live from london. this is bbc news. jewish worshippers converge at the western well for the passover blessing injerusalem amid simmering tensions. that's as the funerals of two british—israeli sisters killed in a shooting in the occupied west bank are expected to begin in the next hour. pope francis calls on the international community to help end conflicts in ukraine, syria and elsewhere, in his easter blessing at the vatican. and king charles attends his first easter sunday service as monarch alongside the queen consort at windsor castle.

jewish worshippers have been gathering at the western wall for passover prayers this morning. the event draws tens of thousands of worshippers, with crowds spilling out from the wall�*s plaza into the surrounding areas. there is a heavy security presence today and officials are concerned there could be violence. just a short distance away, hundreds of palestinians have barricaded themselves inside al aqsa mosque injerusalem. these are the latest images from the mosque. police said they were bracing for violence, but so far it has been calm. jordan, which manages the religious complex, has warned of catastrophic consequences if police storm the mosque. this fragile security situation didn't stop the turnout of thousands of israelis who've been regularly protesting against the government's planned reforms of the judificary. they've been on the streets

for the 14th consecutive weekend. this is a minute's silence the protesters held for those killed in the attacks in tel aviv and the west bank in the last few days. funerals take place later for the two british—israeli sisters who died in a shooting on friday. they were named as 20—year—old maia and 15—year—old rina dee. our correspondent lucy williamson injerusalem spoke to their father. a warning her report contains details some viewers may find upsetting. maia dee was 20 years old and volunteering for national service in a high school. her younger sister rina dee was 15. theirfather told me they were beautiful, popular and wonderful. they died on friday when their israeli car came under fire as they travelled from their west bank settlement to the sea of galilee for a family holiday. their mother is still unconscious and seriously ill in hospital. theirfather, a rabbi who was travelling separately, heard the news of an attack

on the road before realising it involved his own family. last night i couldn't sleep at all, every time i had a nightmare i woke up, and then the reality was worse than the nightmare so i went back to sleep. i was having recurring nightmares. that's how it worked, that how it went. hours after maia and rina died yesterday another attack in tel aviv. holiday crowds became targets when a car rammed pedestrians on the busy promenade. this is the moment when police surrounded the attacker and then shot him dead. gunshots. you can hear the fear of people filming nearby. the driver was a 45—year—old man from a nearby town. he killed an italian national named as alessandro parini, and injured seven others, three of them british.

we heard gunfire. we saw shots and then we saw people sprinting across the street, then we heard sirens and we decided it was time to get out of here. the car's journey through the grass now marked with flowers and candles. tributes to the tourist who died. this is where the attack happened last night, right on tel aviv�*s promenade. hours afterwards you've got locals and tourists already gathering here. on a warm weekend evening this place would have been packed with people. one of the doctors treating the injured said some had broken bones, and one, a fractured spine. but an event like this leaves psychological wounds too. i think that nobody is prepared ever for this type of situation. you know, it's impossible, ithink, to understand the fact that somebody one day decides to take the life of another person. israel's prime minister says attacks

will only unify the country. last night in tel aviv, another protest against his divisive judicial reforms. stopped for a minute's silence to remember the victims of these latest attacks. politics and religion may divide people here. grief and loss is familiar to all. lucy williamson, bbc news, jerusalem. pope francis has been leading a mass at st peter's basilica in the vatican on easter sunday. the 86—year—old expressed his "deep concern" about the escalating tensions between israelis and palestinians, and called on the international community to end the war in ukraine. from vatican city, our religion editor, aleem maqbool, reports. from the early hours they streamed into st peter's square for easter mass. people had come from all over the world butjust days ago there had been doubts about whether the pope would be well enough to take part in events at all. some here told of their relief

when he appeared but there was still nervousness as to how strong he really was after his bout of bronchitis. once the service got under way, pope francis seemed untroubled. but it was once the mass was over that he appeared most relaxed. though, for the first time he had missed one event on good friday he now successfully negotiated the rest of the toughest week in his calendar. there had been moment in the week during services where the pope had seemed a little breathless, a little weak even, but every time he has been in the crowd and interacted with people he has really appeared to be much more energised. he looked in really good health. the crowd were encouraging him. but he looked very healthy and happy and doing his job very well and it was great to see him in high spirits. translation: i was very worried when he was in hospital. - i kept informed because he is so special. he wanted to fulfil all of his

commitments for this holy week and to see him here you realise how strong he is. pope francis ended events with an appearance on the balcony of st peter's basilica to deliver his blessing to the city and the world. here in the uk, the archbishop of canterbury used his easter sermon to address the conflict in ukraine, and the tensions between israel and palestine. we do not lose heart but we pray and we work for ukraine and russia. for israel and palestine with the recent tragedies, especially. and for the other so often forgotten struggles of our world, knowing that because of the resurrection, peace, true peace, is no aimless daydream but a reality offered because christ was raised from the dead. king charles has attended

his first easter sunday service as monarch alongside the queen consort and other senior members of the royal family at windsor castle. the event is a staple of the royal calendar and took place in the 15th century st george's chapel, which is also the late queen's final resting place. here in the uk, health secretary steve barclay has accused the doctors' union the bma of taking a "militant stance" and pressing ahead with strikes that he says "carry a considerable risk to patient safety". mr barclay accuses the union of timing the four—day strikes to cause "maximum disruption". the national medical director of nhs england has also warned that the industrial action will cause "unparalleled levels of disruption" to the health service — as simon jones reports. chanting: one, two, three four! we can't take it any more! - junior doctors in england are set to walk out again on tuesday. that's straight after the easter holiday bank weekend, when many staff are on leave, and those four days of action will lead into next weekend, meaning the nhs is facing ten days of reduced services.

in a statement, the national medical director of nhs england, professor sir stephen powis, said: the nhs confederation, which represents hospital managers, is warning that up to a quarter of a million appointments and operations may have to be postponed if the strike action goes ahead, and professor sir stephen is warning the ongoing impact of industrial action is making it more difficult to keep key services going, and ultimately reschedule those cancelled appointments. the nhs says it will continue to prioritise emergency and neonatal care, as well as maternity and trauma services. but nhs providers, which speaks

for hospital trusts, is warning that even in those areas, there are real concerns of an increased risk to safety. this strike is long in duration and falls at a critical time during the holiday season, where securing alternative cover is proving challenging for trusts. so they are deeply concerned. it's not too late for unions and government to come to the table to open negotiations and to avert this action next week. the british medical association, which represents junior doctors, is calling for a 35% pay rise to compensate for what it describes as more than a decade of salary erosion. but the department of health says it will only agree to talks to try to settle the dispute if the bma calls off the strike and significantly reduces its pay demand. the two sides appear as far apart as ever. simon jones, bbc news. bbc analysis has found that, over the past winter, one in every seven hospital beds in england was taken up by someone well enough to go home. one of those facing the wait

is charlotte mills—murray, 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 is so wrong that we are in the situation, you know, four, five months 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 are 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 in 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'd do without you." in leeds, charlotte's family said they 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 timewasting 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 is really poorly who has to do it. charlotte's care board and hospital have said they are sorry for the long delay, they say 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. we spoke to balsam mustafa a reseach fellow at warwick university about life in baghdad during saddam hussein's rule. living under dictatorship was very

hard and before the invasion 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. we were longing, many of us were longing to see saddam hussein's rule and his regime come to an end one day. but we would never have thought at that moment that what would follow would be much worse because saddam hussein and his dictatorship and tyranny for us was the maximum level of brutality. i had mixed emotions. on one hand, i wanted saddam hussein to be gone, so seeing that statue being toppled after one year of being set up 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. unfortunately, that did not last very long and 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 but also quickly in different stages. the first stage was the toppling of the statue by the us troops and then the us troops failing to protect iraqi institutions

except for the ministry of oil, not all other institutions including universities. the university i studied in was left unprotected and there was a lot of looting and vandalism taking place. at that moment, i started to realise this was not in the iraqi interest. saudi and omani negotiators have joined yemen's houthi rebels in the country's capital sana'a. 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. our middle east regional editor sebastian usher spoke to lucy grey with this update. yes, i think the most positive signs we have seen for a long time. it 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 for a long time with no sense that either side

is going to win an outright victory. and we have seen, i think, other members of the saudi—led coalition, uae in particular, trying to pull away from the war and the saudis who initiated this eruption of conflict after the houthis forced the yemeni government out of sana'a back in 2015, i think expecting that it would be a relatively swift and conclusive victory, got bogged down. we have seen shifts regionally which i think have opened up a way now for this serious drive towards what has been talked up, these are unnamed sources but these have been talked up as a possibility of a permanent ceasefire, notjust a temporary one like we had last year. but a permanent one, which could seal the war. we could officially say that the war is over and that could be signed within the next few days, before the end of the month. do we have any idea what the terms of the deal might be? obviously that is a major issue and there have been efforts for,

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 like the payment of people who work for the public sector, their salaries which haven't been paid because of the way the country is fractured. very importantly, the reopening of all the ports and airports in yemen which have been closed virtually for the whole of the war by the saudi—led coalition to put pressure on the houthis and also to speed up weapons and other things like that getting into the country. —— 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 to arrange that they might 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. yemen was already in a state before this full eruption into conflict back in 2015 and have had years of chaos, of smaller wars in the north and in the south. it was the poorest country in the arab world so that prospect of trying to rebuild the country, it is notjust after a war but after years of a failing economy predating that. it is a massive task and whether there is any real push from the international community in order to do that with all the other issues that are around and if the war ends, it is a huge question. plans to make it more difficult for children to illegally buy e—cigarettes in england are to be laid out by the government next week. an "enforcement squad" will be set up to clamp down on shops

selling vapes to under—18s. victoria bourne reports. with their sweet flavours and brightly coloured packaging, there has long been concern that e—cigarettes and vapes are becoming increasingly attractive to youngsters. and despite it being illegal, government data shows nearly 10% of all under—18s in england have either tried or are regularly using the devices. but there are hopes a range of new measures set to be announced by the department for health next week could help reduce the number of young people taking up the habit. £3 million of funding will support a new team targeting rogue retailers. it will be led by trading standards to carry out more test purchases in stores, to expose those failing to carry out age verification with customers. authorities will also have increased powers to remove illegal devices from sale. while welcoming the action, some charities have questioned whether the new measures

go far enough. it's about making these products less affordable and less appealing to children. they are available for pocket money prices on every street corner, for under a fiver. this announcement on vaping is part of a broader announcement by the government, reinforcing its commitment to achieve a smoke—free 2030. but at the moment, it is ten years off—track and that is where we really need to see far more action. current nhs guidance suggests that while not risk—free, vapes can be a helpful tool for adults wanting to quit smoking, and a less harmful alternative to traditional cigarettes. it's hoped these measures will help deter young people from taking up vaping, the long—term health implications of which remain unknown. victoria bourne, bbc news. 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. our 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.

this is bbc news. goodbye. hello there. good afternoon. weather fronts looming out towards the west, we will be seeing plenty of those into the start of next week. but for today, easter sunday, it is a very decent day of weather for the vast majority of us, from the highlands, all the way down to hampshire. sunny spells, rather hazy at times. there are some areas of cloud too. but enjoy the warmth and the sunshine while it lasts. it is going to feel very different next week, unsettled, wet and really very windy at times. there will also be a drop in temperature too, below the seasonal average. but it's warm out there for most of us at the moment. here is our weather front across northern ireland, giving outbreaks of rain, also for western scotland and western wales. by the end of the day in the far south—west of england, some cloud out towards the north sea—facing

coasts where it is cooler. but for most of us, there are more sunny spells. highs of 16 or 17 celsius. if we get to 18 degrees, it will be the warmest day of the year so far. but along with the sunshine come some very high tree pollen levels. bear it in mind, if you are a hay fever sufferer. as we head through this evening and overnight, our weather front continues to track its way eastward, giving outbreaks of rain, plenty of cloud, and of course, it is a milderfeeling night underneath all of that cloud and the rain. our weather fronts continue to clear eastward throughout the day tomorrow, some very typical bank holiday monday weather. showers following on behind and blustery towards english channel coasts as well. our rain will eventually clear central and eastern england, it will be heavy for a time, round about lunchtime. after that goes, it is quite windy towards those english channel coasts, we will see bands of showers track through as well. so there could be shower after shower for some areas. other areas could stay completely dry. there will be some sunshine between the showers. expect perhaps a ramble or two of thunder and even some hail at times.

the showers will frequent across western areas of scotland. temperatures here just 10 to 12 degrees celsius. on tuesday, a calm first half of the day and then this band of rain sweeps through, very windy towards the south and the west, windier still on wednesday with possibly some wintry showers over the higher ground of the north. then things calm down again for earlier in the day on thursday before this deep area of low pressure pushes its way in from the west. here is the outlook for our capital cities as we head through next week. it is going to be very unsettled, wet, very windy at times and also colder.

this is bbc news. the headlines: jewish worshippers have converged on the western wall for the passover blessing injerusalem. there's a heavy security presence as officials fear violence could breakout. meanwhile, the funerals of two british—israeli sisters killed in a shooting in the occupied west bank are expected to begin in the next hour. they were named as 20—year—old maia and 15—year—old rina dee. 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.