live from london. this is bbc news. barry humphries, the comedian best known for his character dame edna, has died aged 89. the australiam prime minister has taken to twitter to pay tribute to humphries, calling him �*one—of—a—kind' and �*gifted'. fighting in sudan continues into the weekend despite the announcement of a three—day truce by the army and the paramilitary rsf group. hello and welcome to the programme, i'm lewis vaughanjones.

we start with the news that the australian comedian barry humphries — best known for his character dame edna everage — has died at the age of 89. he'd been receiving treatment at a hospital in sydney following hip surgery. barry humphries was a leading figure on the british comedy scene with his many satirical characters. his family said he never lost his brilliant mind and unique wit. our arts correspondent, david silitto, looks back at his life. dame edna everage! hello, possums! dame edna always said she was born with a priceless gift. the ability to laugh at the misfortunes of others. about weight, you could do with losing a little, success has gone to yourjowls, russell hardy. oh, you're being very, very cruel! for more than 50 years, she took pleasure in saying the unsayable. i've had a little work done. have you?

but not quite as much as some. laughter but the thing is, you are still recognisable. she was so familiar, it was easy to forget that behind the glasses and frocks was a man called barry humphries. that's me standing outside... oh, one of the big clocks they've got there. laughter he arrived in britain in 1959, an australian comedian with a devilish delight in satirizing the people he had grown up with. most of us who go to england try to get rid of our australian accents if we can, because we've always felt with our accents rather inferior, you see to our english cousins. as indeed we are. the real barry humphries was an art lover, a painter, a collector of rare books.

polite, a loyalfriend, the opposite of another of his characters. and i have the honour to be the australian cultural attache. laughter how are you, sirjohn? les patterson, barry? but he and his character did have one thing in common. drink. it took a divorce and a spell in hospital to convince him to give up the booze in 1971. i had such a wonderful trip overseas, you know. but throughout his life, he always had edna. from her beginnings as a mousy parody of the suburban melbourne values, he'd escaped. i dare say in a week or so i will have my australian accent back again. little, what is it? little choker, darling? yes, it's venetian glass. to the brash housewife superstar. darling! did it all come off the one chandelier? laughter

she sings for many, edna was so real, so engaging. it was easy to forget that the wit, the charm, the sheer audacity was all down to the brilliant comic mind of a man called barry humphries. the comedian barry humphries who's died at the age of 89. for more, our correspondent in sydney, phil mercer. yes born in melbourne in 193a, barry humphries was on stage, had a stage career for the best part of 70 years. he got his big break after moving to london and was cast in the original musical, oliver. but certainly best known for his comic alter ego, dame edna everage and

news that he has died in a sydney hospital at of 89 will sadden his many fans, both here in australia and overseas. many of those fans will be fearing the worst given the health bulletins we have received in recent days. he really took the world by storm as dame edna everage, having audiences with royalty and millions of fans. i think it that particular role that will define the life of a man whose career spanned so many generations. he was awarded many honours, and in civic society as well. a national treasure here in australia and there will be an enormous amount of sadness at his

passing. he was admitted into hospital in february after a fall in his apartment in sydney. he was treated in st vincent's hospital. we heard from his family saying that he was himself until the bitter end. making light of his condition and planning new shows. that is a measure of the man fighting until the end. barry humphries has died in sydney, he was 89 years of age. we started about talking about the length of this extraordinary career, decade after decade. so well known in australia, and london. this is pre—internet age, i suppose, for long parts of his career. do we have

a sense of how well he was known outside those two countries? i think people around the world, not everyone will have heard of him, but many people would have heard of dame edna everage, those comic alter egos. when you consider he was born in the mid 1930s in between the two world wars, this was a man who was enjoying extreme longevity in terms of his career. during all of those decades, picking up many awards and keeping going. his appetite for work was enormous. and that is why, while he was lying in his hospital bed, he thought he could keep going, but nature had a different verdict. he was admitted for hip surgery in february and conditions arising from that, we are not sure of the specifics. he was quite unwell after being admitted for hip surgery. his

family saying, as we mentioned, he was himself until the very end. joking with nurses and i think that is how many people will remember barry humphries. those roles and others. asa as a measure of the man. the australian prime minister has paid tribute, saying a great wit, satirist, writer and a absolute one—of—a—kind who was both gifted and a gift. that is a flavour of some of the tributes. we'll bring those to you in a few minutes. to sudan now, where gunfire has been sounding across the capital, khartoum. in the past few hours,

we're hearing from the sudan's army that they will facilitate evacuations of diplomats and nationals from the united states, the uk, france, china and saudi arabia, as another temporary truce between warring army factions fails. we had an update from the head of the army saying that the army will be facilitating departures of diplomats from the country. united states, uk, france, saudi arabia and china. we are waiting for updates on that movement. getting in and out of the capital has been difficult because of the fighting. let's look at where exactly where this is happening. this is taking place in sudan, the focus of the fighting is there around khartoum, the capital city. that is where movement has been so difficult. people getting medical supplies, food, water, all interrupted by the fighting on the streets. taking a look at some of the recent pictures, you can see the smoke there, rising up in the sky.

we have been listening all morning, to live gunfire being fired. shattering any hopes of any kind of truce taking place. just to remind you, of what this fighting is about. there are two men at the heart of this. the head of the army, on the one hand versus the head of the paramilitary force. on the left is abdel fattah al—burhan, the head of the army. the person who has been leading calls for evacuations, saying that they will facilitate them. responding, he says, to international contact from those countries. the man on the right, mohamed hamdan dagalo, is head of the paramilitary force. they are

former colleagues, working together in the government, now fighting on the streets of the capital. asi as i have been talking, a uk government spokesperson, has released a statement. we recognise the situation is extremely concerning for british nationals trapped by the fighting in sudan. we are doing everything possible to support british nationals and diplomatic staff in khartoum. the ministry of defence is working with the foreign office to prepare for a number of contingencies. a number of contingencies, is not explained. we don't exactly know what that means. that is the latest that we are getting on the diplomatic efforts. going on behind the scenes, trying to bring about a ceasefire or some sort of truce. but also diplomatic

efforts to get prospective nationals out. let's get a little bit more on this. the diplomatic efforts to not only get people out but to try and get a ceasefire. the ceasefire hasn't got anywhere, this seems to be a bit more hope of getting people out. a, be a bit more hope of getting people out. �* ., ., , ., be a bit more hope of getting people out. ., ., , ., .._ out. a lot of focus, are clearly very difficult _ out. a lot of focus, are clearly very difficult situation - out. a lot of focus, are clearly very difficult situation for - very difficult situation for everybody involved. for these foreign diplomats, trapped in the city centre. various governments trying to get them out. there are two options, that are coming to the forefront. one is overland. we know that saudi diplomats made it. it is about a 12 hour drive from khartoum to the red sea coast. from there it is possible to take a ship or fly. the other option that has being considered is by some sort of militaryjet landing in the centre

of khartoum. where the main airport is. that will properly coming from the red sea coast, where the americans and french have military bases. we know that is something thatis bases. we know that is something that is being actively considered. while the airport is close to people in the centre of khartoum, it is still not secure. we have heard reports of heavy fighting all around khartoum, despite these attempts at a ceasefire. getting people physically come out to the airport, and then being able to bring a plane in safely, is still a huge headache. as for the fighting. although it has continued in the centre, we have also heard reports that it is beginning to spread further south along the blue nile river that runs from khartoum up into the ethiopian highlands. there is a town about two hours south and that seems to be where a lot of the paramilitary who

are fighting the regular army are withdrawn to. it looks like the next stage in the fighting to take place. taking a wider look, can we try and put this fighting in a bit of context. we have been tracking the hour on our truce, no truce, not happening. if we zoom out, what is your perspective on the chances of any kind of agreement or resolution between these two sides? it doesn't sound like either _ between these two sides? it doesn't sound like either side _ between these two sides? it doesn't sound like either side is _ between these two sides? it doesn't sound like either side is keen - between these two sides? it doesn't sound like either side is keen to - sound like either side is keen to cut a deal or bring out a proper ceasefire. it seems as if the military, the army, led by general abdel fattah al—burhan, who is the de facto leader of sudan, thinks he can win this militarily. he thinks he can win this, the problem is that

it is only part of the problem in sudan. you have these two warring generals, but you also have a civilian push towards democracy that has been going on forfour years. since the dictator was driven out of power. that key process, the drive towards democracy has been entirely sidelined because of the fighting that we have seen. also, after a series of coups and lack of stability in sudan over these years, it is unclear at the moment, given the complexity of the issues, the islamists in the background, all the otherforeign islamists in the background, all the other foreign countries who also have interests in their generals and how this situation unfolds. very difficult to see this revolving itself peacefully anytime soon. thank very much. i appreciate your

analysis. i want to take you to what it is like on the ground trapped in their buildings because of the fighting on the streets. earlier i spoke to sudan's former foreign minister mariam al—sadiq al—mahdi who is sheltering in the capital khartoum.. she gave me some details about what life is like right now. ijust want to stress that some of the details that she describes are upsetting. well, truly it is very dangerous now. to get to you i had to go out on the balcony because the lighting is better and i could get a better signal. there is bombardment all around us. i really don't know where it is coming from. also we have some of the young men who are in uniform, they are outside in the streets.

they are overtaking the streets around where we live. we are out of electricity for the last 2a hours, we are out of water for the last six days. yesterday the promise was from both generals that they will abide by this humanitarian truce. as you know, people are besieged in homes without any supplies, without water and the hospitals, most of the hospitals are out of business because of a lack of water and also no supplies of medicine, as well as the medical teams are already exhausted. they haven't been replaced by any others. many of the medical teams who tried to reach out for some of the health facilities were targeted as well. there are so many, not around us here, but in several parts of khartoum, in the capital, there are rotting bodies of our youths in the streets,

some of them being eaten by the dogs. difficult details as i warned. ms al—mahdi spoke to us with sounds of battle raging near her — i asked if she's safe to continue speaking to us there were live rounds of gunfire that we could hear in the live pictures. i was worried for her safety, the team here in london were too. we asked her about that. i don't want you going anywhere or taking any risks for the sake of connection. if you are safer elsewhere then please move or let us know.

the there is no safety now in khartoum. — the there is no safety now in khartoum. i _ the there is no safety now in khartoum, i am _ the there is no safety now in khartoum, i am amongst - the there is no safety now in i khartoum, i am amongst the the there is no safety now in - khartoum, i am amongst the hundreds and thousands of inhabitants of khartoum, in different locations, they are being terrified, they are being horrified, inside their homes. it is nothing... it is the least i could do, to try and let the world know what is the suffering of the sudanese people. that know what is the suffering of the sudanese people.— know what is the suffering of the sudanese people. that was mariam al-mahdi giving _ sudanese people. that was mariam al-mahdi giving us _ sudanese people. that was mariam al-mahdi giving us a _ sudanese people. that was mariam al-mahdi giving us a terrifying - al—mahdi giving us a terrifying flavour of life in the capital of sudan. we had a pretty harrowing account of what life is like on the ground.

what is your assessment about movement towards a truce? we have heard both sides talking about one, on the ground it doesn't seem realistic. it on the ground it doesn't seem realistic. ., , �* realistic. it doesn't, the international _ realistic. it doesn't, the| international community realistic. it doesn't, the i international community is realistic. it doesn't, the - international community is not stopping, less than 30 minutes ago, mohamed hamdan dagalo, sent a tweet saying that he had spoken to the french foreign minister, and they said that they have discussed how to declare a truce and open a humanitarian corridor, the movement of citizens and allow countries to evacuate into safe spaces. he described the talks as constructive and raised many issues that will have impact on the country. the immediate thing that people want to see is a truce to facilitate the

movement of foreign nationals, and the evacuation of sudanese people caught in the crossfire.— caught in the crossfire. excuse me,... i _ caught in the crossfire. excuse me,... will— caught in the crossfire. excuse me,... i willjust_ caught in the crossfire. excuse me,... i willjust repeat, - caught in the crossfire. excuse me,... i willjust repeat, the l me,... i willjust repeat, the latest figures from the world health organization, 413 people have been killed. 3551 injured. since this fighting broke out, those were figures from yesterday, still fairly recent. just putting some numbers on it, which must be difficult to gather that type of information. that underlines the desperate state in the capital right now. it is that underlines the desperate state in the capital right now.— in the capital right now. it is a staggering — in the capital right now. it is a staggering situation, - in the capital right now. it is a staggering situation, and - in the capital right now. it is a i staggering situation, and worse perhaps is that any sort of help being directed towards the people is impossible right now because even

the humanitarian organisations who by international law must not be targeted, the un migration has pulled out its citizens because one of its people were shot. that was after the world food programme pulled out some of its workers. we have had other organisations saying they have been targeted, even in hospitals, not only is there no power and the oxygen supply is running out, no water. but also the medical workers are saying that treating people is a risk on their lives. even hospitals are getting targeted. you had the former foreign minister saying that there are bodies lying on the streets that they cannot collect. the international community cannot stress enough the need to have a ceasefire which should have happened. but the protagonists don't

seem keen on that. and have rhetoric which speaks the opposite. talk seem keen on that. and have rhetoric which speaks the opposite.— which speaks the opposite. talk us throu~h which speaks the opposite. talk us through the _ which speaks the opposite. talk us through the recent _ which speaks the opposite. talk us through the recent history. - which speaks the opposite. talk us through the recent history. we - which speaks the opposite. talk us i through the recent history. we don't have to go back to far. in 2019, the future of the country looked so different. there was a huge turning point, how did we get from there to here? in point, how did we get from there to here? ii' ' point, how did we get from there to here? ::' ' ., , point, how did we get from there to here? i:" ., , ., here? in 2019 there was a popular urisin: here? in 2019 there was a popular uprising against — here? in 2019 there was a popular uprising against the _ here? in 2019 there was a popular uprising against the president - here? in 2019 there was a popular| uprising against the president who ruled the country for over 30 years. and it was abdel fattah al—burhan and mohamed hamdan dagalo who removed him from power. there was a joint transitional government with the civilians who would see a transfer to civilian rule but two years later that counsel was abandoned and the military council was put in place. two years later,

the two seem to have disagreed on the two seem to have disagreed on the transition and the integration of the rsf into the military. they don't trust each other very well, they want ultimate power and control of the gold that has come culminated in an overheard confrontation between them and it is the people who are bearing the brunt of that. tributes have been pouring in from around the world for the australian comedian barry humphries — best known for his character dame edna everage — who has died at the age of 89. our reporter naomi choy smith has those reactions now from oui’ newsroom those tributes are pouring in from around the world. we only have to look at this tweet from jason donovan, saying that australia has lost one of its greatest. funny and

fiercely intelligent. posting the picture of them together. he says that barry humphries was an entertaining genius. and those words are echoed across social media. we have another australian icon, danni minogue. with the hashtag legacy of laughter. in the world of politicians, the prime minister of australia, posted this tribute to barry humphries and the premier of new south wales posted this tribute, saying the all—time most successful solo theatrical performer anywhere in the world. barry was a legend. we're also seeing reaction in the uk, including ricky to face, tweeting farewell barry humphries, you comedy genius. striking a chord

in australia, uk and beyond. 50 you comedy genius. striking a chord in australia, uk and beyond. so many --eole in australia, uk and beyond. so many peeple having — in australia, uk and beyond. so many people having their— in australia, uk and beyond. so many people having their memories - in australia, uk and beyond. so many people having their memories and - reflections on barry humphries a remarkable career, decade after decade on our screens. best known for his character dame edna everage. this is bbc news.

hello, it felt positively springlike across the uk. temperatures were in the mid—teens and low 20s in scotland. forall of

the mid—teens and low 20s in scotland. for all of us, some colder prospects. the low pressure rolled across the uk, bringing outbreaks of rain, setting up some strong winds across northern scotland, they are northerly winds and they will advance all the way south across the uk. forthe advance all the way south across the uk. for the early part of the week. a big change to come. showery rain is moving across england and wales, something heavier and more persistent moving to the south coast by the end of the night. rain for northern ireland, southern scotland, to the north the are somewhat clearer. we are looking at mild night, in temperatures in single figures. sunday, a spell of wet weather targeting the south of england and east anglia. not the nicest conditions for the london marathon. quite a keen wind picking up marathon. quite a keen wind picking up later in the day. that will add to the cooler feel. the really cold winds are in northern scotland by the end of the day on sunday. temperatures are down on the figures

we have seen through the last week. as we look at monday, that arctic air sinks south and the cold feeling will be much more pronounced. you can see that northerly wind is coming in from scotland, possible down even to lower levels. it's rain that we are looking at, still hugging southern england and affecting parts of south wales. temperatures are sliding down into single figures, we have got to factor in that wind and you can see the likes of aberdeen, it will feel a few degrees above freezing in monday daytime. monday night into tuesday, watch out if you have any tender plants out, we are looking at a widespread frost. calder monday night into tuesday. we continue with actually feel to the middle part of that week, we are picking up some more westerly influence to the weather and the temperatures will

come up but it looks like we could see some quite wet prospects to end this week. in the short—term it is the chilly weather we have to look out for. this is bbc news. the headlines... the australian entertainer barry humphries has died aged 89. he was best known for performances of his alter egos dame edna everage and sir les patterson. the australiam prime minister has taken to twitter to pay tribute to humphries, calling him �*one—of—a—kind' and �*gifted'. the sudanese army says the evacuation of some foreign