hello and welcome to bbc news. i'm ben bland. our top stories: a star—studded send off for aretha franklin at a funeral ceremony in her hometown of detroit. the world is celebrating you. and the world is mourning you. and the world is going to miss you. the trump administration confirms that it's stopping all funding for the un agency that supports palestinian refugees. a bbc investigation uncovers evidence of the mass—detention of members of china's uighur community. how genetic science is helping britain's magnificent golden eagles spread their wings. and the latest film by oscar—winning director alfonso cuaron is getting top marks in venice. but the decision to stream it first gets mixed reviews. hello.

some of the greatest musical performers of the last 60 years have joined leading politicians and civil rights leaders to remember the life of aretha franklin. she died earlier this month from cancer, at the age of 76. the funeral service for the singer — who became known as the queen of soul — has been taking place in detroit, at the church where she sang as a child. our north america correspondent, aleem maqbool, was there. # it's marvellous # marvellous # it is a day of giving praise for the life of a woman who made an unprecedented impact with her voice and with her soul. # it's marvellous #

a culmination of two weeks of tribute since the passing of aretha franklin. a public that adored her queued for hours to get inside the church to get a chance to say their final goodbyes to the queen of soul. i could not sit at home and watch it on television. being here really brings in the real feel of things. her message and what she represented for people who are of african descent in this country, number one. two, beyond that the music is healing, the music is powerful, the music isjoyful. # marvellous # in paying their last respects to her before she's laid to rest, the stars and dignitaries who reflected the reach of aretha franklin's impact and a legacy that goes far beyond the music industry alone. # i'm going up yonder,

# i'm going up yonder # she lived with faith, not without failure but overcoming her failures. she lived with power, not without weakness, but overcoming her weaknesses. ijust loved her. in life, aretha sought to fight perceived social injustice and commanded respect. today, on her behalf, the civil rights icon reverend al sharpton demanded the same from the current president. you know on sunday on my show i misspelled "respect" and a lot of y'all, a lot of y'all corrected me. now i want y'all to help me correct president trump, to teach him what it means. cheering

and when i would go to her shows and watch her sing, it would be the best feeling in the world. nothing sounded better to me than the way my grandma sings. her voice made you feel something. you felt every word, every note, every emotion in the songs she sang. her voice brought peace. the world is celebrating you and the world is mourning you and the world is going to miss you. # you make me feel # you make me feel # you make me feel like a natural woman # there's no doubt the often tough, troubled life of aretha franklin that ultimately yielded such towering achievements, has touched many who came after her, and while goodbyes are being said today, her legacy will continue

to inspire long into the future. aleem maqbool, bbc news, detroit. a short time ago, fellow musician and longtime friend stevie wonder, had this to say about the queen of soul. and yes, the reason that we are here today is because of love. because of how much we love this woman. the blessing through god was given to us. and we talk about all the things that those have talked about today. please remember the greatest gift that we have been given in the life itself is love. stevie wonder paying tribute

at the funeral of aretha franklin. evidence is growing that up to a million muslim uighurs are being held by chinese authorities in so—called "re—education camps". the uighurs are a muslim ethnic minority group with central asian roots. they're mostly based in china's far—western region of xianjiang, an autonomous region within the country, and they make up around 45% of the population. un human rights investigators say they're increasingly alarmed by reports that many muslim uighurs are being detained under the pretext of security, and countering terrorism and extremism. the un has called on beijing to end the practice of detention without lawful charge, trial and conviction and immediately release individuals currently detained under these circumstances. a bbc newsnight investigation has interviewed a witness who says he has been inside one of the camps and have now managed to flee china. they say that the uighurs suffer physical torture and psychological thought control, though the chinese state has consistently denied

the existence of the camps. here'sjohn sweeney with the story. in the far west of china, evidence is building that a monstrous crime is taking place. these photographs, found by a uighur expert and verified by human rights watch, appear to show hundreds of prisoners in re—education camps. officially the state denies their existence, but china cannot airbrush these satellite images, because they were shot from space. they appear to show a camp system built to lock up perhaps one in ten of the uighur minority. you can see the progress as the camp is built — barbed wire and watchtowers, and car parks for the guards.

the re—education camps imprison uighur muslims. how many people are locked up? adrian zenz believes it could be an astonishing figure. reports are close to a million, perhaps slightly overi million, are increasingly lately. in 2009, deadly riots against beijing's heavy hand erupted in this city, and many han chinese were targeted. uighur extremists have staged terror attacks, including this one at tiananmen square itself. we are in a way to meet omar, who says he was a prisoner in a re—education centre. he ran a travel business and says the authorities accused him ofaiding islamic extremists, a charge

he denies. he says the police tortured him. translation: they have a chair called the tiger. my ankles were shackled, my hands were locked in the chair. i couldn't move and they would not let me sleep. they hung up for hours and beat me. they had thick wooden and rubber battons, things made from twisted wire. tools for pulling out your nails. all the tools are displayed on a table in front of me, in front of me, ready for use at any time. and you could hear other people scream as well. he says after the police tortured he was moved to a camp where he shared a cell the size of this room with 45 other prisoners. it was so cramped they slept in shifts. then he faced transformation through re—education. the re—education,

how does that work? translation: you have no freedom at all. you must do everything according to the rules set by the communist party. recite what they say, sing their songs, think like a robot, and do whatever you are told. these phrases are from a government report, which calls for psychological counselling and thought education. this doublespeak could come out of george orwell‘s 1984, but in plain english, we might call it brainwashing. for its part, china says there is no such thing as re—education camps in xianjiang. a growing body of evidence suggests otherwise. at least one part of china, under president xi jinping, the country has gone back to harshest cruelties of chairman mao's time, to mass incarceration, torture, and brainwashing.

john sweeney, bbc news. the chinese embassy in the uk has told the bbc that all ethnic groups are equal in xianjiang. in a statement it said: the us will end all funding for the un agency that supports palestinian refugees. washington had already drastically cut its support for the agency, which helps more than five million palestinians in gaza and the west bank, and in other countries neighbouring israel. the state department described the un relief and work agency as irredeemably flawed, and said washington will hold talks with the un and others to consider new approaches to the conflict

between israel and the palestinians. for more on this decision let's go live to chris buckler in washington. i gather there has been a response from the agency. what they said? the american statement made it clear that as far as they were concerned, they were concerned by the financial impact on america, and they felt that they were lifting the burden on this. but there is deep criticism of the programme itself, talking about it being in crisis mode for many yea rs, it being in crisis mode for many years, and being an irredeemably flawed operation. it is clear from this statement that the words have hit hard. they say rather than being irredeemably flawed, they have a proven track record. they describe their activities as a global public good and expressed deep regret and

disappointment at the us announcement. at the one word they're missing is surprise. there was some expectation that this would come. the suggestion from some quarters is that this has not been made on the programme itself alone, although america has concerns. there are people who believe it does huge work in providing humanitarian aid and education in many countries in the area. but there are some who feel that this decision as a political edge, particularly with relationships between washington and the palestinian leadership not in a particularly good place. what are the possible effects of this decision, then? it seems at this stage that they are intending to continue giving support to

palestinian refugees. they say they have many countries that continue to provide aid. they said that the rapid decision to withdraw and stop supporting them to the tune of $200 million does not make a great impact. certainly germany says it wa nts to impact. certainly germany says it wants to step in and offer more funding and it is encouraging other countries, particularly within the eu, to do the same. so there are suggestions that at this stage the programme can continue. nonetheless, when you're talking about $300 million dollars difference compared to last year, you can see the dent in the problem is that this could mean for the programme itself. certainly the palestinian leadership is very concerned. the palestinian resident, motor bus, said through his spokesman that he was concerned that this was a assault on the palestinian people, and they were

considering it a punishment. —— president, mahmoud abbas. stay with us on bbc world news. still to come: securing the future of britain's golden eagles — how genetic science is helping them spread their wings. she received the nobel peace prize for her work with the poor and the dying in india's slums. the head of the catholic church said mother teresa was a wonderful example of how to help people in need. we have to identify the bodies then arrange the coffins and take them back home. parents are waiting and wives are waiting, so... hostages appeared, some carried, some running, trying to escape the nightmare behind them. britain lost a princess today, described by all to whom she reached

out as irreplaceable. an early—morning car crash in a paris underpass ended a life with more than its share of pain and courage, warmth and compassion. this is bbc news, the latest headlines: the soul singer aretha franklin has been given a musical farewell at a star—studded funeral in her home city of detroit. the trump administration has confirmed that it's stopping all funding for the un agency that supports palestinian refugees. in the other major farewell today —

senatorjohn mccain's body was taken back to the us capitol for the final time. colleagues, friends and family all gathered to honour the lawmaker, who will lie in state until his funeral on saturday. here's a look at some of the days defining images. all week, messages of support and tribute and, today, john mccain's casket arrived at the capitol, scene of some of his greatest trials and triumphs. here, he will lie in state — a rare honour afforded to only a dozen other senators. and an opportunity for his congressional colleagues to pay their respects to a man who often frustrated them as much as they admired him. depending on the issue, you knewjohn would either be your staunchest ally or your most stubborn opponent. at any moment, he might be preparing an eloquent reflection on human liberty, or a devastating joke served up with his signature cackle and that john mccain glint in his eye. this was also a moment for personal grief. the public setting made intimate once again by his wife,

cindy. tears from his daughter, meghan. and his mother, aged 106, who must have believed she'd lost him years before as a prisoner of war in vietnam. and although president trump was conspicuous by his absence, vice president mike pence summed up the ideal of servicejohn mccain personified for so much of his life. on behalf of a grateful nation, we will ever remember thatjohn mccain served his country, and john mccain served his country honourably. john mccain was, of course, a flawed man and deeply human, but, for many americans filing past his coffin, he was an american hero in the real sense. somebody who put ideals and love of country above politics

and who believed passionately in something greater than himself. the bbc‘s jane o'brien reporting from washington. he is lying in state. the golden eagle is amongst the most majestic species of wildlife to grace our countryside — and yet it's almost entirely restricted to remote parts of scotland. scientists have now unlocked the complete genetic code of this important predator, which should help both to protect the eagle, and expand its numbers. here's our science correspondent, victoria gill. a golden eaglet, hidden safely away in its mountain nest, making it a perilousjob to take a dna sample. but a tiny amount of dna is all scientists need to map the genetic code of this great bird of prey. within that code researchers

will find clues about the food and habitat they rely on, so that havens for these threatened birds can be found and protected. and where populations are in severe decline, genetic matchmaking could give eagles a better chance to thrive. this is a dna storage freezer. the same institute that helped sequence the first human genome 15 years ago has now decoded the eagles' biological secrets. this allows us to really understand a huge amount about its biology, about the variation between populations, how it survives in the wild, how we can better manage it. it is the blueprint for life and it supports a huge amount of research ongoing. scotland's rugged mountains are home to just 500 pairs of wild golden eagles. and for conservationists, protecting these endangered birds means watching over them in their natural habitat. this is big eagle country. they prefer the inland, the rocky, craggy areas. but it's big, remote country and spotting one is going to be tough.

so they've got to take their chances while they can. and if it's good visibility they'll do the territorial bit, and a bit of hunting. if the cloud comes down and it's raining they're just going to have to sit. they'll find a sheltered crag and just sit it out really. but that can last for days during the winter. even in the best weather in the middle of eagle country, we just have to watch, wait and hope. this is a special protected site for golden eagles and there are four nesting pairs, which is why dave's brought us here. we have a scope, we have the binoculars, we have the long lens, so we willjust keep our fingers crossed because it's big country, so... there's a golden eagle up here now. oh, my word! going along the ridge. oh, wow! these top predators, found only in only the most unspoiled, open landscapes are critical to their environment, and conservation biologists are starting to use this genetic

blueprint to help select the right birds to release elsewhere in the country. but while this landscape's most majestic residents have given up some very valuable secrets, they remain just as impressive as ever. victoria gill, bbc news, on the isle of mull. the venice film festival is underway and one of the movies making its premiere is roma from the oscar—winning director, alfonso cuaron. it's being distributed by netflix, which has a strong presence at this year's event, something that doesn't go down well with everyone in the film world. our arts editor will gompertz explains. alfonso cuaron‘s latest film is a black—and—white cinematic memoir based on his childhood growing up in mexico city in a middle—class family that enjoys the support and love of domestic worker cleo. in reality this film is about cleo. but, more important, as a woman from a different social class and a different social context, even if she is part of my family than my own family.

and racially different...? and more important, race, and through that the prism to talk about different thematic elements. one of them being this perverse relationship, the relationship that exists between class and race. roma is in competition for the main festival prize, which has proved to be a talking point here because it's being distributed by the streaming service netflix, which, controversially, tends not to give cinema is an exclusive period to show a film before it appears online. why did you decide to go with netflix for distribution? the complexities of today's foreign film market worldwide, and foreign film, i'm talking none in english and none with stars, is very specific. you don't have the options that you have when you're doing a hollywood film. but do you worry, as somebody who loves cinema, that working

with streaming companies can end up with people not going to cinemas and watching it at home instead? people who want to see this film on the big screen, they will have the opportunity to see it on the big screen and, by the same token, i know that there's a whole new generation that they prefer... that rarely go to the cinema. this is the man who decided to allow the streaming services to take part in the festival against the wishes of many cinema owners, who, he says, need to accept and adapt to the rapidly changing landscape of the movie business. no new media killed the old ones. this is an opportunity for them to try to change the model and the offering to the audience. you cannot stay there waiting for the audience coming and buying a ticket. it will not happen any more. you have to convince them to come to a theatre, to find a way to let them understand that coming to a theatre, it's a more rewarding and more beautiful experience.

whether people see roma online, on the big screen, or not at all, the chances are if the critics' positive reaction to it here are anything to go by, is that we will be hearing a lot more about the film is the award season approaches. will gompertz, bbc news, venice. a will gompertz, bbc news, venice. frankland hast a star—studded will gompertz, bbc news, venice. frankland hast a star—studded farewell will gompertz, bbc news, venice. frankland hast a star—studded farewell in will gompertz, bbc news, venice. frankland hast a star—studded farewell in her will gompertz, bbc news, venice. frankland hast a frankland has been given a star—studded farewell in her home city of detroit. she died early this month from cancer at the age of 76. for reaction and analysis on stories from around the world including update live pages, correspondence based on an 80 international locations. you can reach me on twitter — i'm @benmbland. well, the weekend's upon us, and the weather is actually looking

pretty good across much of the country over the next couple of days. some warmth, summerlike warmth. in fact, temperatures could get up into the mid—20s. the nights are drawing in, the days are getting shorter and any warmth that we do get, we really should make the most of it. so let's see what's happening then into the weekend, high pressure's very close to the uk, so that means settled weather conditions, but there are weather fronts very close to our neighbourhood. they will be nudging in later in the weekend, possibly bringing some rain to north—western areas. but before that happens, we've got that warmth being drawn in from the south, from spain, portugal, france as well and, as i say, temperatures will be well into the twenties. this is what it looks like through the rest of the night into the early hours of saturday morning, clear skies across many eastern and central areas so here there will be a nip in the air very early in the morning.

temperatures dipping down to single figures. not as cold as last night. across western areas, more cloud here, more of a breeze and a little bit warmer. that means in the west of the country, temperatures first thing will be around 15 degrees but there's quite a lot of cloud you can see here from cornwall, devon, throughout wales, the irish sea and into south—western scotland, and if you squint you'll notice there's even a little bit of rain here, so perhaps for some of us, a grey start to the day across western parts of the country. the clouds here will be breaking up here, it's not one layer of grey, there will be some sunshine out for sure, and even if you get a grey morning, by late morning, lunch time, you will probably see some sunshine by then. best of the weather by far will be across eastern and southern areas and here, temperatures could reach around the mid—20s, but certainly around 20 degrees on the cards for northern ireland, and not far off that in the lowlands of scotland. that was saturday, this is sunday now. again the best of the weather will be across eastern and southern areas but this weather front is edging closer and closer.

the winds are strengthening, really quite blustery around the western isles, in the north and west coast of northern ireland. but the real warmth develops in central and eastern areas, that's that plume of warmth coming out of france, so temperatures will get into the mid—20s in london, possibly even the mid—20s as far north as yorkshire, but in the north—west, a little bit of rain on the way for belfast later in the afternoon on sunday or early evening. the outlook into next week isn't looking bad at all, variable amounts of cloud. looks like the temperatures will drop a little bit, but essentially speaking it's looking fine, into the 20s or high teens for most of us. bye— bye. this is bbc news. the headlines: friends and relatives have been paying their final respects to aretha franklin at an invitation—only funeral ceremony in detroit. famous faces attending included jesse jackson and former president bill clinton. he described aretha as the voice of a generation if not the century. the trump administration has confirmed that it's stopping all funding for the un agency that supports palestinian refugees. washington had already drastically

cut its support for the agency, which helps more than five million palestinians. a spokesman for the palestinian prime minister described the move as a flagrant assault on the palestinian people and a defiance of un resolution. a bbc investigation has found evidence that china has imprisoned up to one million muslim uighurs in so—called re—education camps. the investigation uncovered allegations of torture. the un says it is alarmed by the reports and called for the detainees' release. china has denied the camps even exist. now on bbc news, it's time to click.