in the country — jack fincham. welcome to bbc news. i'm tim willcox. our top stories: as wildfires continue to rage — president biden pledges to make the biggest ever investment to combat climate change. i will do everything in my power to clean our air and water, protect our people's health, to win the clean energy future. despite winning a confidence vote — is mario draghi about to once more resign as italy's prime minister?

inside parliament — sri lanka's lawmakers choose their new president. outside parliament — the protests continue as controversial prime minister ranil wickremesinghe is selected. a window into the past — newly—discovered footage of mardi gras — the oldest moving images of new orleans. welcome to our viewers on pbs in america and around the globe. joe biden used a visit to a former coal plant in massachusetts to issue the latest stark warning on the threat posed by climate change. the us president is using executive powers to usher in measures including offshore wind farms and expanded flood control. with a heat dome now affecting 28 states, the us is the latest country to swelter with high temperatures. more on that in a moment. meanwhile wildfires are still raging in europe

in countries like spain, italy and greece. in france's south west president macron has been to see the devastation caused by a blaze that forced almost 40,000 people from their homes. 0ur correspondent lucy williamson was there and starts our coverage with this report. fire chiefs are too cautious to talk about a turning point, but the fire here has stabilised enough for president macron to visit teste—de—buch today to congratulate the crews. translation: we know the weaknesses - in the management of this forest. we have to make it grow again, but with different rules and precautions. you can see how unstable the situation is even from the forest road. the soil still smouldering, the clearance crews still at work. this is what it takes to stop the fires — a corridor 300 metres wide, cleared of all trees, all fuel for the flames. but firefighters say the fires could still leap across this corridor

if the winds in the wrong direction. and for those now waiting out the fire in shelters, fears will linger long after the flames are out. i think it's a global problem for everybody and in the future, yes, it could be the case for other regions or other countries, like in the uk. what we are living now, they can live it tomorrow or in the future years. what fires like this can do is becoming hard to ignore. in greece last night, firefighters watched as gale force winds swept flames through districts around athens. residents said the fire was moving faster than a car. is this, many ask, the future of summer in europe? when pressure on firefighters has eased again, will the pressure on

politicians keep growing? lucy williamson, bbc news, teste—de—buch. well as we mentioned earlier presidentjoe biden has unveiled new executive steps he will make to address climate change which he has described as an existential threat to the united states and indeed the world. two—point—three billion dollars will be spent on a range of new measures. among them, expanding flood control, shoring up utilities, and helping low—income families pay for heating and cooling costs. there's also support for the domestic offshore wind industry — seven hundred thousand acres have been identified in the gulf of mexico — for that purpose. president biden had been under pressure to declare a �*climate emergency�* — which would release funds to ramp up production of a wide

range of renewable energy products and systems. as president i have a responsibility to act with urgency and resolve when our nation faces clear and present danger. and that is what climate change is about. it is literally, not figuratively, a clear and present danger. the health of our citizens and our communities is literally at stake. the un's leading international climate scientists call the latest climate report nothing less than "code red for humanity". that is why today i am making the largest investment ever, $2.3 billion to help communities across the country to build infrastructure that is designed to withstand the full range of disasters we have been seeing up to today. extreme heat, drought, flooding, hurricanes, tornadoes. right now, there are millions of people suffering from extreme heat at home. we hope to be speaking to a climate science expert in a couple of minutes. while we

wait for that, let's move on to events in the uk. the contest to become britain's next prime minister has been narrowed to two candidates: the formerfinance minister, rishi sunak, and the foreign secretary, liz truss. they squeezed out the trade minister, penny mordaunt, in the last of a string of votes by fellow conservative mps. the final choice now goes to around 160,000 party members. here's our political editor chris mason. let me introduce you to some of those who will decide who our next prime minister will be. we are in the queen's head, in chesham, in buckinghamshire, with some conservative party members. this town, and those around it, have been tory for eons, but were repelled by borisjohnson at a by—election a year ago. rishi sunak and liz truss will be the candidates going forward to a final ballot of conservative party members. the deal is done.

the question now for our members is, "who is the best person to defeat keir starmer and the labour party at the next election?" i believe i am the only candidate who can do that. i am the person who can go into numberio, i can hit the ground running and i can get things done. and i think that is what colleagues have voted for, and that is what i now want to take to conservative members around the country. what do you make of it? well, i am quite happy with the process, i think we've got two fantastic final candidates. i think in particular, promises are cheap and i am wanting to hear a candidate that is honest about the trade—offs that the country is facing. liz truss i think is very good for the kind of right wing - of the party, but i also think rishi sunak. has done a good job as well, so i think you need to go in with an open ming - to the hustings. you are conservative party members, but you are making a decision on behalf of the whole country? yeah, and i think it is important that we recognise that as a party, but also as an individual member, having agency to make a vote,

that these votes need to connect with absolutely everybody, not just ourselves. what do we know about the two finalists to be our next prime minister? the former chancellor rishi sunak became an mp in 2015. he voted leave in the eu referendum and has said he wants to cut taxes, but only when inflation is under control. the foreign secretary liz truss was first elected in 2010. she became a cabinet minister in 2014 and voted remain in the eu referendum, but rapidly became an enthusiast for brexit. she is promising immediate tax cuts. so could there be more of this to come? rishi, you have raised taxes to the highest level in 70 years, that is not going to drive economic growth. rows about tax, rows aboutjudgement. in the past you have been both a liberal democrat and a remainder, i wasjust wondering which one you regretted most? but borisjohnson

is not quite done yet. today was his final prime minister's question time and so last chance to have a pop at keir starmer. everytime something needs to be done, mr speaker, they try to oppose it. he is a great pointless human bollard, mr speaker, that's what he is. the labour leader said he wished mrjohnson and his family the best, but also couldn't resist a lastjibe. he has decided to come down from his gold—wallpapered bunker for one last time to tell us that everything is fine. i am going to miss the delusion. the scottish national party reckons mrjohnson has helped their cause no end. i would like to thank the prime minister for driving support for independence to new heights. and these were borisjohnson�*s final words and perhaps

the last ones we will hear of him in the house of commons. the last few years have been the greatest privilege of my life and it is through our help to get the bigger story majority for a0 years we have transformed our democracy and restored our national independence as my honourable friend says, mission largely accomplished, for now. i want to thank everybody here and, hasta la vista, baby. cheering and applause. a standing ovation from his own side at least although you will notice his predecessor theresa may was a little less than a coiled spring in getting to her feet. as borisjohnson leaves the comments so too does the contest to replace him as it shifts to conservative members tasked with choosing who comes next.

president biden has pledged $2.3 billion to tackle climate change. we can now speak to the climate scientist and author peter kalmus, he joins us from los angeles. it isa it is a drop in the ocean compared to the $550 billion in the built better bell. the military budget - the built better bell. the military budget in - the built better bell. tue military budget in the the built better bell. tte military budget in the us the built better bell. ttj: military budget in the us is about $800 billion so it is about $800 billion so it is about a quarter of a percent so in my opinion it is not nearly enough. in my opinion it is not nearly enou:h. ~ ., ., ., enough. what would you have done further? _ enough. what would you have done further? would - enough. what would you have done further? would you - enough. what would you have done further? would you for. done further? would you for example have wanted him to declare a climate emergency because that would have opened up because that would have opened up funding and indeed resources? ~ y up funding and indeed resources? ~ , , resources? absolutely. if this is not an _ resources? absolutely. if this is not an emergency - - resources? absolutely. if this is not an emergency - is - resources? absolutely. if this is not an emergency - is that| is not an emergency — is that it was a clear and present danger and he is right about that — this is absolutely a climate emergency, every state and city should be declaring a

climate emergency. we have to switch to that load. a lot of us are experiencing this in real time and it will only get much wise than this.- real time and it will only get much wise than this. when he came into _ much wise than this. when he came into power _ much wise than this. when he came into power he _ much wise than this. when he came into power he said - much wise than this. when he came into power he said he i came into power he said he would take on climate change and invest so much but politically he has been stymied. can he be excused for that bearing in mind what is happening in the house and the supreme court?— supreme court? definitely he's a swimming — supreme court? definitely he's a swimming against _ supreme court? definitely he's a swimming against the - supreme court? definitely he's a swimming against the tide i supreme court? definitely he's| a swimming against the tide but in my opinion there is a lot more could be doing. for example, he could be using the pogba to talk about climate emergency instead his talk about expanding the fossil fuel industry. science said on april six with the icc report that we have to have a complete moratorium on all new fossil fuel infrastructure. to even have a 50—50 chance of hitting the five degrees sells a target which is my opinion would be

catastrophically dangerous, much more dangerous than most people think right now. but when you — people think right now. but when you look _ people think right now. but when you look at what he's trying to do and cannot do politically, for example, he wanted to stop drilling on public land, that was overturned in the supreme court, the world is looking very much at the war in ukraine as well, america needs to produce more fuel at the moment, so could he be forgiven for that? moment, so could he be forgiven forthat? t moment, so could he be forgiven for that? ~ , ., , ., for that? i think this was an inflection — for that? i think this was an inflection point _ for that? i think this was an inflection point in _ for that? i think this was an inflection point in world - inflection point in world history, the invasion of ukraine. the nations of the bill could have taken this as an historic opportunity to build out renewables with extreme haste, emergency mode haste, instead they are taking us in the opposite direction we need to go as a planet and as a species. i am extremely concerned. i think more and more people are recognising we are genuinely in an emergency but world leaders are not

acting like it at all.- acting like it at all. what does this _ acting like it at all. what does this mean - acting like it at all. what does this mean for - acting like it at all. what does this mean for the l does this mean for the long—term goals of getting rates down by 2030 and 20 carbon by 2050? t rates down by 2030 and 20 carbon by 2050?— carbon by 2050? i think it is devastating _ carbon by 2050? i think it is devastating for _ carbon by 2050? i think it is devastating for those - carbon by 2050? i think it is devastating for those goals | carbon by 2050? | think it is i devastating for those goals and i think a lot of comic scientists, including myself, are feeling extreme heat, deadly heat is coming even sooner than we thought and pushing against water, food and infrastructure systems. the political system is much harder than we expected. as more and more people realise what an emergency this is, those goals start to be revised because 2050 feels far too long to wait. at 2050 feels far too long to wait. �* ., . , ., 2050 feels far too long to wait. �* ., , ., , wait. a former coal plant being developed _ wait. a former coal plant being developed for _ wait. a former coal plant being developed for wind _ wait. a former coal plant being developed for wind technology| developed for wind technology but is there also an irony that part of this money will go for

more air—conditioning in schools and hospitals that is what we need now to survive and one of the things that terrifies me personally is that a lot of places, especially for a lot of places, especially for a places, most affected people in the global south, cannot afford and have the infrastructure for air—conditioning. t infrastructure for air-conditioning. infrastructure for air-conditioninu. . , air-conditioning. i am very afraid that _ air-conditioning. i am very afraid that we _ air-conditioning. i am very afraid that we will - air-conditioning. i am very afraid that we will start - air-conditioning. i am very afraid that we will start to | afraid that we will start to see heatwaves that make what we are experiencing today like nothing. it is going to be pretty dire i think and we have to start acting now. we need adaptation but even more than that — look, 80% of global heating is caused by burning fossil fuels and we are still expanding fossil fuels stop i know it is painful, we have to be able to heat our homes and have to prioritise but this should not be any more private jets flying around, just cannot

afford that anymore so we have to make a plan, ramp down fossilfuels year by to make a plan, ramp down fossil fuels year by year very strictly and very quickly in my opinion. strictly and very quickly in my oinion. . ~ strictly and very quickly in my oinion. ., ~ ,., strictly and very quickly in my oinion. ., ~ y., , . opinion. thank you very much forjoining _ opinion. thank you very much forjoining us. _ radio: i see you coming down the ladder now. i that's one small step for man... ..one giant leap for mankind. a catastrophic engine fire is being blamed tonight. for the first crash i in the 30—year history of concorde, the world's only supersonic airliner. _ it was one of the most vivid symbols of the violence and hatred that tore apart the state of yugoslavia but now, a decade later, it's been painstakingly rebuilt and opens again today.

there's been a 50% decrease in sperm quantity and an increase in malfunctioning sperm unable to swim properly. seven, six, five... thousands of households across the country are suspiciously quiet this lunchtime as children bury their noses in the final instalment of harry potter. a clear and present danger.... president biden pledges to make the biggest ever investment to combat climate change — but stops short of declaring an emergency. the embattled italian prime minister, mario draghi, has won a confidence motion in the senate, but three parties from his coalition boycotted the vote, which means he is likely to resign.

italian media are reporting he will offer his resignation to the president on thursday, which will also see a debate in the lower chamber. azadeh moshiri reports. even for italy, the political drama has been staggering. he tried to fight it, tried to convince his right wing coalition partners that he should stay on but they have left him with few options. prime minister mario draghi may end up resigning twice in one week. this stand—off has been brewing for some time and came to a head last week when the prime minister and his right wing partners decided to see who would blink first. the populist five star movement had pulled out of a confidence vote on a multibillion euro aid package forfamily and package for family and businesses. the package forfamily and businesses. the drama took off from there when mr draghi walked off the presidential palace and tendered his resignation to the president of

the country. then there is more. the president rejected the resignation is several protests erupted and mr draghi agreed the calls from the public were just too strong and he had to carry on. earlier on wednesday it looked like he had survived. the situation seemed rosy enough so he called for a new pact and a vote of confidence in the senate. translation: we confidence in the senate. translation:— confidence in the senate. translation: ~ ., . translation: we need a new pact of trust, sincere _ translation: we need a new pact of trust, sincere and _ translation: we need a new pact of trust, sincere and concrete i of trust, sincere and concrete like the one that so far has allowed us to change the country for the better. the parties and new parliamentarians, are you ready to rebuild this pack? but thins to rebuild this pack? but things move _ to rebuild this pack? but things move fast - to rebuild this pack? but things move fast in i to rebuild this pack? but things move fast in politics. hours later that while he won the vote it meant little as three parties in his coalition boycotted the vote, unwilling to work with each other. translation: mi; to work with each other. translation:— to work with each other. translation: g , ., translation: my hope is that the government _ translation: my hope is that the government will _ translation: my hope is that the government will remain i translation: my hope is that the government will remain in | the government will remain in office but unfortunately, instead, the government will

fall and we will have to go back to the polls in october. for the european union, this could not come at a worse time. the 74—year—old prime minister is a powerful ally, an ex— chief of the european central bank, heading europe's third biggest economy. a nice cv to have around at the time of soaring inflation when difficult economic decisions need to be made as the war in ukraine continues to he will attend the debate on the lower houses of parliament and if he does resign on the spot it will lead to an early election and that means a turbulent few months for italy when times are already hard enough. are already hard enough. parliament in sri lanka has voted for prime minister ranil wickremesinghe to become the country's new president, despite his unpopularity with the public. he faces the task of leading the country out of its economic collapse and restoring order

after months of mass protests. last week his private home was burnt down and his office also stormed after demonstrations against his secunder kermani reports from the capital colombo. sri lanka's new president is not a popular man. there was heavy security outside parliament as politicians assembled to select a new leader. ranil wickremesinghe is a veteran political figure. now he'll be leading a country struggling with its worst ever economic crisis. earlier this month, his offices were temporarily taken over by angry protesters who forced the previous president to flee. demonstrations have continued, but now, they're far smaller. protesters have said they would never accept ranil as president. there is clearly still a lot of anger, but so far, no sign of the kind of mass

protests we've seen in recent weeks. obviously, people are burnt out after four months of continuous protests, and election should happen as soon as possible once the reliefs are given to the people. the new president faces major challenges. petrol queues stretch for miles. sri lanka is basically bankrupt, unable to afford enough fuel whilst food prices are soaring. translation: my children ask for milk in the morning, i but i can't afford it. our electricity has been cut off because we can't pay the bill. with cooking gas too hard to find or too expensive, it's become common to see bundles of firewood for sale. this dressmaker now has to cook for her two grandchildren on a makeshift stove outside.

translation: i'm not a person who has spent her life - like this, but now i have to. for the sake of these children, i have to find a way. protesters see the new president as too close to the old guard. they want change, but for now seem resigned to accept him. the anger that saw his home burnt down earlier this month could rekindle at any time. secunder kermani, bbc news, colombo. film footage is going on display at a museum in the us state of louisiana that's believed to show the oldest moving images of the city of new orleans. the black and white film dates back to 1898 and shows the annual mardi gras parade. the bbc�*s tim allman has the story.

even in the late 19th century the big easy knew how to have a good time. this was canal street, more than 120 years ago, celebrating mardi gras in its own inimitable style. the floats, the costumes, the spectacle. new orleans putting on its best. spectacle. new orleans putting on its best-— on its best. you did not go to canal street _ on its best. you did not go to canal street unless _ on its best. you did not go to canal street unless you i on its best. you did not go to canal street unless you were | canal street unless you were dressed up and i am sure that this was where we hung in the culture, whether new orleans culture. but here on mardi gras day, the people were dressed very well. day, the people were dressed very well-— very well. mardi gras, or fat tuesday. — very well. mardi gras, or fat tuesday. is _ very well. mardi gras, or fat tuesday, is part _ very well. mardi gras, or fat tuesday, is part of - very well. mardi gras, or fat tuesday, is part of the i very well. mardi gras, or fat| tuesday, is part of the fabric of the city. it has become a raucous affair these days with the crowd is almost as big a part the show as those on parade. things were a little

different in 1898. the people standing. — different in 1898. the people standing, they _ different in 1898. the people standing, they are _ different in 1898. the people standing, they are watching, | standing, they are watching, they stayed and not really interactive the way that people are now. , ., are now. this footage, discovered recently i are now. this footage, discovered recently in | are now. this footage, | discovered recently in a are now. this footage, _ discovered recently in a museum in the dutch city of amsterdam provides a window into the past, a past that still looks, despite the passage of time, strangely familiar. tim allman, bbc news. now,? ,a now,? , a real—life game inspired by the fictional world of harry potter is having a name change. it will now be called quad ball. the sports governing body, yes they do have a governing body, agreed to change, citing what they call the anti— transposition of jk call the anti— transposition of jk rowling. the author has denied being trans phobic the

previously the organisation also cited trade issues with warner brothers. and that is it. hello. after that exceptional heat to start the week, for many of you, it was significantly cooler on wednesday compared with tuesday. tuesday, of course, we saw temperatures approach around 1:0 celsius in a number of spots. for some, it was actually 10—17 degrees cooler, but to put it into a bit of perspective, those temperatures still well above where we should be for ajuly afternoon. the exceptional heat had pushed a bit further eastwards, record—breaking heat in denmark. all that heat over the next couple of days pushes its way southwards and eastwards, and then into the weekend, we start to see it build once more in across parts of the uk. not, though, at the levels we've seen this week. as for thursday, as we start the day, it's going to be a largely dry day for many.

there will be some rain around, and it's a bit cooler still compared with what we've experienced on wednesday. now, the drier weather comes courtesy of an area of high pressure trying to push in from the west. we've still got the legacy of a front sitting across eastern areas. we saw a lot of humid air, temperatures still sitting in the mid if not high teens for one or two first thing thursday morning. fresher conditions in the west, but this is where we'll start with the best of the sunshine. northern ireland, wales, southwest england having a pretty decent day, just one or two showers around. sunny spells across scotland, a few showers for the mainland, but for the bulk of england, away from the southwest, lots of cloud, some outbreaks of rain and drizzle here and there, many will be dry. around the coast, it may be quite sunny. sunny too towards the channel islands, but a bit of a breeze blowing down through the likes of east anglia, and here, temperatures dropping back to normal. still a little bit above normal across the south, 211—25 celsius. now, into thursday evening and through into friday, we'll start to see that cloud sit in place, but then a few more showers push their way northwards, the winds shifting direction slightly. it does mean temperatures still won't drop a huge amount, a cooler day — a cooler night — i should say, across eastern parts of the country,

but still with temperatures in the mid—teens across the south. so, for friday, showers at a greater chance of seeing, particularly heavy ones across parts of wales, the midlands, maybe rumbling up into northern england, could see some flashes of lightning, rumbles of thunder as well. some through the english channel, which could get close to the south coast and affect the channel islands for a time. only a few showers for scotland and northern ireland. all of us will see temperatures closer to thejuly norm, for one or two, a little bit below. as i said, heat builds back in this weekend, there will be rain at times in the north and west, still very little rain towards the south and east, and temperatures in the high 20s by sunday.

this is bbc news. the headlines — as wildfires rage across europe and the us, president biden has issued the latest stark warning on the threat posed by climate change. if he's pledged an investment plan, totalling $2.3 billion, on a range of new measures. he called climate change an existential threat to the world. despite winning a confidence vote, is mario draghi the embattled italian prime minister mario drag race has won a confidence vote in the senate —— mario draghi. it has beenin senate —— mario draghi. it has been in powerfor the last 18 months. parliament in sri lanka has

voted for prime minister ranil wickremesinghe to become the country's new president,