tonight at ten... life in prison for a british member of the islamic state terror group sentenced for hostage taking and conspiracy to murder. a judge in the us said el shafee elsheikh�*s actions were horrific, barbaric and brutal. relatives of his victims say justice has been done. now we receive the best of our country, and i'm very grateful, obviously, but that's what makes it a hollow victory, if you will. also tonight... warnings of a public health emergency this coming winter for the nhs. fears that services could be even more stretched after a bad summer. this woman struggled to get an ambulance following a heart attack. and then they said, "oh, yes, we are sending an ambulance, we just can't tell you when." so...

it shocked me a little bit. more trouble at liverpool city council. another government commissioner moves in after a damning report. sir alex ferguson testifies in defence of ryan giggs at the ex—footballer�*s trial on assault and coercive behaviour charges. finland's prime minister takes a drugs test after a video of her partying raises concerns. another sparkling evening at the european championships in munich, with a british gold and silver in the men's 200 metres. coming up in the sport later in the hour on the bbc news channel, the brazilian midfielder casemiro�*s heading to manchester united. a fee of around £50 million has been agreed with real madrid.

good evening. a former british member of the islamic state terror group has been sentenced to life in prison by a court in america. el shafee elsheikh was among a group of british is members who carried out a brutal reign of terror in syria and became known as the beatles because of their english accents, a name given to them by their captives. the judge said elsheikh�*s actions were horrific, barbaric and brutal. our correspondent nomia iqbal has sent this report from the courthouse in virginia. and then they would ask me to... el shafee elsheikh claimed he was a simple is fighter who wanted to help. he was a simple is fighter but that wasn't true. he was a simple is fighter beatings, he was a simple is fighter electrocution is and executions beatings, electrocution is and executions were carried out on the western hostages, who called their

torture was the beatles due to their endless accents. he left london to join is and he was convicted of his part in a hostage murder plot in which four americans were killed. in which four americans were killed — james foley, steven sotloff, peter kassig and kayla mueller, as well as the deaths of british aid workers david haines and alan henning. the judge described what el shafee elsheikh did as horrific, barbaric, callous and criminal. elsheikh declined to comment, he had the opportunity to do so. none of the victim' bodies have ever been found. outside court, the families gathered. james foley died eight years ago today. it is families gathered. james foley died eight years ago today.— eight years ago today. it is a hollow victory. _ eight years ago today. it is a hollow victory. our - eight years ago today. it is a hollow victory. our country | eight years ago today. it is a i hollow victory. our country has eight years ago today. it is a - hollow victory. our country has lost four of its very best citizens. we families lost our loved ones for ever. and now, elsheikh and kotey

have lost their freedom, country and families. it is a tragic cycle of violence and heartbreak for all involved. elsheikh�*s co—conspirator, alexanda kotey, has already pleaded guilty and will serve the rest of his life injail. as part of his plea deal, he has met some of the families. including the family of kayla mueller, who was raped and tortured by the leader of is. idea mueller, who was raped and tortured by the leader of is.— by the leader of is. idea to meet with kotey _ by the leader of is. idea to meet with kotey for — by the leader of is. idea to meet with kotey for two-and-a-half i by the leader of is. idea to meet - with kotey for two-and-a-half hours, with kotey for two—and—a—half hours, elsheikh _ with kotey for two—and—a—half hours, elsheikh does not have to meet with us, if_ elsheikh does not have to meet with us, if he _ elsheikh does not have to meet with us, if he would, i would want him to, but_ us, if he would, i would want him to, but all— us, if he would, i would want him to, but all along us, if he would, i would want him to, but allalong in us, if he would, i would want him to, but all along in all of this i have — to, but all along in all of this i have asked god to soft any hearts out there — have asked god to soft any hearts out there that know anything about any of _ out there that know anything about any of this, — out there that know anything about any of this, that would come forward and help— any of this, that would come forward and help us, — any of this, that would come forward and help us, and we are getting people — and help us, and we are getting people helping us.

another member of this group, mohammed emwazi, known in the press as jihadi john, is dead. el shafee elsheikh and alexanda kotey were eventually captured in syria when is diminished in 2018. the group hated the western world, particularly america. but these two men now face spending the rest of their lives in a usjail. there have been more warnings about serious pressures on the nhs this coming winter. in a letter to ministers, the nhs confederation, which represents employers in the health service, says the uk is facing a public health emergency because people are having to choose between heating and eating this winter due to soaring energy prices. the government says it is giving millions of the most vulnerable households, £1,200 to help with higher energy bills. but it comes at a time when nhs services are already under intense strain. our health editor, hugh pym, is here. yes, clive, stories of overstretched amublance services and long waits seem to be emerging every week, even now in the height of summer.

for category 2 reponse times for emergency calls in england, which include strokes and heart attacks, there's been a sharp increaase this year to nearly one hour on average last month. increase this year to nearly one hour on average last month. the target, as you can see, is 18 minutes. the government says £150 million is being invested to help ambulance services. the nhs confederation says there could be new problems this winter partly because of soaring fuel bills. it cites an estimate by a fuel poverty charity that cold homes are already linked to 10,000 deaths a year. for now, covid infections are falling according to the office for national statistics. 1.7 million had the virus in the first week of august. that was down 34% on two weeks previously. but it hasn't gone away, nor have the pressures on the nhs. jan had classic heart attack symptoms, including chest pain, and rang 999. she was told it was very busy and it wasn't clear

when an ambulance would get to her. there was an anxious wait. i was mortified. i thought i was going to die in my flat, on my own. then two police officers arrived saying they had been sent by the hospital. within ten, 15 minutes, i couldn't even walk, so they had to support me out to their patrol car and take me to hospital. elsewhere, a makeshift shelter was created for an 87—year—old man who'd fallen and fractured his pelvis. his son and daughter were told not to move him, but had to wait 15 hours for an ambulance to arrive. alarm sounds. services are under intense pressure, with record urgent call—outs and delays waiting outside hospitals. it's absolutely soul—destroying at the moment. you don'tjoin an ambulance service to sit in an ambulance outside an emergency department for all of your shift. you join the ambulance service to make a difference to patients that really need your help in the community.

that's the reality now, but there are warnings things could get worse this winter. covid could pick up again. flu is predicted to have a bigger impact than in recent years. and now, there are concerns that those struggling with fuel bills will have to economise on heating and put their health at risk. when people can't stay warm, long—term conditions like heart disease, diabetes are likely to get worse. and we know that in a bad winter, they're likely to get hypothermia as well. so, we see these consequences of the price of fuel from the patients that we are trying to look after, and we're expecting it to be a very significant problem this winter. the government has promised help for households with fuel costs. more is possible when a new prime minister is in place. plans in all the uk nations are being drawn up for the nhs this winter, but every week seems to heighten suspicions that the next six months will be extremely tough. hugh pym, bbc news. the government is to help run the majority

of liverpool city council after a report found extensive errors by the authority. a commissioner is being put in place to oversee the council's finances, with four others already in control of other council operations including planning and regeneration. our north of england correspondent judith moritz has more. the speed of change in liverpool has not been fast enough. for the last year, the government has helped to run some parts of the council, but the city's finances are still in such trouble, now they will also be supervised by whitehall. the city's mayor says that's not the right decision. i'm not denying that we have problems, we do, and we're uncovering problems, more problems than we anticipated in the beginning, but i do question whether an intervention that is costing us so much is the solution. there have been a series of expensive mistakes, including a mess over the city's energy contract which could cost an extra £10 million. today, the government wrote to the council saying the scale

of the challenges in liverpool had been laid bare. but there had been a lack of urgency and prioritisation to bring about change and the authority is still failing in its duty to provide the best value for the people of the city. merseyside's metro mayor, steve rotherham, will also chair a new panel which will include experts from other cities to help rescue liverpool and advise on its renewal. the fact remains, we wouldn't be here, would we, if the city wasn't in such a mess? isn't it all part of the same point that liverpool isn't able to run itself? no, of course liverpool is able to run itself, it's just at this moment in time needing support from central government through commissioners. the sooner that we can see the back of them, the better for everybody, and they've even accepted that, it's better for the city to be run democratically. the government has denied that appointing another commissioner is just the conservatives trying to get their hands on this labour—run local authority through the back door. but talking to liverpudlians, i can tell you they're not all thrilled at the prospect of intervention from london and elsewhere.

obviously a worrying thought, how, like, especially how liverpool was messed over in the '805 with margaret thatcher, i think it's a big worry a lot of people have, like, tories aren't really welcome. prior to coming into power, . everybody promises the world. and when they get there, - they never really deliver, do they? and if you're an investor, the comfort that that gives you, that those sort of... some businesses, though, say they are pleased the city will get extra support because they feel it had hit rock bottom. it's been on the floor, absolutely on the floor. we've seen an anathema, really, within the council, an apathy that we've not really associated with liverpool for many years now. so, bringing in some wise heads, some experience, some people who as i say have delivered big projects in their own cities, i think that's good news. the government said the depth of a systematic and whole council failure means immediate action is required and that the new measures should help the city raise its head again.

judith moritz, bbc news, liverpool. the summer of strike action continues as london underground and overground workers today took industrial action over pay, conditions and pensions. some london bus drivers also took part in the industrial action. the travel problems will continue throughout the weekend, as another national rail strike takes place tomorrow. our transport correspondent katy austin has the very latest. the shutters are down at many tube stations in london today, and there were long queues for buses this morning. struggling to get to work, it's just annoying. but i understand why they're doing it, but what can we do? thank you very much, the rmt, it's very kind of them, they've screwed up my day completely. repeated strikes are taking their toll on hospitality businesses. at this city centre wine bar, tables are being laid but customers aren't coming. for us, like, it costs thousands of pounds each day, and obviously every day we don't take money, for us, it's like always a question to reopen

the doors the day after. and this is, like, a really, really big problem for us. the rmt union is worried transport for london could sign an agreement with the government to secure future funding which will affect underground staff's jobs and conditions. we need an unequivocal guarantee that there will be no changes to people's pensions, negative changes to people's pensions. we also demand that there will be no job cuts. tfl says it hasn't proposed such changes, and the london mayor urged unions to work with him to press the government for a decent deal. public transport around the country has been hit by a string of walkouts. tomorrow will see the latest national strike by members of the rmt and tssa unions working for network rail and various train companies. as with thursday, only about 20% of the usual train services will run. that strike tomorrow is over

different issues, involving pay, jobs and conditions, while rail bosses say modernisations are needed to afford higher wages. the transport secretary said today if settlements in those national disputes couldn't be reached, changes would be pushed through anyway. if we can't get this resolved through the unions actually putting the offer to their members, then we will have to instead impose these changes, and that's what we're moving to. more talks are expected, but the summer of transport disruption continues. katy austin, bbc news. the former manchester united manager sir alex ferguson has told a court his ex player ryan giggs has a "fa ntastic temperament". the former footballer is accused of assaulting his ex partner and her younger sister, charges he denies. our sports news correspondent laura scott reports. at the end of the second week of ryan giggs�*s trial, thejury heard 100 pages of sometimes explicit text messages

and a letter that ms greville wrote but never sent the former footballer in late 2020. titled the final goodbye, it detailed his alleged infidelities with eight women. ms greville wrote... as the defence neared the end of its case, one of the biggest names in football was called upon to give his view of the character of ryan giggs. this was fergie time. making an 11—minute appearance, sir alex ferguson recalled meeting a quiet 13—year—old giggs, before spending more than 20 years as his manager at manchester united. he said when he lost his temper in the dressing room, he'd sometimes use giggs as an example, giving him the sharp end of the tongue, but said he knew he could take it. he went on to describe giggs�*s temperament as fantastic

and absolutely wonderful, and said, "as a player, he had fulfilled everything we ever wish for. other witnesses described giggs as calm, measured and loyal. he denies all the charges. laura scott, bbc news, manchester. a 44—year—old man has appeared before magistrates charged with the murder of a pensioner attacked while he was on his mobility scooter in west london. thomas o'halloran, who was 87, was stabbed near a busy road in greenford on tuesday. lee byer has been remanded in custody. the tech giant apple has urged owners— the tech giant apple has urged owners of its devices to install a new update which will fix a security flaw new update which will fix a security flaw which — new update which will fix a security flaw which the company says hackers were expressing. the flaw which the company says hackers were expressing.— were expressing. the vulnerability will affect iphones, _ were expressing. the vulnerability will affect iphones, ipads, - were expressing. the vulnerability will affect iphones, ipads, apple l will affect iphones, ipads, apple watchers and computers. experts say the bug could allow hackers to take control of the devices.

writers gathered in new york today in solidarity with the author sir salman rushdie, who was stabbed a week ago. the 75—year—old suffered serious injuries when he was attacked on stage at a literary event. he's faced death threats for several years over his book, the satanic verses. our north america correspondent, nada tawfik has that story. new york has been sir salman rushdie's home for the past decade and a half. as he lies in hospital on the road to recovery, the literary community here is still reeling from the attack on his life and the attack on his freedom to write. salman, my dear old friend... in a show of support, authors gathered on the steps of the public library and used their voices to share personal stories of sir salman and to read aloud passages from his body of work, including his booker prize—winning novel midnight's children, and his controversial novel the satanic verses, viewed by some

muslims as blasphemous. i crawled before i could walk. i walked before i could run. the organisers hope this rally raises sir salman�*s spirits. they say he knows it has taken place and intended to watch. equally, they hope this is a galvanising moment and that others stand up to fight for freedom of speech. amanda foreman, a british biographer and historian, wasn't surprised to hear that the suspected attacker hadn't read the satanic verses beyond a page or two. freedom of expression isn't easy, it's not simple. it's highly problematic. people do get offended. terrible things are sometimes said. this is not a perfect society and freedom of expression is not a perfect principle, but it's the best one we have, and if we are frightened, if we are silent, then the bullies and the silencers have won. censorship has got to go! the demonstration today is reminiscent of another held in 1989 after iran's ayatollah issued a religious ruling calling for sir salman�*s death.

writers then also stood up for the indian—born british author and criticised stores that refused to carry his novel. but how much has changed since then? so much of our public discourse now happens in the digital arena. we face online harassment, the viral spread of disinformation. here in the united states, we're dealing with a pandemic of book bans and curriculum bans in higher education across the country. so it's a different environment. it's also the case that in 1989, you would have thought an attack like this on us soil was really unheard of. sir salman�*s friends and colleagues hope this will be a watershed moment for free speech, and they say they look forward to hearing his voice again soon. nada tawfik, bbc news, new york. stand with salman! finland's prime minster, sanna marin, says she has nothing to fear after taking a drugs test following the emergence of a video of her at a party.

the 36—year—old repeated her denials today that she has ever taken drugs. here's caroline hawley. these are the pictures that have put the finnish prime minister in the spotlight, sanna marin in the black top enjoying herself at a party, but the leaking of the footage prompted her to take a drugs test, and today she announced she had, though she said she considered the call as unfair and was doing it for her own legal protection. she said she had always been any fit state to lead the country. we didn't have any government meetings during that week and i had time off and spent it with my friends and did nothing illegal. when she was elected in 2019, she was the world's youngest

head of government, applauded by her supporters by combining the top job with an active social life. but it has been a tough and demanding time for european leaders with covid and the current crisis in ukraine and this is not the first time herjudgment has been questioned. last december she went clubbing just hours after her foreign minister had tested positive for covid and missed a text that she needed to isolate. she had to apologise then for her actions. the 36—year—old prime minister says she would have left the party, had she needed to work. caroline hawley, bbc news. at the european championships in munich, there's been more success for team gb. zharnel hughes took gold in the men's 200 metres, and laura muir won the women's 1500 metres. our sports correspondent nesta mcgregor is there for us tonight. nesta.

clive, day nine turned out to be the most successful, or should that be six sessful day. gb are second in the medal table. here are a few reasons they have that friday feeling. for zharnel hughes, gaining the 200 metres title would be some consolation, having lost his 100 metres crown earlier this week, coming down the home straight, the 27—year—old held on as the rest of the field closed in. 27-year-old held on as the rest of the field closed in.— the field closed in. nethaneel mitchell-blake _ the field closed in. nethaneel mitchell-blake is _ the field closed in. nethaneel mitchell-blake is coming - the field closed in. nethaneel- mitchell-blake is coming through, mitchell—blake is coming through, zharnel hughes coming through! this is my event- — zharnel hughes coming through! this is my event- i — zharnel hughes coming through! this is my event. i love this event. i'm very— is my event. i love this event. i'm very happy— is my event. i love this event. i'm very happy to _ is my event. i love this event. i'm very happy to be coming away with a lold very happy to be coming away with a gold medai— very happy to be coming away with a gold medal again tonight. two reasons to _ gold medal again tonight. tprrr reasons to celebrate. could another follow shortly after? hold

reasons to celebrate. could another follow shortly after?— follow shortly after? hold your composure. — follow shortly after? hold your composure, have _ follow shortly after? hold your composure, have fun - follow shortly after? hold your composure, have fun and - follow shortly after? hold your- composure, have fun and execute. go kill it. injured at the world championships a month ago, pulling up championships a month ago, pulling up in the 100 metres on tuesday, dina asher—smith was hoping it was third time lucky. her 200 metres title on the line. there was no sign of cramp this time, but switzerland's mujinga kambundji proved to be a thorn in her side. silverfor asher—smith — proved to be a thorn in her side. silver for asher—smith — an improvement, but not the colour medal she would have wanted. i came here to win. — medal she would have wanted. i came here to win. so _ medal she would have wanted. i came here to win, so i _ medal she would have wanted. i came here to win, so i am _ medal she would have wanted. i came here to win, so i am not _ medal she would have wanted. i came here to win, so i am not super- here to win, so i am not super happy. here to win, so i am not super happy- i here to win, so i am not super happy. i really thought i was in a bit better shape, well, i am happy. i really thought i was in a bit better shape, well, iam in better shape than that. but at the same time, i came second, so it is what it is. in same time, i came second, so it is what it is— what it is. in winning the women's 1500 metres. _ what it is. in winning the women's 1500 metres, great _ what it is. in winning the women's 1500 metres, great britain's - what it is. in winning the women's| 1500 metres, great britain's lamia defended her title but ilan's kieran mcgeary pushed her all the way, the respect between the pair palpable after a hard night's one. as a severe weather warning was issued, the crowds prepared for the worst. however, the storms never came. but

tom pidcock�*s reign as king of the hills continued after 78 minutes over the varying terrain, he added european gold to his world and olympic titles. the european gold to his world and olympic titles.— european gold to his world and ol mic titles. ., ., . olympic titles. the tour de france this summer _ olympic titles. the tour de france this summer and _ olympic titles. the tour de france this summer and now— olympic titles. the tour de france this summer and now mountain i olympic titles. the tour de france - this summer and now mountain biking in munich! the this summer and now mountain biking in munich! , �* ., , in munich! the gb team helped themselves _ in munich! the gb team helped themselves to _ in munich! the gb team helped themselves to three _ in munich! the gb team helped themselves to three golds - in munich! the gb team helped themselves to three golds and | in munich! the gb team helped i themselves to three golds and two silvers is the first paracanoe sprint prizes were handed out. they included a first—place podium for ten times world champion emma weeks in the 200 metres. pretty impressive from emma weeks. nesta mcgregor, bbc news, in munich. and there you have it, that friday feeling. these lights keep changing so much, it's like we are in a disco. but they are preparing the stadium for tomorrow because tomorrow, we have keely hodgkinson in the 800 metres. we also have the 4 x 400 relays as well. and don't forgetjoe fraser and ko are in action for the team gymnastics, and

they qualified first. there is also more in the canoe sprint. from munich on day nine, back to you, clive. many thanks. it's been a sobering day for england's cricketers, beaten comprehensively by south africa in the first test at lords. the tourists won by an innings and 12 runs in just three days. joe wilson watched the wickets tumble. lord's has seen it all, but rarely witnessed a day when england were so outplayed. first, south africa extended their lead to 161. england could already sense trouble. so, england's turn to bat again, facing a south african bowling attack of great quality and variety. zak crawley missed again, lbw. spin bowler keshav maharaj took the early wickets, then the fast bowlers took over. joe root gone there, soon followed byjonny bairstow. the bigger the names, the wilder the south african celebrations.

ben stokes embodies the new england mentality — in all eventualities stay bold, attack. caught. in this approach, the new captain and coach may press ahead, but before 4pm on the third day this match finished, and between all the south african roars, could you hear england's bubble burst? joe wilson, bbc news, lords. the british boxer, anthonyjoshua, is hoping to regain his world heavyweight titles this weekend in a rematch against the ukrainian fighter, oleksandr usyk. the fight takes place in saudi arabia tomorrow night, and our correspondent, ade adedoyin, has sent us this report from jeddah. anthonyjoshua! once champion, now challenger, anthonyjoshua is a man on a mission. i'v e i've got to change the narrative. i am the author of my own movie, so i

have to change the narrative. what gives you the confidence that this time round, it will be different? because i've been in there with him before. i know his tricks, i know what he's doing and i know what i've got to do. standing in his way is this man, the fearsome and formidable oleksandr usyk — eccentric, entertaining and an exceptional boxer who hasn't lost in 13 years. a new heavyweight champion of the world! but in the last few months, he's been fighting on a different front. usyk there, back in ukraine, where he was part of the war effort before being given special dispensation to resume his boxing career. the priority for now is retaining the titles, with this bout being shown on free to air tv in ukraine. and home is clearly where his heart is, the cuddly toy given to him by his daughter a poignant reminder of what he's left behind. translation: this fight is very important, because the people of ukraine need pride to become happy. jeddah as a fight venue

is a controversial choice. human rights organisations say this is another example of saudi arabia trying to deflect from the country's poor human rights record. the authorities insist that sport is a vehicle for change, proved, they say, by the fact that two women will fight professionally in the country for the first time, somali—born british boxer ramla ali, who will feature on the undercard. and this is the walk to the ring for saturday night's fight. the last time that they met, anthonyjoshua, by his own admission, adopted the wrong strategy. so what does he need to do to secure the victory this time round? the only way to beat usyk is to push him back, let your hands go, and that leaves you exposed. take the risk, you win the fight. there was a long and intense final face—off, with neither man wanting to blink first. the question is, wasjoshua staring defeat in the face, or will he prove the odds—makers wrong? we'll find out tomorrow night. ade adedoyin, bbc news, jeddah. time for a look at the weather. darren bett�*s here.

i was hoping to show you a weather watcher picture of the northern lights from northern scotland, but this isn't a bad alternative. it could be something out of stranger things. instead, it is nuneaton in warwickshire. the day started with some cloud and rain across the south—east corner of england stop following that, some warm sunshine but this cloud brush hours earlier. those have gone but the window of opportunity for seeing the northern lights in northern scotland is closing because this cloud is coming in from the atlantic. and with that cloud, you will find strengthening winds that will drive some rain initially into northern ireland and then push into scotland. there might be some show is coming over the irish sea but clear skies in england and wales and it is going to be a little cooler. a lot cooler than last night in the south—east of england. heading into the weekend, we start with some wet and windy weather in scotland, some quite

heavy rain. it will get swept southwards and be followed by some sunshine and a few blustery showers. a breezy day for england and wales, with sunshine and a few showers. then we have this narrow but heavy band of rain getting stuck across northern england in the afternoon. temperature —wise, it's going to feel much like today, getting up to the mid 20s across parts of the midlands and eastern england. the second half of the weekend, it could be more sunny further north, particularly in scotland as the showers tend to ease. a bit of sunshine for northern ireland and the north of england but tending to cloud over a other parts of england and wales. a bit of rain here and there and it may not be quite as one sunday as a result of that cloud. in the evening and overnight, that cloud continues to thicken up. we have another low pressure coming in from the atlantic. that will bring some rain in from the west, so rain from time to time on monday. if anything, monday looks like it will

probably be the wetter day of