this is bbc news. our top stories: ukraine asks the un and red cross to investigate a rocket attack that killed more than 50 prisoners of war held by russia. in the us, six children are among the 16 people killed in kentucky's flash flooding. officials warn the death toll could double. washington's mayor calls for help from the national guard as a protest sees thousands of migrants bused into the us capital. spain and brazil have reported what are thought to be the first monkeypox—related deaths outside of africa. pope francis visits canada's indigenous communities to apologise for the abuse many suffered at schools run

by the catholic church. and saying sorry, again: will smith takes to social media to apologise to chris rock for that oscar slap. welcome to our viewers on pbs in america and around the globe. the united nations and the red cross have been asked to investigate the deaths of more than 50 ukrainian prisoners of war who were being held at a detention centre in the russian—occupied part of the donetsk region. these are pictures of the rocket attack which is thought to have killed them. ukraine and russia have accused each other of the deaths. ukraine says moscow is trying to cover up evidence of torture and war crimes at the site.

the bbc�*s paul adams is in kyiv with the latest about the incident. this is a war of competing narratives over a particularly gruesome episode. what i've seen — and i do not recommend that people watch this — is a horrible scene of a warehouse which was obviously housing a significant number of prisoners of war. there are mangled metal bunk beds and, in among them, many, many charred bodies. there are also other bodies not burned, but bloodied, lying outside on the ground. none of the circumstances surrounding this are clear. the russians say that this was the result, as you mentioned, of a ukrainian missile strike using sophisticated western equipment.

the ukrainians adamantly reject that accusation and say that this was a deliberate — deliberately staged episode by the russian military, designed essentially to liquidate a number of prisoners. the prisoners, we believe, were mostly from the mariupol area, captured at the end of that prolonged siege earlier this year, and may well have included many members of the legendary azov battalion, who have been particularly the subject of russian hostility. and so, this competing narrative is unlikely to be resolved any time soon. this is not a part of the country where we can go and independently verify anything — the bbc has been banned from that part of rebel—controlled territory for a number of years. but, just in the last few minutes, the ukrainians have released what they say is an interception of a conversation which they say sheds light on what happened. we're still listening to that, trying to figure out what that really shows but at the moment,

this is definitely two very, very contrasting narratives. paul adams there. well, ukraine's fightback continues in kherson, one of the first cities to be captured by the russians in the south. this week, ukrainians damaged a key bridge in russian—controlled territory, effectively cutting off some russian troops. when the russian military first rolled into kherson, there were street protests. now, the resistance has moved underground. sarah rainsford has been to meet some of ukraine's shadow army, working behind enemy lines to help free kherson. they tumble off buses every day here, mostly women and children fleeing russian occupation in southern ukraine. exhausted and still wary because it's a long, tense trip from a life

where even a text message supporting ukraine can get you arrested. "it's hard," sasha tells me. "the russians are everywhere in kherson, wherever you turn." when russian forces invaded kherson, big crowds came out in protest. chanting. they chanted at heavily armed troops to go home. and then, the russians hit back. explosion. gunfire. but the resistance didn't die. gunfire. it moved underground. we arranged to meet some of that shadow army. they asked us not to reveal where or who they are. translation: the resistance movement is huge. _ it's still the resistance. this man told me how the partisans operate

behind enemy lines. so, look here — someone's driving. they know there's a military base that the occupiers have taken over, so they drive by and film it all. that way, we know what kind of kit the russians have. the information is then passed on to ukraine's military. another team flies drones across the frontline, hunting down more targets. they're civilians, not soldiers, but theyjoined the fight to stop the occupation of kherson becoming permanent. trumpet plays the last post. resistance is dangerous, though. denys myronov was caught gathering weapons and intelligence for the partisans. he was beaten so badly, he died in custody. his mother has evidence denys was tortured by russia's

fsb security service. translation: but they simply beat him to death. _ they tied him to a door, wrapped tape around his head and they beat my son so badly that his ribs were broken by the first blow. they pierced his lungs. he couldn't move. he couldn't lie down or even stand. sighs. i asked the fsb how denys died. they didn't respond. but it looks like the fight back for kherson has begun. ukraine says it's destroying russian ammunition depots, hitting key bridges to disrupt their supply lines. weapons from the west are starting to make a difference here.

and so, this fighter tells me, is the resistance. he had to flee kherson to escape arrest for his own activity behind the lines, but he tells me the russians have very little real support there. translation: of course, the russians have scaredl people, physically and psychologically, but the vast majority want life to be like it was before the invasion. they are waiting for kherson to be freed, to be in ukraine again. and if that battle does begin in earnest, the partisans say they're ready to step out of the shadows. sarah rainsford, bbc news, in southern ukraine. dozens of deaths have been reported as unprecedented flash floods hit many parts of the world. in iran, officials say that more than 50 people have died in landslides, while seven people have lost their lives in the united arab emirates. meanwhile, president biden has

declared a major disaster in the united states after 16 people died in kentucky. lea na hosea reports. floodwaters from days of torrential rain have inundated hundreds of homes and wiped out entire towns in eastern kentucky. bridges have been washed away and roads submerged, sending some residents scrambling to their rooftops. all of them completely crushed. it's ok. there are no words. it's — it's ok. there are no words. it'sj'ust_ it's ok. there are no words. it'sjust hard _ it's ok. there are no words. it'sjust hard to _ it's ok. there are no words. it'sjust hard to imagine. - it'sjust hard to imagine. there's— it'sjust hard to imagine. there's nothing - it'sjust hard to imagine. there's nothing really. it'sjust hard to imagine. i there's nothing really that it'sjust hard to imagine. - there's nothing really that you can do— there's nothing really that you can do but_ there's nothing really that you can do but we're _ there's nothing really that you can do but we're just - there's nothing really that you can do but we're just glad - there's nothing really that you can do but we're just glad we i can do but we're just glad we -ot can do but we're just glad we got out _ but, worst of all, the floods have taken people's lives, including those of children, four of whom from the same family. search—and—rescue teams in helicopters and boats

are still looking for survivors. i have received notice that they've located the bodies of those four children. means we've got at least six dead children, and that's hard. there's still a lot of people out there, still a lot of people unaccounted for. we're gonna do our best to find them all. according to some scientists, what we're seeing is the new normal with climate change. here in the united states, kentucky is experiencing severe floods. earlier this week, it was st louis. but climate change, as temperatures rise, the air can hold more moisture, so when it rains, it rains really heavily. we get these heavy, heavy downpours. and in the case of a place like iran, they've actually been experiencing extended drought. and when you get these heavy rains in a very short time, falling on very dry, barren land, that can

triggerfloods, mudslides, flash flooding that comes up very quickly and people get caught up in it. rescue efforts are under way in iran, where there has been flooding in numerous provinces. the red crescent says casualties have been highest in the tehran province. meanwhile, in the nearby united arab emirates, emergency teams have rescued nearly 800 people following flash floods caused by the worst friends in nearly 80 years. temperatures are one degree celsius higher over pre—industrial levels, but the frequency and intensity of floods is already increasing. leana hosea, bbc news. let's get some of the day's other news. a court in london has ruled in favour of venezuela's opposition leaderjuan guaido in an ongoing legal battle for control of gold reserves that were deposited with the bank of england. the dispute began two years ago when president nicolas maduro requested access to nearly $2 billion worth of venezuelan gold being held by the bank.

four spectators have been injured following an explosion inside the international cricket stadium in kabul. the blast happened during a domestic league match, halting the game for a few minutes. no players or officials were hurt. this year's tournament — the eighth in its history — is the first since the taliban seized power last year. palestinian health officials say a 16—year—old boy has been shot dead by israeli forces during clashes in the occupied west bank. the palestinian teenager died of chest wounds during the violence in an area close to the city of ramallah, where hundreds of palestinians had gathered to protest against the expansion of israeli settlements. the mayor of washington, dc has called for the deployment of the national guard to deal with thousands of migrants

who have been bused into the us capital. muriel bowser has described the situation as a humanitarian crisis after some 4,800 migrants arrived in the city. republican governors in the border states of texas and arizona are said to have organised the trip, in protest against the biden administration's migration policy. it comes as migration across the us—mexico border has surged to record levels. well, earlier, ispoke to robin swanson and asked what she made of the move by the governors of texas and arizona. yes, this is a giant publicity stunt at taxpayer expense, largely led by governor greg abbott, who is accustomed to having these kinds of political stunts and having taxpayers pay for them. the last time he pulled one

like this, he stopped trucks coming in from mexico with food on them and $150 million worth of food spoiled and, according to the dallas morning news, $477 million of economic activity was lost every day in texas. so, these kinds of political stunts are not without consequence. and he is playing political games with human beings. ultimately, though, isn't this a reflection of the lack of progress on the part of the biden administration when it comes to immigration reform? there's a lot of work that needs to be done with immigration reform but it is not on governor greg abbott to take that into his hands. in fact, it's unconstitutional. it's for the federal government to run our immigration process and what he is doing by deporting thousands of people is illegal, so that's something, i think, needs to be addressed in court.

do you think that immigration is likely to become an issue going into the midterm elections? after all, there's a lot of other matters that are weighing on the minds of voters — not least, of course, inflation? yeah, i think it depends where you are. inflation is impacting everywhere and, frankly, when greg abbott stopped goods from coming from mexico, he drove up inflation astronomically in texas for a while, so that's going to continue to be an issue in the upcoming election and i think choice is going to be a big issue in the upcoming election as well, so this is one of them, it clearly needs to be addressed, but we're a nation of immigrants and these kinds of cruel policies are unacceptable. ultimately, though, joe biden tinkered with some immigration policies but then reverted them in many cases to those that were in place under the trump administration. doesn't that suggest a lack of direction as far as the administration is concerned on immigration policy?

there is a lot of work still to be done but, again, we need to have a reasonable system. we need to treat people humanely and we need to get people documented quickly in this country and sending them all around on buses is not the way to do it. robin swanson. stay with us on news. still to come: another apology from will smith over that oscars slap. cheering the us space agency nasa has ordered an investigation after confirmation today

that astronauts were cleared to fly while drunk. the last foot patrol in south armagh, once an everyday part of the soldier's lot, drudgery and danger, now no more after almost four decades. if one is on one's own, in a private house, - not doing any harm to anyone, i don't really see why all these people - should wander in and say, - "you're doing something wrong". six rare white lion cubs on the prowl at a worcestershire wildlife park, and already, they've been met with a roar of approval from visitors. they are lovely and sweet, yeah, they're cute. this is bbc world news. the latest headlines: ukraine asks the un and red cross to investigate a rocket attack that killed more than 50 prisoners of war held by russia.

in the us, six children are among the 16 people killed in kentucky's flash flooding. officials warn the death toll could double. spain and brazil have announced their first deaths from monkeypox, the first known fatalities outside the african continent. spain is one of the worst—hit countries. around a quarter of the roughly 20,000 global infections were diagnosed there. i've been speaking to professor ann rimoin. she's an american infectious disease epidemiologist whose research focuses on emerging infectious diseases, particularly those that are crossing species from animal to humans. monkeypox is a serious disease. while it may not carry the same kind of fatality rates that we think about with other viruses, this one can be very

serious, and particularly in immunocompromised individuals. the deaths that you were speaking of were, in fact, in people who had issues with their immune system and so, monkeypox was definitely a contributor here, but it was because they were already immunocompromised. there are various challenges, though, here, aren't there — not least vaccine supply and, i suppose, disease fatigue, if i can put it that way, following all the covid precautions? absolutely. there is a lot of fatigue, as you mentioned it, i think a very beleaguered health system nationally here in the united states, globally as well, from covid—19, and we have not yet been able to invest globally in better disease surveillance, better global response to infectious diseases, and we're going to continue to see these kinds of emerging threats

that will, in fact, tax health systems unless we can start doing better globally. now, the head of the world health organization has called on homosexual men to cut back on the number of sexual partners that they have, but this is not a disease that is reserved for the homosexual community, by any means, is it? this is absolutely not a virus that is specific to any group. i've been working on monkeypox for two decades in the democratic republic of the congo, where it spreads normally from animals to humans and then we see human—to—human transmission, but not very long chains of sustained human—to—human transmission. this new kind of transmission really has to do with the fact that you see a lot of very close contact. and when it gets into a social and sexual network where there are a lot of contacts, it certainly does facilitate spread, makes it easier to spread, but it could spread to any individual that is in close contact with someone

who has monkeypox and/or materials, towels, sheets, clothing, other contaminated objects that might contain monkeypox. professor anne rimoin there. pope francis has visited the vast arctic territory of northern canada after apologising for the abuse of indigenous communities by the catholic church. a report by canada's truth and reconciliation commission in 2015 found that many pupils suffered abuse and neglect in indigenous residential schools, many run by the catholic church. our religion editor aleem maqbool has been travelling with the pope and sent this update. pope francis is ending his week—long trip to canada here in the capital of the arctic region of nunuvut, and he has been meeting people today, some of them survivors of catholic assimilation

schools here, and this entire visit has been focused on one thing, which is acknowledging and apologising for the actions of many within the catholic church in oppressing indigenous people here, and in his own words, "in cultural destruction." of course, many indigenous people have been very happy that he's come here after years of campaigning for him to do so, and they are glad that he's raised awareness of the issues they still face today after generations of trauma. others, though, would have liked to have heard him apologise not just for the actions of some individuals within the church, but for the institution itself. they would've also liked to have heard about how there would be specifics on compensation or on investment from the church in indigenous people, in return, for example, as well of some sacred artefacts from the vatican, and, crucially, that there would be some accountability for those who perpetrated abuse.

those things haven't happened on this trip, but the vatican says those are all things going on from here that are under discussion. from that are under discussion. canada to the united states from canada to the united states now. the american actor will smith has reiterated his apology to chris rock after he slapped him on stage at the oscars in march. in his first public statement for three months, smith said he had reached out to rock, but the comedian had said he was not yet ready to talk. there is no part of me that thinks that was the right way to behave, in that moment. there's no part of me that thinks that's the optimal way to handle a feeling of disrespect or insults. and finally, a good news story of mili, the puppy who journeyed

across the atlantic in a container and survived for a total of a0 days without food and water. gail maclellan reports. this is mili, short for milagro — miracle in spanish. her ordeal clearly far behind her, she is happy, healthy, and even has a job. she arrived in panama after a 20—dayjourney across the atlantic in a sealed container, which was then stored outside in the sun for a further 20 days before it was opened and she was discovered. translation: one of the areas of the container was corroded i and there was a small hole. we assumed that she, with her tiny paw, opened a little hole where she could draw in rainwater. that's the only way she could've survived. during her stay at the quarantine unit, she got to know the sniffer dogs and customs officials decided to try her out. herjob in the agricultural canine unit

is to examine luggage that has arrived at the airport and to sniff out fresh fruit and vegetables which are being brought in to the country illegally. the trainer says mili meets the four basic characteristics for dogs in the unit — friendly, docile, playful and with a good appetite. there is no doubt she fits the bill. translation: i consider her a heroine. _ a little animal that spent a0 days in a container without water, without food — she must have really fought for her life. they call her mili la espana lita — the miracle dog from spain. and finally, a lottery prize worth more than $1.2 billion is upfor grabs on friday night. the jackpot has been growing since april, when it was last won, and has now become the third largest total ever in the us. so, if you have a ticket, all i can say is the best of luck to you.

you are watching bbc news. thanks forjoining us. hello there. it really is a bit of a mixture for us this weekend. some cloud, even some rain, but also, some warm spells of sunshine. and we ended the week on a warmer note, with more sunshine around, temperatures in southern parts of england reached 28 degrees. wasn't quite as warm as that in birmingham. and for the commonwealth games this weekend, there'll still be a lot of cloud around. may get some rain actually sunday and later on monday, as well. all that rain will be coming in from the atlantic. this ribbon of cloud here is going to be staggering down across the uk — it's already brought some rain across northern ireland into scotland, some patchy rain maybe for a while across northern england and north wales. but we start off quite warm, actually, for much of the country on saturday morning. but for the northern half of the uk, this is where we've got the thickest of the cloud,

and we're seeing most of the rain. through the morning, though, it should become drier and brighter in northern ireland and scotland, some sunny spells in the afternoon. still some rain for england and wales — most of it will be across northern parts of england and north wales. further south, it's generally dry, and there'll be some sunshine as well. another warm day to come through much of the midlands, particularly in the south—east and east anglia, temperatures 26, 27 degrees. could make a warm 22 or 23 in eastern scotland with some sunshine in the afternoon. but there is a lot of cloud heading our way from the atlantic overnight, continuing into sunday, perhaps bringing some more rain. that's more likely across england and wales, although it could prove to be rather hit and miss. and with that damper weather moving southwards, it'll dry off with more sunshine across north wales, northern england. may stay dry all day in scotland and northern ireland, slightly cooler and fresher here. but, again, little or no rain, really, ithink, across the far south of england, and it should be quite warm at wembley for the women's euro final. a lot of cloud here — hopefully we've got something

to cheer about by the end of the day. heading into the beginning of next week, though, we've got some more weather fronts heading our way from the atlantic, and that potentially is going to bring some more rain. having said that, many places will start dry on monday, and there'll be some sunshine around too. but the cloud is going to be thickening up from the west — that's going to bring with it some rain. at the moment, mostly across northern ireland, wales, moving over the irish sea later in the day to the north—west of england, and into the south—west of scotland. still dry, though, towards the south—east, and temperatures here again into the mid—20s.

this is bbc news. the headlines: ukraine has asked the united nations and the red cross to investigate the missile strike that's killed more than 50 prisoners of war who were being held by russia in the donetsk region. both sides are blaming each other for the attack. the mayor of washington, dc has called for help from the national guard to deal with almost 5,000 migrants who have been bussed into the us capital. their trip is said to have been organised by republican governors in protest against the biden administration's immigration policy. spain and brazil have reported what are thought to be the first monkeypox—related deaths outside of africa.