over the next five years. and the actor alec baldwin is accused of playing make—believe with a real gun at his involuntary manslaughter trial in new mexico. and coming up on bbc news, on women's semifinal day at wimbledon, alfie hewett takes a step closer to the only wheelchair singles grand slam title he has yet to win. good afternoon. england's footballers have defied expectations and made it to the euro 2024 final. a win in berlin on sunday would bring an end to almost six decades without a major trophy for the men's team. king charles urged the team to beat

spain without needing, in his words, last minute wonder—goals or another penalites drama. our sports correspondent nesta mcgregor reports from dortmund. palmer finds watkins. watkins turns! watkins scores! ollie watkins, less than ten minutes on the pitch, for a moment that will be for ever remembered. ollie watkins, that is wonderful! the clock ticking towards 90 minutes, from the tightest of angles, the aston villa forward somehow found space, breaking dutch hearts. lost for words, really. when you score, there are emotions that come through your body, but this is a different feeling. and it was slow motion when i was running over to the boys and celebrating, and it was... oh, i didn't want to get off the pitch at the end because ijust wanted to soak it all in because it doesn't happen often, obviously. over breakfast in dortmund, a chance to relive a special night, particularly for oscar and dad stephen. genuinely one of the best moments of my life. we're massive villa fans. ollie watkins had

a brilliant season and it is just the icing on the cake that he got the winner. you are staying in berlin. how much are you willing to part ways with a ticket to see history made? if my wife is watching, less than i am going to play. meanwhile, a personal and painful reminder of one of england's�*s most famous victories. of england's's most famous victories-— of england's's most famous victories. . , victories. ollie with an in'ury time winner, victories. ollie with an in'ury time winner. you i victories. ollie with an in'ury time winner, you have t victories. ollie with an in'ury time winner, you have an _ victories. ollie with an injury time winner, you have an injury- victories. ollie with an injury time winner, you have an injury on - victories. ollie with an injury time| winner, you have an injury on your own. winner, you have an in'ury on your own. . , winner, you have an in'ury on your own. ., , ., ., , own. had been raining heavily before, ifell_ own. had been raining heavily before, i fell nose _ own. had been raining heavily before, i fell nose first - own. had been raining heavily before, i fell nose first onto i own. had been raining heavily. before, i fell nose first onto the chair. _ before, i fell nose first onto the chair, broke my nose. two weeks ago, gareth southgate's _ chair, broke my nose. two weeks ago, gareth southgate's side _ chair, broke my nose. two weeks ago, gareth southgate's side were - gareth southgate's side were labelled lacklustre, team selection and tactics also criticised, placing him under severe pressure. here, encland. him under severe pressure. here, england. however, _ him under severe pressure. here, england. however, the _ him under severe pressure. here, l england. however, the performance and result against the netherlands has changed all of that. this and result against the netherlands has changed all of that.— and result against the netherlands has changed all of that. this is now the chance — has changed all of that. this is now the chance to _ has changed all of that. this is now the chance to make _ has changed all of that. this is now the chance to make history - has changed all of that. this is now the chance to make history which l has changed all of that. this is now. the chance to make history which we have enjoyed doing, a chance to get

to the _ have enjoyed doing, a chance to get to the first — have enjoyed doing, a chance to get to the first final not held in england, first time england have ever done — england, first time england have ever done that. we are trying to hreak— ever done that. we are trying to break new— ever done that. we are trying to break new ground. a ever done that. we are trying to break new ground.— break new ground. a date with destiny awaits _ break new ground. a date with destiny awaits and, _ break new ground. a date with destiny awaits and, as - break new ground. a date with destiny awaits and, as do - break new ground. a date with - destiny awaits and, as do boardman to favourites spain on sunday. —— as do tournament favourites. i to favourites spain on sunday. -- as do tournament favourites.— do tournament favourites. i wish them the best _ do tournament favourites. i wish them the best of— do tournament favourites. i wish them the best of luck. _ do tournament favourites. i wish them the best of luck. but - do tournament favourites. i wish them the best of luck. but it - do tournament favourites. i wish them the best of luck. but it did| them the best of luck. but it did hurt a little bit, my orange heart hurt. ., ., . , , ., hurt. england on the cusp of histo , hurt. england on the cusp of history, counted _ hurt. england on the cusp of history, counted out - hurt. england on the cusp of history, counted out earlier| hurt. england on the cusp of. history, counted out earlier in hurt. england on the cusp of- history, counted out earlier in the tournament, helping to deliver one more time. in a moment, we'll speak to danjohnson in exeter, who has been finding out more about the man of the moment. we saw a new report, thejubilation, but when might the nerves set in? report, the jubilation, but when might the nerves set in? england's “ourne so might the nerves set in? england's journey so far— might the nerves set in? england's journey so far has _ might the nerves set in? england's journey so far has been _ might the nerves set in? england's journey so far has been jittery, - might the nerves set in? england's journey so far has been jittery, butj journey so far has been jittery, but it continues. last—minute goals on

numerous occasions, to keep this dream alive, i guess now forfans it will be time to get nervous as they look for flight prices and hotel prices. as for the team, already a remarkable achievement, back to back european finalist, how could we forget? they fell short against italy three years ago in wembley. can they stand tall against spain on sunday? can they stand tall against spain on sunda ? . ~ can they stand tall against spain on sunda ? ., ,, i. ollie watkins was the hero of the night, coming on as a sub and scoring the winning goal in the final minute. it was a dream moment for a player who, nine years ago, was turning out for non—league side weston—super—mare. our correspondent danjohnson is at exeter city where he started out. you have found the right location? yeah, this is where ollie watkins career started in the academy and they haven'tjust painted that this morning, it was ready here, the

first phase see when you arrive at the youth academy. —— the first phase. they have been celebrating his success. the from last night of fans watching the game at st james' park, they were chanting, one of our own. the training pitch is here where his career actually started. these are the fields where he first learnt football in a proper sense, he was sent out on loan to weston—super—mare, he had one season there playing non—league football. i spoke to the manager director this morning very proud of the small role they played in nurturing his career. after that picked up by brentford and he went on to success with aston villa and england too. last night after the match he was asked about the earlier part of his career. you can dream. _ the earlier part of his career. you can dream. but— the earlier part of his career. you can dream, but i _ the earlier part of his career. you can dream, but i am _ the earlier part of his career. you can dream, but i am a _ the earlier part of his career. you can dream, but i am a realist, i take— can dream, but i am a realist, i take it— can dream, but i am a realist, i take it day— can dream, but i am a realist, i take it day by day, one step at a time _

i was just focusing on getting back into the first team at exeter, so, yeah. i've not thought about that. you know, i've put in a lot of hard work to get to this point. it's not just this season, it's accumulative. i've worked hard to get to this point and i'm going to enjoy every moment. everybody here really proud. if we take one more look at the goal, wonder goal, so late in the game. everyone has spoken about how hard—working and determined he was, how level—headed he has been. i think they will give him this moment to enjoy, hope he will be able to repeat it again if he comes on on sunday. a lot of warmth and positivity for what ollie watkins has achieved. thank you. big day for exeter. the prime minister is a keen football fan and our political editor, chris mason, asked him about england's victory

at the nato summit in washington. prime minister, your reaction to the football last night. it was fantastic. i managed to pop out from one of my sessions forjust five minutes, which is when i saw harry kane get their first goal. i missed the second one but it's brilliant. so on we go now. great chance. i've always said this team were going to go all the way, so i'm really, really pleased. just good luck for sunday. now, we spotted that last year you said if the lionesses won the world cup, there should be an extra bank holiday. so if england win, should we all get an extra day off? we should certainly mark the occasion. i don't want to jinx it. i went to the last euros finals. i don't want to go through that again. so i don't want to jinx anything. we must mark it in some way, but the most important thing is getting it over the line on sunday. the prime minister with chris mason, political editor, in washington. a man suspected of killing three women with a crossbow at their home in hertfordshire remains in hospital this lunchtime. police found 26—year—old kyle clifford injured near a cemetery in north london,

after a large manhunt yesterday. the victims were carol, hannah and louise hunt — the wife and daughters of bbc racing commentatorjohn hunt. our correspondent helena wilkinson is in bushey. helena, what's the latest on the police investigation? the investigation is obviously continuing, detectives trying to piece together what happened on tuesday night. you can probably see the police cordon remaining in place. we have been heard throughout this morning, lots of people arriving and leaving bouquets of flowers and cards in tribute to the three victims. close by, a vigil at a church for the community and tributes continued to be paid. the last hour, the school where hanno and louise attempted to have said they will always hold a place in the hearts —— hannah and louise.

a packed church in bushey this morning, as a community stunned into silence gathered to reflect and pray. some of them knew the hunt family their whole lives, many were too upset to talk. the victims, carol hunt, 61, and her daughters, hannah and louise hunt, both in their 20s. attacked in their own home in this quiet cul—de—sac in hertfordshire. police say it was a horrific and targeted attack and that a crossbow was used, as well as possibly other weapons. the women were the wife and two daughters of the bbc�*s racing commentatorjohn hunt. they were found seriously injured in the home. paramedics did all they could to save them, but they died at the scene. last night, the suspect kyle clifford was tracked down to a north london cemetery nearly 12 miles away after a huge manhunt. he was found with injuries

and is receiving medical attention. the bbc understands that he is the ex—boyfriend of one ofjohn and carol hunt's daughters. meanwhile, tributes continue to be paid. a woman who knows the family described them as kind, friendly and gentle people, who always made time for others. tributes as well from friends and colleagues ofjohn hunt, including this from bbc radio 5 live presenter mark chapman. this has been a heartbreaking day. john hunt is our colleague and ourfriend. notjust to the current 5live sport team but to all of those who have worked here with him over the past 20 years. and also to all of you who have enjoyed his superb commentaries. and jockeys at kempton park racecourse are wearing black arm bands to show their support forjohn hunt.

a police cordon is still in place at the scene and more floral tributes and messages have been left, one simply reads, "i wish none of this were real." helena wilkinson, bbc news, bushey in hertfordshire. later in the programme, our home editor, mark easton, looks at the law surrounding crossbows and how the new government might change it. thousands of offenders could be released from jails earlier in an attempt to tackle overcrowding in prisons in england and wales. the justice secretary is expected to announce the new measures tomorrow. the new government has also promised to restart a prisons building programme. our political correspondent harry farley is in westminster. harry, what's the plan here? principally the plan is to allow some prisoners out after 40% of the sentence, currently prisoners with a fixed and dated time injail come out after 50% of the time and they spend the rest of it on licence.

that is one element among a range of emergency measures expecting the justice secretary to announce tomorrow. government sources have said sexual offenders and serious violent offenders will not be included. important to remember the reason why it is happening is that there is a genuine crisis in prisons with warnings they could be full within days. this move was considered by the former conservative government unsupported by the former conservative justice secretary alex chalk but blocked by rishi sunak to the frustration of some in his cabinet. if we step back a moment, there is a longer term question, letting prisoners out early, some prisoners, is an emergency measure, but it will only buy time, 18 months, according to alex chalk. four years successive governments of all stripes have increased sentences for all manner of crimes and sir keir starmer has not yet set out what he will do in

the long term, but the appointment ofjames timpson, who employs ex offenders and runs a shoe repair chain, he has had a third of current prisoners should not be there, so it perhaps gives us an indication of the direction of travel.— the direction of travel. harry in westminster, _ the direction of travel. harry in westminster, thank _ the direction of travel. harry in westminster, thank you. - the uk economy grew by 0.4% in may, faster than expected. the office for national statistics said strong performances from retailers and the construction industry drove the increase, after wet weather in april stalled projects and put off shoppers. new figures show more than 1.5 million children were affected by the controversial two—child benefit limit this year. work and pensions secretary liz kendall described child poverty as a stain on our society, but the government have not committed to scrapping the policy, despite pressure during the election campaign. retired shopkeeper nelson shardey, who was told he wasn't british despite living in the uk for nearly 50 years, has now been

given permission to stay for good. the 7a—year—old, from wirral, moved to the uk from ghana as a student in 1977 and has lived here since. the government recognised his case was exceptional and have given him indefinite leave to remain. water bills in england and wales are set to rise by an average £19 a year until 2030. the regulator, ofwat, has provisionally approved an increase of 21%. but that figure is just an average and varies by region — southern water customers, for example, are expected to see their bills go up by 44%. our business editor simonjack reports. the problems in our water system have never been quite so clear. under—investment, ageing infrastructure and unprecedented rainfall have exposed nasty problems that need to be fixed, and someone's got to pay. kind today, the kind regulator announced what that would mean for consumer bills. average bills will rise by 21% or £94, phased in over five years.

but there's a big range depending on your supplier. southern water bills will go up by 44%, northumbrian by 11% and thames up by 23%. bear in mind this doesn't include normal inflation, so bill rises are likely to be higher than this. given the terrible service, why are customers being asked to pay more? nobody wants to see bills go up, and that's why we've very carefully scrutinised this package. we need to invest more to improve our nation's waterways and to protect our future water supplies against climate change and population growth. so this package will fund nine new reservoirs, major water transfer schemes, along with a major clean up in rivers. the extra money will fund projects like this — a new storm tank that will reduce sewer fouling and improve river health. bills, though, are going up by less than water companies asked for. and that means there won't be enough of this kind of investment, according to the industry. i think they've got this wrong. too often ofwat has

prioritised artificially suppressing bills and at the direct expense of our environment and our economy. we desperately need this investment. we have the lowest asset replacement rate in europe, and that's because maintenance has been systematically underfunded. not all water companies are the same. some are in bigger trouble than others. thames is drowning in £18 billion worth of debt. it's only got enough cash to last it another 11 months. and there are many who feel because it didn't get as much money as it wanted, the prospect of quasi—nationalisation came a step closer today. critics say water companies have allowed billions in dividends, millions in pay to flow out, which include a £200,000 bonus for the new boss of thames forjust three months work. hang on. that annoys customers like dave and jackie, who monitor pollution levels in the river thames. they want to know where customer money is being spent. it feels like rewards for failure. i mean, i think at the moment people will go, well, where's that money going? they'll look at the headlines and go, that sounds like a lot of money going into someone else's pocket. i think what thames water have to do

is become a lot more transparent. the bill rises for 2025 onwards, announced today are provisional. a final decision comes in december. right now, neither the companies nor their customers seem very happy. simon jack, bbc news. our cost of living correspondent, colletta smith, is here. we colletta smith, is here. are always interested in he these we are always interested in how these things trickle down to our bills. how and when are they likely to change? for bills. how and when are they likely to chance? ., . , ., , bills. how and when are they likely to chance? ., . ,., , , ., to change? for customers it is worth remembering _ to change? for customers it is worth remembering none _ to change? for customers it is worth remembering none of— to change? for customers it is worth remembering none of these - to change? for customers it is worth remembering none of these changes are imminent. as simon was saying, this is the draft plans from the regulators. there is another six months of runs between the regulator and the water companies to see what the final figure will be before it is fixed in december. we will not see any increases or falls until april, it is from april onwards and it is for the next five years they are being agreed. a little bit of time. the average figures, some of

them really are eye watering. as we were seeing in that film, southern water are looking at a 44% increase, pushing bills up to more than £600 in that area. we are talking very big sums of money in a lot of areas. the regulator is admitting that one in five customers now are struggling to pay water bills. it is a significant issue across the industry that lots of customers are falling behind on those bills all struggling to meet the payments they are making already if we are seeing increases anywhere near to what the regulator is saying, it will be very difficult for customers to try to find that many from anywhere. only around 6% of customers are getting help from the water company at the moment. social tariffs exist in england and wales across every water company. if you are on particular types of benefit you may well qualify for a reduction in your water bill. it is worth getting in touch with your water company to see if you can get a reduction,

particularly if you are struggling to pay. particularly if you are struggling to .a _ particularly if you are struggling to.a _ ., . particularly if you are struggling toa. ., . particularly if you are struggling to .a _ ., . ., our top story this afternoon... england have secured their place in the euro 2024 final on sunday. they'll face spain after a last—minute winner from ollie watkins sealed victory over the netherlands. and meet howard, the robot attending school for his 12—year old namesake, so he doesn't fall behind during his treatment for cancer. coming up on bbc news... england are building on their overnight lead in the sunshine at lord's with harry brook helping his team to a fast start on day two of the opening test against west indies. sir keir starmer met presidentjoe biden face—to—face for the first time during his trip for the nato summit in washington. the prime minister described the meeting in the oval office as an opportunity

to recommit to the special relationship between the uk and the us. joe biden is facing further questions about his suitability to run in the us presidential election. another senior democrat has spoken out, saying he should step aside. our correspondent tom bateman joins us from washington. tom, joe biden is front and centre at the nato summit, but there's a lot going on in the background isn't there? absolutely. it has been messages of unity from world leaders, hosted by joe biden here at the nato conference. as he struggles to contain those growing divisions within his own party. yesterday felt like a turning point because we had the veteran democrat, former house speaker nancy pelosi, first raising fresh questions about his suitability and about calling for him to make a decision. george clooney, the actor, key democrat fundraiser saying thatjoe biden

couldn't win the battle against time. we had peter welch, a senator from vermont explicitly calling for him to stand down overnight. the white house in biden campaign still pushing back. they are very define on this. there will be a critical moment later as a us president hosts a news conference here for what should be at nato a story about the protection of american power and instead in the us it is becoming a focus on the frailty of its leader. —— projection of american power. tom, thank you. hospital waiting lists in england have risen again, with 7.6 million treatments waiting to be carried out at the end of may. the health secretary wes streeting has ordered an independent investigation into nhs england's performance, saying he wants it to tell "hard truths" about what he's called the "broken" health service. our health correspondent dominic hughes has this report. it's really helped actually getting them done cos... at stjames' hospital in leeds, they're trying to do

things differently. on 4th april, we had 3,275 patients. faced with long post—covid waiting lists, they changed the way they worked... however, today, it has also come down by an additional 32 patients to 1,439... ..including doing more operations at weekends and in the evening. ..meaning we've treated in total 1,836 patients. so the staff have been able to make some big inroads into waits for bowel surgery, helping people like carol, who was on the waiting list for 65 weeks. it feels amazing. yes, it was quite difficult, living with what i had, so i'm really happy that it's been done. and ijust want to sort of get fit again and just get on with the rest of my life. the 18—week target in england for planned surgery hasn't been met for more than eight years. today's figures show an estimated 7.6 million were waiting to be carried out at the end of may —

slightly up from the previous month. more than 307,000 of those waits have been for longer than a year, also up. but the number waiting longer than 18 months — a year and a half — has fallen slightly tojust under 4,600. i think we've built them really good working relationships with the consultants and the registrars and the juniors. the changes brought in at st james's could be one template introduced across english hospitals to tackle long delays in treatment. but there's a warning that it needs the staff on side and it's not a quick fix. you have to ensure that the team is willing to do it, _ you have to ensure that they're available, you have to ensure l |that they haven't worked excessive | hours during the week and you have to pay them to come - in and do this extra work. you have to provide the beds. you have to provide the hospital infrastructure around them. - and we have worked really, - really hard — the whole team has worked really hard to try - and reduce our waiting lists. i'm slightly self conscious that we're not there yet, _

and we have got many, - many patients who've waited for a very long timej for their procedures and are still going i to wait a long time. it's an awful lot better than it would have been if we hadn't| instituted these things. but we're not there yet. afternoon, carol. how are you doing? i'm doing fine, thank you. good. yeah, you look really well. for carol, the long wait for much—needed treatment is finally over. how's your tummy feeling? good, i'm pleased. thank you very much. during the election, labour promised waiting lists would be eliminated within five years. today's figures will be a reminder of the scale of meeting that challenge. see you later. thank you. dominicjoins me now. and this morning, wes streeting has called for an independent investigation? what will that look like? he has said he wants this report to provide what he called a raw and honest assessment of the issues facing the nhs. he says he wants it to deliver

some hard truths. it will be into what the government says is a ten year plan to radically reform the nhs and it will be carried out by former surgeon and a labour minister. former surgeon and a labour minister-— former surgeon and a labour minister. . ., , , minister. already 'ust in the last weekwhenh minister. already 'ust in the last week when .— minister. alreadyjust in the last week when i have _ minister. alreadyjust in the last week when i have been - minister. alreadyjust in the last week when i have been in - minister. alreadyjust in the last week when i have been in the i week when i have been in the department talking to officials about — department talking to officials about different challenges, it sort of felt _ about different challenges, it sort of felt like walking into a house where — of felt like walking into a house where you can see the state of disrepair _ where you can see the state of disrepair. what we are going to do is peei— disrepair. what we are going to do is peel back the carpet and look at the floorboards and the foundations. and as _ the floorboards and the foundations. and as you _ the floorboards and the foundations. and as you get the right diagnosis for the _ and as you get the right diagnosis for the problem you will not come up with the _ for the problem you will not come up with the right prescription. we will have a _ with the right prescription. we will have a ten— with the right prescription. we will have a ten year plan for the nhs. the starting point has got to be being _ the starting point has got to be being honest with ourselves and the country— being honest with ourselves and the country about how bad things are. lord darsai — country about how bad things are. lord darsai has said the first step is to get a proper diagnosis. he will analyse how we got here. it will analyse how we got here. it will be a pretty speedy web

delivered by september. the spire of a gothic cathedral in the french city of rouen caught on fire earlier. the cause of the blaze is unknown but there are no casualties reported and the building was evacuated. the current extent of the damage is unknown. it's been undergoing restoration work, and is shrouded in scaffolding. prosecutors in the involuntary manslaughter trial of the hollywood actor alec baldwin have described him as a reckless weapons handler, who "played make—believe with a real gun". his defence team say he was reliant on experts to make the film set safe. cinematographer halyna hutchins died when she was hit by a bullet from the gun baldwin was using while filming rust in 2021. our los angeles correspondent emma vardy reports. mr baldwin, are you feeling confident? is this a fair trial? returning to new mexico, where the shooting happened, alec baldwin arrived to face a jury who will decide whether the actor was responsible.

how's it going, sir? during filming on set nearly three years ago, the pistol being used by alec baldwin fired a live round, killing the cinematographer halyna hutchins. oh, my god. the film's armourer, hannah gutierrez, has already been convicted for involuntary manslaughter. she had accidentally mixed up live bullets with the dummy rounds being used on set. but prosecutors believe alec baldwin was also at fault, and that the gun could only have been fired because of his actions. the evidence will show that someone who played make believe with a real gun, and violated the cardinal rules of firearm safety, is the defendant, alexander baldwin. mr baldwin claims he never pulled the trigger, saying the gun went off accidentally, and that he was relying on crew members to make sure the gun was safe. safety has to occur before the gun is placed in the actor's hands. in this case, this unique case on a movie set, the prop gun was placed in mr baldwin's hands

and "cold gun" was announced, meaning it had been checked and double checked by those responsible to ensure the gun was safe. the trial is set to last a fortnight. at the end of it, a jury will have to decide whether alec baldwin was truly negligent in the way he drew and pointed that weapon. emma vardy, bbc news, new mexico. at lord's, england's cricketers are trying to establish a dominant position in the first test match of the summer. they're batting in theirfirst innings against west indies and their lead is already past 150. the second day of the match has particular poignance, asjoe wilson explains. at lord's, all the colours mean something. there you go. team kits, sun hats, mcc membership. the defining colour on this day, red. andrew strauss, former england captain, is here in memory of his late wife, ruth. herfoundation prepares families for the profound challenges of bereavement.

and all this is the new tradition here. well, england's batters building a lead needed the virtue of concentration. in a test, the ball is always red, and round. there is the proof. harry brook was sending it to the boundary in some style. joe root too. that is classic stuff, and a problem for the west indies. it is ominous when root shows this kind of focus. shamarjoseph, exciting young fast bowler. harry brook, a key batter for england's future. that was the first six of the morning. a tough day already. well, stay positive, you never know when the mistake might come. harry brook mis—hit, a simple catch for the wicketkeeper and alzarrijoseph had struck, yeah, something. harry brook out for 50 and wondering why. now, the spin of gudakesh motie. look at ben stokes' reaction here. it is revealing.

shock, quickly followed by respect. he knew he had been completely undone by a lovely bit of bowling. the captain's day turned to watching. just before lunch, he sanoe root full —— fall to the talented, motivated motie. that was root out for 68, just when he was imagining i would imagine another test match 100 in his long career. they had a lead of 172 with jamie smith making his debut at the crease with chris woakes. already a strong position for england. anybody at lords here today, whoever they are supporting, would have enjoyed the performances so far of motie. a young spin bowler who loves the challenges and opportunities of this

form of test match cricket. that is why we are all here. this is the second day of a scheduled five. if i fast forward a little bit i think i can say with some conviction we will have a result in the sporting arena before kick—off for that final in germany. before kick-off for that final in german . . ., before kick-off for that final in german . ., ,, , ., a reminder of our top headline this afternoon. england have secured their place in the euro 2024 final on sunday, they'll face spain after a last—minute winner from ollie watkins sealed victory over the netherlands. and still to come — we take a look at why thousands of offenders could be released early under new measures set to be announced by the the justice secretary tomorrow. we'll have a full forecast in the next half hour, but it's time now for a quick look at the weather. here's matt.

good afternoon. the flowers may be colourful behind me in bradford but this guy said is not. it does not feel like summer. summer creates a bit further away for all of us. temperatures should be around 18 to 23 degrees but i will show you what is forecast for friday and saturday, a good three to 6 degrees lower. not all doom and green. things will warm up all doom and green. things will warm up gradually and we should see more sunshine. all of the detailjust before two o'clock. the new security minister, danjarvis, said the government is looking at whether to bring in tighter controls on crossbows. it comes after the bbc commentator john hunt's wife and two of his daughters died in a suspected crossbow attack at their home. mark easton has been looking at the laws around the use of crossbows in england and wales. there are very few controls on the sale of crossbows in england and wales. anyone over 18 can buy a weapon without further checks. this

sport shop in london like many across the country will sell me a powerful crossbow and ammunition if i can prove i am over 18. it is as easy if not easier to buy these weapons online. a series of serious incidents in the last few years has seen calls for the legislation to be toughened up. in 2018 a heavily pregnant women were shot dead with a crossbow by her estranged husband. the use of such weapons in homicides is massively rare, around one year according to the home office. campaigners say urgent action is required to protect women and girls. i would like to see them brought in line with firearms in the same police checks and medical checks done. obviously, when you own a firearm you have to make sure it is in a locked cabinet. these weapons are just as deadly, they are so, so dangerous. i really think the government needs to be looking at what to do next. fin

government needs to be looking at what to do next.— what to do next. on christmas day 2021, an intruder _ what to do next. on christmas day 2021, an intruder at _ what to do next. on christmas day 2021, an intruder at windsor - what to do next. on christmas day| 2021, an intruder at windsor castle was caught with a powerful crossbow. he had planned to kill queen elizabeth ii and was laterjailed for nine years. as a result of that horrifying incident, priti patel ordered a review of the laws around buying crossbows. since that was completed in april no action has been taken. the new labour government has said it will look at the consultation is a priority and take robust action to stop the sale of crossbows as weapons. during the election, the party also acknowledged it would need to ensure the law does not inhibit sporting activities, the use of crossbows in film and theatre of their display as historical or cultural artefacts. brute historical or cultural artefacts. we will move historical or cultural artefacts. - will move at pace. the home secretary will look very carefully not only at what happened yesterday that more generally at other activity, not least that that has been detailed in the evidence the previous government initiated and we

will come to a conclusion sooner rather than later.— rather than later. with a consultation _ rather than later. with a consultation on - rather than later. with a i consultation on controlling rather than later. with a - consultation on controlling the rather than later. with a _ consultation on controlling the sale of crossbows already complete, it should be relatively straightforward for the home office to move towards legislation. as with knives, the challenge should be to stop criminals getting their hands on his deadly weapons while not preventing purchase for legitimate and peaceful purposes. still to come on today's programme... we'll meet howard, the robot attending school for his 12—year old namesake, hello and welcome to sportsday, i'm hugh ferris. our top stories... it was late, but for ollie watkins and england, it was great. england book their spot in sunday's final at euro 2024. england have pressed on at lord's,

but day two has brought runs and wickets so far against west indies. and britain's alfie hewett continues his bid for the one grand slam singles title that eludes him — we're live at wimbledon. hello again. if england have been resilient — maybe a bit lucky — to reach the euro 2024 final, gareth southgate says his team must be "exceptional" against spain if they're going to win a first major trophy in 58 years. good timing might also be another trait they've shown in germany — with substitute ollie watkins scoring the winner in the semifinal as the clock ticked on to 90 minutes. it sends england through to their first final on foreign soil and a shot at redemption after losing the euro 2020 final to italy. meanwhile, just 10 years ago,

watkins was about to join weston—super—mare on loan — while now the aston villa striker is an england hero. as you've seen, spain are a great footballing team — so many good players, a lot of squad depth like ourself. experience... so, yeah, it's... it's the most important game of our lives but, look, you know, fully focused on that, butjust going to try and enjoy tonight and then tomorrow we focus on spain. well, southgate also mentioned how his team have one day less to prepare for the final, and the side most have than the side most have considered to perform the best throughout the tournament. it's spain on sunday in berlin and john watson will be following those england fans making the journey. so the party rolls on for england. the dream remains alive for the fans who were watching here in dortmund last night — many of whom will now be making the journey to berlin. we've seen some this morning booking

accommodation, booking hotels, booking onward travel — some even securing tickets today for that huge moment to come on sunday. the stage is set at the olympic stadium, where england will contest back—to—back european championship finals. they go up against spain, who've been arguably the in—form team of this tournament. they will probably start as favourites, but once again last night in that 2—1 victory, england have found a way — as they have done so often through this tournament — crucial interventions at crucial moments. and ollie watkins, that goal scorer with the winning goal doing so last night. and for the fans, there is this growing sense that perhaps — just maybe — england's name might be on the trophy this year. one thing is for certain, though — they are into another final. gareth southgate was celebrating with his players and this hope of, at long last, winning another major trophy — the first in the men's game for 58 years — remains alive.

the last england team to win a major trophy are continuing their attempts to successfully defend it. the lionesses watched the men's side reach the euros final last night, which conjured up memories of their own success two years ago. the england manager is dutch, of course, so it was a tussle between head and heart for sarina wiegman — but not so for her players. when we won the euros, i think that was probably the best day of my life still today. and we want to do the same again next year, and that starts from qualifying now and winning both our games and putting us in a great position. these are all camps to prepare us forthat, so, yeah, i mean, it's so nice to see the men doing that at the moment, and it does make us sort of real—life them special moments bu, yeah, we're all excited for the weekend and for them to play, us sort of real—live them special moments bu, yeah, we're all excited for the weekend and for them to play, as well, but at the moment our full focus is on tomorrow and getting thatjob done. well, tomorrow is a euros qualifier against the republic of ireland — a match england will startjust third in their group. two wins against ireland and then

sweden on tuesday would be enough to guarantee england's spot at the tournament in switzerland next july — but finishing outside the top two would leave the lionesses needing to go through a play—off to qualify. wales' qualifying campaign continues with a match tomorrow in croatia — a meeting of the top two in their group. wales won the home game 4—0, while scotand and northern ireland also have away trips to slovakia and malta respectively. like euro 2024, the copa american also has its two finalists — with colombia booking their place with a 1—0 win over uruguay in the semi—finals — a match that was marred by ugly scenes at the end in charlotte. the only goal of the game came just before half—time — crystal palace midfielder jefferson lerma heading home from a corner. and they played the second half with ten men after daniel munoz — also of palace — was sent off for that elbow on manuel ugarte. but colombia hung on to set up a final with defending champions argentina in miami on sunday. then what started as a melee on the pitch spilled into the stands when uruguay players including liverpool's darwin nunez went to confront colombia fans after violence broke out

in the players�* family section. uruguay players said they entered the stands to "rescue" their families. in a statement, conmebol — the competition's governing body — said that it strongly condemns any act of violence that affects the game. the players have just come out for the afternoon session of day two of the first test against west indies, and while england's fast bowlers did the damage yesterday, it's a spinner who's made an impact so far today as the home side look to build a big lead at lord's. harry brook helped england motor along at six runs an over during the first hour, but after he reached his half century he was the first man out today for 50. captain ben stokes didn't last long — bowled by an audaciously spinning ball from gudakesh motie. joe root also made a half century, but he, too, had his stumps knocked out by motie for 68. at lunch, then, and england are 293—6 — a lead of 172. in his first competitive round of golf since his collapse

at the us open last month, rory mcilroy has put himself into early contention at the scottish open. after a steady front nine, mcilroy came to life — this chip—in eagle on the third helped him to five under—par round of 65, leaving him just a shot behind the leaders — germany's maximilian kiefer, and haotong li of china fin baxter will make his first start for england, replacing the injured joe marler as head coach steve borthwick makes just one change as england attempt level their two—match series against new zealand on saturday. the test is at the formidable eden park in auckland, where the all blacks haven't lost for 30 years. the squad gathered to watch their football counterparts beat the netherlands to reach the euro 2024 final. it was thursday morning their time — scenes matched over here — but over there there was less beer thrown into the air. james botham — grandson of england cricket legend ian — is one of two changes wales boss warren gatland has made to his team to face australia in the second test. botham will start as blindside flanker while cameron winnett will start at fullback. it's women's semifinal day at wimbledon,

with three of the four players on show having reached this stage for the first time. let's head there now and speak to chetan pathak. chetan, we have been keeping an eye on alfie hewett�*s attempted to make history. we on alfie hewett's attempted to make histo . ~ ., ., ., on alfie hewett's attempted to make histo .~ ., ., ., history. we have and so far so good alfie hewett — history. we have and so far so good alfie hewett on _ history. we have and so far so good alfie hewett on court _ history. we have and so far so good alfie hewett on court three - history. we have and so far so good alfie hewett on court three trying i alfie hewett on court three trying to win this first elusive wimbledon men's singles title. he has won all the other wheelchair titles across the other wheelchair titles across the other wheelchair titles across the other grand slams and not this one, an eight time major winner. he has taken the first set 6—1, so pretty comprehensive from him. he beat britten's ben barker in the previous round. one caveat is that he has been receiving treatment on his shoulder, had a medical timeout. his opponent is 53 years old and i think we can help alfie hewett gets himself over the line but long term there will be some questions. what have those women's semifinals? we

have those women's semifinals? we have three women today playing their first ever wimbledon semifinal and a couple of them already under way on centre court. let's take you there. it is the first of the semifinals, it is donna vekic againstjasmine paolini and you can see that jasmine paolini, she has taken that game to a fourth deuce. 28 years old, donna vekic never reached this far before the french open final on this, her first—ever weather she has got. trying to reach her first grand slam final. this match will be followed by the second of the women's semifinal, involving elena rybakina against barbora krejcikova. elena rybakina a former champion here, won the title a couple of years ago. the russian born, now kazakhstan. she has looked impressive on the grass

and is the highest seed remaining, having seen the top three go out. barbora krejcikova was a former french open champion, coached by a previous build on winnerfrom 1988. previous build on winnerfrom1988. she died in 2017 and barbora krejcikova talked about trying to win this title for her. . jasmine paolini has taken the first game against donna vekic.— paolini has taken the first game against donna vekic. you can follow wimbledon this thank you. afternoon on bbc television, radio and online, while the bbc sport website has plenty of reaction to england reaching the final of euro 2024. but that's your sport for now — it's time to go back to the news at one team and anna foster. police are searching for a man after two suitcases containing human remains were discovered in bristol. our correspondent lauren mossjoins us. this is a breaking story. what can

you tell us? police have released details on the last half an hour or so. two suitcases have been found containing what is believed to be human remains by the clifton suspension bridge in bristol. police received a report last night about a man with a suitcase acting suspiciously on the bridge. when officers got there, that man had gone but they found a suitcase had been left behind and another one nearby a short time later. a ground, air and coastguard search were called and those are believed to be ongoing this afternoon. the man was taken to the bridge in a taxi. taxi has been seized by police and a man is helping officers. it has been called a very disturbing incident. she says the police do recognise the concern this will be causing their communities. a major crime team in bristol are trying to find the man

who left the suitcase and identify the deceased and inform their next of kin. the bristol suspension bridge is still closed while police search the surrounding areas. as we have been reporting, thejustice secretary is expected to announce new measures to deal with overcrowding in prisons in england and wales tomorrow. thousands of offenders could be released from jails less than halfway through their sentence to free up space in the system. ben chu from bbc verify has been looking into why such drastic measures might be necessary. yes, i know, how full our prisons? the total prison population in england and wales injuly was close to a record high. let's compare that to a record high. let's compare that to what is termed the usual operational capacity of these prisons, 88,864. that need spare capacity of just 1411. lets

prisons, 88,864. that need spare capacity ofjust1411. lets look at how that has changed over time. you can see how the leeway between population and capacity has been contracting in recent years was that this operational capacity is well above what analysts think to be the same capacity. the population has already passed that point. this picture is why prison governors wrote to all the party leaders on the 25th ofjune to warn that within a matter of days prisons across the uk will be full, adding this will put the public at risk. why? the courts would have nowhere to play serious offenders presenting a real risk to the public. how did you get to this? part of it was the supply of prison places has not been meeting demand. in 2021, the conservative government pledged an additional 25,000 places this decade. so far around 6000 extra places have been delivered. let's have a look at the other part of the equation, demand. as the population

has been rising, overall crime rates have been going down shouldn't lower crime rates mean lower not higher prison population. part of the answer is longer sentences. in 2023, the average custodial sentence given in the crown court for more serious telling for serious offences was 25% longer than in 2012. another part of the answer is reoffending. the number of people currently in prison for breaching release conditions is around 12,000, a record high, roughly double the number eight years ago. this is where the new prisons minister earlier this year stressed the need to break the cycle of offending, sending few people to prison then we currently do. this seems likely to be a government that will try to go down the road of reform, with things like shorter sentences and more community sentences. the first priority is likely to be to prevent the prisons

from overflowing. thank you. this is howard — a robot who's attending a school in london to make sure his 12 year old namesake can keep up with his studies during cancer treatment. with a camera and speaker — and the obligatory school tie — the technology means howard can take part in lessons and even talk to his schoolfriends. jessica ure has more. they diagnosed me with, um, a rare type of tumour. um, and, yeah. and it's really painful. and i've been undergoing weekly chemotherapy for about five months now. since starting chemotherapy in december, missing school has been weighing heavily on howard's mind. that was until he was introduced to av howard — an interactive robot that comes to lessons instead of the real howard when he is too unwell after chemo. it's got a camera on it. i link it to my laptop, i can open the app and it can show me the classroom. so when i do that, the head starts flashing.

so that notifies the teacher that, um, that i'm trying to answer or ask a question. year seven students carry the robot between lessons, so the real howard can be a part of each class from hospital or at home. it feels quite good because we're doing the right thing for a good cause, and to be able to help him is like an honour. it's really fun when he's on, when you're taking him through the corridor because it's like, everyone, just like, "oh, hi". "hi, av howard". "hi, av howard", which is really nice to see. it was london charity momentum that worked with howard to find a solution to him missing lessons. we really try and get to know the family and find out what it is that they need. and one of howard's needs was accessing his education, which was really important to him. and so we were able to put in that referral for chartwell children's cancer trust for one of the robots. but, since implementing robot training with teachers and students, the school believes it could be a solution to help more pupils with serious health

issues for students. —— health issues. for a student that's got that kind of level of medical treatment — the fact that they're not in school regularly — it's not only about them falling behind in what they're learning. not being part of something on a regular basis is not good for their wellbeing, for their mental health. for students that can't access education for whatever variety of reasons, this is going to be the future. it's made a really big impact for someone who cares for someone like me, who cares about, like, their school. jessica ure, bbc news. as the uk continues to be drenched with rain, and the met office warns we could be in for the wettest summer 100 years, —— in 100 years, there are some places that are seeing the benefit. in kent, this striking sea of purple has arrived a week earlier than usual at one of the country's largest lavender farms. chrissie reidy has been to see the display.

nestled in the north downs, you'll find the most spectacular pop of purple. at this family farm in shoreham, near sevenoaks, this year's lavender has flowered early. very early injuly, and this entire field with 80,000 lavender plants in it is in full bloom at the moment. and the reason behind that, we believe, is because it was a relatively mild winter. so even for most people, it probably felt a very long, cold and wet winter. we didn't have the low temperatures from snow or from late frosts or anything,, so the lavender sort of very much enjoyed the mildness. the smell of the lavender is simply divine. lavender was first planted here at castle farm more than 20 years ago. there were three varieties in this field alone. a carpet of vibrant purple that makes you want to kick off your shoes and have a picnic in the rain. is it the sort of place, you come in here, you forget all your troubles? yes, absolutely.

absolutely. you can be here and just be miles away and just not think of anything else but the beautiful lavender. i'm from south africa, and, um, this experience is wonderful. in spite of the rain, - i love the place, i love violet and i love this colour, i love the flowers. - the lavender is either hand cut into bunches, or harvested for its precious oil. this particular ladybird variety has an incredibly smooth and honeyed scent, and we all know that lavender is really good for relaxation. it's incredibly soothing, it's got anti—anxiety effects, and a lot of people are taking a lot more care of themselves nowadays, which is just lovely to see. and they understand the importance of spending time in nature, and of the benefits that nature and plants can do. so, as its perfume fills the valley, come rain or shine, it seems everyone loves lavender. chrissie reidy, bbc news.

matt's got the forecast for the weekend, and the euros final on the way. but before that, matt, summer's still proving a little shy in some parts of the country? it certainly is. we could do with a p0p it certainly is. we could do with a pop of those lavender colours in north wales at the moment. rather chilly as well. this chart looks at temperatures compared with normal. it even deepens and gets colder on friday and saturday. extending across much of western europe. whereas some are hiding? in the east. this is the greek island of nexos. not great news with an influx of tourists on the way as well with the drying up of that reservoir. the low pressure which brought a months worth of rain has eased off. this weather system sitting across parts

of england and wales. writer in the north and west compared with yesterday. the warmest conditions are in the south where it has been much sunnier of late. clearer skies across scotland and northern ireland and the the chilean night, particularly in rural areas down into mid single figures. a lot of cloud across england and wales. the outbreaks of rain in wales and the south—west could become heavy and thundery. a keen breeze blowing towards eastern areas. much of scotland and northern ireland will be reasonably bright, sheltered from the northern winter. temperatures in glasgow could be 20 degrees. in the western isles it will feel cool and distinctly chilly along the east coast as the breeze starts to pick up. that would be noticeable into the evening. as we head into the weekend, there will be severe storms

across central europe tomorrow into saturday. it will creep north into scandinavia and extends a bit of then implement into the weekend. a bit of uncertainty how far west it gets. in the east of england that could be outbreaks of rain, strengthening whence. in south wales and the west staying cold with a few showers. forall, and the west staying cold with a few showers. for all, temperatures still a good way below where you want to be at this stage injuly. low pressure pushing further away going into sunday. i am optimistic things will improve during the day. cloudy in the morning with isolated showers. a lot of sunshine to end the day. great news if you are heading off to one of the big screens in england to watch a certain matching into sunday evening. if you have tickets to head further afield, evening. if you have tickets to head furtherafield, not evening. if you have tickets to head further afield, not only lucky you but the weather is in your favour as well. dry, sunny and more like an english summer than a spanish one.

that signals a bit of good luck in ourfavour. that signals a bit of good luck in our favour-— that's all from today's bbc news at one. enjoy the rest of the day. goodbye.

live from london. this is bbc news. england fans celebrate as their team reaches the final of the european championships. parliament finds watkins, watkins turns, _ parliament finds watkins, watkins turns, watkin _ parliament finds watkins, watkins turns, watkin scores! _ parliament finds watkins, watkins turns, watkin scores! —— - parliament finds watkins, watkins turns, watkin scores! —— palmer. turns, watkin scores! —— palmer finds— turns, watkin scores! —— palmer finds watkins. _ from non—league to national hero in nine years, substitute ollie watkins slotted home england's winner. a vigil is held to remember hannah, louise and carol hunt — the family of bbc commentator

john hunt — who were killed in a crossbow attack in bushey. water bills in england and wales are set to rise by 20% over the next five years. and police are searching for a man afterfinding five years. and police are searching for a man after finding two suitcases containing human remains by clifton suspension bridge in bristol. hello and welcome to bbc news. england are preparing for sunday's euro 2024 final against spain in berlin. last night's 90th—minute strike from substitute ollie watkins sealed a 2—1 semifinal victory over the netherlands, to the delight of fans across the country. nesta mcgregor now reports on a dramatic night in dortmund. palmer finds watkins. watkins turns, watkins scores! ollie watkins, less than ten minutes on the pitch, for a moment that will be for ever remembered.

ollie watkins, that is wonderful!