all my little friends were rounded up all my little friends were rounded up and driven to their deaths. world leaders — including the king — attended the ceremony and paid tribute to victims. king charles said the responsibility of remembrance rests on our shoulders. also on the programme — hundreds of thousands of palestinians head back to northern gaza, as part of the deal to release some israeli hostages held by hamas. and a rare human case of bird flu is detected in england. but experts say the public shouldn't be alarmed. on bbc london — and stay with us here on bbc news for continuing coverage and analysis from our team of correspondents in the uk and around the world.

good evening from auschwitz in southern poland, where commemorations have been held to mark 80 years since the liberation of this notorious concentration and extermination camp, established by the nazis in the second world war. an estimated 1.1 million people died here, making it the site of the largest mass execution of human beings ever recorded. a million of those killed werejews. the other victims were largely polish, roma, and soviet prisoners of war. throughout the day, ceremonies have been taking place. earlier, around 50 survivors of the camp returned here to lay wreaths and candles, and at the main ceremony, survivors recalled the horrorific events that happened here. leaders from all over the world, including the king,

were in attendance. commemorations have also been taking place elsewhere, including in london. we'll have more on that shortly, but first, our europe editor katya adler begins our coverage with the events that took place here today, 80 years on from liberation. a moment of silence for all those who perished. survivors with their families alongside royals and other visiting dignitaries, all in this huge tent and the remains of auschwitz death camp, specially designed here to remind everyone what it was like to arrive in crowded cattle trucks like hundreds of thousands ofjews from all over europe then condemned to the gas chambers. i europe then condemned to the gas

chambers. , , . chambers. i represent the children. ve few chambers. i represent the children. very few of — chambers. i represent the children. very few of us _ chambers. i represent the children. very few of us are _ chambers. i represent the children. very few of us are left. _ chambers. i represent the children. very few of us are left. from - chambers. i represent the children. very few of us are left. from my i very few of us are left. from my town, four children survived. we are also here to proclaim and to pledge that we will never, never, ever allow history to repeat itself. bf} allow history to repeat itself. 80 ears allow history to repeat itself. 80 years ago, russian and ukrainian soldiers fought side by side to liberate auschwitz. vladimir putin was not invited here today, though, because of his invasion of president zelenskyy�*s country. the europe we live in now is fractured, full of friction. translation: i live in now is fractured, full of friction. tuna/mom- live in now is fractured, full of friction. translation: i urge all eo - le friction. translation: i urge all --eole of friction. translation: i urge all people of goodwill, _ friction. translation: i urge all people of goodwill, and - friction. translation: | urge all| people of goodwill, and especially friction. translation: | urge all. people of goodwill, and especially i ask of— people of goodwill, and especially i ask of the _ people of goodwill, and especially i ask of the young people, be sensitive _ ask of the young people, be sensitive to all expressions of intolerance and resentment towards

those _ intolerance and resentment towards those who _ intolerance and resentment towards those who are different. the survivors' — those who are different. the survivors' message - those who are different. tie: survivors' message is strong, those who are different. ti2 survivors' message is strong, but because of their age now, many were not able to make the journey here today. including this man, who now lives in london. of the 440,000 hungarianjews sent to lives in london. of the 440,000 hungarian jews sent to auschwitz, lives in london. of the 440,000 hungarianjews sent to auschwitz, he was one of the very few who survived. fist was one of the very few who survived-— survived. at the age of 14, my childhood _ survived. at the age of 14, my childhood has _ survived. at the age of 14, my childhood has finished. - survived. at the age of 14, my childhood has finished. my - survived. at the age of 14, my - childhood has finished. my parents were killed, they were sent to the gas chambers and their bodies were burned. �* ,. gas chambers and their bodies were burned. �* , . ~ , , gas chambers and their bodies were burned. �* ,. ~ , , burned. auschwitz museum is opening a new wing to — burned. auschwitz museum is opening a new wing to mark _ burned. auschwitz museum is opening a new wing to mark today's _ a new wing to mark today's commemoration in what was the family home of the extermination camp's commander. he was celebrated by the nazis as the perfect of mass extermination. in gas chambers just over the other side of this wall. in

the meantime, on this side, in perfectly tailored gardens, he played hide and seek with his five beloved children. underneath the family house is a tunnel into the death camps, linking his two very separate lives. when we commemorate the holocaust, it is important not to dismiss the perpetrators as evil exotic monsters, nothing to do with us. he was a human being, a husband and a father, and the holocaust did not start with the gas chambers, it breaks down, and we have seen what hitler did and whr the holocaust. breaks down, and we have seen what hitler did and whr the holocaust did and a father, and the holocaust did not start with the gas chambers, it began in everyday homes with began in everyday homes with everyday hate. the kind we are everyday hate. the kind we are seeing increasingly on social media seeing increasingly on social media and in politics now. that is why and in politics now. that is why holocaust survivor mala tribich holocaust survivor mala tribich spends so much time in schools. what spends so much time in schools. what spends so much time in schools. what can ha en spends so much time in schools. what spends so much time in schools. what can ha en spends so much time in schools. what can happen when _ can happen when _ spends so much time in schools. ign'iegt can happen when a civilisation breaks down, and we have seen what spends so much time in schools. “iii“iegt can happen when a civilisation breaks down, and we have seen what hitler did and what it resulted in. hitler did and what it resulted in.

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he had to see. looking back, what do you think about the people, the guards at auschwitz, that kept you in such horrific conditions? when freedom finally appeared, there was no revenge. we walked away and wondered, "how do i make a living in this world?" do you fear for the future? sadly, anti—semitism has not disappeared. it's not gone. do not forget. very important. the prince and princess of wales

have joined holocaust survivors and theirfamilies along with senior politicians at a service in london to mark the liberation of auschwitz. the holocaust memorial day trust is encouraging people across the uk to take part in a "national moment" at 8.00 tonight by lighting candles and placing them in their windows. landmarks will be illuminated in purple as a show of solidarity. reeta chakrabarti joins me from the guildhall in london. reeta, tell me more about the ceremony that will be broadcast this evening. well, there are around 70 holocaust survivors, but what was a highly moving event in which we heard harrowing testimony from people who had survived the horrors of harrowing testimony from people who had survived 1warorrors of harrowing testimony from people who had survived 1war stop; of harrowing testimony from people who

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to the nazi genocide. in the second world war. and they did suffer — more than 27 million soviet citizens were killed in what's known here as the great patriotic war. and this monument reminds us of the great suffering during the 900—day siege of leningrad. but this refocusing feels like part of an effort by the authorities to present russia and russians as victims, notjust in the past, but also in the present. even in the light of russia's full—scale invasion of ukraine and as russia continues

the war there. because of the war in ukraine, russian officials weren“t invited to the auschwitz commemoration, even though it was the red army that liberated the camp — the 27th of january later becoming international holocaust remembrance day. our europe editor katya adler is with me. possibly the last time survivors will attend an event like this here, so more important than ever that we remember their testimony. absolutely, you have spoken to survivors and so have i and of course, you listen to the words but you feel their pain and their experiences, and the message they want to send to you and that is what it is so important. we have heard the king say that, the prime minister was here about ten days ago, he also talked about the

importance of talking to survivors and in the lead up to the commemoration today i have spoken to schoolchildren in the uk and across europe, in germany and elsewhere, 15—year—olds who don't really want to know about politics or think about the world sometimes, and they said with a survivor and it opens their minds and they say, i believe it now, i believe about the history of the holocaust. if i hear it in a history lesson and might not believe in. it is also making them think, some of the 18—year—olds i spoke to, they will be first—time voters and they will be first—time voters and they were talking about discrimination in 722 00:19:34,803 --> 00:19:35