hello from the bbc sport centre. i'm hugh ferris. he might be about to embark on his first series as england's test cricket captain. but ollie pope says the team is still ben stokes�*s as he prepares to lead them in the injured skipper�*s absence. an injury has ruled stokes out of the three matches against sri lanka and despite him still being around the squad, pope will try and make the captaincy his own. i think he's going to let me go do my thing over the course of series, which is good for me, but at the same time he will obviously be watching, chatting with baz, so i can have those conversations in the intervals that i think anything needs to change and bounce ideas off each other. he has said he is more than happy to let me do my thing, and we've got some great coaches. obviously, he isjust another and we've got some great coaches. obviously, he is just another brain in the changing room. if he sees something, him and baz can chat about it. it is only positive having him around. the premier league's opening weekend is all done but there are still plenty of moves expected before the transfer window

shuts at the end of august. and perhaps unsurprisingly chelsea are at the forefront of the latest one. they've agreed a fee forjoao felix to move from atletico madrid. a deal which will include conor gallagher going in the other direction. the england midfielder was on the way to spain last week but had to wait for atletico to sell someone to raise the money to buy him. felix will return to stamford bridge on a six—year deal after spending time there on loan two seasons ago. elsewhere, wolves have made an offer to sign aaron ramsdale on a season—long loan deal after the goalkeeper lost his place in the arsenal team to david raya. the bid includes an option to make the move permanent in 2025. and brighton have broken their transfer record to sign georginio rutterfrom leeds for 52 million dollars. the french forward was also the biggest deal in leeds�* history in january 2023, and he has agreed a five—year contract. jannik sinner has won a fifth tournament of 2024, beating frances tiafoe to claim the cincinnati open title.

the world number—one was playing in his first event since pulling out of the olympics through injury but beat the american in straight sets. sinner is now heading to new york for the us open. hard court is a bit different, so let's see what i can do there. it is a good feeling, for sure, but i know that it a good feeling, for sure, but i know thatitis a good feeling, for sure, but i know that it is completely different, the situation from here and new york. the best last grand slam. the amount of pressure is also a bit different, but i'm just, you know, quite relaxed going into that tournament, trying to play with a positive mindset, and even trying to play as relaxed as possible, then we will see what i can do. like sinner, aryna sabalenka won the australian open injanuary. but the belorusian has had to wait until now to claim her first title since. she beatjessia pegula in straight sets in the cincinnati final, ending the american�*s nine match winning streak.

and the world number two is looking to build on her win at the us open. i think ithinki i think i was really emotional in washington and toronto, coming back after injury. i was like, i was overreacting. ijust after injury. i was like, i was overreacting. i just stepped after injury. i was like, i was overreacting. ijust stepped back and realised that i play my great tennis when i was calm, and confident that no matter what is going on in the court, i will be able to keep fighting and try my best. there is no other way for me if i want to do well here in new york. i have to build that, not that confidence, but build that belief on court. i have to practise that and have this belief that i will be able to turn around a much no matter what the situation. ijust to turn around a much no matter what the situation. i just tried something... the situation. i “ust tried something. . ._ the situation. i 'ust tried something... the situation. i 'ust tried somethina... ., ., ,, something... more on our website. more sport — something... more on our website. more sport in _ something... more on our website. more sport in the _ something... more on our website. more sport in the next _ something. .. more on our website. more sport in the next hour- something... more on our website. more sport in the next hour on - something... more on our website. more sport in the next hour on bbcj more sport in the next hour on bbc news. now, back to lucy. let's take you back to sicily, where

specialist italian divers have begun a fresh search for six people missing after a british luxury yacht sank in a freak storm off the island on monday morning. morgan stanley international bank chairmanjonathan international bank chairman jonathan bloomer, international bank chairmanjonathan bloomer, together with his wife and lawyer, are among those missing. british tech tycoon mike lynch and his 18—year—old daughter hannah are also missing. the yacht sank in bad weather in the early hours of monday. a man's body has been recovered. the body hasn't yet been formally identified but the coastguard in palermo have said it was the ship's cook. the yacht is on the sea bed right now, 50 metres underwater. last night the fire service said divers couldn't access the cabin is due to furniture blocking passage ways. edward llewellyn is the uk ambassador to italy and has been talking to our correspondent. i’m italy and has been talking to our correspondent.— italy and has been talking to our corresondent. �* , ., , correspondent. i'm here 'ust outside palermo, correspondent. i'm here 'ust outside palermo. in — correspondent. i'm here 'ust outside palermo, in porticello, _

correspondent. i'm herejust outside palermo, in porticello, where - correspondent. i'm herejust outside palermo, in porticello, where this. palermo, in porticello, where this terrible tragedy has happened. here with my team from the embassy to support the british citizens caught up support the british citizens caught up in this terrible tragedy. the search operation continues this morning for those who are missing. we have four missing, and seven british nationals who are accounted for, but obviously i've been talking as well both yesterday and today to the italian authorities, to the coastguard, the police, the fire brigade, who are engaged in the search operation at the moment, and liaising with them, and hearing everything they are doing. above all, my heart goes out, all our hearts go out, to those caught up in this terrible tragedy in what is such a beautiful setting but such a terrible thing to happen not far from here. terrible thing to happen not far from here-— terrible thing to happen not far from here. . i. ., _, , from here. have you had contact this mornin: from here. have you had contact this morning with — from here. have you had contact this morning with the _ from here. have you had contact this morning with the british _ from here. have you had contact this morning with the british survivors . morning with the british survivors staying at the hotel, or any who are being treated in hospital, and can you give us any update on their state? �* , , you give us any update on their state? �* , ., you give us any update on their state? �* ,4 4 4

state? i've spoken to most of the british survivors. _ state? i've spoken to most of the british survivors. obviously, - state? i've spoken to most of the | british survivors. obviously, those were private conversations, but i have tried to underline to them that we will do whatever we can practically to help in this very difficult, distressing, heartbreaking situation. i think that's the most important thing we as an embassy can do. so that's the most important thing we as an embassy can do.— that's the most important thing we as an embassy can do. so what is the timeline of what _ as an embassy can do. so what is the timeline of what actually _ as an embassy can do. so what is the timeline of what actually happened? | timeline of what actually happened? our reporter is with us to take us through that. let's start with where this happened, which is quite key. we know from a tracking service called marine traffic that the vessel was about 700 metres off the port of porticello, just east of sicily�*s capital, palermo. they were there before the violent storm hit on monday. you can see from this bbc map that the stormy weather swept through that area in the early hours

of monday. local meteorologists say that i weather a lot had been in place for some four days before the disaster, and that the searing heat had raised the temperature of the mediterranean to 30 celsius. that is higher than normal. this next video was taken from the shore. you can see the strength of the winds there. eyewitnesses say that the yacht disappeared beneath the water that around 5am local time. a local fisherman told us that there was a waterspout in the vicinity. this is a water spout. it is a form of tornado that occurs over water rather than land, and can generate powerful winds. these eyewitnesses told us what they saw. translation: at around 4:15am, we saw flair in the sea. we waited for this waterspout to pass. after ten minutes, we went out to sea and saw cushions and all the rest of the boat, all of what was on deck, in

the sea, but we did not find this morning, we got this very strong gust, and we had to start the engine to keep the ship in the anchor position, and we watched the ship behind us, not to touch them. we manaued behind us, not to touch them. we managed to keep the ship in position _ managed to keep the ship in position. after the storm was over, we noticed — position. after the storm was over, we noticed that the ship behind us was gone — we noticed that the ship behind us was gone. so we noticed that the ship behind us was one. ., 4 ~ 4 ., was gone. so what do we know about the luxury superyacht? _ was gone. so what do we know about the luxury superyacht? it _ was gone. so what do we know about the luxury superyacht? it was - was gone. so what do we know about the luxury superyacht? it was built i the luxury superyacht? it was built in 2008 and was 56 metres long, and had one awards for its design. it has ten crew, and a it can also accommodate 12 guests in six luxury suites. it was available for private charter. that would cost up to 195,000 euros, around £166,000, a week. one key design feature is the

most. here it is in some pictures before the storm hit. it is made of aluminium and is 72 metres tall. it is actually the second tallest sailing mast in the world. witnesses said the force of the storm caused it to snap in half, and the boat itself became unbalanced. matthew shenk is chair of the maritime search and rescue counsel. he says that the catastrophic incident happened very quickly. he also said the fact that it is a very advanced, modern and commercial vessel is concerning. divers, as we have been hearing, have reached the wreckage, but the fact that that lies some 50 metres underwater on the sea bed, and the whole is tilted at a 90 degrees angle, will make any investigation into what caused the tragedy a lot harder for the investigators. nicky, thank you so much for that. we have a live page up and running

on the bbc website. just bringing you up—to—date with all the latest development about the search taking place off the coast of sicily at the moment, and we are keeping a cross that here, too. we have live pictures to us coming at the moment. the coastguard is still very much on the scene. we are getting updates from there throughout the day and we will keep bringing those to you. one other story we are keeping across is king charles, who is visiting southport today. we just had some pictures in of him arriving at the local fire station there. you will meet front line emergency staff and members of the community affected by the disorder. regional leaders as well. we know he has met with some of the families of the victims of that knife attack that claimed the lives of three young girls. he has met some children as well, his first visit —— his first official visit to the town since the attack. do stay with us.

good afternoon. some very wet weather in the forecast, particularly for northern and western areas of the uk as we head through the rest of the week. also windy, but even further south and east there will still be showers around at times. today is a day of sunny spells in blustery showers. the strongest gusts of wind in northern ireland and western scotland, gusts up to 50 mph. this is where the bulk of the showers will be for the rest of the day. some of the showers will be heavy and thundery, emerging at times to form longer spells of rain. a largely dry story for the rest of the day further south. a few isolated showers out towards the west, but in the best of the sunshine across parts of south—east england, 23 or 2a celsius. a fresh feel to things behind the front earlier this morning. cooler tonight, showers towards the north and west, claudia here by the end of

the night. the winds are lightening a little and some of the temperatures could drop back to high single figures. coolerand temperatures could drop back to high single figures. cooler and less muqqy single figures. cooler and less muggy than it was last night. tomorrow, more rain to come. the rain feeds across northern ireland and into western scotland, down through north west england. strong gust of wind coupled with high spring tides could cause coastal overtopping in some areas. there could be showers out towards the west, then it is largely dry again, with a ridge of high pressure. temperatures in the mid to high teens in the north and west, low 20s further south. more weather fronts coming our way, this one containing the remnants of hurricane ernesto. there will be humid feeling air lasting longer is towards the south and east. strong, gusty winds wherever you are across the uk, perhaps gusting as high as 40—50 mph across england and wales, with more rain to follow. fresh feeling air

digging in behind that cold front, humid air lasting longer is the further east you are. more rain in the forecast on friday, and also windy weather. a tight squeeze on the isobars here. it will probably dry out with sunshine for most by the end of the day. further outbreaks of rain towards the south on saturday morning. goodbye.

live from london. this is bbc news.

the israeli military says it's recovered the bodies of another six hostages in gaza — as the us secretary of state visits egypt for fresh peace talks. in gaza, the hamas—run health ministry says at least ten people have been killed in an israeli military attack on a school. specialist divers continue the search for six people missing after a luxury yacht sank in a freak storm off sicily. these are live pictures from sicily, where divers say objects blocking their access to the yacht�*s cabins are making their work very difficult. "america, i gave my best to you." the words of a tearful president biden, as he says farewell to democrats — and throws his support behind kamala harris.

in the chicago later tonight