a fragile cease—fire in sudan and a rush to get out 300 dish nationals have been flown out of the country and these are the first pictures of those evacuees as they arrived in london. the uk government reaches its target to recruit 20,000 more police officers in england and wales but the labour party says is just trying to catch up with earlier cuts. a leading food bank charity says it is handed out more emergency parcels across the uk than ever

before. let's start this a half—hour with the latest from sudan. so many through the course of the day let's start with the british nationals getting out because the foreign office said more than 300 british nationals have embarked on flights leaving sudan at the end of the date there will be eight flights. the airstrip being used in sudan, north of khartoum, is beginning to break up. that is what the bbc has been told, sparking fears over how long that runway will last. some of that detail has come from the most senior british commander in charge of that operation in sudan, brigadier dan reeves and had been talking to the bbc about so many different aspects of the operation from the runway to

haul full the flights are to those questions around who actually gets on. it's here in the of that interview. some other countries have acted more quickly, some countries like france in particular have escorted his people out. people are terrified. is not the right thing to do? this people out. people are terrified. is not the right thing to do?— not the right thing to do? this is not the right thing to do? this is not a root _ not the right thing to do? this is not a root race _ not the right thing to do? this is not a root race to _ not the right thing to do? this is not a root race to get it - not the right thing to do? this is not a root race to get it wrong. i not the right thing to do? this is| not a root race to get it wrong. in this type of situation which is fast—moving and obligated, i think we have to make a detailed and carefuljudgment as to where the relative safety is for people. so, if they are in a relatively safe position in their homes, in the early stages of fighting which are complicated and intense, and we don't know what is happening. in particular, we don't know who might be in control of things that are a threat to aircraft. for me that's

not the right time to ask people to move. in myjudgment, this is the right time and i support the prime ministers decision to call an investigation right now and is in line with the. the investigation right now and is in line with the.— investigation right now and is in line with the. ., , , , line with the. the former un deputy secretary assistance. _ line with the. the former un deputy secretary assistance. thanks - line with the. the former un deputy secretary assistance. thanks for - secretary assistance. thanks for being on the programme. so much attention on the evaluations on the ground, the international evacuations and british and other evacuations. how much do you worried that once that has passed what feels the vacuum? i that once that has passed what feels the vacuum?— the vacuum? i think that's a good oint. i the vacuum? i think that's a good point- i think _ the vacuum? i think that's a good point. i think british _ the vacuum? i think that's a good point. i think british diplomats i point. i think british diplomats going first created this problem of how you people to the airport. that is a small tip of the much bigger problem which is how with the humanitarian systems or even keep a force of negotiation going once most of the international community has

left? it is fair to say that the few key figures, the un, special representative, the eu ambassador, and one or two others, are staying, so there will be points of contact but there is a challenge for the international community to engage. it is compounded by the fact that this is an issue with enforcing these cease—fire. it is a difficult situation without much military discipline on either side. they are now deeply engaged in conflicts among civilians city centres, so just disentangling this in a diplomatic and security way, is going to be phenomenally difficult and hard because of the absence of and hard because of the absence of an international presence.-

an international presence. market, our line an international presence. market, your line is — an international presence. market, your line is a _ an international presence. market, your line is a bit _ an international presence. market, your line is a bit difficult _ an international presence. market, your line is a bit difficult to - an international presence. market, your line is a bit difficult to hear. your line is a bit difficult to hear exactly what you are saying, it came and went. so, i'm one to talk over a few of the latest pictures and will try to fix that line and pick up with the conversation with you in a moment or two. 0nce with the conversation with you in a moment or two. once we wait for that line to be fixed, let me try to recap, if you are just line to be fixed, let me try to recap, if you arejustjoining us here on bbc news, what has happened through the course of yet another turbulence, fluid day. these are the pictures from cyprus, those pictures from an airport through the night and this is what number ten has been seen, they are going to try to keep those flights going around the clock. the number of flight so far is for but they hope by the end of the there will be eight flights and you get the sense of the continued operation. the brigadier, dan reeves, who we heard from you shortly ago, he said in terms of the flow of people in khartoum airport,

the one the international community is using, they are anticipating getting through around 500 people a day. now, when you do the maths and you think that there are about 4000 rates in total in sudan, you can see they are really up against it when it comes to the clock and the countdown to this 72 hours cease—fire. i spoke to guess through the programme posing that question about what are the contingencies and what happens after that cease—fire runs out? and we wait to get some of the basic answers but already, of course, numberten, has spoken the basic answers but already, of course, number ten, has spoken about using other routes and the ports of sudan is one of them and if the flights stop, then of course they are going to be pushed towards using that with more of the numbers going and making the long arduous journey

by road initially. in terms of other nationals getting out, we saw the picture of a fairy earlier in the day with thousands of people, 1700 people on board, just one very, people on board, just one very, people from 50 different countries. you will see as the picture moves in, just howjam—packed that fairy is and that is just one of the roots that goes from the port of sudan to saudi arabia and a lots of people using that and we have heard of fairies being used and that is one roots the cairo roots out into egypt is another route people have been using and that is the fear that people in khartoum were talking about being in survival mode and that they will use any method to actually gets out. the dangers are so great there in the capital with the hearing of the picture

deteriorating situation on the medical facilities deteriorating situation on the medicalfacilities on deteriorating situation on the medical facilities on the ground, the one organisation talking about i6% of the one organisation talking about i6% of those facilities working. they spoke about newton in the capital increasing and that comes after all the fighting that we have seen. now, we've had a fiddle with atlanta mark mack brown, the un deputy secretary general, we have restored the audio so mark let me bring you back in and thank you for the patients and try to help us fix all of that. you were talking when we broke away about the international community and the challenges. the white house mentioned the need to extend the cease—fire. is it possible to make progress, do you think, when the warring parties still think they can win this militarily? i warring parties still think they can win this militarily?— win this militarily? i think it's difficult. starting _ win this militarily? i think it's difficult. starting with - win this militarily? i think it's difficult. starting with broken win this militarily? i think it's - difficult. starting with broken down discipline particularly on the so—called rebel side, the militia.

they don't have the discipline of a regular army and are involved in diluting and attacking and taking monies from civilians and is quite possible the regular forces are as well. so you have this lack of discipline which, i think, is compounding the situation. it's also an issue, as you say, the two sides have an exhausting their product to prospects for victory yet and has poisoned the relationship between the two of them who i thought are two ambitious individuals trying to seek absolute power in the country but there isn't much leverage on them. there's no good sense of the vlans are suffering or you won't get the democratic consensus by this outcome because that's not what they are about. this is about a bid for absolute power and there is not much

leverage on them. the core quality of the cease—fire reflects that. let of the cease-fire reflects that. let me ask you _ of the cease-fire reflects that. let me ask you a _ of the cease—fire reflects that. let me ask you a different question. why do you think the international community was caught so off guard here? we had the same situation in afghanistan. we were have supposed to have learned lessons but days before it totally exploded, no one had sight of this, apparently. know and think it — had sight of this, apparently. know and think it is — had sight of this, apparently. know and think it is different _ had sight of this, apparently. know and think it is different to - and think it is different to afghanistan. afghanistan was a long run in conflicts where the escalation of the pace of the taliban and their move uncoupled towards and was a missed but that is different where this is to people were allegedly in alliance with each other and nobody anticipated that they would begin conflicts.

these are individuals what were crimes for their earlier actions and our four crimes for their earlier actions and ourfour and nobody crimes for their earlier actions and our four and nobody should crimes for their earlier actions and ourfour and nobody should have trusted them with their words towards each other or to the international community as a hull. mr mark brown we will leave again because of the issues with the line but thank you forjoining us on bbc news. thank you. let's turn from that for a few moments and look at some of the other important stories of the day because almost 21,000 new police officers have been recruited in england and wales in the last three years, according to ministers making the announcement today. the government says it means it has met its manifesto pledge to hire 20,000 officers but the labour government says it is trying to cope catch up with the cuts it made since 2010. only one force, the metropolitan

police, missed its target. 0ur only one force, the metropolitan police, missed its target. our home affairs correspondent has been looking at the numbers. he's there in the newsroom with more on all of this and take us through it some. that target has been met according to today's figures with 20—something 951 but that's not the end of the story. this is a number of police officers in england and wales since 2010, a crucial date because that's when austerity started and the government started cutting the funding of the police and officer numbers fell. they fell here for about seven or eight years and only when the most recent recruitment drive started did they start to come back up again. as you can tell, the new officers have effectively replaced those cuts in the past. you

will also notice with your eagle eye that this figure is the highest it has been since records began, effectively, it is about 3500 more offices than we had in 2010 which is a small number compared to the hundred and 50,000 police officers working in england and wales. there are other trends. the number of police officers who have left, that is not a record high as you can see there. more than 8020 22. lots of reasons, pay, senior officers have said, not keeping pressure with inflation, pressure on police, it's a pressurised drive these days and thatis a pressurised drive these days and that is at a further knock on effect. people always say police officers are looking younger, this is the proof. as you can see here, between 0—5 years, that is a total quote number of biggest category of officers at the beginning of their career through the police. as we've heard, veteran officers have been leaving and replaced with more

junior officers so the experience levels in the police services as a hull have started to follow. this is at a time when the pressure on police is at the greatest it's ever been stuck yes, crime has fallen but crime is changed and become more complex and more online crime for example, morris sexual abuse which are hard to investigate and work with victims on that for some also, more mental health issues but he's having to deal with on the community. more pressure on police and as you can see big number of changes in police it was a deal with the pressure over the years.- the pressure over the years. thank ou, tom the pressure over the years. thank you, tom simons _ the pressure over the years. thank you, tom simons in _ the pressure over the years. thank you, tom simons in the _ the pressure over the years. thank you, tom simons in the newsroomj you, tom simons in the newsroom going through all of those figures. a man has beenjailed for 22 months for help in the killer of olivia pratt cabello, hull russell admitted driving thomas cashman in the aftermath of the shooting. russell said he was terrified of cashman and

gave his the name to the police in the days after shooting. alcohol related deaths in lives in england have reached a new high and figures rose sharply during the pandemic and it had been hope the trend would reverse once lockdown restrictions were eased but last year deaths increased in england by another 4%. this is me when i'd come round in hospital in march 2021. i'd had a seizure in asda supermarket. i'd been there to buy some alcohol. many felt the isolation of pandemic lockdowns, but for some, the radical shift in day to day life allowed established habits to spiral. i'd wake up in the morning, have a drink, i'd drink steadily throughout the day, and it got to a point in my final months where i was taking alcohol to bed with me. around 2,000 more people in the uk died from alcohol specific causes in 2021 compared to 2019. the reason?

well, the office for national statistics suggested that increased consumption during the pandemic might be to blame, but data from 2022, preliminary as it might be, seems to suggest that far from returning to pre—pandemic levels, alcohol related deaths in england and wales are actually continuing to rise. you can see here in england the pink line of 2022, not only above the yellow of 2018—19, but on average 4% higher than even the year before. in sheffield, researchers have also spotted rising trends in alcohol specific causes. we might have hoped that they would at least have plateaued or started to go down, but the fact that they seem to be going up is quite worrying, and that's driven by a continued increase in deaths from liver disease and quite a sharp increase in deaths related to alcohol dependence. that trend may continue. surveys of alcohol consumption in england also indicate the number of people drinking at a higher level of risk still hasn't returned to pre—pandemic levels.

so even when responsibility started to come back into my life, i was still self—medicating with alcohol. and by that point, it had become more of a survival. simon is now almost a year sober. during the pandemic, the organisation which supported him saw a 300% increase in referrals. are you able to provide support to everyone who wants it? no, we're not. nationally, across the country, 82% of adults that would benefit from alcohol treatment are not able to access it. and i think if we were comparing this to an issue like diabetes or cancer, that there would be a national outcry about that. we need to have more treatment capacity. we need a national alcohol strategy. the government says it's invested over £400 million to create more drug and alcohol treatment places. the pandemic then may have triggered changes to drinking habits, but the consequences could be with us for some time. kate lamble, bbc news.

he through a process it is still lossmaking despite being the uk's this airport. its financial results for the first quarter, the airport said it does not return to profit after coronavirus and reported a pre—tax loss of a of their the first quarter. amazon could be forced to recognise a trade union in the uk for the first time. a units as it is and wrote the majority of workers in coventry warehouse which forces recognition by law and if amazon says no they would have to negotiate with workers about salaries, holiday and sick pay. russia's envoy to the united nations said no progress has been made resolving the issues made by moscow over the black sea green deal, the agreement since the

agreements were to enable the export of ukrainian green and russian experts is due to expire next month. reporters were told that russia would not agree to an extension unless it was allowed to export its own green. the bank of england and its top economy said people in the uk need to accept that they are poor or, otherwise prices will continue to rise. an american podcast was told there was a written reluctance told there was a written reluctance to accept we were all worse off. he said higher wages could feed price inflation which has been high in uk for almost two years. a remarkable collection of handwritten lyrics, stage costumes and musical insurance belong to freddie mercury among his pressure treasures will go on show the summer before going under the hammer at auction. the lead singer of queen beds up a huge collection included

works of art which when he died in 1991 he left his close friend mary austin who decided is now the right time to sell. here's our arts correspondent. # we are the champions, my friend. #. in public, he was the ultimate showman. in private, freddie mercury retreated to a house he filled with objects he loved. the music world has been paying tribute to freddie mercury, the lead singer of the rock group queen — he died last night, 24 hours after confirming he was suffering from aids. when freddie mercury died in 1991, fans paid tribute at the house, which he left, along with its contents, to his close friend mary austin. she has lived there, surrounded by his treasures, for 30 years. but she is now selling

to put her affairs in order. the only things i am keeping are the personal gifts that he gave me. i decided it wouldn't be appropriate for me to keep things back. if i was going to sell, i had to be brave and sell the lot. so there is an acoustic guitar on which it's thought he wrote and recorded crazy little thing called love. there are costumes, artworks. this picasso hung in his kitchen. even the phone by his bed is for sale. # she keeps the moet and chandon in a pretty cabinet... #. and lyrics to his hits, including killer queen. # just like marie antoinette... #. "i like to be surrounded by splendid things," freddie mercury once said. now they are being sold, with some of the money raised going to charity. rebecca jones, bbc news. a woman began a campaign to grow sunflowers to raise awareness of blood cancer in memory of her daughter was feature in a nationwide

gardening show. she has been fundraising for cure leukaemia and while harvesting the seeds she sows and selling them to people all across country. now she is looking at the next generation of gardeners. she gave me those various proceeds and ever since every single year we have replanted. its significance. the sunflower is such a symbol of hope. the sunflower is such a symbol of ho e. �* . , the sunflower is such a symbol of ho e, �* ., , ., the sunflower is such a symbol of ho e. �* ., , ., , , hope. beth was at university stuttering — hope. beth was at university stuttering to _ hope. beth was at university stuttering to become - hope. beth was at university stuttering to become a - hope. beth was at university i stuttering to become a primary teacher when she was diagnosed. at her primary school, an army of green

fingered helpers were suing their own seeds. if fingered helpers were suing their own seede— own seeds. if you see them it brightens _ own seeds. if you see them it brightens up _ own seeds. if you see them it brightens up your _ own seeds. if you see them it brightens up your day. - own seeds. if you see them it brightens up your day. we'rel own seeds. if you see them it - brightens up your day. we're just brightens up your day. we're 'ust really excited fl brightens up your day. we're 'ust really excited to i brightens up your day. we're 'ust really excited to see i brightens up your day. we're 'ust really excited to see when it h brightens up your day. we're just i really excited to see when it grows. it's really excited to see when it grows. it's going _ really excited to see when it grows. it's going to — really excited to see when it grows. it's going to the big and strong. i think it's going to the big and strong. think that a school we've had a number of children it's affected so i think it's important that each sunflower that grows, people enjoy them but think about the reasons behind it. . , them but think about the reasons behind it. ., _ ~ ., them but think about the reasons behind it. . , �* . , behind it. nearby, andrea is ”lantin behind it. nearby, andrea is planting the _ behind it. nearby, andrea is planting the sunflowers - behind it. nearby, andrea is planting the sunflowers that j behind it. nearby, andrea is - planting the sunflowers that will take a starring role in a live show. we've been given a fantastic opportunity to put together a beautiful border. 0bviously, based on sunflowers and hence the need for the hothouse. as sunflowers generally, in this country, flower injuly and august and this is the 15th through the 18th ofjune, so no problem. so, we have to train bring them on so they are flowering for the show and that's a scary element

of it but we are absolutely over the moon for the opportunity. she plans to keep the — moon for the opportunity. she plans to keep the campaign _ moon for the opportunity. she plans to keep the campaign going - moon for the opportunity. she plans i to keep the campaign going spreading love and positivityjust like her daughter. we are coming to the end of programme and this and where we started with the story that is dominated through the course of the last few days, sudan, and some extraordinary detail coming from jenny hale, our correspondent in berlin and let me take this route. she tells us that our sources have told us that british forces landed without permission from the sudanese army and at that time germany and other countries were about to start their own rescue missions from that airfield ignored of khartoum and the unannounced british president has so angered the sudanese army they have stopped access to the facility. the subsequent negotiation setback the german operation by at least half a day between what was a small and

volatile window them away asked why britain had been allowed to evaporate it's britain had been allowed to evaporate its british to the mets before, how to put it diplomatically, they ignored what the sudanese have stated. there was a response denying that britain efforts to evaluate the british diplomats had delayed the german rescue efforts. so, that is interesting detail and a source of confusion on the ground. 0ne interesting detail and a source of confusion on the ground. one line to actuallyjust returned to from the chair of the foreign affairs select committee who was talking to us on this programme this hour and worth repeating because he was an egg and elderly people who are dependent on their children, should be allowed to, on flights of the uk and the government should look at seyfert legal routes for those seeking asylum. she said emma in the same way we treat children who need their parents, we should include as a

group of people who may be dependent on their children. that's regarded as early folks who may be trapped incident and those pleas i will watch again. we will continue to watch again. we will continue to watch our store in khartoum. that's the latest on bbc news. hello there. we've started this week off on a largely settled note, but it has been chilly for the time of year. we've seen variable cloud and some sunshine. now the second half of this week will be turning much milder but more unsettled. some of us will see quite a bit of rain around, especially on thursday. now, tonight, it's going to be mostly dry. variable clouds, some clear spells. most of the clear spells will tend to be across central areas. so it's here where it could be quite chilly but thicker cloud for southwestern and western areas into northern ireland and also western scotland. so no problems with frost here, but another chillier one further north and east. now for thursday, we've got a couple of weather fronts working in thanks to low pressure, top and tail of the uk. so many places through central areas certainly will start dry a little

bit early brightness, but it will be quite chilly, but temperatures will be lifting through the day. this weather front bring rain, some mountain snow to scotland and then it turns wet across wales, central and southern england. some of this rain could be heavy and thundery as we move through the afternoon. so we've got temperatures reaching close to the mid—teens, central and southern areas, but still quite cold for the northern half of scotland. now through thursday night, it stays rather cloudy with further rain at times. this low pressure system pulling away from england and wales. but because of the breeze, the cloud and the rain, i think most places should be frost free. but there could still be a few chilly spots across the far north of scotland. now for friday, it looks like that area of low pressure across england wales pulls way into the near continent. this weather fronts across northern scotland tends to weaken. so it's a bit of a quieter day and improving day as low pressure moves away. and we're all, virtually all of us in this milder wedge of air. so it's a slow process. the breeze, the cloud, the rain clears away from eastern england, increasing amounts of sunshine for northern ireland, parts of wales, the midlands, southern england, where we get the sunshine

with the milder air mass. it really will feel quite mild indeed, with temperatures up to around 18 degrees at best, but mild even through the central belt of scotland. still cold for the northern isles. now, the bank holiday weekend, it looks like it's going to stay mild for most of us, but it won't be completely settled. there will be variable clouds, some sunny spells, but also scattering of showers, showers pretty much each day. but i think sunday will see the most widespread and at times heavy and thundery showers. but given some sunshine, it really will feel quite warm in places. for a time, it looks like those showers will tend to ease down as high pressure starts to build back in on monday.

at six — the first flight carrying british citizens who've escaped from sudan arrives in the uk. it landed at stansted this afternoon. an emotional return for some of the 300 people so far who have managed to get on flights out of sudan. getting to the airport itself was an issue, you know. it's two different opposing factions, everyone is fighting. you know, you lose your appetite, you're just constantly in stress, you don't know what's going to happen. it's feared that thousands of british citizens are still trapped in sudan — and time is running out with the ceasefire due

to end tomorrow night. this is a complicated and fast—moving situation, and a dangerous situation in sudan. it is deeply sad.