i think what the government will be hoping is that it may address this long standing challenge they have that there are some people who are refused asylum, maybe from countries like iraq, for example, where we see a fair number of refusals, but we don't really remove people who have no residence rights in the uk to those countries for various reasons, including the sort of chaos and danger in certain parts of the country. let's speak to our political correspondent, rob watson. what more do we know about how this plan will work? we what more do we know about how this plan will work?— plan will work? we know the headline idea is that those _ plan will work? we know the headline idea is that those people _ plan will work? we know the headline idea is that those people who - plan will work? we know the headline idea is that those people who don't i idea is that those people who don't have the right to stay in the uk on work here would be offered a sum of money, about £3000, to relocate to rwanda. what is interesting, and somewhat different about the plan is that there have been voluntary

schemes, there are existing voluntary schemes, whereby people are paid, but that still go back to countries where they came from. what we also know about the scheme is that it will. .. we also know about the scheme is that it will... the idea is that anyone who took up this offer will essentially get the same package of support that the government has in mind and has agreed with and are for those who would be taken there involuntarily if you can put it that way. in other words, that they would be getting assistance with housing and integration into rwanda. viewers will be wondering, _ and integration into rwanda. viewers will be wondering, is _ and integration into rwanda. viewers will be wondering, is this _ and integration into rwanda. viewers will be wondering, is this new - will be wondering, is this new scheme connected to the wider rwanda deal? the scheme connected to the wider rwanda deal? ., , , scheme connected to the wider rwanda deal? . , , , , ., ., ., deal? the answer is yes and no. no in the sense — deal? the answer is yes and no. no in the sense that _ deal? the answer is yes and no. no in the sense that it _ deal? the answer is yes and no. no in the sense that it is _ deal? the answer is yes and no. no in the sense that it is absolutely - in the sense that it is absolutely voluntary and the other scheme isn't. yes in the sense that it seems the british government and the rwandan government have discussed

this idea of similar arrangements to help anyone who makes thatjourney, whether voluntarily or involuntarily. the other way in which they are connected, this is all part of the british government's efforts to be seen to be doing anything even novel measures like this, to work down on the migration list in this country. it is worth pointing out the figures, what the government is up against. these are official figures government is up against. these are officialfigures from government is up against. these are official figures from june 2023. there is a caseload of 250,000 asylum seekers in this country. hundred and 40,000 awaiting an appeal. —— 140,000 awaiting judgment. you appeal. ——140,000 awaiting judgment. you are talking about huge numbers and the scepticism that you heard there earlier is just how many people would be involved in going to

rwanda voluntarily, given the huge numbers of people coming and the outstanding caseload.— numbers of people coming and the outstanding caseload. thank you very much. that outstanding caseload. thank you very much- that is — outstanding caseload. thank you very much. that is the _ outstanding caseload. thank you very much. that is the bbc's _ outstanding caseload. thank you very much. that is the bbc's rob - outstanding caseload. thank you very much. that is the bbc's rob watson. | the first minister of wales has attacked borisjohnson's handling of the covid pandemic, saying he was like a football manager who was largely absent. mark drakeford was giving evidence at the covid inquiry, which is currently focussed on how the pandemic was dealt with by the authorities in wales. we can cross live to the bbc�*s tomos morgan in cardiff. the first minister had choice words about theirformer prime the first minister had choice words about their former prime minister and the focus was on the relationship between the welsh and uk governments. yes relationship between the welsh and uk governments.— uk governments. yes that is overwhelmingly _ uk governments. yes that is overwhelmingly been - uk governments. yes that is overwhelmingly been the - uk governments. yes that is i overwhelmingly been the broad uk governments. yes that is - overwhelmingly been the broad stroke has been today. there have been

questions about the relationship between the welsh government and the uk government and what has come up time and time again is the relationship between mark drakeford and borisjohnson or perhaps the lack of relationship between them. mark drakeford making it clear that at several points at the start of the pandemic borisjohnson wasn't there to leave key meetings. that was a big issue for the first minister of wales. he used the phrase you mentioned there about a football manager who was absent. he was full of praise for michael gove who was the deputy essentiallyjoin the pandemic. he said michael gove was there to speak to the leaders of the nations but although he was like a skilled striker he didn't have a manager to back him up. before the lunch break we heard two very interesting pieces of historical events that took place and two meetings that took place that really

show just meetings that took place that really showjust how unhappy the first minister was with borisjohnson during those times. the first was a cobra meeting on the 12th of march where the discussion was about banning large mass gatherings especially outdoors, it was a difficult meeting. there was a diverse range of opinions. make the's opinion was that if we want to get the messaging right it would make more sense to call it. mark drakeford said borisjohnson went round the room at the end said were not going to do because don says no. he was alluding to dominic cummings. mark drakeford was stunned that he would not go ahead with it for this reason. this was the example that mark drakeford gave of the

relationship breaking down and making him frustrated. he said before outlining and describing the turn of events that he had to hold back the anger because he was very angry at the time. we hope for a press conference on the 10th of may where the uk government and boris johnson was going to announce the change from stay at home rule is to stay alert. mark drakeford said i don't want to go with this and i don't want to go with this and i don't understand what stay alert means. stay at home is clear. when you go to the press conference, please make it clear that this is just for england. he was given those assurances, but then the only references that borisjohnson is made to the four nations was at the beginning when he said, as the prime minister of scotland, england, northern ireland and wales... he did not make it clear that the stay

alert announcement was just for england. mark drakeford said that was a very bleak moment for him and the moment when the relationship had broken down. he was asked if he thought that had it been a better relationship that it should have been a more joined relationship that it should have been a morejoined up relationship. he said he wasn't convinced that london would have a the best decisions for wales. but more coordination would have been better for everyone. and we can return now to the covid—19 inquiry in cardiff. you say you are in favour ofjohn debate and that when physical meetings are not possible some resorted to virtual meetings and sometimes they became the default. they would be supplemented by

telephone calls and e—mails. 0ne they would be supplemented by telephone calls and e—mails. one of the informal means of communication you reference in this context were physical meetings were not possible is the use of text and whatsapp messages. i want to ask you some questions about your use of those media during the pandemic. it has been widely reported that you had to correct the record in the senedd when you did not use whatsapp. it is clear you did use whatsapp to communicate with other ministers during the pandemic? i communicate with other ministers during the pandemic?— communicate with other ministers during the pandemic? i used whatsapp on 11 occasions — during the pandemic? i used whatsapp on 11 occasions in _ during the pandemic? i used whatsapp on 11 occasions in the _ during the pandemic? i used whatsapp on 11 occasions in the whole _ during the pandemic? i used whatsapp on 11 occasions in the whole of - during the pandemic? i used whatsapp on 11 occasions in the whole of the - on 11 occasions in the whole of the very many months of the pandemic. i don't think i used whatsapp to communicate with the first minister of scotland. i would have had text messages with her certainly, but in terms of whatsapp, i have had the record checked and there are 11 occasions. 0n record checked and there are 11 occasions. on one of those i say

thanks. another one i complained that i can't hear the sound of the senedd and are meant to be asking questions. i did use it, but i am a very infrequent use of whatsapp. i am a much more frequent use of text messages. dal; am a much more frequent use of text messaues. a, ., .,, ., ~ ., am a much more frequent use of text messales. a, ., .,, ., ~' ., ., messages. day morgan was taken to a number of messages. _ messages. day morgan was taken to a number of messages. do _ messages. day morgan was taken to a number of messages. do you - messages. day morgan was taken to a number of messages. do you accept i number of messages. do you accept that using whatsapp was inhibited? it is the policy that is run not the practice. d0 it is the policy that is run not the ractice. ,, ., u , ., it is the policy that is run not the ractice. , ., practice. do you accept that your most senior _ practice. do you accept that your most senior adviser _ practice. do you accept that your most senior adviser did - practice. do you accept that your most senior adviser did that - practice. do you accept that yourl most senior adviser did that using whatsapp for administrative purposes was wrong? it whatsapp for administrative purposes was wron: ? ., , whatsapp for administrative purposes was wron? .,, ., ., , whatsapp for administrative purposes waswron? ., ., , _ was wrong? it was against the policy of 2009 in the _ was wrong? it was against the policy of 2009 in the circumstances - was wrong? it was against the policy of 2009 in the circumstances of - of 2009 in the circumstances of 2009 the policy no doubt was a sound one.

circumstances of dealing with a pandemic, the policy did not make sense. ,., _ pandemic, the policy did not make sense. _ ., sense. even if the policy were to chan . e sense. even if the policy were to change to _ sense. even if the policy were to change to allow— sense. even if the policy were to change to allow the _ sense. even if the policy were to change to allow the use - sense. even if the policy were to change to allow the use of - sense. even if the policy were to - change to allow the use of whatsapp and tech messages, i assume you would not be up and advocating for a change to the policy of retaining such messages, because as you know, it is not simply a question of whether informal methods were used to make decisions, it is necessary to make decisions, it is necessary to see discussions that led to decisions or that lead to decisions not being made. it is important to retain those records, do you agree? i under point that is being made. my only experience is looking at text messages. we only experience is looking at text messaues. ~ ., ., only experience is looking at text messaues. . ., ., ., only experience is looking at text messages-— only experience is looking at text messaues. ~ ., ., ., , , ., messages. we are going to step away from the covert — messages. we are going to step away from the covert inquiry _ messages. we are going to step away from the covert inquiry there -- -

from the covert inquiry there —— covid—19 inquiry. i want to point due to a special live page we have on the bbc website. you can click on there to follow the live feed from there to follow the live feed from the covid—19 inquiry as well as analysis and updates as mr drake fed gives his evidence. stay with us, we will have more headlines after this short break. first the weather with tomasz schafernaker. hello. thanks forjoining me. it's a bit of a mixed bag out there. 0n the one hand, it's going to be relatively mild over the next two or three days. but on top of that, we've also got a lot of cloud and some really quite heavy rain today, especially across parts of wales and also the north of england. snowdonia could see as much as 100 millimeters of rain over the next couple of days. so really wet there. let's have a look at the forecast, then, as we go through the course of the afternoon. that narrow but very heavy band of rain from northern wales affecting parts of the pennines as well.

to the south of the weather front, it's really mild, temperatures around 15 degrees in some spots. to the north of the weather front, it's a little less mild, around 12 degrees in the lowlands of scotland. and very windy here in the north west of scotland through this afternoon and into this evening, gusts of wind, 60, maybe even 70 miles an hour in some exposed coasts. but back to that rain. here's a weather front. actually, it tends to move northwards, this next weather front, through thursday morning. so the heavy rain will transfer into northern ireland and also southern parts of scotland. and also, to the west, we'll have showers spreading in, being carried by this mild south—westerly wind. and you really will notice the mild weather tomorrow. in fact, in some spots, particularly across the east midlands into east anglia, lincolnshire, mid—teens — 16, maybe even 17 celsius in one or two areas. and the forecast for tomorrow evening shows the wettest of our weather across scotland. really quite heavy, persistent rain. rest of the country, it'll be a mixture of clear spells and occasional showers. now, this is friday's weather map.

the isobars are pointing from the north to the south, so we're on the other side of an area of low pressure, so our winds will be coming in from the north. so i think friday is going to feel a little colder, particularly in the north. it's a colder direction. so temperatures here i think around single figures for edinburgh, for newcastle, but in the south still relatively mild, around 11 to 14 degrees celsius, and a mixture of sunny spells and showers. friday night into saturday is going to bring a touch of frost, and then the outlook really does show that mixed bag of weather continuing but staying relatively mild in the south. bye— bye.

live from bethlehem. this is bbc news.

five people are killed in an explosion at a un aid warehouse in rafah in gaza. this comes as a new land route is being used to deliver food to the north of gaza. the first aid to arrive there in three weeks. also on the programme this hour... a £10 million donation to the conservative party made by a businessman now accused of racism. will rishi sunak return it? after nato expands president putin issued a fresh warning to the west, he will send troops to the border of finland. lithuania blames russia for attacking a close aide to late opposition leader alexei navalny. the us sends marines into haiti as it tries to help the transition of power in a country wracked by violence.