would get the role. i always knew he would get the job one day, this is perhaps coming sooner than he planned or expected, but i know he will rise to the occasion. but i know he will rise to the occasion-— but i know he will rise to the occasion. t, r, r, but i know he will rise to the occasion. ., ., ., occasion. leo varadkar there. here is our island _ occasion. leo varadkar there. here is our island correspondent - occasion. leo varadkar there. here is our island correspondent in - is our island correspondent in dublin. he is our island correspondent in dublin. , . ., ., ., dublin. he is a leader of a three -a dublin. he is a leader of a three party coalition _ dublin. he is a leader of a three party coalition as _ dublin. he is a leader of a three party coalition as prime - dublin. he is a leader of a three l party coalition as prime minister, because of his age, only 13 years ago simon harris was elected as a member of parliament and he was seen as a young man in a hurry. but this is a crucial point to make. right at thejuncture where he is a crucial point to make. right at the juncture where he succeeds in terms of getting his hands on power, the top of the tree if you like. time is running out because the current irish government has to call a general election before march of

next year. so he only has a lead—in of a number of months to sell his message to make a change and he has come into power at a time when a number of challenges such as the housing crisis, rising homelessness, rising immigration and remember also that there is a mobilised right—wing element in ireland. most notably we saw last november when a ride took place on dublin's o'connell street. a number of challenges that simon harris has to grapple with, as i said, the youngest ever in the history of the irish state and the 15th prime minister in power. let’s 15th prime minister in power. let's take ou 15th prime minister in power. let's take you back _ 15th prime minister in power. let's take you back to _ 15th prime minister in power. let's take you back to the _ 15th prime minister in power. let's take you back to the live _ 15th prime minister in power. let's take you back to the live scenes where the opposition leader is giving her thoughts. sir shouldn't be to seek appointment, it should be

to ask the president to dissolve the parliament and call a general election. applause we just wejust got we just got the end of the comments, clearly she would rather have a general election rather than just a leader being sworn in. we will have more analysis later. now to a landmarkjudgment. the court said that switzerland's efforts to meet their emission reduction targets were inadequate. thejudgment said the reduction targets were inadequate. the judgment said the women were denied access tojustice the judgment said the women were denied access to justice as they case has been rejected by swiss

courts. the ruling cannot be appealed. two other cases went to appeal, in the cases people were trying to force governments to take more ambitious action to climate change. it more ambitious action to climate chance. ., , , more ambitious action to climate chance. . , , ., more ambitious action to climate chance. ., , ., . . change. it has never been more clear that the climate _ change. it has never been more clear that the climate crisis _ change. it has never been more clear that the climate crisis will _ that the climate crisis will continue to escalate as long as people in power don't take sufficient climate measures. and europe, with far—reaching responsibility both historical and current, substantial resources failed to limit the climate crisis and do theirfairshare, failed to limit the climate crisis and do theirfair share, it is a betrayal beyond words. and today's ruling has made clear that the european states have a legal responsibility to take real climate action and protect people and citizens. it cannot be a political choice whether to respect human rights or not.

choice whether to respect human rights or not-— choice whether to respect human rights or not. this “udgment comes as scientists — rights or not. this “udgment comes as scientists say — rights or not. thisjudgment comes as scientists say last _ rights or not. thisjudgment comes as scientists say last month - rights or not. thisjudgment comes as scientists say last month was i rights or not. thisjudgment comes | as scientists say last month was the hottest march ever recorded. new data shows the run of monthly capture records has extended to ten in a row. the average was 0.1 celsius above the previous high, that has fuelled concerns that the world could be tipping into a new phase of faster climate change. last week the president of zimbabwe declared a national disaster because of a deep drought in the country. low rainfall has slashed crop yields, driving up food prices and putting an estimated 2.7 million people at risk of hunger. it is just one example of a pattern of heat and drought affecting countries as far afield as southern europe and southeast asia. this graph shows how march continued the world's run of record—breaking monthly temperatures. this extreme heat has got many climate scientists worried. the reality is that we can quantify

a large proportion of the extra heat that's causing these records, but not all of it. so there needs to be a lot more science, and there will be much more science coming out over the next weeks and months to try and understand what's happening to our climate system, and are we in a new phase? scientists agree what is causing climate change — it is the vast quantities of planet—warming gases humanity has been pumping into the atmosphere. and in recent months, a recurring weather event known as el nino has been adding an extra blast of heat into the air. that is weakening now, so temperatures should begin to fall back later in the year. the problem is, sea temperatures remain extremely high, hitting many of the world's coral reefs hard. that suggests global temperatures might not fall back as expected — a sign, fear some scientists, that the world could be entering a new phase of more rapid climate change.

justin rowlatt, bbc news. the foreign secretary david cameron is in washington. where he'll try to persuade republicans in congress to approve more funding for ukraine. a military aid package worth billions of dollars is currently stalled on capitol hill. he's also expected to discuss the israel—gaza war. before travelling to dc, lord cameron also met former president donald trump in florida. millions of people across mexico, the us and canada have witnessed a total solar eclipse, which plunged parts of the continent into darkness for four minutes. as day turned to night, people gathered to watch the phenomenon

as the moon passed in front of the sun, completely blocking the light. over the next two and a half hour cities large and small were plunged into darkness as the great north american eclipse made its way across the united states. in russellville, arkansas, two life—changing moments at once... cheering. ..as these 300 couples tied the knot in a mass wedding. and living life in the fast lane — these spectators captured it from the indianapolis motor speedway. those who viewed the cosmic event from the natural wonder of niagara falls — including this bbc team — had the weather to contend with, but a full day of cloudy skies didn't dampen the mood. the crowd here isjust jubilant and excited, and you can see just how dark it is. then, a stroke of luck —

a break in the clouds. there it is! wow, that is spectacular! oh, wow, that is fabulous. here we go, it is fully... you can see it fully now. onlookers said the moment was indescribable. it was so nice to be connected with so many different people, you know, just humanity watching this kind of amazing natural phenomenon happening. i found it really moving. it's really one of those things where you hear everyone, like, gasp and yell and it'sjust... it's amazing. we really wanted to see the total darkness. - that was crazy to witness. the sun's corona and its flares will be studied by nasa. for this astronaut, though, the significance of the eclipse isn't rocket science. it does make you feel a little bit small. you have these huge heavenly bodies moving through the sky. it does humble a person to think about the majesty of our planets. if anything puts our place in the universe into perspective, this is it — and it's hard to find something 30 million people can agree on.

nada tawfik, bbc news, niagara falls, new york. more than 200 people have been evacuated after a river burst its banks. we have a helicopterfilming those live pictures of that flooding over west sussex. the evacuations have included around 180 people who were rescued overnight from a holiday park. and around 15 from littlehampton. westcott boot—mack littleha m pton. westcott boot— mack west littlehampton. westcott boot—mack west sussex county council said that one person was showing signs of hypothermia, we can see the pictures there of that flooding in that area after the river aaron burst its banks and warnings it may increase.

evacuations are under way of about 20 people. forecasters warn that heavy rain and winds will batter parts of southern england, west of wales and northern ireland over the next few days. the west sussex county council warning that the water levels have not yet receded and warning that flooding may increase throughout the day. they said that this morning, those who were evacuated currently remain displaced in a refugee centre. it has been set up according to the council. west sussex fire and rescue service said that its littlehampton incident has currently been stood down. so that flooding causing issues of around 200 people evacuated in west sussex. let's

return to the public inquiry into the post office i t scandal. my colleague is pulling all the developments. thank you, as a reminder this is the next phase of the post office horizon it scandal. this is expected last 15 weeks and establish accountability, who knew what and when. it has begun to let's listen in. . ., ., .,, i. what and when. it has begun to let's listen in. . ., ., ., listen in. uchenna kanu as you got to meet people — listen in. uchenna kanu as you got to meet people and _ listen in. uchenna kanu as you got to meet people and realise - listen in. uchenna kanu as you got to meet people and realise it - listen in. uchenna kanu as you got. to meet people and realise it wasn't just yourself, and you saw the injustice that had descended upon them. it was something you felt you had to deal with. something you had to deal with, something you couldn't put down. you had the support of the rest of the group in there. what put down. you had the support of the rest of the group in there.— rest of the group in there. what you heard was alan _

rest of the group in there. what you heard was alan bates _ rest of the group in there. what you heard was alan bates testimony - heard was alan bates testimony earlier today. heard was alan bates testimony earliertoday. his heard was alan bates testimony earlier today. his story is similar to the hundreds of sub—postmasters who have had to deal with this ordeal. many of them were prosecuted because of this faulty accounting system. the consequences were similar to what he had to go through, he lost his life savings that he put into the village shop. many others dealt with bankruptcy, losing homes, mental health issues and many are here today hoping to not only have alan bates be their voice and champion, speaking to what they have been flagging to the post office for so long, sharing some of the correspondence he had with the post office. they were also hoping to hear from executives post office. they were also hoping to hearfrom executives in post office. they were also hoping to hear from executives in the next few weeks. paula vennells, the former chief executive of the post office, someone who was at the highest levels of power at the post office during much of this candle is

expected to appear in may. so there will be big questions for them. one of the main messages, the inquiry had at the beginning today, was they want to see more prompt disclosure from the post office. delays have been a constant theme of this inquiry in the past few months. they have had to deal with tens of thousands of documents that therefore respecting deadlines is important. let's go back to the inquiry and hear what else alan bates had to say.— inquiry and hear what else alan bates had to say. august 2003, you remember where _ bates had to say. august 2003, you remember where we _ bates had to say. august 2003, you remember where we are _ bates had to say. august 2003, you remember where we are in - bates had to say. august 2003, you remember where we are in the - remember where we are in the narrative, you have been given notice of termination of your contract. i think one of the first things you did was right to the chairman of the royal mail, is that right? chairman of the royal mail, is that riuht? , can chairman of the royal mail, is that right?- can we _ chairman of the royal mail, is that right? yes. can we look at that letter please? _

this is dated 7th of august 2003, to the chairman of royal mail group pic. can i ask you in general terms plc. can i ask you in general terms what the purpose was in writing to the chairman of royal mail group pic? by this time you had received plc? by this time you had received post office's decision to terminate your contract. i was still in post for the next few months — i was still in post for the next few months i— i was still in post for the next few months. i thought it was worth trying — months. i thought it was worth trying to— months. i thought it was worth trying to write to the chairman, to make _ trying to write to the chairman, to make him — trying to write to the chairman, to make him aware of what was going on. because _ make him aware of what was going on. because he _ make him aware of what was going on. because he may well have not known. hoping _ because he may well have not known. hoping that _ because he may well have not known. hoping that he might be able to undertake some kind of review into it, undertake some kind of review into it. look_ undertake some kind of review into it. look at— undertake some kind of review into it, look at the case for us, whatever, _ it, look at the case for us, whatever, take it on board a little bit more — whatever, take it on board a little

bit more seriously. this— bit more seriously. this is— bit more seriously. this is still, taking a step back, relatively early in the entire narrative of the scandal. august 2003. horizon had only been ruled out for three years or so. yes. but it was wrong. i knew it was wrong _ yes. but it was wrong. i knew it was wrong then — yes. but it was wrong. i knew it was wrong then. there were things wrong with it _ wrong then. there were things wrong with it and _ wrong then. there were things wrong with it. and having heard that others — with it. and having heard that others had had problems with it as well, _ others had had problems with it as well, surely someone should have been _ well, surely someone should have been looking at all of this and taking — been looking at all of this and taking these things into consideration. in— consideration. in that sense you are obviously right, because many people were yet to be terminated. many people were yet to be prosecuted. many people were yet to be convicted. many people were yet to go to prison. can we look at what you said to the chairman? first paragraph.

i am writing to you