i'm tom donkin. in colombia, bad weather is holding back efforts of emergency workers after a landslide killed 200 people. after a landslide killed 250 people. the local governor said whole neighbourhoods had been swept away in what he called an unprecedented tragedy. president santos called on authorities to start preventative measures as the rainy season begins. president maduro has made venezuela's supreme court reverse its decision to strip the opposition—led congress of its powers. despite the announcement, hundreds marched in the capital, caracas, to protest against the original decision. the speaker of congress said the court had staged "a coup". the uk says it will defend the interests of gibraltar following warnings that spain is attempting to use the brexit process to pursue its claim to the rock. the eu has suggested london and madrid will have to agree on gibraltar‘s place in the brexit talks. it was meant to help those who couldn't afford to get on the housing ladder

to buy their first home. but it's emerged nearly four thousand families earning more than a hundred thousand pounds a year have benefited from the help to buy housing scheme in england. our business correspondent joe lynham has the details. but for the government's help to buy scheme, lina hannon and her husband would have needed an additional five to ten years before they could afford their own place in harrow. she does worry, though, that some high earners were also allowed to use the scheme. it does bother me a bit that some people that didn't really need the scheme use the scheme. but, to be fair, i think that the fact that the scheme was able to help people like me, and i know that a lot of people benefited from this scheme, it makes me feel happy. introduced four years ago to encourage house—building and help mostly first—time buyers get on the ladder, 250,000 properties have been bought using the help to buy schemes. but research suggests that existing homeowners from wealthy households have benefited as well.

using official data, research found that around 4,000 households in england earning more than £100,000 used the help to buy equity loan scheme, and 20,000 households used it even though they weren't even first—time buyers. this scheme, in place, playing a valuable part in helping people get into the housing market for the first time, should only be there for first—time buyers, and really shouldn't be there for people who are earning over £100,000 per year. itjust doesn't make sense. the help to buy equity loan scheme offers buyers up to a fifth of the cost of a new—build home so they only need to provide a 5% deposit. the government says almost 400,000 people have been helped and £8.6 billion has been promised for it in england until 2021. the fact that the help to buy scheme has helped existing and sometimes wealthy households will worry some economists.

they have long seen concerns about consumer indebtedness, rising house prices and savings at an all—time record low. if the cost of living continues to rise as it has in recent weeks and months, that will make the problem even worse. joe lynam, bbc news. next bashir al—zaidi reports on the battle for mosul — the city in iraq where he grew up. mosul, iraq's second city, home to over a million people and the scene of the greatest victory of the so—called islamic state. allahu akbar. in just four days is fighters managed to seize this entire city. it was a national disaster for iraq and declared the start of the self—styled islamic state. almost three years later and mosul has once again become a battleground.

the iraqi forces have regrouped and are now fighting back. street by street they are moving closer to capturing the city, but the threat of is remains. i am bbcjournalist bashir al—zaidi, born and raised in mosul. today i am returning home. i want to find out what life is like in the city and how people have coped with the past two—and—a—half years. and the question, whether the iraqi military that collapsed only a few years ago can really bring lasting security to the city? it has been over ten years since my last visit. i grew up on these streets

with my 11 brothers and sisters. it's a weird feeling to come back here after all these years. my hometown is now effectively split into two. i am in the east, which was recaptured a few months ago, butjust across the river in the west fighting continues. it's quite different. it's quite difficult. there's no house. that's my primary school. it's like... i couldn't sleep last night really. i was just feeling this moment. it looks quite strange. most of the buildings in the centre

of the city are damaged. it is clear that anybody who still lives here doesn't feel safe enough to come out. this is me on the left with my oldest friend karim. growing up we were inseparable, but staying in touch whilst he lived under is was nigh on impossible. i am here to pay him a surprise visit. i have no hair, i lost my hair. hello. for the first time i meet his kids and it soon becomes clear this family didn't escape the violence.

and karim also tells me everything that has happened. to hear my best friend tell me he initially welcomed the idea of overthrowing the government is a real shock, but his support was short lived. for the past two years, karim has been living in fear. his own life has been in danger. walking home one evening he was stopped here at the checkpoint. like so many people here,

karim's experience of living under is has changed his life for ever. this man and his son say anyone who had the choice has already fled. hearing how desperate living conditions became under is i wonder

what has happened to my childhood home. 0h. so the house is occupied by a university teacher. they feel nervous talking to the camera but they told me what happened in this street in the past couple of years. actually i was also surprised to hear what they told me. there were many is families here on this street. it's an eerie feeling to know many of the houses in my old street were occupied by is militants. ali is the only person i recognise here. in this city of over a million people it seems everyone‘s lives has been altered by is. the mosul i remember

is very different. every spring would bring coachloads of tourists. the city was full of life. but now mosul is effectively divided in two. the eastern half has been recaptured with a fierce battle raging for control of the west. thousands on both sides are queueing to leave. this is the outskirts of the east. these men are waiting in line to obtain security clearances that give them the freedom of movement. the government says it is important that everyone clears their name. sitting on the side of the road is 18—year—old salah and his only child. he hasjust arrived here with some of the families. they are tired and hungry.

salah says they have used all their savings and life has become unbearable. security is a top priority but the task of stabilising mosul after is won't be easy. there was deep anger aimed at the government before is arrived. protesters came out onto the streets and the army and police force were accused of corruption, sectarianism and abuse. the mostly sunni city had come

to hate the practices of a shia—dominated army. by the time is entered mosul the anger had reached its peak. the big challenge now is to restore security without reigniting sectarian tensions. today we have joined these agents from the iraqi national security service. they are about to raid addresses all across mosul. their aim is to root out is sleeper cells that have launched attacks across the city. the plan is to arrest nine suspects in multiple locations. as we enter the first neighbourhood, everything looks very familiar. incredibly we have arrived on another street

i grew up in as a child. my friend's house was here. and we were sitting there when we played. and this was our football pitch. we had to seek shelter on the pavement whenever there was a car coming. now i hearfrom children they do not go out that much because of the drones from is. i suddenly recognise one of the families. farah says the christian families living on the street fled when is arrived. his family also had to move for their own safety. is have been using small drones to drop big grenades on both

security forces and civilians. although the damage is usually quite small, there is a lasting psychological impact. it is not long before the iraqi intelligence agents track down their first suspect. the agents learn there are more men in the house. three suspects are rounded up at this address, including a teenager. a warning shot. it seems in this area everyone is treated with suspicion. in total, the agents arrest six men. they wouldn't provide us with details of their crimes but told us it took months to build

enough evidence to justify a raid. it is difficult for me to see the people of mosul become used to violence on their doorsteps. it seems like every street in my hometown has its own story of brutality. but restoring safety won't be easy. today the army is all too aware of its past reputation. i am taking a tour of the city with a field marshal in charge of recaptured areas in mosul. the recapture of mosul has helped to restore some

of the army's reputation. the field marshal says he is relying on this goodwill for the future of the city's security. a lot is riding on this new—found goodwill towards the army and police, but i wonder how long it will last. many people across the city are too scared to talk openly about their experiences and views. 0ne family who want to speak out are friends from my time at university. 0mar and his mother aliya have invited me for breakfast.

0mar might be concerned about the future, but there is one thing that brings him hope. we are on our way to pick up his two daughters from school. like so many parents he refused to allow is to educate his children, so this is the girls‘ first week back in school and they are pretty excited about it. this is overwhelming, it is really overwhelming to see. the kids are smiling, it is the end of the school day for the girls and the boys. hello. so they seem jubilant. it could be a special moment for the kids here because normal life maybe is back again for them.

a kind of quietness, it is something new for them, it is a new start. the whole neighbourhood seems energised by the school's reopening. i finally meet malak, 0mar‘s ten—year—old daughter. for the past week i have come to understand the relief of being free from is and the new challenges my hometown faces. my friends 0mar and karim might be uncertain about what is ahead,

but seeing these young girls back in school i know there is at least some hope for the future. hello, there. saturday brought some intense april showers, with hail and thunder and lightning reported widely. and weather watcher pictures like this that came in, this is through the evening in milton keynes, show the top of a thunder cloud. in stark contrast, a much drier day awaits us, with some warm spells of sunshine. mind you, it's going to be a tad chilly to start sunday morning. a frost in the glens of scotland and northern ireland. ground frost also through north wales, the north midlands and northern england. so very much chillier than it has been in recent nights and there could be a bit of mist and fog around for the first few hours of the morning, but otherwise the morning looks set to bring the best of the sunshine for the vast majority, as you can see. temperatures just slow to recover after the chilly start. still that potential for some cloud around and some lingering showers from the day on saturday, but very isolated in comparison. mostly for the north—east

of england. there could be mist and fog elsewhere. a risk for northern ireland and scotland with the frosty start. still the odd shower for northern ireland, but essentially it's a dry picture for saturday. very much a stark contrast to saturday. the cloud will tend to build through the day, fair weather cloud that is. so it may well be bright rather than sunny come the afternoon. there is the risk of showers developing in eastern areas. just one or two, in eastern england in particular. very isolated compared to those on saturday. given the light winds in the sunshine, 13—17 will be pleasant. sunshine around the coast by the afternoon. if the boat races take place it is set fair, 15—16 in the afternoon when the races are set to take place, and it won't be as rough in temperatures as last week with the light winds. some sunshine for the premier league matches taking place over in swansea and london. a little bit of cloud

hanging around. again, through the night on sunday, the cloud should melt away under the area of high pressure, so again a chilly start on monday morning. but we have the advancing weather fronts in northern ireland and scotland. so there could be a bit of mist and fog around for your return to work on monday, but england and wales set fairand quite warm, despite the breeze picking up in the west. the rain holds off. mainly for northern ireland and western parts of scotland. but then we have the rain staggering southwards and eastwards, eventually clearing from the south—east later into wednesday, with the high—pressure returning. it means for monday there's rain in the north and west. tuesday, more cloud across the country. welcome to bbc news. i'm tom donkin. our top stories: the desperate search for survivors in colombia — bad weather hampers efforts after a landslide kills more than 250 people. power politics in venezuela — president maduro claims the credit as protestors call on the supreme

court to reinstate the authority of the congress. as britain vows to protect gibraltar during brexit negotiations — spain insists it will have a direct say on the territory. and — after he was lost for words — bob dylan finally collects his nobel prize for literature.