live from london, this is bbc news. jewish worshippers converge at the western well for the passover blessing injerusalem, amid simmering tensions. a grief—filled prayer hall, as the funeral takes place for two british—israeli sisters killed in a shooting in the occupied west bank. international delegations arrive in yemen, as efforts to end eight years of war get under way in sana'a. pope francis calls on the international community to help end conflicts in ukraine, syria and elsewhere, in his easter blessing at the vatican.

hello and welcome to the programme. i am lewis vaughanjones. jewish worshippers have been gathering at the western wall for passover prayers. the event draws tens of thousands of people, 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. 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. the funeral of two british—israeli sisters killed in a shooting in the occupied west bank has begun. the family and friends of

maia and rina dee have gathered in the kfar etzion settlement for the services. the two young women — aged 15 and 20 — were killed on friday, after their car was attacked in the north of the jordan valley. theirfather, rabbi leo dee, expressed his gratitude for the support he had received. thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your warmth, your kindness and your love. never have we seen such an outpouring of love, and thank you to everyone who has helped in every possible way. i've not had to do anything, everything has been done for us. you are a miracle. earlier, i spoke to yolande knell. they were driving through the west bank on their way to a holiday in

the galilee and a family convoy of several cars, their father told us, when they were killed by a suspected palestinian gunman. there is still a manhunt going on for the person responsible and their mother remains seriously wounded in an israeli hospital. at the moment, she is unconscious and doesn't know all that has taken place. now, the father of the girls who is a rabbi himself has been speaking at the funeral quite powerfully, talking about how both maia and rina, he said, had inspired us. he said, in return, we will love you forever, you were two flames which have not gone out. he has three other children, one of the sisters of the girls has also been speaking at the funeral. the family that moved over from the uk nine years ago. find

funeral. the family that moved over from the uk nine years ago.- from the uk nine years ago. and in the background, _ from the uk nine years ago. and in the background, of— from the uk nine years ago. and in the background, of course, - from the uk nine years ago. and in the background, of course, this - the background, of course, this increasing tension in the region. that's right. on two fronts really, if you look at what has been happening injerusalem through the day, there was a lot of concern that we could see a new escalation in violence. that was because overnight, hundreds of palestinian muslims barricaded themselves in the al—aqsa mosque, knowing that there were to be these hundreds ofjewish visitors, escorted by israeli police around the site. of course, this is around the site. of course, this is a very sensitive time when muslims are marking ramadan, when dues macro on mocking the holiday of passover. —— when jews on mocking the holiday of passover. —— whenjews are marking. but we didn't see a repetition of what happened last week when israeli police stormed the mosque under similar circumstances to try to force palestinian worshippers out ahead of a visit byjewish people. instead, they put a presence there,

a very heavy police presence, allowing the visits to go ahead and allowing the visits to go ahead and allowing palestinian muslims to continue their prayers in the courtyard, so it was kind of a tense stand—off. and at the same time, a mass prayer took place at the western wall just below with thousands ofjewish visitors thousands of jewish visitors therefore thousands ofjewish visitors therefore passover priestly blessing. and close by at the holy sepulchre church, it was absolutely packed out for the easter sunday church, with many local palestinian worshippers, as well as people who had come from overseas for this holiday period. find had come from overseas for this holiday period.— had come from overseas for this holiday period. and 'ust returning to the funeralh holiday period. and 'ust returning to the funeral of— holiday period. and just returning to the funeral of the _ holiday period. and just returning to the funeral of the two - holiday period. and just returning to the funeral of the two sisters, | holiday period. and just returning| to the funeral of the two sisters, a little earlier, we heard from a friend of the father. naturally, as are we all, devastated, shocked at how within just a few moments, with an act of absolute evil and madness, insanity, things can change around. the loss of two gorgeous daughters and his wife, now lying critically ill in a hospital injerusalem.

but through the sadness, there's still that determination that he has — he's a real idealist, rabbi dee — to try and find whatever positives one can find, to be strong for his three remaining children. and above all else, he communicates the message about how much he feels supported and praised by a blanket of warmth and love from within israel, the communities outside of israel and those in the world as a whole who are connecting with him. 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.

awar a war that has been in a stalemate really for a long time come up with no sense that either side is going to win an outright victory. and we have seen, i think, other members of the coalition trying to pull away from the war and the saudis who initiated this eruption of conflict after the houthi forced the government out of 22 expecting it would be a relatively swift and conclusive victory got bogged down. —— out of sana'a. we have seen shifts regionally to open up the way for the series drive towards what has been talked up, these are unnamed sources, talked up as a possibility of a permanent ceasefire, notjust a temporary ceasefire, notjust a temporary ceasefire like the one we had last

year and which expired, but a permanent one which could seal the war, could essentially say the war was over and that could be signed within the next few days, before the end of the month. there have been no terms publicly put out, but there have been leaks both in the saudi press and from the houthis. i mean, some of them are basic practical steps like the pain to people who work for the public sector, their salaries which haven't been paid because of the way the country is fractured. and importantly, the reopening of all the ports and all the 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 stop weapons and other things like that getting into the country. 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'd now successfully negotiated the rest of the toughest week in his calendar. well, there have been moments 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, i'm sure, were encouraging him. but he looked very healthy and happy and doing his job very well. 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. i kept informed because he's 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 urbi et orbi — a blessing to the city and the world. here in the uk, the archbishop of canterbury gave his easter sermon. 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 isth—century st george's chapel, which is also the late-queen's final resting place. some breaking news coming in to us now. in france. at least four people have been killed in an avalanche at a popular skiing area in the french alps. the interior minister, gerald darmanin, said several more people were injured and that a search and rescue operation was underway

on the armancette glacier. rescuers are using helicopters and dogs to search for survivors. as we get more details, we will of course update you. 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. my colleague lucy grey spoke 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. so, 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. so, just talk me through how you felt in 2003, then. we're 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 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. 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 bank holiday 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 neo—natal 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 it falls at a really critical time during the holiday season, where securing alternative cover is proving challenging for trusts. so they're 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'm 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's still stuck in hospital. so, how difficult has this been for you, charlotte? it's so wrong that we're 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's 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 in seven hospital beds across england has been taken up by someone well enough to go home. the government has said it's 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 they have faced repeated delays with staff, training, equipment. so much time has been wasted, we've gone round in circles because everybody has changed what they said they would do, and the time wasting is charlotte's live. we can't get that back and it shouldn't be like that. you know, it shouldn't be the person 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's 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 get 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. 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's 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 on 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're 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's ten years off—track, and that's where we really need to see far more action. current nhs guidance suggests that whilst 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. our reporter liz cooper has more. the company was started by my father. we've been in business 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's 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 that i've used over the last 40 years. - the picture here that i've actually painted on, - this is actually the welsh guard |uniform, so i thought it's quite| good to get the transition from him i 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're 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 was so important to us, and that's why we're so grateful. so, 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, so 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, and where to cut them and where to place them, and it acts as a bit of a guide for them. we've 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 right 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 that i will remember for the rest of my life. that was a report by liz cooper. now, take a look at this, this is possibly the biggest picasso in the world. well, kind of. saturday marked 50 years since his death, and so to pay tribute, an italian fan and fellow artist dario gambarin used a tractor to create what he says is the largest portrait of the spanish artist in the world. etched into wasteland near verona in italy, mr gambarin said he'd been inspired by picasso's 1907 self—portrait.

it looks pretty good. that is it for me, i am lewis vaughanjones, it looks pretty good. that is it for me, iam lewis vaughanjones, this is bbc news. hello there. good afternoon. weather fronts looming out towards the west, we'll 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's 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 its warm out there for most of us at the moment. here's 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. bearing it mind, if you're a hay fever sufferer. as we head through this evening and overnight, our weather front continues to track its way eastwards, giving outbreaks of rain, plenty of cloud, and of course, it's a milderfeeling night underneath all of that cloud and the rain. our weather fronts continue to clear eastwards 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's quite windy towards those english channel coasts, we'll 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 rumble or two of thunder and even some hail at times.

the showers more frequent across western areas of scotland. temperatures here just 10 to 12 degrees celsius. on tuesday, a calm first half of the day, 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's the outlook for our capital cities as we head through next week. it's 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 have been held for two british—israeli sisters killed in a shooting in the occupied west bank on friday. they were named as 20—year—old maia and 15—year—old rina dee. international delegations have arrived in yemen ahead of talks on a new and potentially permanent ceasefire. saudi arabia has backed yemeni government forces against the rebels during an eight—year civil war. 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.