dickie bird, spoke of his loss. parky will always stand out to me as the best. there will never be another one as good, and he's a legend, a true legend. we'll be looking back at some of the highlights of a tv career which spanned seven decades. also on the programme... oh, my god, i'm about to cry! the moment of truth — a levels, btecs, t levels and as levels — tens of thousands of teenagers get their exam results. out with the police in northern france, trying to stop small boats crossing the channel, we have a special report. and attempts to bring back the water vole, an endangered creature, in a new nature reserve in the lake district. and coming up in sportsday later in the hour on bbc news... owen farrell could still miss the start of next month's rugby world cup, we'll have the latest on his red card against wales last weekend.

good evening. one of the biggest names in british television, sir michael parkinson, has died at the age of 88. in a career spanning seven decades, he interviewed some of the world's greatest stars on his tv chat show, including the legendary boxer muhammad ali, sir eltonjohn and george michael. —— and damejudi dench. the bbc�*s director general tim davie described sir michael as �*truly one of a kind' and �*the king of the chat show�*. david sillito looks back at his life. don't you get fed up of each other? oh, yes, yes. i call him golden balls, you know, now. - did you ever say, "you dirty rat?" never. jimmy cagney. orson welles. jimmy stewart. these were distant, mysterious screen gods until parkinson brought them into your living room. the fact is that you're a crowd puller and

frazier�*s not, is he? why is that? well, number one, he's ugly. his interviews with muhammad ali were unmissable. he has no rhythm, no footwork, no class. he cannot talk. and who told him he could sing? but of all those 2,000 or so guests, one always haunted him. i'm only remembered for one thing, i was attacked by a sodding emu. he's not aggresive! rod hull and emu rather punctured the suave tv persona. the relaxed i was also a

springboard.— the relaxed i was also a s-urinboard. ~ . springboard. thinking about getting tattooed. . . springboard. thinking about getting tattooed... billy _ springboard. thinking about getting tattooed... billy connolly _ springboard. thinking about getting tattooed... billy connolly a - springboard. thinking about getting tattooed... billy connolly a period l tattooed... billy connolly a period of 15 times- _ tattooed... billy connolly a period of 15 times. they _ tattooed... billy connolly a period of 15 times. they became - tattooed... billy connolly a period of 15 times. they became good i of 15 times. they became good friends. i’d of 15 times. they became good friends. �* ,., ., of 15 times. they became good friends. �* ., ~ friends. i'd need somewhere to park m bike! my bike! laughter betty davis. —— bette davis. laughter be davis. -- bette davis. ., betty davis. -- bette davis. for hollywood _ betty davis. -- bette davis. for hollywood star _ betty davis. —— bette davis. fr?" hollywood star first met davis there was a standing ovation just for being on the show. —— bette davis. the programme could in a moment swing from highbrow debate flotation. and occasionally some of the questions may have discomfited the questions may have discomfited the interviewee.— the interviewee. let's talk about nudi . the interviewee. let's talk about nudity- helen — the interviewee. let's talk about nudity. helen mirren _ the interviewee. let's talk about nudity. helen mirren was - the interviewee. let's talk about nudity. helen mirren was less i the interviewee. let's talk about i nudity. helen mirren was less than imressed nudity. helen mirren was less than impressed by _ nudity. helen mirren was less than impressed by this _ nudity. helen mirren was less than impressed by this line _ nudity. helen mirren was less than impressed by this line of _ nudity. helen mirren was less than impressed by this line of inquiry. l impressed by this line of inquiry. do you find in fact that this could be best described as your equipment, in fact hinders you perhaps in that pursuit?

in fact hinders you perhaps in that ursuit? , . ,., in fact hinders you perhaps in that ursuit? , . . ., pursuit? leg ri is also another frosty moment. _ pursuit? leg ri is also another frosty moment. -- _ pursuit? leg ri is also another frosty moment. -- meg - pursuit? leg ri is also anotherj frosty moment. -- meg ryan. pursuit? leg ri is also another. frosty moment. -- meg ryan. if pursuit? leg ri is also another- frosty moment. -- meg ryan. if you were me. — frosty moment. -- meg ryan. if you were me. what _ frosty moment. -- meg ryan. if you were me, what would _ frosty moment. -- meg ryan. if you were me, what would you _ frosty moment. -- meg ryan. if you were me, what would you do - frosty moment. -- meg ryan. if you were me, what would you do now? | frosty moment. -- meg ryan. if you were me, what would you do now? i just wrap it up! were me, what would you do now? i just wrap it up! in — were me, what would you do now? i just wrap it up! in the _ were me, what would you do now? i just wrap it up! in the 1980s - were me, what would you do now? i just wrap it up! in the 1980s he - were me, what would you do now? i just wrap it up! in the 1980s he was| just wrap it up! in the 1980s he was briefl art just wrap it up! in the 1980s he was briefly part of _ just wrap it up! in the 1980s he was briefly part of the _ just wrap it up! in the 1980s he was briefly part of the ill-fated - just wrap it up! in the 1980s he was briefly part of the ill-fated gang - briefly part of the ill—fated gang of five who launched itv�*s new brexodus programme before returning to the bbc. —— breakfast programme. there were moments, but it was now just one of many chat shows on an interview circuit. i just one of many chat shows on an interview circuit.— interview circuit. i am pretty sure that's what _ interview circuit. i am pretty sure that's what he _ interview circuit. i am pretty sure that's what he said! _ interview circuit. i am pretty sure that's what he said! where - interview circuit. i am pretty sure i that's what he said! where everyone seemed to have _ that's what he said! where everyone seemed to have something - that's what he said! where everyone seemed to have something to - that's what he said! where everyone seemed to have something to say. l that's what he said! where everyone i seemed to have something to say. but there were still moments, for instance, this candid interview with george michael, talking about his arrest in america. i george michael, talking about his arrest in america.— george michael, talking about his arrest in america. i responded to, ou arrest in america. i responded to, you know. — arrest in america. i responded to, you know. a _ arrest in america. i responded to, you know. a very _ arrest in america. i responded to, you know, a very handsome, - arrest in america. i responded to, you know, a very handsome, tall, | you know, a very handsome, tall, good—looking american cop, you know, they don't send kalombo in there to dom _ they don't send kalombo in there to

do... , ., �* , they don't send kalombo in there to do... , .,�* , .,., of course, there wasn't much hollywood glamour in the childhood of this son of a yorkshire miner. my generation was the first that actually challenged the assumption that if you're born into a mining family, you followed your dad's footsteps down to the pit. well played. offscreen, he loved his cricket, always a proud yorkshireman. one of his friends was dickie bird, one of cricket's best known umpires. they spoke yesterday and said their goodbyes. i they spoke yesterday and said their aoodb es. ~ ., ., , goodbyes. i know him for his friendship. — goodbyes. i know him for his friendship, he _ goodbyes. i know him for his friendship, he always - goodbyes. i know him for his friendship, he always had . goodbyes. i know him for his friendship, he always had a i goodbyes. i know him for his - friendship, he always had a smile on his face _ friendship, he always had a smile on his face and — friendship, he always had a smile on his face and every time we met, of course, _ his face and every time we met, of course, we — his face and every time we met, of course, we talked about cricket. and he loved _ course, we talked about cricket. and he loved cricket, and you know, his father_ he loved cricket, and you know, his father had — he loved cricket, and you know, his father had one ambition for him in life and _ father had one ambition for him in life and that was to play for yorkshire. and at the end, it was his father's very yorkshire judgment that came to mind. just before he died, he said to me, he said,

"you've done well and you've met some big stars." i said, i had. he said, "you made a bob or two without breaking sweat." i admitted that was also true. "good lad," he said, "but think on. "it's not like playing for yorkshire, is it?" it wasn't. but once or twice, it got pretty damn close. goodnight. the broacaster sir michael parkinson, who's died at the age of 88. and david is with me now. you think of sir michael parkinson and you think of the consummate chat show host, don't you?— show host, don't you? what's remarkable — show host, don't you? what's remarkable is _ show host, don't you? what's remarkable is how _ show host, don't you? what's remarkable is how many - show host, don't you? what's l remarkable is how many people show host, don't you? what's - remarkable is how many people have been remembering today who had no chance of actually watching those interviews, it was like 50 years ago, and they've been showing clips of interviews. if you think of the thousands of interviews there have been, why do we remember these? well, michael parkinson always said he was lucky, there was a special moment he said, he looked at the

stairs and sat ladies and gentlemen, fred astaire. he could hardly believe he was saying that. there was an incredible moment where hollywood stars were released from contracts and they could appear in your front room and they'd be talking. but there was also orson welles, bette midler, he would go from high seriousness to high comedy in a moment. and you realise there were all these sort of landmark moments, that these clips that are being shown around there, and it felt so effortless at the time. i was allowed to stay up late and watch it in those early days and it seemed the ultimate in sophistication and never seemed forced or strained, new thought, what is this? it's the true professionalism of somebody who was a realjournalist but liked his showbiz, liked his jazz, liked his cricket, and created through tv moments. cricket, and created through tv moments-— cricket, and created through tv moments. . , . moments. indeed, many thanks, david sillito. --

moments. indeed, many thanks, david sillito- -- and— moments. indeed, many thanks, david sillito. -- and created _ moments. indeed, many thanks, david sillito. -- and created true _ moments. indeed, many thanks, david sillito. -- and created true tv - sillito. -- and created true tv moments- _ it's that nail—biting day of every year when tens of thousands of teenagers get their exam results — including a—level and t—level, along with some as—level and btec level three grades. of those wanting to go on to higher education, most are expected to get in. but top a—level grades have fallen in england, wales and northern ireland after rising when teacher assessment replaced exams during the pandemic. 27.2% of all grades were marked at a* or a. that's down more than nine percentage points on last year. the biggest fall was in england, where the proportion of a* and a was 26.5%. in wales it was 34% and in northern ireland 37.5%. the university admissions service ucas says that across the uk, 79% of 18—year—olds did gain a place at theirfirst choice. our education editor branwen jeffreys joins us now from hull.

those differences across the uk have raised some questions today about whether students have been slightly disadvantaged by the different approach. the education secretary has defended it robustly, saying it's time to go back to normal and to give qualifications that robustness that universities and employers value. and ofcom, the regulator, said they had made sure that universities were aware of the different approaches so that no student would be disadvantaged. i started my day here in hull following students as they got the results. the relief. time to breed, often after months of tension. it's hard to take it all in. —— time to breathe. forsome, a to take it all in. —— time to breathe. for some, a time to celebrate, take it into adult life. i got a distinction! a lot better

than what i expected.- i got a distinction! a lot better than what i expected. laylor excels in her business _ than what i expected. laylor excels in her business btec. _ than what i expected. laylor excels in her business btec. she - than what i expected. laylor excels in her business btec. she is - than what i expected. laylor excels in her business btec. she isjust i in her business btec. she isjust started an apprenticeship in travel. that's good! i've checked ucas and i am iii, _ that's good! i've checked ucas and i am in. so _ that's good! i've checked ucas and i am in, so that's the next steps, really — am in, so that's the next steps, reall . ., �* , am in, so that's the next steps, reall . ., �*, .,' ., really. for him, it's off to university _ really. for him, it's off to university with _ really. for him, it's off to university with his - really. for him, it's off to university with his btec l really. for him, it's off to i university with his btec and really. for him, it's off to - university with his btec and a levels, just a grade lower than he hoped. for many, these were their first exams. she is on her way to study law. and today, dylan got his second chance. it study law. and today, dylan got his second chance.— second chance. it was quite, like miss gary. _ second chance. it was quite, like miss gary, knowing _ second chance. it was quite, like miss gary, knowing there - second chance. it was quite, like miss gary, knowing there would | second chance. it was quite, like i miss gary, knowing there would be second chance. it was quite, like - miss gary, knowing there would be no leeway _ miss gary, knowing there would be no leeway given — miss gary, knowing there would be no leeway given. waiting _ miss gary, knowing there would be no leeway given. waiting for— miss gary, knowing there would be no leeway given. waiting for your - leeway given. waiting for your results. — leeway given. waiting for your results. it— leeway given. waiting for your results, it was _ leeway given. waiting for your results, it was quite _ leeway given. waiting for your| results, it was quite terrifying. leeway given. waiting for your. results, it was quite terrifying. —— quite _ results, it was quite terrifying. —— quite scary — results, it was quite terrifying. —— quite scary i— results, it was quite terrifying. -- quite scary-— quite scary. i got distinction, i'm uuite quite scary. i got distinction, i'm quite pleased — quite scary. i got distinction, i'm quite pleased with _ quite scary. i got distinction, i'm quite pleased with myself, - quite scary. i got distinction, i'mj quite pleased with myself, these were resits, i did better than i did the first time, so quite proud of myself for that. it the first time, so quite proud of myself for that.— myself for that. it has shifted massively. — myself for that. it has shifted massively, it _ myself for that. it has shifted massively, it is _ myself for that. it has shifted massively, it is a _ myself for that. it has shifted massively, it is a national- myself for that. it has shifted i massively, it is a nationalthing. massively, it is a national thing. there _ massively, it is a national thing. there are — massively, it is a national thing. there are fewer top grades this year in england but that was expected, no easier of course for those disappointed today. but at this

couege disappointed today. but at this college it was more like a normal year. college it was more like a normal ear. , ., , y college it was more like a normal ear. ,., college it was more like a normal ear. , , year. obviously you get the wobbles, ou're year. obviously you get the wobbles, you're always — year. obviously you get the wobbles, you're always going _ year. obviously you get the wobbles, you're always going to _ year. obviously you get the wobbles, you're always going to get winners i you're always going to get winners and losers but overall, really happy, the students have smashed it. this principle says universities were prepared but employers needs to understand, too. thea;r were prepared but employers needs to understand, too.— understand, too. they need to meet more of them _ understand, too. they need to meet more of them face-to-face - understand, too. they need to meet more of them face-to-face and - understand, too. they need to meet more of them face-to-face and use | more of them face—to—face and use that as their shortlisting process, rather than a paper exercise, meet the people, discover what their personalities are like, look at their skills and resilience they have learned from this. in belfast there was less _ have learned from this. in belfast there was less of _ have learned from this. in belfast there was less of a _ have learned from this. in belfast there was less of a bump - have learned from this. in belfast there was less of a bump down i have learned from this. in belfast there was less of a bump down in | there was less of a bump down in grades, northern ireland, just like wales, uses aes grades towards a—levels, and in ebbw vale, the celebration party was starting early. celebration party was starting earl . , , , , ., early. this is the university of hull, early. this is the university of hull. how _ early. this is the university of hull, how can _ early. this is the university of hull, how can i _ early. this is the university of hull, how can i help - early. this is the university of hull, how can i help you - early. this is the university of l hull, how can i help you today? early. this is the university of - hull, how can i help you today? how ma i hel hull, how can i help you today? how may i help you? _ hull, how can i help you today? how may i help you? clearing _ hull, how can i help you today? how may i help you? clearing opened - may i help you? clearing opened toda for may i help you? clearing opened today for those _ may i help you? clearing opened today for those who _ may i help you? clearing opened today for those who have - may i help you? clearing openedj today for those who have missed may i help you? clearing opened - today for those who have missed out, connecting students with courses where places are available. many campuses are open this saturday so they can look around before deciding. clearing here is busier

than last year, so the advice is to be decisive. but it's also important not to panic because there are thousands of courses available across the uk. with housing shortages in some other cities, at hull, accommodation is part of the pitch to attract students. thea;r hull, accommodation is part of the pitch to attract students.— pitch to attract students. they are acutely aware _ pitch to attract students. they are acutely aware of _ pitch to attract students. they are acutely aware of wanting - pitch to attract students. they are acutely aware of wanting the - pitch to attract students. they are acutely aware of wanting the rightj acutely aware of wanting the right campus, the right accommodation, bearing in mind the cost of living as well, and having a look at the right course in the right place at the right time for them. university isn't for everyone. _ the right time for them. university isn't for everyone. many _ the right time for them. university isn't for everyone. many are - the right time for them. university i isn't for everyone. many are heading to apprenticeships or to work. either way, after the celebrations, they will sleep more soundly tonight. branwenjeffreys, bbc news, hull. some teenagers receiving results today had never sat exams before because of the pandemic, and now they're facing other challenges too, including the rising cost of living. elaine dunkley has spent the day in lancashire with three young people who've now got to make decisions. the walk to get results feels long, daunting and surreal for friends

sam, humaira and jessie. last night i hardly slept and when i came into college this morning, i had so many built—up emotions. anxious, excited, nervous. i need to be ready for anything. i mean, i have to expect the best and the worst. it was so scary! these are the first formal exams they've set after receiving teacher assessed grades for their gcses. emotions and stakes are high. oh god, i'm about to cry! on the paper, the gradesjessie needs to pursue her dream of becoming a barrister. don't, you'll make me cry! she got an a in a—level criminology and distinctions in her btecs. but because of the cost of going to uni, jessie has had to make a tough decision. due to the cost of living crisis and the prices of student loans, etc, i'm going to commute to salford so i'll be living at home. would you like to live away way for university? yeah, i'd love to, to build up my independence as well, and get more knowledge from other

areas, notjust where i'm from. for humaira, her results will take her closer to becoming a solicitor. that's what i expected! she's got a place at manchester university to study law. yeah, yeah. she feels grading in england should still reflect the impact of the pandemic, like it has in other parts of the uk. i'm really hoping employers are reading in towards our cohort, because, you know, we are competing with other people forjobs. employers need to take into account the background of our a—level results, and how we've been effected throughout from our gcses to now. with fewer top grades this year, students were told to come up with a plan b. for sam, not the grades he wanted, but he has got what he needs. i did struggle quite a lot with my actual revision skills. but of course i'm very happy to have gotten into both of my universities but i did feel like it was quite a struggle. for the class of 2023, the last few years have taught some important lessons. there's always another route.

just because something unfortunate has happened doesn't mean that you can't still succeed. if you make a little mistake you can learn by it to get to your goals and just keep going. tell yourself every day, i'm going to achieve this, and, you know, it's possible, you can do it. elaine dunkley, bbc news, in pendle. let's go back to our education editor, branwenjeffreys. so are we seeing the last of the turbulence from the pandemic? well, certainly, reeta, these results are meant to be a step back towards normality, towards pre—covid levels, but if you look at them, there are worrying signs of the legacy of the pandemic. a widening in the gap between the north and south of england in terms of top grades. if you look at he was going to university, the most advantaged and the least advantaged, that too has seen a widening gap. at its

highest level for ten years. and we know that next year, when teenagers are sitting exams, many of them will have suffered a lot of the learning loss that has come from the pandemic. so warning signs that the impact of the pandemic on education is very farfrom impact of the pandemic on education is very far from over, but we will see an even tougher landing in terms of results next year. now, if you want more information on a levels, t levels, there is a wealth of detail on the education section of the bbc website. head over there, we will be updating it over the coming days, and there was plenty of advice if you still have decisions to make about your future in the coming weeks. cannot thank you very much, our education editor, branwen jeffreys there. our top story this evening: veteran broadcaster sir michael parkinson, who interviewed some of the world's

biggest stars, has died aged 88. and biggest stars, has died aged 88. in the aftermath ( fatal and in the aftermath of another fatal sinking, and in the aftermath of another fatalsinking, i and in the aftermath of another fatal sinking, i am and in the aftermath of another fatalsinking, iam in and in the aftermath of another fatal sinking, i am in calais, and in the aftermath of another fatal sinking, iam in calais, where migrants are again considering the risks coming up on sportsday in the next 15 minutes... one year to go until the games, there british success in paris as beth potter wins the olympic triathlon test event. find out why. football fever continues to burn after the lionesses' historic 3—1 win against australia in the world cup in sydney yesterday. the match was the most watched of the tournament so far, with a peak tv audience of more than seven million. england will now face spain in the final on sunday, with both sides looking to win their first world cup trophy. our sports editor, dan roan, reports from sydney.

this is how it feels to be world cup finalists. england's lionesses celebrating just minutes after becoming the country's first senior team to achieve the feat since 1966. their sensational victory over co—hosts australia... it's russo! ..on an unforgettable night in sydney propelling the european champions to the sport's greatest stage after losing in the semifinals at the last two world cups. i don't think we can even put into words after the history that we have in world cups. i think, after winning the euros last year as well, all the talk before the tournament that we were missing players, we had to adapt a lot, and we've proved everyone wrong and got all the way to the final. and now, you know, we're 90 minutes away from creating history. despite being shown on a midweek morning, a uk audience of more than seven million people watched live tv coverage of the match, raising fa hopes that this can build on the legacy of the team's euros triumph last year, further boosting the game in terms of profile and participation.

it's an incredible moment for everybody in the game, everybody that's here now, but also everybody that's put in years and years and years of work. we saw from last summer the growth has been astronomical. we want to give every young girl the opportunity to play the game, but also we want to give every young talented girl the opportunity to fulfil dreams and ambitions. so we still know that we've got a lot to do. here at their tranquil beach—side training base in terrigal, england have been enjoying a rare day of relaxation after their exploits in sydney. these players have already proven themselves at major tournaments, but the significance of sunday's final will surpass anything they've experienced — this, the biggest game of their lives. meanwhile, the fa had said any approaches for england manager sarina wiegman would be rejected and said she could do anything she wanted to do in football, when pressed on whether she could want a

takeover from pressed on whether she could want a takeoverfrom men's boss gareth southgate. takeover from men's boss gareth southaate. ,, ., , takeover from men's boss gareth southaate. ,, . , , takeover from men's boss gareth southaate. ,, , ., takeover from men's boss gareth southaate. ,, , . , ., southgate. she has built a brilliant culture, southgate. she has built a brilliant culture. she _ southgate. she has built a brilliant culture, she is _ southgate. she has built a brilliant culture, she is incredibly _ southgate. she has built a brilliant culture, she is incredibly calm, - culture, she is incredibly calm, that translates through to the players, and she's a brilliant tactician as well. opponents spain, who had been based in new zealand throughout this tournament but today trained in sydney, will be supported at the final by members of the country's royal family. but it's been confirmed that fa president prince william won't be making the trip down under, the governing body denying today that they were disappointed. no, not at all, we've always known he wouldn't be able to attend, sadly, because of his diary. but he's been a brilliant supporter of the team throughout, he came to see the team before we left, and he's absolutely been sending messages of support throughout. and all england fans, whether here or watching on thousands of miles away back home, will be united in their desire to see the team deliver one more time when it matters most. dan roan, bbc news, sydney. more than 60 migrants are presumed dead after their boat was found drifting near cape verde off the coast of west africa. most of the victims are from senegal,

and it's thought they were aiming to travel to europe via the spanish canary islands. it's a route that's become more popular over recent years, but it's widely regarded as one of the most dangerous. and after a boat illegally carrying migrants to the uk sank in the english channel last week, four people have now been detained. six of those on board lost their lives. in the last seven days alone, more than 2,000 people have tried to cross the channel in small boats. our correspondent tom symonds is in northern france for us tonight yeah, reeta, a criminal investigation into two iraqi nationals and two sudanese nationals following that sink in, and in the last few days we've been here trying to understand why that horrifying demonstration of the risks has changed the mindset in any way among the migrants who live in the camps along this coast and try to cross to france. and we've been examining the

night—time game of cat and mouse, where the french police try to stop them. on wasteland close to dunkirk, the world's migrants continue to live in limbo. there's food, water, phone chargers — even lessons for the kids provided by aid agencies. but these tracks lead to the coast, to the small boats, to britain. karim, who asked not to be identified, paid people smugglers 2,000 euros for a place on the boat which then sank. he said they promised him they're going to send him to uk in a good boat. in a good boat, did they say what a good boat was? translation: big boat, 10 metres, 15 metres. i but in the end, it was three metres or four metres. and how many people were on that boat? they put 70 people on the boat, but there was no space, and they left ten people behind. karim was one of them. two friends stayed on board. he thinks they're dead. but 22—year—old idris survived. translation: there were far too many passengers. |

the waves were very strong, and the boat split up. some people fell into the water and drowned. i never believed i would survive. i was fast losing the strength to swim, but i kept trying very hard to keep afloat. but when it comes to getting to britain, nothing has changed. will you try tonight? |translation: last night, | tried, | and my boat was cut by the police. and tonight, i don't know. in the uk, some ask, is enough being done in france to stop the boats? we went to several beaches discretely at night, hoping to see migrants leaving. each time... bonjour, messieurs! ..we were immediately spotted by the police using night—vision gear. britain helps fund the officers and the equipment. teams in camouflage watched us from the shadows. a spotter plane flew overhead, and on the ground they searched for the hiding places used by the traffickers. but the coast is more than 70 miles long, and the traffickers have

become experts at moving people. there are plenty of signs of how this works. the people smugglers hide their clients here in the dunes at night, trying to evade the police who are watching out for them. and they keep their boats here, here's one, an inflatable boat. and they try and rush to the beach atjust the right moment. the police, well, they try and slash the boats so they can't be used. the police are not a deterrent to migrants like jalla and her family. she says they're fleeing gun attacks in iraq. they have tiny children, but they're repeatedly trying to get on a boat. you know that a boat sank last week. yeah, i know. what do you think about that? it's fate. if it happens, it happens? yeah. it's not dangerous for us. we come across so many difficulties in my country. this is better than shooting us, you know, shooting my kids in front of my house. that raw drive is

why stopping the boats is perhaps the government's most daunting challenge. tom symonds, bbc news, calais. now a look at some other stories making the news today: spanish police are investigating the alleged gang rape of an 18—year—old british tourist on the island of majorca. the teenager reportedly agreed to go to a hotel room in magaluf with one man and was then sexually assaulted by several others. six suspects are in custody. the saudi crown prince, mohammed bin salman, has been invited to visit the uk, the country's embassy has told the bbc. downing street said rishi sunak had a call with the crown prince today but that there was nothing in the diary yet. it would be the first trip to the uk since the murder of the journalist jamal khashoggi, who was killed in the saudi consulate in istanbul in 2018. authorities in pakistan have prohibited public gatherings for seven days in the city of jaranwala in the province of punjab. crowds of people

set fire to five churches after two men were accused of desecrating a copy of the koran. they were once commonplace in the uk but were wiped out by predators. now 200 water voles have been released by conservationists into a restored nature reserve in the lake district, as part of efforts to reintroduce the species to the area. experts say the small creatures have an important role to play in the ecosystem. our correspondent victoria gill was there to see them being released into the wild. making a swift comeback. even when they're thriving in the landscape, water voles are not easy to spot. they were almost wiped out here over the last century, but conservationists have now brought the threatened mammals back to the lake district. the river here was missing the water vole. through their burrows, they'll dig up through the soil, they'll bring soil

nutrients to the surface, which helps with vegetation. they themselves are consumers of vegetation, so they'll nibble bits of plants, leaving room for other plants to come through, so changing the plant composition of the banks. it's fabulous, being able to see those extra pieces of things that are missing from the landscape. 200 animals bred in captivity and transported more than 350 miles to cumbria are checked before being released into their new home near haweswater. most of them will be introduced to this habitat inside these special soft—release pens. so it's very carefully carrying the waterfalls down onto the site. it's been prepared for about two years, this area, but it's been kept a secret, the exact location, to protect these mammals. a key way this habitat has been prepared for today is by controlling the population of non—native american mink — predators that decimated the water vole population. volunteers will check on the pens daily until the doors are opened in about three days' time.

for a few of the more mature voles, though, it's straight into the water. and while some are enthusiastic to swim, others seem keen to hide in the undergrowth. it's really exciting. they're an important component of the landscape, their effects on vegetation, by the way they burrow and how they make little lawns and graze, but they also provide a really good food source for native predators, the kind of animals that should be preying on water voles and eating them. it's just good to see them back where they should be, returning them back to the place where they should be in the first place. in total for this project, 350 animals will be released in two locations in cumbria, bringing a missing species back to the landscape where it belongs. victoria gill, bbc news, haweswater. let's ta ke let's take a look at the weather, here is tomasz schafernaker.

it is warming up, but storms are brewing, sweeping into southern parts of the uk tomorrow. at the moment, the weather was quiet, but we have to watch out for storms bringing flash flooding, frequent lightning, but sunny spells too. here is the area of low pressure, these patterns in the cloud are an indication of an unstable atmosphere, it will producing these big thunderclouds. this is what we have got now, a fair amount in some spots across the country, so not bright or sunny everywhere. by the early hours of the morning, we will see heavy showers drifting into the south—west, wales, perhaps reaching northern ireland. the further north you are, the drier it will be. here are the storms, this is roughly the risk area, where you see these lightning bolts, so from the midlands into the south—east, additionally very strong winds for a time in the north—east of wales, gust of winds up to 60 mph in the north—west of wales. the storms will

fizzle away as they move northwards. not high, but humoured tomorrow, and if the sun does pop out for any length of time, the temperatures could rise. the forecast tomorrow evening, low sweeping by, then this weather front sweeps northwards across the country, we will all get some rain over the next 24—36 hours, and then on saturday, sunny spells, showers, quite warm, any showers in the north—west of the country. look at the temperatures, 25—26 at best, glasgow up to 20 or so. sunday is looking fine for cardiff and london, and yes, it is warming up, and it will stay warm fora and yes, it is warming up, and it will stay warm for a few more days. and that's bbc news at six. the news continues here on bbc one, as now it's time to join our colleagues across the nations and regions for the news where you are.

hello, i'm olly foster.