kamala! hello! hi! hey, there. backed by the obamas — democrat kamala harris is endorsed by the former president and his wife. and coming up on bbc news... we'll bring up to speed with the first morning's play at edgbaston with west indies batting against england in the third test match. good afternoon and welcome to the bbc news at one. arsonists have attacked france's rail networkjust hours before the opening ceremony of the paris olympics. the country's sports minister described the acts of sabotage as an attack on the athletes�* games, but the mayor of paris said it will have no impact on the opening ceremony.

our paris correspondent andrew harding joins us. what more do we know? good afternoon from the gare du nord. scenes of chaos, and a lot of crowding and tight security, police and soldiers all around me, they have been here for hours. real concern of course about the disruption that the overnight attacks or causing, both to thousands of provisions who are planning to head to country homes, the beaches, for summer holidays, and also of course for the tourists starting to flood in to the french capital for tonight's opening ceremony and of course for the weeks ahead of the olympics and paralympics. the good news today is also the high—speed rail lines have been badly affected, the rest of the french rail system is ok, operating, and i am told is a lot of trains are

being diverted to those lines. for more on this, gordon corera has this report. as paris prepares to open its olympics, the country's rail network is thrown into chaos. the reason is this, sabotage. this picture shows what appears to be an arson attack on cables for the high—speed tgv line, part of a coordinated attack that has left travellers worried. i was at first a little bit scared to come here, but we already booked it, so we thought, yeah, if something happens, there are enough police people, so it will be ok. i am happens, there are enough police people, so it will be ok.— people, so it will be ok. i am not particularly _ people, so it will be ok. i am not particularly afraid, _ people, so it will be ok. i am not particularly afraid, but _ people, so it will be ok. i am not particularly afraid, but it - people, so it will be ok. i am not particularly afraid, but it is - people, so it will be ok. i am not particularly afraid, but it is true l particularly afraid, but it is true it is still— particularly afraid, but it is true it is still quite worrying. very worrying _ it is still quite worrying. very worrying it happens on the major train _ worrying it happens on the major train lines — worrying it happens on the major train lines. i hope nothing happens in paris _ train lines. i hope nothing happens in paris in — train lines. i hope nothing happens in paris in the opening. that worries— in paris in the opening. that worries me, actually.- worries me, actually. three high-speed _ worries me, actually. three high-speed tgv _ worries me, actually. three high-speed tgv lines - worries me, actually. three high-speed tgv lines were | worries me, actually. three i high-speed tgv lines were hit high—speed tgv lines were hit overnight, and an attack on another line was apparently foiled. the

signalling cables now need to be checked and we connected which will take time. figs checked and we connected which will take time. �* , ., ., checked and we connected which will taketime. a . ,., , checked and we connected which will taketime. a . . ,., take time. as far as customers are concerned. — take time. as far as customers are concerned. we _ take time. as far as customers are concerned, we estimate _ take time. as far as customers are concerned, we estimate around i concerned, we estimate around 800,000 customers will be affected. it is a lot. of course the impact on customers will be very significant. the knock—on effects have also been felt in london where there have been delays on the eurostar with one in four trains cancelled on the weekend. i four trains cancelled on the weekend-— four trains cancelled on the weekend. . ., ., weekend. i want to get to the gi mics weekend. i want to get to the olympics tonight, _ weekend. i want to get to the olympics tonight, see - weekend. i want to get to the olympics tonight, see the - weekend. i want to get to the - olympics tonight, see the opening festivities. hopefully we can get there. they said it might be a delay, but they gave three different options if we wanted to re—book. teams of french police and railway workers have been carefully inspecting the tracks, hunting for clues, as they try to work out who was responsible. ministers say an investigation is under way. translation:— investigation is under way. translation: today all the information _ translation: today all the information we _ translation: today all the information we have - translation: today all the information we have clearlyl translation: today all the - information we have clearly shows it was deliberate. coordinated nature with everything happening at the

same time. vans were found from which people had fled, particularly in the south—east, we find incendiary devices at the site. security has been tight in paris amid concerns of threats to the games. notjust the potentialfor terrorism, but also disruption by other states with accusations russia has been seeking to cause trouble. but so far no one has been formally accused of this sabotage. tonight all eyes will be on paris and those in charge will be hoping the opening ceremony showcases the city and sport rather than worries about security. gordon corera, bbc news. a coordinated act of sabotage here in france, it has had a really serious effect on tourists, passengers, but it looks like the opening ceremony will go ahead unaffected, apart from perhaps the drizzle which forecasters are warning about for tonight's games.

concern of course this act of sabotage might be the start of a bigger campaign. sabotage might be the start of a bigger campaign-— sabotage might be the start of a bigger campaign. sabotage might be the start of a bin-ercamaian. . . despite the disruption, final preparations for tonight's opening ceremony continue. our sports correspondent katie gornell is in paris. how much is the disruption dampening the excitement? {iii how much is the disruption dampening the excitement?— the excitement? of course it has been a tonic— the excitement? of course it has been a tonic of— the excitement? of course it has been a topic of conversation - the excitement? of course it has. been a topic of conversation here, although it is difficult to assess exactly how much it has dampened enthusiasm. people are still very excited. we have had acknowledgement from the authorities about the disruption on the railway. the paris organisers released a statement saying they are aware of what has happened, they are assessing the situation and working closely with rail operators. in the meantime, we have heard from the ioc president speaking to the media saying he has full faith in the french authorities. of course there was already a huge security operation

around the olympic games which is particularly intense around the six kilometre stretch of the river seine where the opening ceremony will take place. there has never happened before at a stadium. this is unprecedented both in terms of size and scale, we are nowjust hours away, as france gets ready to lift the curtain on the biggest event it has ever hosted. they call it the greatest show in sport. the olympic games have created plenty of moments etched into british sporting folklore. that is why he is an olympic champion. moments when years of hard work land perfectly. rebecca adlington was one of the stars in beijing and believes many more will be made here in paris. i think this is one of the most exciting team gb teams we've ever had, they are in such a good place, they know what they are doing and we've got so much belief

amongst the british team. it's not a case of coming in and going, we are not going to get a medal. we are not as big as america or australia or all these other countries. scrap that, we are team gb and we are going to fight and i think it will be exciting. paris with its spectacular landmarks has been transformed into an olympic park. temporary venues are scattered throughout the city where for the next two weeks 10,000 athletes will be competing for glory. among britain's best hopes for a gold medal is 800 metre runner keely hodgkinson who is in the form of her life. matt richards will take to the pool as one of the world's leading freestyle swimmers while16—year—old skateboarder sky brown is expected to upgrade her bronze from tokyo. after winning britain's first bmx title three years ago bethany is favourite to retain it. but before any of those athletes

compete, they will be part of what's been billed as the biggest open—air show on earth. the countdown is on as paris gears up the countdown is on as paris gears up for an opening ceremony like no other. 100 boats will transport 10,000 athletes along a six kilometre stretch of the river seine, taking in some of the city's greatest landmarks. finishing up here in the shadow of the eiffel tower, a hugely ambitious event, massive security operation. the sabotage of the train system has put the security in sharp focus. today in paris the checkpoints in and around the river were as rigorous as ever, thousands of police lining a maze of metal fences with the opening ceremony nowjust hours away. i opening ceremony now 'ust hours awa . ., ., opening ceremony now 'ust hours awa , ., ., ., opening ceremony now 'ust hours awa. ., ., . . opening ceremony now 'ust hours awa , ., ., ., . ., . ~ opening ceremony now 'ust hours awa. ., ., . . . away. i do not have concern. we have full confidence _ away. i do not have concern. we have full confidence in _ away. i do not have concern. we have full confidence in the _ away. i do not have concern. we have full confidence in the french - full confidence in the french authorities, all of the measures are being taken and the french

authorities are assisted, we have good reasons to have full confidence. 50 good reasons to have full confidence.— good reasons to have full confidence. , ., ., , good reasons to have full confidence. , ., ., . confidence. so the show goes on and the stars are — confidence. so the show goes on and the stars are here _ confidence. so the show goes on and the stars are here for _ confidence. so the show goes on and the stars are here for it. _ confidence. so the show goes on and the stars are here for it. celine - the stars are here for it. celine dion was part of the final rehearsal, as was lady gaga seen here outside her hotel. it is set to be the most unique and audacious opening ceremony yet and the city is now hoping the party goes off without a hitch. katie gornall, bbc news, paris. drivers are still paying too much for fuel, while supermarkets have seen their forecourt profits double in the last five years — that's the finding of the competition watchdog. it's asking the government to do more to enforce a data—sharing scheme, which helps motorists compare prices. but the body representing many fuel retailers said it was committed to keeping prices as low as possible. our transport correspondent katy austin has the latest. driving around any area, you will probably come across a range of petrol and diesel prices, but people

we asked in basingstoke this morning felt filling up was costing more thanit felt filling up was costing more than it should.— than it should. you see it rise, obviously _ than it should. you see it rise, obviously it — than it should. you see it rise, obviously it will _ than it should. you see it rise, obviously it will go _ than it should. you see it rise, obviously it will go with - than it should. you see it rise, obviously it will go with what l than it should. you see it rise, i obviously it will go with what has happening in the world at the time, but in this country especially, we are being stung. it but in this country especially, we are being stung.— but in this country especially, we are being stung. it fluctuates quite are being stung. it fluctuates quite a lot, u- are being stung. it fluctuates quite a lot. up and _ are being stung. it fluctuates quite a lot, up and down. _ are being stung. it fluctuates quite a lot, up and down. i _ are being stung. it fluctuates quite a lot, up and down. i am _ are being stung. it fluctuates quite a lot, up and down. i am most - a lot, up and down. i am most looking — a lot, up and down. i am most looking at— a lot, up and down. i am most looking at where the best place to id looking at where the best place to go is _ looking at where the best place to go is |l— looking at where the best place to no is. ., , ., ., ., looking at where the best place to rois. ., , ., ., ., , go is. it does not go down very ruickl . go is. it does not go down very quickly- it _ go is. it does not go down very quickly- it goes _ go is. it does not go down very quickly. it goes up _ go is. it does not go down very quickly. it goes up faster. - go is. it does not go down very. quickly. it goes up faster. today the competition _ quickly. it goes up faster. today the competition and _ quickly. it goes up faster. today the competition and markets . the competition and markets authority says drivers are paying too much for fuel at the pump still and said supermarkets margins were double what they had been in 2019 and such increases had cost drivers over £1.6 billion last year alone. historically supermarkets and particularly as that tended to be the cheapest retailers in this market and a few years back asda took a decision to target higher margins and rather than other retailers of reacting and offering better prices, more retailers have let the margins drift up and drivers

have paid the price. now there are several app plume are available to help find the cheapest price and a number of really tailors contribute to a voluntary price data sharing scheme but the competition watchdog wants a compulsory system, enabling motorists to see real—time price information. i think it could save drivers up to £4.50 each time they fill up as it would make it easier to find cheaper fuel. fill up as it would make it easier to find cheaperfuel. british retail consortium which speaks for major supermarkets told us they were focusing on delivering the best overall value for customers across all products and will continue to work closely with the regulator. the department for energy said the energy secretary would consider today's report and give further updates in due course. katy austin, bbc news. the health secretary, wes streeting, said england's health care watchdog is not fit for purpose and needs radical reform. he was speaking after an independent review found significant failings at the care quality commission. our health correspondent

jim reed has the latest. from hospitals to gps surgeries and dentists to care homes, the coc is the organisation in england meant to regulate all these crucial parts of our lives. a new independent review out today, though, will say the whole system needs urgent reform, and the new health secretary agrees. there are brilliant people working throughout the nhs and social care, but what we can't do is pretend that there are also not enormous amounts of failure to be seen. and for that failure to be rotting at the heart of the coc is intolerable. we will not tolerate it, we will take the action needed to deliver the radical reform that organisation needs. according to the government, the report will say a large backlog means one in five services have never been inspected by the coc. one nhs hospital has gone more than ten years since its last review. one inspector said they'd

never visited a hospital before starting work, whilst some care home inspectors had never met a person with dementia. it's really important that the public have information for life—changing things, like deciding to go and live in a care home, or for the smaller things in terms of hospital procedures, which carry a lot of risk. you want to know that they're being managed safely. in the past, the history has been that sometimes, if you don't have this external scrutiny of health services, institutional cultures build up and unacceptable practices get normalised. the cqc has been responsible for overseeing hospital trusts, including east kent and shrewsbury, where a series of maternity scandals have unfolded over several years. jack and sarah hawkins's daughter harriet was stillborn after mistakes were made by maternity staff in nottingham. the things that i would like to have changed, the things _ that would have helped us in our lives would i have been for the cqc

to take over the work that we had to do that was in fact theirs, to _ investigate properly. the regulator is meant to give hospitals, care homes and other services one of four levels of ratings — from outstanding through to inadequate — to help the public decide what form of care they need. the health secretary has said those ratings should now be taken with a pinch of salt. care home managers say the current situation is hugely worrying. the inconsistencies, the fact that inspections were taking too long, and if they were being done, that they were actually not reporting in good time — we have raised so many of these issues. the cqc says it will accept the findings of the independent report when it's published. it says it's already putting measures in place to increase inspections and rebuild trust, to become the strong regulator the public deserves.

the chancellor, rachel reeves, is to announce the results of a spending audit, which are expected to say there's a multi—billion pound black hole in the public finances. our political correspondent leila nathoojoins us now. leila, what more can we expect to hear from the chancellor? good afternoon. we expect to hear from rachel reeves on monday and she seems to be trying to prepare the public for what she wants to present as bad news from the treasury ordered when she will claim it shows the state of public finances to be in a worse state than she expected. this is a very familiar refrain we have heard repeatedly across government since labour took charge. recently concerning the prisons, in fact today concerning the state of the current regulator but when it comes to public finances this is being interpreted by some as rachel reeves wanting to prepare the ground for future tax rises and the tories

are among those who say the idea she has onlyjust got a proper look at the books is nonsense in the words ofjeremy hunt, the former chancellor. there were certainly a number of voices during the election campaign who warned both main parties they were engaging in a conspiracy of silence about the difficult decisions to come and i think decisions here is the key word. rachel reeves will be the one making decisions and choices now. she has inherited spending plans from the previous government but she is the one who will decide what rules to follow on borrowing and spending and what public sector pay rises to a board and what taxes apart from those she has rolled out in the manifesto or during the election to tinker with so i think it will be a significant moment when we hearfrom her on monday but it will be a significant moment when we hear from her on monday but we will hear herfull we hear from her on monday but we will hear her full thinking we hear from her on monday but we will hear herfull thinking in a budget which we expect in the autumn.

leila, thank you. mel stride has confirmed he is standing in the conservative leadership contest to replace rishi sunak. he is the fourth to enter the race, after ex—security minister tom tugendhat, former home secretary james cleverly and former immigration minister robertjenrick. mr stride told the bbc he knows the party is in a tough spot. we substantially lost the trust of the british people and we've lost our reputation for competence. and i believe that i'm in a very good position to address those issues going forward. we have time to do that. in terms of trust, i think it needs somebody who's going to be able to unite the party. people are not going to vote for a party that's at each other�*s throats all the time. iam respected, ithink, right across the parliamentary party. i was chair of the treasury select committee, leader of the house of commons — all of those things are roles about bringing people together. the time is 13.18. our top story this afternoon... the mayor of paris says there will be no impact on the start

of the games as organisers promise the greatest show in sporting history. the rail network in the country has been disrupted by arson attacks. we find out how virtual reality could help revolutionise the way firefighters train on the job. coming up on sportsday on bbc news... canada women's football manager bev priestman is removed as olympic head coach and suspended by the country's football federation, as the fallout continues after a drone was flown over new zealand's training session. former us president barack obama has endorsed kamala harris in the race for the white house. endorsed kamala harris in the race in a video statement, mr obama and his wife, michelle, said they would do everything to get ms harris into the oval office. our correspondent, will grant, has the latest. how significant is this boost. i

think this is the one she wanted the most. of all the heavyweights in the democratic party even more so than the presidentjoe biden or nancy pelosi she would have wanted and her supporters would have wanted to secure the backing of barack obama and his wife michelle. something to do without stardust they have within the party will bring in millions both in terms of donations, millions of dollars, and of course hopefully from her point of view, reaching millions in the electorate she needs to secure the white house. when the call came as expected the tone was fraternal. brute call came as expected the tone was fraternal. ~ . ., call came as expected the tone was fraternal. ~ . . , ., ., fraternal. we can get you through the selection _ fraternal. we can get you through the selection and _ fraternal. we can get you through the selection and into _ fraternal. we can get you through the selection and into the - fraternal. we can get you through the selection and into the oval. the selection and into the oval office — the selection and into the oval office. ~ , the selection and into the oval office. g ,, , . office. my goodness. this means so much to me- — office. my goodness. this means so much to me- i'm — office. my goodness. this means so much to me. i'm looking _ office. my goodness. this means so much to me. i'm looking forward - office. my goodness. this means so much to me. i'm looking forward to | much to me. i'm looking forward to doing _ much to me. i'm looking forward to doing this _ much to me. i'm looking forward to doing this with _ much to me. i'm looking forward to doing this with the _ much to me. i'm looking forward to doing this with the two _ much to me. i'm looking forward to doing this with the two of— much to me. i'm looking forward to doing this with the two of you, - much to me. i'm looking forward to| doing this with the two of you, doug and i_ doing this with the two of you, doug and i both— doing this with the two of you, doug and i both and— doing this with the two of you, doug and i both and getting _ doing this with the two of you, doug and i both and getting out _ doing this with the two of you, doug and i both and getting out there - doing this with the two of you, doug and i both and getting out there andj and i both and getting out there and being _ and i both and getting out there and being on— and i both and getting out there and being on the — and i both and getting out there and being on the road _ and i both and getting out there and being on the road but— and i both and getting out there and being on the road but most- and i both and getting out there and being on the road but most of- and i both and getting out there and being on the road but most of all, . and i both and getting out there and being on the road but most of all, ii being on the road but most of all, i 'ust being on the road but most of all, i just want— being on the road but most of all, i just want to — being on the road but most of all, i just want to tell— being on the road but most of all, i just want to tell you _ being on the road but most of all, i just want to tell you the _ being on the road but most of all, i

just want to tell you the words - being on the road but most of all, i just want to tell you the words you| just want to tell you the words you have spoken — just want to tell you the words you have spoken and _ just want to tell you the words you have spoken and the _ just want to tell you the words you have spoken and the friendship - just want to tell you the words you. have spoken and the friendship that you have _ have spoken and the friendship that you have given— have spoken and the friendship that you have given over— have spoken and the friendship that you have given over all— have spoken and the friendship that you have given over all of _ have spoken and the friendship that you have given over all of these - you have given over all of these years. _ you have given over all of these years. it — you have given over all of these years. it nleans— you have given over all of these years, it means more _ you have given over all of these years, it means more than i- you have given over all of thesej years, it means more than i can express— years, it means more than i can express so— years, it means more than i can express so thank— years, it means more than i can express so thank you _ years, it means more than i can express so thank you both. - years, it means more than i can express so thank you both. it i years, it means more than i can - express so thank you both. it means so much _ express so thank you both. it means so much so— express so thank you both. it means so much. . so much. so when that came the importance _ so much. so when that came the importance from _ so much. so when that came the importance from her— so much. so when that came the importance from her point - so much. so when that came the importance from her point of- so much. so when that came the l importance from her point of view is that moving forward now, in democratic national convention, it is likely to be more of a coronation and she will simply be the candidate for the party and i thought while they named her achievements as vice president, herachievements they named her achievements as vice president, her achievements in office, i thought michelle obama made an important point, that it doesn't come down to the vice president that everybody in the party will have to roll up their sleeves as she put it and that is important because donald trump is still a very formidable opponent. he has sat longer as the clear choice of his party and he is still ahead in many of the opinion polls. will, thank you. greater manchester mayor andy burnham and paul waugh,

the mp for rochdale, met people in the town today to offer reassurance, afterfootage of a man being kicked in the head by armed police at manchester airport sparked protests. our reporterjessica lane has the latest. holding up placards. around 200 people protested last night in the centre of manchester. to me, just somebody on the floor getting their head kicked in is totally unacceptable whatever happened before. a lot of minorities within manchester have very little faith in the police, but actually this video has just shocked everybody across the board. greater manchester police are a responsible body- who are going to get the facts, present them to the public. - so i don't want to jump to any conclusions. - shouting. authorities have asked people not to rush to judgement over these videos from earlier this week showing armed police officers at manchester airport. one kicks and stamps on a man before moving over to another man sitting on a bench who is stamped on, then appears to be hit by a taser.

this morning, the mp for the family at the centre of the incident says he's spoken to them at their home. there are two priorities for the family they told me they want me to make clear to everyone. first is the health and wellbeing of their family immediately, healing, getting better. but the second priority is justice and the need forjustice notjust to be done, but seen to be done. and they have been really heartened by the early engagement of the independent office for police conduct, who have engaged with them quite quickly. he said they're now recovering at home after being taken to hospital, and that they are asking people locally to stay calm. we've had a history of unfortunate division within our town. and we do not want to go to back to those days. and they wanted through me to make that absolutely clear their agenda is simply to find justice after this incident. greater manchester police described the incident as truly shocking and say that three officers were assaulted before the filming began. however, it says it understands that the use of such force creates alarm.

nojustice, no peace. a police officer has been suspended from all duties, and the force has referred itself to the independent office for police conduct, who have promised a robust investigation. jessica lane, bbc news. a disabled man has spent almost ten months in hospital because no suitable home has been found for him in the community. matthew sharp — who's 36 and has a range of complex conditions — says he's been left in limbo while the nhs and local councils debate who's responsible for his care. here's our social affairs editor, alison holt. i'm just stuck in a prison, basically. for nearly ten months, 36—year—old matthew has been stuck in epsom general hospital in surrey. he has tourette's syndrome. his involuntary tics or spasms are so severe they've damaged his spine. but he doesn't need an acute hospital bed. he needs a supported home in the community. life is very difficult

at the moment. life is sad and i feel a lot of anger. you know, my back tics get worse when i'm, basically when i'm stressed and when i'm upset. hi. lovely to see you. in addition to his tourette's, matt has a range of other physical and mental health conditions and a learning disability. matt, can ijust show you something? of course you can. we asked matthew and his parents along to the nearby university of the creative arts because art is his passion. yes, one of my pictures. yeah. the stones and the barrier stops me from doing like the things what i used to do. the complexity of matthew's needs mean the nhs was funding his social care. it says he rejected a number of care places, but his family dispute that. they say one actual offer was made last december and it was totally unsuitable. the amount it must be costing to keep matthew in a hospital bed

should be being spent on somewhere that he is able to live his own life. the nhs says once matthew turned down that offer, it was no longer responsible for his case, so he was referred to the local council. for seven months there seems to have been no agreement over who should provide his care. the impact it has. is to destroy, not... destroy lives. it's destroying matthew's life at the moment. - it's severely impacting on our life. the entire system is broken. and matthew, if you look at matthew's case, his isjust a prime example. nhs surrey heartlands says funding decisions are made in line with the national framework, and they work closely with people to ensure a smooth transition to new arrangements. surrey county council says it was aware of matthew's case in december but became involved in may. tom brown, who represents directors who run council care services in england, says with the whole system struggling, nationally, the number of disputes over who pays for care is increasing.

we've been reacting - to crises all of the time. i think that the need to make sure that the investment goes - into prevention and wellbeing - will not only help to stem the tide of demand in the acute hospitals, i it will also make a profound change to people's lives. surrey county council says it's working to find matthew a permanent home, and the nhs says he can reapply for funding from them at any time. alison holt, bbc news. a decision by police officers to hit an escaped cow with a patrol car in surrey is now being investigated as a criminal matter. the animal — named beau lucy — was rammed twice in an attempt to capture it in a residential area of staines—on—thames. the driver involved was removed from front line duties after the incident. the leader of one of the world's biggest drug cartels has been arrested in texas. ismael zambada, known as el mayo,

was earlier charged by us prosecutors with conspiracy to make and distribute fentanyl, the drug that has been blamed for the us opioid crisis. it's hoped a new virtual reality project could help revolutionise the way firefighters train on thejob. the equipment will see recruits put through their paces in realistic scenarios without the need for exposure to fire or smoke. our reporter ross pollard has the latest. it really is unbelievable that i can do this in virtual reality because this is exactly what i would be doing at a real fire scene. a new age of training firefighters. this virtual reality kit allows new recruits to experience different scenarios. i think they're finding it exciting. it's different. we're not saying that this is the only way that they would train. it's definitely about blending technology like this with that practical training. put this on first, ok. and talking of new recruits... so we're going to connect the heat

vest and here goes, ok. we're going to put the water on. so you've got the haptic feedback. oh, yeah, so right now it is actually physically pulling me back. so you've got to sort of do a... yeah. put your left foot a good two foot in front of your right. i need to turn around. oh, there we go, so there's the fire at the petrol station. which is the biggest risk now? so the fuel, there might be an explosion now. so you go to the fuel, that's your big risk. we need to embrace change. some people think, no, it doesn't work, they need to get out onto the ground and experience it for real. i kind of believe it's that blended approach. we bring the virtual world and the real world together, so we get the best of both worlds. i'm in this fairly plain teaching room at the moment, but i can put this headset on and step inside a virtual reality kitchen to see what caused the fire there. we're going to take some evidential photos inside this environment. touch it with the blue and then pull the trigger and then lift it up towards your face. as well as fighting fires, trainees can then investigate how the fire started.

this bit shows the fire coming down a little bit. this is a scenario that you can't really experience very well in the real world without being in a lot of danger. yeah, yeah. but in vr we can put you in these scenarios over and over again. besides being educational, it's really good fun. smile on his face. but i think fireman sam has no worry of me replacing him anytime soon. ross pollard, bbc news. a reminder of our top headline this afternoon. the mayor of paris says there will be no impact and wales the legal right to end their own lives begins today. 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 chris.

we are looking ahead to some dry, sunny and warm weather developing into next week and the reason for this is because of the jet stream. on saturday we have a trough encouraging air to rise upwards and we get showers so that is what we are looking at tomorrow. but look at this, into sunday we get a ridge pattern encouraging air to sink down to the surface of the earth and high pressure and that will bring us not just sunny weather but pretty warm weather. across parts of eastern england we are looking at temperatures climbing into the upper 20s into the early part next week. more on that a little bit later. thank you. as france recovers from transport disruption, final preparations are being made for today's olympic opening ceremony. following a successful games for team gb in tokyo three years ago, which athletes should we keep an eye on? gb is the only team to have won a gold medal at every summer

olympics since 1896. this year, 327 british athletes will compete in paris — among them are ill teenagers, and 17 athletes who competed at london 2012. the team will compete across 2a of the 32 sports — and the best hopes of a medal are in swimming, cycling, gymnastics, and athletics. and at these games, they're hoping to bring home between 50 and 70 medals. in tokyo, team gb won 64. for some athletes, paris 2024 will carry extra significance. mike bushell has been speaking to some of them. a warning — his report does contain some flashing images. going for my final olympic games feels very, very strange talking about it, and it's almost hard to articulate what it's like. once the gun goes off it just feels like me and the track and like i'm the only person. something that i know that i'll|

never get to experience again. probably like one of the biggest highlights of my life. _ women are strong. women are not fragile. women never, ever give up. don't tell me i can't, because i can. so good. this is what i've sacrificed. my time with my family, not partying. everything you've done to lead up to this moment. commentator: tom dean is olympic i champion in the 200m freestyle. i oh, my goodness. over the last few years since tokyo, i've had three years and i've really wanted to think about the legacy i want to leave. music plays. on the same team, but all with individual reasons why this olympics will be so special. for britain's most decorated gymnast, with three olympic gold medals, max whitlock is competing one last time for his daughter after he initially stepped away from the sport following the tokyo games.

i think i made a decision after tokyo, like that. it was a split decision that i was done. i think this decision now feels right, it feels right to me. especially after an olympic games like tokyo, the previous one being a covid games with no audience. i cannot wait for everyone to be able to come out to paris and watch. when i'm in arenas competing, and when i wait for it to go quiet and she calls for me and we do this double thumbs up. i think i'd love to do that in paris. from a legend's last to a teenage sensation's first. 17—year—old phoebe gill will be the youngest track athlete to run for team gb at an olympic games for over a0 years. ijust can't wait to share this like hotel and the olympic village with all these different athletes that i've been watching for so many years. once the gun goes off, it just feels like me and the track and like i'm the only person on that track, and ijust can't wait to run

with people i've been watching on the tv for so long. also making an olympic debut will be boxer delicious orie, who tasted success at the last commonwealth games and now has olympic gold in his sights for the country that's become his true home since his family moved from russia to escape racism when he was just seven. there's so many different people from different cultures here. i remember being in primary school and seeing a classroom with different backgrounds, you know, afro—caribbean, chinese, asian, all these people working together in harmony and ifelt like i belonged. when i'm 60—years—old, i'm going to look back and think, "oh man, i remember when i did that". and it's probably like one of the biggest highlights of my life. swimmer tom dean's gold medal success at the tokyo games went viral thanks to his family's celebrations at their watch party back home. commentator: dean's still in there. viewed in the end by 50 million on social media. this time, they can be in paris in person as tom looks to create his own legacy in the pool.

i'm a big believer in every child, you know, wanting to learn to swim, needing to learn to swim. in the lead up to paris and off the back of paris i really want to use this platform and use this opportunity and this coverage to kind of push that narrative and get as many kids into the sport as possible. sprinter zharnel hughes is hoping to follow the legacy left by his inspiration, linford christie. it was hughes who finally broke christie's 30—year british record in the 100m and now wants to strike gold, just like his idol famously did. linford has done it and i want to follow his footsteps, you know. it's just one of those intensifying moments when you go up on your set position, listening out... bang! sporting success is often driven by the memories of how a journey began. emily campbell, britain's most successful weightlifter of modern times, who won a historic silver in tokyo, will have one special person in her mind as she goes for gold. i wouldn't have been- where i am today without her.

the ead of pe was a lady called tricia fitzsimons.| every time i struggled in the school, every i time it was hard for me, every time i didn't feel i like i was going to make where i needed to be, i she was just there every single step of the way. i this time, all the athletes will have those that have inspired and supported them in paris watching them, and that will be their ultimate motivation to make olympic dreams come true. exciting stuff! still to come on today's programme, with the opening ceremonyjust hours away, we go on a tour of the olympic village with team gb. now it's time to join our colleagues with the news where you are. welcome to bbc london

with me, alison earle. first this lunchtime, the disruption to rail services hello. you're watching sportsday on bbc news with me, ben croucher. paris is primed. we'll be live in the french capital ahead of the olympic games opening ceremony. england initially frustrated, but fighting back on the first morning of the third test against west indies. max verstappen is on top in first practice for the belgian grand prix. we are just a matter of hours away from the 33rd olympic games being declared open in paris. indeed, this time tomorrow we will have already dished out the first medals, but friday is all about the opening ceremony, and one with a difference. our sports correspondent katie gornall is the french capital. katie, we'll get onto that in a minute, but most of the headlines today are on the issues affecting the rail networks. this what has the fall—out been?

well, i think from a fan's point of view, it is obviously called huge disruption for those hoping to travel to the olympic ceremony, whether that is from the uk, within france or further afield.— france or further afield. organise our tea france or further afield. organise your tea are _ france or further afield. organise your tea are keen _ france or further afield. organise your tea are keen to _ france or further afield. organise your tea are keen to stress - france or further afield. organise your tea are keen to stress it - france or further afield. organise your tea are keen to stress it will| your tea are keen to stress it will have no impact, the train disruption, on the opening ceremony itself. and that everything is going ahead as planned. we heard from the ioc president today, giving his point of view to media outside the 's village, and teeth he says he is unconcerned and has complete faith in the french authorities. bring security around these games into sharp focus. it already a huge security operation in place that had been meticulously planned on trying to prepare for any eventuality. it is very intense around the six kilometre perimeter of the river

senn, were that opening ceremony will take place. the first to take place outside of a stadium. there are tens of thousands of police and security personnel down there securing the venues, trying to secure the river itself, and hoping this goes off without a hitch. there will be plenty _ this goes off without a hitch. there will be plenty of — this goes off without a hitch. there will be plenty of fans _ this goes off without a hitch. there will be plenty of fans watching - will be plenty of fans watching along the river later for the opening ceremony. many of the details being kept secret. what opening ceremony. many of the details being kept secret. what do we know? a _ details being kept secret. what do we know? a lot _ details being kept secret. what do we know? a lot of— details being kept secret. what do we know? a lot of the _ details being kept secret. what do we know? a lot of the details - details being kept secret. what do| we know? a lot of the details have been very tightly guarded for years, but over the past few days we have had little hints here and there of what to expect. we have seen trapeze artists on high wires rehearsing across the river, along with dancers and pyrotechnics going off. lady gaga and celine dion are in paris, they are believed to be part of

those rehearsals. that hasn't been confirmed yet, neither has the identity of the person lighting the olympic cauldron. what we do know is that all be spectacular. there will be 100 barges and boats going along six kilometres stretch of the river with campus athlete, howard. 300,000 spectators watching them go along that route. for gb fans will be looking out for tom daly and helen glover who are carrying the flag for team gb. you have lebronjames coco gauff as flag hours for that team. it is going to be an event unlike anything we have witnessed before. katie, thank you very much. well, helen glover and tom daley will have the honour of carrying the union flag tonight. sir steve redgrave did it twice in 1992 and 1996, where he and matthew pinsent won

britain's only gold medal. he has been telling the bbc why team gb are so much more of an olympic force today. it wasn't that long ago, with atlanta, where we didn't win very many gold medals. in fact, i think only one. i can't remember who actually got that one! but with the national lottery then coming on board and pumping money into elite sports, as well as general sport right the way through, it's really built the team up. and that really builds a great atmosphere for the athletes to be able to compete. obviously, the better the athletes compete, the better the general public enjoy the games itself. but i think that's what the national lottery has really done, it's really crossed the board of almost every sport that we're competing right at the highest level. we used to rely on rowing and track cycling and a little bit of athletics to where the most of the medals come. now, swimming's been up there for the last three orfour games. across the board with cycling, notjust on the track, but road and mountain biking.

boxing, we look to be doing very well this time, with the six athletes that we've got. almost every sport you can think of we are highly competitive at. from a man with five olympic golds to a woman who has five of her own, and a silver. dame laura kenny retired in march as the most successful female cyclist in olympic history. masterminded by former performance director sir dave brailsford, kenny was part of the most successful era in the british cycling's history. i think that being part of british cycling has always been an honour and i think it will be for as long as it's there for, you know what i mean? i think what they did, like, under dave b's mentality and the way he came in and changed it all in 2008, i watched that myself as a kid and just thought, "this is unbelievable!" and finally, at the time, because my dad said, "anyone that then comes past that, you've got a lot of pressure."

but it never felt like that. itjust felt like, you know, we were there competing. and i mean, to be honest, we don't tend to travel, so the team this year aren't going out until wednesday. so you tend to come in a little later as well. so you've missed, like, the buzz of, like, the opening ceremony and stuff. do you consider those kind of they're a bit on their own, cliquey? um, no, idon't think so, no. i mean, they're actually not in... it's funny, because where the velodromes are, i guess velodromes are really quite expensive to build, so most countries, they're already there and then they sort ofjust fit it around. so even this time, the athletes aren't staying at the athletes' village, they're actually staying at a hotel near the track, because the commute is really long to get from the village to the velodrome. so, yeah, they're on the outside again. because that was the same in tokyo as well. meanwhile, the head coach of canada's women's football team has been removed from the role amidst the fall—out from an alleged drone spying scandal. bev priestman voluntarily withdrew from their opening game on thursday, a 2—1win over new zealand, but has now been suspended for the rest of the tournament. earlier this week, two canadian

staff were sent home after a drone was flown over new zealand's training, but canada soccer says it discovered previous drone use too predating the paris games. one final olympic story for you and an australian field hockey player has opted to amputate part of his finger to compete in paris. matt dawson badly broke a digit on his right hand during team training in perth two weeks ago. recovery from surgery to repair it would have taken months, so dawson decided to have the finger removed from the knuckle up in order to take part in his third games. he will take to the field with the kookaburras when they face argentina on saturday, just 16 days after he was injured. away from paris, plenty of sport going on elsewhere. in birmingham, edgbaston is playing host to the third test between england and west indies. england have already wrapped up the series, but will fancy a whitewash. west indies won the toss, chose to bat, weathered a tricky first half—hour

with kraig brathwaite and mikyle louis putting on 76 for ther first wicket. gus atkinson finally made the breakthrough, finding louis' edge to dismiss the openerfor 26. mark wood and his pace did for kirk mckenzie and atkinson claimed another on the stroke of lunch. just getting under way in the afternoon session, west indies are 103—3. ireland have reached 115—2 at lunch on day two of their one—of test against zimbabwe in belfast. that's in reply to the tourists first innings 210 all out. opener peter moor is 62 not out. zimbabwe's tanaka chivanga has taken both wickets. there is live text coverage on the bbc sport app and website. first practice has just finished ahead of belgian grand prix with red bull's max verstappen on top of the timesheets. the championship leader will take a ten—place grid penalty this weekend,

taking an extra power unit over what is permitted. mclaren's oscar piastri was over half a second behind in second, while williams' alex albon was a surprise third in spa. that's all we've got time for on sportsday. a reminder that you can stay across the opening ceremony from the olympics on bbc one from 5.45pm tonight. plenty of build—up too on the bbc sport website, and we will have more sport here on bbc news throughout the afternoon. good afternoon. we're on earlier later. do have a lovely afternoon. the latest attempt to give terminally ill people in england

and wales the legal right to end their own lives will begin today — with campaigners now optimistic that the law could soon change. a private member's bill will be introduced in the house of lords, before a debate in the autumn. this report from our medical editor, fergus walsh, contains flashing images. this is an issue which provokes passionate debate. this demonstration was in 2015, on the day mps voted overwhelmingly to reject a bill to allow assisted dying in england and wales. a lot has changed here in the past nine years, not least in the commons. there are 335 first—time mps at westminster. and, crucially, the new prime minister, sir keir starmer, has given his support for a change in the law, although mps will get a free vote on what is a matter of conscience. so what will they vote on? the bill would allow mentally competent, terminally ill adults, with less than six months to live, the right to an assisted death via a lethal dose of drugs, which must be self—administered.

this would need to be approved by two doctors, and there'd be external scrutiny from a high courtjudge. the private members bill is being introduced by lord falconer, who told me he believes parliament is finally ready to change the law. this bill is so important because it brings compassion to the end of life, it allows people to avoid pain, it gives them the comfort of knowing that they can end their final suffering at a time of their choosing. it allows them to have a good death, which is denied to so many people at the moment. but opponents say changing the law would send a message to the vulnerable, elderly and disabled that their lives are worth less than others. the reality is many disabled people don't feel part of society, they feel excluded. actually, their life is very difficult. and, you know, the assumption by many is that disabled people have nothing to offer society, we're a drain on society,

and we're better off dead. and if that's what you hear around you, then it will be very easy to see how disabled people could convince those making the decisions that this is a free choice. it's notjust here at westminster that this contentious issue is being debated. at holyrood in scotland, a private members bill to allow assisted dying was introduced earlier this year. an assisted dying bill has nearly completed all its stages at the isle of man's parliament, and could get royal assent next year. jersey is also planning to change the law. more and more jurisdictions have legalised assisted dying in recent years, such as new zealand, australia, canada, portugal and spain. this is a crucial issue for society, so expect more powerful argument when this bill gets its second reading and is debated here in the autumn.

fergus walsh, bbc news, westminster. controversial new powers to fine universities and student unions if they fail to protect freedom of speech have been put on hold. the education secretary, bridget phillipson, said more focus should be placed on university finances. our education editor, branwenjeffreys, joins us now. branwen, what does this mean for universities and students? there is a pretty blunt message in the announcement today by the education secretary, the big problem is the financial stability of universities alongside the statement today. they published an independent review which points out that there is a risk of a university or more than one getting to the point when they cannot pay their bills. it says more focus needs to be put on making sure that doesn't happen and

worryingly, the independent report also says there does not seem to be also says there does not seem to be a really good plan in place to protect students if the university failed financially so the education secretary says that should be top of the list of priorities and freedom of speech powers which would have meant fining universities and student unions that were due to come into force next week really are not a priority and they will be shelved. branwen, thank you. tonight, the paris olympics officially get under way and athletes from across the world are settling into the olympic village in the north of the city. katie gornall has been given a guided tour. so we're here at the athletes' village in northern paris. there's more than ill,000 athletes here from over 200 countries. this is where team gb are based, and we're going to see how they're settling in. so this is the team gb performance space. so this is the team we've got at the moment, the ladies hockey. yeah, it's a great environment.

they put their own music on and just get on with their stuff, really. everyone looks pretty happy out there. how's it going so far in the athletes' village? yeah, great. we were the first team gb team in, and it's been amazing so far. so we've almost been in a week. ourfirst game is on sunday, so final few training sessions now, so it's great, yeah. it feels like a home away from home. i'm wincing watching you there. that looks incredibly painful. how are you feeling? other than this, great. but talk to me in five minutes, maybe. can we say hello? you look very relaxed there, i must say. i'm just chilling. i've just come to the room to lay down. no, ijust come and get my knee recovery each day, do a little bit, little and often just to try and stay as healthy as possible, basically. i always feel like qualifying for the olympics is one thing, getting to the start line in one shape is a whole other thing.

so, yeah, but it'll be good. all very healthy snacks. look at that — no—one's on a cheat day here. that doesn't look too bad, i'm not seeing any ice in there. yeah, yeah, it's ten degrees. it's regulated. looks very cosy, if you don't mind me saying. it is. yeah, i mean, we don't, as a team, normally have many of them, so we could probably get three orfour in here, i reckon. can ijust say, i've never done an interview in a giant deckchair? love what you've done with the place. well, thanks very much. you know, it's been a lot of hard work, a lot of people. the village actually is in two parts — there's what we call the mainland over here, and this is an island. not only is this an oasis of calm and a great place for athletes to decompress,

in obviously what is a pressurised environment, but we have actually made it a real british home, as you can see. hello, can we come in? is that all right? of course you can. how are you doing? thanks for letting us look around. now, i've never asked anyone this before, but can i look under the covers? may i? the infamous... these are the cardboard beds. have you jumped on the bed yet? it doesn't break! so, you know, what is it like being around the other athletes who are yet to start their competition? it was really cool because andy murray sent us a little video saying, "good luck to the gb archers." and we were like, "oh, my gosh." but even like, they're on the same team as us, but it's just like it means so much. let's see what you've got, matt. so how are you guys finding life in the athletes' village so far? like, you get here and then you kind

of just want to start racing, so it's just kind of trying to manage that energy and trying to stay as cool and calm as you can be. and so stuff like this, you know, playing games like this and stuff in the village, itjust keeps you as relaxed as possible and, you know, save all the energy for race day. there we go. dinged it. come on, baby. win some, lose some. and on telly, so there we go. let's check in with chris and take a look at the weather. how is it out there. we are looking at some dry sunny and warm weather but for the vast majority of us, we will have a fine and dry afternoon with sunshine. the majority of the showers today across northern ireland and in scotland but some of those could be heavy. even where there are showers that will probably

last 20 minutes in the sunshine will come out, further southwards in england and wales, it's a lovely afternoon and you will be unlucky to see showers across wales and northern england. as far as temperatures go, close to average for most of us, highs between 17 and 24. forthe for most of us, highs between 17 and 24. for the olympics opening ceremony i think we are likely to see a band of heavy and thundery rain working through so that could be an issue, raining on the parade. back over on our shores tonight temperatures will fade away, the first half of the night is dry but later we start to see rain moving in towards northern ireland, some mist and fog forming around the western coasts and hills across parts of england and wales. overnight temperatures 9—13 . through the weekend there will be showers around on saturday but it is an improving weather picture, dry through the weekend, sunny and warm and it is down to the changing jet stream that

we saw earlier. a trough on saturday encouraging showers to develop but by sunday we get this pattern and that encourages air to descend through the atmosphere and form an area of high pressure and we can see that happening on the pressure chart. we lose these weather fronts and receive the serie of high pressure building over the uk and that will bring most areas a good three days or so of fine weather but before we get there saturday is showery. we start with rain or northern ireland, wales and south—west england, turning showery through the day but through the afternoon the heaviest showers across eastern scotland and north—east england but there will be some areas staying dry all weekend and temperatures tomorrow very similar to today. feeling warm in the sunshine. on sunday we see high pressure building on across the uk, a dry day with loads of sunshine, temperature set to climb higher so for many of us we are looking at

temperatures in the low 20s which will pleasantly warm, 26 in the capital, temperatures set to go higher and i think into the early part of next week we are looking at temperatures in the high 20s. warming up. thank you. the evening news here on bbc one will be at the earlier time of 5pm because of the olympic opening ceremony. but for now, from all of us here at the bbc news at one, goodbye.

live from paris, this is bbc news. arson and cable attacks hit france's railways just hours before the start of the olympics, winning 800,000 affected. these are live pictures from northern france as a railway engineers work to repair the damage with normal service is not expected to resume full days. the french

prime minister says investigations are under way to find the culprits and has urged the public to be vigilant. translation: it and has urged the public to be vigilant. translation: it targeted and coordinated _ vigilant. translation: it targeted and coordinated act _ vigilant. translation: it targeted and coordinated act of— vigilant. translation: it targeted and coordinated act of sabotage i vigilant. translation: it targeted | and coordinated act of sabotage has struck the high—speed rail system. —— a targeted. welcome to bbc news now from paris. the countdown is on before the palace fix opening ceremony gets under way, palace fix opening ceremony gets underway, but palace fix opening ceremony gets under way, but wasjust palace fix opening ceremony gets under way, but was just a matter of hours to go, there have been a series of fires that have hit french high—speed rail lines. the french transport minister has condemned what has been described as coordinated malicious attacks. the rail company sncf says some 800,000 customers will be affected, with destruction i was expected all

weekend. eurostar is now encouraging