this is bbc news. i'm james reynolds. our top stories: funerals begin for the victims of the stampede in israel — at least 45 people died at a crowded jewish festival. as india deals with a huge surge in coronavirus cases, the united states announces it will restrict travel from the country next week. we have a special report from mali, as british troops join what's been described as the world's most dangerous peace—keeping mission. british sport takes action over racist abuse online — with many stars and clubs boycotting social media. and heading back to the dance floor without social distancing. it's part of a uk pilot on how to gather safely without spreading covid.

hello and welcome. the first funerals have been held in israel for the victims of a deadly crush at a religious festival. at least 45 people are known to have died, and more than 150 were injured at meron, the site of the tomb of a revered second—century rabbi. almost all of those affected were ultra—orthodoxjews, in attendance to mark the lag b'omer holiday. our middle east correspondent tom bateman sent this report from the scene. and a warning, it contains distressing images. they came to celebrate and to be blessed. tens of thousands ofjewish pilgrims at the term

ofjewish pilgrims at the term of a rabbi. ofjewish pilgrims at the term ofa rabbi. instead ofjewish pilgrims at the term of a rabbi. instead they were met with panic and crush. on left the shrine, descending and narrow walkway which was badly overcrowded. those at the front became crowded. people try tearing away metal barricades to free them. mil tearing away metal barricades to free them.— to free them. all of a sudden we saw paramedics _ to free them. all of a sudden we saw paramedics from - to free them. all of a sudden l we saw paramedics from mada to free them. all of a sudden - we saw paramedics from mada or whatever, they made cpr on kids and others. it whatever, they made cpr on kids and ethere— and others. it was a desperate search. dozens _ and others. it was a desperate search. dozens had _ and others. it was a desperate search. dozens had been - search. dozens had been suffocated or trampled on. children became separated from parents and army helicopters evacuated the wounded. in the hospitals, there has been anguish as relatives wait for news. many of the dead still have not been formally

identified. this man took his two young sons to the festival. when it got crowded, he says they tried to get out. translation:- they tried to get out. translation: ~ ., . ., they tried to get out. translation: ~ .. ., ., , translation: we reached a ramp where there _ translation: we reached a ramp where there was _ translation: we reached a ramp where there was a _ translation: we reached a ramp where there was a river _ translation: we reached a ramp where there was a river of - where there was a river of people. ifell on my back and others piled on top. i prayed. my others piled on top. i prayed. my ten—year—old son was screaming. my 13—year—old son, he was gone. ihis screaming. my 13-year-old son, he was gone-— he was gone. his ten-year-old made his _ he was gone. his ten-year-old made his way _ he was gone. his ten-year-old made his way home _ he was gone. his ten-year-old made his way home by - he was gone. his ten-year-old made his way home by himself but the teenager was missing. the family searched hospital boards for news. later, he was confirmed dead, among at least seven children who lost their lives. the annual festival sees ultraorthodox dues flock for a night of prayer. bonfires are lit as well. this was the country's biggest gathering since the pandemic. israel has

lifted many covid restrictions after the world's fosters vaccination rollout. what went wrong? this is where the surge took place. crowds were running down this metal rent. people said it was slippery. people were then turning around this corner and heading down the steps. some said a barrier was blocking the route is where the crush took place. at the scene, prime minister benjamin netanyahu call that a national disaster and promised a full enquiry. this afternoon they began bearing the dead. amid the grief and the funerals, questions mount over whether it could have been prevented. after a night of ritual, this was the one no—one wanted. let's get some of the day's other news: a huge blast in eastern afghanistan has killed about 30 people and injured dozens more.

officials said a car bomb went off near a guesthouse in pul—e—alam, the capital of logar province. it's not yet known who carried out the attack. a new study says the brazilian part of the amazon forest released 20% more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere in the past decade than it absorbed. large scale logging and forest fires, lit deliberately to clear land, are being blamed. police in houston have found more than 90 people crammed into a two—storey suburban house and suspect it was being used in a people—smuggling operation. the victims, most of them men, were found huddled together in different rooms and many hadn't eaten for days. some were showing symptoms of covid. police say there weren't any children in the house. the united states will restrict travel from india next week to try to stop the spread of covid—i9. the measure will come into force on tuesday. vice president kamala harris said at the same time the us would send more than $100 million worth of supplies.

it is important to note, as i said earlier, we have a responsibility as the united states, and in particular with people we have partnered over the years, to step up when people are in a time of need. as it relates to the people of india, we have long—standing decades long relations with with india and indian people, in particular around public health issues.— health issues. officials in delhi have _ health issues. officials in delhi have been - health issues. officials in delhi have been trying i health issues. officials in delhi have been trying to j health issues. officials in - delhi have been trying to find more sites for cremations. the indian government is to open vaccinations from saturday but several states have what they do not have sufficient stock. the rise in coronavirus in india continues unabated. the country recording 3000 cases and 3500 deaths. the situation

in delhi is of particular concern which saw nearly 400 deaths in the last 24 hours. the positivity rate in the city, with a population of 20 million, is that 33%. the city has seen unprecedented scene. hospitals continued to run out of space. the administration to try battle this is converting parks and parking lot into makeshift crematoriums because the casualty figures are rising exponentially. this morning, on an encouraging sign, support did arrive in a military plane. with nearly $100 million that the us has pledged to send to india in the next couple of weeks. india is also receiving foreign aid for other countries but many experts are pointing out that this is such an aggressive coronavirus wave and at the rate of infection, this kind of aid may also fall short. one way the government is trying to battle the number of cases is to open up its

vaccination programme. tomorrow onwards all programmes will be eligible for vaccines. many state are saying they simply do not have enough vaccines on the ground so that remains a huge concern as well. scientist say the peak could arrive sometimes in mid may or in the third week the concern is that by then india could still see a very, very high number of coronavirus cases and casualties as well. reports say ten people have died in a fire in india in the city of barbrook. smoke was seen rising with the fire brigade trying to control the blaze. an official said the fire had been put out but cause considerable damage. —— caused.

in other coronavirus developments: australia has made it temporarily illegal for its citizens to return home if they've been in india in the past two weeks. from monday, anyone who breaks the new law will face up to five years in prison. australia had already paused direct flights from india to reduce covid outbreaks in its hotel quarantine system. turkey has approved the emergency use of russia's sputnik v covid—19 vaccine, after signing an agreement to purchase a total of 50 million doses. turkey is currently under new lockdown restrictions for two weeks following a surge in cases. russia has recorded more than 400,000 excess deaths from last april to march this year during the pandemic — that's according to state statistics. epidemiologists say excess death figures are the best way to measure the true coronavirus toll. the film and tv industry has sought to distance itself from the british actor and director, noel clarke, who's facing multiple claims of sexual harassment. clarke is known for playing mickey smith in doctor who, from 2005 to 2010, and for his film trilogy kidulthood, adulthood and brotherhood. he is also a writer,

director and producer. in a statement the 45 year—old said... his statement comes after 20 women accused him of harassment and bullying. broadcasters itv and sky have now dropped his shows, and he's been suspended by bafta, almost three weeks after the british film and television academy gave him an award for his outstanding contribution. it is just it isjust reminding it is just reminding everyone that #metoo is not something that #metoo is not something that happened in 2017 but something that continues to affect people within the film and television industry, effect people outside of that, across the world, so we need to be more diligent and start taking

some action and doing things to stop the narrative, something that had been going on for so long. the biggest uk military operation since iraq and afghanistan is under way in the west african state of mali. 300 british soldiers have joined part of what the un is calling the most dangerous peacekeeping mission in the world — nearly 250 un troops have lost their lives since the mission began eight years ago. mali is suffering from a rise in violent islamist extremism, coupled with severe poverty. it has a scattered population of 20 million people and the size of the country alone makes it very difficult to counter the threat with limited security forces. the bbc�*s defence correspondent jonathan beale and cameraman james anderson are the first broadcast journalists to join british troops on patrol. british troops are back in harm's way, in their most dangerous deployment since the wars in iraq and afghanistan. this time as part of a un peacekeeping mission in mali, a country in crisis, suffering extreme poverty, the impact of climate change,

weak governance, and a surge in violent extremism. more than 300,000 people have been forced to leave their homes. we need to try and understand the sorts of terrorist activity, if you've got any security concerns in the area, try and identify that as well as looking for anyone who does look suspect. we were among the first journalists tojoin them out on patrol. they're on high alert. they soon notice a group of men leaving on motorbikes. groups of five to six motorcyclists who have seen us, it's just a bit suspicious. strangers coming through the area. they know extremists have been here, but for the locals there's often a fear in speaking out. they are reluctant to say what the issues are, which suggests there are some sort of fear of reprisals if they are starting to open up of the true issues they do face,

and it's giving them a sort of understanding and being a presence to provide that security. jihadist groups have been conducting a reign of terror. this, a propaganda video of the group calling itself islamic state in the greater sahel. they're in competition with other extremists linked to al-anda. these long—range reconnaissance patrols are designed to gather intelligence, to protect the local population, and to drive the extremists out. but they're having to cover a vast area of thousands of miles. and the question is, can a few hundred british troops really make a difference? tens of thousands have become refugees in their own country. these families have left their villages for the relative safety of a nearby town — the victims of the violence. he said they killed some of theirfamily, most of their family. killed most of their family?

anything we can do to allow them to live a normal life fearfrom fear of rape, murder or robbery, is a success for us. they're having to work alongside mali's own security forces, who have been accused of committing human rights abuses. but they're taking casualties too. 30 malian soldiers were killed in an ambush here just a few weeks ago. so what if the british become the target? if someone's going to attack us we're not going to sit and watch them do that. we will defend ourselves. and if someone is going to attack or is about to attack the local nationals then our job is to protect them, and if protecting them involves using violence then we will use violence. the uk's committed to this peacekeeping mission for at least three years, but thousands of french troops have been fighting in a separate counter—terrorism mission here since 2013. for britain the question is can it really help bring peace to mali, or is this another long, unwinnable war? jonathan beale,

bbc news, eastern mali. this is bbc news. the latest headlines: mourners in israel have begun burying the victims of the stampede, after at least 45 people died in a crush at a crowded jewish festival. the united states has announced it will restrict travel from india next week — to try and halt the spread of covid—19. some of the biggest names in the english premier league are taking part in a social media boycott, in protest at ongoing abuse directed at players. the four—day blackout is designed to put pressure on the likes of facebook and twitter to stop the abuse. nesta mcgregor reports. football has tried several different tactics to try and defeat racism. taking the knee, widely adopted across sport, is one of them. today, the game hoped to make another loud statement — those who have been victims staying silent on the platforms where the abuse takes place.

do i think it will make a difference? probably not. but what it does do, it sends a warning to these companies, to let these people know that we're not going to take this abuse any more. if they still don't take action, then i think you will see these clubs, players, staff, corporations, start to get together and think of more tough measures to take to finally force action. there is no room for racism anywhere. at 3pm this afternoon, led by the premier league and with support from rugby, cricket, cycling and many more, a four—day social media boycott. even before the lockdown kicked in, we were seeing significant increases in reported incidents based on discrimination, and this isn'tjust online. the fact that we've not been in grounds and we haven't had grassroots football, i think is hiding the fact that this is a problem in society. through sport, huge amounts of traffic is diverted to sites like instagram, facebook and twitter, an agreement which benefits them both. but this weekend, nothing from

f1 champion lewis hamilton, a huge game, man united versus liverpool, nothing. the result of that fixture could see manchester city crowned champions yet nothing in the form of celebration from their players on social media. facebook, instagram and twitter are going to miss out on billions of views this weekend due to the boycott and these major clubs not participating on their platforms. in terms of companies investing in the ads on these platforms, the traffic isn't going to be there. the spotlight seems to be firmly on social media companies, their message remains the same — that they are committed to making their platforms a safe space for everyone. this isn't about profit and it's not about money. we've been working on some of these tools for a very long time regardless of any calls for a boycott. generation by generation, athletes have shared stories of being racially abused at work. yet each storyteller hopes they will be the last to have

to tell it. nesta mcgregor, bbc news. we can now speak to the us soccerjournalist and broadcaster brian sciaretta. will this boycott lead to a change in policy by social media companies? it’s change in policy by social media companies? it's always unlikely because _ media companies? it's always unlikely because there - media companies? it's always unlikely because there are - media companies? it's always unlikely because there are so | unlikely because there are so many users on facebook and instagram and twitter. being able to contain it is a difficult thing. it's a noble effort. and a broad base of followings i was going to be vulnerable to this. think it's a good thing. that means there is discourse in conversation. other any practical, easy steps these companies might take or that players might recommend those companies take? —— are there? they will need to have because increased their budgets to go after obvious, clear and

obvious instances of abuse and harassment.— obvious instances of abuse and harassment. they are obviously things that go way over - harassment. they are obviously things that go way over the - things that go way over the bounds of decency and are clearly people who are asking for it. not regulating opinion, but regulating abuse. just increasing the budget for that, to hire more people to look at that. surely you are always going to be overwhelmed when you have tens and tens of hundreds of millions of people involved in some of these platforms. involved in some of these platforms-— involved in some of these latforms. , �* . ., platforms. isn't always clear where the — platforms. isn't always clear where the line _ platforms. isn't always clear where the line is _ platforms. isn't always clear where the line is between i where the line is between criticism, of a player's performance, and personal abuse? ., ~' ., performance, and personal abuse? ., ~ ., abuse? you know it when you see. abuse? you know it when you see- you _ abuse? you know it when you see. you don't _ abuse? you know it when you see. you don't want - abuse? you know it when you see. you don't want to - abuse? you know it when you| see. you don't want to ratchet it down too much to opinion. but certain terms in certain words trigger that line crossing that i think everyone should be, you know, should agree that crosses the line. and i think if we start limiting to those things at

least to start, it really does kind of go a long way. on these platforms you the words that are obviously only used in harassing situations. and that differentiates it from opinion, in my opinion. differentiates it from opinion, in my opinion-— differentiates it from opinion, in my opinion. and those words are not triggering _ in my opinion. and those words are not triggering and - are not triggering and alarming? i are not triggering and alarming?— are not triggering and alarming? are not triggering and alarmina? ., �* ,, alarming? i don't think so. if ou lo: alarming? i don't think so. if you log into _ alarming? i don't think so. if you log into twitter- alarming? i don't think so. if you log into twitter and - you log into twitter and facebook, i mean, i'm sure you can find some of them regularly, but it's a matter of these things getting reported. and there are also different ways you can get the same point across and it can still be in a racist and homophobic way, and you want to avoid that. i think more money needs to be spent on it, and i think that includes hiring more people, which is what it will come down to. we have heard — what it will come down to. we have heard about abuse players in the uk are facing. what about sportsmen and women in the united states?—

the united states? sure. it exists here. _ the united states? sure. it exists here. it _ the united states? sure. it exists here. it exists, - the united states? sure. it exists here. it exists, you. exists here. it exists, you know, in everywhere. they are starting to get more outspoken on it, and i think they will follow the european leader here. you know, ithink sometimes when you start getting the athletes overseas, because the following are so big, but we're certainly immune from the problem.— from the problem. brian sciaretta. _ from the problem. brian sciaretta, thank - from the problem. brian sciaretta, thank you - from the problem. brian sciaretta, thank you so l from the problem. brian - sciaretta, thank you so much. clubbers have been deprived of the dance floor for more than a year now, but to their delight, thousands returned here in england — and without masks or social distancing. it's all part of a uk government pilot programme to establish whether large crowds can safely gather without spreading covid. 6,000 people are attending a two—day event in liverpool this weekend. dan johnson reports. the masks are of and the vibe is raising. finally, we are

free to do what we want to do. embracing music and each other. anywhere else, this would be illegal tonight. anywhere else, this would be illegaltonight. i anywhere else, this would be illegal tonight.— illegal tonight. i think it's really going _ illegal tonight. i think it's really going to _ illegal tonight. i think it's really going to be - illegal tonight. i think it's really going to be lacking| really going to be lacking magical moment in history, to be honest. magical moment in history, to be honest-— be honest. and look what it means to — be honest. and look what it means to be _ be honest. and look what it means to be back— be honest. and look what it means to be back in - be honest. and look what it means to be back in front i be honest. and look what it| means to be back in front of be honest. and look what it i means to be back in front of a car. i means to be back in front of a car. ~' �* , means to be back in front of a car. ~ �* , ., ., , car. i think it's going to be electric. — car. i think it's going to be electric, absolutely - car. i think it's going to be i electric, absolutely buzzing. people going, oh my god, just screaming their heads off, so excited. �* , . , , excited. and this city is leading _ excited. and this city is leading the _ excited. and this city is leading the way. - excited. and this city is leading the way. i - excited. and this city is| leading the way. i spent excited. and this city is - leading the way. i spent three weeks on _ leading the way. i spent three weeks on this _ leading the way. i spent three weeks on this outfit. - leading the way. i spent three weeks on this outfit. deciding| weeks on this outfit. deciding what to drink, deciding what to wear. big cheers to liverpool. we love this city. were all excited _ we love this city. were all excited. practically in tears. we are _ excited. practically in tears. we are not even drunk yet, wehe— we are not even drunk yet, we're just— we are not even drunk yet, we're just ready for. a we are not even drunk yet, we're just ready for. we're 'ust ready for. a little bit we're just ready for. a little bit overwhelming. - we're just ready for. a little bit overwhelming. we - we're just ready for. a little l bit overwhelming. we haven't been — bit overwhelming. we haven't been around _ bit overwhelming. we haven't been around so _ bit overwhelming. we haven't been around so many- bit overwhelming. we haven't been around so many peoplel bit overwhelming. we haven't. been around so many people in

so long, and it's weird - been around so many people in so long, and it's weird to get. so long, and it's weird to get back— so long, and it's weird to get back into _ so long, and it's weird to get back into it. _ so long, and it's weird to get back into it, i'm _ so long, and it's weird to get back into it, i'm excited, - so long, and it's weird to get back into it, i'm excited, a l back into it, i'm excited, a bit nervous, _ back into it, i'm excited, a bit nervous, but _ back into it, i'm excited, a bit nervous, but i'm - back into it, i'm excited, a . bit nervous, but i'm excited. this— bit nervous, but i'm excited. this comes _ bit nervous, but i'm excited. this comes after— bit nervous, but i'm excited. this comes after the - bit nervous, but i'm excited. i this comes after the greatest yearfor this comes after the greatest year for everyone's year in live events. year for everyone's year in live events-— year for everyone's year in live events. i'll be looking at the data- — live events. i'll be looking at the data. i'm _ live events. i'll be looking at the data. i'm a _ live events. i'll be looking at the data. i'm a big _ live events. i'll be looking at the data. i'm a big nerd. - the data. i'm a big nerd. jaeuer the data. i'm a big nerd. jaeger studied _ the data. i'm a big nerd. - jaeger studied environmental toxicology before turning to music. ~ �* , toxicology before turning to music. ~ �*, , music. like, there's people, and they _ music. like, there's people, and they are _ music. like, there's people, and they are together, - music. like, there's people, and they are together, and i music. like, there's people, - and they are together, and they are dancing, and this is exciting!— are dancing, and this is exciting!- it's - are dancing, and this is. exciting!- it's loud. are dancing, and this is - exciting!- it's loud. it exciting! yeah. it's loud. it feels like. _ exciting! yeah. it's loud. it feels like, wait, _ exciting! yeah. it's loud. it feels like, wait, we - exciting! yeah. it's loud. it. feels like, wait, we shouldn't be doing this, but, it's ok. everyone tested and it's ok. it's cool. i'm pumped and really excited.— it's cool. i'm pumped and really excited. there will be cameras — really excited. there will be cameras and _ really excited. there will be cameras and ai _ really excited. there will be cameras and ai looking - really excited. there will be cameras and ai looking at l really excited. there will be l cameras and ai looking at the movement of people. other any bottlenecks that could be removed? are there any pockets? we have chosen a deliberately big, hairy venue. we have

monitors for covid safety and carbon dioxide levels. everyone being here is helping us collect the data while it is safe to do so and both rates are very low. they will be tested before and after. irate tested before and after. we asked tested before and after. - asked people to take a pcr test five days afterwards and that allows us to understand the transmission. we want people to enjoy themselves, we want people to have a good time. really important for individuals, but it's also part of the scientific experiment to capture what we can learn from it. , , , ., capture what we can learn from it. ,, ., it. this is 'ust a taste of what we — it. this isjust a taste of what we have _ it. this isjust a taste of what we have missed. l it. this isjust a taste of - what we have missed. hopefully brings us closer together. i think he's still out there. danjohnson reporting from liverpool. a team of polish scientists say they've discovered the only known example of a pregnant egyptian mummy. the mummy was previously thought to be a male priest, but x—rays and scans revealed it was a woman in the latter stages of pregnancy.

she lived in the ancient egyptian city of thebes, aged between 20 and 30, who died 2,000 years ago. this is their first radiological research of a pregnant mummy. maybe some scholars came across such mummified bodies, but they were not sufficiently recorded and they are not preserved in such very good state of preservation. we know very little about the mummy. it most probably came from thebes. at least the coffin came from thebes, but how did this female mummy end up in the male sarcophagus is still a mystery. that's why we are calling this mummy the mysterious lady. before we go, a very different kind of ocean crossing caught our eye. it's a ship without passengers — the world's first autonomous ship — and it will soon leave the south—west coast of england on a journey across the atlantic. this modern—day mayflower is covered in solar panels and will use sensors to study marine pollution while at sea.

the mastermind behind the project said unlike the original mayflower voyage, nobody will get seasick. do stay with us. hello there. we are seeing a change in the month, but not too much change in the weather. it is staying cold. if we look at april 2021, it's been exceptionally cold the past month or so. in fact, the overnight temperatures on average have been the lowest in almost 100 years, and it is going to stay quite cold on into the first part of may as well. this was the picture on friday. the final day of april brought us sunshine and april showers, and those april showers will be rolling on through the course of the first weekend in may as well. so, sunny spells in store, but also some scattered fairly heavy downpours. we're in between a couple of areas of low pressure at the moment, this one waiting in the atlantic. that will be more of a pair by the time we get to bank

holiday monday, but for the here and now, we've got these cold northerly winds drawing in this chilly arctic air, so still cold for the time of year. after that frosty start to saturday for some of us, lots of sunshine around through the day. cloud will tend to bubble up as the ground heats up and that will bring some scattered showers almost anywhere during the course of the afternoon. so, they're going to be hit and miss. if you do catch one, there's a risk of hail and some thunder mixed in as well. still quite chilly around the east coast — 7—11 degrees. further west, 13 or 14 celsius. so, heading through saturday night overnight into sunday, showers clear away for the most part, so clear and dry and cold once again. so, an overnight frost, i think, as we start out the day on sunday, with temperatures in more rural spots getting down below freezing once again. sunday evenings another day of some sunny spells and a few scattered showers. probably fewer, i think, on sunday compared to saturday, but again, by the afternoon, it will be that hit—and—miss risk of catching those heavy downpours. possibly a little bit warmer than saturday — up to about 13 or 14 degrees fairly widely. still chilly across the north of scotland. but then it's all change

into bank holiday monday as low pressure approaches from the atlantic, so something we haven't seen in a while — quite a deep area of low pressure. although many areas start off dry, the strong winds and the fairly heavy, persistent rain will move across most areas. probably just dry across the far north of scotland, could be some mounting snow mixed in as well. not only the rain, but the strong gusty winds for many of us on bank holiday monday, it will feel cold with temperatures only about 9—12 degrees. bye— bye.

this is bbc news, the headlines: funerals have been held for victims of the stampede in israel which saw at least 45 people die at a crowded jewish festival. prime minister benjamin netanyahu promised that an inquiry would ensure such a tragedy did not happen again. the united states has announced it will restrict travel from india next week to try to stop the spread of covid—19. the white house said the move would come into force on tuesday. leading british teams and players from sports including football, cricket and rugby have begun a four—day boycott of social media. they want facebook, instagram and twitter to take stronger action against people who post racist and sexist comments. now on bbc news, click.