hello and welcome to bbc world news. the number of dead from the earthquakes in turkey and syria is now more than 30,000. united nations aid vehicles have now begun arriving in syria, but the head of the un's relief mission says many people have a right to feel abandoned. part of the problem is that rebel groups still control parts of the northwest, following years of civil war. 0ur middle east correspondent, quentin sommerville, and cameraman robbie wright, report from inside the rebel—held area.

a border and a catastrophe shared, but in the earthquake�*s aftermath, syria and turkey couldn't be further apart. we've just crossed into syria at the border crossing. there were about a dozen aid trucks, fuel tankers coming in, but actually, there were more refugees, more corpses coming out than there was aid coming in. the main street in idlib�*s harem is gone. they waited for help here, but none came. it was here that fadel ghadab�*s aunt and cousins�* families all died. translation: there is no one alive here. | everyone is dead. wejust need them to come in and dig the bodies up for burial. i don't know what else to say. we travel further west. there are no aid convoys here, few signs of relief, but a lot of urgent need. this was the town of besania. these were people's homes. they were newly built.

but look at it now. 80% of this village is gone, and they've had hardly any help since the earthquake struck. more than 100 homes have gone here, and much more besides. abu ala lost two of his children. translation: i started running like a madman in the streets, i shouting, "dear god." it was then that i saw my wife and seven—year—old daughter alive. i kept on running in the streets until i saw them. she told me my children were gone. islamists are in control here. we were accompanied at all times by armed men who didn't interfere with our work, but it's made getting aid here more difficult. at this hospital, they have no time for politics. with few staff, they've had to treat over 350 earthquake victims.

there's not enough medical staffl to help people in normal situation without any catastrophe, without any earthquake, | without any bombs, without any war. there's not enough medical staff. down the hallway lies mohammed, just three months old. his parents were killed by the earthquake. he was found in the street by a neighbour. mohammed is all alone, and syria, too, again feels forsaken, disregarded by the world in another hour of need. quentin somerville, bbc news, idlib. meanwhile, in turkey, remarkable stories of survival continue to emerge, almost a week after the quakes. this is the moment a 64—year—old woman is pulled from the rubble in the hatay province. she'd been trapped for 150 hours.

her son, in the red jacket — by her side. the us military has shot down another object which was flying over lake huron near the border with canada. it's the fourth such interception by the american air force in a week. us officials believe the objects shot down yesterday and friday were balloons, but smaller than the chinese observation balloon destroyed last weekend. the republican representative jack bergman tweeted more information, saying the military has "decommissioned" an unidentified object over the lake. he added that the american people deserve more answers. in ukraine, the head of the notorious wagner mercenary army says his fighters have captured a village on the northern outskirts of bakhmut, a city in the donbas. it's been at the centre of months of bitterfighting between russian and ukrainian forces.

wagner's commander posted a short video apparently showing the wagner men at the entrance sign to the village of krasna hora. the ukrainian army haven't confirmed wagner's advance. this is bbc news. cyprus has a new president. he's the former foreign minister, nikos christodoulides, who'll be facing challenges from high inflation to stalled peace talks with turkish cypriots. at 49 years old, he's the youngest leader of the divided mediterranean island nation. the us military has shot down an unidentified flying object above lake huron, the third such shootdown in as many days. this follows a week—long chinese balloon spying saga that has intensified the hunt for violations of north american airspace.

for more on that, we are joined now by our north america correspondent, peter bowes. i wonder if you could just confirm how many objects have been shot down? how many ob'ects have been shot down? , , ., , down? this is three in the last three days- — down? this is three in the last three days. it's _ down? this is three in the last three days. it's a _ down? this is three in the last three days. it's a total - down? this is three in the last three days. it's a total of - down? this is three in the last three days. it's a total of four| down? this is three in the iastl three days. it's a total of four if you include the balloon. although it seems the last of those objects being described in michigan over lake huron, it seems they are very different from last weekend's balloon. but we really don't know much else about them. there is some reporting that this latest object was octagonal in shape. 0thers reporting that this latest object was octagonal in shape. others have been described as cylindrical, and

of course, the balloon from last weekend was much bigger. the us was quite quick to come out to say they believe that was a surveillance platform operated by the chinese. they haven't reached any conclusions, and that includes the canadian authorities as well. they haven't reached any conclusions in terms of the nature of the most recent three objects. the terms of the nature of the most recent three objects.— terms of the nature of the most recent three objects. recent three ob'ects. the last one that was shot — recent three objects. the last one that was shot down _ recent three objects. the last one that was shot down by _ recent three objects. the last one that was shot down by the - recent three objects. the last one - that was shot down by the americans, it was retrieved. just remind us what was or what they will able to tell us about the balloon that the chinese claimed it was a weather observation balloon.— observation balloon. well, we haven't actually _ observation balloon. well, we haven't actually had _ observation balloon. well, we haven't actually had much - observation balloon. well, we i haven't actually had much detail. clearly, they are still in the process of receiving off south carolina the remnants of that balloon and what of their else is attached to us. —— what whatever

else is attached to it. we have seen some photographs and footage, but the authorities haven't published any conclusions in terms of the technical details. but they have said that from the early analysis, we're capable of wireless or at least eavesdropping on wireless communications, but that is still ongoing. but it's that kind of detail that led the authorities to believe that this was a surveillance operation, and clearly the big question is, are these three subsequent objects of a similar nature? there's no evidence in the public domain revealjust yet to suggest that, but that is in the minds of many people. many american politicians as well suggesting that there should be a major push by the us congress to investigate what

seems to be a surveillance operation by china that could of been going on i noticed for some time. hat by china that could of been going on i noticed for some time. not unusual around the world, _ i noticed for some time. not unusual around the world, but _ i noticed for some time. not unusual around the world, but how _ around the world, but how significant has this been going on but really never reaching the public conscience? i never reaching the public conscience?— never reaching the public conscience? ~' , .. . conscience? i think the significance is it seems — conscience? i think the significance is it seems i've _ conscience? i think the significance is it seems i've been _ conscience? i think the significance is it seems i've been happening - conscience? i think the significance is it seems i've been happening on| is it seems i've been happening on there's been reporting that there's been more that one of these balloons up been more that one of these balloons up over a number of different countries, potentially over a long period of time, that upon unnoticed. i think that is the concern that it is acknowledged that almost every country spying on every other country, but for something like this to open happening without the us authorities being aware of it, that seems to make this a different situation and why there is so much

concerned about it in washington. peter burrows, thank you very much indeed. let's return to our top story on the devastating earthquakes in turkey and syria. 0ur europe correspondent, nick beake, has travelled from gaziantep, the epicentre of the quakes, and found one community with deep british links now trying to cope with the aftermath of the disaster. we're venturing into turkey's remote mountainside. but it all looks so familiar, because village after village bear the same scars. we decide to stop at a place called urdek and find the dead now outnumber the living here. it's a tiny part of a wider tragedy in which we don't expect to meet mehmet and fatma from north london. which one is your house here? this one. they were visiting here when the earthquake struck. seven members of their family were killed.

tried to save them. ali shouting here, "save me, save me," which saved ali. but shamsi, kamal, aisha... no answer, nothing. we shout they name, they not answer. they say they want to show us exactly where each life ended, including the youngest — asrah, just two years old, her cousin aisha, 16, and amad effa, who was looking forward to celebrating his fifth birthday. they were running, they were playing. but after that, we see body. and the face looking in my eyes and there is already two days passed... he sobs.

they've buried 35 people in this small village — more than half of those who are living here. it's actually quite hard to take all of this in. a whole community, totally flattened. but it's the scale of this disaster that's so shocking, because this village could be one of so many here in turkey or in syria. and a week on, after these earthquakes, the challenge of starting to rebuild is becoming clearer. and it's absolutely massive. i don't know how many people is left now. round the corner, we find a lorry driver who was rushed back to his

homeland to find this. i’m driver who was rushed back to his homeland to find this.— driver who was rushed back to his homeland to find this. i'm glad i'm born in this — homeland to find this. i'm glad i'm born in this village. _ homeland to find this. i'm glad i'm born in this village. i _ homeland to find this. i'm glad i'm born in this village. i know - homeland to find this. i'm glad i'm born in this village. i know the - born in this village. i know the area — born in this village. i know the area you _ born in this village. i know the area. you don't _ born in this village. i know the area. you don't see _ born in this village. i know the area. you don't see nothing. l born in this village. i know the . area. you don't see nothing. you lost everything _ area. you don't see nothing. you lost everything. no _ area. you don't see nothing. you lost everything. no insurance, i area. you don't see nothing. you| lost everything. no insurance, no nothing — and for fatma, she can't bear the thought of leaving turkey like this and trying to resume life in the uk. how can i do it? i don't know. in london? nick beake, bbc news, in the village of urdek. jens laerke is the deputy spokesperson for the united nations office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs. he spoke to us earlier and gave us an overview of the latest situation in the earthquake zone. well, the latest is that the death toll keeps rising, tragically. once in a while, we hear of live rescues — that is, of course, encouraging —

but we do believe we are at the end of that phase and at the beginning of the much longer humanitarian relief phase that must kick in. so, here in gaziantep there's a lot of noise,, there's a lot of people in the departure area. a lot of people are trying to get out. they have had their homes destroyed. some buildings that you will see around the city are still standing. they are so full of cracks that they can come down at any moment, so they're a dangerous place to be. i've been here a couple of days now with the emergency relief coordinator, martin griffiths. yesterday, we went to the epicentre of this absolutely catastrophic crisis. that city is... the destruction is indescribable. but also, we saw a valiant and heroic effort of both the turkish rescue teams,

the international search and rescue teams that are there, helping to get people out of the rubble. i was in the border area today with mr griffiths. let's go back to ukraine, and, russia has stepped up its attacks in the east of ukraine, amid fears of a new offensive by the kremlin, ahead of the first anniversary of its invasion of the country later this month. some of the fiercest fighting is in and around the eastern city of bakhmut, which russian forces have been trying to capture for more than six months. 0ur senior international correspondent, 0rla guerin, and cameraman goktay koraltan, have been with ukrainian troops at the heart of the battle. urban warfare in bakhmut. we see ukrainian troops

from the 93rd brigade defending this battle—scarred city. they still hold bakhmut, but there is street fighting now they still hold bakhmut, but there's street fighting now in some areas, and the russians are gaining ground. the city stands as a symbol of ukrainian resistance. president putin has spent months trying to tear it down. 0ur route is carefully planned. anything that moves here can be a target. time to stay low... run. ..and move fast, single file. but suddenly, just behind us, the war comes closer. i think they've seen us. they just withdrew.

on our way, a russian shell landed very close behind us. we have to be very careful about our movements. it's a very clear day here. good weather for russian drones that will be operating in the skies. the nearest russian positions are just two kilometers away. they were taken below ground to commander. resolute but in a tough corner. translation: they are trying to push us and to encircle — they are trying to push us and to encircle us — they are trying to push us and to encircle us so we have to leave the city, _ encircle us so we have to leave the city, but _ encircle us so we have to leave the city, but it — encircle us so we have to leave the city, but it hasn't worked yet. of course _ city, but it hasn't worked yet. of course we — city, but it hasn't worked yet. of course we have office. but we are managing — course we have office. but we are managing and holding on —— we have

losses _ managing and holding on -- we have losses. �* managing and holding on -- we have losses. ~ ., , ., ., losses. above ground, they wait for orders. losses. above ground, they wait for orders like — losses. above ground, they wait for orders. like the _ losses. above ground, they wait for orders. like the young _ losses. above ground, they wait for orders. like the young men - losses. above ground, they wait for orders. like the young men before | orders. like the young men before them in wars gone by. they get co—ordinates for an enemy position and rushed to fire a 60 mm mortar. the second round doesn't fire. sending the troops and us running for cover. , ,., , ., sending the troops and us running for cover. , , ., ., for cover. everybody go to the cover. for cover. everybody go to the men they — for cover. everybody go to the cover. they told _ for cover. everybody go to the cover. they told us _ for cover. everybody go to the cover. they told us it - for cover. everybody go to the cover. they told us it was - for cover. everybody go to the cover. they told us it was old | for cover. everybody go to the - cover. they told us it was old stock sent from abroad. _ cover. they told us it was old stock sent from abroad. their _ cover. they told us it was old stock sent from abroad. their other - sent from abroad. their other battle here is with laughing manumission —— lack of ammunition. then the threat above our heads. iack of ammunition. then the threat above our heads.— above our heads. russian 'ets, they are here. attack * above our heads. russian 'ets, they are here. attack radius. _

in the city centre, the hallmark of russia's war. what it seeks to capture, it destroys. we'rejust here in constant shelling. capture, it destroys. we're 'ust here in constant shelling. russian shellin: , here in constant shelling. russian shelling. yes- _ here in constant shelling. russian shelling, yes. do _ here in constant shelling. russian shelling, yes. do you _ here in constant shelling. russian shelling, yes. do you still- here in constant shelling. russian shelling, yes. do you still believe| shelling, yes. do you still believe that ukraine _ shelling, yes. do you still believe that ukraine will _ shelling, yes. do you still believe that ukraine will win? _ shelling, yes. do you still believe that ukraine will win? yes, - that ukraine will win? yes, absolutely. _ that ukraine will win? yes, absolutely. but _ that ukraine will win? yes, absolutely. but how - that ukraine will win? yes, absolutely. but how long i that ukraine will win? yes, | absolutely. but how long do that ukraine will win? yes, - absolutely. but how long do you think i absolutely. but how long do you think i might — absolutely. but how long do you think i might take? _ absolutely. but how long do you think | might take? it's - absolutely. but how long do you think i might take? it's a - absolutely. but how long do you think i might take? it's a really. think i might take? it's a really hard question. _ think i might take? it's a really hard question. we _ think i might take? it's a really hard question. we are - think i might take? it's a really hard question. we are not - hard question. we are not high—ranking military, but we try to do the best to hold the city. just around the _ do the best to hold the city. just around the corner, the latest strike. the kremlin is stacking up its attacks in the east and south of ukraine, as a grim milestone approaches. the first anniversary of

russia's invasion. 0r like year—end, bbc news, bakhmut. mps have accused the chairman of the bbc, richard sharp, of "significant errors ofjudgement," for not declaring his involvement in helping boris johnson secure a financial loan whilst serving as prime minister. at the time, mr sharp was in the process of applying to join the corporation, and maintains he's done nothing wrong. here's our political correspondent, david wallace—lockhart. richard sharp was made bbc chairman, a government appointment, in 2021. while he was applying for the role, he introduced sam blyth, a businessman, to the uk's top civil servant, the cabinet secretary simon case. mr blyth wanted to provide the then prime minister, borisjohnson, with a loan facility. mr sharp didn't give all the details to this committee of mps who oversaw his appointment. he was back with them on tuesday and outlined why he didn't reveal the meeting he'd set up. i raised with the cabinet secretary

that i was in the application process for the bbc chairmanship, and therefore, at that time, we discussed precisely that to avoid a conflict, or the appearance of conflict, i should have nothing further to do with it. in a report published today, the digital, culture, media and sport committee say richard sharp left them without the full facts to make a decision on his suitability. the mp said he showed significant errors ofjudgment in how he acted while trying to become bbc chairman. 0ne committee member is sceptical regarding how mr sharp got hisjob. what he didn't tell us is that he'd facilitated an £800,000 loan for borisjohnson, the prime minister, who then gave him the job. it's all a bit banana republic. while the bbc conducts its own internal review, labour are questioning the relationship between the government and its chairman.

i think that does make his position increasingly untenable, _ and when the report is published, if those questions i can't be answered, then i think that the integrity of the bbc is far— more important than the position of one individual. _ a separate independent review of mr sharp's appointment has yet to report. the government says wait for that. the process is not complete. we have to wait for the commission on public appointments... why do we need another report? we've already got one. people know what happened. we need to be fair to all parties in this, including richard sharp. the bbc chairman richard sharp has said that while he may have made introductions, he did not get involved in boris johnson's finances. he's apologised to mps for not providing all the information that they felt they needed in order to scrutinise his appointment. richard sharp has said that by giving all the facts at the outset to the civil servant simon case, he regarded his behaviour as transparent. david wallace—lockhart, bbc news.

a boy and girl, both aged 15, have been arrested on suspicion of murder following the fatal stabbing of a 16—year—old teenage girl in warrington. brianna ghey was found by members of the public in a park on saturday evening. the arrested teenagers are from the local area and they're being held in custody. nhs leaders are calling for the government to agree to talks to avoid an escalation of strikes by nurses in england. it's reported that nursing staff from a&e, intensive care and cancer wards could join in a new round of strikes. the royal college of nursing says it will still ensure the most urgent clinical care is provided. earlier, i spoke to matthew taylor, chief executive of the nhs federation, which represents health trusts. i asked him what this escalation could mean for patients. what will happen is that other staff will need to be used to ensure that staffing can be sustained in those parts. will they be trained?

yes, they will be trained. so, there will be still, i think, a commitment to try to protect life and limb. but in order to fulfil that commitment, what will happen is that more and more other things have to stop — more appointments have to be cancelled, more operations have to be cancelled. and that's where we get the problem, which is the impact this is now having, which you don't see day to day, which is happening below the surface in terms of making it more and more difficult for the nhs to recover services. we've just been through a really tough winter. we're coming out of that now. this is a chance for us to start to chip away at those long waiting lists, to try to address the levels of sickness in the community. but we're not going to be able to make that progress if these strikes continue. so, more than 100,000 points cancelled, tens of thousands of operations cancelled, 130,000 vacancies. who should be sitting around this table, the rcn or rishi sunak?

so, we've been really consistent about this now for two months, and what we've said is that we think it's up to the government to open negotiations. the trade unions have made it absolutely clear they won't negotiate unless the government's willing to talk about this year's pay settlement, even though we've nearly reached the end of the financial year. but equally, we've said to the trade unions that once the government opens the door to negotiations, we would encourage them to push through that door and to compromise so that we can end this industrial action. there has been progress in wales, there has been progress in scotland. we urgently need progress in england now before this industrial action escalates. and let me make this point. there is a sense, i think, that some people in government feel that if they hold on long enough, the workers involved in these industrial actions will lose heart, that the public will lose sympathy. but the reality is more people are joining trade unions. i spoke to an ambulance leader on friday who told me hundreds of more of his staff have joined the trade union.

i've heard the same thing from hospitals. so, if anything, workers are becoming more determined, they're becoming radicalised. there's no shift in public support for these strikes. so, the problem is that the government's strategy of holding out and hoping that something turns up is simply not delivering and what's happening is more harm to the nhs. more than 3 million viewers tuned in to watch the brit awards on british tv last this year, the brit awards on british tv last year, according to the overnight ratings. on average, 3.3 million people watched singer harry styles pick up four awards including best album, best artist and best pop act. beyonce also won two awards, as did the indie band wet leg. now on bbc news, the weather with ben rich. hello. in many parts of the uk, cloud was hard to shift and sunday sunshine was in short supply. but there were some brighter spots to point out. northeast scotland saw some sunshine, at least for a time. it brightened up across a good part

of wales and into the far southwest of england, cornwall and parts of devon. indeed, look at this picture from a weather watcher in north devon and westward ho earlier on today, blue skies overhead. now, as we head through the night, we are going to see some clear spells here and there, and where the skies do stay clear for any length of time, well, it could get a little bit chilly, potentially cold enough for a touch of frost. but for the majority, temperatures will stay above freezing, particularly where you do keep fairly large amounts of cloud overhead. but we do start the new week on a mainly dry note, thanks to this area of high pressure centred right over the heart of continental europe. this frontal system pushing in from the west, taking its time to get here. so, in the meantime, we are looking at mainly fine conditions, a lot of cloud though through east wales, the midlands and parts of eastern england, and some of that cloud i think will linger along some of these eastern coasts, could stay quite murky for some actually here through the day. but elsewhere, with a bit more

of a breeze, we should break up more quite murky as well for some of these eastern coast. we would see some big areas of clouds through northern ireland, southwest scotland. where there are some clear bricks, it could get cold enough and where you get some shelter from that breeze, it is likely to feel very mild indeed. southern parts of england, perhaps parts of wales, starting the day with some fog, which will tend to clear. england and wales seeing sunny spells, northern ireland and scotland, more cloud and some bits and pieces of rain. but it's mild everywhere and parts of north wales, with some shelter from the southerly breeze, could get all the way up to 15 celsius. now, a change does come as we head through the middle of the week. this frontal system pushes its way eastwards, eventually bringing some outbreaks of rain, becoming increasingly light and patchy. and then, as we move towards the end of the week, we will see some further rain

at times, but not all the time, and it will remain very mild. in the south, we could see highs of 15 or 16 degrees.

this is bbc news. the headlines — the number of dead from the earthquakes in turkey and syria is now more than 30,000.