hello. this is bbc news. i'm victoria derbyshire. these are the latest headlines in the uk and around the world. violence continues in gaza: palestinian officials say an israeli airstrike has killed seven people, including five children. the us and egypt are leading attempts to end the fighting. more testing and vaccinating in parts of north—west england, where covid cases are surging due to the indian variant. but warnings that vaccinating is not an instant remedy. any of those people receiving a first dose of vaccine today will not really start to get any benefit of protection for at least two or three weeks from now and that's really quite slow. wreath—laying services

are being held across the uk and around the world — to mark the centenary of the royal british legion. it's fa cup final day — chelsea play leicester, who are looking to win it for the first time. chelsea are hoping to win it for the ninth time. 20,000 supporters are heading to wembley, and over a billion are likely to follow the game around the world. we are we a re leicester we are leicester and it has to be our time now. it means so much. at our time now. it means so much. at the end of the day chelsea had a team _ the end of the day chelsea had a team that — the end of the day chelsea had a team that won trophies and it is the way we _ team that won trophies and it is the way we do _ team that won trophies and it is the way we do things and it will be a good _ way we do things and it will be a good game, and even game and i hope both teams_ good game, and even game and i hope both teams play out on the front foot and — both teams play out on the front foot and me the best team win. hello and welcome if you're watching in the uk

or around the world. there's been no letup in the violence in gaza, with palestinian officials saying the latest israeli airstrike has killed seven people, including five children, in a densely—populated refugee camp. hamas militants have fired more rockets at cities in southern israel, but there have been no reports of casualties. today, palestinians commemorate what they call al—nakba, the catastrophe, when israel came into being in 1948 — in which hundreds of thousands of palestinians were expelled from their homes for the creation of the israeli state. diplomatic efforts to end the fighting are intensifying with the arrival in the middle east of a us envoy. helena wilkinson reports. there is no letup in this latest devastating conflict. this is what's left after the latest israeli air strike. palestinian health ministry officials say a home in a refugee camp west of gaza city was targeted.

seven palestinians, including women and children, are said to have been killed. militants in gaza fired a barrage of rockets in response towards a city in southern israel. in many towns and cities in the occupied west bank, there is growing anger. this is the town of hebron. battles continue to rage between israeli soldiers and young palestinians. elsewhere, in nazareth, in northern israel, arab protesters took to the streets. injerusalem, palestinians pelted jewish settlers with stones and fireworks — the settlers hit back with live bullets. this was sheikh jarrah, where attempts to evict palestinians from their homes helped start the escalation to the conflict. there are international calls for calm. whether it's palestinian

lives or israeli lives, it's incredibly tragic. it's horrific to watch. that is certainly why our focus is on de—escalating what is happening on the ground. that's our human reaction to what we're seeing. this latest conflict, now into its sixth day, looks farfrom being resolved in the short term. helena wilkinson, bbc news. 0ur correspondent paul adams told us more about the latest airstrike on gaza. yeah, well, certainly the focus in gaza has been that awful episode in the refugee camp known as shati, also known as beach camp. it's a refugee camp that has been there for 70 years, so it looks like a densely—packed town. this was a two or three—storey building that was hit repeatedly, we understand, leading to the loss of lives of members of two families. pretty shocking stuff. still rescue workers on the scene and reports of people still missing.

they were among, we think, around ten casualties in the gaza strip overnight, and, as you say, more rockets fired by hamas into israel. hamas saying they were firing some of those rockets in retaliation for that strike on the house in the refugee camp. we know that apartments in the cities of ashdod and beersheba were hit but there were no casualties as far as we are aware. as you know, there is also some diplomacy going on. you just heard a reference to it. the us envoy hady amr arrived in israel yesterday. we do not know what meetings, if any, he has had so far. it is thejewish sabbath so the chances are that it will be tomorrow before his work gets properly under way and the israelis have indicated that they are not really interested in any ceasefire until they feel that their operation is complete, and there is no indication that

that is the case just yet. akiva eldar is a political analyst and he told us he hoped a ceasefire wld come as a result of the diplomatic efforts. the question is notjust a military one, how do you finish attacking gaza, striking gaza, dropping bombs? i think it is now the question who will get the victory image? it seems the israeli decision makers are happy with the images of the hamas tunnels being bombed and a number of hamas activists being eliminated. for hamas i think the victory image is what is happening in israel proper. they have managed to do

what all arab countries and the plo, headed by the legendary yasser arafat, have not managed to do, which is to unite the palestinians in israel, the west bank, gaza and around the world against israel. they have managed to send israelis to shelters and to hide for almost a week and we are talking now about kind of an attrition war and this is something that, as i said, the plo was not able to do since its establishment. 0k, and what hope do you give for diplomatic efforts? the us envoy has arrived there. how optimistic or otherwise are you about that? history shows that once egypt, qatar, with money and diplomacy

jump in, the united states is giving legitimacy to negotiations with hamas... as you know hamas is still on the terrorist list within the eu, in europe, i think in your country as well, and the united states, so while israel is, for instance, allowing qatar to channel hundreds of millions of american dollars to gaza, which were partly used to buy this infrastructure, military infrastructure, that is now used to attack israel, while israel was turning a blind eye to this or even giving this a silent consent... so i think that israel has now exhausted its options to strike gaza. hamas is running out of rockets

so i think once the americans jump in with qatar and egypt i think in the next few days we will be witnessing a ceasefire or no more escalation, which is something that i would buy right now. the army is to be deployed in the north west of england to help with surge testing to try to combat the indian variant of coronavirus. infection rates have gone up rapidly — particularly in bolton and blackburn. yesterday, the british prime minister borisjohnson warned that the variant — which has also been detected in other parts of the uk — could threaten plans to lift lockdown restrictions in england injune. because of the concerns, the wait between jabs will be cut from 12 weeks to eight for the over—50s and clinically vulnerable. 0ur health correspondent katharine da costa reports. there will be more surge testing today in 15 hotspot areas, like here in formby in merseyside, as authorities try to get a grip on the more transmissible

indian variant. at the downing street press briefing, the prime minister said the race between the vaccine and the virus just got tighter. borisjohnson said it was crucial people come forward for their jabs. we will accelerate remaining second doses to the over—50s and those clinically vulnerable, right across the country, so that those doses come just eight weeks after the first dose. and if you are in this group, the nhs will be in touch with you. extra vaccine doses have been deployed in bolton, which has seen a spike in cases of the indian variant. so far, there's no evidence vaccines are less effective against this version of the virus, but the speed of the spread is concerning. people who've got a second vaccine will have greater protection not only against the original variants, but also against this new variant. so it is very important that people who get their first vaccine also go on to get their second vaccine, and there is very clear evidence

that people are taking that offer up very strongly across the uk and indeed in bolton and surrounding areas. businesses in england, wales and most of scotland will welcome customers back inside many venues from monday. but the prime minister has warned the faster—spreading indian variant could make it more difficult to lift all restrictions in england onjune the 21st. katharine da costa, bbc news. 0ur reporter luxmy gopal is in bolton — she explained what's happening there today to tackle the rising number of cases. victoria, there is a dual approach here, increasing vaccinations and increasing testing by going to communities. and health authorities here have been going door to door, dropping off tests to get people testing, and among the many measures to get people vaccinated is the vaccine bus here, as you can see behind me. despite the rain, people have been lining up, queueing all the way around the corner, down the road,

to get their jabs. let's speak to the head for the programme of vaccination here in bolton. helen, first of all, how many people still need to be vaccinated? because of course older people and the vulnerable have already been eligible for a while. in this area, we have approximately 10,000 eligible people still unvaccinated. and what has been stopping people getting the jab? i think the reasons are that we are in an area of significant deprivation, and that brings barriers to vaccination, barriers in terms of not being able to book an appointment because you don't have any credit on your phone, you don't want to get onto the public transport because covid is about, life is busy, but bringing the vaccine here to the community means that people have had those barriers removed, and as you can see they are queueing

up and just walking in here to be vaccinated, which is fantastic. and the government has said that the priority will continue to be vaccinating in accordance to age group, but we do know that cases here are being transmitted across younger people. there is a high increase in cases among the under 25s, so do you think that should be changed and actually younger people in areas where there's a spike should be eligible for the vaccine? i think we have to trust the national team, that they are seeing the bigger picture, they have the idea of vaccine supply and the population health, but absolutely we know that in this area there are large numbers of young people, because in any town when you get closer to the centre of town you have a large young population, but i will say that there are young people in this area who probably are eligible for vaccination and aren't aware of that. what is your message to younger people who may think, oh, i don't think i fit the criteria? please come along today.

the covid risk score added 3,000 people to the clinically extremely vulnerable list. there are people in this area who are young who may think they don't qualify. if you are in the area, come here and we will vaccinate you if we can. here in bolton, as in elsewhere in england, the easing of lockdown will continue as planned on monday and the hope is that there will be no need to revert to any localised restrictions, because of course this is an area that has been under localised covid restrictions longer than many other places in the country. local health officials in places like bedford and bolton have called for all over 18s to be vaccinated in hot spot areas. professor adam finn from thejoint committee on vaccination and immunisation explains why that's not going to happen.

this is something of a balancing act, isn't it? the truth is that a dose of vaccine given to one person is a dose of vaccine not given to another, at least certainly the vaccines we are offering to people under the age of a0 at the moment. we need to figure out what is the best use to be made of the doses that we have available. giving vaccines is not an instant remedy for an outbreak. it takes some time. i was very impressed with the vaccine bus we just saw and people queuing up but nevertheless any of those people receiving a first dose of vaccine today will not really start to get any benefit for at least two or three weeks from now and that's really quite slow, so we do need to use the vaccines around the country to try to protect populations to stop these outbreaks from happening and we do need to try to focus on primarily giving the vaccine doses to people

who are most likely to get sick. it sounds like you are ssying giving the vaccine to all over 18s now would not stop this outbreak in places like bolton and blackburn because it takes a few weeks for immunity. that's right. it would not be an instant remedy by any means at all and it would mean that other people elsewhere or even in bolton could not receive those doses, so the supply of vaccines is in fact of the three potential limiting factors is the main one at the moment. there's no shortage of nhs staff to give these vaccines and as you saw there is no shortage of people coming forward to receive vaccines but we do have to use the vaccines we have as judiciously as we can to try and protect the whole population against a further wave and further sickness and death. over 50s, by and large,

having the astrazeneca vaccine, whereas younger people under 40s having moderna and pfizer, so it is not like as if you give that to an 18—year—old you are depriving an over 50 of a second dose because it is a different vaccine. the person you are depriving if you give the vaccine to a 20—year—old is a 38—year—old. understood. that 38—year—old is just as likely to be transmitting to other people but is more likely to get seriously ill. i don't understand why the second jab for over 50s is being brought forward from 12 weeks to eight weeks because we were told if you leave it for 12 weeks it is better protection. yeah, you're right. it is a very delicate judgment and if things had gone on as they had been we would have been leaving that delay as it was. in practice it was more like ten or 11 weeks rather than 12 that the doses were being given but in the current circumstance with this uncertainty

about the threat of a third wave being brought forward sooner getting that extra boost in the short term outbalances the benefit of giving the dose slightly later and getting slightly more protection and long—term protection later. it is a very trickyjudgment to work out what is the best thing to do but we really are concerned about the possibility of an accelerated and larger third wave and we want to try to ensure against that as quickly as we can. what is your view about the plan for england anyway for restrictions being completely loosened onjune the 21st? now we are talking about this indian variant spreading. it is a big question mark as to how things will go. i know that is going to be bad news for a lot of people particularly

businesses planning to get back into business again but i think all along the so—called road map has been provisional on how things go with the programme, how things go with the epidemic, and so i guess we just have to wait and see what happens not only in bolton and bedford and london but right across the country over the next two or three weeks and if things go pear shaped plans will have to be changed. wreaths have been laid at the cenotaph in london — and at war memorials across the uk — to mark 100 years since the royal british legion was created. prince charles has also recorded a special message thanking the organisation for ensuring the sacrifices of veterans would never be forgotten. there are few organisations which hold a place at the heart of society in the way the royal british legion does. for 100 years the royal british legion has been a constant through the annual poppy appeal, leading the nation in remembrance

and providing a lifelong commitment to every veteran and their families. therefore i wanted, above all, to offer my sincere and heartfelt gratitude to all those who have helped build this wonderful organisation we know today, and to all those who will be part of its future. our correspondent john donnison reports from central london. well, here in whitehall it managed to stay dry for the ceremony we had a little earlier. you can see behind me that the wreaths have been laid out there and we have representatives from the various members of the armed services laying wreaths there as well a bugler playing the last post. we have ceremonies happening across the uk today and also around the world. we are hoping there is going to be an raf flyby at some point today

although the weather could be a bit of a problem. apparently that could mean that gets delayed or cancelled. and then later today at the fa cup final between chelsea and leicester a special commemorative coin that has been produced for the centenary will be used for the coin toss at the beginning of the match to decide who kicks off. i think the point that the legion have been trying to make today, and i have been speaking to some of their members, they've got 200 plus members in the uk and around the world, is that the royal british legion is as relevant, really, today as it was all those years ago when it was founded back in 1921, and that the nature of warfare may have changed but, as their president told me a little earlier today, the casualties keep coming, and those casualties need the support that the british legion can give them. leicester city will have the chance

to win the fa cup for the first time today, having lost in the final four times in the past. they face chelsea at wembley. chelsea have won the trophy eight times. 21,000 fans are being allowed to watch the match. it's part of a government trial to see how crowds can return safely to big venues. bbc radio leicester commentator ian stringer is on his way. he left leicester on monday and has run the 100 miles to wembley for charity. he told me what it would mean if leicester finally won the fa cup final today. what you've got to remember is that obviously covid—19 has affected the world and the uk but also the city of leicester a lot. we've not been out of lockdown. leicester, you remember, was the first local lockdown. leicester has had hotspots of covid—19 since the pandemic started, so the people of leicester have struggled a lot, so they look to their football club for a bit of salvation, for a bit of fortune, for a bit of positivity, and leicester city have done that regularly. they have won the premier league in 2016, which was an incredible story. you saw a quarter of a million

people on the streets of leicester. we love our club. we love our sport. we are an active city. mark selby is a world snooker champion, the leicester tigers are into the final, leicester city women's team have been promoted to the wsl, loughborough university is massive. we love our sport, and this just means the world. it's what's always eluded leicester city — four times a bridesmaid — and today i hope they are going to get their opportunity to be the bride. they are the only team in the premier league that haven't won the fa cup until today. some stories out there. today is jamie vardy�*s day. absolutely. i mean, he will step up, of course he will. i mean, how emotional do you feel? don't you go getting me started because you know what's going to happen! you and i both know what's going to happen here, don't we? i've cried four times today already. have you? yeah, because i'm a commentator but i've got to call the game on bbc radio leicester. i've been privileged to do that for 13 years. my first game was in league one,

the third tier professionally, away at stockport. bless them, they don't even exist any more. i've done champions league games, i've done the premier league, but now i've got to do the fa cup final. this is the one... i stood with my dad when i was three, four, five years old and held his hand on one day in may every year and i never knew what the song he was singing was and it was abide with me, and i never got it. i never understood why. i didn't get the significance. and the national anthem — my dad was in the military — we always stood for the national anthem. i got that bit. but then slowly but surely you get the romance and love for the fa cup, and leicester have never had it. they have never won it, and to be in there today... ..when abide with me is sung, i'm going to struggle, but i think we are going to have to let the lid off at some stage, because wejust want this so, so badly. so, so badly. chelsea have got the champions league. chelsea — have that. man city will let you win that. it's fine. it's cool. you have won the fa cup.

let us have our day in the drizzle! it is odds—on he is going to cry on bbc radio leicester this afternoon whatever happens. we have commentary from 5pm. you can sponsor ian if you look at his social media, he is raising money for charity, he is almost there at wembley. a british instititution closes its doors for the final time today. debenhams — which has been a presence on uk high streets for 240 years — fell into administration in 2019, and struggled to find a buyer in the midst of the pandemic. however, the brand will continue to trade online after it was bought by fashion retailer boohoo. china has succeeded in putting a spacecraft on mars — making it the second country to do so — after the us.

the solar—powered rover is expected to collect rocks and scan the surface of the red planet over the next three months. for 264 hours, 50 drummers from across the world will play non—stop — to raise funds for mental health charities. among them will be famous names from coldplay and duran duran. mike liggins has been to meet some of those taking part. 77—year—old crissy lee in her back garden near colchester, still drumming, still loving every minute and keen to take part in the drumathon. crissy started drumming in a salvation army band at the age of four. in the �*60s, she was part of a band called the beat—chics who had a hit with skinny minnie.

the beat—chics toured with the beatles, and today, more than 50 years on, crissy says drumming helps keep her young. i'm still quite strong, and jamming, you build up muscles. and in the head as well, i'm not really that age. i teach, i am with the kids all the time. stuart hardy has played in local essex bands for years. for the drumathon, stewart is doing an overnight session next tuesday, from ten at night until ten in the morning. 12 hours? 12 hours. how are you going to manage? caffeine. primarily. i don't know, it's a long session, i've never played for 12 hours before but that's the nature of what we are doing and if we are to raise the sort of funds we want to raise then it's

going to need a bit of commitment from everybody involved. this is will champion i from the band coldplay. i'mjoining the - drumathonlive 2021... 50 drummers from around the world are taking part for seven days, raising money for mental health charities. tom bryant is pulling it all togetherfrom his house in suffolk. when we have drummers that are streaming from not only suffolk but los angeles and argentina, pulling that all together 24 hours a day for seven days, it has been quite a challenge. the drumathon starts at 10am tomorrow and you can see it and donate by watching online. just search for drumathonlive. chrissy and stuart are raring to go. denise next door is pleased that rehearsals are over and good luck to everyone taking part in drumathonlive. mike liggins, bbc news. now it's time for a look at the weather with matt taylor.

hello, we stick with the cool weather story this weekend. further downpours around as well. a pretty damp day for some of you so far. into this afternoon, across parts of northern ireland, northern england, east anglia, this is where we will see the thickest of the clouds develop, and some further outbreaks of rain. a bit brighter to wales, south—west england, compared to what we had first thing. but here is where we could see the showers turn heavy and thundery. fewer showers across scotland, a better chance of staying dry. cool down eastern coasts, around 9—10 celsius. further showers, then, into this evening and overnight. and then later on, with the breeze picking up, south—west england, south wales could see showers turn heavy and thundery and give you a rude awakening into tomorrow morning. it will be frost—free, though, as we start sunday. as for sunday itself, two areas to watch out for. south wales and across southern england. this is where we could see some of the heaviest of the showers with hail, thunder. and some gusty winds through the english channel. further north, showers a bit more hit and miss, but northern ireland, northern england again prone to thunderstorms. nice enough, though,

where you sit in the sunshine. hello, this is bbc news with victoria derbyshire. the headlines: violence continues in gaza — palestinian officials say an israeli airstrike has killed seven people, including five children. the us and egypt are leading attempts to end the fighting. more testing and vaccinating in parts of north—west england, where covid cases are surging due to the indian variant. but warnings that vaccinating is not an instant remedy. any of those people receiving a first dose of vaccine today will not really start to get any benefit of protection for at least two or three weeks from now and that's really quite slow. wreath laying services are being held across the uk and around the world, to mark the centenary of the royal british legion.

it's fa cup final day — chelsea play leicester in front