welcome to bbc news — i'm tim willcox. our top stories: international aid starts arriving in gaza as the damage from 11 days of fighting on both sides is assessed. gunfire but will the truce hold? palestinians throw petrol—bombs and israeli police respond with stun grenades at friday prayers injerusalem. a military plane crashes in nigeria killing everyone on board including the military general who was appointed in jan —— general. ——january. after analysing �*excess deaths�* over the last year, the world health organization says the covid death toll could be three times higher

than officialfigures. committing to keeping temperatures down — global leaders set ambitious targets ahead of the g7 summit in glasgow. and, get your best sequins out — the final rehearsals are under way for eurovision 2021 after a pandemic enforced break. hello and welcome to our viewers on pbs in america and around the president biden has said that a two state solution is the only way to resolve the conflict between israel and the palestinians. his comments come as the first un aid convoys arrive in gaza after israel temporarily opened two border crossings.

palestinian officials say reconstruction costs will run to tens of millions of dollars. earlier, there were clashes between israeli police in occupied eastjerusalem. violence at the holy site was one of the flashpoints that led to the 11 day conflict, which has ended with both our middle east editor jeremy bowen reports from gaza. first light in gaza was not a new start. the conflict with israel runs deep, but no air strikes men from islamichhad, which fought alongside hamas, have no regrets. they paraded in khan yunis, one of gaza's towns, to bury nine men from their unit. they were killed in a strike on a tunnel on the fourth day of bombing. hamas thought the tunnels were safe. locating and hitting them from the air was a significant

achievement for israel. prayer over loudspeaker. thousands came to honour the dead men. here in gaza, as well as in israel, there is no sense that they've come to the end of their fight. the bodies could only be recovered after the ceasefire. they're digging for others. high morale here will infuriate israeli nationalist politicians. one said israel had surrendered to terrorism. this is a huge demonstration of support for the armed wing of hamas, the qassam brigades, and they're sending a message as well that despite the hammering they've taken from the israelis, that they are still here, they're still ready to fight and they're talking as well

aboutjerusalem — that has been the theme of many of the chants here in the cemetery. and injerusalem, more violence between palestinian worshippers and israeli police at the al—aqsa mosque. the holy places in the city are charged with national as well as religious significance for israelis and palestinians. now, the israelis are keeping a close eye on what is going on here — the whole time i have been standing here, i can hear a military drone in the air above — but i think they are pretty confident the ceasefire�*s going to hold. on the way down from jerusalem, i could see them packing up their iron dome anti—missile system, at least from some of the batteries, and taking it away on a lorry. now, southern israel was absolutely paralysed by the attacks, even though there was that big disparity in casualty levels, and here in gaza, there's a lot of rebuilding to do, people have lost their homes, but as well as that, the militant groups will be rebuilding their smashed—up

positions, probably their tunnels and, most of all, their arsenals. in gaza, hamas claimed victory, as israel did too. the ceasefire stops the killing, until the next time. it doesn't settle the conflict or even freeze it. but it has transformed gaza's streets. the people are out of hiding. a day ago, going out could get you killed. now, there's a chance to feel alive. jeremy bowen, bbc news, gaza. we can now speak to behnam ben taleblu who is a senior fellow at the foundation for defense of democracies, where he focusses on political and security issues in the middle east. i think one of the things about the hamas and palestinian

islamichhad rocket strikes that we ought not to forget about is not the casualty rates or no the improvements in their rocket arsenal but the effect on the psychology on the state of israel, their effect in being able to, as the report said, paralyse parts of the country, impede their economic recovery post—covid. there is so much there. and one of the reasons that palestinian terror groups are able to claim victory — or disputed victory, i should say — is because their bar for victory is much lower — they simply need to survive to lick their wounds, to fight to live another day and continue to receive outside financial, political and material support from the world's foremost aid sponsor of terrorism, the islamic republic of iran. and in the internecine struggle between fatah and hamas, i mean, fatah has appeared very flat—footed, hasn't it, over the last fortnight or so? indeed, and you could say while the shooting has stopped, or the kinetic part of the war has ceased or there's a ceasefire, the political part really begins. there's a battle of narratives

within the competing there's a battle of narratives between israel and gaza. and there may even be a battle of narratives between the us and egypt as to who have brokered or been more pivotal to brokering the ceasefire — and again, we'll see how long this ceasefire lasts — but while the ceasefire is in effect, several other wars, politicalwars as you mentioned, between the west bank and, of course, the gaza strip are likely to heat up, particularly given the fact that elections are cancelled. what about the sectarian problems that we've seen as well between israeli arabs and israelijews in those mixed cities which perhaps hadn't actually come to the surface before, and how much of a problem is it going to be the next prime minister, be it yair lapid or bibi netanyahu, or another? well, it is something that on a non—partisan basis the next israeli prime minister will deal with, as well as israeli society. of course, you saw some northern cities — haifa, acre in particular — the old city — experienced violence not necessarily related to rockets but between the groups that you mentioned

and the social tension there, some had said that it was the largest wave of domestic violence since the second intifada so again, there are multiple second, third, fourth order effects of the conflict. thatjust because the rockets stopped being fired does not mean that peace is at hand. it's in many ways a cold truce. behnam ben taleblu. nigeria's chief of army staff, lieutenant general ibrahim attahiru, has been killed in a plane crash. nigeria's military said one of its aircraft came down near kaduna airport in the north of the country. ten other officers, including the air force crew, died in the incident, which the military said happened as the plane was trying to land in bad weather. general attahiru was appointed to lead the nigerian military injanuary, in a shakeup intended to improve the army's ability to fight the islamist insurgency in the north. the world health organization says the number of deaths from the pandemic is as much

as three times higher than official figures suggest. the current official number is around 3.4 million. but after analysing what are known as �*excess deaths�*, by comparing the number of deaths to the predicted average, the world health organization says a more realistic figure would be between six and 8 million. courtney bembridge reports. more than 3 million people worldwide have officially died from covid—i9, but the world health organization believes the true death toll is far higher. four out of ten deaths are reported globally so there is a lot of already, pre—pandemic, we don�*t have a good account of deaths, which is a fact of life, and every country must have good systems to track births and deaths and causes of death. in latin america the death toll has just passed i million. most of those have been in brazil.

translation: the pain of losing someone to i covid—i9 is inexplicable. i lost my father, who was a doctor, at the beginning of the year and i still cannot describe it. i think it is a mixture of anger and indignation. it is a huge void and i know that this pain is a pain that is shared by more than 430,000 families in brazil. over the past week, the eight countries with the most coronavirus deaths per head of population have all been in latin america. mexico and colombia are among them. and this is the situation in argentina after a record number of infections this week. translation: social, | economic, educational, religious and sports activities will be suspended in person. it will only be possible to circulate in the vicinity of your home between 6pm and 6pm each day. ——6am and 6pm each day. these men are gravediggers

in buenos aires. they wear bodysuits, face masks, goggles and gloves to bury coronavirus victims. translation: there are many things that can affect you. - on top of it all, we have covid, too, and that�*s unhealthy. it�*s a daily war in this place. in peru�*s capital lima, patients are being treated in hallways and the car park is full of body bags. this doctor holds a sign saying "i don�*t want to die". vaccinations in latin america lag behind much of the world. this is the world health organization on that. just 3% of latin americans have been fully vaccinated against covid—i9. and we still have a long way to go to ensure that everyone is protected. the united states has promised to send 80 million vaccine doses to other nations by the end ofjune, and says latin america will be a priority. courtney bembridge, bbc news.

to myanmar now, where the militaryjunta regime will dissolve opposition leader aung san suu kyi�*s national league for democracy party — that�*s according to local media and the shadow government there. thejunta overthrew aung san suu kyi after november�*s elections, in which she won a landslide victory, claiming voterfraud. they have promised to hold new elections in two years, but it looks unlikely that ms suu kyi, who has been under house arrest since the military coup, would be allowed to run. kenneth roth is the executive director of human rights watch and gave me his reaction. it�*s important to recall that the november elections were won overwhelmingly by aung san suu kyi�*s party, the national league for democracy. indeed, the head of the military, senior general min aung hlaing had hoped that the primary party would win enough seats

that he would negotiate a deal to become the figurehead president, but the nld�*s victory was so overwhelming that the plan was scrapped. instead, thejunta launched a coup that claimed fraud that, frankly, only the generals had seen. they are not exactly known for their credibility but for their quest for power. this is now the next step. it�*s bad enough that they overturned the election, but they now the people of myanmar want to simply reinstate the november election results, and the junta is saying no, we will hold new elections but first, let�*s get rid of the opposition... crosstalk. the promise — well, not promise — commitment to hold new elections in two years, is it for the birds? well, let�*s put it this way, the people of myanmar are firm that they want the november election recognised, where aung san suu kyi�*s party won overwhelmingly and the generals obviously don�*t want that, which was the reason for the coup, and they are now

saying maybe in two years. but what they seem to be doing is laying the groundwork so they could hold an election, theyjust get rid of the opposition. this is not going to persuade anyone but, of course, these people are less interested in legitimacy than in power. frankly, i think this is an act of desperation because the military is overwhelmingly unpopular at home. it is facing global condemnation, an increasing number of governments are imposing sanctions. just this week, the japanese government that it would stop development assistance, the us government imposed sanctions actually on the junta itself, so the revenue it needs to pay the soldiers to keep oppressing the pro—democracy demonstrations is evaporating and so, this is an effort, i suppose, to try to move forward but frankly, it is not... crosstalk. just briefly, we�*re not seeing those mass demonstrations any more, but is myanmar

functioning, are people withholding labour? or is society back to where it was before or not? not at all. of course, the big demonstrations are reduced because more than 800 people have been shot, so it is just rational that the demonstrations are smaller, they are quicker and in the neighbourhood, and they disperse. but what you are seeing is a massive civil disobedience movement where the economy has come to a standstill and so, the military is not getting revenue at home, they are facing sanctions from abroad, they are panicking and that is what this latest move looks like, to say ok, we will hold new elections but no opposition. kenneth roth for us there. stay with us on bbc news, still to come: it�*s camp, it�*s kitsch, and now it�*s back. the eurovision song contest returns after a pandemic enforced break. we�*ve been at the final rehearsals ahead of the big contest on saturday. this morning, an indian air force plane carrying mr gandhi�*s body

landed in delhi. the president of india walked to the plane to solemnly witness mr gandhi�*s final return from the political battlefield. ireland has voted overwhelmingly in favour of gay marriage. in doing so, it�*s become the first country in the world to approve the change in the national referendum. it was a remarkable climax to what was surely the most extraordinary funeral ever given to a pop singer. but suddenly, the police - are tear—gassing the crowd — we don't yet know why! the pre—launch ritual is well—established here. helen was said to be in good spirits, butjust a little apprehensive. in the last hour, east timor has become the world�*s newest nation. it was a bloody birth for a poor country and the challenges ahead are daunting, but for now, at least, it is time to celebrate.

this is bbc world news, the latest headlines: a day after the ceasefire in gaza commenced, isrealis and palestinians have been assessing the damage. but tensions are still high after friday prayers, fresh clashes erupted at the al—aqsa mosque. a nigerian military aircraft has crashed in bad weather near the kaduna airport, killing ten officers including the country�*s army chief — lieutenant general ibrahim attahiru — who was appointed to lead the nigerian military in january. some of the world�*s biggest economic powers have raised their ambitions on tackling climate change. g7 environment ministers say they�*ll now aim to keep the rise in global temperatures to 1.5 degrees celsius — a much more demanding target than the two degrees celsius they are currently committed to. it�*ll mean they�*ll need to work much harder to cut emissions now, rather than putting

things off for the future. so what action will they take? our chief environment correspondentjustin rowlatt has been taking a look. the uk is due to host a landmark international climate conference in glasgow in november. so here are the key commitments made today. first off, coal. india and many other developing countries receive subsidies for polluting coal plants from foreign donors, including japan. today, the environment ministers of the uk, the us, canada, japan, france, italy and germany said they will stop any new funding for coal—fired power stations in poorer countries by the end of the year. now, that isn�*t a big move in itself, but they say they will eventually phase out such support for all fossil fuels. the ministers said they�*d safeguard 30% of land for nature by 2030. the idea is to give space

for wildlife and to help soak up carbon emissions. and they agreed much more cash is needed to build solar and other clean technologies in fast—growing economies like india and indonesia. they restated a promise to provide $100 billion a year to low—carbon technologies. the meeting was hosted by the uk�*s environment minister george eustice. we�*ve been doing huge amounts of engagement with countries all around the world. we want all of them to raise their ambition in their nationally determined contributions to reducing climate change, getting their carbon emissions down, and we want all of them, as well, to do more to recognise the value and the importance of nature and the role that nature can play in tackling climate change. todayjohn kerry the us�*s climate envoy called on the nations of the g20 to adopt the same commitments. now, that would include china, the whole european union and russia and that is the point. the g7 countries are some of the biggest economies but if they can encourage the rest of the world to raise its common cutting game in glasgow in november, now that could be

a game changer. rachel kyte is a climate action advisor to the un secretary general. she told me how significant this new agreement was. very significant. if the g7 can do this, all the pressure now goes to other countries. what they have committed to is to stop financing coal overseas, now that puts pressure on china who remain as the major financier of coal overseas, and then by committing to really getting rid of coal from their own energy systems and making their energy systems decarbonised in the 2030s, it puts pressure on countries like australia which are still dependent for their domestic gdp on coal. i suppose cynics would say that maybe pressure is not really enough, if you are not going to get unanimity, which you never are,

is that the only way? i think this is actually a very good day for british diplomacy, for british climate diplomacy, there has been a lot of pressure on them to use both the g7 and the hosting of the climate talks this year to maximum effect. so this was a good day and it now leads the way into the finance ministers and the heads of state who will meet in cornwall injune, because there, rather than saying what we won�*t do, and not financing bad things, now the g7 has to step up and provide realfinancial and technical assistance to countries so they can do the good things. many developing countries are saying that the g7, having caused this problem in the first place, has to put a substantial aid package on the table to help those countries grow green. those figures are going to be huge, aren�*t they, after a global pandemic? well, large but much cheaper than inaction. the cost of climate impacts is climbing every day, as we see domestically and also around the world. the cost of renewable

energy is plummeting as well as storage options. so this is really a smart investment for many firms in the uk, and in the g7 countries. the investment of this technology across the world is really the big story for the next decade. where are we with china? because president xi, i can�*t remember how many years ago it was, had that great leap into green, but how far behind are they in terms of the coal—fired energy stations they are still churning out? so all eyes are on china�*s 14th five—year plan now and then the next one, in terms of how quickly they will phase that is being argued over at the moment, we expect to see some firming up of their commitment before the next climate talks. then there is the belt and road initiative which is theirflagship programme, it has

largely in the past been funding coal—fired power and other fossil fuel infrastructure, that is increasingly becoming green, and now we need china to come in and say that it too will no longer finance coal—fired power overseas, as it will not be the best option for developing countries. rachel kyte speaking to me a little earlier. the eurovision song contest is back. after being cancelled last year because of covid — it will go ahead on saturday night in the netherlands. anna holligan is in rotterdam amid the sequins and sparkles. limbering up after a year in lockdown, for the chance to join an elite club. a victory at eurovision will secure them notjust a place in history, but the opportunity for their homeland to host next year�*s event. look at my glorious outfit. what are you talking about? i feel totally ready, so i am just excited to be out on stage. i've been practising in my hotel room loads, so i'm ready to get on that stage and go for it.

but how do you host the biggest singing contest on the planet during a pandemic? so, testing plays a big part in this. every 48 hours, this is where we come. journalists, artists, crew, anyone working at eurovision needs to make sure they have not caught covid. and the audience too need a negative test along with their ticket to get inside. but, despite this rigorous testing regime, there are still some concerns and some of the local hospitals have warned, if there is an emergency here, they won�*t necessarily be able to help because they�*re still inundated with covid patients. here are your hosts for this evening... it�*s hoped the rules and protocols implemented here in rotterdam could be used as a blueprint for the global revival of live events. now especially, a lot of people are longing for normalness, the good old days, and ifeel

like our shows do give you a sense of that and we do it under such strict regulations. which are what allow us to be here. so, who are the ones to watch in the final? my top favourite is definitely france — a beautiful french chanson about stepping out of the shadows and into the light. my second is italy. this is a real rock vibe. it is all about being with people, it�*s edgy, it�*s dirty, but it�*s also classy and sophisticated. my third favourite is probably malta. this is very much about the power of saying no. it�*s about a woman in a bar and men want to buy her a drink and she�*s like, "no thank you, i�*m not your honey." covid has made eurovision�*s mission to bring people together complicated, but more coveted than ever. anna holligan, bbc news, rotterdam. we will find out in a few hours time. plenty more on that and indeed more stories on the

website. see you soon. well, friday, for many of us was an absolute write—off. blowing a gale, heavy rain, surely the weather is going to improve. and, yes, it is. the low pressure is finally moving out into the north sea. it brought some really heavy rain to wales, for example, and some ferocious gusts of wind. here�*s an example, 89mph in an exposed place more typically it was around 60mph or more, so very windy for the time of year, and of course, very wet. you can see where the low pressure is early in the morning on saturday. pretty stormy out to sea there. but for many of us, it is calming down. in fact, so much so that across parts of scotland and northern ireland, with clearing skies, there will be a touch of frost. but anyway, here�*s the important bit,

saturday�*s headline — drier, brighter and less windy for all of us. and this is what it looks like for the morning onwards. it will brighten up across many western areas right from the word go. there will be some showers around, particularly in the east of the country, maybe in the south, and there will still be a keen wind blowing out of the north—west, and it�*ll be chilly — ii in newcastle, 14 or 15 degrees elsewhere. but you know what? we�*ll take it after that nasty friday. now, here�*s the forecast saturday night into sunday — so the skies are clearing again, it�*s going to be a chilly morning on sunday. but you can�*t miss this, the winds spinning around behind me. yep, that�*s the next area of low pressure heading our way. so here�*s the headline for sunday — you may want to look away now, here it is — rain and wind again. so, this unsettled weather continues. here�*s the good news, across some eastern areas there will be sunshine in the morning. probably into the afternoon as well. and this weather front won�*t reach western areas until later on in the day, but the rain will be accompanied by gale force winds as well. so, not a great second half of the weekend. eventually, that weather front will sweep towards the east later on in the afternoon and into the evening hours.

that low pressure is here to stay, it will park itself over us on monday and tuesday, and that means that the weather will remain unsettled into next week. so, you guessed it — showers to come, and remaining cool into next week.

this is bbc news, the headlines: the first international aid convoys have arrived in gaza — after the ceasefire between israel and hamas came into place and israel opened border crossings on friday. officials say reconstruction costs following almost two weeks of violence from both sides — will run to the tens of millions of dollars. meanwhile, the strength of the truce has been tested. there�*ve been violent clashes at one ofjerusalem�*s most sacred sights, the al—aqsa mosque. 20 palestinians are reported to have been injured as police used stun grenades to disperse protesters, who threw rocks and petrol—bombs. the world health organization says the real number of coronavirus—related deaths is likely to be much higher than the 3.4 million officially reported. it says 6—8 million is a more realistic figure,