today at six... closing in on the coronation. last—minute preparations before charles iii is crowned king. getting ready the celebrations. the prince and princess of wales behind the bar in soho as the hospitality industry gears up for a big weekend. the stage is being set at westminster abbey. more than 2000 people will watch the first coronation there 70 years. you're going to see the british doing pageant, and the british do pageant like nobody else. so what you will see, frankly, will be jaw—dropping. as camilla prepares to be crowned queen we hear from some of those closest to her about how she'll cope with the role. i think she has surprised herself,

probably, in how she has really risen to the role. also on the programme... russia accuses the united states and ukraine of being behind this drone attack on the kremlin. moscow claims it is facing an unprecedented wave of sabotage from ukraine. and threatened with bird flu again, why the farne islands will remain closed to the public this summer. and coming up on bbc news, 35 goals in a season so far — we'll ask how erling haaland broke a premier league record in place since the mid—�*90s as his stunning first campaign continues. the dean of westminster says the coronation in the abbey on saturday will be full of pageantry and ceremony —

and will be jaw dropping. huge crowds are expected on the streets of london. today the prince and princess of wales turned the spotlight on the hospitality industry, which is gearing up for a long weekend of celebrations. prince william and catherine travelled by tube into london before stopping off in soho. 0ur royal correspondent nick witchell was watching. i don't have too much experience at pulling pints. one day, the pints will be being pulled for his coronation, but for now, william is heading the family support for his father. dropping into the dog and duck, a pub in london soho, and with catherine thanking all those in the hospitality sector who will be working hard this weekend. they'd travelled there on the elizabeth line, the capital's newest transport link, which with the wider transport system will be dealing with the large numbers who are expected to travel to london to watch saturday's ceremony. at westminster abbey, the king was spotted. he'd been meeting some of the choirboys who will be performing on saturday. and inside the abbey,

the construction work is complete, the seats have all been set out in the nave and the bbc�*s cameras have been rigged. the dean of westminster says the service will be spectacular. what you will see, frankly, will be jaw—dropping. the interesting business is whether you can get slightly under the visual and see some of the strength of the tradition. and, says the dean, the king and queen consort understand the symbolism. i know, because i have been close by in a number of rehearsalsjust how important this is to them, deeply felt, deeply understood. there's going to be... there's going to be, as i say, a lot of pageant. there's going to be a lot of deep feeling as well. the flags are out on the mall. there and along the route of the processions, the huge security plan is in place. as are the most dedicated

of the royal fans. celebrations like this may not be for everyone, but for some, it's a moment not to be missed. because it's part of our history, it bringsjoy to the country, - it's what puts great in great britain. - we started yesterday, and we'll be here through saturday night. by then, by saturday night, all the months of planning and preparation will be over. the final countdown to the coronation of a british monarch and his queen consort is well under way. nicholas witchell, bbc news. well, this is the st edward's crown which will be placed on the head of king charles on saturday. it's 360 years old, it's pretty heavy — it weighs nearly five pounds. it was last worn by queen elizabeth ii for her coronation — and has rarely left the tower of london since. this is not the real thing, it is a digital replica.

you can see here 444 jewels and gemstones, among them sapphires, rubies and topaz. and on top of a bejewelled cross, with dangling beads, and a monde — french for world, it represents the world of the monarch�*s reign. well it's notjust king charles who will be crowned. there's a crown too for his wife, camilla — the queen mary's crown. 0ur royal correspondent daniella relph has been talking to some of camilla's closest friends about what kind of queen she will be. one of their final official engagements before the coronation, garden party at buckingham palace. for the queen consort, this weekend will be the culmination of a bumpyjourney to public acceptance. watching in westminster abbey will be those closest to her. baroness carlyn chisholm is a queen's companion, one of six women who are her best friends and have been through everything with her. do you think she never thought this moment was going to come? i don't think she did, no.

i think she's surprised herself, probably, in how she's really risen to the role. and enjoys it. and how good she is at it. during the 1990s, public opinion was often hostile, the headlines brutal. and just this year in his memoir prince harry said he believed his stepmother had manipulated the media to enhance her popularity. in recent years, julian payne has worked with the king and queen consort as communications secretary. he helped mould that public image. you were behind—the—scenes, you are part of the media strategy. how did you factor that in in terms of her public image? it's certainly true that there has been a journey that she has gone from a sort of so—called pantomime villain to perhaps a national treasure, where we are now, but but she was always very clear — she never wanted a pr campaign. you know, people like me might come up with that ideas as to how to improve the image. the reality is she always felt the best thing to do

would be to meet people, have them chat to her, get to know her and they would make up their own minds. strictly come dancing judge craig revel horwood is a friend of the queen consort�*s, through their charity work and a love of darts. — dance the cha—cha—cha ? laughter darling, i have known a lot of queens during my life, but queen camilla is my favourite. the thing about camilla is that she has had _ the thing about camilla is that she has had a — the thing about camilla is that she has had a tough life and she has had major— has had a tough life and she has had major challenges to overcome in her life. major challenges to overcome in her life she _ major challenges to overcome in her life she is_ major challenges to overcome in her life she is a— major challenges to overcome in her life. she is a rock—solid support for our— life. she is a rock—solid support for our king. and that relationship has not _ for our king. and that relationship has not been easy, let's face it. it has not been easy, let's face it. [it will has not been easy, let's face it. will be a has not been easy, let's face it. it will be a momentous weekend for the king and queen consort, their families and their friends. 0n king and queen consort, their families and their friends. on a personal level, how do you think you will feel when you see your friend,

your long—time friend, having that crown put on her head and anointed as queen? ~ ~ ., ., as queen? well, i thinkl am going to take a great _ as queen? well, i thinkl am going to take a great deal _ as queen? well, i thinkl am going to take a great deal of _ as queen? well, i thinkl am going to take a great deal of kleenex - as queen? well, i thinkl am going| to take a great deal of kleenex with me. i am one of those people that cry at the drop of a hat. if you have two people you count as your friend is doing this role, it's even more emotional. if you want to see the timings of it all and how the coronation events will unfold on the day, we've got a complete guide at bbc.co.uk/news speaker russia has accused the united states and ukraine are working together on a drone attack on the kremlin on tuesday night, allegations denied by both ukraine and the us. a, , . ., allegations denied by both ukraine andthe us. , , and the us. moscow says it is exneriencing _ and the us. moscow says it is experiencing an _ and the us. moscow says it is i experiencing an unprecedented and the us. moscow says it is - experiencing an unprecedented wave of sabotage from ukraine. a day after accusing ukraine of attacking the kremlin, moscow suggested america was involved. a spokesman said decisions

about attacks on russia were made not in kyiv, but in washington. there was no evidence, but this is a familiar claim, that the west is using ukraine to wage war against russia. today, president putin was seen for the first time after what moscow described as "a ukrainian assassination attempt". the us denied having anything to do with the apparent drone attack. it said the kremlin was lying as questions remain about what happened yesterday and who did what. in the hague, president zelensky visited the international criminal court, which has issued an arrest warrant for the russian leader over the unlawful deportation of ukrainian children. he called for a special tribunal to prosecute alleged russian crimes. we all want to see different vladimir here... laughter. ..in the hague.

the one who deserves to be sentenced for these criminal actions right here in the capital of the international law. president zelensky also asked for more support from the west, including fighterjets and tougher sanctions on russia. 0vernight, ukrainian cities were targeted again, including the capital kyiv. here, officials have denied attacking the kremlin and say moscow could use it as an excuse for more strikes. kherson, in the south, has been a frequent russian target. residents are leaving ahead of a curfew on the weekend. a ukrainian offensive against russian forces is imminent. for now, civilians are the ones on the move. hugo bachega, bbc news, kyiv. gunfire and loud explosions have been heard in the sudanese capital khartoum, despite attempts to bring

in a new seven day ceasefire. aid agencies are struggling to get much needed humanitarian aid into the country, amid warnings of an unfolding catastrophe. almost 2500 british nationals have been flown to safety and evacuation flights, according to the latest figures from the foreign office. at some are still trapped. paul adams is monitoring the situation from nairobi. i spoke to someone in khartoum this afternoon. he had to go and sit in his car, in a quiet side street, because he was simply too afraid to stay at home. he sent me a short video of the sounds reverberating around his neighbourhood. it was, frankly, terrifying. there was absolutely no sign of the new ceasefire. it seems just as meaningless as the ones that came before. and all of that, of course, is hampering the relief effort. martyn griffiths, the us humanitarian chief, said he fears

that the two general is leading the battle are more intent on fighting than sitting down and talking. that has to change, he said, because otherwise aid simply cannot reach the places where it is needed. you mentioned the british evacuation effort. well, that is now over. and the temporary consular office set up in portadown on the red sea coast has been closed due to what the government described as a changing security environment. but that has left plenty of people, british nationals, dual passport holders, desperately trying to get out. many say they have followed the foreign office advice, only to find out they 0ffice advice, only to find out they have been disqualified for one reason or another. there were chaotic scenes at port sudan this morning, when people realise no more help was available. some of the stories they have been telling, frankly, rather distressing. paul, thank yom _ the polls are open in local elections across england. voters will decide who runs services in 230 local councils,

with around 8,000 seats and four mayoral posts up for grabs. for the first time, people voting in england will need to show a valid photo id before casting their ballot at polling stations. passports, driving licences, older or disabled person's bus passes are among the forms of identification that will be accepted. there's been a sharp rise in measles in england, with 49 cases diagnosed since january. doctors are urging parents to make sure that children have had their full mmr vaccinations as protection against measles, which spreads easily. in rare cases, it can cause lifelong disability or death. a metropolitan police officer accused of unlawfully tasered ring a man while he was climbing on a wall has told a court he was acting in self—defence. the man left paralysed

from the waist down. police will footage relating to the incident was played in court today. he denies causing grievous bodily harm unlawfully. i5 causing grievous bodily harm unlawfully-— causing grievous bodily harm unlawfull. , , ., , ., unlawfully. is three years to the da since unlawfully. is three years to the day since the — unlawfully. is three years to the day since the pc _ unlawfully. is three years to the day since the pc fired _ unlawfully. is three years to the day since the pc fired his - unlawfully. is three years to the day since the pc fired his taser, and jordan walker brown suffered life changing injuries that left him in a wheelchair. he was in court to see the office are going to the witness box. pc mehmood described how he was part of a police patrol in haringey in north london at the start of the first lockdown, they saw start of the first lockdown, they sanordan walker brown going down the street. he said he was suspicious of him because he was wearing a small bag around his waist and did not appear to be out for exercise or shocking go shopping. he and a colleague began following him and a colleague began following him and ordered him to stop. jordan

walker brown ran off, the officers began chasing him. jordan walker brown climbed onto a wheelie bin and then onto a wall, this is one the officer discharged his taser. jordan walker brown onto concrete below. this evening, the officer left court surrounded by colleagues, having told the jury that when he fired his taser, he says he was acting in self defence, because he said jordan walker brown moved toward some on the wall. he said he believed that he was carrying a weapon and could have attacked him. ailtlur he was carrying a weapon and could have attacked him.— have attacked him. our top story... gettin: have attacked him. our top story... getting ready _ have attacked him. our top story... getting ready for — have attacked him. our top story... getting ready for a _ have attacked him. our top story... getting ready for a weekend - have attacked him. our top story... getting ready for a weekend of - getting ready for a weekend of celebrations. the prince and princess of wales behind the bar in soho as the hospitality industry gets ready for coronation weekend. coming up, former criminal convicted in connection with the attack on the us capitol in 2022. coming up on bbc news, naples has waited 33 years and since the days

of diego maradona, but only a point stands between them, napoli, and a famous italian title and what are likely to be celebrations to match. the fame islands — off the coast of northumberland — are to stay closed until the end of the summer after more cases of bird flu were detected there. an outbreak there last year left more than 6,000 birds dead. now seabirds are returning for this year's breeding season. but visitors won't be able to land there until at least the end of august. 0ur north of england correspondent fiona trott reports. for centuries, it's been a sacred space for seabirds. around 200,000 live here, but now, for a second season, they're in danger. bird flu has been confirmed again. reasonably concerned that this year could turn into exactly the same thing as last year.

and so far we've seen 30—a0 carcasses on these islands, and we've sent away samples and we've had three positive samples. and we are very eager to try and limit access, try and limit disturbance. we're the last ones to set foot on inner farne until at least august this year, and this is as close as we can get. this and the other farne islands have been shut down to members of the public so that rangers can work desperately hard to protect these rare species. and it is hard. last year, they collected 6000 carcasses. the national trust called it "an unprecedented wildlife tragedy". today, by keeping the islands off limits, rangers can test and monitor the population and limit any disturbance to encourage birds to breed. that's important for species like the puffin — already threatened by climate

change, they say, and lay only one egg year. they're a huge attraction for visitors, but the restrictions mean birds can only be spotted from out at sea. these were our bookings for today. look, there was 20 passengers on the morning one... at the start of the holiday season, that's a concern for business owners like william. i mean, we're hoping that the bird flu will not escalate too much. i mean, we're still planning on the islands, we're still doing more trips around and within a few metres of the birds from the boat. viewing the seabirds on the cliffs. fingers crossed it doesn't escalate too much because the village here relies on the economy, the tourism. so hopefully it'll work itself out. the government says it understands the impact on businesses and the community in places like the farnes and is continuing to keep the outbreak in wild birds under review. in the meantime, these islands will remain off—limits to give these

species the best chance of survival. fiona trott, bbc news, northumberland. four members of a far—right group have been found guilty of seditious conspiracy — plotting to overthrow the government — for their roles in the us capitol riot in 2021. they plotted to keep donald trump in power after his election defeat by leading a violent mob in a attacking the capital. barbara plett usher reports from washington. we're all proud boys!

enrique tarrio, leader of the proud boys, rallying his troops in washington weeks before the attack on the capitol. today, he was found guilty of seditious conspiracy, the ringleader of a plot to halt the peaceful transfer of power. be advised, there's probably about 300 proud boys. - they're marching eastbound - towards the united states capitol. the prosecution said the proud boys saw themselves as donald trump's foot soldiers, spearheading the fight to keep him in office, believing he'd put them on notice months earlier. proud boys, stand back and stand by... more than 300 people who took part in the capitol riots have already been sentenced, but the four proud boys convicted today faced the most serious charges, planning and leading the attack. they were accused of being at the forefront of breaking through police lines and launching the breach of the capitol building. court documents said the defendants belong to a small group of men hand—picked by tarrio to carry out proud boys actions at the capitol. they called themselves the ministry of self—defense. their group chats formed the bulk of the evidence against them. i don't need to be in dc to keep the fight going. enrique tarrio wasn't actually in washington that day. ajudge had ordered him to leave for committing a different offence, so he watched from a hotel room outside dc. guiding the riot from afar, said the prosecution, then taking credit for on social media. "make no mistake," he

posted, "we did this." we're going to walk down to the capitol! the defence argued that donald trump was to blame, that his words and anger inspired the proud boys. and that there was no preplanned conspiracy, the riot happened on the spur of the moment. it's significant that enrique tarrio was convicted even though he wasn't at the capitol. that could strengthen the case against donald trump because neither was he. this decision means that people who didn't participate in the rioting can be held criminally accountable. a special counsel is currently investigating whether the former president should face criminal charges himself. barbara plett usher, bbc news, washington. now a look at some other stories making the news today... the israeli army says its forces have killed two palestinian gunmen accused of killing a british—israeli woman and her two daughters in

the occupied west bank last month. a third militant who had been allegedly helping the two gunmen was also killed in the raid in nablus. they were travelling to a passover event. the british singer songwriter ed sheeran had denied stealing elements of the marvin gaye song for his worldwide hit. airs of gaye and his worldwide hit. airs of gaye and his copyright claim the other money and ed sheeran won similar court case in london of his 2017 hit shape of you. quarterly profits of £7.6 billion, higher than the same figures last year, for shell, despite a drop in energy prices. they said this was boosted by strong trading in its

chemicals and refined products business. and it hasjust chemicals and refined products business. and it has just been announced by the rmt union that rarely workers have voted in favour of further strike action in a new ballot as part of the long running dispute with train operating companies —— railway workers had voted. let's go back to the coronation now, and at its heart it remains a traditional christian service — but it will look very different to any coronation before with other faiths also represented. 0ur religion editor aleem maqbool has been talking to some of those playing key roles on the day. he was just four years old when he watched his mother being crowned. at his own coronation service, much will stay the same as it has done for centuries, but there will be striking changes. the gauntlet that'll be presented to the king on saturday is the same one given to his grandfather, george vi, back in 1937. but in a break from the past, the man presenting the gauntlet will be for the first time a non—christian, 90—year—old lord indarjit singh. and he won't be the only representative of other faiths.

there's four of us from different religions presenting things. this is like the magi coming to the infantjesus bearing gifts. a sikh, a muslim, ajew, a hindu, all presenting together, and lots of other diversity in the service as well. what impact do you think that will have more widely? i think it will send out a very important message, a reminder that we are a multi—religious, multicultural society. and the respect that is given there to other faiths is official recognition of that. it's a reflection of the king himself, a man who for years has made it his business to try to learn about other faiths... ..and interact with people of diverse religious backgrounds here. but of course, the service on saturday is deeply rooted in christian tradition.

former bishop of london lord richard chartres is a friend of the king's and has known him since university. he'll also have a role on the day and feels the sacred nature of the coronation will have an impact on the man at its centre. the king has had a lot of time to ponder the burdens as well as the privileges of leading in this particular way. i think that it's going to be a very profound and weighty moment for him. as someone who's known the king for many years now, how could you perhaps characterise the depth of the king's faith? he is somebody who meditates, who goes on retreats. he is a person of great spiritual curiosity and has, from the basis of his own very profound faith, entered into the faith journeys of others.

0n the day itself, it is the archbishop of canterbury who will lead to proceedings. he has, of course, been in regular touch with the king. so, how is he? he is exactly as you see him. he is calm and thoughtful, and prayerful. he realises the importance of the service. and he and the queen are great listeners. so when we have discussion about individual parts of the service, there's a very careful, thoughtful process of arriving at what we've arrived at. the notion a monarch is chosen and anointed by god has always been the focus of the coronation. but around that central theme this time, there will still be historic

firsts to look out for. aleem maqbool, bbc news. hundreds of thousands of people are expected to line the route of the procession to and from westminster abbey. it's only a shortjourney down the mall and along whitehall. and people are already camping out to get the best viewpoints. 0ur royal correspondent sarah campbell reports. the route will be a familiar one, past some of london's most famous landmarks. and for the king and queen consort, the most significant 1.3 miles they will ever travel. along the way, the flags have been raised and finishing touches added for a ceremonial event not seen in this country for seven decades. on saturday morning, 4,000 specially invited veterans, nhs and social care workers seated here will get the first glimpse of the king and the queen consort

as they depart buckingham palace through the centre gates at 10:20. the couple will travel in the diamond jubilee state coach. its electric windows, air conditioning and hydraulic stabilisers should make for a bump—free, comfyjourney. there will be space for tens of thousands of people to pack the pavements and watch as the processions pass by. but the advice is to get here early, not least because people are already camping out to make sure they're at the front. in terms of public transport, there will be alterations and closures, so check before you travel. the king's procession, complete with military escort, will head up the mall through admiralty arch, then will pass along the south side of trafalgar square, down whitehall, around parliament square and finishing at the abbey, arriving just before 11:00. this has been the location for coronations since 1066. king charles�*s will take around two hours. and so not long after 1:00, the coronation procession back to buckingham palace will begin. just as queen elizabeth did in 1953,

the newly crowned king and queen will travel in the gold state coach. 70 years ago, the late queen's return trip was more than four miles long, taking in oxford street and regent street. on saturday, the couple will return the way they came, along whitehall and the mall. it will, however, be a much grander procession back, involving 4,000 service personnel. once the procession is over, the mall will be reopened, allowing the crowds to surge forward. at 2:30, the raf will perform the coronation fly—past with the king and the queen watching on from the buckingham palace balcony. sarah campbell, bbc news. we will have to hope for some good

weather. stav is here. laughter don't look at me like that! the bank holiday weekend... if you are watching, good evening. after the high pressure over the last couple of days fine weather and that is starting to retreat and then pressure is taking over so it will start to make things more unsettled. it won't be raining all the time over the next few days but there will be rain followed by showers, some of which will be heavy and heavy and thundery. and that is what we have moving north at the moment, rain into wales, south—west england, possibly heavy and thundery showers into south—east england and this will all trundle northwards tonight. it is most of scotland, northern ireland and apart from the far north of scotland where it stays quite chilly. it will be milderfurther south. this is friday. showery rain and cloud across scotland and northern ireland moving north. in england and wales we will see the sunshine break through and that will set off a rash of heavy showers, some thundery as well, and heavy showers also developing into southern scotland. still chilly in

the north—east of scotland but elsewhere