and coming up on bbc news, unai emery�*s aston villa must overcome a two—goal deficit away at olympiakos tonight, to advance to a first european final since 1982. good afternoon, welcome to the bbc�*s news at one. in the last hour, the bank of england has announced that its base interest rate is being kept on hold for the sixth consecutive time. the bank's monetary policy committee decided to leave it at 5.25%, with a hint though that cuts may be on the way soon. as our chief economics correspondent dharshini david reports. while some of these households are seeing the cost of living crunch

ease as incomes rise, it's still getting harderfor the ease as incomes rise, it's still getting harder for the 1.6 ease as incomes rise, it's still getting harderfor the 1.6 million across the country who are remortgaging this year. it’s across the country who are remortgaging this year. it's been a scary three — remortgaging this year. it's been a scary three months. _ remortgaging this year. it's been a scary three months. paul- remortgaging this year. it's been a scary three months. paul day - remortgaging this year. it's been a scary three months. paul day is i remortgaging this year. it's been a scary three months. paul day is in| scary three months. paul day is in felixstowe- _ scary three months. paul day is in felixstowe. his _ scary three months. paul day is in felixstowe. his rate _ scary three months. paul day is in felixstowe. his rate will _ scary three months. paul day is in felixstowe. his rate will more - scary three months. paul day is in | felixstowe. his rate will more than double, a £200 rise in monthly repayments. double, a £200 rise in monthly repayments-_ double, a £200 rise in monthly rea ments. �* , ., ., ., repayments. i'm still going to have to make cutbacks. _ repayments. i'm still going to have to make cutbacks. we _ repayments. i'm still going to have to make cutbacks. we are - repayments. i'm still going to have to make cutbacks. we are going i repayments. i'm still going to have to make cutbacks. we are going to| to make cutbacks. we are going to have to stop going out, we are going to have to stop spending money. we do, we like to travel around and go to different cities, and go shopping. that is part of our life. but we are going to have to cut that back. it but we are going to have to cut that back. , , ., ., ., ., back. it gives you an idea of the rates. back. it gives you an idea of the rates- this _ back. it gives you an idea of the rates. this mortgage _ back. it gives you an idea of the rates. this mortgage broker- back. it gives you an idea of the l rates. this mortgage broker says those higher— rates. this mortgage broker says those higher borrowing _ rates. this mortgage broker says those higher borrowing costs - rates. this mortgage broker says l those higher borrowing costs mean some first—time buyers aren't even reaching for the housing ladder. there seems to be this expectation that they— there seems to be this expectation that they are going to the rates are going _ that they are going to the rates are going to _ that they are going to the rates are going to drop stop so, they feel no urgency— going to drop stop so, they feel no urgency to — going to drop stop so, they feel no urgency to make a purchase and commit — urgency to make a purchase and commit to— urgency to make a purchase and commit to a mortgage rate for five

years _ commit to a mortgage rate for five years. there seems to be this kind of feeling — years. there seems to be this kind of feeling that, because things will dmp, _ of feeling that, because things will drop, they could get a better deal if they— drop, they could get a better deal if theyjust live with mum and dad for another— if theyjust live with mum and dad for another couple of years. you miaht for another couple of years. you might wonder — for another couple of years. you might wonder why _ for another couple of years. 7m, might wonder why rates aren't falling yet, given that prices are rising more slowly. actually, we expect inflation, this blue line, to have dropped back to the bank's 2% target soon. which is partly the result of those 1a earlier interest rate hikes, the red line from the bank. but itsjob is notjust to get inflation down, but to keep it there. and some prices for services, such as hospitality, car insurance and mobile phone tariffs, have still been rising fast, wages have also been rising fast, wages have also been increasing at a pace that some rate setters were recurred risk reigniting prices. now, ultimately, the decisions about your borrowing and savings rates depend on these, the nine people on the bank's interest rate panel. this is how they voted a couple of months ago,

only one voted for a rate cut. now she has beenjoined by one of the bank's deputy governors, dave ramsden. that is a sign that we are honoured at a path towards lower rates. 0thers, though, still want more evidence that inflation will stay down. we more evidence that inflation will stay down-— more evidence that inflation will sta down. ., ., , ., ., stay down. we are not yet at a point where we can _ stay down. we are not yet at a point where we can cut _ stay down. we are not yet at a point where we can cut bank _ stay down. we are not yet at a point where we can cut bank rates. - stay down. we are not yet at a point where we can cut bank rates. we - stay down. we are not yet at a point| where we can cut bank rates. we will consider the forthcoming data releases as part of our assessments of for how long bank rates should be maintained at its current level, to be sure that inflation will fall all the way back to the 2% target and stay there. the way back to the 2% target and sta there. �* the way back to the 296 target and sta there. �* .,, ., , stay there. buried in those words from the bank _ stay there. buried in those words from the bank of _ stay there. buried in those words from the bank of england - stay there. buried in those words from the bank of england today, | from the bank of england today, hints that rates are coming closer to being cut, and the prospects at the economy are brightening. but that won't confront those taking out loans right now. and dharshini joins me now. can we say the economy are starting to turn a corner? you can we say the economy are starting to turn a corner?— to turn a corner? you may not think of central bankers _ to turn a corner? you may not think of central bankers being _ to turn a corner? you may not think of central bankers being a _ to turn a corner? you may not think of central bankers being a bundle i to turn a corner? you may not thinki of central bankers being a bundle of

laughs, but there is an upbeat tone to this long—awaited report on the bank of england, in which it says that growth prospects are looking a little bit better. we should get confirmation tomorrow morning from official figures that we have exited from that recession, because consumers and businesses are on slightly firmer footing. consumers and businesses are on slightly firmerfooting. it consumers and businesses are on slightly firmer footing. it is saying the outlook looks more optimistic as well, it is saying that two thirds of the impact of the rate rises on the economy, on spending, on our incomes, has gone through now. a bit of a sigh of relief, no doubt, amongst the bank, that they have pulled this off without upsetting the economy too much. we are looking at a more benign picture for inflation. in their words, benign picture for inflation. in theirwords, progress benign picture for inflation. in their words, progress is being made. borrowers will be asking anxiously, what does this mean for my borrowing costs? the next meeting is injune, some economists are saying it could happen then. the one after it is the 1st of august. if notjune, many are saying look at august, that could be the time when we see rates coming down. we could get to the point before the us, for example. don't forget, this has been a global

problem. quite frankly, to sum it up, if you are heading to the beach over the summer, you might want to keep half and i own the news, because if you are a borrower, that could be something for you. —— half an eye on the news. around 1,700 people across the uk are living with undiagnosed hepatitis c after receiving contaminated blood transfusions decades ago, according to analysis by the bbc. official documents also show that government and nhs efforts to trace people who are most likely to have been infected, were inadequate. 0ur health editor hugh pym has this report. a quick diagnosis and treatment can save lives, but patients are still coming forward even decades after being infected with hepatitis c from a blood transfusion. the hep c trust says there are two calls from the newly diagnosed every month. that's really quite shocking, that there's people walking around, having had blood transfusions many years ago that have never actually had any treatment for the hep c. and had they had treatment for the hep c, their prognosis would be hugely different. maureen passed away in february

with liver cancer, five months after she was diagnosed with hep c and 47 years after she had the blood transfusion that infected her. even though her medical records show she needed many blood transfusions in 1976 and had hep c symptoms since 2008, she wasn't tested for the virus. her daughter, victoria, is furious. why was there not a campaign on the tv? posters in the doctors'? you know, why was mum not tested? because if mum had have been tested many, many years earlier, the outcome would have been very, very different and my mum would still have been with us. in 1995, the government announced a look—back exercise but restricted funding for the process and didn't publicise it. despite saying they wanted to find victims in the mid �*90s, new evidence seen by the bbc shows that the government instead actively tried to limit public awareness

of the hepatitis c virus, deciding not to speed up detection to avoid embarrassing bottlenecks at liver clinics. this internal note, written by a government official, says "raising awareness poses undoubted difficulties for the nhs." ronan's mum was transfused with a single unit of blood in 1978. she discovered she had hepatitis c in 2004. 11 years after diagnosis, jane died with liver cancer. she wasjust 53. as her liver function weakened, she was made to attend crowded clinics, suffering from a build—up of fluid in her abdomen. she required regular drainage. one time, she returned home because there wasn't a drain for her and her abdomen actually ruptured. and it was a very traumatic thing to see.

excuse me, sorry... and i did phone up the hospital. and i was very firm with them in saying, "my mum is here because she has been infected with contaminated blood. please don't treat her like a drug addict or an alcoholic. just look after her." ahead of the inquiry�*s report, the government says it will listen carefully to the community as this dreadful scandal is addressed. the failings for patients with infected blood transfusions will certainly form a large part of that report. hugh pym, bbc news. if you know, or think, you had a blood transfusion in the 1970s, �*80s or �*90s and have concerns about your health, you can request a free nhs hepatitis c test online. details of where to go are on the screen now.

a man who was injured in a sword attack in east london last week has been describing the moment he was attacked inside his home in hainault. henry de los rios polania spoke to our special correspondent lucy manning hours after leaving hospital, where he'd had a lengthy operation on his right hand. henry de los rios polania and his wife carolina and their young daughter survived last week, attacked in their bedroom when a man burst in with a sword. i thought i was going to die, to be honest, i thought i was going to die, leaving my wife and my child. we thought we were going to die that morning. it was only to...i believe a miracle happened in the room. ifeel so helpless, seeing my hand cut and looking around how to protect myself.

all i see was pillows and teddy bears. there was nothing that i could use to stop him from attacking us. but i do believe that it was a miracle, what happened in that room. yeah, it was, its a nightmare, i can't... me and my family, i don't think we will be able to go back. we get flashbacks. i get flashbacks. you don't think you'll be able to go back to live there? i don't think so, i don't think so. it will feel unsafe for me and my family. if it's ok to ask, how is your daughter doing? she's just four, is she? she is. i hope she doesn't remember anything, ijust hope so. but she did saw, the guy with the sword, and...

and ijust pray and hope she doesn't get any memory from it. 0bviously, on that awful morning, daniel anjorin was killed as well. what are your thoughts for his family today? i feel so sorry for them. isaw him. when i got close to the ambulance, i saw him on the floor. yeah, it shouldn't happen. it shouldn't have happened. ifeel so sorry for their family and for everyone. who do you want to thank for the help that you received on that day? the paramedics, to the police, to the doctors and the nhs, that they've done, they're doing a greatjob. and i want to thank god for keeping me alive. your sister said afterwards that she thought you were a hero. i do believe i'm a hero

because i protected my family. i put my body to stop the blades and... and, yeah, i would do everything for my family. especially for my little one, she's my angel, she's my angel. vladimir putin has used russia's annual victory day celebration to acknowledge that the country is going through a "difficult period", but he said it would not tolerate any threats from the west. victory day commemorates russia's defeat of nazi germany in the second world war, as well as the deaths of millions of soviet citizens in the conflict. here's our russia editor, steve rosenberg. well, as you can see, the big victory day parade

has got under way here in the centre of moscow. thousands of military personnel, more than 9,000 people, marching across red square in the snow. i say big parade, but this parade is actually not quite as big as it has been in previous years, before russia's invasion of ukraine. now, in russia, under vladimir putin, victory day has become pretty much the main secular national holiday. a day to remember the soviet defeat of nazi germany, but also the enormous cost of victory, the 27 million soviet citizens who were killed in what's referred to here as the great patriotic war. so, here comes the hardware. the victory day parade for russia is an opportunity to project russian power. now, i mentioned the second world war. russia today isn'tjust remembering the past. it's weaponising it to try to justify the present. so the authorities want the russian

public to view the war in ukraine very much as a continuation of the second world war. they want russians to believe that, once again, external forces are trying to destroy russia — nazi germany then, ukraine and the west today. while in reality, two years ago, it was russia that attacked ukraine, launching a full scale invasion of its neighbour. from vladimir putin today, a warning to the west. translation: russia will do everything to avoid _ a global confrontation. but, at the same time, we will not allow anyone to threaten us. our strategic forces are always on combat alert. so a military flypast and the russian tricolour in the sky brings this parade to an end. but there is no end in sight to the war in ukraine, nor to the tension between russia and the west.

more than 30 major criminals have beenjailed, after £1 million worth of cocaine was stolen from a violent organised crime group. the crime bosses wanted to murder the men they thought were responsible — but police had cracked their encrypted phone app and could see what they were planning. bronagh munro reports. three masked men arrive outside a drugs dash house in liverpool. a fourth is pretending to deliver a parcel. four minutes later, they escape with the huytons firm's cocaine. police. two men in the house has been attacked with a machete and an axe. what injuries have you got a mate? sit yourself down. are you all right there, mate? yeah. a trail of blood leads to a manhole cover where the cocaine was hidden. are you in dispute with anyone? have you upset anyone lately, or has

anyone got a bit of beef with you? any information is better than nothing. no one from the huyton firm talks, but this time the police have a secret weapon. the encryption system the criminals use, called encrochat, has been cracked. detectives can see the messages they are sending each other. the grip they are talking about is the stolen cocaine. 30 kilos are gone. that's £1 million worth. it's an effective criminal business, tentacle's across the uk and international, obviously willing to resort to severe violence. there is a place there for me in the organised upper tiers of crime in the uk. , . ., , the uk. crime boss vincent coggins thinks he's identified _ the uk. crime boss vincent coggins thinks he's identified some -

the uk. crime boss vincent coggins thinks he's identified some of - the uk. crime boss vincent coggins thinks he's identified some of the i thinks he's identified some of the cocaine robbers and he wants revenge. his enforcer, paul woodford, asks how many he once killed. coggins replies, four dead men walking. killed. coggins replies, four dead men walking-— killed. coggins replies, four dead men walkinr. , ., , , ,, men walking. they do business with violence. men walking. they do business with violence- it — men walking. they do business with violence. it is _ men walking. they do business with violence. it is a _ men walking. they do business with violence. it is a world _ men walking. they do business with violence. it is a world where - men walking. they do business with violence. it is a world where a - violence. it is a world where a bullet — violence. it is a world where a bullet in— violence. it is a world where a bullet in the head isjust literally anether— bullet in the head isjust literally another way of doing business and that is_ another way of doing business and that is the — another way of doing business and that is the brutality of it. it's a world — that is the brutality of it. it's a world where there are no laws other than essentially what you could call the laws _ than essentially what you could call the laws of the jungle.— the laws of the “ungle. vincent cor ains the laws of the “ungle. vincent coggrns and _ the laws of the jungle. vincent coggins and paul— the laws of the jungle. vincent coggins and paul woodford - the laws of the jungle. vincent l coggins and paul woodford were arrested before they could carry out their threats. coggins has been jailed for 28 years for drug trafficking and blackmail. woodford got 26 years and six months. in total, more than 30 serious criminals linked to the cocaine heist has been convicted. they've been sentenced to over 350 years.

rona munro, bbc news. —— bronagh munro, bbc news. our top story this afternoon... the bank of england keeps its base interest rate at 5.25% for the sixth time in a row. israel will perform in tonight's eurovision semifinal — amid campaigns to stop them taking part. coming up on bbc news — harry kane's chances of winning a trophy with bayern munich this season are gone. the england captain was taken off as they were beaten by real madrid with a back injury, with the euros just around the corner. a former paralympian who is the first person with a physical disability to be selected for astronaut training says he hopes his role will challenge perceptions. john mcfall from hampshire

was recruited by the european space agency for a ground—breaking study — assessing how feasible it is for someone with a physical disability to live and work in space. 0ur science editor rebecca morelle has been to see him in training. questions? no questions. it's a key test for a trainee astronaut, and not for the faint—hearted — or the claustrophobic. three, two, one. ignition and lift off. john mcfall is taking a spin in a giant centrifuge. it mimics the extreme gravity he'd experience heading up to space. if we experience 1g on earth, and the forces that we're going to be experiencing today during launch, probably going up to about 3.5g, so three and a half times the force of gravity. john's an amputee. he lost the lower part of his right leg in a motorcycle accident when he was a teenager. now he's working with the european space agency to see if someone with a disability can go to space. it was for us a first time

that we actually had an amputee in the centrifuge. so, this influences the blood flow also in the leg. and we were also curious to see how that would affect him. but it went really well. john's training at the european astronaut centre in cologne in germany. he uses a blade for running. we will start with 85. he's trying a special anti—gravity treadmill. it recreates the conditions on the international space station — in effect, making john lighter. but he's finding his blade isn't working as well. even testing this at 80% of my body weight, i notice that it's already too stiff. and that's because i'm lighter and putting less force into the blade. it's bending less and therefore giving me less spring back. so you might need something a bit bendier? something less stiff, yes, something a bit more flexible. it's the first time any space agency has carried out a project like this. i think other space agencies were surprised.

some of them are still surprised that we really want to go forward with it. but it's really our goal to study, but also to make it happen. and i would really love to see john fly to space. this is a mock up, part of the international space station. john's about half way through the project now. and let's go inside and take a look. but it's progressing well so far. it's not guaranteed that you will go to space. but does this make you want to do it? every time you go and get close to something that's more akin to operational, the hairs on the back of your neck stand up and you're like," this is what it's about." so, in answer to your question, absolutely. i'm hugely excited about going to space. well, this is one of the crew quarters. john's training will continue and there are still many questions to be answered. so this is... this is a sleeping bag. velcro? yeah. you get yourself in your sleeping bag and you actually velcro yourself to the walls. but he sets his sights high and he hopes to change

perceptions aboutjust who can become an astronaut. rebecca morelle, bbc news at the european astronaut centre in germany. health officials say five babies have died from whooping cough, as cases continue to rise in england. the uk health security agency is warning pregnant women and children to get vaccinated. sophie hutchinson is here. five deaths, what's going on? unfortunately, whooping cough can be extremely serious for babies. it's a bacteria which is highly infectious. it can start with cold symptoms, if you like, and develop eventually into that very distinctive cough for some people. what seems to have happened here is that circumstances have come together to create this risky environment. whooping cough has a natural cycle of peaks. it was delayed, this next peak, by the pandemic. the peak before was in 2016 and it looks likely that 2024

will become a peak yeah and that rise has coincided with a drop in immunisations, particularly for pregnant mothers, but also for babies. so far this year in the first quarter we've seen 2800 cases. the rate has been highest in babies and very sadly, as you say, five babies have died. the uk health security agency is urging all pregnant mums and families with babies to get vaccinated.- babies to get vaccinated. sophie hutchinson. _ babies to get vaccinated. sophie hutchinson, thank _ babies to get vaccinated. sophie hutchinson, thank you. - prince william has been visiting the site where the duchy of cornwall�*s first housing project for homeless people will be built. construction is due to begin in september near newquay. and this lunchtime he's on fistral beach, hearing from some of the people who look after it. jenny kumah is there. well, the sun is out, the surf is up and fistral beach is looking at its best for this royal visit. the prince is due here any moment now, he is due to speak to people who are

involved in beach safety here as well as members of the public, and even have a go on a quad bike. prince william has the title of duke of cornwall and a lot of excitement is building here. but earlier today the duke visited the site of the duchy of cornwall�*s first homeless project. it will involve building 24 properties to house local homeless people, as well as giving them wraparound support, and it's all part of a five year plan to tackle homelessness. it's around a year ago since the prince was last here. he was here with his wife and he heard then about the challenges around homelessness and the impact of tourism and second homes. but today, people meeting the prince today will be acutely aware that he is here alone whilst his wife and the king continue with their cancer treatment. thanks, jenny, jenny kumah. we're a few hours away from the second semifinal for this weekend's eurovision song contest — but the organisers in malmo

in sweden are preparing for protests, because israel is among tonight's entries. there have been calls to ban israel from competing this year, because of the war in gaza. david sillito reports from malmo. malmo, eurovision 2024 and the fans are here in force, but there's also a very visible police presence. it's a bit of a mixed vibe because obviously it's a high security presence. you're aware that there's sometimes more police than people in sequins. and with israel taking to the stage tonight, organisers are being extra vigilant. booing. this was the reaction to eden golan's rehearsalfrom parts of the eurovision audience. there's also been pressure on performers to boycott the event and police are expecting protests. we're expecting some demonstrations, of course, and voicing of opinions and the right to demonstrate is highly protected in the swedish constitution.

so it's been a part of our planning work since the beginning. but on stage all efforts are being made to keep the event free of politics. ireland's bambie thug was told to remove some body writing with the word "ceasefire" and outside the venue, there's not quite the same atmosphere of previous years. there's definitely a wariness this year. last year in liverpool you'd see performers out and about amongst the crowds mingling, not this year. they're staying indoors as much as possible. and when they do go into the arena, it's under police escort. there is still plenty of the eurovision spirit, that open celebratory mix of daft, moving and joyful. but for an event that tries to avoid politics, this is a testing moment. david sillito, bbc news, malmo. an 18—month—old girl who was born deaf can now hear unaided, after having ground—breaking gene therapy. the treatment took place at

addenbrooke's hospital in cambridge, shortly before her first birthday. six months on she can hear even a whisper. here's our health correspondent, michelle roberts. recorder plays note. yay! 18—month—old opal is learning how fun making noise can be. yeah! she's the first person to get a new type of gene therapy treatment for an inherited deafness she was born with. her parents, jo and james, say it was a really hard decision to make. it was really scary, but i think we'd been given a really unique opportunity, with no real evidence that any harm or adverse effects was likely to come to her. surgeons carried out opal�*s procedure just before her first birthday. the infusion replaces the faulty dna causing opal�*s genetic condition. a modified, harmless virus delivers a working copy of the otof gene.

that treats the sound—,sensing cells in the inner ear or cochlear. the new gene means they can carry the signals they should. opal�*s operation went to plan. gene therapy in her right ear and a cochlear implant in her left. clapping. just a few weeks later, she could hear loud sounds. absolutely mindblowing. i was at work at the time and you messaged me to say what had gone on. and i'm not sure i believed it at the start. kept my phone up. i said it wasjust a fluke, she must have reacted to something else. now she can even hear whispers in her gene therapy ear. that was 24 weeks post—surgery, and we heard the phrase "near—normal hearing." she was turning to really soft sounds. yeah. they played us the sounds that she was turning to and were quite mind—blown by how how soft it was, how quiet it was.

opal�*s part of an international study and experts hope the treatment could work for other types of profound hearing loss, too. this is a very specific gene for quite a rare type of hearing loss. so what i'm hoping is that we can start to use gene therapy in young children, restore hearing from a variety of different kinds of genetic hearing loss, and then have a more one and done type of approach. big sister nora has the same rare gene as opal. good girl! keys for daddy. more than half of hearing loss cases in children have genetic causes, so there's big potentialfor this new type of therapy. michelle roberts, bbc news. the chances are you recognise this song. # coming out of my cage and i've been been doing just fine #.

it is the dancefloor filler mr brightside by the killers. the track is now officially the uk's biggest—selling single never to reach number one — after overtaking the oasis song wonderwall. that's a good pub quiz fact, isn't it? time for a look at the weather. here's stav danos. i'v e i've got to include the north of scotland, it's cloudy for the highlands, some spots of drizzle at times. a bit of a disappointing field to the weather there but the rest of the country is more like the theme behind me, blue skies overhead, a little bit of high cloud and feeling very warm, temperatures creeping into the low 20s celsius. that's how it's going to be through the rest of the afternoon, most of the rest of the afternoon, most of the country dry but staying quite damp and cloudy across the north of scotland, thanks to these weather fronts that will eventually push northwards tomorrow, so by tomorrow it should be brighter, sunnier and warmer in scotland too. temperature

is 23 degrees, maybe a notch higher in one or two