she may only have months to live, but is still in hospital five months after being cleared to go home. our health reporter, jim reed, has been speaking to her. i'm stuck here, and just fighting to get home and to keep going. and i don't know how much fight i have in me. charlotte has ehlers—danlos, a condition that weakens her connective tissue. she may only have months to live. she's been filming diaries from her hospital bed. i had visitors today. i always look forward to when i get some visitors. then what happens is the visitors leave and i am left alone again, and that's when the reality sinks in. charlotte, who often finds it easier to use sign language, was admitted last year with infections linked to intestinal failure.

in november, she was told she could go home with care paid for by the nhs. yet another five months on, she is still stuck in hospital. how difficult has this been for you, charlotte? it's so wrong that we are in the situation, you know, four, five month extra in hospital that i don't need that actually increases my risk of infections and other illnesses as well. there has been a lot of tears, a lot of hard decisions. i don't think, unless you were here, you could really imagine life in a hospitalfor nine months. charlotte's case here in leeds is very complex and not representative of everyone who needs care, it does though illustrate a wider problem. this past winter, a record one and seven hospital beds across england has been taken up by someone well enough to go home. the government has said it is making another £1.6 billion available to speed up hospital

discharge in england. often the hold—up is because the right care in the home just isn't available. "mum, i don't know what i do without you..." in leeds, charlotte's family said there have faced repeated delays with staff, training, equipment. so much time has been wasted, we have gone around in circles because everybody has changed what they said they would do, and the time wasting is charlotte's live, is charlotte's life, we can't get that back and it shouldn't be like that. you know, it shouldn't be the person who's really poorly who has to do it. charlotte's care board and hospital have said they are sorry for the long delay, they said the vast majority of patients return home quickly but some complex cases take longer. charlotte has now spent nearly a year in this hospital bed, missing her birthday at home and time with her family. when you have a lot of pain and illnesses and other health problems, and then you are stuck

in a bed and you can't see yourfamily easily, and you can't do the normal things you just think, if i can go home it will be better. ijust need to get home and it will be fine. and all i want is for people to make that happen for me. jim reed, bbc news. today marks 20 years since the fall of the regime of the late iraqi president saddam hussein. in 2003, then us president george w bush launched operation "iraqi freedom" with a ground invasion by thousands of us and british troops, under the pretext of destroying iraq's alleged arsenal of weapons of mass destruction. having ruled iraq with an iron fist since 1979, saddam went to ground until his hiding place was discovered by us troops eight months afterwards. he was later tried, convicted and hanged on the morning of december 30, 2006. i've been talking to

balsam mustafa a reseach fellow at warwick university about life in baghdad during saddam hussein's rule. living under the dictatorship was very hard, and before the invasion also there was a wave of wars and conflicts, and also the economic sanctions. we were living through hardships and it felt like we were living in a big prison, and we were longing, or many of us were longing, to see saddam hussein's rule and the ba'athist regime come to an end one day, but we would never think at that moment that what would follow would be much worse, because saddam hussein's dictatorship and tyranny for us was the maximum level of brutality. just talk me through how you felt in 2003, then. we are watching images as we talk to you of that famous statue of

saddam hussein in baghdad being toppled and peoplejumping around on top of it and it being dragged through the street. how did you feel then at that moment, when that was all going on? it was... i had mixed emotions. on one hand, i wanted saddam hussein to be gone, and so seeing that statue, his statue, being toppled after one year of being set up in the square in baghdad was something that was really hard to comprehend. i was happy to see him gone, but at the same time this was led by us troops and allies. it was not at the hand of iraqis but at the hand of invaders. however, there was a sentiment of optimism and hope for a better future, but unfortunately that did not last very long, and the feelings, the feelings of... there was a moment of tranquillity on that day in

particular, when the war was over and we realised the far—fetched idea of 35 years of dictatorship finally came to an end. there was a moment of calmness and peace, but this did not last very long, and the shift that we felt occurred later, gradually, but also quickly in different stages, and the first stage was the toppling of the statue by the us troops, and then the us troops�* failure also to protect iraqi institutions except for the ministry of oil, but all other institutions, including universities and the university that i studied in, were left unprotected and there was a lot of looting and vandalism taking place, so at that moment i started to realise this was not the iraqi interests.

taiwan's defence ministry says china is carrying out military drills around the island for a second day. washington's urged china to show restraint after it launched the exercises around taiwan, hours after the taiwanese president tsai ing—wen returned home from a trip to the united states. chinese state tv�*s been broadcasting images like these showing its forces carrying out exercises around taiwan. saudi and 0mani negotiators have joined yemen's houthi rebels in the country's capital, sana. they're holding talks in the houthi—controlled city on a new and potentially permanent ceasefire. saudi arabia has backed yemeni government forces against the rebels during the devastating eight—year civil war. the bbc world service's middle east editor sebastian usherjoins us from the newsroom. some positive signs that a deal may be possible?— be possible? yes, i think the most ositive be possible? yes, i think the most positive signs _ be possible? yes, i think the most positive signs we _ be possible? yes, i think the most positive signs we have _

be possible? yes, i think the most positive signs we have seen - be possible? yes, i think the most positive signs we have seen for. be possible? yes, i think the most positive signs we have seen for a l positive signs we have seen for a long time. this is a war that has been dragging on for eight years, tens of thousands of yemenis killed. 80% of the population, estimated to be relying on aid. and a war that has been in a stalemate really for a long time, with no sense that neither side is going to win an outright victory. and we have seen, i think, the other side of the coalition trying to pull away from the wall and the saudis who initiated this eruption of conflict after the houthi forced the government out of sana in 2015, expected it would be a relatively swift and conclusive victory, got bogged down. we have seen shifts regionally which i think has opened up regionally which i think has opened up the way now for this serious drive towards what has been talked up, these are unnamed sources, but been talked up as the possibility of a permanent ceasefire. notjust a temporary ceasefire we had last year

which expired, but a permanent one which expired, but a permanent one which kids seal the war, could essentially say the war is over and that could be signed within the next few days, before the end of the month. d0 few days, before the end of the month. ., ., , ., ., ., month. do we have any idea of what the terms of — month. do we have any idea of what the terms of the _ month. do we have any idea of what the terms of the deal _ month. do we have any idea of what the terms of the deal might - month. do we have any idea of what the terms of the deal might be? - month. do we have any idea of what| the terms of the deal might be? that is a ma'or the terms of the deal might be? that is a major issue _ the terms of the deal might be? trust is a major issue and there had been efforts before. the un is still leading a parallel peace process and it has come with possibilities, options before the saudis as well. there have been no terms publicly put out, but there have been leaks, both in the saudi press and from the houthis. some of it are basic practical steps, houthis. some of it are basic practicalsteps, like houthis. some of it are basic practical steps, like the payment of people who work for the public sector, the salaries that haven't been paid because the way the country has fractured. the reopening of the ports in yemen, which have been close virtually for the whole of the wall. to put pressure on the

houthis is, to stop weapons and other things like that getting into the country. and then beyond that, even more ambitious, a political transition. whether they actually get into that at this stage, that might be something which is so difficult, they may leave that for later. but also a timeline for the exit of all the foreign fighters who are in the country. again, that could be quite a difficult obstacle to get past. and a plan for rebuilding the country. i mean, yemen was already in a powerless state before this full eruption into conflict back in 2015, it had years of chaos, small awards in the north and in the south. it was the poorest country in the arab world, so the prospect of trying to rebuild the country, notjust after prospect of trying to rebuild the country, not just after the prospect of trying to rebuild the country, notjust after the war but after years of a failing economy predating that is a massive task. and whether there is any real push to do that with all the other issues

that are around if the war ends, is a huge question.— that are around if the war ends, is a huge question. thank you very much for now. for centuries, potters in the english county staffordshire have been making ceramics for royal events, and with just a month to go until the king's coronation, they are getting ready to mark the event in style. from tankards and trinket boxes to commemorative mugs and gifts fit for a king, the region has been producing all sorts of souvenirs. 0ur reporter liz cooper has more. the company was started by my father. we have been in business for 75 years nearly. we mainly produce china beakers, china plates, commemorative ware for celebrations. it's a special occasion and it's an honour and a privilege to do something for the coronation and for the king. and it is a souvenir, something to keep forever, really. i'm john french, i've been a ceramic craftsman for nearly 40 years. - i decided to make for the coronation

a piece that incorporates _ all the skills i've used over the last 40 years. - the picture here that i've actually painted on, - this is actually the welsh guard - uniform, i thought it would be quite good to get the transition from him being the prince of wales to now. becoming the monarch. it's a part of history. i think that's the thing - about ceramics, it marks those special occasions in history, so it's a great chance for us| to produce these beautiful pieces. we are in middleport pottery. we are the last transfer printers in the world. and in 2010, one of his majesty the king's charities stepped in to preserve, regenerate this building, using millions of pounds of funds that were gathered, so the king really did save this pottery back then and it's so important to us, and that's why we are so grateful. for the coronation we are producing a book which is going to be a gift to give to the king himself.

that book is a transferrers decorator's book, a bit like a pattern book that our decorators would have in the factory over there. each one tells a story of our unique historic patterns, where to cut them and where to place them, and it acts as a bit of a guide for them. we have been making coronation designs since 1902, with the very first piece dating back to king edward vii, king charles's great—great—grandfather. the pieces go through to 1937 to the coronation that never was for king edward viii. and then in more contemporary times, under the design stewardship of walter moorcroft, to 1953 with the coronation of queen elizabeth ii. we use a technique called tube lining. everything's made by hand. each piece takes at least a week to make from start to finish. it's an honour, every piece of moorcroft that i work with and the people we work with, it's an honour, but for the king, i mean, that is an amazing achievement and something

i will remember for the rest of my life. that was a report by liz cooper. that is all from me for this half hour. i am on twitter. thank you for watching. hello there. the weather story is on the change for our week ahead, but for many weather fronts leaning out towards the west, we will be seeing plenty of those towards the start of next week. easter sunday, it is a decent day of weather from the highlands all the way down to hampshire, sunny spells and rather hazy at times and there are some areas of cloud. enjoy there are some areas of cloud. enjoy the warmth and sunshine while it lasts. it was for very different

lasts. it was for very different last week, and subtle, wet and windy at times and they will also be a drop in temperature to below the seasonal average. drop in temperature to below the seasonalaverage. it drop in temperature to below the seasonal average. it is warm out there for most at the moment. this is the weather front across northern ireland giving outbreaks of rain and for western scotland and western wales by the end of the day on the far south—west of england. cloud was nolte facing coast where it is cooler, but for most of us there are some sunny spells. highs of 16 or 17 celsius. if we get to 18 degrees, it could be the warmest day of the year so far. along with the sunshine comes high—level of tree pollen. as we head to this evening and overnight, the weather front continues to track its way eastwards, giving outbreaks of rain, plenty of cloud and it is a milder feeling night underneath all the cloud and the rain. the weather fronts continue to clear eastwards throughout the day tomorrow and some typical bank holiday monday weather. showers following on behind and blustery towards english channel coasts as well. the rain will

eventually clear central and eastern england. it will be heavy for a time, round about lunch time. it is windy towards the english channel coast, some bands of showers tracking through as well so they could be a lot of showers for some areas. 0ther could be a lot of showers for some areas. other areas could be dry and there will be sunshine in between there will be sunshine in between the showers. expect a rumble of thunder and even some hail at times. the show was more frequent across western areas of scotland. temperatures here just ten to 12 celsius. 0n temperatures here just ten to 12 celsius. on tuesday, the first half of the day, this band of rain sweeps through. windy towards the south and west and windy on wednesday with possibly wintry showers over the high ground of the north. things calm down again for most early on thursday before the steep area of low pressure pushes in from the west. this is the outlook for the capital cities as we head through next week. it will be very unsettled, wet and very windy and also colder.

this is bbc news. this is bbc news. the headline: the headline: jewish worshippers converge jewish worshippers converge on the western wall for the passover on the western wall for the passover blessing injerusalem. blessing injerusalem. there's a heavy security there's a heavy security presence as officials fear presence as officials fear violence could break—out. violence could break—out. a short distance away, a short distance away, hundreds of palestinians have hundreds of palestinians have barricaded themselves barricaded themselves inside the al—aqsa inside the al—aqsa mosque injerusalem. mosque injerusalem. tensions remain high, tensions remain high, as israeli police stopped as israeli police stopped palestinian men from entering palestinian men from entering

the compound, forcing them to pray the compound, forcing them to pray outside the old city gates. outside the old city gates. tens of thousands of catholic worshippers have gathered in saint peter's square in rome — as pope francis presided over easter sunday mass. the pontiff called for an end to conflicts in ukraine and syria, and raised concern over attacks injerusalem and the surrounding region. king charles, the queen consort camilla as well as other senior royals gather at windsor castle for easter sunday.