this is bbc news. very good to have you with us. i'm rich preston. our top stories: a period of 270 months, that is two, seven, zero. 22.5 years for derek chauvin, over the killing of george floyd. accountability at last, say mr floyd's supporters and family. no—one is above the law, and no—one is beneath it. a police officer is not above the law, and george floyd is certainly not beneath the law. 159 people are still unaccounted for, after the collapse of an apartment block, near miami beach. us vice president kamala harris visits the southern us border for the first time since taking office — as a wave of cross—border

migration continues. escalating backlash over the decision to ban uniformed police officers from taking part in this weekend's new york pride parade. ajudge in the us city of minneapolis has sentenced the former police officer derek chauvin to 22.5 years in jail for the murder of george floyd. the 46—year—old african american died in may last year, after chauvin knelt on his neck for more than nine minutes during an arrest. the lawyer for mr floyd's family says the sentence is "historic" and that it brings "america a step closer to healing, by delivering accountability." our correspondent, neda tawfik, is in minneapolis. and a warning: her report contains some distressing images.

this courtroom has been the scene of powerful testimony. today, it became a place of closure for the floyd family. the judge began proceedings by inviting them to speak. mr blackwell, you may proceed with victim input... his daughter, gianna, appeared first, on video. atjust seven years old, she is too young and innocent to comprehend fully what happened to her father. every day, i miss him and i love him. his brother, terrence, struggled to speak as he addressed derek chauvin directly. i wanted to know from the man himself, why? what were you thinking? what was going through your head? when you had your knee on my brother's neck. why — when you knew that he posed no threat any more? those are questions that remain unanswered, since derek chauvin

chose not to testify in his defence during his trial. for the first time, the public got a more intimate look into his characterfrom his mother. it has been difficult for me to hear and read what the media, public and prosecution team believe derek to be an aggressive, heartless and uncaring person. i can tell you that is far from the truth. and then derek chauvin himself spoke. i want to give my condolences to the floyd family. thejudge said his decision was not influenced by public opinion or meant to send any messages. the sentence for count one, the court commits you to the custody of corrections for a period of 270 months. officer: hands up right now. it's rare for the justice system to punish a police officer, and it took an extraordinary series of events to get

to this moment. crucially, his murder was caught on camera in chilling detail. george floyd was pinned to the ground with derek chauvin�*s knee on his neck for 9 minutes and 27 seconds. more than 20 times, mr floyd cried out: "i can't breathe. " i can't breathe, i can't breathe. it traumatised the community and shocked the world, prompting the biggest protests since the civil rights era. breaks down do you need a minute? sighs the trial was so compelling that the jury delivered a unanimous guilty verdict after just 10 hours of deliberations. this outcome was in no way inevitable. still, this one sentence of this one disgraced police officer will only do so much to advance racial equality and the struggle of being black in america. this is the longest sentence a police officer has received

in the state of minnesota, and speaking outside of the courthouse following the sentencing, the family say they do feel some measure of accountability. they hope this is a turning point in america because they feel that the activism surrounding this case could mean real change moving forward, and they told those gathered here outside of the courthouse to keep fighting forjustice. nada tawfik in minneapolis. earlier, iasked professor nicole gonzalez van cleve, associate professor of sociology at brown university and the author of the book, crook county: racism and injustice in america's largest criminal court, if she thought people would be satisfied with this sentence. well, i think this is a step in the right direction. this is one trial, a huge symbol ofjustice in america but again, it's been the outlier in so many different ways. most police officers are never charged with crimes due to use of force. in the city of chicago for instance, it took

50 years to go to convict a police office of murder. and that officer only received seven years and they think he will be out in three. in some ways, this is a victory so there will be closure and peace for the family but certainly no substantive reform has actually been implemented since george floyd's death. in fact, during the duration of the trial, about three people per day died at the hands of police. and the day after the verdict, about six people died in the 24—hour period, so there was no kind of deterrence as we think about this kind of punishment. no official reform, as you say, but will this sentence set a precedent, do you think, for cases like this in the future? i've been studying these cases for a really long time, before they were on the kind of public consciousness of america and the world, and i will say there is something different about this era. i think the video of seeing george floyd begging for his life, and the bystanders videoing and begging the officer to stop, there was something about the visuals of that.

i think that changed the public consciousness. we saw that when they were selecting a jury, they were having a hard time, the defence was, finding these kind of pro—policing, hardline �*blue lives matter�* folks, right? people had kind of changed in their attitudes. if you go back even a few years, there was the death of philando castile, he was shot in his car, doing nothing. he was complying with the officer, and the officer felt a sense of fear, and he was shot, and he was found not guilty, the officer, and it was a jury. so, i think the public tide is turning a bit, but the question is, will white americans feel like this verdict is enough? the answer is no, and i hope that we still have the momentum of the public to create real political reform. you mentioned philando castile, mr floyd's murder along with the deaths of many other black men and women

at the hands of police prompted the global black lives matter movement we saw last year. do people feel like there is a change? i think right now, the activists that are working who are working for black lives and looking for equitable justice in the states, the feeling like this verdict is something, but when we look and see there is no real reform put in place, i think there is this sense that we can do much more. right? even president biden, on the one hand, he's saying he wants policing reform, but when you look at the details of some of his recommendations, they are saying, well, we need more training for officers. well, that is really kind of code for, "let's put more money into policing," and really, that has done nothing. police unions in america are so powerful, and when legislation comes into the states that would reform or create oversight, just even basic protocols that would take an officer like derek chauvin

off the street on his first offence, the unions are there, thwarting such reform at every step. they are not protecting labour rights as we would think most unions do. they are protecting this kind of unruly level of policing that doesn't have any accountability. professor nicole gonzalez van cleve, associate professor of sociology at brown university. emergency teams in miami are continuing to search for 159 people listed as missing after a i2—storey apartment block collapsed on thursday. so far, four people are confirmed to have died. what caused the building to collapse remains unclear. our correspondent, will grant, is at the scene, and sent us this update. the longer this search and rescue goes on, the more harrowing it becomes. the families are doing their very best to hold out hope of good news. but the difficulty is that there are no positive updates to be had so far.

and they are gradually losing theirfaith. just a warning that my report does contain images of the moment of the building's collapse itself. as the desperate search for survivors at the collapsed apartment block entered its second day, the full gravity of the situation was laid bare. the exact number of those lost in this tragic incident still isn't known, but it's clear this has the potential to be the most deadly building collapse in florida's history. the awful moment itself happened so fast, it took everything and, it is feared, everyone, with it — i2 storeys and entire lives reduced to rubble in seconds. the methodical work of the rescue teams hasn't stopped since then. they say they're still hearing occasional knocks from inside the debris and are following every lead. at one stage, trying to enter the spaces between the rubble via the basement. family members are gathered at a community centre as their unbearable wait for information goes on.

magaly ramsey's mother lived on the ninth floor. it feels like the world gets to know more information before we get to know information as family members. so, i don't live in the area, so i came here hoping to get information and i'm still waiting for that. her mother, also called magaly, is one of the oldest of those missing. the youngest was ashani patel, the one—year—old daughter ofjoint british—american citizen bhavna patel, who was pregnant, and her husband, vishal — an entire family missing. but the city will keep up the search, the mayor promised. we will continue search and rescue because we still have hope that we will find people alive. that is exactly why we're continuing, and that is why we're using our dogs and our sonar and our cameras, everything possible, to seek places where there still may be people. as the rescue effort continues, hopes are beginning to fade. for the family members, this initial period has been one of shock and a desperate wait for information.

now, though, many are beginning to face up to the possibility that they may not see their missing loved ones again. magaly is clinging on to hope of updates about her missing mother. but she's also under no illusions about what she's facing. the choices you hold onto are, like, either that there's a miracle with god's grace, and he does have lots of miracles in store for us, or god's grace was one that she didn't feel a thing and she's in his hands and his arms right now, in a good place. will grant, bbc news, miami. and some breaking news to bring you from australia. officials in the state of new south wales have put the entire area of greater sydney into a two—week lockdown following a rise in coronavirus cases. on friday, four local government areas were put into lockdown, that has been extended across the

city. officials are saying they are facing the scariest phase of the pandemic so far. the us vice president, kamala harris, has visited a migrant processing centre on the united states border with mexico. it's her first time there since becoming vice president and taking a lead role in immigration issues. she rejected republicans�* claims she has been slow to visit the region, days before a scheduled border visit by former president donald trump. mark lobel reports. stepping off air force two in el paso, texas. it's passenger the vice president, barely setting foot on the tarmac before defending her long—awaited journey here. i said back in march i would come to the border, so this is not a new plan. but the reality is we have to deal with causes and we have to deal with the effects. it is a sensitive issue, as the number of undocumented migrants reaching the border here is at highest level in more than 20 years. including five young girls

here from central america, without their parents, who the vice president said she spoke to, later alluding to their suffering. there it is. the bbc has been told by some staff and children themselves of terrible treatment, in what are known as emergency camps in the texan desert, where disease is rampant, food dangerous, with reports of sexual abuse. those running the camps insist required standards of care are in place, for children. kamala harris told us customs and border staff her plan to stop people coming in the first place. help is on the way. and so those principles are a large part of what is informing the work that we have been doing addressing the root causes. but leaders of guatemala and mexico blame the biden administration's policies for causing the record surge in undocumented migration. it is a different story

from the vice president. people don't want to leave home if they don't have to. but it is the suggestion that kamala harrisjourneyed here because she had to, afterformer president donald trump announced he would be visiting soon, that dominated her trip to this migrant processing centre, which also represents one of this us administration's trickiest issues. mark lobel, bbc news. you are watching bbc news, the headlines: ajudge in minneapolis has sentenced the former us police officer, derek chauvin, to 22.5 years in prison for the murder of george floyd. officials in florida say the apartment block that collapsed near miami on thursday, leaving more than 150 people missing, was due to undergo extensive repairs this year. here in the uk, downing street says, the british prime minister has accepted his health secretary matt hancock's apology for breaching social

distancing guidelines, after the sun newspaper published images of him and an aide, gina coladangelo, kissing and embracing in the department of health. in a statement mr hancock said he'd "let people down" and is "very sorry". borisjohnson now considers the matter closed, but labour is calling on mr hancock to resign. with the latest, here's our deputy political editor, vicki young. he's been telling all of us to stick to covid rules. keep doing your bit, remember the basics — hands, face, space and fresh air. but matt hancock and his adviser gina coladangelo didn't take that advice. the sun reported this picture of the two of them, who are both married, was taken inside the department of health in early may. government social distancing guidance says in the workplace, people should keep two metres apart. in a statement, the health secretary said:

mr hancock and ms coladangelo have been close friends since university. during the pandemic, she's accompanied the health secretary to meetings in downing street and interviews. speaking to radio 4 last year, she talked about first meeting him. we met at the student radio station, oxygen fm. i read the news and matt read the sport. i've always joked with him that he did the sport because he wasn't good enough to do the news! laughs. but i think it gave him a bit of an early heads—up into aggressive questioning from journalists and hacks. in september, she became a non—executive director on the board of the department of health, with a salary of £15,000. downing street say the appointment followed correct procedure. but labour's calling for an official investigation into whether the ministerial code of conduct has been broken.

matt hancock either needs to resign or, if he's not willing to do that, then the prime minister must remove him from his post. this isn'tjust a question of, yet again, a conservative mp disobeying those rules and thinking that they only apply to the rest of us — it's a case where we've seen cronyism on cronyism. this comes after other high—profile breaches of the rules. dominic cummings, who used to be borisjohnson's top adviser, caused outrage when he travelled hundreds of miles during lockdown. and professor neil ferguson, one of the most prominent scientists advising the government, resigned after his married lover visited his home. this was mr hancock's reaction at the time. i don't understand. you're speechless? i am _ that doesn't often happen to me. i think that he took the right decision... to resign. yeah, you wouldn't have fought to keep him? it's just not... that's just not possible

in these circumstances. now after his indiscretion, there has been support from ministers and downing street. i think the secretary of state has said everything he needs to say on this. he's apologised, and the prime minister is backing his secretary of state and considers the matter closed. and so far the prime minister is showing no sign of sacking him. president biden has told the afghan president ashraf ghani, who's on a visit to washington, that the afghan people must decide their future. he confirmed us support for afghanistan would continue, despite the us military withdrawal. the visit by ashraf ghani and the head of afghanistan's peace council abdullah abdullah comes as taliban forces have escalated fighting in recent weeks, seizing control of dozens of districts. abdullah abdullah spoke to our correspondent, suzanne kianpour. she began by asking him about the reaction in the region to the us and nato pulling out theie troops by 11 september.

there were countries that were not happy with the presence of the international troops in afghanistan. they do not want to return to the talent and error, that is also a reality. so talking about different countries in the neighbourhood, and all countries including pakistan, pakistan says that instability in afghanistan will lead to instability in pakistan, and peace in afghanistan means peak in pakistan and the region. and to translate the spirit into deals. is pakistan meddling? are they working with the taliban? the point is that they have contacts may have relations and there is a background that as well it is important to point —— work together to encourage

everybody, who has leverage over the taliban, to encourage them to engage seriously in negotiations. but them to engage seriously in negotiations.— them to engage seriously in negotiations. but how do you feel about — negotiations. but how do you feel about that _ negotiations. but how do you feel about that right - negotiations. but how do you feel about that right now, - feel about that right now, about that relationship? we need to about that relationship? - need to continue to create efforts. ., .,, need to continue to create efforts. ., , ., , efforts. however those efforts auoin ? efforts. however those efforts going? we _ efforts. however those efforts going? we need _ efforts. however those efforts going? we need to _ efforts. however those efforts going? we need to continue i efforts. however those efforts| going? we need to continue to make further— going? we need to continue to make further efforts. - going? we need to continue to make further efforts. that - make further efforts. that doesnt make further efforts. that doesn't sound _ make further efforts. that doesn't sound like - make further efforts. that doesn't sound like it's - make further efforts. that i doesn't sound like it's going well. ., ., well. you can 'udge it for yourself. _ well. you can 'udge it for yourself, but _ well. you can judge it for yourself, but recently - well. you can judge it for yourself, but recently i i well. you can judge it for - yourself, but recently i talked to pakistan's foreign minister, that was also in turkey a few weeks back, and as neighbours weeks back, and as neighbours we need to find ways to co—operate and to live together for the common interest of our peoples, and that is, we are all neighbours. and pakistan will not be an exception, and

of course it requires the same well from both sides. let's get some of the day's other news: police in germany say three people have been killed by a man with a knife who attacked passers—by in the central city of wuerzburg. other people were injured, some seriously. police say they shot and wounded a suspect as they arrested him. a senior official said the man had recently spent time in a psychiatric institution. iran has rejected demands from the united nations�* nuclear watchdog for an immediate response to its request to extend a deal that has just expired on monitoring iranian nuclear sites. the iaea chief rafael grossi said it was vitally important that inspectors continue to be able to collect data. an impassioned debate has broken out within the lgbt+ community over who can participate in new york's pride parade — usually one of the biggest in the world. a decision last month by the organisers to ban

uniformed police officers from taking part has provoked a strong backlash which is continuing to escalate, even though this year's march is largely virtual. from new york, tom brook reports. wave your flags! since 1996, the gay action officers league has marched in police uniform as a contingent of new york's mammoth pride parade. for police sergeant ana arboleda, it meant the world to participate. it is an amazing feeling. you see people from the crowd coming to you and hugging you and telling you, "happy pride, it is great to see officers". but last month the organisation that controls the parade says that uniformed police would be banned from the march until 2025, although this year because of covid—i9, there is no big in—person official event. i am happy to be a police officer and i am equally proud to be gay. so for them to exclude me just for one aspect of my life, which is the profession that i chose to do, is just heartbreaking. chanting.

the ban partially came about because some members of the lgbtq community, particularly black, brown and trans people, made it clear that the presence of the police is fundamentally at odds with the aims of pride, which began as a riot against the police at the stonewall inn in 1969. get off the street! and a very tense stand—off between lgbtq protesters and the police last year added to the existing pressure to have uniformed police excluded from the pride parade. they have a history of attacking, harassing, jailing, abusing lgbt folks all the way back to stonewall, the original pride was a riot, was an uprising against that police brutality and police harassment. but there are many gay people who disagree,

who support the uniformed officers' right to march. new yorker alan gilmer has the drag artist persona of banessa. i've marched alongside the nypd, and are they perfect? no. have they made mistakes? yes, but if you ask any new yorker the majority would say we want them to be part of this, we're in this together, we're the lgbtq community and we are a community of inclusion. and we have never gotten far by saying "you can sit out, you're not invited the party". that's not what works, never works. pride sunday will be difficult for openly gay police officers in new york — a day to celebrate, yes, but a day to contemplate rejection from what is the oldest and most historic pride march in the world. much more on all those stories on the bbc news website of course, and the bbc news app. you can reach me

on twitter — i'm @richpreston. for me a team, thank you for watching and we'll you soon. hello there. friday evening brought some quite dramatic weather for some of us, especially across parts of england. through the western side of the midlands, there was some heavy, thundery rain. that was how it looked for a weather watcher in south staffordshire. and then to the north—east of london, and up into essex, some really vicious thunderstorms, with reports of localised flash flooding and even reports of a tornado in east london, or at the very least some squally gusty winds in amongst the showers, which did cause some damage. and the weather system responsible will still be quite close by as we head through this weekend. it will become slow moving across northern france,

but from time to time, it will throw showers or longer spells of rain back in our direction. and we will see some showers during saturday, across england and wales particularly. through east anglia, into the midlands and wales, we could see some particularly heavy, thundery ones during the afternoon. more cloud for north—east england, south—east scotland. some patchy rain here. brighter skies for northern scotland and for northern ireland, and top temperatures between 1a and 22 degrees. so, some of those heavy showers in the south will continue during saturday evening and some more persistent rain is likely to start to slide across the channel islands, and that will come into play across southern counties of england as we get into the first part of sunday. elsewhere, we start sunday on a mainly dry note. those are your temperatures for sunday morning, nine to 1a degrees. so this weather system that will become very slow moving through the weekend is likely to throw a band of rain back northwards as we go through the day on sunday. there is uncertainty aboutjust how far north the rain will get, but it's likely to affect southern counties of england. it may spread into south wales and parts of the midlands as well. further north, it should be largely dry, with patchy cloud and some spells of sunshine.

i think thicker cloud across the far north—west of scotland and temperatures between 18 and 22 degrees in most places. so, to sum up for the weekend, we will see some spells of sunshine, but there will be a few showers around on saturday. some of those could be quite heavy. and potentialfor some more persistent rain in southern parts as we head through sunday. and southern areas could see further rain during the week ahead. some of that rain could be quite heavy. further north, it looks drier. some of the highest temperatures likely to be across scotland, up to 2a degrees.

this is bbc news. the headlines: ajudge in minneapolis has sentenced the former police officer derek chauvin to 22.5 years in prison for the murder of george floyd. the 46—year—old african american died last year, after chauvin knelt on his neck for more than nine minutes during an arrest. officials in florida say the apartment block that collapsed near miami on thursday — leaving more than 150 people missing — was due to undergo extensive repairs this year. four people are confirmed dead and a major operation is continuing to search for survivors and more bodies. here in the uk, borisjohnson has accepted an apology from his health secretary after pictures emerged of him kissing and embracing a colleague, in breach of covid guidance. matt hancock says he's "let people down" and is "very sorry" after the images showed him with gina coladangelo.

cases of the delta variant of covid—19 first identified