hello and welcome to bbc news. leading figures from around the world have paid tribute to the former un secretary—general, kofi annan, who's died at the age of 80. he spent his career with the united nations, and was awared a nobel peace prize for his humanitarian work. in his home country, ghana, president nana akufo—addo said flags would fly at half—mast to honour what he called "one of our greatest compatriots" james robbins looks back at his life — a warning that there are flashing images in his report. i, kofi annan. .. the softly spoken lifelong diplomat from ghana was sworn in to lead the united nations back in 1996. he was already a hugely respected figure, but this was an age of relative innocence. 9/11 was still five years away, the iraq war seven years in the future. congratulations, sir. applause. kofi annan tried to prevent this — the invasion and toppling of saddam hussein by george bush and tony blair, without the support

of the un security council. kofi annan later called it illegal. i think as secretary general i did everything i could, conscious of what the results would be and, you know, and being powerless to stop it. i mean, i did work with quite a lot of heads of states in their capitals, on the phone and elsewhere, working with the inspectors. but the die was cast, and nothing could stop it. kofi annan had much greater success in his home continent, africa, building global consensus behind the un millennium development goals, a huge initiative to reduce poverty and disease and increase education and opportunity. the young kofi annan had never lost contact with his roots in ghana, even when travelling and studying around the world in his 20s and 30s. his work for africa on aids and un reform was rewarded with the nobel peace prize in 2001. i think he took the world into the modern age. i think he was the first leader of the 21st century,

and he tried to build an international community where countries would work together, co—operate freely, and tackle what he saw as the biggest problems — poverty, inequality, climate change, and of course conflict. but earlier in his career, as head of un peacekeeping, kofi annan was criticised for the world body's failure to halt the genocide in rwanda in the 1990s. last april, celebrating his 80th birthday, kofi annan told the bbc his style was to be patient, quiet and determined in the face of forceful, often far louder national leaders. leadership is not about the individual. when you have macho leaders, who believe they have to shine, and it all has to be about them, forgetting that what is interest — what is required is the welfare of society and the people they serve. tributes to kofi annan from every

continent praise his humility, nobility, and unshakeable commitment to work for peace in a more equal and sustainable world. let's get some of the day's other news. ecuador has brought in new rules, stopping venezuelan migrants from entering the country without a passport. fleeing economic crisis at home, more than four thousand venezuelans have been arriving at ecuador‘s border with colombia every day. the colombian government has criticised the restrictions, fearing that thousands of migrants will now remain trapped on its side of the border. a 29—year—old sudanese immigrant with british citizenship has been charged with two counts of attempted murder after a car crashed into people outside the houses of parliament in central london earlier this week. salih khater will appear before magistrates on monday. prosecutors will be treating his case as terrorism due to the method of the alleged attack, the targets selected and the high—profile location.

iran's defence minister says a new, locally—built fighter jet will be unveiled on wednesday. the move comes at a time of increasing tension with the us following president trump's decision to pull out of an international agreement to curb iran's nuclear activities and re—impose sanctions on tehran. the top white house lawyer donald mcgahn has cooperated extensively with the special counsel, robert mueller, who's investigating russian election interference. the new york times said mr mcgahn had voluntarily agreed to be interviewed as a witness on at least three occasions. there've been clashes in berlin between neo—nazis and anti—fascist demonstrators. 0ne police office was hurt when violence broke out as a small group of far right activists marked the 31st anniversary of the death of adolf hitler's former deputy, rudolf hess. he took his own life in a prison cell in 1987. a fund of 500 million euros will be

made available from monday to help victims and families involved in the italian bridge collapse. the money will come from the autostrade, the company which ran the bridge. 42 people died and hundreds were injured when 200 metres of roadway crumbled in the city of genoa last tuesday. another fund will help those who have had to be evacuated in the wake of the disaster. andrew plant reports. safety workers securing parts of the structure still standing after the devastating collapse last tuesday. the company which operated this bridge has expressed its sympathy for the vic terms but stopped short ofan for the vic terms but stopped short of an apology —— victims. jelena the technical situation is so complex that it technical situation is so complex thatitis technical situation is so complex that it is up to justice to

understand what happened. and why. and under which conditions. -- the technical situation. it could be many months before the investigation into what happens here provides any definitive answers. meanwhile, funerals for the 42 people killed have been taking place. 18 lay to rest at this state funeral on saturday. though some families have stayed away opting for private services, angry at the italian government. it will, they say, be many months before the roadway is rebuilt. the collapse of the bridge ilk in the 1960s has started a fierce national debate about italy's infrastructure and the money it spends on maintenance —— built in the 1960s. no one else appears to be missing by rescue workers say there isa missing by rescue workers say there is a possibility of finding more bodies as they slowly begin to remove the rubble. the indian government is stepping

up efforts to rescue thousands of people who've been stranded by heavy flooding in the southern state of kerala. the prime minister, narendra modi, who's visited some of the worst—hit areas, has promised more military help in the relief effort. more than 320 people have died in kerala since the rainy season began in june. some 300,000 have been made homeless. our correspondent, yogita limaye reports. one of the state's 44 rivers, the kadalundi, breached its banks a week ago, leaving homes and trees submerged. as the water started rising, people fled to safety. some have returned to see what they can salvage. we're nearly a kilometre from the river that has flooded, but even so, water levels are this high. you can see the house behind me, and in fact i'm stepping on a slope. if i were to go further, it would be even deeper. but at least people are able to reach up to this point.

beyond, there are many parts that are simply inaccessible. and that means these are needed more than ever before, boats and people, to rescue those who are stranded. these are local fishermen doing whatever they can, but hundreds of government boats have also been deployed. those who have made it out are spending their nights in places like this — schools converted into relief camps. there are about 200 families here. this woman spent two days and nights on her neighbours' rooftop before a boat reached her. she tells me they were afraid that the house would collapse and they would be swept away. in southern kerala, india's prime minister, narendra modi, surveyed the devastation. he promised more manpower and equipment. troops have stepped up relief efforts. where it is not possible to rescue people, they are dropping food and other supplies.

water flow is very fast, and it is difficult for them to go towards the open areas. so the alternative is to provide food and water to them, so that they can at least survive until the water recedes. with all of the rivers flooded in this small coastal state, that could take a while, even if the rain stops. yogita limaye, bbc news, kerala. as venezuela's economic problems deepen, the effects are being felt across south america. ecuador has now banned venezuelans from entering without a passport, trapping thousands of people trying to flee hardship at home. and in one border town in brazil, residents drove out hundreds of venezuelan migrants following a robbery. bill hayton reports. the town of pacaraima, on brazil's border with venezuela, soldiers on the street protecting hundreds of venezuelan migrants being pushed back over the frontier. it followed a robbery which local

people blamed on the new arrivals. in response, they burnt down the migrant shelter. anti—migrant feeling is growing across south america, ecuador the latest to impose restrictions on venezuelans. the sudden announcement left thousands of people stuck at border crossings. translation: we were on the road already when they put out that news, just like that, boom. on wednesday we left, and all of a sudden, they tell us that today. we would like the ecuadorian institutions to at least help us. many of these people are heading south through colombia and ecuador to find work in peru and chile, but ecuador‘s move has trapped large numbers of venezuelans in colombia, angering the government there. translation: demanding a passport is not going to stop migration, because this population is not leaving the country for pleasure, but out of necessity. the first thing that will happen

in the country that's putting this measure in place in this that it will see an increase in undocumented migration. that brings with it a lot of problems. with the ecuadorian border now closed to them, and no sign of an end to the economic chaos back home, tens of thousands of venezuelans will be stuck in colombia. a crisis in one country is now affecting an entire region. bill hayton, bbc news. the german chancellor, angela merkel, has been holding talks with the russian president, vladimir putin, outside berlin. the discussions were wide ranging — on syria, iran and the controversial gas pipeline, nordstream two. earlier, mr putin ignored criticism and attended the wedding of austria's foreign minister, who's been attacked for inviting him. 0ur berlin correspondent jenny hill reports. the greeting cordial enough. vladimir putin is said to have a grudging respect for angela merkel. but the relationships tense and she's got some big demands

of the man who wields such influence over so many conflicts. translation: syria will be an important topic. most of all we have to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe in and around idlib. we've seen fighting decrease elsewhere, but that doesn't mean we've achieved peace. bearing flowers and controversy. the russian president's had a busy day. earlier, the wedding of the austrian foreign minister. her critics say the invitation undermined eu policy towards russia. he seemed keen to remind them that the eu needs him. translation: last year we marked the 50th anniversary of gas deliveries from the soviet union to western europe. in all these years, our country has reliably provided an uninterrupted energy supply. it's made and is making

a significant contribution to the energy security of the entire european continent. even angela merkel admits she doesn't expect much from the talks, but insists it's vital to keep talking to russia. angela merkel and vladimir putin don't agree on much, but these are times of shifting alliances. in the age of donald trump, they may discover common ground. jenny hill, bbc news, berlin. north and south korea have marched together behind the korean unification flag at the opening ceremony of the 2018 asian games. it's the second such symbolic gesture this year by the two koreas, who also walked together at the pyeongchang winter olympics in february. a warning — gail maclellan‘s report contains some flashing images. the final part of the journey for the flame as the month—long buildup came to an end at the 2018 asian games began. the fireworks in the indonesian

capital lasted long into the evening. this, one of the venues that will host 17,000 athletes and tens of thousands of spectators. wonderful. well organised. it was really loud. but it was well organised, very nice. translation: the theme is about the diversity of cultures in indonesia. that's what impressed me, we consist of so many cultures and that's what they tried to highlight. announcer: korea! cheering and applause. there was loud applause, too, as athletes from north and south korea paraded side—by—side behind a unified korean flag. further confirmation of a warming of relations after decades of stand—off between the two. the 2018 games on until september 2 will take place injakarta and the south sumatran city of palembang. preparations have been somewhat controversial. amnesty international accusing

indonesian police of human rights violations with more than 30 people killed in raids in the run—up to the games. security services said they had been ordered to crack down on criminals and break up organised gangs. pollution, too, remains an issue, particularly in the car—clogged capitaljakarta. but for the 45 nations competing here, the focus now will be on their performances and the a62 gold medals up for grabs over the next two weeks. gail maclellan, bbc news. this is bbc news. our main headline: leading world figures have spoken in praise of the former un secretary general, kofi annan, who has died at the age of 80. let's get more on the floods in the

southern indian state of kerala. earlier i spoke with the head of communications for save the children india, devendre tak. he had this to say after his latest journey across the affected region. kerala is one of the most prosperous states in the country but there are still a lot of vulnerable people who are in dire need of support and relief. i have visited a lot of relief. i have visited a lot of relief camps, aid organisations. there are a lot of local people getting involved in the relief response. 0n the school campuses. also churches, they have been used as relief camps. many people have opened their homes for their neighbours. so overall the relief is

being made available to the people who are affected, and people are happy with the government in terms of what they are doing to help the people affected by the floods. but children have very specific needs, therefore we are on the ground to try to get the support for children. there are many children suffering from malnutrition. we need to ensure the food supply is there for their families. as one of the world's finest cricketers, imran khan was pakistan's national hero. now he's been sworn in as the country's prime minister in a ceremony which brought together the two worlds. it's more than two decades since he first entered politics, building his pti party from scratch. secunder kermani's report contains some flashing images. takes oath in urdu.

pledging to serve pakistan, imran khan was formally appointed prime minister of the country. in the audience, alongside senior political and military figures, were members of the 1992 world cup winning pakistan cricket team that imran khan led to victory. after the swearing—in came a guard of honour. imran khan has promised to create a corruption—free, more equal society. big promises that he now has to deliver. the biggest challenge is to fight corruption, to fight poverty, to fight illiteracy, to fight disease, and to fight terrorism. and he is determined. and to the economic growth.

economic growth is essential, we have to create 10 millionjobs in the next five years. this is our target, our promise to the people of pakistan. we have to build 5 million houses in pakistan. we have to start trading at a much bigger level with our neighbours and other countries. we will see massive changes coming. imran khan's coalition will only have a small majority here in parliament, meaning pushing reforms through won't be easy. on top of that, the country is facing a mounting financial crisis which could make increases in public spending difficult. imran khan has promised to create a new pakistan — in the coming months, we will find out exactly what that looks like. britain's new £3 billion aircraft carrier, hms queen elizabeth, has set sail from portsmouth for the east coast of america. there, jets will land on the deck for the first time. two f—35 test planes are expected to carry out 500 landings and take—offs, while she's at sea. steve humphrey reports. it has taken years of work

and billions of pounds, but now, the biggest warship britain has ever had is about to do the job she was designed for. providing a [ls—acre floating flight deck for the new f—35jets. the first fixed—wing landing will certainly be an iconic moment. it will quickly become routine. as we build up to embarking several squadrons of aircraft, it will become absolutely everyday activity, but the first one is always special. the high—tech aircraft already flying on and off american ships. but the first deck landing on hms queen elizabeth is going to be quite a moment. hugely symbolic for the country, very exciting. and of course, it was eight years, nearly to the day, since i was in command of hms ark royal and we took off the last harrier out from the north sea. years later, here we are getting the first one back. a fantastic opportunity and a superb opportunity for the future of the defence force and the royal navy. after the harriers were retired early as part of defence cuts, and a lot of effort went into retaining the skills needed to operate jets at sea.

two pilots, one navy and one raf, are in the running to carry out the first jet landing on hms queen elizabeth. somebody is going to be first. yes, certainly. it could be you. it could be. so out at sea, everybody should want to be the first to land on board the ship. as a royal navy test pilot on the f—35, i would love that person to be me, yes. altogether, 1,500 sailors, aircrew and marines are on board for the flying trials off the american coast. the aircraft carrier will be away for about 11 weeks while the trials are carried out with the new f—35 jets. the idea is to have this ship and all of her aircraft ready for operational deployment by 2021. the annual muslim pilgrimage, the hajj, begins on sunday.

some 2 million muslims are expected to take part in the 5—day ritual, held in and around the city of mecca in saudi arabia. it comes as saudi arabia continues to take a more openly assertive stance on the world stage. with more, here's david campanale. it has taken years of work and billions of pounds, the importance of the hajj for the almost 2 billion muslims around the world is as unchanging as its rituals. but the way it's organised by saudi arabia continues to evolve. hosting the pilgrimage is a matter of immense prestige and pride for saudi arabia and its royal family. but it is a huge logistical challenge, which has seen regular disasters occur, from deadly stampedes to fires. the saudis have expanded and modernised the infrastructure around the hajj at great expense. this year they are stressing how it has become an increasingly high—tech operation, with apps for translation and medical help. 0ne innovation is this

so—called nap pad from japan, where pilgrims can take a breatherfrom the intensity of the experience. translation: the pilgrims are guests of god and serving them is an honour, and we think of them as family. to make sure they are rested in doing the pilgrim's duties. the capsules is one of many ideas we offer in our institute. modernising the hajj is a key gambit of crown prince mohammed bin salman. his vision 2030 plan for saudi arabia is meant to allow the number of pilgrims to double in the next decade. in a sign of changing times, this year, for the first time, pilgrims will see saudi women driving in the city streets. but the crown prince's reforms have been double—edged, with dissent — both from religious hardliners and liberal reformists — being harshly repressed. it has taken years of work and billions of pounds, people living in northern finland are turning skiing

into a summer sport, swapping the slopes for a swamp, and mountains for mud. swamp—skiing might be less well—known than its winter counterpart but what it lacks in snow it makes up for in style. georgina smyth reports. swapping the snow for the swamp. this is northern finland in the summer, and this is what the locals do for fun. crossing 30 metres of swamp on skis in nothing other than suits, tea dresses and heels. translation: it is an insanely lovely idea to ski the swamp in high heels. finnish performance artist kari is the man behind the unconventional race, and this niche sport certainly has quite a few diehard fans. these finns proving they are adept on the skis, whatever the weather. but the swamp is less forgiving than the slopes and victims are claimed face—first

and stuck in the mud. competitors skiing, running or crawling down way to the finish line. this woman made it across, winning it for the ladies and proving you can dress for success. where high heels or ski, but don't do both. you can reach me on twitter. i'm at @nkem|fejika. it's time to have a look at the weather with darren bett. hello there, good morning. last weekend we had the remnants of tropical storm debbie. this weekend it is the turn of ernesto so we will get that in a moment. ahead of that, generally cloudy skies across most parts of the uk on saturday and more cloud coming in from the atlantic. this is not it is that cloud that has been bringing the rain in from the atlantic with the remnants of that earlier tropical storm. some heavy rain for a while. i think very quickly we will see the wetter weather moving away. still quite muggy on sunday.

for many parts of the country, sunshine will be at a premium. some heavy rain still for a while across central and southern scotland and northern england. that should move out into the north sea. a few pockets of light rain and drizzle for a while, extending down into the midlands perhaps. 0n the whole, cloudy and dry in the afternoon, limited sunshine for england and wales. more of that for northern ireland and northern and western scotland. temperatures cooler in scotland, highs of 22 or 23 in and wales. a muggy feel really will continue into the evening and overnight. maybe more breaks in the cloud beginning to filter down into england and wales. lots of cloud coming in. that will keep the temperature is coming up. it might be a warmer night across the northern half of scotland as well. here we find pockets of rain and drizzle around on monday. further drizzle south around weston hills and coasts. best of the sunshine in this generally cloudy airstream is going to be across the more sheltered eastern parts of england and wales. temperatures as high as 25 or 26. doesn't need much sunshine. it will feel quite warm. humid air mass across the uk, south of this string of weather fronts. high pressure in the south, the next weather system arriving in the north—west on tuesday. that rain will turn out to be a bit heavy on the north—west of scotland later in the day. ahead of it elsewhere,

probably a bit more sunshine around. still some areas of cloud, mind you, and a muggy feeling with temperatures around the mid—20s at best. now, that weather system is going to bring some rain. most of it will be closer to the centre of low pressure driving it and the cold front, that weather front there, moves its way southwards. behind it, that north—westerly airflow will drag down cooler and fresher air. probably more sunshine across scotland, northern ireland and northern england, perhaps as far south as mid wales and the midlands. more southern parts of england and wales we are still in that cloudy, muggier air stream and it's here we will see higher temperatures once again looking ahead to the san friday, more weak weather fronts arriving in the north—west. they don't really bring much rain further south but eventually fresher air arrives in the

south—east of england. this is bbc news. the headlines — leading world figures have spoken in praise of the former un secretary general, kofi annan, who has died at the age of eighty. mr annan rose through the ranks of the united nations to serve two terms in the top job and was awarded a nobel peace prize for his humanitarian work. ecuador has brought in new rules that stop venezuelan migrants from entering the country without a passport. more than 4,000 venezuelans fleeing economic crisis at home, have been arriving every day at ecuador‘s border with colombia. indian rescuers in helicopters and boats have braved torrential rain to reach people stranded in flood waters in the southern state of kerala. nearly 200 people have been killed in the past ten days, following unusually heavy monsoon rains. the indian prime minister, narendra modi, described

the situation as devastating. wheelchair rugby league can be fast, furious and at times brutal but the sport is experiencing a rise in popularity. developed in france a few years ago, england is prepapring to host the world cup in 2021 and mike bushell has been finding out what it's all about at a training session with the leeds rhinos.