this is bbc news, the headlines... barack and michelle obama give ethusiastic endorsements of kamala harris in her bid for the white house, calling for a new chapter in us history. america's ready for a better story. we are ready for a president kamala harris! america, hope is making a comeback! divers use remote—controlled vehicles to try to access a luxury yacht that sank off sicily on monday. six people are missing. and bennifer is no more. hollywood starsjennifer lopez and ben affleck are divorcing, after two years of marriage. rules for travellers going to the european union from non—member countries will be changing over the next 18 months. a new seven—euro visa waiver is being introduced and will cover

people from more than 60 non—eu nations, including the uk. it means brits going to popular holiday destinations, such as spain and france, will have to pay in advance. our business presenter ben bolous has more details. two main changes coming in. the first is an electronic entry and exit system. the second is the european travel information and authorisation system — a mouthful, but it's basically a form for any non—eu passport holders to fill in and pay for before travelling. now, the first one of those, the entry exit system, will track where and when people enter and leave the eu. that's to make sure that you haven't stayed over the allowed 90 days in a six—month period. we'll have fingerprints taken and a face scan for the first time, but we won't need to have passports stamped. the biggest change for most of us will be the etias. that's the visa waiver system.

it'll be an online form requiring passport details and where you're staying, plus a fee of 7 or 6 euros. and you have to do this before you travel. the area covered doesn't include ireland or cyprus, though. this whole thing is a bit like the visa waiver scheme you may have used if you've been on holiday to the united states. the european union says the entry—exit system, that's the one that needs fingerprints and face scans, should be running by this november. the etias form and 7—euros payment should then begin by the middle of next year, potentially as early as may. but don't fret, there will be a six—month transition period at first, so you won't be refused entry if you've forgotten but everything else is in order. however, expect that by november next year you will need to have filled in an etias form and paid that 7 euros before you go on holiday. so the question is, what if,

when all of this is fully in place, you were to turn up at an airport or ferry terminal, having forgotten to complete this new requirement? from what i can see, etias will be a lot more user—friendly than the american system. first of all, it's much cheaper, just 7 euros or e6. it's valid for three years or until your passport expires, whichever is the sooner, and crucially, the expectation is that the vast majority of holidaymakers will get an etias issued within minutes of putting in the online application. so if you forget and you turn up at the airport and you've only got a couple of hours before yourflight, it probably won't be too late. we've also been out to ask what potential travellers think about the changes. i think it's typical of the european union. and because i voted to leave,

i think now that was a mistake and we should get back in, because otherwise those kind of things are going to happen again and again. but it won't stop me going because you can't even get a cup of coffee for 7 euros, so it doesn't make a lot of difference. i didn't want to leave europe anyway, so it's just an extra tax to go on holiday and explore the country and the world, so, yeah, not great. i'm not agreeing with this tax. i think it's really unfair with the briish citizen. | i'm from france. so sorry if my english - is not perfect, but for me you should stay free. for example, i come there i in your country and it's free. so why do you have to pay to come in? | of course, the remaining specific dates still need to be confirmed by the european union, but these changes are worth bearing in mind if you're planning a holiday next summer or perhaps a ski trip the following winter. so, 2025.

i know there's a lot of detail there. there is a full article on the bbc news website if you want to have a look at that. it's on the app as well. it runs through all those key points, the key dates and how it will affect any of us planning some holidays to the eu next year. just an update on our breaking news in the last half an hour. the controversial british—american social media influencer andrew tate is facing new charges in romania, these are in addition to the rape and human trafficking charges he faced initially. his home and three other properties were raided by police on wednesday morning. in a statement the authorities mentions new charges, including sex with, and trafficking in underage persons, money laundering, and attempting to influence witnesses. the tate brothers have denied all previous charges against them. they were first detained in romania in december 2022, then released from house arrest in august 2023. they are not allowed

to leave romania. let's get more on a story here in the uk, and the home secretary has outlined plans to tackle illegal immigration, including deploying 100 new intelligence officers to target people—smuggling gangs. ministers are also promising a "large surge" in the number of flights removing failed asylum seekers and others in the uk illegally. ms cooper said she wanted to introduce a "better—controlled" system to replace what she called "the chaos that has blighted the system for far too long". let's speak to immigration policy expert, zoe gardner. thank expert, zoe gardner. you forjoining us. i wonderel if thank you forjoining us. i wondered if i could get your initial reaction to what the government is outlining today. to what the government is outlining toda . ,., ., to what the government is outlining toda . , ., ., ., , to what the government is outlining toda . ., , , to what the government is outlining toda. ., , , , today. good morning. this is very disappointing _ today. good morning. this is very disappointing news _ today. good morning. this is very disappointing news from - today. good morning. this is very disappointing news from the - disappointing news from the government because what they seem to have done is replaced one costly

brutal and ineffective gimmick, the rwanda plan, with another, which is just a continuation of the failed, doom loop that we are in, of having systems that produce irregular migration and people who are unable to maintain unauthorised migration status in the uk and so come out of that status. we are not going to tackle those systems or fix them so that people have safe and legal ways to reach the uk, we are not going to fix the system that is so difficult to navigate that people who are already here with a beazer end up losing their status and working here without authorisation. instead we're going to punish the victims. —— without a visa. that is expensive, it wasted resources, it doesn't achieve anything. it doesn't change the system that is producing these outcomes. so it is simply throwing

good money after bad editors disappointing from a government that promised change. 50 disappointing from a government that promised change-— promised change. so what is the answer? it _ promised change. so what is the answer? it is _ promised change. so what is the answer? it is about _ promised change. so what is the answer? it is about addressing l promised change. so what is the l answer? it is about addressing the s stemic answer? it is about addressing the systemic reasons _ answer? it is about addressing the systemic reasons that _ answer? it is about addressing the systemic reasons that people - answer? it is about addressing the i systemic reasons that people become undocumented when they are in the uk are come to the uk without authorisation. we know that people who come here through irregular means are coming because they largely have connections to the uk and are largely escaping from danger and are largely escaping from danger and persecution around the world. the simple answer to that, we all know what it is, the truth is that we have to offer them alternative ways to travel here, alternative ways to travel here, alternative ways to travel here, alternative ways to access our asylum system. that means negotiating with the eu to facilitate that access through a programme of credible shared responsibility for the people who are seeking protection across our continent. that is difficult at what the government knows very well is that that is difficult and will take time. it is quite a tricky

negotiation to do. what they are trying to do, to cover for the fact that they are unlikely to see a fast win in terms of a drop—off in numbers, is that they are targeting the victims with detention and deportation threats. and what we need to do, we need to provide those safe routes and when it comes to the people in the uk who came here on visas, because we recruited them to work in the vast areas of labour shortages that we have in our economy, and who then, because the system is so complex and geared towards pushing people back out rather than helping them to settle here and put down roots, have lost their status. those people are working injobs their status. those people are working in jobs that uri their status. those people are working injobs that uri of their status. those people are working in jobs that uri of the viewers of this programme, most likely and making use of those services, everyday, there's a jobs we need. it makes more sane to provide the people doing those jobs with pathways back to regular station and fixing the system so

that it doesn't push people out of status, because if wejust that it doesn't push people out of status, because if we just find one of the people who is doing these jobs and lock them up and deport them, that cost a huge amount of money which goes to a private company that is enacting deportations. another person who is in the same system that doesn't work will simply fill that space, fill thatjob. so we need a systemic approach to this, not one that targets the victims.— approach to this, not one that targets the victims. hollywood starsjennifer lopez and ben affleck are divorcing, after two years of marriage. the hollywood couple tied the knot in las vegas injuly 2022 and had a second ceremony in georgia a month later. they rekindled their relationship almost 20 years after calling off their first engagement. lopez filed for divorce, according to documents seen by the bbc. the couple — dubbed "bennifer" by tabloids — met on the set of a film in 2003.

jeanne wolf is a journalist covering hollywood — she told us more about the couple and what went wrong. we must remember, it's exactly on the second anniversary of their marriage, which is kind of a statement in itself. i have to say, i felt kind of sad when i heard it. they're both so gorgeous and glamorous and everything about what we know about their life is so, you know, almost like a fairy tale. that you have to remember that they're people and so it's sad for them to break up and sad because he got to know her children, she got along well with his children and, you know, that will be upsetting too. but it was inevitable. around the world and across the uk, this is bbc news.

new figures show there were more than 1,400 new cases of mpox across several african nations in the past week. despite concern about a new variant of the virus triggering a global alert, a world health organization expert says mpox is "not the new covid," because its spread can be controlled. here's our health correspondent dominic hughes. the mpox virus starts with flu—like symptoms but leads to a painful rash and blisters and it can prove fatal. the number of cases, mainly in the central african state of congo, has doubled in a year. in its latest update, the african centre for disease control says this outbreak is clearly growing, and health experts are calling for those countries in the most seriously affected regions of africa to be supported. mpox is not the new covid. but the risk to the general population is low. we know what to do and we need this time the political commitment to go for elimination —

otherwise you will always see neglect and then panic again. so let's have a political commitment to go the last mile. vaccines and clear public health advice helped bring a global outbreak of mpox in 2022 under control. the picture today is more complicated, with at least three different variants currently circulating. but uk officials say they're ready — should a case be identified here. clinicians are alert. we've got diagnostic tests and we have a system that's well exercised in this. so i think we're well prepared to detect the first cases that come to this country. the african centre for disease control says, at the moment, access to enough vaccine doses remains a problem but it insists there is a clear plan to have 10 million available by the end of next year. dominic hughes, bbc news.

in scotland's capital city edinburgh, we're into the final week of the festival fringe. 0ur reporter meghan 0wen is there. what art? -- what art? —— what are you up to? what art? -- what are you up to? we have what art? —— what are you up to? - have been speaking to performers around 58 countries, i am joined by around 58 countries, i am joined by a physical theatre and circus act all the way from australia, thank you so much forjoining us. talk about your act and what we can expect. it about your act and what we can exect. , ., , ., about your act and what we can exect. , , ., . ., expect. it is about the search for ho -e and expect. it is about the search for hope and when _ expect. it is about the search for hope and when humans - expect. it is about the search for hope and when humans come i expect. it is about the search for - hope and when humans come together, we can— hope and when humans come together, we can lift_ hope and when humans come together, we can lift ourselves out of darkness. we live into mulches times and we _ darkness. we live into mulches times and we just— darkness. we live into mulches times and we just want to spread joy and hope _ and we 'ust want to spread 'oy and ho e. , ., , , and we 'ust want to spread 'oy and ho e, , ., , , , and we 'ust want to spread 'oy and hope. obviously it is accommodation that is expensive _ hope. obviously it is accommodation that is expensive in _ hope. obviously it is accommodation that is expensive in the _ hope. obviously it is accommodation that is expensive in the city - hope. obviously it is accommodation that is expensive in the city and - that is expensive in the city and has been challenging for performers, how have you found the financial side of things and bringing everyone over to scotland? it

side of things and bringing everyone over to scotland?— over to scotland? it has been pretty expensive. — over to scotland? it has been pretty expensive. we _ over to scotland? it has been pretty expensive, we do _ over to scotland? it has been pretty expensive, we do this _ over to scotland? it has been pretty expensive, we do this on _ over to scotland? it has been pretty expensive, we do this on a - expensive, we do this on a shoestring budget but we do it because — shoestring budget but we do it because we love it. it is our passion _ because we love it. it is our passion so _ because we love it. it is our passion so we want to spread that through— passion so we want to spread that through the world.— through the world. what is it you are bringing _ through the world. what is it you are bringing to — through the world. what is it you are bringing to the _ through the world. what is it you are bringing to the catlike - through the world. what is it you are bringing to the catlike fringe | are bringing to the catlike fringe and what do you want the world to see? ~ ., ., and what do you want the world to see? . . ., , , and what do you want the world to see? ~ ., ., , , ., ., see? we want to see these amazing --eole see? we want to see these amazing people doing _ see? we want to see these amazing people doing amazing _ see? we want to see these amazing people doing amazing things - see? we want to see these amazing people doing amazing things on - see? we want to see these amazing people doing amazing things on a i people doing amazing things on a small— people doing amazing things on a small intimate stage, performing at 3pm everyday, we want people to come and crs _ 3pm everyday, we want people to come and crs do _ 3pm everyday, we want people to come and crs do what we love. we spm everyday, we want people to come and (rs do what we love.— and (rs do what we love. we would like to see it. _ and (rs do what we love. we would like to see it, so _ and (rs do what we love. we would like to see it, so we _ and (rs do what we love. we would like to see it, so we will— and (rs do what we love. we would like to see it, so we will leave - and (rs do what we love. we would like to see it, so we will leave you l like to see it, so we will leave you to it.

they have come all the way from australia to the edinburgh fringe, and what is so special about this

festival is there are performers from all over the world, in fact 58 countries, and that has taken a lot for many of them to get here to make it work, particularly considering cost of living and the pandemic, and we have been speaking and seeing a lot of the performances here, including cabaret, circus, theatre, music and dance. so this isjust including cabaret, circus, theatre, music and dance. so this is just one of the many acts we have had the chance to see, it is the final week, it will be continuing until the 26th of august and will be —— we will be continuing to speak to performers throughout the day. i am continuing to speak to performers throughout the day.— throughout the day. i am very concerned _ throughout the day. i am very concerned that _ throughout the day. i am very concerned that they _ throughout the day. i am very concerned that they may - throughout the day. i am very concerned that they may fall, | throughout the day. i am very - concerned that they may fall, but why are you not at the top of that, balancing on the top? you could have a go. i balancing on the top? you could have a no. ~' balancing on the top? you could have a no. ~ balancing on the top? you could have a to. " " ., balancing on the top? you could have a .o_ ~ , ., 4' ., , a go. i think we both know there is absolutely no _ a go. i think we both know there is absolutely no way _ a go. i think we both know there is absolutely no way i _ a go. i think we both know there is absolutely no way i would - a go. i think we both know there is absolutely no way i would ever- a go. i think we both know there is absolutely no way i would ever be | absolutely no way i would ever be able to do something as impressive as this! i'm not sure the bbc would let me! maybe the next act. you have been there for— let me! maybe the next act. you have been there for a _ let me! maybe the next act. you have been there for a few _ let me! maybe the next act. you have been there for a few days, _ let me! maybe the next act. you have been there for a few days, what - let me! maybe the next act. you have been there for a few days, what has l

been there for a few days, what has been there for a few days, what has been your favourite moment? been there for a few days, what has been yourfavourite moment? i been there for a few days, what has been your favourite moment? i think it is seeinr been your favourite moment? i think it is seeing the _ been your favourite moment? i think it is seeing the small _ been your favourite moment? i think it is seeing the small intimate - it is seeing the small intimate venues and the larger venues. we have comedy, circus, but i think you're walking down the street and you're walking down the street and you can see buskers, performers handing out leaflets, there is a real community feel in the city. at the same time you have huge artists, huge names together with people who have come here for the first time to perform. it is the sheer variety at the festival that we are seeing. thank you. i know you will be back with us later in the day with more of those fascinating fringe performers. taylor swift has finished the european leg of her eras tour with a record—breaking show at wembley stadium. it was the pop star's eighth concert at the london venue this summer, setting a new record for any solo singer. during her tour she's played to almost 1.2 million

people in the uk alone, pumping an estimated £1billion into the economy. she does that in many other places she goes to. want to take you back to live from sicily. this is after that yacht went down on monday. the divers who can only spend about ten minutes down they are being helped by remote control vehicles that can operate on the sea bed top are longer than the rescuers. they are hoping to be able to get into the cabin area of that yacht which they haven't been able to do so far. you will of course remember that six people are missing. there are fears that their bodies will be found inside those cabins. stay with us on bbc news.

a line of breaking news we are getting from pakistan. this relates to a man... he is linked to spreading false information that is thought to have fuelled the unrest we saw in england and northern ireland after the stabbing of those three young girls in southport. he has been charged with cyber terrorism, we are hearing, from police officials in pakistan. he is linked to a website called channel three news which posted an article in the hours after the southport attack and it gave a false name of the attacker and suggested that he was an asylum seeker who'd arrived in a uk boat. that was false information. that article was then widely shared on social media. the police in the pakistan now say that

this man, who is linked to that site, has been charged with cyber terrorism. we will bring you more as we get it. now, here in the uk, there's good news for tenants as there are some signs the heat is beginning to come out of the rental market. data from zoopla shows rents are rising at their slowest pace in three years. the average increase on newly let properties for the first half of this year is up 1.6% from january tojune, dropping from a peak of nearly 7% a year ago. in a handful of cities like nottingham, london, brighton and glasgow, new rental prices were actually cheaper during the last six months than they were the previous year. 0ur cost—of—living correspondent colletta smith has the story. so this is my bedroom/office at the moment. so it's quite tight in there at the moment. and you work from home, right? yeah, i work from home, so i'm always in there.

i'm getting the grand tour of monty's shared flat. and then this is the kitchen, then? yeah, this is the kitchen. it doesn't take long as it's essentially a glorified corridor, but it doesn't come cheap. we're paying £550, each, per month. so 1,100 total just for the rent? just for the rent. that's taking a huge chunk of monty's first proper salary. in the last six months, data from zoopla shows the scales are starting to tip back in favour of tenants. the amount rents are leaping up is easing, and in some places like here in nottingham, new rents have actually fallen by 0.6%. although, renters can't be getting too excited about it yet, it is a sign that we possibly have reached the peak in rental rises, and that's a relief for millions of households who've been battered by those high prices over the last couple of years. there's lots of things causing that change. we've got reports of fewer student numbers. we've got a slower pace of people coming to the uk to work and to study. so we're seeing localised changes in demand, supply improving

through new build and some investors buying property. and in some areas, rents have simply overshot and they need to fall back to sort of a level where people can afford them. 30 minutes away in derby, rents have still been increasing over the last six months, and imogen and herfiance found it hard to find somewhere in their price bracket. we hadn't seen this house when we put a deposit down for the rent. i know! which logically you should never do, but because we'd had a few where we were like, wanted to see them first, and then they'd just go. i was so scared that it was going to go. after years of feeling like they're fighting a losing battle, this is the moment the tide is starting to turn for renters. coletta smith, bbc news in nottingham. bbc radio presenter lauren laverne has revealed she has been diagnosed with cancer and is recovering in hospital. writing on instagram this morning,

laverne said the cancer was "caught early" during a screening test and said that she was "expected to make a full recovery". the 46—year—old also thanked her medical teams for their skill and kindness, whilst urging others who were "avoiding a test or putting off an appointment" to do it today. all our best wishes go to lauren for a speedy recovery. now it's time for a look at the weather. hello, the weather in then it's couple of days will be wet and windy across many parts of the country. no pressure is driving the weather, we have here is all coming our way, bringing the wet and windy conditions, although some started on a sunny note, it is clouding over from the rain continuing to pushing over northern ireland, scotland,

north—west england and eventually north—west england and eventually north—west wales. further south, drier, brighter, but blustery in the south. windy in the north, these are the gusts of wind. some coastal gales, particularly in the north—west. temperatures today ranging from 13 to 22 celsius. through the evening and overnight, the rain continuing to push steadily eastwards then hot on its heels comes the next band of rain taking a similar track. the wind strengthening and gales through the irish sikh rain getting in to northern england, wales and later into the south—west. some clear skies and the south—east and temperatures a little bit higher to start the day tomorrow dundee were today. here is this weather front, it has the weather fronts of a hurricane and it will produce heavy rain as it moves from the north pushing south—eastwards. as it heads towards the south—east, it will start to break up and fragment, and behind it we're looking at sunshine

and showers driving in. still quite windy down in the south of the country with highs getting up to 21, 14 country with highs getting up to 21, 1a in the north. moving on, as we head into thursday night and friday, this system comes into my bringing wet and windy weather, particularly windy for a time across northern england to start the day. gusts as much as 50 mph, heavy rain. it pushes away entered the north sea by lunchtime, the rain across southern england also clears, and once again we're back into some sunshine and some showery outbreaks of rain coming in across the north—west. temperatures 13—23 c north to south. the rain in the north—west pushing across england and wales during the course of saturday. for sunday and a mixture of sunny spells and also a few showers.

live from london. this is bbc news. divers use remote controlled vehicles to try to access a luxury

yacht that sank off the coast of sicily on monday. six people are missing. romanian police raid the home of andrew tate. the controversial social media influencer faces a string of new charges, including human trafficking. barack and michelle 0bama give enthusiastic endorsements of kamala harris in her bid for the white house, calling for a new chapter in us history. america's ready for a better story. we are ready for a president kamala harris! america, hope is making a comeback! and bennifer is no more. hollywood stars — jennifer lopez and ben affleck — are divorcing, after two years of marriage.

the search for six people missing after the sinking