giving thanks for the queen's 70—year reign, but her majesty is absent from the service at st paul's cathedral. after experiencing discomfort during yesterday's celebrations, the queen was represented by prince charles who was joined by other senior royals. it was the first public appearance in the uk for the duke and duchess of sussex in two years. during the service, tributes were paid to the queen's unwavering sense of duty thank you for staying the course. thank you for continuing to be faithful to the pledges you made 70 years ago. we'll be asking whether the queen will be making another public appearance during her jubilee weekend. also on the programme...

100 days of war in ukraine — we'll have a special report as fighting intensifies in the south of the country. an impassioned plea from president biden to tighten us gun laws in the wake of the mass shooting of primary school children in texas. new zealand fight back against england's bowlers and take control of the first test at lord's. and parades, parties and pride in britain — how the country's celebrating this jubilee bank holiday weekend. good evening from buckingham palace. a service of thanksgiving honouring the queen's 70 years on the throne has taken place at st paul's cathedral

in central london. prince charles represented the queen who withdrew from the event after experiencing "discomfort" during yesterday's platinum jubilee celebrations. it's understood that the queen watched the service from windsor castle. it's the first major royal event that prince harry and meghan have attended since stepping back from official duties. our first report is from our royal correspondent nicholas witchell. a service of thanksgiving at st paul's cathedral without the person for whose long years of service those thanks were being offered. the queen was absent, but other members of her family were present, as were political leaders and others. the prime minister had arrived with his wife to a mixed reception. mixed booing and cheering.

there was a largely warm greeting for the duke and duchess of sussex, appearing together in public for the first time in britain since they withdrew from royal life and moved to california more than two years ago. there have been well documented family tensions since then, exacerbated by sharp comments from the sussexes in interviews, but this was a day for the family to come together. harry and meghan made their way down the length of the central aisle in st paul's to their seats with other members of the family, a family with which the couple have had only limited contact since they chose to leave britain. music plays. with the queen absent, it was the duke and duchess of cambridge, the prince of wales and the duchess of cornwall who processed through the cathedral to represent the queen and lead the thanksgiving for her reign.

we come together in this cathedral church today to offer god thanks and praise for the reign of her majesty the queen, and especially for her 70 years of faithful and dedicated service. and it was that theme of public service that was at the heart of the event. the congregation included 400 members of nhs staff and other key workers from around the country. but it was the service of one person over 70 years that was highlighted. in his sermon, the archbishop of york recalled one of the queen's principal private interests. we all know that the queen likes horse racing. and, your majesty, i'm rather assuming perhaps you're watching this on the television. and i'm afraid i don't have any great tips for the derby tomorrow.

but with endurance, through times of change and challenge, joy and sorrow, you continue to offer yourself in the service of our country and the commonwealth. your majesty, we are sorry that you're not here with us this morning. but we are so glad that you are still in the saddle, and we are glad that there is still more to come. there was an act of commitment, led by young people from all the countries of which the queen is head of state. all: rejoicing in the life and reign of elizabeth, our queen. - and finally, a service of thanksgiving for a monarch who is showing the signs of her 96 years, concluded with the national anthem.

nicholas witchell, bbc news. # god save the queen #. the service of thanksgiving at st paul's this morning celebrated the queen's 70—year reign and her lifetime of duty to the nation. the queen is of course the head of the church of england, and she has made great efforts throughout her reign to demonstrate her respect for other beliefs. 0ur religion editor, aleem maqbool, reports. it is notjust st paul's cathedral. over the coming days, right across the country, prayer services will be held for the queen. we pray for the church and the world, and especially for our patron her majesty the queen on this special week of celebration of her life and work. the queen holds the title of supreme governor of the church of england, and there's a sense she has led by example. she has dedicated herself to the country. dedicated herself to the religion as well. and she lives her life by it. she teaches us to be

constant, to believe. of course she has appointed bishops and archbishops as part of her role but, every year, in christmas broadcasts, there are insights into the way the queen's faith guides her more broadly. and those who have spent time in her presence talk of moments when that has shone through. and ijust found myself kneeling down and saying to her, - "will you say a prayer for me?" this time, she stood up. because, normally, you kneel, she sits in the chair. _ but she stood up. no word was said. about three minutes, i and she said, "amen." i will never know what kind of prayer she prayed, - but ijust felt within myself, - actually, i am in front of a very, very humble, holy person. in recent decades in particular, the queen has worked to include those of other faiths or no faith,

visiting temples and synagogues and gurdwaras. and in 2002 she became the first monarch to visit a british mosque, in scunthorpe. afzal khan was the man who presented her with the koran then. he says now that, in the months of fear and division following the 9/11 attacks, that visit had a profound impact. we were suffering in a way that we were frightened. we needed some sort of support from someone, and that support came in from the queen, and that gave us something that made us part of british society. after her visit, we were feeling that we are the same. it doesn't matter if anyone shouted at us, "terrorists," we are still british. that really had that big effect on you? yes, it did. yes, yes. it's why today's service at st paul's wasn'tjust to give thanks for the queen's reign and her faith, but was also

to pay tribute to her commitment to foster unity. aleem maqbool, bbc news. the platinumjubilee pageant on sunday afternoon will bring celebrations to a close. it will be led by the gold state coach through the streets of central london. 0ur royal correspondent sarah campbell has been speaking to some of those involved in the weekend's finale. on an east end factory site next to the thames a dragon has come to life. the enormity of the role taken on by the young princess elizabeth, plyed by dancerjanice ho. it's basically about young princess elizabeth and she has a sense of freedom at the beginning but then she meets the dragon and how she deals with that — is it with a sense of fear, or does she play with it and become friends with it? and how excited are you to be playing princess

elizabeth in the pageant? i'm really excited, this is such a big opportunity. around 10,000 people will take part, there will be dancers, vehicle, puppets... ..and much else, all telling the story of the queen and the uk through her long reign. and riding on open—topped buses, the great and good from each decade, including dame kelly holmes, double olympic gold medallist and honorary colonel of the british army. it is just amazing to be one of 150 national treasures. it is just amazing to be one of 150 nationaltreasures. it it is just amazing to be one of 150 national treasures. it is a really funny thing to say, but it means a lot for me to be part of it. children will play a big part. these pupils from luton will be dressed as the flowers which decorated the queen's coronation gown. i'm very excited, i'm nervous, and | it is a once—in—a—lifetime dream. | she has been on the throne 70 whole years.

that is a lot. i'm very proud of her. she's done an amazing job. she is a very good queen. leading the pageant along the mall, the gold state coach that transported the queen on coronation day, and images from 1953 will be shown on its windows. hi, everyone, i am hi, everyone, iam ed sheeran hi, everyone, i am ed sheeran and hi, everyone, iam ed sheeran and i will be playing at the queen's parchment on sunday. see you there. i was seven when she came to the throne, _ i was seven when she came to the throne, so — i was seven when she came to the throne, so she has always been part of my— throne, so she has always been part of my life _ throne, so she has always been part of my life. the fact that i have met heron _ of my life. the fact that i have met her on several occasions makes it even _ her on several occasions makes it even more — her on several occasions makes it even more important for me. the staue is even more important for me. the stage is set. _ even more important for me. the stage is set, the _ even more important for me. tie stage is set, the queen, even more important for me. tte stage is set, the queen, the even more important for me. ttj:

stage is set, the queen, the ban, will open it tomorrow night. thousands will be watching it here and millions more will be watching from home as thisjubilee weekend continues. sarah campbell, on stage at buckingham palace. let's speak now to our correspondent helena wilkinson who's in windsor. the queen wasn't able to be at st paul's, is she likely to be present at other events this weekend? well, we really don't know. i think decisions are going to be made around how the queen is feeling at the time, but we have had confirmation from the palace this afternoon that the queen will not attend the epsom derby tomorrow. not attend the epsom derby tomorrow. not a huge surprise given her mobility issues, but it will be a big disappointment for her majesty, given her love of horse racing. we heard about that in nicholas witchell �*s report. it was touched upon at saint pope was my cathedral earlier on today. until the until the pandemic the queen has only missed two derby days in her reign. we understand the queen will watch

it on television here from windsor castle and princess anne will represent the queen tomorrow at the epsom derby. in terms of the other events, as we have just heard, epsom derby. in terms of the other events, as we havejust heard, we have got the big concert tomorrow where you are, the pageant on sunday. whether we will see the queen appear again over the weekend it is not clear, it mayjust be a bit too much of a challenge for her. many thanks. i'll be back a little later in the programme but now to annita mcveigh in the studio for the rest of the day's news. it's 100 days since russia began its invasion of ukraine. president zelensky marked the occasion by praising the country's resistance and assuring ukrainians they would emerge victorious. but on the ground russia is continuing to make gains. 0ur correspondentjames waterhouse is in kyiv. thank you very much. russian forces

are advancing in several donetsk. the industrial city has come under intense shelling in recent days, but it has not fallen yet. ukraine is fighting for more time, waiting for weapons by the west to survive. we are told this morning more villages have been taken. but at the start of this war 100 days ago some predicted kyiv would fall within 72 hours, but president zelensky remains in power. a fifth of ukraine is in russian control. whole cities and towns have been destroyed, millions are in need of help. here in the capital sum are returning home with officials saying the city is back to two thirds of its prewar population of 4 million. 0ne its prewar population of 4 million. one of them is a baby boy and i went to meet him. a bubble of innocence in a world ruptured by war. however, he doesn't know any different. he was born on 25th february, the second day of this invasion.

so what kind of ukraine will he grow up in? our country is really good and maybe it's the right price that we need to pay for our kids to live in a better world, in a better country. viktoriya ended up giving birth in this hospital basement, shielded from 50 other people. despite the turbulent start to her son's life, she's certain of the values she wants to instil. i told him to appreciate and to be grateful to people of his country and try to keep the special ukrainian spirit. 100 days ago, the front line came to kyiv�*s doorstep. towns like irpin bore the brunt, with people and pets desperate to get out. but the russian troops ultimately couldn't get in. there is still, though, a giant question mark over whether they will come

back for kyiv. that hasn't put the city off, though, trying to heal. for some families, that will take time. 0ne ukrainian soldier killed while defending the city of slovyansk is taken to his final resting place, followed by his mother, vladyslava. bogdan was 26 years old. his first name means, "given by god", because his parents had waited so long to have a child. translation: we have to win, there is no other way. - there is no other way. we're going to win. this collective grief hasn't killed the fight. translation: we don't need the sky, ground or sea to be closed. _

let them come here. it will be easy to kill them on our land. we need weapons. we'll take care of the rest. it's thought russia wants to push south and west, which would cut off vital access to the black sea coast. putin's forces tried this in march and failed. but attacks in the region have increased in the last week and there are fears that his forces may try again. laura bicker reports on the battle for the south of ukraine from the key port city of mykolaiv. the farewell scenes have become agonisingly familiar. ludmila holds her children for as long as she can, trying to put a brave face on it. "i'll see them again when the bombs

stop," she tells me. but no one knows how long that will be. we've been hearing quite a few thuds in the distance, but in theory, this village should be out of range for now. the ukrainians have already pushed the russians out of the city, but the fear is, they're going to have to do it again, and that's why many people have made the decision to leave. they're fleeing a war of rockets and artillery. a cruise missile tore through the regional administrative building in march, killing 36 people. this rubble is a reminder that mykolaiv is key to russia's strategy to seize the entire southern coast. the wail of the siren a prelude to yet another exchange of firepower. for ukraine, holding

the line here is crucial. big translation translation: glory to ukraine. but life has become increasingly difficult. water is a precious resource, supplies were cut off after russia seized the neighbouring city of kherson. but many are choosing to stay. this may be a kremlin target, but it's also home. we travelled the path of russia's retreat to the south of mykolaiv. nearly half this village have returned after the invading forces were pushed back, but most are relyiant on aid. "this place is for children to play, not for shells to explode," natalya tells me. she planted flowers in the bomb craters. translation: thank god we're holding on. - sometimes i'm very scared

that they might just kidnap me and take me away. 0n the other hand, i'm sure — and i keep telling this to everyone else — that they have no business here. they should know better than loitering on our land. natalya tells me that when i leave, she will sit down and cry. she's lived 100 days in both defiance and dread. russian tanks have been at her door once, she's determined they will not be back. laura bicker, bbc news, mykolaiv. president biden has made an impassioned plea for congress to impose stricter gun laws, following a string of mass shootings in the united states. speaking from the white house, he said that guns are now the number one killer of children in america. nomia iqbal reports from washington. as president biden walked to the podium, 56 candles burned behind him, each representing victims of gun violence in all us states and territories. he said everyday places in america were now killing fields and enough was enough.

let there be no mistake about the psychological trauma that gun violence leaves behind. imagine being that little girl, that brave little girl in uvalde, who smeared blood off her murdered friend's body on to her own face to lie still among the corpses in her classroom to pretend she was dead, in order to stay alive. this comes after president biden visited uvalde in texas and the families of school teachers and children murdered in their classroom. previously, he had visited buffalo in new york, where ten people were shot dead last month in a supermarket. on wednesday, four people were shot dead at a medical centre in oklahoma. some swift action is happening. house democrats have voted for a bill of tougher gun restrictions, which would take into account many of mr biden�*s proposals. but republicans are

against this move. some even brought their own guns to meetings about the bill. here is a gun i carry every single day to protect myself, my family, my wife, my home, this is an xlp365. it comes with a 15 round magazine. here's a seven round magazine... this is why gun reform in america is difficult. senate republicans need to be on board for any laws to be passed. they think any restrictions threaten american people's constitutional right to own guns. president biden�*s called their lack of action unconscionable. so far, the only area of possible bipartisan agreement involves red flag laws which let authorities take guns from people at high risk of harming themselves or others. 19 states have them. but critics say thatjust doesn't go far enough to stop america's unique nightmare of enduring gun violence. at least four people have been killed and 30 injured

when a train derailed near an alpine resort in southern germany. among the injured were children returning home from school. the incident happened just after the train left garmisch—partenkirchen for munich. the cause is not clear. a committee of mps has warned the ministry of defence it should either scrap or fix its controversial ajax armoured vehicle programme by the end of the year or risk compromising national security. the mod signed a contract for nearly 600 of the american—made reconnaissance vehicles which were due to enter service in 2017, but so far none have been operationally deployed and the project has already cost £3 billion. horse racing — and ryan moore rode "tuesday" to victory in the oaks on the opening day of the epsom festival. the favourite emily upjohn slipped at the start. she and jockey frankie dettori made up ground to cross the line in a photo finish, but "tuesday" just took it, to give trainer aiden 0'brien a record 41st

british classic triumph. cricket now and new zealand are building a useful second innings lead in the first test against england at lord's. a few moments ago ,the tourists were on 226 for 4. earlier england were bowled out for 11:1 in theirfirst innings. our sports correspondent joe wilson reports. don't dawdle by the grace gates. day two of this frenetic test, get inside. england were batting, and you never know how long that might last. blink, and he's missed it. that was stuart broad. the toughestjob for the captain is sometimes watching. the next sight for ben stokes was ben foakes, out for seven. and this is how england's first innings ended, 11:1 all out. job superbly done by new zealand, england's first innings lead just nine. right, lads, we're bowling again. and would you believe it, you probably would — james anderson with early success. will young leaving right now, but was batting impossible for everyone? new zealand's captain kane williamson, catch byjonny bairstow, wicket

for matthew potts. this deliveryjust grazed tom latham's bat and potts had struck again, and new zealand were 35—3 in their second innings. well, surely someone would hang around out there. some batter had to make runs. i mean, logic suggested it. the very traditions of test cricket almost demanded it. daryl mitchell was chancing it. well, four runs. new zealand's lead now nudged onwards. there's always something to think about. and now new zealand batted with increasing assurance. tom blundell got to his individual 50. mitchell soonjoined him. it was their partnership that mattered — serious, strong. and while this was going on, this match was heading steadily very definitely towards new zealand. frustration for anderson and england. ina sense, in a sense, common in a sense, common sense has prevailed here in the last couple of

hours, with new zealand continuing to bat comfortably and sensibly. and that scoreboard, ouch, has them 217 runs ahead. england will have to instigate a radical change of fortune to bring any celebrations here this weekend.— fortune to bring any celebrations here this weekend. thank you very much. let's rejoin my colleague reeta chakrabarti at buckingham palace. apart from the official celebrations here, many communities are holding parties to mark thejubilee and enjoy the bank holiday, as paul murphy has been finding out. welcome to ourjubilee party! welcome to the only street in preston that's as friendly as we are. the party is starting in this neighbourhood in preston, as it is in communities across the uk. ijust want to pray a prayer of blessing on pixley street, because it's a great place to live. this one even gets a blessing from the local vicar. this is a great community, and it's so multicultural. we have people with many different faiths living

alongside and really getting along well with each other, as today shows. there was dancing in the street in portadown in northern ireland. it's lovely after covid, it's really nice to see a wee event and everybody can get together. and dancing around the maypole in north yorkshire. this fun day in south wales didn't skimp on the costumes. and it was getting competitive in cornwall. there were burgers in bradford and mobile patrols in glasgow. every community has had its own interpretation of how best to mark this day. mostjubilee parties are actually taking place on sunday, but this street, like so many others, simply couldn't wait. thinking about the queen here a lot? definitely, today, it's all about the queen and how she served us for 70 years. she's done a great job at that. the rising cost of living means some can ill afford to

party, but despite this, perhaps because of it, the celebrations have been hugely energetic. they will continue throughout the weekend. this second day of official celebrations has been more sober and reflective than the festivities yesterday, but there were still big crowds today at st paul's, eager to catch a glimpse of the arrivals and departures. the queen was not present, as we know, but the sheer volume of people lining the streets was testament to her enduring popularity. well, that is all from us. now on bbc one, it's time to join the bbc�*s news teams where you are. hello. friday was another day of decentjubilee hello. friday was another day of decent jubilee weather for most, but some big downpours and thunderstorms developed across parts of central and southern england and most especially the northwest of wales. and there are more thunderstorms to come as we had through tonight into the early hours of saturday. could well turn very wet for a time across southern counties of england.

further north, the weather remains quieter with lots of mist and murk and low cloud for north sea coasts. and the best of the saturday morning sunshine to be found across parts of northern ireland and western scotland. these areas having a really nice looking day on saturday. still with some mist and murk and low cloud for eastern coasts. these showers and thunderstorms in the south should drift a little further northwards into parts of the midlands across wales, and they should weaken a little as the day wears on as well. the highest temperatures will be found in western scotland with values up to 22 celsius. then we look ahead to sunday, we see another clutch of showers and thunderstorms drifting northwards across parts of england and wales. northern ireland and scotland should stay drier and brighter.

hello and welcome to sportsday. after a flurry of wickets at lords, new zealand are building a helthy lead against england in the first test.

it's agony for zverev at the french open, as injury hands