this is bbc news. i'm kasia madera. our top stories: in israel, dozens of people are killed in a stampede at a religious festival attended by tens of thousands of ultra—orthodox jews. my husband, the president of the united states, joe biden! president biden holds a rally in georgia, the first stop on a tour to encourage americans to support his sweeping economic plans. gaunt and visibly diminished, alexei navalny in court via videolink for his first appearance since his hunger strike, accusing president putin of stealing the country's riches. and astonishment as a new gene therapy improves the vision of some patients with a rare

inherited eye condition. hello and welcome to our viewers on pbs in america and around the globe. we start with some breaking news. because local media quoting emergency services in israel say at least 38 people have been killed in a stampede at a jewish festival. tens of thousands of people had gathered at the foot of mount meron in northern israel to celebrate a jewish holiday. well, emergency services have been treating people at the scene but have found it difficult to evacuate the injured due to dense crowds. media reports initially said a section of stadium seating had collapsed. prime minister benjamin netanyahu has called the incident a "heavy disaster". this annual celebration

was closed last year because of the pandemic, and there were in fact concerns raised that despite israel's vaccination programme going well, the event could be a super—spreader, if large crowds were present this year. but we did have people gathering, and now we have this situation. i have to say the images that are coming into the bbc news room, many of them, we are simply unable to show you because they are as you would expect, very distressing. so we're not showing you all of the images coming in, but we will speak to yankee farmer, with the jewish will speak to yankee farmer, with thejewish news website near tel aviv. with thejewish news website neartelaviv. it's with thejewish news website near tel aviv. it's very good you can speak to us. you yourself are planning on going to this festival. tell us about what the latest news is and what the latest news is and what you have seen? basically, i no what you have seen? basically, i go every _ what you have seen? basically, i go every year _ what you have seen? basically, i go every year to _ what you have seen? basically, i go every year to the _ what you have seen? basically,

i go every year to the place. . i go every year to the place. sometimes we have half a million people coming to celebrate this event. but because it is a weekend, some people had to go back and forth for shabbat, the people who keeps about. it is complicated because it is quite fiery and it takes a long time to get back on the streets are very full of traffic and people. that is weight is hard to go back. —— why it is hard to go back. —— why it is hard to go back to where you can from. eventually, thousands of people together tried to go down a very small place, a very narrow road, and theyjust fell on top of each other. nothing collapsed, theyjust of each other. nothing collapsed, they just fell on top collapsed, theyjust fell on top of each other. there was

almost 50 people dead, 5—0, at least 44, may be more than a hundred people hurt very badly. the reason why — there could be more, there are usually many hundreds of people who go to this place every year, the people who celebrate themselves, there are so many. they, you know, there are so many ambulance and emergency services together. the place is already cleared and people are in hospital, but they counted bodies, probably like 1m. the families do not know yet because it is not yet possible to identify every single one of them. some of them did not have

identification on them. it's a bit of a disaster. i don't know who is going to pay for this. pushing 2000 people in one tiny little place is just really an open place to be a disaster and i don't know what's going to happen. at the moment, the place is closed, shutdown, no celebration, old music of. —— all of the music has been turned off. police are taking people backjerusalem and tel aviv. no—one is allowed to come to this place. when you have more than half a million people come to the place, there is a lot of traffic. so police have stopped everything right away. usually the workmen come at night but they have been

stopped also. a lot of my friends were there, and they just said we saw people falling on top of each other, stepping on top of each other, stepping on top of each other, stepping on top of each other. a lot of people who didn't have air could not breathe. children where they are, and lucky there were not any babies injured. but kids and, i don't know. i heard most of the people were young, some died aged 17, 20. i don't know the exact amount of people, but it looks like around 50 people dead. yanki farber, it _ around 50 people dead. yanki farber, it is _ around 50 people dead. yanki farber, it is good _ around 50 people dead. yanki farber, it is good have - around 50 people dead. yanki farber, it is good have you . farber, it is good have you just to bring us up—to—date with what you have heard. and we can't confirm exactly how many people, that we were quoting emergency services at saying at least 38 people have been killed in this stampede. you had planned to go. and last year, this is an annual festival, it had been postponed. it was closed because of the pandemic. 0f

because of the pandemic. of course we are hearing about the success of israel's vaccination programme. what was the thinking this year. of course, it did go ahead, but where these are the numbers one would have expected normally, annually, that we saw? because we believe that it was tens of thousands of people who were there? , ., , there? israelis did well in the pandemic. — there? israelis did well in the pandemic, more _ there? israelis did well in the pandemic, more than - there? israelis did well in the pandemic, more than half- there? israelis did well in the pandemic, more than half of| there? israelis did well in the i pandemic, more than half of the country has been vaccinated. england and written —— britain did very well. i watched the news and a read —— i read the bbc website. it looks like a very good job. i see the shops and shopping centres being open. it is the same here in israel. we learn from each other and we did a very good

job. people said, there is no pandemic, let's go and celebrate. but i would say less than 100,000 people. usually there is like a00,000, than 100,000 people. usually there is like 400,000, 500,000 people. people are still a little bit afraid from the coronavirus pandemic so they still think twice about leaving the house. you know, they don't want to many people to get together. as you said, 38 people died on the scene, another six died at hospital. there still struggling to save the lives of people badly injured. the lives of people badly in'ured. ., ~ ., , the lives of people badly in'ured. . ~ . , ., ~ injured. yanki farber, thank ou so injured. yanki farber, thank you so much _ injured. yanki farber, thank you so much for— injured. yanki farber, thank you so much for talking - injured. yanki farber, thank you so much for talking us | you so much for talking us through it. i appreciate the emotion, bearing in mind you were meant to be there, but for the time being, thank you so much for bringing us up—to—date. yanki farber, a journalist at the jewish 0rthodox website, behadrei haredim, bringing us up—to—date with the latest. and we will be speaking to our correspondent you just to find out a little

bit more about this particular festival. as yanki was saying, it is very important and extremely popular. president biden has spoken at a rally in the us state of georgia to mark his 100th day in office. it's the first stop on a tour to urge americans to support his plans to spend trillions of dollars rebuilding the economy. during his opening remarks, the president was interrupted by hecklers objecting to prisoners being held in privately—run detention centres. men shouting i agree with you. i'm working on it, man, give me another five days. crowd cheering horns tooting folks, you know what

they are talking about. men shouting do it now! now! there should be no private prisons, period. private detention centres. they should not exist. and we are working to close all of them. well, the president went on to explain how his muliti—trillion dollar spending plans would be funded. it's about time the very wealthy and corporations start paying their fair share. it's about time. it's as simple as that. and, folks, i'm not going to bore you with the details but i promise you, no—one making under $400,000 a year is going to pay a single additional penny in tax, no—one. as i said last night, the middle class and working people of this country have already paid enough in taxes. it's time for the richest 1% of americans in corporate america to start to do their part.

president biden there outlining his plans at that rally. we can speak now to american economist robert reich, a former us labour secretary who served in the administrations of presidents ford, carter and under bill clinton. it's really good to get your perspective on this, robert. i believe president biden was meetingjimmy carter believe president biden was meeting jimmy carter earlier on today. what you make of this? what are your initial reactions to the spending plans. he has been described as a socialist. have you seen anything like this? ~ ., ., ., this? well, relative to other spending — this? well, relative to other spending plans— this? well, relative to other spending plans we - this? well, relative to other spending plans we have - this? well, relative to otherl spending plans we have seen this? well, relative to other- spending plans we have seen by democratic presidents, but to call it socialist, that is sort of a broad rush. the fact of the matter is american workers, american middle class, working class people, do not have many of the benefits that other workers in developed countries have. in terms of paid, family and medical leave, early childhood education and preschool, some help with higher education costs, and so

on. these are not radical positions. and the fact of the matter is most americans actually do need them, and the pandemic has revealed to most americans the extent of that new. , ., americans the extent of that new. ,, ., ., americans the extent of that new. ., . ., , , new. so, how much of these is auoin new. so, how much of these is going through _ new. so, how much of these is going through historically - going through historically helping people within the united states, and how much of his spending plan does he feel he can do because of the pandemic, because of all we have been sing of the past ear? ~ ~ ., , year? well i think, actually, . uite year? well i think, actually, uuite a year? well i think, actually, quite a lot _ year? well i think, actually, quite a lot of— year? well i think, actually, quite a lot of it. _ year? well i think, actually, quite a lot of it. the - year? well i think, actually, i quite a lot of it. the pandemic review of the most americans the extent of the inequality, but also reveal too much of the middle—class and working—class our thin eyes they were actually skating on. the extent to which they really do need to have a stronger safety net to catch them, should they file. and many people in the united states found themselves unemployed or in danger of

being unemployed. most americans live pay check to pay check, and there is not the sort of underlying props that you find in most other developed countries in terms of unemployment insurance. yes, there is, but only 30% of americans who are unemployed qualified for unemployment insurance. you find an area after area, insurance. you find an area afterarea, public insurance. you find an area after area, public health is another area where most americans discovered during the pandemic how bad the american system of public health act julie is. so, although rugged individualism still prevails in the united states, joe biden, the united states, joe biden, the oldest president in american history, someone with a history himself of being a centrist, is coming into an administration rate now and into the smoke administration right now —— into the administration right now with one of the more ambitious plans. lyndonjohnson's great

society is perhaps the only competitor.— competitor. robert reich, fantastic _ competitor. robert reich, fantastic to _ competitor. robert reich, fantastic to speak - competitor. robert reich, fantastic to speak to - competitor. robert reich, fantastic to speak to you | competitor. robert reich, i fantastic to speak to you and your wealth of knowledge. thank ou. your wealth of knowledge. thank you- thank _ your wealth of knowledge. thank you- thank you- _ stay with us on bbc world news. still to come: the groundbreaking new treatment helping people who have a rare form of inherited sight loss. nothing, it seemed, was too big to withstand the force of the tornado. the extent of the devastation will lead to renewed calls for government help to build better housing. internationally, there have already been protests. sweden says it received no warning of the accident. indeed, the russians at first denied anything had gone wrong. only when radioactivity levels began to increase outside russia were they forced to admit the accident.

for the mujahideen, the mood here is of great celebration. this is the end of a 12—year warfor them. they have taken the capital which they have been fighting for for so long. it was 7 o'clock in the morning when power began to pass from the minority to the majority, when africa, after 300 years, reclaimed its last white colony. this is bbc news, our breaking news this hour: israeli media report at least 38 people have been killed in a stampede at a jewish festival. let's stay with this because i going to find out a little bit more about this particular festival from a reporter on religion, particularlyjewish culture and anti—semitism for our colleagues at world service radio. really good of you on

what is a busy newsday to take the time to talk to us. talk us through this gathering of people because there were at least 100,000 people there. yes. that has been reported that there were over 100,000 people attended the event there. i must say that this festival is celebrated by dues all over the world. this particular festival is on the eve of the festival. that is where hasidic dues come to the mountain to visit the burial of the second century sage who supposedly has cabalistic and mystical powers. if; supposedly has cabalistic and mystical powers.— supposedly has cabalistic and mystical powers. ic. this is an annual festival _ mystical powers. ic. this is an annual festival as _ mystical powers. ic. this is an annual festival as well? - mystical powers. ic. this is an annual festival as well? yes, i annual festival as well? yes, definitely- — annual festival as well? yes, definitely. we _ annual festival as well? yes, definitely. we this _ annual festival as well? yes, definitely. we this every - annual festival as well? yes, | definitely. we this every year. in terms of the importance of it. it is incredible how we see

many people coming to this. it was cancelled last year, it's an annual event but cancelled last year because of the pandemic and back on as we are seeing our. pandemic and back on as we are seeing our-— seeing our. yes, definitely. israel's vaccination - seeing our. yes, definitely. israel's vaccination rates i seeing our. yes, definitely. | israel's vaccination rates are extremely high and a lot of the country is open and active as per usual. there weren't —— were so many restrictions coming up to the event and police were aware and this was months and weeks of planning. the infrastructure that goes around this. the national bus service in israel has been planning this for a very long time as well. they did expect these sorts of numbers. however, i'm sure they didn't expect what happens today. know, of course i like i say the details at the moment are still coming in on some of the images we can't show what happened in a stampede because they are just simply too devastating to see. talk us through the, how this looks in

terms of people because what we are seeing are quite narrow areas through which people are going through. how does this look on the ground? according to reports. _ look on the ground? according to reports, and _ to reports, and i have spoken to journalists just a few minutes ago, someone tojournalistsjust a few minutes ago, someone had fallen into these narrow spaces and created a chain reaction which then created a stampede. unfortunately, as people panicked and they can see what was happening, police were confused, people were unable to leave the area and unfortunately there were images of people suffocating in the space. 50 of people suffocating in the s-ace. ., of people suffocating in the sace. ., ., , of people suffocating in the sace. ., , .,~ space. so how does this work normally _ space. so how does this work normally then? _ space. so how does this work normally then? where - space. so how does this work normally then? where are . space. so how does this work - normally then? where are people going to when they are in this religious festival? i going to when they are in this religious festival?— religious festival? i can only assume that _ religious festival? i can only assume that being - religious festival? i can only assume that being in - religious festival? i can only assume that being in the . assume that being in the grandstand that they were singing together, prayers, harmonising together, talking about the festival. however, lag b'0mer is celebrated in many different ways, for a bonfire, music, singing and

dancing, but it has been reported that there will be no further events occurring due to the event. further events occurring due to the event-— the event. amy, thank you so much for _ the event. amy, thank you so much for bringing _ the event. amy, thank you so much for bringing us - the event. amy, thank you so i much for bringing us up-to-date much for bringing us up—to—date and talking us through this festival. amy leibowitz from the world service, thank you so much. the russian opposition leader alexei navalny has appeared in court in moscow via videolink — the first time he has been seen in public since ending his 24 day hunger strike. he launched a scathing attack on president putin, calling him an emperor with no clothes whose crown was slipping. at the same time, another court in moscow was clamping down on mr navalny�*s supporters, as sarah rainsford reports. his head close—shaven and face gaunt, this is the first glimpse of alexei navalny since his three—week hunger strike. the opposition politician transformed as a prisoner. this video link to court is now his only platform. the one official camera won't film his speech but audio does get out.

and today navalny denounced vladimir putin as a president whose only care is clinging to power eternally. but since navalny�*s arrest, the pressure on his supporters has intensified. irina used to run his office in st petersburg. they've cleared out because the prosecutor now wants the whole navalny network banned as extremists. translation: the risks are high because we just don't know howl this law will be applied, how hard they want to crackdown. destroying our movement is already a huge thing but they can still come after whoever they want, and that's frightening. the door here is shuttered, the office is empty, it's as if alexei navalny�*s team were never even here. and it's the same story now right across this country, as a whole opposition movement, the most prominent, the most organised in russia, has

suddenly vanished from sight. last august, alexei navalny nearly died on a flight from siberia, poisoned with a nerve agent. when he recovered and returned to russia defiant, he was arrested on arrival. since then, his offices have been raided constantly, team members targeted with searches and arrests. despite it all, crowds took to the streets throughout russia once again last week, demanding navalny�*s release. this was the response in st petersburg. history tutor alexander was one of more than 800 detained. a week later, we returned to the spot. alexander told me the price of dissent is rising now. they punched me with electro shock... navalny�*s supporters, he insists, though, want peaceful change. of course extremist for the — for our government, for the putin's people

who want to fight with him in political things. people like navalny, the man the kremlin wants silenced and forgotten, and any attempt to challenge that is obliterated. sarah rainsford, bbc news, st petersburg. patients with a rare inherited eye condition, which causes gradual sight loss, have said they are astonished and delighted by the success of a new form of gene therapy. the treatment is intended to halt further loss of sight but has actually improved their vision as well. 0ur medical editor fergus walsh has more — and just a warning — his report includes images of the operation. jake has been gradually losing his sight since birth but no longer thanks to a ground—breaking gene therapy. i've just been able to see facial features on my own face. it's something that i never used to be able to do. jake, from county durham, has a rare inherited condition which means his central vision is largely a blur.

since his right eye was treated a year ago his peripheral vision has improved. i'm in the best place i've probably been in 24 yea rs of life. last year for a lot of people was a dark and miserable year but for me it was probably the best year of my life. after a year's delay due to covid, jake has now had his other eye treated at moorfields eye hospital in london, which it's hoped may further stabilise and perhaps improve his vision. the one—off gene therapy, called luxturna, is delivered via injection. it costs £600,000 but the nhs has agreed a discounted price with the manufacturer novartis. the injection delivers working copies of a faulty gene, rpe65, into the retina at the back of the eye. the dna is encased in

a harmless virus which breaks into the retinal cells. once inside the nucleus of the eye the replacement gene kick—starts production of the rpe65 protein essential for healthy vision. this is really transformational. it provides an opportunity, hope for people, not only with the specific condition, but people with other similar conditions hope that they can protect their sight in the long term. i keep noticing subtle improvements. i noticed one today coming into this park. i noticed that there are railings above the entrance to the gate. matthew from london has the same rare inherited condition and has had one eye treated. the second operation is next month. aged 48, his vision had already deteriorated much further than jake's. i lost my central vision about ten years ago and it had a really severe impact on how i live and who i am. if the treatment means that it puts off another decline like that then that's going to be amazing.

matthew's wife has noticed he is more independent. he doesn't have to ask me every little thing. is this on the right setting? the washing machine, the coffee machine — you know — those things that are just everyday people take for granted, matthew can now do himself. around a dozen people in the uk have received the gene therapy, including several children — who stand to benefit most, as it may halt their sight loss before permanent damage is done. fergus walsh, bbc news. let's just remind you of our breaking news story. the local media who are quoting emergency services in israel say at least 38 people had been killed in a stampede that happened at a jewish festival. tens of thousands of people had gathered at the foot of mount meron in northern israel. it was to celebrate a jewish holiday. emergency services have been treating people at the same but they have found it difficult to evacuate the

injured due to the dense crowds. we are continuing to monitor the situation there and of course we will bring you up—to—date with any new developments here on bbc world news. three hello. april will continue to try to make amends with a bit more rain before the month is done during friday in the form of showers that will continue into the first weekend of may and it will stay on the cool side with a risk of frost at night. and it will stay on the cool side with a risk of frost at night. and then for the bank holiday, look at this area of low pressure — a long way away but it's coming for us on monday. until then, we find ourselves in the wake of low pressure. unstable air, meaning showers and the flow of air coming in from the north—east. some cool direction temperatures, below average for the time of year, and another frost out there for many as we start the day for friday morning. rather patchy in nature, more likely in the countryside than in the town and city centres, but it will be chilly. there'll be plenty of sunshine. already a few showers running in towards the north sea coastal areas. but after the early sunshine

elsewhere, some cloud is going to build and the showers break out more widely, some heavy, perhaps with hail and thunder. not everybody will catch them, though, and as for temperatures, it is quite cool, particularly along north sea coasts — many of us just in the range of 9—12 celsius. perhaps fewer showers in northern ireland compared with thursday, so more in the way of dry, sunny weather. as ever, the showers — not everybody�*s going to catch them — they will tend to fade away after dark overnight and into saturday morning and with another chilly start, with another patchy frost, a lot of sunshine to start the weekend, to start saturday. but wait for it, it all happens again. the shower clouds build, the showers break out, some heavy with hail and thunder. they will be wintry, too, over the higher hills and mountains, particularly in scotland. maybe temperatures a degree or so higher on saturday and the winds are light, so if you are in some sunshine, it will feel reasonable, as it will again on sunday after a chilly start, but the showers will get going once again. more cloud gathering out to our west — that's the area of low pressure i showed you coming in for the bank holiday. now, there's still something to play for in the timing of the arrival of this wet and windy weather moving in from the atlantic on monday. it may well be that the far

north of scotland, the far south—east of england stay dry for a large part of the day before the rain gets in. but if you think rain is coming on the bank holiday, the winds are going to be picking up as well and it is going to still be on the cool side for the time of year, you won't go far wrong.

this is bbc news. the headlines: dozens of people have been killed and scores more injured in a stampede at a jewish festival in israel. tens of thousands of ultra—0rthodox jews had gathered at the foot of mount meron in the country's north to mark a jewish holiday. president biden's held a rally in georgia on his 100th day in office. he said that he wanted the very wealthy and corporations to start paying their share of tax. it's the first stop on a tour to urge americans to support his sweeping economic plans. russian opposition leader alexi navalny, has launched a scathing attack on president putin during a defiant court appearance, accusing him of stealing the country's riches. it's the first time he's been seen since the end of his hunger strike. those are the latest headlines.

i will be back at the top