the 177 passengers and crew landed safely back at portland. it has temporarily grounded its 65 max aircraft for inspection. the aeroplane has a chequered safety record — in 2019 it was grounded worldwide for eighteen months after two fatal crashes. live now to aviation analyst from jls consulting, john strickland. thank you for being with us. what do you make of what has happened in this case? , , , , , this case? sadly its fresh news this mornin: this case? sadly its fresh news this morning just _ this case? sadly its fresh news this morning just prior _ this case? sadly its fresh news this morning just prior to the _ this case? sadly its fresh news thisj morning just prior to the interview. looking at the photos it's clear a section of fuselage equivalent to one window frame area in the row of

seats affected, i must stress they know it's happened, the aircraft was able to safely land but it would have been an element of depressurisation with lower cruising altitude of 16,000 feet that's harshly what an airline would be cruising during the flight. they needed to get the plane down safely which fortunately was done with all eyes protected. but while we know little about the information of the evidence we have seen of this window frame that's come out of the fuselage section of the plane, this has nothing to do with the reason to be grounded. that was to do with software on a flight control system being defective. it was a major issue which has been fully resolved

and now hundreds of his aircrafts around the world operated safely. it is understandable looking at the photographic evidence that alaska is taking it a cautious approach by grounding their fleet. you will have seen the coming hours what happens in terms of more directives issued by the us regulatory authority. after that 2019 incident, there's been nothing of this magnitude since then. plain sailing for this particular airline?- then. plain sailing for this particular airline? yes, once the secretary back — particular airline? yes, once the secretary back into _ particular airline? yes, once the secretary back into service - particular airline? yes, once the | secretary back into service which was about two years ago now, it's had a really good safety record. an enormous amount of work has been done after the tragic losses of two aircraft, one loss in indonesia and one in ethiopia. both were linked to

the same software system problems. as we said, there was a grounding order put in place worldwide and it was really an extremely challenging time and cost of loss of life was extraordinary. it became a very challenging time for borrowing in terms of its reputation and its investigation by global authorities. there have been pains to restore themselves as a business and the aircraft itself. this is an aircraft that has been in service in different versions for 50 or more years, it has a great safety record. so they needed to restore that and that had been done. something of this kind looks to be completely

different. a section of fuselage to break loose is not remotely a common thing to happen. break loose is not remotely a common thing to happen-— thing to happen. sorry to interrupt, we're 'ust thing to happen. sorry to interrupt, we're just looking _ thing to happen. sorry to interrupt, we're just looking at _ thing to happen. sorry to interrupt, we're just looking at that _ thing to happen. sorry to interrupt, we're just looking at that picture i we're just looking at that picture and the section mission. what effect would have the handling the plane? it landed safely at portland but what kind of effect would it have for the pilot when something like that happens? i’m for the pilot when something like that happens?— for the pilot when something like thathauens? �* ., ., , ., i, that happens? i'm not a pilot myself but i don't believe _ that happens? i'm not a pilot myself but i don't believe it _ that happens? i'm not a pilot myself but i don't believe it would - that happens? i'm not a pilot myself but i don't believe it would have - that happens? i'm not a pilot myself but i don't believe it would have a i but i don't believe it would have a significant effect on the handling. it's relatively contained. the primary issue would be the aircraft would not be able to remain pressurised but it seems, and i'm stressing i only have limited information, it looks like it was on descents to portland or recently departed. if it was 60,000 feet, is not near cruising altitude which is around 30,000 feet. the issue of

pressurisation would be less extreme at that level. they could have been loss of cabin pressure, the pilots themselves would have donned oxygen masks to ensure they could control the aircraft but in terms of the aircraft itself, it would have been fully controlled to get it down in a straightforward landing given there is a piece of fuselage missing. thank you. a good news story even though it was a dramatic incident. a clean—up operation for communities is underway across parts of england this morning after days of heavy rainfall led to more than 1,000 homes and businesses being flooded. more than 200 flood warnings remain in place, mostly in the midlands, east anglia and the south. will batchelor reports. let's cross now to newark in nottinghamshire, to our correspondent, oli constable. tell us what you have been witnessing.— tell us what you have been witnessing. tell us what you have been witnessinu. ., ~' tell us what you have been witnessinu. ., ~ , ., witnessing. here in newark you can see the river—

witnessing. here in newark you can see the river trent _ witnessing. here in newark you can see the river trent just _ witnessing. here in newark you can see the river trentjust behind - witnessing. here in newark you can see the river trentjust behind me, very fast flowing and a car is parked on one of the car parks which is now partially submerged after the river over topped yesterday. while we have been here, the water has receded six considerably but still is a devastating site. many people. driving on main roads today, if you look left and right in the fields that go alongside the river trent, it isjust as that go alongside the river trent, it is just as far as the eye can see, lots and lots of water hitting this area. storm henk of course after storm betty and storm ciaran on already saturated ground. the rain we have seen compounding the problem. we have seen helicopter pictures yesterday on the bbc website showing parts of nottinghamshire where the river trent was a mile wide because of how much water had been here. yesterday the county council declared a major

incident after more than 100 homes were evacuated, lots of people spending last night in temporary accommodation. the peak of the river was very high, came close to a record set in 2000. lots of people we have been speaking to said it's been a lot worse on homes here. this was especially in an area which had been washed away, new toilet blocks put in their destroyed after the water came up through the drains and destroyed one of the shops there as well. the impact it's been having on the community here has been great. two rivers feeding into the river trent have started to come down now which means the trend has been taking a lot of that water. it remains very high but the water is starting to recede. a woman came to

take photos of the scene and said it was three bricks lower than it was this morning. that gives you an idea about that much lower in just a few hours. a lot of people coming here to take photos living nearby, a lot had been affected by this, more than 100 homes evacuated according to the county council which declared the major incident. but there are still many flood warnings across the uk. to put it in context, when we were here for about 6am, there were 2aa flood warnings. so that has come down considerably. they are one of the more serious warnings the environment agency hands out as well as flood alerts saying flooding is expected to people should take action. this riverside very aptly named, you can see on the sides of the pub the black line which shows the pub the black line which shows the high water mark that has been

here over the last couple of days. people have been coming down here, taking photos, tourists wanting to see what damage has been done. for many people, this has been a difficult time for them. homes have been flooded as well as businesses so for many people, this has been a difficult time but the worst is yet to come as homes need to dry out. one councillor said yesterday is expected to take months before people can get back into their homes, those who have been affected. the national grid coming by making sure power remains of people as well as farmers who live just a little bit further upstream who say a lot of their lives have been decimated by their wet weather. the water is receding and going down and flood warnings are being lifted but the operation is now under way. here in the uk, more than 20—million working people will pay less national insurance from today.

the treasury says an average earner will save around £a50 a year — but critics warn other tax changes mean employees won't be any better off. here's our business correspondent, marc ashdown. 27 million workers may be about to see a little bump in their pay packet. it's down to changes to national insurance. the money automatically deducted from your salary to help fund the state pension. from today, contributions in the basic tax band are being cut from 12% to 10%. the chancellor says everyone will take home a bit more cash. we've already started cutting taxes and that's what's happening today. a 2% cut in national insurance, that's nearly £1,000 for a typical family with two earners. and that is a very significant change because it was right to put up taxes to pay back the debt from the help we gave families during covid and during the cost of living crisis. but now we've turned a corner, brought down inflation.

the economy is doing better. we want to bring down the tax burden. and this 2% cut will make a very big difference to many families up and down the country. the change means if you earn £35,000 a year, the average uk wage, you could save £37.38 a month. someone earning £50,000 a year could be £62 a month better off. the treasury says two million people who are self—employed will also benefit, but not until april. it plans to scrap the voluntary contributions they make on taxable earnings. it's also worth noting that any contributions in the higher tax band above £50,000 or so will remain at 2% for everyone. however, experts point out that the government has also frozen income tax thresholds until 2028, meaning more people are now paying tax. i don't want to look a gift horse in the mouth, but overall it's not going to make a very much difference because the amount of income tax that we're paying is going

up because the income tax threshold has been frozen. and as incomes go up, that means that more of us are paying income tax and more of us are paying more income tax. so overall, we're still losing. none of the changes affect those who've already retired as national insurance isn't paid on pension income. millions of workers will no doubt welcome a tax cut. but the government's own forecaster says the overall tax burden remains the highest since the second world war. marc ashdown, bbc news. people caring for a loved one are generally unpaid, and can often feel unsupported. so, more and more carers are turning to voluntary groups to provide respite and extra help. as part of "brea kfast�*s care in 202a" series, tim muffett has spent the day with the stepping out walking group. tell us about your husband, maureen. what are your memories of him? wonderful times.

fun—loving, always singing. he was a very outgoing person, very happy. maureen and ronnie were married for 66 years. i'm a carer for my mum. mum was a full—time carer previously for my dad, who sadly died two years ago. are you sure this is going to be warm enough? yes. dad was diagnosed with dementia. since dad died, mum's health sort of went downhill and she's been very, very poorly for the last year. ronnie loved joining maureen and lesley on walks for unpaid carers and their families. organised by a community group called stepping out with carers. what are the main challenges of being an unpaid carer? it's really hard. i mean, i didn't work fora number of years, did i?

because i was trying to help you and dad. and when you've got a young family, if you run, which i did have, that was a real struggle, wasn't it? you and lynn, the other daughter, you help me a lot, don't you? because maureen's been unwell, this is the first time in a year that she's been able to go on a walk. i've missed it terribly. i can't wait for today. and i shall meet everybody again. today's walk is in rochester. it's for unpaid carers - and the people they care for so that they can have a day out l that'sjust for them, for respite, i for a good laugh to meet each other and a good, good stroll. unpaid carers, on top i of being unpaid, looking after somebody at home, friend or family, for sometimes 24—7 with no respite. - it's wonderful.

and seeing everybody, they've all come out and said hello. i haven't seen lesley for several months and just to see people again and walk and talk and catch up, it's like... yeah, it's lovely. and i wasjust saying i haven't been here for a year, so it'sjust lovely because i've had my mum ill for a year, so it's just lovely to come back and know that she's up there further ahead, being looked after. and it gives me a bit of a break and different chat, you know, to catch up with people. well, i think it's extremely- important for carers to be cared for themselves because there's . an old saying which is, you know, if you don't look after yourself, - how can you look after someone else? it's thought there are more than 5 million unpaid carers in the uk. and so many of them have spoken about the sense of isolation and loneliness that can occur when you're caring for someone. but this is like the opposite of loneliness and isolation. when you're out walking

and chatting, how important is that? very important for leslie, very important for all of us, because it gives you mental freedom. do you think unpaid carers are often overlooked and forgotten? oh gosh, yes, they really are. i mean, without this whole battalion of carers in britain, it would cost them billions. they're absolutely vital. how important is it to be able to get out and have a nice chat and to catch up? 0h, very important because i live on my own now because my husband died last year. so it's very lonely. walk finished, what was it like? well, it's just fabulous. everyone's come up to you, hugged you, caught up with everyone. mum's got her little ashes necklace on, which you'll probably be able to see here. mum had this little robin made with dad's ashes in. it's very special.

yeah. take it with me. so then he is there, isn't he? tim muffett, bbc news, rochester. president biden has returned to the campaign trail — giving his first speech to kick off his re—election campaign. it was centred entirely around democracy, and the threat that he says former president donald trump poses to america's most sacred cause. speaking in pennsylvania, mr biden hammered mr trump repeatedly by name. he called mr trump's recent inflammatory language akin to that of nazi germany. and said the former president's campaign was all about "revenge and retribution." with saturday marking three years since the january 6th insurrection. president biden criticised mr trump's inaction that day... where donald trump reportedly watched on television as his allies pleaded for him to do something — his supporters violently storming the us capitol with chants

of hanging the former vice president and the speaker of the house. here's president biden speaking in the battleground state of pennsylvania. (tx sot trump's mob weren't a peaceful protest. it was a violent assault. they were insurrectionists, not patriots. they weren't there to protect the constitution, they were there to destroy the constitution. donald trump won't do what a us president needs to — he won't denounce political violence. as we begin the election year, we must be clear — democracy is on the ballot. your freedom is on the ballot. applause later on friday, former president trump held a rally in iowa, where he responded to president biden's warnings about democracy. he called the speech a "pathetic fearmongering campaign event," and called president biden's record an "unbroken streak of weakness, incompetence, corruption and failure." donald trump also repeated false claims that the 2020 election was rigged —

and that the fbi was involved in the january 6th attack. one of the all—time greats of brazilian football, mario zagallo, has died at the age of 92. he won two world cups as a player, but is best loved in his homeland for his coaching of the great national team that won the cup in 1970. zagallo played alongside the greats such as pele — he retired from the sport after the world cup in germany in 2006 and had been living with numerous health problems. we will be back in a couple of minutes. stay with us. hello. after such a wet week, i can bring you some better news in the weekend weather forecast because although it

will be colder, it is also going to be drier now. not completely dry. still a few showers around, a few bits and pieces of rain, particularly as we start saturday across northern and eastern areas where we have had a fair amount of cloud. but this slice of clear sky spilling in from the west, that's been allowing temperatures to drop with some frost and fog and ice to start saturday morning. with so much water around where temperatures have dropped to freezing or below, we are likely to see some ice. some of the fog could be slow to clear across parts of north west england and south west scotland. some rain persisting across the northern isles into the afternoon. this band of cloud quite persistent as well across eastern counties of england with a few bits and pieces of showery rain. the odd shower out west, but some sunshine too. highs of 5—9 degrees during saturday night. this band of cloud in eastern england will roll, i think, a little bit further westwards. back into the midlands again, could bring the odd shower. but where we keep clear, starry skies overhead, it will get cold. a widely cold night, temperatures around or below freezing, maybe

down to minus four or minus five, or perhaps even lower than that in some parts of scotland. and then we head into sunday with a bit of cloud and quite a brisk wind in the southeast corner that will provide the odd shower. but elsewhere, mainly fine conditions, some spells of sunshine, but it will feel cold. 2—6 degrees, particularly cold, actually, if any morning fog lingers for any length of time. now, as we head into monday, this area of high pressure, if anything, will be strengthening, centred across the north of the uk. quite a few icebergs down to the south though that means some quite strong winds and those easterly winds, combined with some isobars. quite cold air, will make for a decidedly chilly feel. so there's brisk winds down towards the south, further north, not as windy, but we could have some persistent fog, certainly some misty, murky conditions, some sunny spells as well. but top temperatures maybe just two or three degrees in parts of scotland, northern ireland, england and wales, 3—6 degrees celsius. but when we factor in the strength of the wind, look at these

feels like temperatures. this includes the wind chill. in some places it will feel subzero. so very chilly on monday, perhaps turning a little bit less cold as the week wears on, but staying mostly dry.

live from london, this is bbc news.

alaska airlines grounds boeing 737 max 9 planes after a section of fuselage, including a window, fell off mid—air, forcing the pilots to make an emergency landing. the iranian—backed lebanese group hezbollah says it has launched a barrage of rockets at northern israel, in response to tuesday's beirut explosion that killed a top hamas official. us secretary of state, antony blinken, begins his latest trip to the middle east and the wider region for talks — his fourth since hamas' october attack on israel. police in london confirm they're investigating potential fraud offences in relation to the wrongful prosecution of hundreds of sub—post masters by the post office. the uk health security agency issues a week—long cold weather alert as parts of england still struggle with floods following a week of heavy rain. three arrests over a fire on a bangladesh train after at least four people, including a child, died. it comes ahead of this weekend's election.