this is bbc news. i'm reged ahmad with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. the race against time as the search continues for hundred people still missing following devastating floods in germany and other european countries. the german president has been visiting one of the worst hit. translation:— visiting one of the worst hit. translation: our country stay to . ether translation: our country stay together during _ translation: our country stay together during this _ translation: our country stay together during this time. - translation: our country stay together during this time. i - translation: our country stay together during this time. i am | together during this time. i am very pleased to see just how much sympathy and solidarity is being shown, not only here in the region but also throughout germany. the uk's health secretary test positive for her and verbic assist the government repairs to lift its legal restrictions. a new round of peace talks is under way in qatar between afghan leaders and the taliban.

the film that won the palme d'or is titane... the film that won the palme d'or is titane. . ._ the film that won the palme d'or is titane. .. and nervous laughter _ d'or is titane. .. and nervous laughter in — d'or is titane. .. and nervous laughter in cannes _ d'or is titane. .. and nervous laughter in cannes as - d'or is titane. .. and nervous | laughter in cannes as director spike lee accidentally lets out the winner of the palme d'or. hello and welcome. rescue crews have been racing to find survivors of floods that have wreaked havoc across western europe, killing at least 170 people. hundreds are feared missing after record rainfall triggered severe floods in germany and belgium. european leaders have blamed the extreme weather on climate change. chancellor angela merkel is due to visit affected areas on sunday. with more, here's our berlin correspondent, jenny hill. in ahrweiler, everything,

everyone, is covered in a thick, sticky mud. there is no power, nowhere to buy food, not much mobile reception. but they're doing what they can. willie told us they've never seen anything like it here, not even in his parents', grandparents�*, time. "the water rose two metres in 15 or 20 minutes," he told us. "people tried to save their things, went into their basements and unfortunately got trapped. i was lucky," he said, "i could get out the back of my basement." around 100 people have died in this district alone. many more are still missing. there was so little time to run, people tell us. look at the force of this flood... ..and the damage it left behind. the water's receding, but the number of dead is expected to continue to rise. search and rescue,

it's feared, will soon be a recovery operation. today, the german president described the loss as heartbreaking. translation: it's a time of. misery, and in times of misery, our country sticks together. i'm glad that people, notjust here in the region but from all over germany, send messages of sympathy and solidarity. so many people just want to help, donations piling up, overwhelming the volunteers at this makeshift warehouse. translation: ican't. imagine what it must be like to be affected. that's why i'm here, to help people. in ahrweiler, across the region, lives turned upside down. this is amelie. "the water," she told us, "came from the playground to our house, but luckilyjust the ground floor.

my gran and grandad were affected, though. they're staying with us now." as the waters slowly subside, they reveal the extent of the damage done. the task of rebuilding this region seems overwhelming. so much of its vital infrastructure — bridges, roads, railways — has completely gone. hard to imagine the time, the money it'll take to get this region back on its feet. jenny hill, bbc news, ahrweiler. 27 people are known to have died in neighbouring belgium, where rescue operations are still continuing. from there, anna holligan sent this report. this is the river meuse, and if you look carefully here, you can see some of the debris that is being carried downstream. and the smell of oil, the stench, is something that you can smell all around here. this is the belgian city of liege, and rescue workers were sent from italy, france and austria to help with the recovery effort here —

and the evacuations, too. most people are now returning to their homes, but the belgian prime minister has declared the 20th ofjuly a national day of mourning. at least 20 people have been killed here alone. they say they have never experienced catastrophic floods of this scale before. now, across the border, not far from here, in the netherlands, the emergency services are still trying to reconnect the power supplies. but there, so much of the country lies ten metres below sea level, they have so much experience and talent in managing the rising tides, and what the last few days has demonstrated, this extreme rainfall, that even the most sophisticated technology will struggle under this kind of pressure. experts have said it should be a wake—up call, politicians across the continent have blamed climate change,

but what so many people in this region, here in liege, in limburg, which has been classified as a disaster area, and beyond, what they want to know now — they want assurances from those politicians that something like this can never happen again. anna holligan there. here in the uk, the health secretary, sajid javid, is self—isolating after testing positive for coronavirus. mrjavid, who's fully vaccinated, said he'd felt a "bit groggy" on friday night. it's understood he met the prime minister on friday, but it's not yet clear whether boris johnson will have to self—isolate. it comes just ahead of the government lifting covid restrictions in england on monday. 0ur political correspondent nick eardley reports. downing street yesterday. the health secretary outside number 10, facemask in hand, but this morning, he tested positive for coronavirus. i was feeling a bit groggy last

night, so i took a lateralflow test this morning and it's come out positive, so i'm now self—isolating at home with my family until i get the results of a pcr test. i'm grateful that i've had two jabs of the vaccine, and so far my symptoms are mild. this was sajid javid at a care home on tuesday, four days before his symptoms developed. it's not clear yet if anyone else in government will have to self—isolate as a close contact. it comes ahead of a crucial week. from monday, social distancing will officially end in england. there will be no limits at events. facemasks won't be a legal requirement. but there were more than 5a,000 cases in the last 24—hour period. some are warning we shouldn't be too relaxed, pointing to countries like israel, where some restrictions have been brought back. if we behave like they have done and change our behaviour too dramatically when the restrictions are changed, then we're going to end up having to do what they are

having to do now, which is reconsider reimposing restrictions. next week will be a significant moment in the sometimes slow road out of lockdown in england, but it won't be back to normality overnight. face coverings will still be recommended in some places and there will still be an emphasis on caution. and the number of positive cases we're seeing, like the health secretary's, is a reminder that even if many restrictions are going, the virus has not disappeared. for tourists returning from paris and the rest of france, some changes have already been delayed. double—jabbed people were supposed to be spared quarantine, but last night the government announced that wouldn't be happening. that's left some in the travel industry frustrated. whilst public health will always be a priority, it doesn't feel like it's the right thing to do to hold the uk back when other countries are travelling in their abundance. frustration shared by tourists leaving london this morning.

i'm trying my hardest to follow the rules, but i don't understand the rules, so i don't know. at this point, i'm going on my holiday and whatever happens happens. it's just constantly changing. it actually feels more political than anything else. it's very confusing. i think everything is really badly handled. in wales today, restrictions on meeting outside were lifted. across the uk, there are more freedoms on their way, but that isn't without risk. nick eardley, bbc news. the uk has recorded over 50,000 new covid cases for a second consecutive day. scientists and medical experts have expressed concern at the relaxation of covid rules while cases are clearly rising. it comes as the government announced an extension to the flu vaccination programme this winter, expected to be delivered alongside any booster jabs for covid—i9. here's anna collinson. it's the birthplace of the ashes.

but this weekend, the oval cricket ground has become one of many pop—up vaccine hubs. and one of those in line was surrey cricketerjordan clark. with significant freedoms for england and scotland less than two days away, there's another push for people to get theirjab. we started the clinic at eight o'clock in the morning. as normal, we had a bit of a rush at eight o'clock but now there is a steady flow of people. we are doing roughly 400 people every hour. as expected, as restrictions have eased over recent months and more people have come together, infections have risen. the big difference this time, though, is the vaccine, which has helped to reduce the threat of covid, although not eliminate it. it's those hospital admissions that are causing real concern at the moment and the projections on how high they could go are quite alarming, so it's not the situation we wanted to be in. we didn't want to be opening up, really, in quite a dramatic way at a time when we have so many infections. but other scientists feel more confident about this wave, pointing to the data — which shows fewer people

have become seriously ill and those that are are in hospitalfor less time. amid fears the double threat of covid and the flu could put intense pressure on the health service this winter, free flu vaccines will be offered to more than 35 million people in england, including expanding the programme to include pupils up to year 11. it finally feels as if we are giving priority to educational continuity for those young people, so they can start september with a sense that the adults in the room are doing everything they can to look after them. 0n the hottest day on record in northern ireland, people in newry in county down waited patiently for a vaccine. hoping to get the vaccine, to try and cure covid, like, you know? i think everyone at this stage wants it to go on, like, so i may as well play my part. as people queued for jabs around the uk, england's deputy chief medical officer, jonathan van—tam, predicted a bumpy winter ahead. how bumpy it becomes, he says, will depend on our behaviour.

anna collinson, bbc news. let's get some of the day's other news now. iran says international talks on its nuclear programme will now have to wait until after the new president, ebrahim raisi, has taken office next month. tehran also said the us and britain must stop linking the deal to a prisoner exchange. several rounds of talks have been held in vienna without a breakthrough. thousands of people have been protesting in france against new rules which will oblige health workers to be vaccinated against coronavirus. the restrictions also mean that people will need to show either a vaccine health pass or a negative covid test to enter public places, including restaurants. since the rules were announced on monday, a record number of people have booked appointments to be vaccinated. a sprawling wildfire raging mostly unchecked for over a week in southern oregon has forced firefighters into retreat for a fourth straight day. it is the state's fifth largest

blaze in more than a century. the annual hajj pilgrimmage is getting under way in mecca with a reduced number of participants. only 60,000 people will be taking part because of covid restrictions. in normal years, around 2.5 million muslims from across the world would visit the holiest sites of islam in mecca and medina, a pilgrimage which all muslims are expected to make at least once in their lifetimes. you are watching bbc news. the headlines. a race against time. the search continues for hundreds of people still missing following devastating floods in germany and other european countries. the uk's health secretary tests positive for coronavirus — as the government prepares to lift its legal restrictions. let's get more now on the devastating floods

which have swept through large parts of europe. it's now known that at least 140 people have been killed in germany alone. from the village of erfstadt, near cologne, my colleague kasia madera reports on how people are coping. there is a lot of solidarity, a lot of volunteers have been coming together, have been offering supplies. care centres setting up to help rescue people who just have absolutely nothing. buildings totally collapsed, homes washed away, vehicles, like i say, there were cars stacked up here by the force of water that came down here, as if they were simply to toy cars. it's quite staggering to see. but the rescue operation is under way and people are beginning to return, to assess the level of damage, as these people have been. translation: everything is destroyed. _ you don't recognise this area any more. before, this was a green oasis, a natural landscape, and the only thing you could hear was the calm waters of the river. that's all gone. it's a catastrophe. translation: if you had

told me four days ago - that there could be a flood here, iwould have said maybe it will be only in the basement, but this flood was two and half metres high. the antique books are ruined forever. translation: i've emptied the house and thrown - everything out, everything. there is nothing left. water's everywhere. all these things were new, just three months old. - translation: i'm waiting for the insurance agent, i just like everyone else. i hope the process will be quick so we can rebuild and get back to work, especially after covid—19. we only reopened two months ago. another town that was hugely affected in the same state that we are actually in now is hagen. and we can speak to mortiz freedomburg, who actually works, he is a journalist at radio hagen. i know we spoke you over the last few days, in terms of when this first initially happened. it's good of you

to join us once again. just talk us through the situation. because given what we are seeing in erfstadt, the clean—up operation is taking place, recovery is taking place, but it's just been absolutely devastating for the local community. for sure. first, the good news, the water level keeps dropping, and there was no heavy rain for three days. the people are very happy about it, but, how you said, the real work, the main work has to be done now. streets are destroyed, lots of people are without their home. people lost their property, and it's a really mean situation and it will last for days, maybe for weeks. absolutely, and can you tell us about the power situation there? because we know that homes here still are having power outages. many homes still without power. but at one point, there were over 100,000 households without power. what's the situation like with you, moritz? yeah, on wednesday night,

there was the same situation, there was a complete black out, there was a shut down, but now, the electricity, the power comes back. so a lot of houses have gas, have water, have electricity again. but it comes back and back shortly because there are still lots of basements which are full of water, and you can't go to the stations there to make it better now. so it's a really difficult situation and the people will need lots of time to recover from it. absolutely, a lot of time, a lot of support. people are rallying around and there are so many volunteers. the newspapers, though, calling this the flood of death. moritz, have you ever seen something like this in your lifetime in this area? never. that was the heaviest rain i've ever seen. it was like flooding who took cars, who take trees, it was unbelievable. i can't describe it. so no—one would have thought that this rain would be that heavy, that there would be this flooding. yeah, i can't describe it.

you have seen the pictures, it is really hard. and i think the politics and the city will make lots of changes to provide these catastrophes, you have to say it, yeah, it is a catastrophe. well, it's certainly how angela merkel described it. moritz speaking from radio hagen, a town not farfrom here, also devastated, thank you so much for your time. so, like moritz was saying, there is still a lot of shock, an awful lot of questions, but the recovery situation, the recovery efforts are beginning, they are under way, and we have been here throughout the whole course of the day. most of this bypass behind me had been completely flooded, but as you can see, there are so many cars now that had been removed, that grim operation, to discover if there are any remains. thankfully, not here, everybody was able to get away safely. kasia madera in germany for us.

high—level talks have begun between afghan political leaders and the taliban in the gulf state of qatar. the negotiations are an effort to jump—start a long—stalled process in the midst of rapid taliban military advances across afghanistan and growing concern about the country's future in the wake of the us—led nato pull—out. afghan government sources say the talks have got off to a good start. 0ur chief international correspondent, lyse doucet, is in doha, where she's been speaking to the key players on both sides. these high—level talks are taking place in the midst of growing uncertainty, if not anxiety, about afg hanistan�*s future. afghan government negotiators say they are acutely aware that the window for peace talks is fast narrowing, perhaps a question ofjust two to three months. because the backdrop, of course, is that the taliban have been overrunning districts across afghanistan and seizing strategic order crossings. so i asked the minister of state for peace, sayed sadat mansoor naderi, did he believe after talking to the taliban again here that they were interested in a political solution?

well, we hope so, because the only solution to the conflict in afghanistan is a political solution, is through a meaningful negotiation, and conflict and taking afghanistan by force is not the solution. it will not be acceptable to the people of afghanistan. afg hanistan�*s state minister for peace. but of course that is a question for the taliban too, because it's been noticed that as they make rapid military advances, it's emboldened them and they become clearer about their political vision for afghanistan. and it's one, judging by their ideas now on the table, one which doesn't include elections and has a new islamic constitution as well as leadership, which, of course, for the afghan government team means that accepting those proposals is tantamount to a call for surrender.

so i asked the member of the taliban negotiating team, their spokesman suhail shaheen, whether that was the spirit of these talks. that is a perception of the other side, not our policy. our policy is to have a negotiated settlement of the issue. that is our policy. we want this, because in that circumstance, we can then bring a durable peace to the country. that is our objective. suhail shaheen, the taliban's spokesperson. well, both sides say the talks today here in doha have got off to a good start. what they're hoping is that these discussions can help both sides to clarify their positions and that they will lead to another round of talks involving even more high—level figures on both sides to try to push this negotiation forward. because everyone is aware, most of all afghans on the ground

as well as afghanistan's neighbours, that if these talks fail, the war will get worse. much worse. lyse doucet. now to cuba, where the president, miguel diaz—canel, has dismissed last week's historic demonstrations against the communist government as a lie. thousands took to the streets of havana and other cities last weekend, demanding freedom, democracy and more covid vaccinations. more than 100 people have been arrested since the protests erupted. the president had earlier accused the us of provoking the demonstrations. speaking at a pro—government rally in havana, mr diaz—canel denounced what he said was a "false narrative" over unrest on the caribbean island. translation: we have come together to once again - denounce the us blockade, aggression and terror. we couldn't put off this rally. the enemy has once again gone all out to destroy the sacred unity and peace of citizens. they are encouraging

and glorifying disrespect and destruction of property, threats and harassment of citizens and families. right now, what the world is seeing from cuba is a lie. demonstrators have gathered outside the white house in washington, calling on the us to intervene in cuba. it's the latest in a series of demonstrations by americans in a show of solidarity following the unprecedented protests on the island. florida, which has a large community of cuban exiles, has seen the biggest gatherings. facebook has hit back at president biden�*s assertion that the spread of covid—19 misinformation on social media is "killing people". the social media platform defended itself saying facebook is not the reason the president's goal of getting 70% of americans vaccinated by the 11th ofjuly was missed. here's what the president had to say to the press before he boarded marine one on friday. what's your message

to platforms like facebook? they're killing people. look, the only pandemic we have is among the unvaccinated, and they're killing people. facebook integrity vice president guy rosen posted a response today on a corporate blog. he said that... he went on to say that... a film about a serial killer has won the prize for the best picture at this year's cannes film festival. film stars and directors returned in droves to the french riviera, after the 2020 festival was cancelled because

of the covid pandemic. but the climax of the closing ceremony went a little wrong, when the director spike lee accidentally announced the winner of the coveted palme d'0r ahead of time. have a listen. can you tell me which prize is the first prize? yes, ican. laughter cool the film that won the palme d'0r is titane... wait, wait, wait, no! she speaks french ok, so... she speaks french an honest mistake there! do stay with us on bbc news. much more coming up. and of course, if you want more details on our top stories as rescue crews are racing to find survivors of the floods that every cabinet

across western europe, just go to our website. i'm on twitter. @regedahmad see you soon. hello there. saturday saw the warmest weather of the year so far in all four nations of the uk. and in northern ireland, whereas you can see it was beach weather in county down, temperatures actually broke the all—time record. the highest temperature since records began in northern ireland, ballywatticock 31.2 degrees. but in england, in wales and in scotland, we saw some pretty hot temperatures. however, the far north of scotland was much, much cooler, just 13 degrees for parts of shetland, whereas you can see we had a lot of cloud. you can pick that out on the satellite picture through saturday afternoon. and that cloud has been pushing a little further south—westwards, so starting off sunday morning, rather cloudy and murky for parts of northern ireland. quite a lot of cloud for scotland, too, with some

patchy rain in the far north. the cloud should tend to break up to give some spells of sunshine, although it will stay quite murky for some northern coasts of northern ireland. i think england and wales will see the lion's share of the sunshine, and that's where we'll have the highest temperatures as well. slightly cooler day for scotland and northern ireland. for england and wales, particularly down towards the south, we're looking at highs of 30, possibly 31 degrees in the london area. and the sun very, very strong at the moment, very high uv levels in southern england, parts of wales. the lower levels further north only because we'll have more in the way of cloud. so, as we head through sunday evening and into the early hours of monday, we keep clear spells, especially across england and wales. still more cloud at times across scotland and northern ireland, some mist and murk. and it will be another very warm and muggy night. 0vernight lows between 12—17 degrees. so, we start monday with high pressure still in charge, but notice the centre of the high is slipping a little further westwards. that will allow a very gentle

north or north—westerly flow of air across the country. and that'll bring just a subtle change in the temperatures, a slightly cooler day for many, a bit more cloud working into north sea coasts as well. some cloud for north west scotland, parts of northern ireland, and you'll see maybe just the odd shower, the odd sharp shower breaking out across southern areas. those temperatures a little down, still quite warm in the south. a little bit cooler further north. as we look further ahead, there is a lot of dry weather on offer this week. still some relatively high temperatures. it may just start to turn a bit more unsettled by friday.

this is bbc news. the headlines — rescue workers searching for victims of the devastating floods which earlier in the week hit germany and the benelux countries have warned that more bodies may be found in submerged cars, sellers and collapsed buildings. at least one people are known to have died, most in western germany. —— at least 160 people are known to have died. the british health minister has announced health minister has announced he has tested positive for the virus. he said he had mild symptoms having been vaccinated and also recently said cases of coronavirus could reach 100,000 a day later in the summer. and the afghan government sources have expressed optimism after the start of renewed peace negotiations with the taliban in qatar. the long stalled talks have come as a tele— band has continued to overrun many afghan districts. —— the taliban and have continued to

overrun. now on bbc news, as many women come forward to make