hello and welcome to bbc news. i martine croxall. the possibility of rishi sunak and borisjohnson meeting each other on saturday is being talked about, as the race to become the new conservative leader and the uk prime minister gathers pace. the bbc understands they were due to meet face to face at 3.30 uk time, but that was delayed — although my colleague laura kuenssberg says the meeting may still go ahead later. mr sunak is the first leadership contender to secure the public support of 100 tory mps — that's the number needed to enter the race. i was just i wasjust reading i was just reading from another correspondent that it's been under

way. we need to get that confirmed. but sunak�*s yet to announce publicly whether he will bid for the top job after losing to liz truss last month. meanwhile, borisjohnson has flown home from a caribbean holiday, as his supporters claim he now also has 100 mps backing him, although others have said this is "hogwash." so far, penny mordaunt is the only contender to have officially launched a campaign. earlier, our political correspondent, damian grammaticas, gave us an update on the number of tory mps backing potential candidates. the bbc have been running our own tally, and this is of publicly declared support, so people who have either very publicly on social media or confirmed to us. and those are numbers of people who are out there declaring, and those numbers are very interesting because they do give rishi sunak well over 100 public backers, borisjohnson, around 50 or so and penny mourdant, 20—something. now, the borisjohnson campaign came

out earlier and were now, the borisjohnson camp came out earlier and were putting out that they believed they had 100. that wasn't corroborated by the numbers that we had officially. the rishi sunak campaign poured cold water on the borisjohnson claim, and their view is, "show us the names that you have and let's see." it is worth saying that the rishi sunak campaign have been sharing names and pointing to people who can be publicly seen to have backed rishi sunak. part of the feeling for them is that their suspicion might be that borisjohnson camp want to try and get a sense of momentum, and that would be a typical borisjohnson type of move, to push something out and get a bit of media talking about his campaign — but they're very sceptical about his numbers. damian grammaticas. the ukrainian government says almost one and a half million households are without power, following another barrage by russian missiles on civilian energy facilities. the national electricity operator said the latest strikes could have caused more damage than the intense bombardment, lasting several days

earlier this month. here's the latest from our correspondent, hugo bachega. the ukrainian presidential office said around 1.5 million households across the country are without power following this morning's attacks, and the ukrainian airforce said russian forces had fired 33 cruise missiles, but that 18 of those missiles had been intercepted by the air defence systems. today's attacks targeted energy infrastructure in regions away from the front line, like lutsk in the north—west, cherkasy in central ukraine, and also 0desa in the south, where at least three people were injured as a result of those attacks. officials say the damage caused by the latest air strikes might exceed the consequences caused by last week's attacks that were carried out by russia, targeting sites across the country. officials say more than a third of the country's power stations have been damaged as a result of these attacks. reacting to the latest air strikes,

the president's chief of staff, andriy yermak, said russia was fighting against civilian infrastructure and people and that ukrainians are getting angrier by the day. he said these attacks would lead to a much stronger ukrainian response. china watchers are trying to find out what's behind extraordinary scenes at the ruling party congress in beijing. the country's former leader hu jintao was forcibly ushered out of the closing ceremony. it's a remarkable occurrence in a country where such events are usually highly choreographed. you can see it happen here. mr hu is sitting beside president xijinping in the great hall of the people when he is approached by officials who take him by the arm and lead him away. it's still not clear what was behind the move, but state media claims ill health led to the removal of the former president. the new italian government has been sworn in at a ceremony in the presidential palace in rome. giorgia meloni is italy's first far—right leader since world war ii and the country's first ever

female prime minister. her party, brothers of italy, won last month's elections with just over a quarter of the vote. she'll head a right—wing coalition. ms meloni has sought to reassure western allies that italy's foreign policy won't change. the contest to replace liz truss as prime minister, some opponents have said that they would resign the party with if boris johnson said that they would resign the party with if borisjohnson becomes prime minister. 0ne party with if borisjohnson becomes prime minister. one such critic is better mp sir roger gail —— better mp. better mp sir roger gail -- better mp. �* ., ., ., mp. i've said for a long time that he is not a _ mp. i've said for a long time that he is not a proper _ mp. i've said for a long time that he is not a proper person - mp. i've said for a long time that he is not a proper person to - he is not a proper person to be prime minister. his casual relationship with the truth makes him unfit, i was going to say hi office, but any office. what i said is meaningless word need to be chosen as leader, i would resign the whip.

i would not resign from the party. i've been a member of the party since before he was born. i shall die a member of the conservative party, but i will not support mr johnson. party, but i will not support mr johnson. . ~' , ., party, but i will not support mr johnson. ., ~ ., johnson. thank you for the clarification. _ johnson. thank you for the clarification. how- johnson. thank you for the clarification. how many - johnson. thank you for the i clarification. how many other johnson. thank you for the - clarification. how many other of your colleagues feel the same as in a bar as you're aware quiz although i don't know, i haven't discussed it so i'm not drinking aw; i don't know, i haven't discussed it so i'm not drinkin- i don't know, i haven't discussed it so i'm not drinking any pressure on them. or so i'm not drinking any pressure on them- or say _ so i'm not drinking any pressure on them- or say to — so i'm not drinking any pressure on them. or say to people, _ so i'm not drinking any pressure on them. or say to people, come - so i'm not drinking any pressure on| them. or say to people, come enjoy joined me, —— andjoin. buti them. or say to people, come enjoy joined me, —— and join. but i think there is a game being played by mr johnson's supporters who quite clearly are seeking to generate a mythical momentum. what is clearly happening is people are now beginning to listen to their constituents, i realise that a man who is under investigation by the privileges committee for misleading the house of commons, which means lying, is not a fit and proper

person to be prime minister. were he to become prime minister, with the privileges committee inquiry starting in very short order now, we would have the prime minister of the uk on the front pages of every newspaper in the country for weeks, for entirely the wrong reasons. that is the last thing that we need at the moment. we need unity and not division. ~ . ., division. william hague said he believed if— division. william hague said he believed if boris _ division. william hague said he believed if boris johnson - division. william hague said he believed if boris johnson were l division. william hague said he l believed if boris johnson were to division. william hague said he - believed if boris johnson were to be believed if borisjohnson were to be chosen, who would send to the party into a death spiral, —— he would. that's quite a statement to make. do you agree with him? would that be the end of the party?— the end of the party? william normally chooses _ the end of the party? william normally chooses his - the end of the party? william normally chooses his words l the end of the party? william i normally chooses his words very carefully. he is a measured, highly intelligent man. a former leader of the party you understand it's very well indeed. i share his view entirely. he would send us into a tailspin from which i doubt we would

recoverfor a very long tailspin from which i doubt we would recover for a very long time, if ever. recover for a very long time, if ever, , ., ., recover for a very long time, if ever. ,, ., , , , ever. so, you are supporting penny mourdant. _ ever. so, you are supporting penny mourdant. i— ever. so, you are supporting penny mourdant, i believe. _ ever. so, you are supporting penny mourdant, i believe. what - ever. so, you are supporting pennyj mourdant, i believe. what qualities do you believe she has the country needs? , . , , . , needs? penny has experience but she's been _ needs? penny has experience but she's been the _ needs? penny has experience but she's been the secretary - needs? penny has experience but she's been the secretary of- needs? penny has experience but she's been the secretary of state | she's been the secretary of state for overseas development. she's a lady full of sympathy and empathy. she's been the secretary of state for defence, which is one of the higher offices of state. she's the leader of the house of commons. she is also the president of the privy council. and she handled the exception council for king charles iii, following the death of her majesty. i think with immense dignity and courage. and she has conducted herself absolutely properly throughout my entire knowledge of her in the house of commons. she's a unifier, she's a

team leader, she's a team player, she is exactly the kind of person that we need to bring the party together. but were she not to make the cut, i would say that i would support cheerfully any other candidate and give them my full support who does emerge as the leader, save mrjohnson, why art indicated i'm afraid i will never, ever support. 5ir indicated i'm afraid i will never, ever smart-— at ten o'clock, we will have a full round—up of the days news, but first — 0ccupied. a warning this programme contains distressing images of war and description of torture. when i saw these driving to my treat, i knew it had happened. the russian army has come. when i saw tanks driving

to my treat, i knew it had happened. 0ur city is being occupied. i start to film to record history as it happens. to film to record history as it happen— to film to record history as it ha ens. ., ., . ., , to film to record history as it hauens. ., ., . ., , , happens. how the invasion changes my ci . and the steady drive to turn for for ukrainian city into a russian one. this is our family life. this is ourfamily life. our lives under occupation. this is our story, at the centre of the war that is changing the world.