tonight at ten... interest rates go up to their highest level for 13 years to try to control rising inflation. the bank of england raises rates to 1.25% — it's the fifth successive increase since december. it's the latest attempt to tackle the impact of rising energy bills and other prices, as inflation is now heading for 11% later this year. and given the continued rise in the cost of living, some experts say interest rates should have gone even higher. also tonight... as the conflict in ukraine claims more lives, russia tells the bbc that there's no war going on and that britain is behaving unwisely. translation: both boris johnson and liz truss say openly _ that we should defeat russia, we should force russia to its knees.

go on then, do it. a new report has described a systemic culture of abuse inside british gymnastics. by using our voices, we now know that there is a culture of abuse and these are children being abused. and in central africa the race to stop the plunder of rich peatlands and the release of damaging carbon dioxide. and coming up on the bbc news channel, rory mcilroy says he's in a good spot mentally, as he starts the us open with a sharp three—under—par round. welcome to bbc news at ten. interest rates have risen again to the highest level for 13 years, as the bank of england tries to slow

the pace of rising prices. rates have increased from 1% to 1.25% — the fifth consecutive rise — and it comes as household finances are being squeezed by the record fuel and energy prices. inflation, the rate at which prices rise, is currently at 9%, the highest for a0 years, and the bank has warned it could go higher than 11% later this year. our economics editor faisal islam reports. on the outskirts of doncaster, a successful business, the crown hotel, grappling with energy, food prices and wages going up at the same time that household income is being squeezed, and now a relentless run of interest rate rises, that hit some borrowers such as craig, on variable rates, within hours. we've got a mortgage, you know, on the hotel and the very day the bank of england have put

the rates up, we get an e—mail — going up. i fail to see how hitting a business with higher rates of interest, which get passed on — itjust adds on to all the other costs. it's just a perfect storm. it's carnage. it's almost like they're trying to temper a consumer boom, but do you see much sign of a consumer boom? there's no consumer boom to temper. outside the bank of england, things seem bright, but inside, the bank'sjob is somewhat less sunny — to bring down rampant rises in prices, or at least stop them lasting for years rather than months. and that means making the cost of borrowing for households and businesses more expensive, slowing the economy. so, today, the base rate, which is the foundation of costs of credit cards, loans and mortgages, was lifted again to a 13—year high of i.25%. but as you can see from the chart, even at these post—financial crisis highs, it's still a rather low rate of interest by historic standards. and this is why rates are going up,

because inflation, already at a ao—year high of 9%, isn'tjust heading for double digits. now the bank thinks it could hit 11% in autumn as energy prices and sterling's fall push inflation yet higher. of course, where it is very difficult is the balance between bringing inflation down and tipping the economy into recession. i think it's quite possible that we will see a period of contracting output. so off target is the rise in inflation that governor andrew bailey has had to write a letter of explanation to the chancellor. it's notjust on this road in peterlee in county durham where people are looking for explanations, too. i would say that every single area is going to struggle. _ so, even the more... the better off areas - around the local villages, they're still going to struggle as much as everyone else is. | it's not just one - category of person. and can you see people cutting back and spending less? i think they're going to have to. the evidence from here on the ground and increasingly across the economy raises a fundamental question

about how many rises from andrew bailey, or anyone at the bank of england, are now required. the crushing effect of the cost—of—living crisis is already slowing the economy down markedly. back in doncaster, the last straw — using one instead of two in the hotel bar's cocktails is one response to very high inflation. even though the economy is now likely to be shrinking, the bank of england still on course for further rises in interest rates. a soft landing far from certain. faisal islam, bbc news. there's analysis from faisal, and other colleagues, on bbc news online, that's bbc.co.uk/news. and by using the bbc news app. one of president putin's closest advisers, the foreign minister sergei lavrov,

has told the bbc that russia has not invaded ukraine, and he's repeated the official line from the kremlin that there is no war, just what's called a "special military operation". mr lavrov , who's been at the heart of power in russia for over 20 years, was heavily critical of the uk for its attitude towards president putin and his policies. he told our russia editor, steve rosenberg, that to classify relations between russia and the uk as "bad" would be an understatement. it was the first time sergei lavrov had agreed to meet since moscow launched its offensive in ukraine. russia's government has created a parallel reality. invasion, what invasion? translation: we didn't invade ukraine. - we declared a special military operation because we had absolutely no other way of explaining to the west that dragging ukraine

into nato was a criminal act. russia's "special operation" has resulted in thousands of civilian deaths in ukraine. moscow claims its protecting russian speakers and fighting nazis. i quoted a un report about a ukrainian village where russian soldiers had forced hundreds of people, including 7a children, to spend a month in a basement with no toilet, no water. ten people had died. is that fighting nazis, i asked? translation: unfortunately, i it's a great pity, but international diplomats, including the un high commissionerfor human rights, the un secretary—general, and other un representatives, are being put under

pressure by the west. and very often they're being used to amplify fake news spread by the west. translation: so you're saying that russia's squeaky clean? translation: no, russia is not squeaky clean. - russia is what it is. and we are not ashamed of showing who we are. and what of the two british men sentenced to death by a russian proxy court in rebel—held eastern ukraine? aiden aslin and shaun pinner had been fighting for ukraine. i tell mr lavrov that in the eyes of the west, russia is responsible for their fate. translation: i am not interested i in the eyes of the west at all. i i am only interested in international law. according to international law, mercenaries are not recognised as combatants. translation: but they're not mercenaries, they served in the ukrainian army. translation: this should be decided by a court. -

translation: you think the court is independent there? translation: i'm convinced - there are independent courts there. do you think your courts are independent? and on uk russian relations, no expectation of an improvement. translation: i don't think there's| any room for manoeuvre any more, because both borisjohnson and liz truss say openly that we should defeat russia, we should force russia to its knees. go on then, do it. basically, what sergei lavrov is saying there to britain and to the west ways, bring it on. nearly four months after the invasion the russian authorities are defiant, they are determined and they are dismissive of their critics, but in the interview i didn't get all the answers to all of my questions. for example, i asked mr lavrov, would he

say, would he confirm, that there will be no more special military operations or russian invasions of countries close by? he dodged that one. steve, many thanks again, that powerful exchange with sergei lavrov, steve rosenberg, our russia editor. the leaders of france, germany and italy have been visiting the ukrainian capital today, as president zelensky said an attack on ukraine was an attack on all of europe and asked for more weapons to turn the tide of the war in his country's favour. ukrainian officials say between 100 and 200 troops are being killed every day in the war, which is now approaching the four—month mark, but the true number is thought to be higher. our international correspondent orla guerin hasjoined troops around izyum, in the kharkiv region, who are trying to block the progress of the russians in the neighbouring donbas region. well, as foreign leaders were meeting president zelensky today in

kyiv, he stressed that any delay in sending heavy weaponry here to ukraine would give russia another day to kill ukrainian civilians and to destroy cities. now, in the city of lysycha nsk, to destroy cities. now, in the city of lysychansk, which has been under heavy bombardment, ukrainian officials say at least four civilians have been killed by an air strike. they say it hit a building in which they were sheltering. there have been no major developments on the battlefield. this is now an attritional stage of the war. but when you speak to ukrainian forces in the trenches, they say their fighters are dying because they still don't have the right weapons for this stage of the fight. every flag marks a new grave, a fallen soldier in ukraine's war... ..anotherfather or husband or son... ..like denis gordeyev, a former lawyer and human rights activist, mourned by his brothers in arms.

under the summer sun, a bitter harvest. this farmer points skywards and warns us there's a russian drone overhead. in the trenches nearby, bordering donbas, a fighter — nicknamed old pal — watches for the enemy and sees all he has lost. "i'm looking at that field, and it's so painful," he says, "because i used to be a farmer. "i used to cultivate that land, to reap and sow. "i haven't seen my two children or my two little grandchildren

"since the war broke out." further along the trench, we find artem trapped by this war. very hard, because i don't see my family — my mother, sister, brother. very scared... ..because i must kill people. the russians are less than four miles away. here in this position, ukrainian forces have held their ground. they've blocked the russians advancing, but they say in order to push the russians back, they need a lot more heavy weapons and they need ammunition. for now, the troops wait — for the next battle and the next burials. they face an enemy that, in places,

may have 20 times as many big guns. in the trenches, many are resigned to a long war. orla guerin, bbc news, izyum. now, the man who stood down last night as boris johnson's ethics adviser has accused the prime minister of planning "a deliberate breach of the ministerial code". lord geidt, whose resignation letter was published today, said he was placed in an "impossible and odious position" by mrjohnson. lord geidt had been exercised about lockdown parties in downing street, and about aspects of trade policy, as our deputy political editor vicki young explains. he's walked out of his job, and today we got a partial explanation. lord geidt had previously talked about his frustration being borisjohnson�*s adviser on ethics. the final straw, though, was a disagreement over a trade issue. in his resignation letter

to the prime minister, lord geidt said he was asked... ..he said. he added that it would make a mockery of the rules on standards, saying... this is likely to be a reference to ministers wanting to extend tariffs on steel imports, a move that could break international trade rules. this isn't the first time borisjohnson has lost his adviser on standards. sir alex allan, a friend of lord geidt, resigned from the same post 18 months ago. i just felt really upset that christopher geidt, who is a very honourable man, had been put in a position where he felt he had no option but to resign. i've known him for many years and he's a dedicated public servant, a man with lots of integrity, and he wouldn't have taken this decision lightly.

lord geidt has been dragged into comments and rulings on mrjohnson�*s personal behaviour, including the funding of a lavish flat refurbishment and covid lawbreaking in downing street. ministers say this issue is different. this appears to be a decision connected to a very specific tasking that the prime minister asked lord geidt to undertake in regard to support for british industry. that is not connected in any way to a personal ethics issue. in his reply to lord geidt, the prime minister defended his approach... to lose one adviser on ethics may be seen to be unfortunate, but to lose two shows that there is something really rotten at the heart of downing street. we don't need a new ethics adviser, what we need is a new prime minister. anyone even willing to consider

taking on this role will want assurances about their powers and their independence. downing street says the role is being reviewed, and the prime minister won't even start looking for a replacement until he's reflected on the best way to make it all work. that could mean, of course, that there are months where borisjohnson has no ethics adviser at all. number 10 hasn't denied that the role could be scrapped altogether but insists mrjohnson will make sure there's rigorous scrutiny of his and ministers�* behaviour. vicki young, bbc news, westminster. —— altogether but insists mrjohnson will make sure there's rigorous scrutiny of his and ministers�* behaviour. vicki young, bbc news, westminster. the hollywood actor kevin spacey has appeared at westminster magistrates�* court, charged with four counts of sexual assault, and one of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent. dagg who had travelled from the us to the hearing was mobbed by photographers as he arrived at the

court —— the actor, who had travelled from the us. mr spacey will be in court next month and he strenuously denies the charges. allegations of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, involving many gymnasts from olympians to children at local gym clubs, have been levelled at the world of british gymnastics. the whyte review, which has taken two years to complete, heard from over 400 people involved in the sport, who have revealed a culture of fear, in which the welfare of gymnasts was ignored in the pursuit of success. british gymnastics has apologised to the athletes affected and praised the bravery of those who spoke up. our sports correspondent natalie pirks reports. for the last two years, british gymnasts have been telling us of a sport where they say mistreatment was the norm... i would absolutely describe it as a culture of abuse. ..where weight was heavily controlled... how would you feel if you were 21 years old, being given, ultimately, a baby plate to eat off of? ..and where hard training often meant ignoring painful injuries.

i heard a click in my foot. i was told to carry on. but i couldn't carry on. i broke my foot in four places. today, campaigners saw in black—and—white something they�*ve known for a long time — that british gymnastics failed to put gymnasts�* welfare at the heart of its culture. nicole pavier had been a promising gymnast, but by the age of 17 had retired, battling bulimia. she spoke out two years ago and today felt validated. this isn�*t tough coaching and slight mistreatment, this is child abuse of athletes at a very young age, and that has a monumental impact on the rest of our lives from a physical and mental perspective. the report lays bare a sport where there was a "culture of fear". it said some athletes developed serious eating disorders because of a focus on weight where the "tyranny of scales was coach—led". and even though british gymnastics had the finances to do so,

there was a "collective failure to focus on well—being and welfare". the details are at times horrific. one child was physically forced into splits till they thought their legs would snap. others were regularly deprived of water or access to a toilet. it was very difficult to read. sport has been so important to me in all of my life, and to see that gymnasts had such poor experiences due to — and i will say it — the failings of our organisation, i was able to speak to some of the gymnasts this morning and to say sorry to them. and i wholeheartedly apologised. and i wholeheartedly apologise. the report goes back to 2008. since then, british gymnastics has received more than £38 million of uk sport funding and won ia olympic medals. but at what cost? do you accept now that sports have prioritised medals over welfare? and have uk sport and sport england been complicit in that?

we do not accept the notion that there has been a priority across the system for medals over other things. what i accept is that the experiences of the gymnasts that have come forward are harrowing, and one case of abuse is one too many. the report makes 17 recommendations, including that all complaints from now on should be independently investigated. but tanni grey—thompson�*s been calling for similar for years and it still hasn�*t happened. i do believe there needs to be an independent body, because the cost of this review — the human cost, the financial cost — is not one that sport can keep paying. it can�*t keep paying that price. gymnasts are used to defying gravity. defying the adults who were meant to protect them was not something they ever wanted to do. all eyes will now be on whether british gymnastics can really deliver the change the sport so needs.

natalie pirks, bbc news. new figures today show that the number of people in england waiting to start routine hospital treatment has risen to a new high. meanwhile, ambulance response times continue to miss targets. our health editor hugh pym is here with the details. yes, huw. the latest snapshot from the nhs in england reveals a health system still under extreme pressure, with queues of ambulances like this waiting at some hospitals. in may, average response times to emergency ambulance call—outs was around a0 minutes — though the target is 18 minutes. some harrowing stories of long waits are now emerging, like ken. he was 9a and in good health for his age, but after a fall in the night he died, after waiting more than five hours for an ambulance.

his son jerry wonders whether his father might have survived if paramedics had got there more quickly. he was on his own and he knew he was on his own. and he must have felt abandoned, you know, alone on his bedroom floor. that's the most troubling part of it for me. south western ambulance trust offered condolences to his family and said delays handing over patients to busy hospitals meant it was taking too long to get to other cases. a paramedic from another area, who represents the union unison, explains what it�*s like waiting at hospitals. when you're sat in the back of the vehicle and you're i dealing with a patient, - and you see them deteriorate, deteriorate, deteriorate in front of your eyes, i there's nothing more demoralising, ithere's nothing more frustrating. i the number of people waiting for planned operations and procedures like hip and knee replacements has hit another record high.

around 6.5 million patients were on waiting lists in april. within that, the number waiting more than two years for surgery has come down. the percentage of patients assessed or treated in a&e within four hours in may was at 73% in england. other uk nations are no better, though measured at slightly different times. so why waits are so long? the hospital's full, because staff are not able to discharge patients who would otherwise be ready to, either back to their own home or to social care or other community services, because they in turn are full. nhs england said thousands of patients were spending more time in hospital than needed. the government said extra funding had been allocated to ambulance services, but a health safety watchdog has called for an immediate strategic national response to address patient safety issues. huw. so many thanks, that was hugh pym,

our health editor, with the latest analysis of those figures. now a look at some other stories making the news today... police in brazil say they�*ve found what are thought to be the bodies of the missing britishjournalist dom philips and the environmental campaigner bruno pereira. brazilian police have arrested two suspects and say one of them has confessed to burying the bodies. the other suspect has denied any involvement. the archbishop of canterbury has apologised after it emerged the church of england�*s investment fund has links to the slave trade —— had links. an investigation into the managing of the portfolio revealed that large sums of money were invested in transporting slaves for more than 100 years. up to 25 million british iphone users could be in line for compensation following the launch of a legal claim in the united states. it�*s alleged the technology company misled customers into downloading an upgrade that

made their phones less effective. apple says it has never intentionally shortened the life of any of its products. now, in central africa a team of british and congolese scientists has disovered a giant slab of peat, rich in carbon. the peatlands, confirmed to be at least as large as england, hold billions of tonnes of captured carbon dioxide. the carbon must be kept in the ground to avoid boosting climate change. but some plots have already been oil exploration and the republic of the congo wants to develop the area for agriculture unless, they say, richer nations deliver more financial assistance. our africa correspondent andrew harding reports. in the vast forests of central africa, a group of scientists are hacking their way towards a remarkable discovery.

this formidable team has spent years tracing the outlines of something huge and hidden and precious. just entering the coordinates of a point that�*s about three kilometres away. it�*s gruelling work in near impenetrable swamps full of snakes and crocodiles, but the scientists, using hand—held drills, have discovered a fantastically large expanse of peat. so we want as many samples as possible from as many different locations. and this rotting vegetation is important, because it traps carbon. we estimate that there�*s around 30 billion tonnes of carbon stored in the peatlands of the cuvette centrale in the congo basin. and that�*s equivalent to around 20 years of us fossil fuel emissions, so a huge amount of carbon. the scientists here have discovered something extraordinary in these swamps. a slab of peat that�*s two metres deep and as large as england.

it�*s the biggest of its kind anywhere in the world, and that makes it incredibly important when it comes to climate change. if all this carbon is released into the atmosphere, it's going to, we can say, accelerate the global change, climate change. and do you think that is a realistic threat? i think it's a threat, yeah. the congo peatlands have been quietly trapping and storing carbon dioxide for thousands of years, but humans could change all that — fast. these fast peatlands are already under threat. that�*s because all around the congo peat basin, developers, farmers, growing populations are looking for ways to make money out of this land. we found these farmers tapping palm trees for palm wine, but the process kills the trees and exposes the peat

below, so how to save all this? translation: congo's peatlands are the world's lungs. _ but rich nations, the biggest polluters, should pay for that service, should pay to protect them. why should we stay poor so you can breathe? a reasonable question, but outside help has been slow to reach these isolated forests. is it your sense that the international community has shown commitment, money, to sort this? i think not yet, not enough money. i think these ecosystems aren�*t yet valued as they should be at an international level. the scientists have done their work. now the race is on to prevent these precious peatlands from going up in smoke. andrew harding, bbc news, in the republic of congo.

half past ten. time for a look at the weather. here�*s ben rich. the peak of the building for a few days. the rest of london got to 25.9 degrees, cardiff 26, and a little cooler for scotland and northern ireland, as it will be tomorrow. but looking at these temperatures across the south—west of europe, this ao looking at these temperatures across the south—west of europe, this a0 in southern france is a record breaker, the earliest point in the year france has reached a0 degrees. some of that heat wafts northwards tomorrow. 33 is likely to be our high, but that peak is extensive across england and wales and actually we will get off to pretty mild and muggy start tomorrow morning, 13—16, mild and muggy start tomorrow morning, 13—16 , but you can see behind me reigned for scotland and northern ireland. that will be thinking southwards and eastwards through the day and behind that cooler, fresher air and ahead of it

is where we