so

this is bbc news. the headlines: the evacuations continue as the country holds a fragile three—day ceasefire — 300 british nationals are flown out of sudan and some have arrived in the uk in the last hour. in russia, the jailed opposition activist, alexei navalny, is now charged with terrorism offenses. and the singer, ed sheeran, is in court in new york to defend himself against charges he plagiarised marvin gaye. will have sport and just a moment or two, but i want to break a really

important line linked to sudan because the home secretary so ella bradman has been talking in the last little while and said, the government has no plans to introduce death to a lab rather men, says the government have no plans to introduce —— suella braverman said the government will look at safe routes for refugees from two down, the government says we have no plans to do that. our focus first and for most right now, and bearing in mind this is a fast moving and complex situation, is to support british nationals and their dependents. that phrase, british nationals and their dependents, that is really interesting because we have had case studies on the bbc, with people saying that they have british passports, that they have gone back to sudan, sometimes they are talking about their parents or grandparents who don't have visas and the impossibility that it has been so far to actually get them, as part of

the evacuation teens, and therefore some families have decided to actually stay put, simply because they haven't unable to get grandparents, for example, to be able to take these flights with them. but the government saying they have no plans to introduce a legal route for people fleeing sudan to claim asylum in the uk. that is very interesting. we have a couple of interviews exactly on that point coming up in the programme in the next half hour. we will talk to our political correspondent as well, so plenty more on that element that has just broken from westminster. now, i said we would go to sport, so let's do that, let head to the bbc sport centre and go together. what you have doris? we're building up to that huge match at the top of the premier league, where leaders arsenal take on manchester city, at the etihad later on. arsenal have struggled forform recently, taking just three points from their last three games with friday's draw coming against bottom of the table

southampton. meanwhile, city are chasing a treble — they've found their stride at the right time of the season. despite all the talk in the run up, both managers have played down the idea this match could decide the title. the the scene team to beat, probably with liverpool, what those teens have done in the last 6 or 7 years and they fully deserve that credit. and to get to the top. and we were the ones who wanted to be closing that gap as much as we possibly could, and we are told to toe with them. we knew that we had to go to them. we knew that we had to go to the end, we knew that after that we were going to have another 5 very difficult games, so that game is going to be really important. is it going to be really important. is it going to be really important. is it going to define the season? the a nswer answer is no. it is really important _ answer is no. it is really important. not - answer is no. it is really important. not decisive| answer is no. it is really - important. not decisive because there _ important. not decisive because there are — important. not decisive because there are still many tough games for both sides _ there are still many tough games for both sides. we have more games to play. _ both sides. we have more games to play. but _ both sides. we have more games to play. but to— both sides. we have more games to play, but to have the chance in our hands, _ play, but to have the chance in our hands, of — play, but to have the chance in our hands, of course they have the chance — hands, of course they have the chance in — hands, of course they have the chance in their hands as well because _ chance in their hands as well because if they win, they will be... it depends— because if they win, they will be... it depends on them, you know? destiny— it depends on them, you know? destiny will be in their hands. but if we _ destiny will be in their hands. but

if we win, — destiny will be in their hands. but if we win, distant gate definitely destiny— if we win, distant gate definitely destiny will be on our hands. there are three other matches taking place in the premier league this evening. chelsea and brentford go head to head. interim chelsea boss frank lampard still searching for his first win back in charge of the club. a huge game for nottingham forest too, who are second from bottom. they face brighton. and liverpool travel to west ham looking to gain more ground on the top four. mark allen is the first player through to the semi—finals of the world snooker championship in sheffield. the world number three played out a tense encounter with welshman jak jones, who's ranked 52nd in the world. the final frame lasted an hour before the northern irishman finally before the northern irishman finally prevailed to win by 13—10. allen will face either john higgins or mark selby, who are both four time world champions, for a place in this year's final. elsewhere it's finely poised, at eight frames all between sijiahui, and anthony mcgill. and the winner of that will face ronnie o'sullivan or luca brecel. it is currently 10—10 in that one, but we —

it is currently 10—10 in that one, but we can— it is currently 10—10 in that one, but we can see live pictures now selby _ but we can see live pictures now selby is — but we can see live pictures now selby is 6—4 up in the session there, so sell be looking good, domestic viewers can catch the action over on bbc two on the bbc sport website. emma raducanu has withdrawn from the madrid open with a hand injury hours before herfirst—round match. the 20—year—old was set to face bulgaria's viktoriya tomova, who will now receive a bye in to the second round. raducanu's withdrawal means she is almost certain to drop out of the world's top 100, and our tennis correspondent russell fuller has been reacting to the news. the pressure of being emma raducanu and winning the us open, as she did in the such extraordinary fashion in 2021, is enormous. now, there are lots of elements to that debate. wrong steps that might have been taken over the past 18 months, but it is an enormously difficult thing to have to live with being emma raducanu, given what she achieved and then trying to live up to the expectations of many, many people.

england captain marlie packer is fit for saturday's grand slam decider against france in the women's six nations. packer had been a doubt ahead of the game, but will now start, and she will walk out in front of a record crowd of 53,000 at twickenham with her son 0liver. packer's saracens team—mate hannah botterman has also been declared fit for the match. and that's all the sport for now. matthew, we'll be back with more later on. we will see then! gavin, thanks very much. let's return straightaway to sudan... sudan's army and its rival paramilitary force, the rapid support forces, have clashed on the western outskirts of 0mdurman, twin city of the capital. the resurgence of fighting there threatens a three day ceasefire, but much of khartoum city centre remains calm and thousands of sudanese and foreign nationals are trying to get out. residents speak of growing lawlessness, following a mass release of prisoners and an upsurge in looting. among those now at liberty are former sudanese government officials suspected of war crimes. sudan's neighbours say the number of refugees crossing the borders is now in the tens of thousands.

so lots of developing lines there on the ground in sudan. live now to nairobi and our diplomatic correspondent, paul adams. paul, let's talk about the ceasefire first of all because we know that there are 2000 registered britons in sudan. perhaps up to 4000 in total. we are over halfway through this ceasefire. just reference to more fighting. is there anything being said about contingencies, once that ceasefire is over?— ceasefire is over? nothing is being said publicly. _ ceasefire is over? nothing is being said publicly, but _ ceasefire is over? nothing is being said publicly, but clearly _ ceasefire is over? nothing is being said publicly, but clearly that - said publicly, but clearly that deadline, if you like, is looming at the end of tomorrow and i think, you know, the situation is even more stark now because just in the last half an hour or so, we have been hearing that the airstrip north of khartoum is beginning, in the words

of a well—placed source, to break up. as you can imagine, it has been pretty intensively used over the past two or 3 days, by a number of different nationalities with planes landing pretty much around the clock and that is putting that airstrip under enormous pressure. i understand that a british military engineering team is there, attempting to make sure that the airstrip is maintained and that this airlift which is ongoing can continue just airlift which is ongoing can continuejust as long airlift which is ongoing can continue just as long as the situation on the comedy wider situation on the comedy wider situation on the ground, —— as long as the wider situation on the ground is suitable. as you say, there are rumours of fighting, it is not clear if the situation in khartoum is particularly different from what it has been over the past couple of days, in other words we are looking at a fragile ceasefire, but one that is holding just enough to allow people to get out from the city to

that airfield, around 30 kilometres orso that airfield, around 30 kilometres or so north of khartoum. 0ne that airfield, around 30 kilometres or so north of khartoum. one of the problem is, of course, is that not only are the streets insecure and unstable and dangerous, but that also there are problems now with transportation and fuel, so, you know, british citizens, british passport holders who have been told to make it under their own steam to the airstrip have got all sorts of additional challenges now that they face in order to get to a place where the airstrip is breaking up. so i am sure there will be efforts to repair it, but also efforts to examine other possibilities. whether that will be escorting road convoys out to port sudan, where obviously there is shipping available and possibly another airport that could be used stop as i think this is a situation that is changing literally by the hour, causing a lot of people in a lot of capital is to perhaps tear up their plans and think about

what happens next.— tear up their plans and think about what happens next. paul, as he was s-ueakin , what happens next. paul, as he was speaking. we _ what happens next. paul, as he was speaking. we are — what happens next. paul, as he was speaking, we are looking _ what happens next. paul, as he was speaking, we are looking at - what happens next. paul, as he wasj speaking, we are looking at pictures that have just come into us of some of those british efforts with the military personnel and the people there helping to get out and to get onto those planes and the latest number on that is a little over 300, but i was quoting only a few moments ago, the white house'sjohn kirby saying, the ceasefire in sudan needs to stay in place and be extended. where are we, if anywhere, when it comes to the international community's efforts on that? yes, similar words _ community's efforts on that? yes, similar words from _ community's efforts on that? yes, similar words from a _ community's efforts on that? yes, similar words from a british - community's efforts on that? ye: similar words from a british foreign office minister, andrew mitchell, 0ffice minister, andrew mitchell, earlier today. 0ffice minister, andrew mitchell, earliertoday. it 0ffice minister, andrew mitchell, earlier today. it is absolutely essential that the ceasefire is is both extended and perhaps expanded to allow some kind of room for a diplomatic initiative. now, that first ceasefire, was broken, we understand, by the united states and cloudy arabia. you can —— it was

brokered by them. you can be sure that cloudy arabia and the us are working to extend it. cloudy arabia has been in touch with the leaderships of both of the warring factions, so there are channels and communication, but we don't know is if either side feels there is anything more to be gained through military operations, in fact each side has accused the other of using this little window of the ceasefire to reorganise, to send troops to various locations, in other words to prepare for a further outbreak. that is the huge fear that is looming over this whole story. you know, the story of the evacuation of western diplomats and the passport holders of a number of foreign countries is one thing. the descent of sudan into all—out chaos and civil war it is an infinitely bigger story and one that we could, beyond death could be on the edge of seeing and the un has

orally warned that if it does come to that, we're notjust going to be seeing tens of thousands of people heading to sudan's borders, we will see hundreds of thousands of people, and that could be a pretty catastrophic situation. another thing to bear in mind, that officials say that in khartoum medical facilities are now becoming pretty scarce. i think i saw a figure of 17% of medical facilities are available for use. when you bear in mind the un is saying that around 24,000 pregnant sudanese women are due to give birth in the coming weeks, you get some sense of the difficulties that lie ahead, if the situation is allowed to get worse. paul, as you are just finishing that fort, we put onto our screens some of the latest pictures from jeddah because we know the saudi arabians had laid on boats and we are seeing a huge ship with huge numbers on board, 1700 people from 50 different countries, so some of that fort that

you were just reflecting about the possible exodus, some of that has started. i was quoting somebody i was reading about a little earlier, saying they were in survival mode, theyjust had to get out of the capital and head anywhere and these are just some of the roots, this ship that has just arrived there in saudi arabia. 0n ship that has just arrived there in saudi arabia. on that thought, paul, in terms of numbers, rough numbers of sudanese that are getting out, what is your sense of it? and those reports as well, bring me up—to—date on prisoners who have somehow broken out ofjail? on prisoners who have somehow broken out of “ail? , , ., ,, ., , out of jail? yes, so sue on sudanese civilians fleeing, _ out of jail? yes, so sue on sudanese civilians fleeing, frankly, _ out of jail? yes, so sue on sudanese civilians fleeing, frankly, i _ out of jail? yes, so sue on sudanese civilians fleeing, frankly, i don't - civilians fleeing, frankly, i don't think anyone really knows. there is agencies have spoken about 10,000 — 20,000, perhaps more, who have fled south to sudan, west to chad, some of those crossing in the ferries

across the red sea will be in that mix as well and that full sudan could emerge as a fairly key facility, both the airport and the port, if this airstrip north of khartoum is rendered unusable in the next day or so. on the escaping of prisoners, this is something that clearly is a source of concern among both sudanese officials and also western observers because these are people who, in many cases, where the henchmen of the former president, president bashir, people who were put injail after 2019, after president bashir, people who were put in jail after 2019, after those protests that led to his downfall, people frankly with a lot of blood on their hands, people wanted by the international criminal court for their involvement in the brutal suppression of the result in death result in darfur, back in the early 20005. result in darfur, back in the early 2000s. people frankly wanted for genocide and other war crimes. they include one thing in particular, i

commend her room, who is thought to be one of those people who have escaped and who could potentially play a role in this ongoing crisis. but himself, we believe is still receiving treatment in a military hospital in khartoum, he is not thought to be one of those people who is out and about, but the fact that these people who are out, free, possibly at liberty to get back and involved in sudanese politics and the conflict in sudan, that is troubling. the conflict in sudan, that is troubling-— the conflict in sudan, that is troublina. �* . ., troubling. ball, we leave it there. thank you — troubling. ball, we leave it there. thank you so _ troubling. ball, we leave it there. thank you so much _ troubling. ball, we leave it there. thank you so much for— troubling. ball, we leave it there. thank you so much for taking - troubling. ball, we leave it there. thank you so much for taking us i thank you so much for taking us through so many different strands of this story because there are so many different strands and just about all of them are moving. it is such a fluid situation there on the ground. let's return to uk politics. that line i was bringing a short while ago, the british government having no plans to introduce a legal route for people fleeing sudan to claim asylum in the uk, that has come

from the home secretary, suella braverman, a little while ago, so let's go to our correspondent, of damian grammaticas in westminster, tell us more about this. yes. tell us more about this. yes, clearly as _ tell us more about this. yes, clearly as we _ tell us more about this. yes, clearly as we have _ tell us more about this. yes, clearly as we have had - tell us more about this. yes, clearly as we have had this . tell us more about this. yes, - clearly as we have had this focus going on in that evacuation effort, which the british government said a short time ago 300 nationals have now been brought out and more flights are coming. we know 4000 or an estimated 4000 are in khartoum and so that has been happening. as you arejust and so that has been happening. as you are just hearing from paul, the question is then about, well, what about others who are not british nationals? and what about their efforts to flee sudan? so this question was put yesterday to a minister who said at that point, an immigration minister who said that while the government did expect that the current crisis in sudan could lead to a surge in the number of people fleeing sudan and eventually reaching the uk, trying to reach the

uk as refugees, he said there were no plans then for what is called a safe and legal route, the same sort of thing as has happened for the ukraine war, where the uk government did set up a route for people coming from ukraine. yesterday they said no plans. today again, obviously as this crisis unfolds and develops, that question is being asked more again more urgently and it was put to the home secretary suella braverman a short time ago and this is what she said. we have no plans to do that, our focus first and foremost right now, bearing in mind this is a fast moving situation and a complex— this is a fast moving situation and a complex situation, is to support british— a complex situation, is to support british nationals and their dependents. damian, how much political pressure are the opposition likely to put on the government? because the bbc were in contact with the foreign office about a particular case that has very similar details to what you're actually talking about here and they talking about a review within government. does that suggest a review has been done and the answer

is no or the review is still ongoing?— is no or the review is still onuuoin? . , , ., ongoing? on that first question, that first point, _ ongoing? on that first question, that first point, matthew, - ongoing? on that first question, that first point, matthew, about| ongoing? on that first question, . that first point, matthew, about the political pressure, yes, it is certainly now being focused on this issue because we do have is all happening exactly today as the uk government is debating, has presented it to parliament or parliament is debating here measures, legislation the government is trying to get through, which is all about controlling the arrival of asylum seekers in the uk and what the uk government wants to do is to say anyone who is crossing from france by boat or arriving illegally, it says, in the uk, would have no right for asylum here and be deported. so big questions today put to the prime minister first deported. so big questions today put to the prime ministerfirst in parliament, well, what about a child fleeing sudan? how could they access help in the uk? he didn't have a direct answer on that. he said simply that, well, the uk has been giving a lot of humanitarian help to sudan, but exactly as suella

braverman was saying, lee rarity as british citizens. again the same question asked a couple of hours later, a debate ongoing now on that legislation, so yes, a focus on that, but also some thoughts going on. it is interesting, this was actually a question i put to the prime minister's spokesperson yesterday. he was giving a briefing, a daily update on all matters and i said to him, he was talking about the evacuation effort that was at that point literallyjust starting, the first uk flight had just left and i said, who has a right to be on those planes and what criteria are you using? and he said very clearly, british citizens, so a british passport holder and their dependents or partners. so you could be the partner of a british passport holder, but he said you had to have a valid passport and a valid visa. there could be discretion on the ground for immigration officers, border force officers in khartoum, but that does mean that they will

be, there could be very many people who either have an elderly parent or a child or relative without paperwork, for whom there could be difficult issues.— difficult issues. well, exactly. that point _ difficult issues. well, exactly. that point will _ difficult issues. well, exactly. that point will pick _ difficult issues. well, exactly. that point will pick up - difficult issues. well, exactly. that point will pick up a - difficult issues. well, exactly. that point will pick up a little | that point will pick up a little later in the programme, but thank you very much, damian grammaticas. just a quick point because the shadow home secretary yvette cooper is here with us on the programme in about 40 minutes for more on that particular aspect of the story. the around the world and across the uk, you're watching bbc news. it has just it hasjust gone it has just gone 3am and i have managed to get an hour and a half in, which isn't bad for me, but i'm looking as bad as a bag of spanners. dan hill has struggled to get to sleep for nearly a decade. but the problem isn'tjust about how long it takes him to drift off when he hits the pillow. takes him to drift off when he hits the illow. ., ,, ., takes him to drift off when he hits the illow. ., ~' ., ., the pillow. you know, getting to sleep isn't _ the pillow. you know, getting to sleep isn't the _ the pillow. you know, getting to sleep isn't the issue, _ the pillow. you know, getting to sleep isn't the issue, but - the pillow. you know, getting to sleep isn't the issue, but i - the pillow. you know, getting to sleep isn't the issue, but i could j sleep isn't the issue, but i could be awake again within an hour. that could be for any reason, in york at

the door, a dog barking, someone walking past and that is me then for the day again. it is not a case of going back to sleep because that is just not possible. in a going back to sleep because that is just not possible.— just not possible. in a 24-hour eriod, just not possible. in a 24-hour period. how — just not possible. in a 24-hour period, how much _ just not possible. in a 24-hour period, how much sleep - just not possible. in a 24-hourl period, how much sleep roughly just not possible. in a 24-hour - period, how much sleep roughly are you getting? probably two hours. two hours? , ., ., hours? sometimes i am lucky to get three and i think _ hours? sometimes i am lucky to get three and i think sleep _ hours? sometimes i am lucky to get three and i think sleep deprivation l three and i think sleep deprivation has massive health and occasions, working life implications, relationships especially. you know? and it needs addressing. welcome back to bbc news. let's get an update from the story from tenure we have been looking out over the last few days. the death toll among followers of a kenyan cult — who believed they would go to heaven if they starved themselves — has risen to 90. the number of people who died has been steadily rising in recent days as authorities continue to carry out exhumations of mass graves found in an 800—acre area of forest in eastern kenya —

the place where the self—proclaimed good news international church was based. live now to our africa health correspondent, dorcas wangira in kilifi county. i know you have been to this area over the last 24 hours. just take us through the horrifying rise in numbers that we have been seeing. well, indeed, just like you said, authorities fear that the toll keeps going up. we were there yesterday and we are able to see for ourselves the gravesites that had been marked and in each gravesite there are numbers of shallow graves. i saw one that was almost two feet deep, there were five bodies inside, which i did count and at the same time they were body bags in another tent. well, this morning the area has been restricted, the security minister here in kenya has declared a curfew in the ranch where this forest is contained. so we went there this morning and we are not able to get any updates yet, but right now we

are also learning that the director of public prosecutions has received an order from the magistrates�* court here to seize documents longing to the controversial cult leader, so as investigations continue, we hope that we will have a more conclusive figure and understand where this operation is at.— figure and understand where this operation is at. well, there we are auoin to operation is at. well, there we are going to leave _ operation is at. well, there we are going to leave it, _ operation is at. well, there we are going to leave it, but _ operation is at. well, there we are going to leave it, but as _ operation is at. well, there we are going to leave it, but as you - operation is at. well, there we are going to leave it, but as you were | going to leave it, but as you were saying, over 90 bodies recovered so far and those searches continue, so another leak update there from that story can you. now you�*re watching bbc news. we are going to take a short break in the next moment or two and give you the latest on sudan, but there�*s just time to squeeze in more story because the british singer ed the british singer ed sheeran has appeared in court in new york city in a trial that will decide whether his hit thinking out loud was a copy of marvin gaye�*s let�*s get it on. he�*s been taken to court by the family of ed townsend, who co—wrote let�*s get it on with marvin gaye.

they�*re seeking $100 million in damages from sheeran and his co—writer. i'm here forjustice, . protecting my father's intellectual properties. and all i'm expecting is his name to be honoured and his work- and his legacy and the fact that i want all artists' _ intellectual properties protected. we will keep an eye on that trial when proceeding start again and we will bring you the very latest fare from the court. we are going to take a break, but! wa nt to want to show the picture is just into us in the last little while, some of the pictures of the britons who have been brought out of sudan, taken their and put onto those flights. the first of which has arrived in the uk in the last couple of hours. a little over 300 britons out so far and look at these pictures from saudi arabia, from jeddah. this shipjam—packed.1700

people on that ship, from 50 different countries. that is the exodus from sudan continuing. we�*ll have all the latest on —— from all of our teams in the region here in bbc news, just a moment or two. hello, if you are fed up with this chilly air, things are set to turn milder by the end of the week and into the weekend, as we start to pick up a milder southerly winds. in the short term, though, it does stay rather chilly with a lot of cloud around, some areas seeing the sunshine here and there, probably the best of the sunshine across northern scotland, where it will remain quite cold in the northerly winds, some of the showers here still having a wintry element. single figures this afternoon across northern areas. further south we have the low teens, is not feeling too bad if you have sunshine. this evening and overnight many places dry, still the odd wintry showers across northern scotland, but to weather from start to moving to

northern ireland and western scotland and also won in towards the far south—west, so more cloud here, cold stop where we have clear skies tonight, centraland cold stop where we have clear skies tonight, central and northern england and parts of scotland, a chilly one. this is the pressure chart for thursday, one where the front bringing south rain, and another one across scotland, this weather front of the pops in to the colder air we are likely to see sleet and snow over mountain tops, but mostly rain. further south this area of rain pushing to wales and central and southern england it will be quite heavy and persistent in places, drier slots in between them, temperatures lifting a bit, where we get any brightness 14 degrees or so, even low teens further south where we have the rain, but is that rain clears away into the new continent for friday, we will start to draw in milder airfrom the for friday, we will start to draw in milder air from the south—west and you can see those colours, the orange colours pushing across much of the country, but colder air still affecting the far north of scotland. friday we are in between weather systems. i think it will be mostly dry, the odd splash of rain here and

there, variable cloud, some sunshine coming through, particularly across wales and the south—west of england and if that happens we will see temperatures reaching 17 or 18 degrees, so feeling much wilder, but even milderfurther degrees, so feeling much wilder, but even milder further north, degrees, so feeling much wilder, but even milderfurther north, 15 degrees or so for the central belt of scotland. then for the bank holiday weekend it does stay mild for most of us, variable cloud, some sunshine and if you catch the sunshine and if you catch the sunshine it could set off a few scattered, may be heavy and thundery showers. i think that is particularly likely on sunday. into monday, as high pressure begins to build back in, it looks like things will slowly start to dry out, but keep tuned to the weather forecast for further details.

so

live from london, this is bbc news. a fragile ceasefire in sudan and the rush to get out — 300 british nationals are flown out of the country via cyprus. these are the pictures as the first flight arrives back in london. it was bad, it was very bad. i don�*t even want to remember it. i�*m lewis vaugthones at larnaca airport in cyprus, where more evacuees arrive as the hours go by. —— we are expecting four more flights from khartoum.

in russia, the jailed oppositon activist