hello, i'm maryam moshiri. this is outside source. lebanon remembers — a year after the deadly blast that shattered beirut. thousands gather in the ruins of the city's main port to commemorate the dead. over 200 people lost their lives. todayis today is a day for praying. we came to pray for victims, martyrs and children with everyone who joined us here to pray. there is more anger than sadness, but their time is coming. tensions are increasing at protests near the parliament building. there's anger that no one has been held accountable for the blast. we'll be live in beirut for the latest.

also in the programme — the belarusian sprinter krystina timanovskaya flies from tokyo to warsaw. she was granted a humanitarian visa by poland after claiming that belarusian officials had tried to repatriate her against her will. and in the uk, all16 and 17—year—olds will now be offered a covid vaccine. around 1.4 million teenagers will be eligible. we start in lebanon. violence has broken out in beirut as the city marks a year since it was devastated by one of the biggest non—nuclear explosions in history. over 200 people died when a warehouse storing ammonium nitrate exploded. a year on, no one has been held to account, and there's anger. this is the scene in beirut. in the past couple of hours violence has broken out. tear gas has been fired. it's chaos. this was earlier.

thousands of protesters took part in the rally, demanding truth about the disaster. it's been a day of rememberance, too. elsewhere in beirut, hundreds attended a ceremony for the victims in the ruins of the port. a minute's silence was held and each of the victim's names read out. families held up their photos. an investigation into the blast is still ongoing. so far, 25 people have been detained as part of that investigation. 13 have since been released. here's one demonstrator who lost her son in the explosion. translation: today is a day for praying, we came to pray for our victims, martyrs, our children, with everyone whojoined us here to pray. there is more anger than sadness, but their time is coming. let them keep hiding and run away like mice from their homes. you'll remember the catastrophic scenes in beirut on august 4th last year. it was terrifying.

nearly 3,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate exploded. the blast was so big that it was felt in cyprus, 240 kilometres away. over 200 people died. over 6,000 were injured. seafront buildings were decimated. 300,000 people were left homeless. the aftermath was compared to the destruction caused during lebanon's 15 year civil war. and this was the scene today. the scale of the devastation is still visible in beirut. on monday, amnesty international and the families of victims accused the lebanese authorities of �*shamelessly�* obstructing the investigation. and while the president hasn't addressed that directly, he did have this message earlier.

i have already admitted before the lebanese — i have already admitted before the lebanese justice and hold accountable everyone whose involvement is proven by the investigation. today, i restate my pledge _ investigation. today, i restate my pledge that no one is above the law, no matter— pledge that no one is above the law, no matter how high they may think. families of the victims don't accept that. a year on, they want closure. the bbc�*s carine torbey has been speaking to some of them. one year after the explosion, all the debris is swept to a corner and kept here. the debris is swept to a corner and ket here. . , ., . , ., kept here. names of the victims that some here call _ kept here. names of the victims that some here call the _ kept here. names of the victims that some here call the crime _ kept here. names of the victims that some here call the crime scene. - some here call the crime scene. theirfamilies are still

some here call the crime scene. their families are still don't have answers for what happened that day and why. thejudge investigating answers for what happened that day and why. the judge investigating the explosion wants to summon high ranking politicians and security officers for interrogation, but so far, he hasn't been able to do so. most of them have legal immunity. this protest is part of the movement by relatives of the victims of the blast to press the authorities to allow the judge to interrogate politicians and security officials. they say they will fight to the end for those responsible to be held to account. forsome for those responsible to be held to account. for some of the victims, the pain of their day lingers. this man almost lost his leg in the explosion. he has been undergoing one surgery after another since then. translation: sometimes my kids asked me to play with them, and i can't. this is very

hard, but i tried not to let them feel my pain. i stand on one leg and don't play with them. i try not to let them hate lebanon for what happened to me. it's hard to overstate just how bad things have become a year on. the economy is in freefall, the world bank ranks the economic crisis as the third worst in the world since the 1800s. the currency — the lebanese pound — has depreciated by 90% in two years. food inflation has soared to 222%. the american university of beirut estimates that a family of five now need five times the minimum wage to buy food each month. that's impossible for many. so half are living below the poverty line. there are food, medicine shortages and fuel shortages. and the result is this — huge queues to fuel cars. shops have stopped listing prices because they're changing so often. and this is the stark reality for many in beirut. rolling power cuts. some last up to 23 hours.

help though is coming from the international community. here's us president, joe biden. the people of lebanon has suffered because of a political crisis. the us is proud of our long—standing support for the lebanese people. i've been to your country many times. it's absolutely beautiful. today i'm announcing nearly $100 million in assistance. that's an top of the 360 million that the united states has provided lebanon over the past few years. i heard my fellow leaders —— urge my fellow with leaders —— urge my fellow with leaders to step up their support. the focus is firmly on those in charge. on tuesday, human rights watch released a report, concluding that the most senior officials in lebanon were aware of the danger and accepted the risk

of storing the ammonium nitrate at the port. it accused multiple lebanese authorities of being �*criminally negligent�*. and today, we heard this from the french president. translation: the investigation into the port, which _ the investigation into the port, which the — the investigation into the port, which the entire limousine population is waiting for, was also a year— —— the lebanese population. ithink the lebanese leaders go there people the lebanese leaders go there people the truth _ the lebanese leaders go there people the truth -- _ the lebanese leaders go there people the truth —— oh there people the truth _ and this was the response from lebanon's ambassador to the uk. i canister you as —— can assure you, being _ i canister you as —— can assure you, being on— i canister you as —— can assure you, being on disclosure _ i canister you as —— can assure you, being on disclosure of— i canister you as —— can assure you, being on disclosure of is _ i canister you as —— can assure you, being on disclosure of is leading - being on disclosure of is leading room _ being on disclosure of is leading room for— being on disclosure of is leading room for speculation, _ being on disclosure of is leading room for speculation, but - being on disclosure of is leading room for speculation, but once i being on disclosure of is leading i room for speculation, but once the document— room for speculation, but once the document is— room for speculation, but once the document is public, _ room for speculation, but once the document is public, all— room for speculation, but once the document is public, all eyes- room for speculation, but once the document is public, all eyes will. room for speculation, but once the | document is public, all eyes will be scrutinising — document is public, all eyes will be scrutinising the _ document is public, all eyes will be scrutinising the substance - document is public, all eyes will be scrutinising the substance and - document is public, all eyes will be scrutinising the substance and i- scrutinising the substance and i think— scrutinising the substance and i think we — scrutinising the substance and i think we witt— scrutinising the substance and i think we will be _ scrutinising the substance and i think we will be able _ scrutinising the substance and i think we will be able to - scrutinising the substance and i think we will be able to judge . scrutinising the substance and i. think we will be able to judge the seriousness — think we will be able to judge the seriousness of— think we will be able to judge the seriousness of the _ think we will be able to judge the seriousness of the investigation. |

think we will be able tojudge thel seriousness of the investigation. i could _ seriousness of the investigation. i could agree — seriousness of the investigation. i could agree agree _ seriousness of the investigation. i could agree agree with _ seriousness of the investigation. i could agree agree with more - seriousness of the investigation. i could agree agree with more with| could agree agree with more with president — could agree agree with more with president macron_ could agree agree with more with president macron when _ could agree agree with more with president macron when he - could agree agree with more with president macron when he says l could agree agree with more with. president macron when he says we owed _ president macron when he says we owed our— president macron when he says we owed our people _ president macron when he says we owed our people are _ president macron when he says we owed our people are few— president macron when he says we owed our people are few —— - president macron when he says we owed our people are few —— or- president macron when he says we - owed our people are few —— or people the futi— owed our people are few —— or people the full truth — owed our people are few —— or people the full truth. justice _ owed our people are few —— or people the full truth. justice is _ owed our people are few —— or people the full truth. justice is served, - the full truth. justice is served, there _ the full truth. justice is served, there is— the full truth. justice is served, there is no— the full truth. justice is served, there is no way— the full truth. justice is served, there is no way the _ the full truth. justice is served, there is no way the healing - the full truth. justice is served, - there is no way the healing process can start _ rebecca collard is a journalist in beirut, — journalist in beirut, we will talk about the protests in a moment but first tell me about the peaceful remembrance ceremony earlier — a year on from the disaster. there were thousands of people gathered in beirut for the source of the explosion to remember the 200 people that died one year ago. also to remember all those who are injured and affected by this blast. there were songs and prayers and a sense of togetherness, but i think after that ceremony came protest. tell me more about those. people clearly angry about the lack of culpability one year on.-

culpability one year on. yeah, definitely _ culpability one year on. yeah, definitely turned _ culpability one year on. yeah, definitely turned into - culpability one year on. yeah, definitely turned into a - culpability one year on. yeah, definitely turned into a night i culpability one year on. yeah, l definitely turned into a night of angen definitely turned into a night of anger. we were downtown when the security forces started using tear gas, and it really took them hours to get the thousands of people that had marched from this commemoration ceremony towards the country's parliament. it took them hours to get them out of that area. they actually pushed us into this residential area. this police car thatis residential area. this police car that is just completely smashed, on the other side, a brick has been thrown through the window. i think that gives you a sense of how angry people here are. it's been a year since this explosion and we do not have any more answers about what happened, and nobody has been held accountable. one of the protesters i spoke to said as long as there is no formaljustice, and we don't know who did this, people are going to be

taking justice into the air own hands. taking 'ustice into the air own hands. ,, . , hands. since the disaster, the economy in — hands. since the disaster, the economy in lebanon - hands. since the disaster, the economy in lebanon has- hands. since the disaster, the i economy in lebanon has suffered greatly and life is tough for people. greatly and life is tough for eo - le. ., greatly and life is tough for eo . le, ., ., greatly and life is tough for --eole. . . greatly and life is tough for n-eole. . . ., people. yeah, and... life has gotten tou~her people. yeah, and... life has gotten tougher and — people. yeah, and... life has gotten tougher and tougher. _ people. yeah, and... life has gotten tougher and tougher. electricity - tougher and tougher. electricity cuts are now up to 20 hours a day. the generators that people have relied on for years no longer can handle this sort of demand. people are spending nights without electricity and having days without electricity. the price of food has doubled and quadruple because of this massive inflation, and salaries have not. estimate put 50% of the population now below the poverty line, and that number is likely to climb even higher because right now, we don't see any solutions. just last month we saw the former prime minister who was supposed to be in charge of forming a new cabinet step

down after more than eight months of trying to perform one. now we have a new prime minister. it's been a year without a government, and this country needs a government so that it can meet the reforms and demands. there are billions of dollars that are offered to lebanon to help mitigate this crisis, and right now, that money isn't being brought to the country because the leadership is not making these reforms. rebecca, thank you very much. all 16 and 17—year—olds will be offered as a vaccine in the coming weeks. around one and a half million teenagers could be included in the plan. our health editor hugh pym has the latest. lucy, who's 16, has had covid twice, and she's disappointed she didn't

qualify for a vaccination. but that will now change, and it's something to celebrate for lucy, and her mother barbara. when i heard the news i was like really excited. it's made me really happy. punching the air, we were in the car, she wasjust like, "yes!" the move follows advice to minister centre expert ones thejoint committee for vaccine and immunisation. vaccination of children - and young people can bring benefits to other people such - as adults and including parents and grandparents, but at - the forefront is the health and benefits to children - and young people themselves. but only last month, thejcvi said the benefits did not outweigh the risks. we mustn't forget - that the summer wave as we experiencing now, _ was also quite uncertain about four weeks ago and now we have more information on that, so it's not. just new data on one i point, but it's new data across the range of factors,

that influence advice. - the committee looked at more vaccine safety data following reports of young people getting heart inflammation after receiving the pfizerjabs. but for 12—17—year—olds, it was fewer than ten in a million after first doses and most recovered quickly. ministers in the four uk nations have all said that pfizer jabs will be offered to all 16 and 17—year—olds, following the advice of the experts. they are all at one on this, that this is an absolutely, the right thing to do, for all 16 and 17—year—old. of course, there's no compulsion in this, like all vaccination offer. it's something for people to consider and decide something they want to do. the health secretary said the roll

out in england would start later this month led by the nhs but with no led by the nhs, but with no precise details yet. the drive to get 18—year—olds and over vaccinated continues, as for 16 and 17—year—olds, nhs leaders say up to now they have always followed jcvi advice and implemented any changes as quickly as possible. under the law, 16 and 17—year—olds won't have to have parental consent to get a vaccine. we asked people in weston—super—mare how they felt about it. i think it's a good idea, because especially since a lot of 16 and 17—year—olds are the main people who are constantly with each other and going out. i mean, the only reservation is down the line could find out something is wrong with it, you never know. i'd want to know more - about what the side effects might be before we went ahead. countries like the us and france are already vaccinating children as young as 12. that is possible in the uk for that age group, if they have serious medical conditions, or someone in their family does, but the roll—out to all 16 and 17—year—olds will be a significant step, with school and university terms not far off. cube him, bbc news.

the belarusian sprinter krystina timanovskaya has flown from tokyo to warsaw. she'll be able to stay in poland on a humanitarian visa — having refused to return from the olympics to belarus, fearing for her safety. you can see her arriving here in warsaw airport. today, ms timanovskaya flew back via austria. on sunday, the sprinter was taken to the airport against her will by belarusian officials because she had criticised her coaches on social media. she then took refuge in the polish embassy in tokyo bethany bell is in warsaw. her plane landed just a few minutes ago? is her plane landed 'ust a few minutes am? �* , ., ., her plane landed 'ust a few minutes auo? �* , ., ., ., . ago? a plane from vienna which we believe it was _ ago? a plane from vienna which we believe it was carrying _ ago? a plane from vienna which we believe it was carrying the - ago? a plane from vienna which we believe it was carrying the sprinterl believe it was carrying the sprinter krystina timanovskaya has just landed here at warsaw airport. we've been told that she's not planning to come out of public this evening, but shall be taken to a place of safety. this has been a very long journey.

she began in tokyo earlier today. she began in tokyo earlier today. she flew via vienna. that was a change in plan. she was originally due to fly directly here to poland, but there were concerns about her safety. one austrian official who spoke to her in vienna said that she was very relieved to be here, that she was safe, but are the worries about what the future will bring. here in poland, she's been granted that humanitarian visa, and we also understand the polish authorities will give one to her husband as well. he fled from belarus when this incident broke out. he is now in ukraine and we understand there are plans to bring him here, but it's not clear exactly when he'll arrive. krystina timanovskaya has always said she's not a political person, but inevitably, the whole thing has become an extremely political. she

said she become an extremely political. sue: said she had become an extremely political. ’iie: said she had not become an extremely political. ’i“ie: said she had not taken become an extremely political. s“i9 said she had not taken part in protests in the past, that she was simply in this case criticising the olympic teams, but she also acknowledged that the question had become politcised and said that she realised that it would probably be very difficult for her to return to belarus certainly in the next few years. this of course means she's concerned about those members of her family who are still there, her parents, but she is hoping to be reunited with her husband here in poland. of course, this is all shone a light on the government of president alexander lukashenko, who is been described by some as europe's dictator. alesia rudnik is a political analyst at the centre for new ideas in minsk. she explains why ms timanovskaya has chosen to go to poland. despite all the proposals before to -et despite all the proposals before to get asylum, she chose poland, and i

suspect— get asylum, she chose poland, and i suspect because it's closest to belarus — suspect because it's closest to belarus. this might be the case of her appearing as belarus. this might be the case of herappearing as a belarus. this might be the case of her appearing as a political refugee or becoming another belarusian who -ets or becoming another belarusian who gets military visa and poland. i'm sure _ gets military visa and poland. i'm sure this — gets military visa and poland. i'm sure this case is first in history and _ sure this case is first in history and it's— sure this case is first in history and it's absolutely disastrous for the image of belarusian regime. krystina — the image of belarusian regime. krystina probably will not lose her athlete _ krystina probably will not lose her athlete status and probablyjoin another— athlete status and probablyjoin another team. as we've just heard there are many belarusians who now live in poland. the two countries are neighbours. polish journalist marcin makowski explains why poland has offered this humanitarian visa. the relationship is difficult because _ the relationship is difficult because belarus— the relationship is difficult because belarus is- the relationship is difficult because belarus is our-

the relationship is difficult - because belarus is our neighbour the relationship is difficult _ because belarus is our neighbour and a lot of— because belarus is our neighbour and a lot of polish — because belarus is our neighbour and a lot of polish people _ because belarus is our neighbour and a lot of polish people are _ because belarus is our neighbour and a lot of polish people are 's... - because belarus is our neighbour and a lot of polish people are 's... we - a lot of polish people are 's... we have _ a lot of polish people are 's... we have a _ a lot of polish people are 's... we have a lot — a lot of polish people are 's... we have a lot of— a lot of polish people are 's... we have a lot of connections, but - a lot of polish people are 's... we have a lot of connections, but the j have a lot of connections, but the political— have a lot of connections, but the political ones _ have a lot of connections, but the political ones are _ have a lot of connections, but the political ones are very _ have a lot of connections, but the political ones are very tough. - political ones are very tough. lukashenko— political ones are very tough. lukashenko is— political ones are very tough. lukashenko is being - political ones are very tough. lukashenko is being seen - political ones are very tough. lukashenko is being seen inl political ones are very tough. - lukashenko is being seen in poland as an _ lukashenko is being seen in poland as an enemy. — lukashenko is being seen in poland as an enemy. and _ lukashenko is being seen in poland as an enemy, and he's _ lukashenko is being seen in poland as an enemy, and he's having - lukashenko is being seen in poland as an enemy, and he's having a - lukashenko is being seen in poland as an enemy, and he's having a lot| as an enemy, and he's having a lot of nrilitary— as an enemy, and he's having a lot of military forces _ as an enemy, and he's having a lot of military forces around _ as an enemy, and he's having a lot of military forces around the - of military forces around the horder~ _ of military forces around the horder~ we _ of military forces around the border. we know— of military forces around the border. we know that - of military forces around the border. we know that he - of military forces around the border. we know that he is. of military forces around the - border. we know that he is acting as a proxy— border. we know that he is acting as a proxy of— border. we know that he is acting as a proxy of if— border. we know that he is acting as a proxy of if anything _ border. we know that he is acting as a proxy of if anything happens - a proxy of if anything happens between — a proxy of if anything happens between poland _ a proxy of if anything happens between poland and - a proxy of if anything happens between poland and russia, i a proxy of if anything happens - between poland and russia, belarus is being _ between poland and russia, belarus is being seen— between poland and russia, belarus is being seen as— between poland and russia, belarus is being seen as a _ between poland and russia, belarus is being seen as a border— between poland and russia, belarus is being seen as a border the - is being seen as a border the offensive _ is being seen as a border the offensive can _ is being seen as a border the offensive can get _ is being seen as a border the offensive can get from. - is being seen as a border the offensive can get from. thisl is being seen as a border the i offensive can get from. this is is being seen as a border the - offensive can get from. this is the worst— offensive can get from. this is the worst possible _ offensive can get from. this is the worst possible scenario, _ offensive can get from. this is the worst possible scenario, but- offensive can get from. this is the worst possible scenario, but we i offensive can get from. this is the i worst possible scenario, but we can have that _ worst possible scenario, but we can have that on — worst possible scenario, but we can have that on the _ worst possible scenario, but we can have that on the back— worst possible scenario, but we can have that on the back of— worst possible scenario, but we can have that on the back of the - worst possible scenario, but we can have that on the back of the head . have that on the back of the head when _ have that on the back of the head when we — have that on the back of the head when we speak— have that on the back of the head when we speak about _ have that on the back of the head when we speak about the - have that on the back of the head | when we speak about the tension. poland _ when we speak about the tension. poland is— when we speak about the tension. poland is seen— when we speak about the tension. poland is seen itself— when we speak about the tension. poland is seen itself as _ when we speak about the tension. poland is seen itself as an - when we speak about the tension. poland is seen itself as an actor. when we speak about the tension. poland is seen itself as an actor in this free _ poland is seen itself as an actor in this free democratic _ poland is seen itself as an actor in this free democratic progress, - poland is seen itself as an actor in this free democratic progress, but also hoping — this free democratic progress, but also hoping it— this free democratic progress, but also hoping it will— this free democratic progress, but also hoping it will be _ this free democratic progress, but also hoping it will be progressed. i also hoping it will be progressed. this looked —

also hoping it will be progressed. this looked like _ also hoping it will be progressed. this looked like an _ also hoping it will be progressed. this looked like an obvious - also hoping it will be progressed. this looked like an obvious case, | this looked like an obvious case, and bipartisan _ this looked like an obvious case, and bipartisan as _ this looked like an obvious case, and bipartisan as well, _ this looked like an obvious case, and bipartisan as well, which - this looked like an obvious case, . and bipartisan as well, which is not something — and bipartisan as well, which is not something very _ and bipartisan as well, which is not something very often. _ now the international olympic committee has started an investigation over the situation. here's their spokesman. launch a formal investigation into the case of krystina timanovskaya. we received a written report of the noc which will be evaluated. further development is that the ioc is opening a disciplinary condition to establish the fact in this case in the case of krystina timanovskaya, and to hear the two officials who have been allegedly involved in this incident. (pres) so, the two people mentioned there specifically by the ioc so, the two people mentioned there specifically by the ioc are artur shumak, he's the deputy director of

belarus's national track—and—field olympic training centre — and yury maisevich, the head coach of the belarusian olympic track—and—field team. there are already sanctions from the international olympics committee on belarus. mariko oi explains. the ioc has started an official investigation into the matter. it's receiver— investigation into the matter. it's receiver the resort from the national— receiver the resort from the national olympic committee —— the report _ national olympic committee —— the report. they're going to continue the investigation. they said it will take some — the investigation. they said it will take some time. of course, the ioc has banned — take some time. of course, the ioc has banned the country's president and his— has banned the country's president and his son — has banned the country's president and his son from attending the games here _ and his son from attending the games here. failing to protect those athletes _ here. failing to protect those athletes who attended the demonstrations against the administration. kristina timanovskaya has been criticised by some who are still within the belarusian sporting establishment. fellow olympian and bronze medallist maxim nedosekov, said "she is not that good as a person. and many will be relieved that she left".

the reaction of the state controlled media in the country has also been scathing. this headline in belarus today says "escape from belarus — the fastest sprint in the career of kristina timanovskaya". and this one says "hundred metres of shame". ms timanovskaya has said her life is in danger and she might not be able to return home for many years. here's alesia rudnik with what could happen to her. i suspect it's a different scenario for her— i suspect it's a different scenario for her being stranded, and we don't know— for her being stranded, and we don't know how— for her being stranded, and we don't know how strict they will be. but it can be _ know how strict they will be. but it can be anything. i can see that... or can be anything. i can see that... 0r1015_ can be anything. i can see that... 0r1015 days— can be anything. i can see that... or 1015 days in can be anything. i can see that... 0r1015 days in prison —— ten to 15 days _ and staying with belarus let's turn now to the trial of an opposition leader which has started behind closed doors in minsk. it's the latest move by the country's autocratic government to try to suppress its opponents.

maria kolesnikova is the most prominent opposition leader left in the country. you can see her here, addressing reporters last year. she has spent the last ten months in custody awaiting trial, along with maksim znak, who is a lawyer for the opposition. you can see them both here at their trial today. let's get more from sarah rainsford outside the courtroom in minsk. we were outside the court this morning, just as the trial began, but we weren't allowed inside. the only people allowed to wear the lawyers themselves. there was a small group of supporters and family members of both maria kolesnikova... they're accused of plotting to overthrow the state and another national security charge. that's why the officials here are saying the trial is closed, but what the family and friends have told us as they

believe this is simply because there is a complete lack of evidence. here's the father of maria kolesnikova talking to sarah rainsford earlier today. translation: i know my daughter is not guilty and she's— i know my daughter is not guilty and she's so— i know my daughter is not guilty and she's so brave that i can't be anything _ she's so brave that i can't be anything but positive. she told me whatever— anything but positive. she told me whatever sentence she gets, she's ready~ _ whatever sentence she gets, she's ready~ she — whatever sentence she gets, she's ready. she writes to me all the time that we'll— ready. she writes to me all the time that we'll meet again soon, that everything will be ok.— that we'll meet again soon, that everything will be ok. let's take ou live everything will be ok. let's take you live to _ everything will be ok. let's take you live to warsaw _ everything will be ok. let's take you live to warsaw airport. - everything will be ok. let's take you live to warsaw airport. this| everything will be ok. let's take l you live to warsaw airport. this is where we are expecting krystina timanovskaya to emerge any minute now. she has been flown from tokyo to warsaw via austria to avoid belarusian airspace. you can see the awaiting media in the reflection on those double doors. she is staying

in a humanitarian visa and says she fears for her safety and belarus. more on the story coming up on outside source. stay with us. hello there. much of the country today had a fine one with plenty of sunshine. it felt quite warm, too, but there were some heavy, thundery showers across parts of the midlands and northern england. these will tend to fade away. many places turning drier tonight, but we start to see some rain pushing into western areas, courtesy of this new area of low pressure which is going to be with us for quite a few days. you can see ahead of it very light winds. it turns drier as we start the early hours of friday for many central, southern and eastern areas, but the cloud continues to build up across western scotland and certainly across northern ireland as this low pressure system moves in. by the end of the night, we'll start to see some rain, which could become more persistent and heavy at times and the breeze picking up, too. temperatures lifting across the south —12—15 degrees, one or two cooler spots further north and east.

so, for the end of the week, it's looking a lot more unsettled with low pressure pretty much slap bang on top of us. that's going to bring showers or longer spells of rain, and it's going to turn windier, too. it moves very slowly, affecting western areas through thursday morning, and then eventually starts to reach eastern areas through the second half of the day. so, it does mean it's going to start dry perhaps in some early sunshine for central and eastern england, eastern, northeastern scotland, where it could stay dry all day. but the rain will eventually push in towards the central and eastern areas into the afternoon. some of it will be heavy, perhaps thundery and places. that'll be followed by heavy and blustery showers and some sunny spells across southern and western areas into the afternoon. so, high teens celsius across many areas, but we could just see 20 or 21, given that dry, bright, sunny start. into friday, low pressure very much dominating the weather scene. it's going to be a pretty unsettled day with that. showers or longer spells of rain, some of which could be very heavy and could give rise to some localised flooding through central and northern areas.

i think for the midlands southwards into wales, here it's going to be a mixture of sunny spells and some showers, which could be heavy and thundery. in the sunshine, despite the wind, we could see 20 or 21 degrees. otherwise, for most, i think the high teens celsius. into the start of the weekend, we've got low pressure still on top of us, this feature running across southern areas which could bring an area of more persistent rain at times, then followed by sunshine and showers again into sunday. it really is looking unsettled this weekend as well with temperatures below par for the time of year. however, there will be some sunshine in between the rain.

hello, i'm maryam moshiri, this is outside source. lebanon remembers, a year after the deadly blast that shattered beirut. thousands gather in the ruins of the city's main port to commemorate the dead — over 200 people lost their lives. today is a day for praying. we came to pray for victims, martyrs and children with everyone whojoined us here to pray. there is more anger than sadness, but their time is coming. pictures from inside the afghan city of lashkar gar, as fierce fighting continues between the taliban and government forces. and climbing makes its olympic debut in tokyo — we'll tell you all you need to know about it.

to afghanistan now. fierce fighting is continuing between government forces and the taliban in the southern city of lashkar gah. government troops say they've managed to push the taliban back — for now. but there are reports of an intense battle close to the police headquarters. dozens of families have had to flee their homes. lashkar gah is the provincial capital of helmand province, which was once at the centre of the us and uk's military campaign. if captured, it would be the taliban's biggest prize since they launched their offensive in may. it's very hard to get footage from the city, but these pictures were sent to the bbc by a local resident. you can see the extent of the damage. fighting has been continuing in lashkar gah for days, with the militants now reportedly in control of most districts.

here's the uk's chief of defence staff, general sir nick carter. i think the afghan government went through a very sensible process and is still doing so of trying to consolidate around the provincial capitals and i do not think anybody was ever in any doubt that the taliban would eventually have a go at those provincial capitals. and of course, for the taliban, the south, and there i'm talking about helmand and kandahar, but also the west in the case of herat, are pretty important areas, because the population there is phenomenally pashtun, and of course if you go back to the 1990s, that is where their movement originally came from. so for them these are decisive places to fight for. meanwhile the taliban have said they were behind a car bomb attacking the defence minister's house that took place on tuesday night. it is the first major bombing in the city of kabulfor nearly a first major bombing in the city of kabul for nearly a year. these are

pictures of the aftermath. bismillah khan mohammadi was not at home when the blast happened. his family were evacuated to safety. four of the gunmen were killed. the blast happened the upmarket sherpur neighbourhood. it's home to several government officials, and is located in an area with tight security known as the green zone. in ongoing peace talks in doha, the militant group had promised to pay greater attention to the protection of civilians and infrastructure. afghan mp fawzia koofi is a member of the afghan government peace negotiation team that is in discussions with the taliban in doha. her sister's house was damaged in tuesday's blast. across the minister's house there is also a residential area, people are living there, including my sister. her house was damaged, but we are very lucky because no major injury. one of her security was injured and her son. if you look at the house and the destruction in the area, not only to the minister's house

but to the local people and to the small business owners, it is huge destruction. last night was terrible, i can see a lot of people in front of the emergency hospital waiting for their loved ones�* recovery. attacks claimed by the taliban have been on the rise since presidentjoe biden announced us troops would leave by september, and so have protests denouncing the militants. this was the extraordinary scene in kabul last night. as the gun battles were taking place, hundreds of people took to the streets, chanting their support for government forces and denouncing the militants. similar scenes were seen injalalabad, with protesters chanting "god is great" in support of the afghan security forces. here�*s mariam solamanhail. she was one of those who joined that protest in kabul. our message was more to our troops

to stand in solidarity with our soldiers who are fighting the war, notjust for afghanistan but for the entire world against terrorism. it was terrifying, no one expected it. it was to cause fear amongst the people, that attack that the taliban are currently using and have been using to cause fear, to discourage our chants last night, but it did not work and people came even more and more. it was terrifying, to see the human rights atrocities that are happening everyday against women, against minorities, it is terrifying. bilal sarwary is a journalist based in kabul. this attack on kabul clearly has hit the very heart of the country. this was at the — the very heart of the country. this was at the heart _ the very heart of the country. this was at the heart of _ the very heart of the country. t“i 3 was at the heart of kabul city, the home of afghanistan�*s defence minister and a number of anti—taliban members of parliament from the province were targeted.

first the car bomb, a very powerful one, that was felt in neighbourhoods quite far away from where it took place. then a number of attackers armed with ample amounts of ammunition, hand grenades, even a jam out to basically cut off government forces from communicating to each other, but business owners were also impacted, because their homes are located in the same area. the current defence minister has a long history of fighting at the taliban in the 90s when he was fighting with a commander at the time. when he became the minister of defence recently, one of the first things he said publicly, he called on the afghan people to rise against the taliban. he promised them, he said he would continue to fight, these attacks cannot stop him. but this attack comes at a time when we are seeing a major attacks by the

taliban against provincial capitals and the afghan government, as well as the americans, have been increasing their strikes, even in cities like lashkar gah. as i�*m speaking to you at the moment, at least seven provincial capitals are being attacked because at least macro provincial capitals have been breached by the taliban. —— at least five provincial capitals. so the afghan government cannot be everywhere in terms of air strikes, in terms of taking special forces and commanders. they were actually also overuse, the afghan elite forces, so this is a very challenging time the afghan government, as well as afghan civilians who are caught in these major provincial capitals. people

need food, water, people cannot take their winter tour hospitals for example in places like lashkar gah. took me through what you think is going through the taliban�*s mind, because we were talking about the militant group promising to pay great attention to the protection of civilians. clearly they are not, so where does this leave the peace protest? where does this leave the peace rotest? :, :, :, , :, , protest? from what i have been able to observe on — protest? from what i have been able to observe on my _ protest? from what i have been able to observe on my travels _ protest? from what i have been able to observe on my travels to - protest? from what i have been able to observe on my travels to many - to observe on my travels to many provinces over the last year or so and observing from kabul, the military leaders and commanders for the taliban feel confident they have military victory for is that they feel they have defeated the americans and can basically take power back. perhaps this is the problem between military commanders and those on the ground. we have seen the more rigid extreme taliban when we have seen snippets of footage, seen them parading, people they accuse of a ceiling for example. we saw a video of a brigade

commander who was captured, taken captive among with the four of his bodyguards and later executed. —— accused of stealing for example. there is an presented brutality in every corner of this conflict and with the coverage of media in helmand and elsewhere, you have at least 1000 journalists, including women come out on the job, so least 1000 journalists, including women come out on thejob, so my ability to know, to talk to people in these places, has been hampered because i cannot speak to my local colleagues. foreign services are not working, for example the city of lashkar gah the fighting is so intense that every 20 minutes places keep changing hands and the fighting is literally 50 metres, 30 minutes out of the provincial governors office, so this is a new reality sadly for afghans. this is unprecedented levels of violence and you are seeing urban warfare. seeing

the taliban using artillery, seeing the taliban using artillery, seeing the taliban using artillery, seeing the taliban using a sophisticated weaponry, they are using drones for example, these commercial drones where they attach hand grenades and other weapons and munitions and have been successful with adopting technology. we have had a deadly spate of track and car bombs over the last year or so and i would also say the afghan special forces, commanders, they have been misused to the point that they have not had rotation for months. i spoke to one commander who was stuck for three and a half months in an eastern province and he told me for two months he could not take a shower, along with his fighters. there was no water. so cutting off of supplies, a lack of american air force dropping food and water like they would do in the past, those are some of the major reasons that has

changed the dynamics on the battle. ok, thank you very much indeed. several countries have seen a sharp rise in the price of timber recently — here in the uk the construction industry is struggling to get supplies. the huge boost in demand, as more building projects are getting under way after the lockdown, is the main cause of the shortage. at the same time, climate change is increasing the pressure on supplies, with wildfires damaging vast areas of woodland in parts of the world. claire marshall reports. in rural herefordshire, the architects of the future are at work. they are piecing together a timber frame house. they are students, learning to build in a sustainable way with a low carbon footprint. but there is a problem. this build, along with countless others across the country, has been badly hit by the worldwide shortage of wood supplies. in every sector of the timber supply

market, prices have gone up, supply chains have been less reliable, delivery drivers have been hard to get, so just everything has been difficult. on top of problems caused by the pandemics, forests around the world are ablaze. oh, my god, look at that! canada, one of the world�*s biggest timber supplies, has cut the amount it will sell, blaming it largely on climate change. fire, weather, drought and now things like bugs and beetles, meaning that a lot of the timber cannot be used, that the trees can get damaged and destroyed, that the timber will not be the right quality needed for construction and those forests have to be chopped down. that is what is happening on this estate in herefordshire. a stand of ashes being felled. the trees were infected with ash dieback. currently we import about 80% of our wood. this woodland is being managed sustainably, but with prices around the world for timber getting

so high, the demand for illegally logged timber is sure to increase. all this is feeding into calls for the uk to improve its own home—grown industry. forestry needs to change. many foresters believe it is about planting the right tree in the right place. we need to be looking at the lower grade land where forests have traditionally existed and deliver a blend of forests that can grow economically on that land. a big global shift is happening away from concrete, which is carbon intensive and bad for the environment. demand for timber is rising quickly. wood is beautiful. it is a very beautiful material. we have enough of it, but we just need to be able to take care of it at the same time. i think we are using and using and using because it seems like there is a lot, but we need to also take care of the actual portion that we are using, because then we will not need to take so much.

the uk has the lowest tree cover in europe. the government has set some ambitious tree—planting targets. claire marshall, bbc news, herefordshire. stay with us on outside source — still to come... the climbing events at the tokyo olympics are taking place this week. we�*ll hear from a british climbing expert about what to look out for. scotland�*s first minister nicola sturgeon has said that people will find it "a bit odd" that prime minister borisjohnson has not accepted her invitation to meet during his two—day visit. our scotland correspondent james cook has more. this is boris johnson this is borisjohnson reminding us that he is prime minister of the entire united kingdom. policing in scotland is usually a matter for the scottish government. the

scotland is usually a matter for the scottish government.— scotland is usually a matter for the scottish government. the cop26, we are auoin scottish government. the cop26, we are going to — scottish government. the cop26, we are going to need _ scottish government. the cop26, we are going to need you. _ scottish government. the cop26, we are going to need you. but _ scottish government. the cop26, we are going to need you. but with - scottish government. the cop26, we are going to need you. but with the l are going to need you. but with the crucial climate _ are going to need you. but with the crucial climate conference - are going to need you. but with the crucial climate conference known i are going to need you. but with the | crucial climate conference known as a cop26 approaching, mrjohnson made this unusual visit to scotland�*s headquarters to see promotions for himself. it headquarters to see promotions for himself. , :, :, , :, himself. it is going to be a massive effort for the _ himself. it is going to be a massive effort for the whole _ himself. it is going to be a massive effort for the whole of _ himself. it is going to be a massive effort for the whole of the - himself. it is going to be a massive effort for the whole of the country, j effort for the whole of the country, police scotland will be in the lead but they will be supported symmetrically by 7000 other officers from around the uk. the government of the uk, the scottish government, at all levels work together on the things that matter to the people of our country. things that matter to the people of our country-— our country. scotland's first minister. — our country. scotland's first minister, meanwhile, - our country. scotland's first minister, meanwhile, was l our country. scotland's first i minister, meanwhile, wasjust our country. scotland's first - minister, meanwhile, wasjust down the road meeting not borisjohnson, but little emma. it looks like fun, but little emma. it looks like fun, but was nicola sturgeon is equally annoyed at the prime minister had notjoined herfor their annoyed at the prime minister had notjoined her for their own fireside chat? not joined her for their own fireside chat?— not joined her for their own fireside chat? , :, :, :, , fireside chat? there is a lot for us to cooperate _ fireside chat? there is a lot for us to cooperate on, _ fireside chat? there is a lot for us to cooperate on, so _ fireside chat? there is a lot for us to cooperate on, so missed - to cooperate on, so missed opportunity but that is on him. i stand ready to work with whoever,

however i can, to get scotland through covid and into recovery. this trip is designed to show a uk government deeply committed to scotland�*s future and are deeply involved in this nation put up but the choice of messenger is a controversial. borisjohnson is not necessarily the most popular politician in scotland, to put it mildly, and his visit does risk backfiring and perhaps even stirring up backfiring and perhaps even stirring up more support for independence. this is outside source live from the bbc newsroom. our lead story is... a day of mourning and protest in lebanon to mark the first anniversary of the massive warehouse explosion that killed over 200 people. shipping in the gulf of oman is on high alert after two incidents

this week where tankers came under attack. a suspected hijacking of this ship, the panama—flagged asphalt princess, is now over. it began on tuesday when armed men boarded the vessel. a uk maritime security agency tweeted earlier today... it�*s thought a criminal smuggling gang might have been behind that incident. but an attack on another tanker last week has been blamed on iran. two men died when a drone carrying explosives struck the ship. one of them was named today as a british security guard and former soldier, adrian underwood. the mt mercer street is the tanker, it�*s operated by an israeli—owned company. israel�*s defence minister benny gantz has publicly named the iranian official he says ordered the attack, blaming it on the head of the revolutionary guards drone command. mr gantz called it "an assault on global trade routes" and "an international crime". the head of the british military,

general sir nick carter, has been speaking to bbc radio. what we need to be doing, fundamentally, is calling out iran for its very reckless behaviour. i mean, they made a big mistake on a they did against the mercer street vessel last week, because, of course, that has very much internationalised the state of play in the gulf. and i think, you know, we will work out with our allies what is the best way of providing protection. and convoys may not necessarily be the right method. we have used other methods, and we will keep reviewing our way of keeping this happening. but, ultimately, we�*ve got to restore deterrence. because it�*s behaviour like that which leads to escalation, that could very easily lead to miscalculation. and that would be very disastrous for all the peoples of the gulf and the international committee. jiyar gol is from the bbc�*s persian service. what more do we know about the incident and rising tensions in the area?

obviously, all the obviously, all the fin-er obviously, all the fin-er has obviously, all the fin-er has been obviously, all the finger has been pointin- towards iran for the pointing towards iran for the incident, the drone attacks against israeli ship on thursday. but iranian officials have denied any involvement with these incidents and even the head of revolutionary guards denied this, any link with this incident, but what we know now about the incident on tuesday night, the panama flagged ship which was allegedly hijacked, obviously it is over and they say the crew is safe, but we are hearing conflicting news of. some said it might be a group linked to iran, but also we are hearing it might be a smuggling gang, as you said, and trying to take over the ship. but they were

suspecting iran might be behind that incident as well. israel�*s defence minister has publicly named the iranian official he says ordered the attack. you interviewed benny gantz recently — what did he say? the defence minister had a very strong word for it to run, obviously. they are extremely worried about iran activities in the region and he believed iran is encrypting the proxies in the region as well as hezbollah. he thought that it as well as hezbollah. he thought thatitis as well as hezbollah. he thought that it is really posing a threat to israel and he said he asked the parliament to increase the budget for updating a plan for a possible plan if need be to attack iran nuclear facilities.

plan if need be to attack iran nuclearfacilities. he said plan if need be to attack iran nuclear facilities. he said that these countries are ready to confront iran, he is not afraid of that, but obviously today many gangs and the israeli foreign minister had and the israeli foreign minister had a meeting with the ambassador to those countries who are a member of the united nations security council. they were trying to persuade them to have a meeting, impose some sort of sanction and iran and israeli say the action must be contained in the region. was out saudi arabia have accused iran of destabilising the region. —— also saudi arabia. the iranian officials in the past few days denied any involvement, but some experts say the incident happening just a few days ago, particular on a drone attack which benny gantz named the commander of the revolutionary guards unit as a person who ordered the attack on the israeli ship, many say it might be a message from tehran that with a new

hard—line president coming to power, they want to say there is a new sheriff in town.— sheriff in town. thank you very much. let�*s look at climbing, one of the new sports at the olympics. there are two gold medals up for grabs, with combined events for both men and women. these events include... speed climbing — where two competitors race against each other up a wall and have to hit a buzzer to stop the clock. bouldering — where climbers take turns to complete routes, known as problems in as few attempts as possible. and finally, there�*s lead climbing — competitors must climb as high as they can up a 15 metre in one attempt. as they can up to 15 metre in one attempt. molly thompson—smith is a british climber, and this week has been commentating for bbc sport. it is an incredible sport to watch and you just do not understand how much agility and strength is needed just to be able to compete at this level. :, :, :, :_ ,

just to be able to compete at this level. :, :, :, , :, level. no, and i always say that climbin: level. no, and i always say that climbing is _ level. no, and i always say that climbing is best _ level. no, and i always say that climbing is best understood - level. no, and i always say that l climbing is best understood once level. no, and i always say that - climbing is best understood once you have given it a go and that he might not realise how many muscles you are actually using until the day after when everywhere is a sore. what's it take to prepare _ when everywhere is a sore. what's it take to prepare for _ when everywhere is a sore. what's it take to prepare for the _ when everywhere is a sore. what's it take to prepare for the olympic - take to prepare for the olympic games in climbing? what kind of preparation that these athletes had to do? , :, :, :, preparation that these athletes had todo? , :, :, :, , :, :, to do? they did a lot of preparation and this format _ to do? they did a lot of preparation and this format was _ to do? they did a lot of preparation and this format was particularly - and this format was particularly challenging for the athletes because it was completely new for everyone at the games. it will not be a format after this week either, so it was completely a new challenge for everyone. they had to compete in speed, bolderand everyone. they had to compete in speed, bolder and lead and before a couple of years ago, most of the competitors out in tokyo will have never done any speed climbing before in their lives, so it was a huge challenge to undertake, essentially a brand—new sport and also just increase the training load by three. talk as through exactly what these disciplines entail. the speed one is

literally how fast can you climb the wall and press the buzzer at the end, right? what about the other ones? :, : , , ., ones? lead climbing is more the endurance _ ones? lead climbing is more the endurance of _ ones? lead climbing is more the endurance of discipline - ones? lead climbing is more the endurance of discipline where i ones? lead climbing is more the endurance of discipline where it| ones? lead climbing is more the l endurance of discipline where it is about trying to as you can within one shot and bouldering is a lot more skill —based and problem—solving. you are allowed to have as many goes as you want within only five minutes, but it is quite similar to parkour nowadays and that yes, it is a test of strength, fitness, flexibility, agility, everything you could think of. hagar everything you could think of. how im ortant everything you could think of. how important is _ everything you could think of. how important is this _ everything you could think of. how important is this appearance in the olympics for the sport of climbing? we have seen an exploding number of indoor climbing centres in urban areas, not only britain but across the world and it is really growing in popularity, isn�*t it? the world and it is really growing in popularity, isn't it? definitely. climbin: in popularity, isn't it? definitely. climbing is— in popularity, isn't it? definitely. climbing is having _ in popularity, isn't it? definitely. climbing is having a _ in popularity, isn't it? definitely. climbing is having a big - in popularity, isn't it? definitely. climbing is having a big boom i in popularity, isn't it? definitely. climbing is having a big boom at| in popularity, isn't it? definitely. . climbing is having a big boom at the moment and that thanks to the olympics, great to see it on such a huge stage and fair climbing athlete to have the opportunity to compete

in front of so many people and for all of these people to actually find out what climbing is and when i tell people i climb, they ask and say i did not know it was a sport. so it is amazing people can see what climbing is and what it takes to be a great, and what competitions it looked like and hopefully inspire them to go and try climbing themselves.— them to go and try climbing themselves. :, : :, themselves. correct me ifi am wronu , themselves. correct me ifi am wrong. but _ themselves. correct me ifi am wrong. but the _ themselves. correct me ifi am wrong, but the finals _ themselves. correct me ifi am wrong, but the finals of - themselves. correct me ifi am wrong, but the finals of the - themselves. correct me if i am - wrong, but the finals of the events are still to come? could you run through very briefly who are the main players but which countries should we be watching out for. 17 should we be watching out for. japan has been a very strong climbing nation for the last couple of years, also the czech republic and slovenia, they have some of the greatest climbers of all time. {lilia greatest climbers of all time. 0k, it has been _ greatest climbers of all time. 0k, it has been a _ greatest climbers of all time. 0k, it has been a real _ greatest climbers of all time. 0k, it has been a real pleasure to talk to you, good luck with the commentating on all the climbing to my. thank you very much.— commentating on all the climbing to my. thank you very much. thank you very much- —

that�*s all for now, you can reach me on twitter, thanks for your company, goodbye. hello there. much of the country today had a fine one with plenty of sunshine. it felt quite warm, too, but there were some heavy, thundery showers across parts of the midlands and northern england. these will tend to fade away. many places turning drier tonight, but we start to see some rain pushing into western areas, courtesy of this new area of low pressure which is going to be with us for quite a few days. you can see ahead of it very light winds. it turns drier as we start the early hours of friday for many central, southern and eastern areas, but the cloud continues to build up across western scotland and certainly across northern ireland as this low pressure system moves in. by the end of the night, we�*ll start to see some rain, which could become more persistent and heavy at times and the breeze picking up, too. temperatures lifting across the south —12—15 degrees, one or two cooler spots further north and east.

so, for the end of the week, it�*s looking a lot more unsettled with low pressure pretty much slap bang on top of us. that�*s going to bring showers or longer spells of rain, and it�*s going to turn windier, too. it moves very slowly, affecting western areas through thursday morning, and then eventually starts to reach eastern areas through the second half of the day. so, it does mean it�*s going to start dry perhaps in some early sunshine for central and eastern england, eastern, northeastern scotland, where it could stay dry all day. but the rain will eventually push in towards the central and eastern areas into the afternoon. some of it will be heavy, perhaps thundery in places. that�*ll be followed by heavy and blustery showers and some sunny spells across southern and western areas into the afternoon. so, high teens celsius across many areas, but we could just see 20 or 21, given that dry, bright, sunny start. into friday, low pressure very much dominating the weather scene. it�*s going to be a pretty unsettled day, in fact. showers or longer spells of rain, some of which could be very heavy and could give rise to some localised flooding through central and northern areas.

i think for the midlands southwards into wales, here it�*s going to be a mixture of sunny spells and some showers, which could be heavy and thundery. in the sunshine, despite the wind, we could see 20 or 21 degrees. otherwise, for most, i think the high teens celsius. into the start of the weekend, we�*ve got low pressure still on top of us, this feature running across southern areas which could bring an area of more persistent rain at times, then followed by sunshine and showers again into sunday. it really is looking unsettled this weekend as well with temperatures below par for the time of year. however, there will be some sunshine in between the rain.

hello, i�*m maryam moshiri, this is outside source. lebanon remembers — a year after the deadly blast that shattered beirut. thousands gather in the ruins of the city�*s main port to commemorate the dead — over 200 people lost their lives. translation: today is a day for praying, we came to pray for our victims, martyrs, our children with everyone who joined us victims, martyrs, our children with everyone whojoined us here victims, martyrs, our children with everyone who joined us here to victims, martyrs, our children with everyone whojoined us here to pray. there is more anger than sadness but their time is coming. there is more anger than sadness but their time is coming. meanwhile police fired tear gas at protesters near the parliament building — there�*s anger that no one has been held accountable for the blast. a sprinter from belarus who defied her country�*s attempt to send her home from the olympics has arrived in warsaw.