welcome to bbc news, broadcasting to viewers in north america and around the globe. my name is duncan golestani. our top stories: more than a0 dead as a russian plane makes a forced landing in flames. survivors say the aircraft may have been struck by lightning. israel's prime minister threatens massive strikes on gaza after two days of violence and more than 20 deaths. has venezuela's popular uprising petered out? the opposition leader defends his strategy, despite a seeming lack of support. plus: facebook, fake news, and the future of democracy. calls for changes to the law ahead

of the european elections. a russian plane has burst into flames and crashed while making an emergency landing at a moscow airport. more than a0 people have died, but dozens escaped. the aircraft had issued a distress call shortly after taking off from the same airport. in the dramatic evacuation of the plane, passengers were seen escaping down inflatable slides. our moscow correspondent steve rosenberg reports. caught on camera, the final dramatic moments of flight m92. the aeroflot jet exploded in a fireball during an emergency landing at moscow's sheremetyevo airport.

by the time it had come to a standstill, the plane was engulfed in flames. on board the burning aircraft, 78 passengers and crew. there was a desperate rush to escape from the inferno. at the front of the plane, the inflatable slide saved some. people leapt onto the chute and ran to safety. but not everyone got out of this alive. it is feared that more than a0 people may have been killed. dimitri survived the crash. asked whether he thought the plane had been hit by lightning, he replied, "yes, maybe. i saw a white flash." emergency teams fought the blaze and helped the injured. the plane, a sukhoi superjet, had taken off from moscow airport bound for murmansk. but very quickly, it developed technical problems. the crew had issued a distress signal. the pilots had decided they had

no choice but to bring the aircraft down. president putin offered his condolences to the families of the dead, and the kremlin leader ordered a full investigation to find out why this flight had ended in disaster. steve rosenberg, bbc news, moscow. i've been speaking to aviation safety analyst todd curtis about what may have caused the plane to burst into flames. well, fortunately, in modern aviation there's quite a few services that provide data from active aircraft, so there's quite a bit of information out there. the aircraft did broadcast two different distress signals, one indicating they couldn't communicate by radio, and the other was a general distress emergency signal. and it circled a couple of times before coming in for landing, so the crew had some sort of control over the aircraft. but clearly the other videos from the ground show

that the aircraft was not landing normally. it bounced at least twice, and on the last bounce, the aircraft apparently had a collapsed landing gear and burst into flames. so there were some very serious things wrong with this aircraft. you might have just heard in our correspondent‘s report there one person saying — a passenger saying that he saw a white flash, speculating that it might be lightning. how credible does that sound to you as a possibility? well, the white flash, that's very credible. whether it was caused by lightning or whether it was caused by something on the aircraft, that will be up to the investigative authorities. and the russians are quite adept at doing these kinds of investigations. todd, we're just looking at the pictures of the plane inflames, and people coming down the safety chutes. i mean, itjust struck me that that is that moment — when you get on the plane and you're given the safety warning, you're told where the exits are, only about half the passengers are probably listening.

and there we just see how important it would have been, in those moments after the plane came down. absolutely, but then again, one has to think that because of repetition, even if the average passenger only listens to the safety briefing one time out of two or three, the lesson is put into their heads, and when the emergency happened, as clearly was indicated here, the passengers took the appropriate action and got away from the aircraft. and, just briefly, how critical are those few seconds to getting off the plane? in a case such as this, where the aircraft was seriously damaged, the rear landing gear were collapsed, and the aircraft was fully engulfed in flames towards the rear of the aircraft, it's a matter of seconds, because that can be the difference between having enough oxygen even to breathe and being able to get up and run out of the aircraft. and for at least roughly half the passengers and most of the crew, they did get out of the aircraft.

in the past hour, reports have started to emerge in arabic media saying that israel and palestinian militants have reached a ceasefire agreement. it comes after two days of violence which israel says left four of its citizens dead. officials in gaza say more than 20 palestinians have died in israeli strikes. president trump has tweeted that he supports israel 100% in its defence of its citizens. it is the most serious escalation in fighting for years, as our middle east correspondent tom bateman reports. singled out in a packed gaza city street, this was a targeted strike, killing a palestinian israel said was a money—launderer for militants. air raid sirens have hardly stopped in southern israel. more than 500 rockets have been fired from gaza, one of the deadliest flare—ups between old enemies since they last fought a war, in 2014. as the rockets claimed israeli

lives, there was talk of a fierce response from the country's prime minister. translation: i've instructed our forces to continue with massive strikes against terrorists in the gaza strip, and the forces around the gaza strip will be stepped up, with tank, artillery and infantry. powerful explosions hit gaza as the warplanes struck. israel said it hit hundreds of militant sites. people's homes and lives were lost, too. a tower block was hit. israel said a militant commander was based there. "this was a direct hit on a civilian building, nothing to do with militants orfactions. this is what we get from the israeli occupation", this local man said. but tonight, officials in gaza said residents were among the dead. israel and hamas have come close to all—out conflict of late, but not as close as this. militants have been trying to get concessions from israel,

which blockades the strip, and demands calm on its boundary. but there are signs hamas has been losing its grip on some smaller militant groups there, a factor which partly triggered this latest flare—up. it also what makes what happens next hard to control. tom bateman, bbc news, jerusalem. the us national security adviser, john bolton, says a carrier strike group and a bomber taskforce will deploy to the middle east to send a clear message to iran. he said any attack by iran would be met with what he called unrelenting force. in april, washington designated iran's revolutionary guard a foreign terrorist organisation. tehran responded by identifying all us troops in the middle east as terrorists. the venezuelan opposition leader, juan guaido, has insisted to the bbc that he is gaining support, despite appearing to fail in his efforts to persuade the country's military to back him. he had urged supporters to rally in large numbers outside military barracks to demonstrate against president maduro,

but local media say only a small number turned out. nick bryant reports from caracas. the passion is still in evidence. it's the numbers that are dwindling. this demonstration took place under the statue of america's first president, george washington, the leader of a successful uprising. but venezuela's self—styled operation liberty is clearly losing momentum. "we have to wait a little bit longer," said this student, "and see if we can reach our goal." "we want the government to leave," said this woman wearily. "we don't have anything. we can't be happy." protesters presented petitions to the security forces — words demanding change, that were quickly reduced to cinders. midweek, they were calling for the largest demonstrations in venezuelan history. by the weekend, they've been reduced

to these roadside protests — another indication of how this popular uprising has petered out. for a fleeting, fiery moment this week, it looked like the uprising might succeed. but, in what has essentially become a battle for the hearts and minds of the military, the key power player in venezuela, the armed forces remain brutally loyal to the president. so no wonder the mood of triumphalism from nicolas maduro — this sea of green fatigues at a fortress in caracas proof that he has survived yet another crisis. this is the opposition leader who is seeking to oust him, juan guaido. the last seven days just didn't go to plan. juan guaido, was this the week when you missed your chance? when you botched your chance? translation: the only person hurt this week is maduro.

he's losing again and again. he's increasingly weak, increasingly alone, and has no international support. on the contrary, we gain acceptance, support, and future options. every afternoon, on a mountain overlooking the capital, this cannon is fired in honour of president maduro‘s mentor, hugo chavez. nothing this week has disrupted that martial routine, for the military has reasserted its dominance in venezuela, and for now, it is upholding the status quo. nick bryant, bbc news, caracas. let's get some of the day's other news: president trump plans to sharply increase tarrifs on a wide range of imports from china. in a tweet, he said that negotiations with beijing had been moving too slowly. mr trump said the higher tariffs would apply from friday. the sultan of brunei has said a recent islamic ruling introducing

the death pentalty for adultery, rape and gay sex will be reversed. new legislation introduced last month meant these acts could have been punished with death by stoning. but, after a worldwide outcry, sultan hassanal bolkiah said a 20—year general suspension of the death penalty would now apply to this new legislation as well. us air accident investigators looking into why a charter plane skidded off a runway into a river in florida have identified a number of possible factors. they say one of the aircraft's reverse thrusters didn't work. the boeing 737 also landed on a shorter runway than originally planned. all 143 people on board escaped without serious injury. the opposition labour party in britain has said it doesn't trust the prime minister, theresa may, and has accused her ofjeopardising a cross—party deal for an orderly withdrawal from the eu. the shadow chancellor, john mcdonnell, said mrs may had

broken the confidentiality of the talks after several newspapers reported she is preparing to give ground in discussions this week. our political correspondent chris mason reports. every sunday begins with church for the prime minister, and ends with questions about the potential for progress on brexit. "let's do a deal," she said to labour today. but, after apparent details about the private talks became public in the sunday times... do you trust the prime minister? no. sorry, not after this weekend, when she's blown the confidentiality i had, and i actually think she's jeopardised the negotiations for her own personal protection. and that's not the end of it. labour fret that, even if they can do a deal with theresa may, it could get ripped up by her successor. trying to enter into a contract

with a company that's going into administration, and the people who are going to take over are not willing to fulfil that contract — we can't negotiate like that. but the conservative leader in scotland reckons a deal is still within reach. we need to start walking ourselves back to an agreement where we can get the majority of the people in the house of commons on board. and i think there is a deal there to be done, i genuinely do. look, though, who is waiting in the wings, returning to the stage — a man who frightens plenty of tories contemplating compromise. if they push forward with this, it will be seen as a coalition of politicians against the people, and i think millions of people would give up on both labour and the conservatives, i really do. and, from the unambiguously pro—brexit mr farage to the unambiguously anti—brexit liberal democrats, now the proud owners of smiles of victory, after the english local elections.

i think it's now very, very clear that british politics is now going to have to be remade. i mean, it's clearly failing in all kinds of ways, i mean, notjust the mess around the referendum, but the fact that as a country, we're just not getting to grips with really big challenges. mrs may and mr corbyn share the anguish of leading parties divided over brexit, and that is still the biggest blockage to the two of them sharing a brexit deal. stay with us on bbc news. still to come: thousands throng the streets in thailand, as the king's three—day coronation continues. i, nelson rolihlahla mandela, do hereby swear to be faithful to the republic of south africa. after six years of construction

and numerous delays, the channel tunnel has been formally opened by the queen and president mitterand. but the tunnel is still not yet ready for passengers and freight services to begin. for centuries, christianity and islam struggled for supremacy. now, the pope's visit symbolises their willingness to coexist. roger bannister became the first man in the world to run a mile in under four minutes. memories of victory as the ve celebrations reach their climax. this night is dedicated to everyone who believes in the future of peace and freedom. this is bbc world news, the latest headlines: more than a0 people are dead after a russian plane makes

an emergency landing in moscow. after the worst violence in years there has been a lull in violence between israeli soldiers and palestinian militants in the gaza strip. japan has traditionally been reluctant to bring in foreign workers. but faced with a dramatically ageing and shrinking population, the country is being forced to change its attitude to immigration. now, a new law has come into effect that will allow hundreds of thousands of foreigners to apply forjapanese work permits each year. but labour rights activists say japan needs to address the risk of exploitation. from tokyo, rupert wingfield—hayes reports. at this buddhist temple in tokyo, the names on the funeral tablets are all in vietnamese. look at the ages — none is over 35.

each tablet represents the life of a migrant worker. bell rings. a vietnamese nun collected these names from across japan. each month, she collects new names. translation: to come to japan, they borrow a lot of money, then they can't pay it back, even if they work very hard. they get stressed and sick. they die from things like heart failure, and some kill themselves. there are hundreds of thousands of so—called foreign interns working in cities and little towns this one all overjapan. many of them are treated terribly, almost like indentured labour. because of that, more and more of them are running away. 7000 ran away last year alone. when they do, they end up in places like this. the people in this safe house

are mostly from china. they have fled abuse and exploitation injapanese factories and farms. this woman says she endured daily bullying and then lost a finger in an accident on a dairy farm. translation: leaving home and coming here is not easy. i am only doing it to save money. if i don't earn money, how can i go home? upstairs, 52—year—old ms chin is waiting to go back to china and see her newborn granddaughter. for two years, she worked in a textile factory 16 hours a day, seven days a week. translation: after the first week, my body couldn't take it. i was getting sick. i said to the boss "i don't want to work here", but he wouldn't let me go.

she says her ex—boss now still owes her two years's of overtime pay, nearly $a0,000. translation: of course i regret it. i can't pay back my loans. i can't get the money i'm owed. on this strawberry farm north of tokyo, a farmer employs six trainees from cambodia and thailand. mr usami is clear, without them, these strawberries would never make it to the fancy supermarkets of tokyo. translation: they are not just my righthand men, they are both hands. we depend entirely on our trainees. these workers are the lucky ones, they are well paid and well looked after, but far too many foreign workers are finding their dream of working in japan turning into a nightmare. rupert wingfield—hayes, bbc news, in ibaraki, eastern japan. thousands of people have lined

the streets of bangkok's historic royal quarter — to catch a glimpse of their newly—crowned king. during the ceremonial procession, king vajiralongkorn was carried along the 7 kilometre route on a gilded palanquin. the bbc‘s james landale has more. dawn in bangkok, and the street‘s brightened by a stream of royal yellow. thousands up early to get a good vantage point, all keen to catch a rare glimpse of their new king, their first for almost 70 years. carried by 16 soldiers on a gilded palanquin, a cavalcade involving more than 1,000 people, stretching some 500 metres long, slowly processing round the heart of the city. a chance for his people to pay homage and celebrate his ascension to the throne, but also a chance for many thais to see their monarch in person for the first time.

a much remoterfigure than the much beloved figure of his late father, spending much of his time abroad. this elaborate three—day celebration is as much religious as it is ceremonial, and as the king processed, he visited sacred temples, where he could offer up prayers before golden images of buddha. in thailand, the monarch is revered as an almost godlike figure, the official protector of the buddhist faith, and even members of his family prostrate themselves before him as they receive their royal titles. but he's more than a spiritual leader. and many thais wonder how the king will use his huge political influence, as his divided country emerges from military rule. they turned out in their thousands, as the procession stretched into the evening. the question is whether their reverence for monarchy will turn into real affection for their new king. james landale, bbc news.

facebook is mounting a big operation to try to make sure it's not used to spread misinformation or to allow foreign intervention in the european elections. it's already deleted millions of fake accounts as part of its crackdown. our technology correspondent rory cellan—jones reports from their european headquarters in dublin. a powerfulforce has been streaming through politics. a great campaigning tool but it can be used to spread misinformation or assist foreign powers to interfere. and the shadow of facebook looms ever larger over elections worldwide. fake news on facebook. back in 2016, facebook was downplaying its influence with mark zuckerberg saying it was crazy to think fake news had had any influence over the election of donald trump. now it has changed its tune. and in dublin it is getting ready to mount a big operation to oversee its impact on the european elections.

at facebook‘s european headquarters there is a pr offensive under way with journalist across the eu invited to see that the company is serious about battling electoral malpractice on its platform. once we find content that we want to remove we have experts in the room who know our community standards. the a0 strong team here include experts who have monitored other elections. among the issues encountered previously are voter suppression where people are given the wrong information about when to vote, foreign interference and fake accounts. facebook removed nearly 3 billion of them within 1 year. part of the drive for greater transparency is this online archive where you can see which adverts political campaigns have been placed and how they have been targeted. but wouldn't democracy be better off without facebook? it is a service that allows people in the uk to talk to each other,

including about important political issues of the day. but you need to recognise that that openness and ability to communicate with each other brings with it the possibility for people to get in and corrupt the process. that is what we want to stamp out. back in the uk, the electoral commission is impatient for the government to do more. it has been asking since 2003 for a law forcing all online political advertising to be upfront about who paid for it. when you see an advertisement in your newsfeed you want to know do i believe this advert and will it influence me? the key piece of information you need to make that decision is who has paid for it. across europe, politicians are preparing for battle. knowing that for good or ill, facebook will be a key weapon in theircampaigns.

you can reach me on twitter — i'm @duncangolestani. good morning. two key elements to your bank holiday monday forecast. one is the continuing chill. the other is going to be the position of this weather front. this is where the main focus for showers will be, and that will be drifting its way southwards through the day. it's around parts of southern scotland, northern ireland into the start of the morning. it means, either side of it, a good chance of a frost around, particularly to the far south of england and wales, and also across northern scotland. temperatures in rural areas below freezing, but here, a sunny start to the day. quite a bit of cloud in between. showers to start with in southern scotland, but brightening up quite quickly into the afternoon. a scattering of showers developing for northern ireland, north wales, the north midlands, towards east anglia, particularly during the afternoon, and some of those during the afternoon, across the pennines and peak district, could be a little bit on the heavy side. now, the winds will be mainly light tomorrow, so if you do get some sunshine, it will feel quite pleasant, but the temperatures still down

on where we should be at this time of year. potentially one of the coldest may bank holidays since we started in 1978. temperatures just about 12 or 13 in the south, still in single figures for many in the north. glasgow could hit around 12 celsius. the wettest rain will be sitting there or thereabouts as we go through the night and into tuesday morning, just because there's not much in the way of wind around. it's not going to move a great deal. to the south of it, a greater chance of avoiding frost at this time, with a fair amount of cloud. a widespread frost to start tuesday morning. so there is a weather front to begin. this is where we're most likely to see showers first thing on tuesday morning. but as temperatures start to lift through the day, a little bit of sunshine, notice there'll be showers breaking out here and there. can't promise you'll get one, can't promise you'll stay dry, but what we will see is potentially a bit more sunshine, and slightly less chilly conditions across the south later. still cold, though, for many. but as we go through the night and into wednesday, this weather system will be working its way in, bringing some milder air across france, and strong, windy conditions, which could just hit the south coast. to the northern side of our low, cold winds, and it's here we're

likely to see the rain, some actually more widespread and significant rain across england and wales. that will be welcome to some in england and wales, where it's been very dry over the past month in particular. we could see 10—15 millimetres quite widely, especially on the hills, a bit more maybe. and later on, as skies brighten across the south, some slow—moving, heavy and thundery downpours. for many, though, easterly winds will dominate the northern half of the country, especially where we have the rain in south—east scotland in the afternoon. temperatures at best around seven or eight degrees. that slow weather system will slowly start to pull away northwards and eastwards as we go through the week. there will still be some rain at times, wettest, though, mid—week. and throughout, like we start it, it's going to be fairly chilly in the morning and still fairly cool by day. bye for now.

this is bbc news. the headlines: at least a0 people have been killed in the crash of a russian jet at moscow's main airport after an aeroflot plane burst into flames as it made an emergency landing. 37 people are said to have survived. early reports suggest the aircraft may have been struck by lightning. after the worst violence in years, there has been a lull in hostilities between israel and palestinian militants in the gaza strip. there has been no word from israel. four israelis and more than 20 palestinians have been killed since the violence erupted. the venezuelan opposition leader, juan guaido, has insisted he is gaining support, despite apparently failing to attract military backing. he had urged supporters to rally in large numbers outside army barracks to demonstrate against president maduro,