rival protesters clash at a pro— palestinian camp at the university of california in la. meanwhile, police arrest about 300 protesters during raids on a campus on a campus in new york — the city's mayor blamed external actors for causing chaos. there is nothing peaceful about destroying property, breaking and entering or... campus. on the road to southern lebanon the bbc takes a ride with un peacekeepers to gauge the impact of the fighting between israel and hezbollah. here was a two—storey building standing. now it is reduced to this one massive hole in the ground. fine one massive hole in the ground. one other headline... _ and the greatest thing since sliced bread — scientists are developing a new white loaf that's just as healthy as wholegrain.

all of those stories coming up in a moment. before we go to ben thompson, i want to show the live pictures from washington because he seemed pretty much set up there, we are expecting about four or five senators in the next few minutes to come to the microphone to condemn those protests we have seen at different university campuses, certainly of the last few weeks, but more focused on what we saw overnight, both at ucla and at columbia university in new york. so when that starts we will obviously return to washington. that gives us time to bring in ben thompson. he is herewith today's business needs. good afternoon, what do you have for us? let's move these things out of the way, i can actually see you extract thanks very much. yes, we will start in washington, actually, and we will keep an eye on the stories you are talking about there as well, but we are looking at the world's most powerful central bank of the big question of whether it will cut the cost of borrowing this

year. that has become the key question for the us federal reserve as it battles persistent inflation. just a few months ago the question was how many cuts it would be able to make and no changes are expected when it announces its latest decision. that's why the focus will be on what the chair of the federal reserve says about the direction of travel for the world's biggest economy. the feds benchmark interest rate is currently set at a range of 5.25%—5.5%, which is where it's been since it was increased in july last year. and the fed's biggest concern is this number, 3.5%, which is the rate at which prices are rising in the us on an annualised basis, inflation. it unexpectedly went up last month. that puts it ahead of the 2% target, which, along with making sure that as many people are in work as possible, are the two goals

the fed is aiming for. but what they do also has an impact around the world because so many companies and governments also borrow money in us dollars. so it could have an impact for everyone. ben harris is a chief economist at the us treasury who is now with the washington think tank the brookings institution. thank you for being with us, good to have you on the programme. give us a sense of what we may hear from the fed because it is so interesting how the mood has changed. as i said, just a few months ago we were talking about how many cuts they would be. but we might not even get one at all? . �* , ., , one at all? that's right, there has been a sea _ one at all? that's right, there has been a sea change _ one at all? that's right, there has been a sea change in _ one at all? that's right, there has been a sea change in the - one at all? that's right, there has been a sea change in the way - been a sea change in the way investors have looked at the potential of cuts in the last year. three or four months ago i would have been talking to you about would there be for five cuts. maybe you would have came out and said there will be three and would have been considered a pessimist. now we are talking about, will there be cuts at all? it is a legitimate case for investors saying, look, the fed just don't have the data for inflation to suggest we have it down towards 2%. so today's press conference with

jerome powell is going to be really important because everyone will pay attention to the body in anguish and language he uses and in particular paying attention to whether or not he is suggesting that a, potentially down the road we will potentially have data that could suggest we actually need rate hikes, which are really not on the table right now, and two, i think most investors will be paying attention to whether or not he is suggesting there is a pivot in his approach or is hejust waiting to see whether or not the monthly inflation data comes in low enough for the fed to cut. yes. monthly inflation data comes in low enough for the fed to cut. yes, rate hikes not on — enough for the fed to cut. yes, rate hikes not on the _ enough for the fed to cut. yes, rate hikes not on the cards _ enough for the fed to cut. yes, rate hikes not on the cards for _ enough for the fed to cut. yes, rate hikes not on the cards for now, - enough for the fed to cut. yes, rate hikes not on the cards for now, but| hikes not on the cards for now, but jamie dimon has said he could see a time when interest rates hit 8% and that further uncertainty is really damaging right now to the us economy. could we be in that position where rates start rising, not only a bit, but to 8%? the comment _ not only a bit, but to 8%? the comment you _ not only a bit, but to 8%? the comment you are _ not only a bit, but to 8%? tue: comment you are referring not only a bit, but to 8%? tte: comment you are referring to not only a bit, but to 8%? t"t2 comment you are referring to him not only a bit, but to 8%? tt2 comment you are referring to him at the jamie dimon letter to investors and underneath that, you referenced, he was also saying that look, rates could also be much lower than we thought, so i think that diamond's

point there was we are facing this fantastic uncertainty and more than we are recently when it comes to monetary policy. so could we be at 8%? sure, but it is very unlikely. if we get to a place where we are at 8% it is suggesting not only that we have failed to control inflation, but also that the labour market continues to be very tight, so it is notjust continues to be very tight, so it is not just a continues to be very tight, so it is notjust a bad story, but also that the labour market is strong enough to withstand that hike, but right now i don't think anyone expects that soon. �* now i don't think anyone expects that soon-— now i don't think anyone expects that soon. �* . ., . ., that soon. and we are in an election ear and that soon. and we are in an election year and that _ that soon. and we are in an election year and that is _ that soon. and we are in an election year and that is a _ that soon. and we are in an election year and that is a big _ that soon. and we are in an election year and that is a big problem - year and that is a big problem because the economy itself is doing 0k, because the economy itself is doing ok, but at the same time with inflation proving to be so sticky, people are not feeling better off and as those elections approach in november that is not good news for presidentjoe biden. yes! november that is not good news for president joe biden.— president joe biden. yes, you're exactly right- — president joe biden. yes, you're exactly right. so _ president joe biden. yes, you're exactly right. so inflation, - president joe biden. yes, you're exactly right. so inflation, it- exactly right. so inflation, it turns out, is perhaps one of the most important macro economic variables when it comes to how

people assess the performance of the president. there is lots of good news of the us economy right now. the unemployment rate is below 3%, it has been below 4% for two and a half years, we have had this massive wealth explosion that is happening notjust wealth explosion that is happening not just at the top of the income distribution, but for less wealthy younger families. distribution, but for less wealthy youngerfamilies. the labour distribution, but for less wealthy younger families. the labour market has been incredibly tight and has allowed people not only to see their wages grow, but often upscale into betterjobs, so it is not as though there is a bad new story about the economy, but the problem is the way people assess how well the economy is doing tends to be centred on not just inflation, but the price of they few goods like retail, gasoline or groceries. so if those prices stay high, it is not great news for the president.— stay high, it is not great news for the president. then, really good to have ou the president. then, really good to have you with _ the president. then, really good to have you with us, _ the president. then, really good to have you with us, thank— the president. then, really good to have you with us, thank you. - the president. then, really good to have you with us, thank you. we i the president. then, really good to l have you with us, thank you. we will keep a close eye on what the fed tells us full stop ben harris bear from brookings institution. now let's take you to capitol hill where

we are getting a response to some of those protests that have been unfolding in the united states. those riots and protests that took place at universities there. let's listen in to watch pro senators are saying. no... they are violently and illegally demanding death for israel. , , ~ illegally demanding death for israel. , ~ ., ., israel. just like their ideological twins, the _ israel. just like their ideological twins, the ayatollahs _ israel. just like their ideological twins, the ayatollahs in - israel. just like their ideological twins, the ayatollahs in iran. i israel. just like their ideological. twins, the ayatollahs in iran. just look at what is going on in these little glasses. these people are championing this islamist slogans like, from... to the sea, palestine will be free. in stamford they wore hamas headbands, at princeton they through the his brother ostracisation flag. —— they flew through the hezbollah flag up. in washington they called to the final solution and posted signs saying, they wouldn't leave untiljews go

back to their real homes. look at some of the consequences. at columbia a rabbi had to tell students at the university it was no longer safe for deuce. jews —— jews. assaulted jewish students. ufc cancelled its graduation out of fear of pro—hamas riots. it is time to stop these anti—semitic, pro—hamas mobs today. and if liberal college administrators want to take action, the mayor is and the governors of these campuses should. and so should joe biden. when will the president himself, not his mouth pieces, condemn these hate filled little glasses? president biden needs to death these hate filled little gaza blue? he needs to denounce this... fighting a righteous war of

survival. the state department need to yank the visas of foreign students in these little gaza blue back and dhs need to report them. the... needs to investigate the funding sources behind the knees to, little gazas and... won't protect the rights of theirjewish students. instead, joe biden is putting more pressure on israel these days than he is on hamas itself or on the pro—hamas chapters on america's campuses. but i guess that is what we should expect from the leader of the democratic party that has led its anti—semitic elements fester and grow for years. another four years forjoe biden meets anotherfour years of little gazas all across america. and that is something i suspect the american people will keepin suspect the american people will keep in mind this november. senator? protests are nothing new in our country — protests are nothing new in our country. they are constitutionally

protected — country. they are constitutionally protected by the first amendment. but it— protected by the first amendment. but it is_ protected by the first amendment. but it is also very clear that these institutions can regulate the exercise _ institutions can regulate the exercise of those first amendment rights, _ exercise of those first amendment rights, based on time, mannerand place _ rights, based on time, mannerand place restrictions, neutral criteria _ place restrictions, neutral criteria. but as you have seen since october _ criteria. but as you have seen since october and — criteria. but as you have seen since october and seventh, the line between _ october and seventh, the line between protesting and writing has been crossed time and time again on college _ been crossed time and time again on college campuses across the country. places _ college campuses across the country. places like _ college campuses across the country. places like columbia and yale, some of the _ places like columbia and yale, some of the most — places like columbia and yale, some of the most elite, privileged institutions in america, pro—hamas rioters _ institutions in america, pro—hamas rioters have — institutions in america, pro—hamas rioters have taken over buildings, threatened jewish students and presented students from pursuing the very reason— presented students from pursuing the very reason they are there, which is their— very reason they are there, which is their education. i suggest that these — their education. i suggest that these administrations take notes from _ these administrations take notes from my— these administrations take notes from my friend, a uti austin, president. _ from my friend, a uti austin, president, who has taken swift action— president, who has taken swift action to — president, who has taken swift action to break up demonstrations before _ action to break up demonstrations before things turned violent.

yesterday the university of texas in austin— yesterday the university of texas in austin announced that nearly half of those _ austin announced that nearly half of those arrested on monday had no affiliation — those arrested on monday had no affiliation with the university of texas — affiliation with the university of texas in — affiliation with the university of texas. in other words, the mainstream media would have you understand or would suggest that these _ understand or would suggest that these are — understand or would suggest that these are somehow students who are outraged _ these are somehow students who are outraged at what is happening in the middle _ outraged at what is happening in the middle east. but in fact in texas and i_ middle east. but in fact in texas and i bet — middle east. but in fact in texas and i bet the same number holds in other— and i bet the same number holds in other parts— and i bet the same number holds in other parts of the country, that nearly— other parts of the country, that nearly half of those are not students at these institutions. what they did _ students at these institutions. what they did find... we students at these institutions. what they did find. . .— they did find... we are going to leave that _ they did find... we are going to leave that group _ they did find... we are going to leave that group of _ they did find... we are going to leave that group of senators - they did find... we are going to leave that group of senators as | they did find... we are going to - leave that group of senators as they condemn the pro—palestinian protests we have seen in universities across america. tom cotton saying they were chanting, elimination slogans. they described the demonstrators as, pro—hamas demonstrations, and the senator there at the microphone urging universities across the us to

take swift action. just a flavour of some of the views of lawmakers just at the microphones. we will be back live in about 15 minutes at a variety of us universities. around the world and across the uk, you're watching bbc news.

you are alive with bbc news. before you move on, i want to show some live pictures that are currently coming into us that we were seeing of the us top diplomat, antony blinken. there he is, the us secretary of state touring there, receiving a humanitarian operations briefing. of course we sir saw him earlier in the day meeting with benjamin —— benjamin netanyahu, underlining that we need to... get a briefing on the ground, but also

repeating that message about trying to get a new hostage and ceasefire deal, so a variety of messages again from the us secretary of state underlining his message that hamas is the one obstacle to getting that new deal over the line. so the american secretary of state they're looking at the humanitarian operation that the us have said on so many of these trips to israel, urged the israeli authorities had to allow more aid into gaza. things have been getting a little better, but certainly nowhere near what the international community and suddenly the us administration wants to see on the ground in gaza. if he approaches the microphones and gives us any latest comments, we will return to that. let's stay in the region because while israel has been fighting its war on gaza, its northern border with lebanon has seen daily exchanges with hezbollah, the lebanese shi'ite islamist group

thatis the lebanese shi'ite islamist group that is prescribed as a terrorist organisation by the uk and other governments. they launched rockets in drone attacks after the october seven attacks. israeli military has retaliated with strikes. has been on patrol with un peacekeepers in the south lebanon. lets get his report. —— lets get this report. travelling to south of lebanon is a riskyjourney. accompanied by the lebanese army, we moved closer to the damaged towns dotted along this border area. israel lies on the other side of that concrete and metal barrier. we are travelling with the un to several towns in southern lebanon. these towns have been heavily bombed for seven months now. that is why we went with the un the safest way to

have a first—hand look into what is happening. on this front. empty villages, abandoned homes. peaceful life here has been erased. it feels like a no man's land. this mangled mound of cement and metal was a family home. it was hit by an israeli strike just a few days before our visit. little left of the home it had been. the family who lived here left months ago. tens of thousands of people have fled in fear. israeli military strikes that were limited in scope have expanded, leaving towns across the south deserted and destroyed. this was a coffee shop. and next to it here was a two storey building standing. now its reduced to this one massive hole in the ground.

as we were leaving the area, it was hit by an israeli airstrike. israel says it hit lio hezbollah targets on this day, mainly in the border town of aita shaab, just a few miles from our patrol. hussein is from the town, but he's now staying with his family in an apartment on the outskirts of beirut. they left with what they could carry on the very first day of the border hostilities. we showed him footage of the town filmed by us back in october. he said many of the buildings are now totally destroyed. i told him that israel claims it is targeting hezbollah's fighters. translation: they are i targeting civilians' houses. it's systematic destruction. it's not true they are just responding to attacks. back on the road, despite

the intense violence, the un peacekeeping forces still think they have a role to play. many people are tired of the situation and i can imagine people are tired also in the other side of the conflict. so i think it's time for peace. the next challenge for unifil will be to help and support the local population in returning back to their homes. since the beginning of the war in gaza, this front has been more of a sideshow. fears are that at any moment it could take the centre stage. carine torbey, bbc news, southern lebanon. we are keeping an eye on antony blinken as he sees and has shown that humanitarian access operation, so if he speaks we will obviously return there. i want to show you the live pictures from paris. we showed

them earlier, but more tear gas wafting across the street there is thousands of people take to the streets for the may day protests. we have seen through the course of the last couple of hours hundreds of riot police in place and at different stages little skirmishes on the ground, but nothing too disruptive, so far. butjust as we were listening there to our reporter were listening there to our reporter we were seeing just another cloud of tear gas wafting through the streets. so we will keep an eye on that. if there are more pictures and more information, we will obviously return to that. i want to actually return to that. i want to actually return to that. i want to actually return to our main story, those protests we have been seeing at various university campuses in america. these pictures from overnight, from ucla in los angeles with the rival protest groups having to be separated. the police then called in, the disturbances that erupted there that we saw go on for

hours and of course tear gas and pepper hours and of course tear gas and pepper being used there. and also we saw similar scenes at columbia university in new york, with the police moving in and arresting, we learned, a figure of 300 protesters new york, ending the takeover of hamilton hall. those the protest pictures from ucla. so here on the programme in about ten minutes' time, we will be live in new york to get the latest. nomia iqbal, our correspondent there, has been looking at all the protests across the united states and she willjoin us again on the programme and we will have more reaction on the ground at a variety of campuses in the us. plenty more on that, our main story, here on bbc news. let's turn to the element's controversial legacy bill, aimed at drawing a line under 30 years of violence in northern ireland known as the

troubles. that comes into force today. the new law is a complete change in how the government deals with troubles era cases, and brings an end to new civil cases and inquests. opponents, including victims groups and stormont parties, have argued it will remove access to justice. our ireland correspondentjennifer o'leary reports from belfast. in northern ireland, memories of, for many, places of trauma and grief. over 3,500 people were killed in the troubles, in violence that was more often up close and personal. sean slane was just eight years old in 1988 when loyalist gunmen sledgehammered their way into his family's home and killed his father. it was just the automatic gunfire, just spread it over at the top of the stairs and my dad just hit the floor, and after that ijust remember going over to my dad and trying to tell him to wake up, and he would not wake up. i remember the next—door neighbour bringing me outside and i did not want to leave my daddy, i wanted to come back

into the house, and i remember going outside and my mummy standing out the front door screaming. and then everything after that was sort of a blur. an inquest his family have campaigned decades for will never happen. today the government's legacy bill becomes the law and brings an end to inquests and future civil actions related to the troubles era. it would have brought it all to light and it would have give us the closure that we wanted. let my daddy rest in peace. david clemens also lost his father to bullets fired with calculated brutality. billy clemens died during an ira attack on a police station in 1985. they shot my father from some distance and then came up right close to him and shot him from point—blank range in the head. and took his gun, which subsequently they used in three other murders, at least. no—one was ever convicted

of the ira gun attack. the legacy bill means it is unlikely anyone ever will be. david clemens is pragmatic about the government's attempt to draw a line under the events of the past, but his pain is deeply personal. when my eldest daughter was born in 1992, and she was literally a few months old, i took her to my father's grave... ..and i wept bitterly... ..because she would never know him. and i think... ..you know, that was such a waste. i think that the people who matter most in this are people who have suffered the most. and in a lot of the circumstances they are the ones who are treated the worst. on a day that marks the beginning of a new phase of northern ireland's

troubled past, some may take time out to remember lives lost. jennifer o'leary, bbc news. well, we are coming to the end of this half hour. ijust want to turn to one more story before we take a break because it is a good news story. a family in the us has been reunited with their pet cat after she was accidentally mailed hundreds of miles away in an amazon box. galena disappeared from her home in utah, prompting widespread searches for her on social media. she was rescued by an amazon worker in california nearly a week after jumping into one of the family's packages undetected. galena, also, her personality, she loves to play in boxes. she is pretty shy, and doesn't like to interact with a lot of people, but she loves to hide a lot. and she's not much of a meower. and so, when she went into that box,

and was, you know, taken in the car, we assume that she just froze. it was the best news ever to get that call. i mean, i didn't have a whole lot of hope when galena had been missing for seven days and so finding out that she was still alive was just the best thing in the entire world. it was an absolute miracle that no serious harm came to her. isn't that the great? only eight lives left, though, for the cat. we are going to take a break. when we are going to take a break. when we are back we will be live in new york, our correspondent nomia iqbal there with the very latest on those campus protests, notjust in new york, ucla and several other universities across the us, as they continue to spread. we will also have a special report from andrew harding, who has been talking to the father of a seven—year—old girl who

was crushed to death last week on an inflatable boat trying to cross the channel. a really powerful report coming from andrew here in the next 60 minutes, but all of that is after weather details with darren burnett. hello there. we are seeing a change across southern parts of the uk, eventually heavy rain and thunderstorms moving in here. we also have, overnight, more mist and fog and low cloud developing more widely. some areas of scotland in particular will struggle to clear that all day. marked contrast — in norfolk here, where we have seen temperatures over 20 degrees in the sunshine. at the same time we have also seen cloud moving up from france and it is that that is bringing some rain into parts of england and wales this evening. that will push up towards northern ireland as well before retreating back towards the south—west. as that happens, we will see heavier rain later in the night and more of that mist and fog and low cloud pushing further inland, further north. temperatures typically 8—9 . pretty mild overnight,

but getting wet and quite stormy, potentially, across southern parts of england and wales by the early hours. heavy rain, thunder, lightning and large hail and gusty winds. maybe some disruption, most of it may push away, but it could stay wet for most of the day in south—west england and wales, and we may well find fairly heavy bursts of rain developing in other southern areas, drifting later into the midlands and north wales. further north it is dry, increasing amounts of sunshine away from these coastal areas in south—east scotland and north—east england, where there is going to be a cold wind blowing. temperatures not too high in the south—west, where it stays wet, but it will be a warmer day for northern ireland, warm in the sunshine for western scotland and again for the north—west of england. there is warmer air coming our way on the continent at the moment. it is coming over the cold seas, the north sea, which is why we have seen mist and low cloud. that is to the north of that weather front and that is bringing the rain on friday and moving northwards. we have rain more widely for england and wales with bursts of rain likely across southern scotland and perhaps northern ireland. northern scotland seeing sunshine and later in southernmost parts of england.

temperatures here only around 13 or 14 degrees. on the whole, temperatures are going to be lower because of the cloud and rain, but we still could make 20 degrees in western scotland for one more day. even here, the weather will change on saturday as the cloud and what is left of the rain pushes into scotland and northern ireland. no cloud for northern england, but to the south we could start more cloud for northern england, but to the south we could start on a brighter note and a drier note with some sunshine. it will feel warm in the sunshine with temperatures 16 or 17 degrees. temperatures dropping in scotland.

live from london, this is bbc news. controntations on campuses across amercia, where students have been protesting against the war in gaza. police storm columbia

university in new york arresting 300 protesters, as rival protest groups clash at the university of california. i'm nomia iqbal in new york, where police entered an occupied building, and arrested several demonstrators. crushed to death trying the reach the uk, we speak to the father of a seven—year old girl who died in a small boat attempting to cross the channel. translation: she said "help me dad", but i couldn't reach her. _ there were people standing on top of us and sara disappeared below me. the 14—year—old boy killed in yesterday's sword attack in london has been named as daniel anjorin. i'm azadeh moshiri in hainault, where flowers have been there is an increase police prison and a community in shock.

and america's top diplomat meets israel's prime minister,