a spokesperson said the rescue effort was being complicated by rain, and could take days. the parents of bebe king — the six—year—old girl killed in the southport attack — pay tribute to their daughter. they say her sister — who's nine — witnessed the attack and managed to escape. and on the penultimate day of the paris olympics — ethiopia have set a record—breaking win in the men's marathon. those are your latest headlines. now on bbc news...cry witch: take my land, take my life: episode 1.

it's interesting to see elderly people dyeing their hair. usually, people will do it for fun, vanity, for beauty. but i think what's different here is that it's an issue of life and death. the circle of life is such that we expect to pass

on when we grow old. it's normal. in traditional african culture, the years passing are thought to bring wisdom and knowledge. i grew up understanding to honour and respect the elders. i'm here to investigate a story that is impossible to comprehend. this is the kilifi coast. for many, a chic

tourist mecca of kenya. but there's an underbelly to this beautiful landscape. there are no official statistics, but at least one elderly person is murdered here every week in the name of witchcraft. many believe the number to be far higher. i want to know what's behind these attacks. there's more than superstition at play. i have come to meet 69—year—old david nzaro at his home in a village on the outskirts of malindi town.

david is talking about the son he raised, chris, who lives here with his wife and children. david's own tiny shack is only metres away.

any misfortune can lay one open to the accusation of being a witch, from an illness in the family, a disability, an accident or a school exam failed — even something as innocuous as a coconut dropping from a tree.

people have been accused of being witches across continents for hundreds of years. reports of witches in kenya resulted in 11 people being burned to death. in tanzania, hundreds of people are killed each year accused of being witches. elderly people are abused every day. they are stoned, they are killed... ..in the killings of others because of witchcraft—related beliefs. but over half of residents across 18 african countries surveyed believe in witchcraft today. newsreel: neighbours described how a mob armed with a list of suspected l witches descended on the village in western kenya. seven out of ten victims here are men, as men are considered head of the family, and land ownership and

inheritance lies with them. with a perceived threat so close, i do wonder why david stays here. yeah.

i don't know if david's fears are grounded, i only know what he feels. but attacks here are commonplace. 74—year—old tambala jefwa lives with his wife sidi and their family, an hour's drive from david. he's been attacked twice. the first left him without an eye. the second time, his genitals

were cut and he was left for dead. tambala and sidi own over 30 acres of land. unlike most people here, they do have some evidence

of land ownership. they have a photocopy of a land title deed from years back. they don't know if it's valid and they cannot even read it. any form of land title is rare here. people rely on passing down family land. there is no will, no legal process. land brings a physical connection to the ancestors... ..and it's the source of life itself. there has been some dispute with family members over

the boundary of the land, and the immediate family believed that this is the reason why tambala has been called a witch and become a target.

tambala supported the family, but now he is the one they support. his grandson had to drop out of school. the younger family members keep watch every night. there has been no police investigation into tambala's attacks.

tambala and his family love their land, but also seem trapped by it. and in a way, it seems the same for david. he's visiting the area assistant chief to seek advice and help. the legal system sits alongside traditionaljustice. david has been to the police before and his son chris was arrested,

but released as the family requested they deal with the matter. he's conflicted, though. he'd much rather achieve a reconciliation than risk having his son locked up. for now, at night, he goes to stay with his uncle, afraid of sleeping on his own land.

over dinner, david's uncle reveals his own distressing news. david's uncle has joined the ranks of the accused. he has no idea who has sent this letter.

david's uncle has joined the ranks of the accused. he has no idea who has sent this letter. for now, david and tambala remain with their land. but others are not so lucky. this is a unique elderly home.

it's one that no society should ever need. it's a charitably run rescue centre for those who have been attacked and are unable to stay living in their own homes. around 30 elderly people live here at any time. like—minded people in the local community... i have arranged to meet julius wanyama here. his organisation, haki yetu, has recently published a report on the abuse of the elderly here and he's campaigning for change. if someone is accused to be a witch, chances of you surviving are very minimal. they use the word "witchcraft" as a justification, because they will get public sympathy. and people willjust assume and say, "if he was a witch, "it's good that you have killed him." then, historically, people here in kilifi don't have documentation.

the only documents they have is the narrative from these elderly people. that is the only thing they can use to defend and say, "this land belongs to us." so that is the connection. that's why most of men and elderly are being killed, because once you kill them, then you have removed the obstacle. it started as a regional issue, but now it has escalated to national. it's a national disaster which needs to be addressed urgently. if we don't address it, then we are losing our archives. the elderly we have, those are the only live archives you can believe and talk to, so we are losing it. they laugh.

63—year—old katana chara has been here for one year. land value has increased significantly, and it's a toxic mix

combined with the extreme poverty that villagers face.

live from london. this is bbc news israel strikes a school building sheltering displaced palestinians in gaza city, killing at least 70 people. israel says it killed 19 hamas and islamichhad members. bodies are recovered from the site of a plane crash in the brazilian state of sao paulo. all 62 people on board were killed. the parents of bebe king — the six—year—old girl killed in the southport attack —

pay tribute to their daughter. they say her sister witnessed the attack and managed to escape. and at the paris 0lympics — great britain clinches its first ever artistic swimming medal. and kenya takes gold in the women's fifteen hundred metres — for the third time in a row. hello. we start in the middle east where dozens of palestinians have been killed in an israeli airstrike on a school housing displaced families in gaza city. the al—ahli baptist hospital says 70 of the bodies it's received so far have been identified. the total number of those killed is expected to rise. these are some of the latest images from the scene — many are too graphic for us to show. the israeli military has said it killed "at least 19" hamas and islamichhad

members in the strike. that's disputed by hamas which has said the dead do not include