president zelensky is in the uk for a summit of european leaders. speaking exclusively to the bbc, he says continued western support is vital in the war with russia. we are counting on uk leadership with this new step, because he will push other countries. a us media report says former president barack obama has told allies thatjoe biden needs to "seriously consider" his candidacy. the uk home secretary condemns attacks on public transport and police vehicles as disorder breaks out in leeds. a nearly complete dinosaur skeleton becomes the most valuable fossil ever sold at auction.

prime minister keir starmer has urged european leaders to stand firm in support of ukraine. he was talking at a summit of the european political community at blenheim palace in the south of england, with ukrainian president volodymr zelensky in attendance. the european political community first met in october 2022 and brought together the leaders of 44 european countries. the idea for the summit developed in the wake of russia's full—scale invasion of ukraine. the community does not publish binding commitments. our political editor, chris mason, sat down with the ukrainian president after the summmit. when donald trump said last year that he thought this war could end within 2a hours if he was to meet both you and vladimir putin, what did you make of that? everybody will be happy if one

person in the world — doesn't depend, donald trump or not — 0k, donald trump — if one person in the world and this person is donald trump can stop the war during 2a hours. the question is, what is the price and who will pay? do you think you would pay? ithink... i am not meaning that his idea to push us to pay, but if he wants to do it during 2a hours, the simple way is to push us to pay, because it's understandable how. it means just stop and give. and forget. sanctions out, everything out, putin will take the land, putin will make victory for his society. we will never go on this. never. and there is no any guy in the

world who can push us to do it. donald trump this week has picked the man he would like to be his vice president, jd vance, who has said in the past that he doesn't really care what happens in ukraine one way or another. what do you make of those remarks? maybe he really doesn't understand what goes on in ukraine. so for us, we have to work with the united states and if a new team will come, we have to work with them. we need their support. it will be hard work. hard work? could be hard work to persuade them. yes, but we are not afraid of hard work. did your heart sink last week when president biden, standing right next to you, introduced you as president putin, of all people? translation: no, hejust made a mistake. honestly, for me, it means nothing.

president zelensky will meet keir starmer and his senior ministers tomorrow. he told me he wants a special relationship with sir keir and permission to fire western weapons deep into russia. we need very strong support from the prime minister. we need this decision about long—distance weapons, long—range, to use it. we need it very much. they are targeting our hospitals, schools, universities. like i said to you, they are targeting civilians. we just want to answer to exactly the point where from they target us. how does this war end? and how soon could it do? do you have to restore ukraine to the borders that you had before 2014 in order for you to be convinced that that is grounds for peace? translation: it depend

on partners who will putl pressure on russia, so that russia agrees to sit down and think about ending the war. it doesn't mean that all the territories are won back by force. i think that the power of diplomacy can help. i want to try and understand, on behalf of our audience, how it is to be a wartime leader. how do you keep going? i am not sure that i am some special man or something like this, really. i had...i think... very good parents, and to have values of ordinary, normal people. we all have our limits, we are all human — could you reach the point where you couldn't go on as president? yes, ithink, yes. everybody... because we are just people.

you could reach the point where you would have to hand over to someone else? yes, of course. in the next year, the next few years? after the war. so you keep going until the war is done. we have to finish with it and we have to finish with him. i think it is very important for our people, our country. finish with vladimir putin? yes. mr president, thank you for your time. thank you so much. thank you. now to the us. barack obama is reported to have told allies that joe biden must seriously consider whether he can win a second term. this is how the washington post reported this story. mr obama is a powerfulfigure within the democratic party, and his words will put more pressure on a beleaguered president to quit seeking re—election. meanwhile, at the republican national convention in milwaukee, it's donald trump's turn to take to the stage. the former president will formally accept his party's nomination and make a wide ranging

speech expected to last more than an hour. it will be mr trump's first speech since surviving an assassination attempt at the weekend. our north america editor sarah smith has this story. looking frail and unsteady, it is almost painful to watch joe biden making his way home to isolation. there couldn't be a worse time for him to catch covid. he has had to pause his campaigning just days after watching donald trump get shot and walk it off. earlier he had told black entertainment television in what circumstances he would step aside. if there is some medical condition that emerged, if doctors came to me and said, you have this problem, that problem. former president barack obama, who appeared withjoe biden at a recent fundraiser, is said to be concerned he can't beat donald trump and is worried about protecting the legacy of a leader who has achieved a great deal in one term. last weekjoe biden called into the morning joe tv show

to say he's not standing aside. today, the presenter had a message directly for his closest advisers. it is really incumbent on people that are around joe biden to step up at this point and help the president, and help the man they love, and do the right thing. vice president kamala harris is very carefully carrying on with business as usual, campaigning in north carolina, but ifjoe biden does step aside, she could take over. not only is she his number two, she has big political backers. we are 110 days out from the election. nearly every time, we will say this is the one. well, this here is the one. at the republican convention in milwaukee, the mood is positively joyful. they seem to be blessed by good news. at a fringe event last night, they heard from donald trump for the first time since

he was shot. it's what they call a close call. that was amazing, horrible thing, amazing, and in many ways it changes your attitude, your viewpoint, your life. his running mate, jd vance, got his moment in the spotlight. he might want to work on how he waves, just to avoid misunderstandings. and he talked about the america he says he wants to restore. a country where a working class boy born far from the halls of power can stand on this stage as the next vice president of the united states of america. applause. tonight is donald trump's turn. he has had a hero's welcome every time he shows his face here. expect the audience to go into raptures when he actually delivers what is being described as a very personal speech. for more on this, let's speak with us political analyst calvin dark.

calvin, thanks for speaking with me today. it's notjust barack obama that is raising concerns, we have also seen reports that nancy pelosi is also telling house democrats that biden may be persuaded to step down at some time, doesn't feel like it is becoming a question of when rather than if? , , �* , , ., if? yes, i believe it's been a question _ if? yes, i believe it's been a question of— if? yes, i believe it's been a question of when _ if? yes, i believe it's been a question of when for - if? yes, i believe it's been a question of when for quite l if? yes, i believe it's been a question of when for quite a j question of when for quite a while. but i think what's more important than what exactly obama and pelosi and schumer say is that we know they said something. because we know that the strategy has been to go to biden privately and convey a message, and clearly that's not, the message is not being received in the way they intend, so they are allowing this to come out in public that they had done it, because if they had done it, because if they were not wanting this to be known publicly, they would have shut it down quickly. so i think this isjust have shut it down quickly. so i think this is just becoming more and more public to put the pressure onjoe biden to make the decision that is inevitable.- the decision that is inevitable. �* ., , .,~

inevitable. and if it does make the decision, _ inevitable. and if it does make the decision, what _ inevitable. and if it does make the decision, what happens . inevitable. and if it does make i the decision, what happens next with the democratic party, the need to quickly rally behind another presidential candidate? i think there are two things to keepin i think there are two things to keep in mind about that. one, sometimes it confuses people when we see statements from the white house that biden is 100% in, he has no intention of getting out of the race possible, he has to be 100% in until he's out. he can't say, we are thinking about it tonight, he is going to say that until the moment he decides to withdraw, then we're going to see the plan imagine that plan will be them saying that plan will be them saying that he will endorse kamala harris. it is logistically easier and legally easier and the money always falls near washington, dc, she can have access to the campaign funds they have raised in a way other candidates couldn't, so she becomes more practical choice. we are still a few hours away from president trump taking the stage at the republican convention, do you think he

will address what is happening with the democrats and biden? it wouldn't surprise me if you did because trump is on a winning position now and he believes that if he ignores biden, that potentiallyjust says more than if he confronts biden because he doesn't see biden because he doesn't see biden as a threat in the message coming from the trump campaign is, even though i think they do want biden because he is the weaker candidate, they are saying whatever democrat, the enthusiasm on the trump ticket with jd vance enthusiasm on the trump ticket withjd vance can defeat any democrat, that is the tone we're going to see former president trump tonight. find we're going to see former president trump tonight. and we have witnessed _ president trump tonight. and we have witnessed a _ president trump tonight. and we have witnessed a unified - have witnessed a unified republican party at the convention although there are some established republicans that are notable who are not there, mike pence, mitt romney for example our absence, clear indication that this is very much trump's party. yes, and the only living _ much trump's party. yes, and the only living former- the only living former republican president is nowhere to be seen. that shows you that this is now the party of trump. i think we will hear a message of unification tonight from trump, but where, he doesn't

mean unification in america with democrats, he meets unification with the republican party and all those who want to join him against the left, against immigrants and i think we're going to see a lot of that tonight.— that tonight. -- against democrats. _ that tonight. -- against democrats. just - that tonight. -- against| democrats. just looking that tonight. -- against - democrats. just looking beyond the convention for the republican party, how do you see the next few months and weeks turning out?— see the next few months and weeks turning out? one thing i think we have _ weeks turning out? one thing i think we have got _ weeks turning out? one thing i think we have got to _ weeks turning out? one thing i think we have got to be - weeks turning out? one thing i | think we have got to be worried about is that in all the chaos with the biden campaign and all the good chaos so to speak very positive reception after the tragic assassination attempt, we forget that donald trump is historically a weak candidate in the good to be afraid once democrats get a candidate who may be a real challenge to them, the focus will be on trump and the weaknesses that have made even some republicans say he is not fit to go back to the white house.— say he is not fit to go back to the white house. thank you for our the white house. thank you for your thoughts. _ the white house. thank you for your thoughts, calvin. - the uk home secretary yvette cooper has condemned attacks on police vehicles and public transport in the city of leeds.

west yorkshire police say they are dealing with ongoing disorder which has broken out in the harehills area. footage here shows a double decker bus set on fire. a large crowd also attacked a police car and flipped it on to its side. our correspondent chi chi izundu has the latest. so, this started about five or six hours ago, when police were called to an address in luxor street in the harehills area of leeds. they were called there to deal with an ongoing incident that involved agency workers and children. now, those people had to be moved to safety when other people turned up and police described what happened as "pockets of disorder" breaking out. as you said, there is a social media footage online showing people, large crowds attacking police vans, throwing objects, setting things on fire in the street, and as you can see, the bus burnt out, double—decker bus has been set on fire and completely burnt out.

we do know that the police car that was flipped on its side by that crowd has now been removed, but there is still a very heavy police presence in the area. we understand that west yorkshire police have called for the help from northumbria and north and south yorkshire police forces to assist them in trying to control what's going on. footage shows them in riot gear. they are asking people to stay away from the area — some roads have been closed — and they are asking people to stay at home. around the world and across the uk. this is bbc news.

the first report published by the uk's covid inquiry has found significant flaws in the government's pandemic preparations that resulted in coronavirus causing more deaths and economic damage than it should have done. the damning report, the first of at least nine that

will be released by the inquiry, said the government and devolved nations had "failed their citizens", and that "radical reform" was needed to prepare forfuture emergencies. here's our health editor, hugh pym. empty streets, schools closed. deadly viruses aren't new and mask wearing has been enforced. previous global outbreaks, like swine flu and sars, showed the world how an infectious disease could be controlled. but when covid struck, doctors like lisa remember how the uk was not ready. we were not prepared at all for anything of this level. we were scrambling to try to piece things together. we've had so many opportunities in the past — with sars, with swine flu — to learn lessons about how to lock down, how to have stockpiles of protective gear, how to wear masks properly. and we've learned nothing. today, the findings from the first phase of the inquiry were published.

it concluded, "the uk was ill prepared for dealing with a catastrophic emergency," and then went on to state that, "in the years leading up to the pandemic, there was a lack of adequate leadership, coordination and oversight." i have no hesitation in concluding that the processes, planning and policy of the civil contingency structures across the united kingdom failed the citizens of all four nations. there were serious errors on the part of the state and serious flaws in our civil emergency systems. this cannot be allowed to happen again. the bereaved, including deborah, seen here on the left, gathered at the inquiry. her mother contracted covid in march 2020 and didn't survive. a very comprehensive report, hard—hitting. there's a lot in there, you know, the families, what we've experienced. it's there in black—and—white now, they said the government were ill—prepared.

that's incredible... and those working in social care felt vulnerable as covid first spread. there was no preparation for infection prevention at all within the care home setting. did you? maria was in charge of a care home in early 2020. herfirst resident died of covid in mid february, but in the week it took to confirm it was the virus that killed him, another nine residents contracted it. in those early days, there was no guidance, there was no ppe being sent to us. it was extremely scary. it was extremely isolating to be told to kind ofjust get on with it, really. it felt like an absolute war zone. it was just... ..like us versus the virus. today's report says rather than focusing on how to stop the spread of a disease, including stockpiling ppe

and preparing a testing programme, the uk was too focused on coping with the consequences. as the report concludes, they should've concentrated on tackling the causes. here at the inquiry, baroness hallett has made a series of recommendations, including for a uk wide statutory body, bringing together westminster and the devolved administrations to work on future resilience planning. she said based on the evidence she heard, another pandemic was likely. she said she wanted responses within six months, a view shared by campaigners gathering opposite westminster and determined to hold ministers to account. hugh pym, bbc news. the headquarters of the national television station in bangladesh has been stormed and set on fire. protesters are calling for the authorities to scrap a controversial quota system for governmentjobs that gives favour to relatives of independence fighters. there are reports of dozens of people killed in clashes between students and police

but bbc bengali have been able to verify 19 deaths. the bangladeshi information minister told the bbc that broadcasts had been stopped and most employees had left the building in dhaka. in russia, the espionage trial of the journalist evan gershkovich has heard witness testimony behind closed doors. his employer, the wall streetjournal, says the case is a sham. the 32—year old has been in detention since march last year, but this week the unusually rapid pace of the trial has stoked speculation, about a possible russia—us prisoner exchange. our russia editor, steve rosenberg gave us this update from moscow. suddenly out of nowhere, everything has speeded up. for example at the court session today, the second hearing, it had been scheduled to take place in mid—august but it was unexpectedly brought forward. that is unusual. tomorrow's hearing will start with closing

arguments, ready closing arguments. that is incredible when you think that if evan gershkovich is concluded dell were convicted, the maximum possible sentence is 20 years in a penal colony and after just two court hearings if you set this trial is near end. what does that mean? does that mean that there is some kind of deal already between russia and the us to bring evan gershkovich home after the trial? short answer is, we don't know for sure. the long answer is, we know there have been discussions between russia and america over a possible deal, we know that moscow is open to a possible prisoner exchange. russia doesn't hide the fact that it views jailed americans as kind of currency, bargaining chips release jailed russians abroad. the key point here is that evan gershkovich, the wall streetjournal and the

the wall street journal and the us the wall streetjournal and the us government fiercely reject the idea of espionage. supporters of mr gershkovich see this as a bogus trial and deliver if he is... the skeleton of a stegasaurus has been bought at auction in new york for $41; million — making it the most expensive fossil ever sold. nicknamed "apex", it's 8.5 metres long and was discovered two years ago near the appropriately—named town of dinosaur, in the us state of colorado. thomas magill reports. the largest stegosaurus ever found and now the most expensive ever sold after it fetched more than ten times its guide price at auction — a whopping £34 million. nicknamed apex, it's only one of a handful ever unearthed. we've only found about eight or nine stegosauruses. there are only that number of them in museums in the world, so it's a very, very rare animal. and to find one of this size and this completeness is phenomenal.

the plant—eating dinosaur was discovered two years ago in colorado in the usa. a chance finding that was almost missed. so we started walking around. we walked for about an hour—and—a—half. we went down off a road and into a ravine, and my friend was walking in front of me and when he stopped to turn around, i said, hey. i was like, there's a femur sticking out of the wall down there. and he was standing right on top of it, and he looked down and he said, i said, where? below the lichen? and i said, no, it is the lichen. since then, experts have been painstakingly putting it back together, every bone revealing more and more about its life on earth 150 million years ago. the sacral bones are fused, which tells us that it had arthritis. there are no bite marks or any other signs of a battle. it was around other stegosauruses. it had a good relationship with other stegosauruses! it lived a long life

and likely died of old age. at 40 million then... in recent years, similar fossils have been bought by private collectors. sold...! for now, the buyer here is unknown. unlike stan, the tyrannosaurus rex, which sold in 2020 for £29 million to the natural history museum in abu dhabi. everyone will be hoping for a similar fate for apex. thomas magill, bbc news. that's all for now — stay with bbc news. business today follows under the top of the hour we will bring you to the republican national convention in milwaukee. have ourfull milwaukee. have our full coverage milwaukee. have ourfull coverage in the event including the expected speech from former president donald trump. hello there. thursday brought us the kind

of weather we've just not been accustomed to of late. it was very warm and sunny across large parts of the country, and the highest temperatures got up to 28.4 celsius at iver waterworks in buckinghamshire. it'll be even hotter than that, though, for friday, with top temperatures expected to hit 31 or 32 celsius, which would make it the hottest day of the year so far. at the moment, we do have some patches of low cloud affecting scotland and northern ireland, coming up through the irish sea as well. so with that, some mist and fog patches to start the day friday, an occasional spit of drizzle across these northern and western areas. but friday is going to be a hot day, particularly for england and wales, because we've got this big ridge pattern in thejet stream, and that's making an area of high pressure. it's that high pressure that's bringing the hot air and particularly focusing it across england and wales. so this is where we'll see the best of the sunshine and the highest temperatures. further north and west, though, we do start off with that low cloud, a few mist patches around, a bit of drizzle too. the weather should at least brighten up, with some sunny spells coming through for a time, ahead of this next area of rain that

will turn quite heavy. but it will arrive quite late in the day. 21 degrees or so, still not bad for scotland and northern ireland, but hot for england and wales. temperatures, high 20s quite widely, even 31, 32 degrees in the hot spots, so it is likely to be the hottest day of the year. into the weekend, we see a change to cooler weather conditions as this weather front slowly pushes its way eastwards across the country. the front itself bringing the rain, though, quite quickly on saturday into northern ireland and western scotland, eventually reaches wales and western england. the rain heavy at times with some thunder, could be some localised flooding mixed in with this lot. east scotland, parts of east wales and most of england, it's another largely dry day. there will, though, be more high cloud in the sky, so any sunshine is likely to be much hazier. and the temperatures, well, mid—20s in the hot spots, maybe the high 20s across parts of eastern england. but by sunday, the cooler atlantic air will have reached all parts of the country. any rain clearing away from east anglia, south—east england with a few showers into the north—west of the uk. temperatures back down

into the high teens to low 20s, and it's that kind of weather pattern that we see, then, into next week as well — a mixture of sunny spells and passing showers. temperatures generally quite close to average, so it will feel ok in thejuly sun. bye for now.

china's leaders promise to tackle key economic challenges, but critics say there's no detail on exactly how they plan to do so. and a strong earnings performance from streaming giant netflix, thanks to hits like bridgerton and the crown. hello, welcome to business today. i'm steve lai. leaders in china have promised to tackle major economic challenges like weak domestic demand, local government debt and a property crisis. the remarks came from an important meeting on the economy in beijing, which has now concluded. we've heard many of these promises before, but there's still no indication of exactly how the leadership plans to turn the economy around. katrina ell, director of economic research at moody's analytics, explains why beijing was short on specifics. i think it really goes down to the fact that china is struggling with a lot of severe and problematic structural concerns.

as you've mentioned, the property market,