as a foreign correspondent before becoming one of the most loved and respected faces on bbc news. we launched the new 6 o'clock news together back in 2003. he went on to become this programme's longest serving presenter. the bbc�*s director general has called him one of the best and bravestjournalists of his generation. we will be looking back at his life. also on the programme: wildfires are still burning out of control on the greek island of rhodes as hundreds of british holidaymakers are flown home. easing england's planning rules — the government says it wants to create more homes in cities. and the uk's last open coal mine — why campaigners are demanding that's it shut now. coming up on bbc news... that's it shut now. germany and brazil impress at the women's world cup. they're among the big winners at the tournament, as they set out there stall in their openers.

good evening. george alagiah died this morning at the age of 67. he was at home surrounded by all his family. he was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer in april 2014. his chances of living more than five years didn't look good, but he defied all the statistics. george kept working here in the newsroom until september last year. he loved it. it kept him going. he was very proud to do this job. he was a brilliantjournalist, a great team player, one of the most respected people here, and he had an extraordinary career. but above all, he was a very fine human being, as his friend and colleague allan little will now tell you.

three, two, one... go, tape. at six o'clock, the ground war on iraq has begun. millions knew him as the face of the six o'clock news... good evening and welcome to the six o'clock news. ..and for his calm, unflappable authority. good evening and welcome to the bbc�*s news at six. he was born in sri lanka in 1955 to christian tamil parents. as a child the family moved to ghana. this is the road... and he was swept up in the early optimism of a young nation newly independent of british colonial rule. we knew that africa was going to be united and that ghana, this country, was going to be at the centre of it, and i think that was a kind of dream. at 11 he was a migrant again, this time to england, where his parents enrolled him in a portsmouth boarding school. here, though, there was some racism. he learned to adapt to a new culture and to thrive. at durham university, he met his wife frances. i think when we got married, we were aware of a sort

of meeting of cultures. you can see that in the wedding photos. we've got two sons, adam and matthew. in a turbulent and often dangerous working life, she and their two boys were the still and unwavering centre of his existence, his solid ground. and welcome to the rainbow nation. forjust over a year now, south africa has been my base as the bbc�*s africa correspondent. i knew george as a foreign correspondent. we worked together in africa, the continent whose fate ran through his life like a thread through cloth. so, this is where... your house? hey? oh, it's nice, it's nice. i thought of him as a kind of mentor, i was inspired by his example. he was brave, calm and kind. ok, you get the water from here and do that. i admired his gift for reaching into the hearts of those caught up in war or natural disaster,

winning their trust, even at the worst moments of their lives. in a refugee camp in eastern zaire, hundreds were dying every day of preventable illness. i asked her what she wanted from life. "ajob," she said, "so i can look after little petty." in somalia, he met a woman whose ten—year—old daughter had just died. his own children were about the same age. it seemed wrong to be there at what should have been a moment of private grief. she said it was all right if it might help to save her other daughter. i haven't the heart to count and it doesn't really matter... there were moments when he crossed the line between merely witnessing and actively intervening in the pain of others. we took those we could manage to the french military hospital. at times like this it's impossible not to cross the line that divides us, the observers, and those we observe. the rwandese translator we worked with then, seth ngarambe, told us his tutsi wife had been murdered by hutu extremists.

but he was later accused of complicity in her murder and jailed. george wanted to know the truth, however painful, and went to find him in prison. the nature of their reunion, the power of it, says something profound about the george we knew and his extraordinary talent. you're looking well, you're looking better than i thought. yes. hey? seth, can we go and talk somewhere? it's wonderful. he even charmed men at the heart of sierra leone's normally secretive diamond trading business. this is the biggest you've seen all day and... the world of the so—called blood diamond. this is something to write home about? no, this is about $2,000, $2,500. so you're in the clear? in ghana, he went back to his old school. somewhere in here is me. go on, yes... well, done! he would later say that he was destined to spend his adult life in africa dispelling the dream

he had nurtured so carefully as a child. he was injohannesburg in the mandela years, a time of bright promise, mandela in his 70s was about to remarry. and now, sir, the future, you're a man in love? it is a wonderful moment for me, as anybody else, to be in love. when he returned to the uk, he brought to the studio a wealth of wisdom and experience gathered over years on the road. though in the seconds before his first six o'clock news, there was some trepidation. at six o'clock, these are tonight's top stories... he was diagnosed with cancer in 2014. after a gruelling round of treatment and multiple operations, he couldn't wait to be back in the tumult of the newsroom. he was deeply moved by messages of support and affection sent in by countless viewers he would never meet, and on his first day back, made this small concession. and i just want to say it's...

good to be back with you. off—screen, george was funny, clever, a generous and confiding friend and full of energetic hope. there was something infectious about his optimism. you always walked away from time with george feeling better about the human race and the world in general. and that's the bbc�*s news at six. the migrant boy whose family left sri lanka with nothing found his home in a changing britain and he took this country to his heart. it's goodbye. the news continues, though, here on bbc one... i watched george for years up close and thought this of him that people wanted to tell him their story because in his in hisjournalism they saw the outstretched hand of a shared humanity and of solidarity. alanjoins us alan joins us live now from his alanjoins us live now from his home in edinburgh. alan joins us live now from his home in edinburgh. you got to know him very well during your years alongside him

working in south africa? yes, and that outstretched hand that i refer to there, the quality that distinguished him as a reporter is the same as the quality that distinguished him as a fine human being, and that was empathy, his ability to put himself in the situation of others. i watched him again and again in multiple situations winning the trust of people who were living through the worst moments of their lives. there was a word from the gloomy languages of southern africa that we use quite a lot in the mandela years called ubuntu, and there is no direct translation into english. it is about the conviction that all human beings are bound together to each other which is due it as i can never be rich if you are poor and i can never be fully free if you are enslaved. i think the values that cohere around the world were george's lodestar. i was in all of him when i started working because he was an already established name and i was trying to find my feet as

and i was trying to find my feet as a correspondence and i came to look up a correspondence and i came to look up to him almost like an older brother, somebody who success i could enjoy without envy. i hope some of the values that he embodied and live by would rub off on me. what struck me about george deeply was how he dealt with his cancer because he had more than 100 rounds of chemo. he said he had lost count. he had five major operations at least but somehow he remained really positive and calm.— positive and calm. there was an eneruetic positive and calm. there was an energetic hepe _ positive and calm. there was an energetic hope about _ positive and calm. there was an energetic hope about him, - positive and calm. there was an energetic hope about him, that| energetic hope about him, that optimism, and he was determined to bring that to his cancer diagnosis. he wants it to me sitting in the garden of his house in north london, i am not afraid to die, i haven't got time for that. i have decided to leave all the worry to my doctors and get on with my life. one thing he said unbearably painful was the idea that his life fran would be left on her own. he always put others before himself, especially francis and his two boys who were

his bedrock. but he brought that positivity to his cancer and i want to see him two weeks ago today when he was in hospital and he said, you know, alan, if you have never told the people you love don't wait, tell them. he said there is a positive side to cancer. he said is it wrong to think there is a positive side to cancer? because i have had time that you don't get with the brutality of a car crash and to think of my life and to make sense of it and to say to the people that i love them. it was typical of george. he to the people that i love them. it was typical of george.— to the people that i love them. it was typical of george. he taught us all a lot about _ was typical of george. he taught us all a lot about living. _ was typical of george. he taught us all a lot about living. alan, - was typical of george. he taught us all a lot about living. alan, thank. all a lot about living. alan, thank you very much. we will have a special tribute to george at the end of this programme. the rest of the news now, and wildfires are still burning out of control on the greek island of rhodes. more rescue flights have been laid on to bring home thousands of britons who had to flee from the fires. two other greek islands corfu and evia have also ordered evacuations. officials in corfu say they suspect arson, but now

have the fires under control. the fires in rhodes are thought to have affected 10% to 20% of the island. from there, here's our correspondentjenny hill. it seems like a miracle no—one was hurt. fire swept through this resort. not much left behind. those were once water skis. so much of this island still looks... well, idyllic. and then you take a few steps and you come across a scene... well, like this. it's still smouldering. that, of course, was someone's livelihood, completely destroyed. this is where there were sunbeds just a few days ago. it wasn't just tourists who scrambled to safety. i was crying. it was making me feel terrible. this woman and her family, who all work in the hotels here, had to get out too. when we met them, they'd only just learned their house

had survived the fire. for the tourists, it was a really terrifying and bad experience, but for us, i think it's worse, because we live here. everything is burned. not everything. this hotel, one of the most luxurious in lindos, escaped damage. but the guests are gone, and much of the surrounding countryside is destroyed. if you have seen the scenery around, it is like a biblical catastrophe. the hotel is a hotel that will be rebuilt and repainted, but the nature outside is the most important thing that we need to check what we are going to do because all of this is a result of the environmental crisis that we are facing. and all day, despite every effort, the fires have raged on, strong winds fanning the flames. it's far too soon to properly assess the damage done here. but on a nearby beach, a business owner had come to take a look. we lose the business. we are... we have good health,

and we are hopeful to fix it again. it's a sign ofjust how quickly things change. the winds very strong now, and we have been told we need to get out, because the fire may be coming towards us. it seems unstoppable. firefighters now battling to save more villages from the flames. all those who fled can do can watch and hope. do can is watch and hope. jenny hill, bbc news, lindos. it feels rather incongruous standing here. you have got tourists having fun behind me on the beach and that is what the greek authorities want to encourage, but at the same time not so far away you have got firefighters battling desperately to bring those wildfires under control. part of the problem here is the wind. we are standing in a fairly sheltered spot, but you might be

able to see it is extremely windy here and that is really fanning those flames. it is also very hot across greece and the heatwave conditions are expected to continue well into the middle of the week and today the greek prime minister warned that another three difficult days lie ahead for this country. greece, he said, was at war with the wildfires. so what should you do if you have a holiday or flights booked to rhodes in the coming days or weeks? 0ur transport correspondent katy austin is here. it has already been a very stressful experience for many holidaymakers. these arriving back today are furious. we have had to pay to come home, so i want that money refunded and i want an explanation. i've had no texts from them, no nothing from them. where are they? there's no easyjet person here. we were just moved from our resort to another resort with no kind of organisation in terms of why we were going there, who was going to meet us there. no reps there to guide us, nothing.

the only help that we have had through this whole thing has been from greek people. we've had no help from any british holiday companies or any british authorities. we've had no help whatsoever. and there's some uncertainty for people who were due to travel soon. this afternoon, easyjet announced it has now cancelled package holidays to affected resorts in rhodes up to and including saturday. tui has done similar — it won't run any more flights to rhodes up to and including friday, and it's cancelled outbound flights for customers meant to be staying in affected hotels until sunday. they can get refunds. jet2 had already cancelled holiday departures until the end of sunday. today, more additionalflights have been put on to help get people home. so what if you have a flight booked? remember, there are still many parts of rhodes still unaffected by fires, and there's nothing to stop airlines continuing to fly to the island, nor to corfu. ryanair is carrying on as normal. easyjet is still flying out,

but letting people change bookings over the rest of the week. british airways is letting customers due to visit rhodes or corfu in the next week postpone. if you can still travel but no longer want to, there's no automatic right to a refund. the best thing to do is to get in touch with your tour operator — and i appreciate that may be difficult. they are likely to be very busy at the moment — and see what your options are. in most cases, there will be some options there to rebook or claim a refund. if not, if you can't do that, if you're not booked with a package, then look to travel insurance. contact your provider if you have taken it out and see what they might be able to do for you. the uk government still isn't advising against travel to greece. it is saying if you're planning to travel to areas which are affected by wildfires, you should check with your travel operator or hotel before travelling. this is still a fast—moving situation. sophie.

thank you. so how long will this heatwave in southern europe last? are there any signs of the temperatures easing soon? here's sarah keith—lucas. i think we've seen the peak of the heatwave today. it has been the hottest day of the year so far in europe with temperatures of 48 in sardinia. but let's look at the next few days. so this is the temperature anomaly, how temperatures vary from what we would expect this time of year. the blue colours showing cooler than average areas, such as the uk, the orange and red showing hotter than average. now, we've had the heat today across southern italy, sardinia, sicily as well, but move fast forward for the next few days and just watch the orange and red colours slipping their way eastwards. so the heat, by the time we get to wednesday, still sitting across greece, could again be in the high 40s, but by the time we get to thursday and the blue colours, the colder air spills right through central parts of the continent. so, yes, some respite on the way later on in the week after another few hot days. but according to the world meteorological 0rganisation, temperatures in europe are warming up faster than in any continent in the world.

in fact, we have already seen a temperature rise of 2.3 celsius compared to preindustrial times, that is about twice as fast as the global average. so, yes, climate change certainly plays a role but also high temperatures in the sea as well. temperatures in fact 5 degrees above average across parts of the mediterranean, and those warmer seas just add extra fuel to those higher air temperatures. thank you. the time is 6.18. our top story this evening: george alagiah, our friend and colleague, has died at the age of 67. we have a special tribute coming up: george in his own words. you know, i wish i hadn't had cancer, obviously, but i have cancer, and i'm glad of the things i've learnt about myself and about my community, my friends and my family, as a result. coming up on bbc news... former england forward, trevor francis, has died at the age of 69.

he was the first player to be sold for £1 million, moving from birmingham city to nottingham forest back in 1979. the government has pledged to the government has pledged to relax the government has pledged to relax planning rules in england to create more homes in cities across the country. housing secretary michael gove said he would make it easier to convert even that would empty retail premises and betting shops into flats and houses. labour says the plans aren't ambitious enough. 0ur political correspondent jonathan blake has more. almost everyone agrees more new homes are needed, but it's harder to find a consensus on where and how to build them. the prime minister popped in to see jennifer in the west midlands this morning. she moved into her new home three weeks ago. he restated the government's commitments and said building in cities was crucial to boosting housing supply. it’s

boosting housing supply. it's important — boosting housing supply. it�*s important we do that in the right way, and that means building houses on the right places with the help of local communities, not concreting over the countryside, so we are making it easierfor over the countryside, so we are making it easier for people to expand homes upwards and outwards, we are making it easier to build on brownfield sites with more investment, and we are investing in the planning system. this investment, and we are investing in the planning system.— the planning system. this woman is 38 and living _ the planning system. this woman is 38 and living with _ the planning system. this woman is 38 and living with her _ the planning system. this woman is 38 and living with her parents, - 38 and living with her parents, hoping one day to rent or even own her own place. i am looking to buy a property, but unfortunately, there is not much available — unfortunately, there is not much available i— unfortunately, there is not much available. i would love to kind of purchase — available. i would love to kind of purchase within birmingham, but like i purchase within birmingham, but like i said. _ purchase within birmingham, but like i said. it _ purchase within birmingham, but like i said. it is _ purchase within birmingham, but like i said, it is quite difficult at the moment, — i said, it is quite difficult at the moment, because a lot of properties, you are _ moment, because a lot of properties, you are able _ moment, because a lot of properties, you are able to rent, but it's not affordable _ affordable. ministers want to make it easier affordable. — ministers want to make it easier to convert empty shops into flats and houses. they are reviewing rules on home extensions and conversions and providing funding to help clear a backlog of planned projects. in 2019, the conservatives pledged to build at least1 million more homes

in england over the course of this parliament, which the prime minister recommitted to today. but he also set a target of 300,000 homes per year by the mid—20 20s. the latest figures show there were 232,820 new homes in the year to march 2022, some way off the government's aim stop and they are facing opposition from their own backbenches. today, one vowed to fight plans for cambridge he described as nonsense. cambridge he described as nonsense. cambridge already has just about the highest rate of house—building in the country, and it is due to accelerate in local plans, another 50,000 houses over the next 20 years, so we're definitely doing our part. we do need more housing, but it needs to be spread across the country. it needs to be spread across the count . ., ,., ., it needs to be spread across the count . ., ., ., , country. labour, who have said they will relax rules _ country. labour, who have said they will relax rules around _ country. labour, who have said they will relax rules around building on . will relax rules around building on the green belt, dismissed the government's plans. mortgages have one government's plans. mortgages have gone through — government's plans. mortgages have gone through the _ government's plans. mortgages have gone through the roof, _ gone through the roof, house—building is falling off a cliff — house—building is falling off a cliff we _ house—building is falling off a cliff. we don't need more recycle press _ cliff. we don't need more recycle press releases and broken promises, we need _ press releases and broken promises, we need serious action to get britain — we need serious action to get britain building.— we need serious action to get britain building. we need serious action to get britain buildinu. ., , , , ., britain building. housing is sure to

be a big issue _ britain building. housing is sure to be a big issue at _ britain building. housing is sure to be a big issue at the _ britain building. housing is sure to be a big issue at the next - britain building. housing is sure to be a big issue at the next generall be a big issue at the next general election. the problem all the main parties face is showing enough ambition to build the new homes that are needed while keeping their supporters happy in towns, cities in the countryside. the conservatives are looking squarely at cities to solve what many call the housing crisis. finding solutions is fraught with political difficulty. jonathan blake, bbc news. israel's parliament has approved a controversial new law to reform the justice system despite some of the biggest demonstrations in the country's history. furious protestors have called it an attack on democracy and are continuing to throng the streets ofjerusalem hours after compromise talks broke down. the new law will limit the power of the supreme court to challenge the government. israel'sjustice minister said it will ensure the will of voters is respected. the bbc has apologised to the former ukip leader nigel farage over a report about the reason why his account at the private bank coutts was closed. 0ur media editor

katie razzall can tell us more. the head of natwest, which owns coutts bank, has already apologised to mr farage. now the head of bbc news has written to him to say sorry and the journalist behind the story has tweeted an apology, because earlier this month, the bbc reported that a private bank had closed the former uk played a's account for financial reasons. he had always said it was a political decision, and after the report, mr farage was provided with internal documents which indicated the bank thought he had xenophobic and racist views. the bbc�*s business editor simonjack tweeted today that the information he based the story had been from a trusted and senior source, but it turned out to be incomplete and inaccurate. today, mr farage, speaking to the bbc, said he accepted the apology is with good grace, but natwest was at fault and he still wanted answers from the

bank. thank you. the former england footballer trevor francis has died. he was 69. his family say he had a heart attack in spain. trevor francis became britain's first £1 million footballer when hejoined nottingham forest on completing a transfer from birmingham city in 1979. he went on to win two european cups there. the uk's last open cast coal mine was supposed to close in september last year when planning permission for the site expired, but it is still operating. inspectors to the site have also now found the company was breaking its licence by mining outside of its permitted area. campaigners are demanding the immediate closure of the site at merthyr tydfil in south wales. 0ur wales correspondent hywel griffith reports. the largest and last of its kind — the ffos—y—fran mine above merthyr tydfil produces two thirds of the uk's coal, but there's a problem. it should have shut ten months ago. so as we look at it now, we can see lorries,

there's activity there now. after campaigning against the mine for two decades, in september last year, chris and alison thought their time living in its shadow would end when planning permission ran out. but the work carried on. felt sick, didn't we? oh, it's like a punch to the stomach, to be honest with you. we'd been looking forward to that. obviously, as campaigners as well, we knew the dates, we were prepared for it. you had your bottle of champagne. i had champagne ready, yeah, yeah. but the celebrations are still on ice. although the company failed to extend permission, it still produced at least 200,000 tonnes of coal since september, making it the uk's largest producer. trucks laden with coal keep on coming from the mine. the train down there is slowly being filled up, ready to take it to market. that's despite the fact that inspectors have now found the company has been mining outside its licensed area. the coal authority told it

to stop, but it carried on. the council served an enforcement notice on the operator last month, but it's been appealed, sending the decision to the welsh government, which could take another year. we're in the middle of a climate change crisis. the welsh government have to put a stop to this. it has to be done now and it shouldn't be months and months and months down the line. no, stop faffing around and get on with the job of stopping that mine. we asked the company and the welsh government to respond. both said they couldn't comment. with 130 jobs at stake, closure would signal further decline in an industry that shaped wales. some believe coal will always be an option. it's not impossible to imagine that in the future, in the event of some global energy crisis, people turn back to the past, and start digging up

and using the coal that's under ourfeet. for now, the campaigners say they're left frustrated, wondering what it will take to finally shut britain's biggest mine. hywel griffith, bbc news, merthyr tydfil. time for a look at the weather. here's sarah keith—lucas. well, the weather has been drying out today, certainly compared to what we saw through the weekend. this was the picture in preston a little earlier, and in fact, in preston, we had 111 millimetres of rain through the weekend, about 1.5 times the amount we would expect through the whole month ofjuly. so it has been really wet. drying out, but i don't think you will be too surprised to hear there is a bit more rain forecast over the next few days. it won't be too persistent tomorrow. another day of sunny spells and scattered showers, a bit like some of us have seen today. if we look at the satellite and radar from the past few hours, still some cloud and rain lingering on the far south, and also some rain now

pushing on to the north west of scotland. 0ver pushing on to the north west of scotland. over the next few hours, that area of cloud and rain will drift further south. by the end of the night, sitting down close to the central belt. elsewhere, most of the showers fade away. there is the odd one for parts of wales, perhaps the south—west of england. a fairly fresh light, temperatures 8—12, with clear spells. a bit of sunshine to start the day tomorrow for many of us. we have cloud and rain across parts of central scotland which will drift its way south, and more showers will crop up. they will be particularly heavy for parts of eastern england in eastern scotland where there could be thunderstorms mixed in, but fewer showers further south and west. you could catch one or two almost anywhere. 15—21 for most of us. this ridge of high pressure hold on for a time, and the next area of high pressure moves in on wednesday. wednesday starting off dry, and most northern and eastern areas will stay dry for a good part of the day, but the next area of rain sweeps in from the west. the winds will pick up as well,

temperatures still below par, about 14-21. it temperatures still below par, about 14—21. it looks fairly unsubtle to the next week or so. some showers in the next week or so. some showers in the forecast, but a little bit of sunshine around too. thank you. we are going to end the programme tonight with a special tribute to george. 20 years ago, george and i launched the new six 0'clock news together back in january 2003. he was a foreign correspondent at heart — that was his passion. but he felt enormously proud and privileged to be presenting the bbc�*s evening news, and he loved it. he loved being in the newsroom, being part of the team. and he made a good cup of tea as well! we all adored him. he felt a real connection with the audience too. after he was diagnosed with cancer just over nine years ago, he received thousands of letters and messages from people who wrote to him as if they knew each other, strangers who spoke to him as a friend. he was really touched by your support. george was a man of great values, an indomitable spirit,

a big smile and a velvety laugh. a great friend. i saw him just a few weeks ago. he told me he had hoped to come back to work one last time, to say thank you and goodbye right here live on air. he didn't get the chance. so we have done it for him. i'll leave you with george alagiah in his own words. my life is, for what it's worth, is divided into pre—cancer and post cancer. yeah, the weird thing about a bowel cancerjourney is you don't really know the beginning and you don't really know the end. so i know the day i was diagnosed with bowel cancer, but i don't know when it started, because i was at the top of my game, i was having a fantastic time at work, at home. then suddenly, you hear those words, "i'm sorry to have to tell you, mralagiah,

"you've got bowel cancer. "