lam i am live in new delhi with the parliamentjust behind me, these elections are about you is going to be prime minister but also who is going to work back there. and taylor swift fans are in for a double treat — as she releases two sets of songs about her love life. hello, i'm matthew amroliwala, welcome to verified live. israel appears to have carried out a limited strike on iran — in response to tehran�*s attack on israel last week. iranian state media said, explosions were heard over the city of isfahan, which it said, were iranian air defences hitting three drones. these are the pictures from isfahan, showing the apparent israeli strike. israel has not officially confirmed, that it was responsible. the international atomic agency says, there's been no damage

to sites associated with iran's nuclear programme in the area. an iranian official said, there were no plans for further retaliation against israel. one minister — in benjamin netanyahu's government — described the israeli action as "lame". iran's state broadcaster irib downplayed reports of an attack. let's hear how the news was broken. translation: reliable sources emphasise that all nuclear - facilities and military centres in isfahan and all parts of the country are completely secure and no incident has occurred at these facilities and centres. the us secretary of state antony blinken is at the summit of g7 foreign ministers. he said his focus remains on de—escalation. let me simply first of all repeat what our focus has been and what it remains. de—escalation and avoiding conflict, and so, yes,

calling on all concerned to exercise restraint. that is what we have been doing over the last couple of weeks, and, as necessary, that is what we will continue to do. again, that is reflected in the statement that you will see coming from all of the g7 countries. on rafah. we have been very clear about this. president biden has been very clear about this. we cannot support a major military operation in rafah. first, there are currently somewhere around 1.4 million people in rafah, many of them displaced from other parts of gaza, in the first instance it is imperative that people are able to get out of the way of any conflict, and doing that, getting people out of harm's way, is a monumental task for which we have yet to see a plan. and not only getting them out of harm's way, making sure that they can be supported with humanitarian assistance if they are out of harm's way. but second, even if people

are largely out of harm's way, inevitably there is going to remain a pretty significant civilian population in rafah, and we believe that a major military operation with a large presence of a civilian population would have terrible consequences for that population. we are committed, as israel is, to ensuring that gaza cannot be in a moment i will speak live to wyre davies injerusalem and nomia iqbal in washington but first lets speak to sivoush ardalan of the bbc persian in the newsroom. siavash ardalan, tell me first of all more about what was actually targeted here and want the iranian regime has been saying. weill. targeted here and want the iranian regime has been saying.— regime has been saying. well, we have no solid _ regime has been saying. well, we have no solid proof— regime has been saying. well, we have no solid proof or _ regime has been saying. well, we have no solid proof or evidence i regime has been saying. well, we have no solid proof or evidence of| have no solid proof or evidence of exactly what this attack consisted of. we had an unnamed us officials telling us they and the us media that israel has launched a missile and hit iran's military bases in the

city of isfahan which is home to a fleet of iran's fighterjets. no images on social media, no news confirms that as yet. so if that happened, we have no solid proof for it. what the iranians have confirmed is the shooting down of three israeli drones which they say originated from inside iranians soil. so they described these drones as quadro copters which have only four blades, very small drones with a short range but they acknowledged that it was fired from inside of iran and they said they shot down, hence the sound of loud explosions which was heard early in the morning by irradiance. that is as far as the iranians have said, giving them enough to both downplay the attack and to scale back their threats of retaliation, which was voted in very bombastic language yesterday when

top military commanders, one after another, were threatening israel with massive retaliation should it launch a significant response against iran.— launch a significant response aaainstlran. �*, . ., against iran. let's head straight to washington _ against iran. let's head straight to washington and _ against iran. let's head straight to washington and speak— against iran. let's head straight to washington and speak to - against iran. let's head straight to washington and speak to our - washington and speak to our correspondent who is there. we will be with wiwa davis in a moment or two. let me bring you in first, what is the administration say because a lot of the details we have just heard being distributed by us officials. , . , officials. they are very tight-lipped. - officials. they are very tight-lipped, quite - officials. they are very - tight-lipped, quite simply, officials. they are very _ tight-lipped, quite simply, matthew. tight—lipped, quite simply, matthew. the most we got there was from the secretary of state antony blinken and the key word to use their web restraint and de—escalation. and thatis restraint and de—escalation. and that is actually the main message that is actually the main message that president biden has been giving to israel ever since the attack by iran last weekend. he and other world leaders have been urging mr netanyahu and the israeli government to not retaliate in such a way that it would inflame a wider war in the middle east. and there were some reports he had not suggested that if

israel had reacted in the sort of big away which certainly some members of the israeli government wanted the country too, that mr biden would not have been able to support israel on that. yesterday the us imposed a round of sanctions on iran. iran is already hugely sanctioned anyway, but this was aimed at the missile and drone programme that iran used in those attacks. and it was also aimed at isolating the islamic republic, even more globally, but i think it was also a message by the us to israel to say, look, we can punish iran in this way, you do not have to do it in this big military way. we have yet to hear from in this big military way. we have yet to hearfrom president biden, he is on the campaign trail later on this afternoon but i suspect that he will be breathing a sigh of relief that whilst tensions of course will not disappear between iran and israel, the risk of an immediate escalation has been lowered for the moment. ., , , escalation has been lowered for the moment. ., , _ ., ~ ,,

escalation has been lowered for the moment. ., , _ ., ~ . moment. nobby, thank you so much. let's no moment. nobby, thank you so much. let's go now— moment. nobby, thank you so much. let's go now to _ moment. nobby, thank you so much. let's go now to jerusalem _ moment. nobby, thank you so much. let's go now to jerusalem to - moment. nobby, thank you so much. let's go now to jerusalem to our- let's go now tojerusalem to our correspondence there. what has been said they're publicly about this? very little, if anything at all. the only comment he has come from a far right wing member of the israeli government, the security minister who called the action last night if it was carried out by israel in a hebrew word something along the lines are lame and pathetic. that was criticised by other members of the government as discrediting israel internationally. we are starting the jewish israel internationally. we are starting thejewish sabbath and i about to enter a week of religious holidays with passover, so i don't think we are going to hear or see any official confirmation from the israeli government. ambiguity is often the way that israel likes to do things, can assume there was an israeli strike somewhere in iran last night but that is exactly what israel had promised after the launch of 300 projectiles towards israel by iran last saturday. the hope is of course around the region that the

jordanians have called unrestrained by both sides and the hope is that this will draw a line under this particular spat between israel and iran. we have still got the war in gaza, the six month war, to contend with. as antony blinken pointed out, there is the impending israeli assault on rafa which again the israeli government has promised and the international community is very worried about the humanitarian situation worsening in rafa if and when that assault on southern gas begins. perhaps the focus i think now in israel and the occupied palestinian territories might switch towards again what is happening in gaza and that perhaps this dangerous spat between israel and iran which did result in direct fire between both sides will for the time he had been done with. let both sides will for the time he had been done with.— both sides will for the time he had been done with. let me say on that oint been done with. let me say on that point because _ been done with. let me say on that point because there _ been done with. let me say on that point because there has _ been done with. let me say on that point because there has been - been done with. let me say on that point because there has been some suggestion that benjamin netanyahu agreed to a restrained approach year towards iran in return for being allowed to go ahead with the rafa

plan. what has been said there about that sort of suggestion? lats plan. what has been said there about that sort of suggestion?— that sort of suggestion? lots of suggestion. _ that sort of suggestion? lots of suggestion, but _ that sort of suggestion? lots of suggestion, but absolutely - that sort of suggestion? lots of suggestion, but absolutely no l suggestion, but absolutely no official confirmation or otherwise. it does appear at times to be highly choreographed, as brutal as that might seem. of course when israel was attacked last saturday night the international community had urged israel to take no retaliation at all against iran, and to take the win, asjoe biden put it. but it became pretty clear when david cameron, the uk foreign secretary, was he at the start of the week that israel was bent on doing some sort of retaliatory action. that was a plan that was postponed at least twice during the week, we understand, but now if it had happened last night it does appear to have been a very limited response. israel is maintaining perhaps separately that it will do what it needs to do what it will do what it needs to do what it feels it has to do in rafah, in southern gaza, because it maintains that the war against hamas in gaza would not be brought to an end and

hamas would not cease to be a threat to israel until it is defeated completely. of course that does leave two points outstanding, the humanitarian situation in southern gaza where there are well over one and a half million people living in desperate situations, what happens to them if there is an all—out assault? event there is the fate of the israeli hostages, about 130 hostages, probably100 the israeli hostages, about 130 hostages, probably 100 of them still alive, still remaining in southern gaza, what happens to them if there is an impending israeli attack? fiur is an impending israeli attack? our correspondent injerusalem, thank correspondent in jerusalem, thank you correspondent injerusalem, thank you very much for that. thank you to all of our correspondence before that as well. let's analyse what we have seen with our chief international correspondent who is here in the studio with me. what is your assessment of what we have seen overnight? it your assessment of what we have seen overni . ht? ._ your assessment of what we have seen overniuht? ._ , your assessment of what we have seen overniuht? , , , , your assessment of what we have seen overniuht? ._ , , , ., overnight? it may be unseemly to talk about a _ overnight? it may be unseemly to talk about a win-win _ overnight? it may be unseemly to talk about a win-win situation - overnight? it may be unseemly to i talk about a win-win situation when talk about a win—win situation when the region is at its darkest and most dangerous moment, but both sides can now say that they have

established deterrence. israel felt it had to respond, lord cameron said do as little as possible so as not to escalate, i think we have to be careful, this may only be the beginning and not the end of israel's response, but israel in not claiming, officially as it were, allows iran to operate in the grey and to have to take that sort of a warning that it sounded so many times that if israel hit hard it would hit back immediately. now it is saying that it was limited, we don't know who did it, so they are claiming victory, israel is claiming victory, and for the moment the tensions have eased but the hostility has not gone away. i suppose it helps both of them to operate, as you are suggesting, in the shadows slightly here and not make very direct statements. but while we wait to see whether we are at the start of the end of this, i suppose what happens is you remain in this period of quite extended tension, high tension? because i

think, you _ tension, high tension? because i think. you are — tension, high tension? because i think, you are discussing - tension, high tension? because i think, you are discussing with . think, you are discussing with matthew about the ceasefire, until there is an end to the war in gaza and there is not going to be any end anytime soon, all of iran's proxies are still going to be burning fires, and sometimes they blaze dangerously. iran will continue to speak out against what it describes as the usurper zionist regime, that seeming entity between the two sides has not gone away. the ending of the gaza would help to ease the tensions but are there are so many players in that mix, it still remains a highly, highly unpredictable situation. thank you for taking us through all of that. around the world and across the uk, you are watching bbc news.

you allied with bbc news.

let's head to new york: it's the end of the first week of donald trump's trial — and the former president is in court. all 12 jurors have now been sworn in — it's thought opening statements could start as soon as monday. donald trump is facing 3a counts of fraud — linked to alleged hush money payments made to the adult film star, stromy daniels. he's pleaded not guilty. he spoke to reporters as he went into court. let's speak to our correspondent nada tawfik. over the last 2a hours, the judge has said we have a jury, but do they have the people who will sit as reserved candidates? are those people installed as well yet? yes. people installed as well yet? yes, matthew, people installed as well yet? yes, matthew. at _ people installed as well yet? yes, matthew, at the _ people installed as well yet? yes, matthew, at the end _ people installed as well yet? yes, matthew, at the end of— people installed as well yet? 1a: matthew, at the end of yesterday there was one alternate juror in place along with the fulljury of 12, but today is about getting the remaining five, because this judge does want to have six alternates in place. so behind me in the courtroom the same process that has been playing out of the last three days,

on day four donald trump sat there with his two legal teams are prosecutors, all questioning prospective jurors to try to get to the remaining five. but it is a process that has taken some by surprise how swiftly it has moved, some were predicting it could take even two weeks. but the judge has kept this on pace despite a few surprises yesterday when two jurors were abruptly dismissed, one a young woman who said after sleeping on it and seeing that family members had guessed because of her public information out there that she was a juror she just felt that she could not be impartial any more, and another because prosecutors did not feel he was forthright with his criminal history and so he ultimately dismissed. which i think underscores that with this trial we have to be prepared for any surprises that might pop up. we will talk aaain surprises that might pop up. we will talk again throughout _ surprises that might pop up. we will talk again throughout the _ surprises that might pop up. we will talk again throughout the course - surprises that might pop up. we will talk again throughout the course of| talk again throughout the course of the programme, thank you very much for now. let's continue with this. let's speak to former us

attorney — rachel paulose. rachel, thank you for being with us. we are getting to the end of the first week, your assessment of where we have ended up after this we? well, as your colleague reported, the most surprising fact so far has been the speed with which this jury has been chosen despite the fact that nearly half of the jury pool expressed severe reservations about their ability to be fair and impartial during this trial for mr trump. the american legal system depends on everyday citizens to act as judges, depends on everyday citizens to act asjudges, who depends on everyday citizens to act as judges, who we calljurors depends on everyday citizens to act asjudges, who we calljurors in trials, and the fact that so many inner city that is as left—leaning inner city that is as left—leaning in new york expressed concerns about their ability to fairlyjudge this case raises serious questions for the trump team, including the fact that many of them, despite their negative impressions of donald trump, were ultimately ceded as jurors. i trump, were ultimately ceded as “urors. .., . ~ ., jurors. i will come back to the impressions _ jurors. i will come back to the impressions in _ jurors. i will come back to the impressions in a _ jurors. i will come back to the impressions in a moment - jurors. i will come back to the

impressions in a moment or. jurors. i will come back to the . impressions in a moment or two, jurors. i will come back to the - impressions in a moment or two, but as i was staying back we could have opening statements by monday, once we get past that what do you expect this trial is actually going to hinge on?— this trial is actually going to hinue on? ~ ~ hinge on? well, i think the most imortant hinge on? well, i think the most important question _ hinge on? well, i think the most important question for— hinge on? well, i think the most important question for the - important question for the prosecution to answer is why is this a felony trial? and if the felony that the prosecutor is hanging his hat on is a federal felony, namely some kind of campaign finance violation, what authority does the state prosecutor have to enforce federal law? thus far he has not answered that question definitively he owes an answer to the jury as to the defendant and to the american people and what that answer is before the end of this trial. it is a trial that _ before the end of this trial. it is a trial that is _ before the end of this trial. it is a trial that is obviously there in the states as long as everywhere else getting huge amounts of coverage. are you getting any sense of how it is playing already because if you look on social media in the first couple of days it was actually

filled with comments about donald trump falling asleep there in the courtroom, how is a display with ordinary people?— courtroom, how is a display with ordinary people? well, this is the number one _ ordinary people? well, this is the number one focus _ ordinary people? well, this is the number one focus of— ordinary people? well, this is the number one focus of the - ordinary people? well, this is the number one focus of the news - ordinary people? well, this is the . number one focus of the news media and the american people right now. and i think that the fixation with social media has certainly turned every american into a reporter now, and every american has the ability to express his or her own opinion on social media. i think one of the more riveting questions that will also be answered by this trial is whether donald trump will take the stand and testify in his own defence. if so, that will certainly be must watch television, not only from a legal and political standpoint but from a really human standpoint but from a really human standpoint as well.— standpoint as well. yes, that will be absolutely _ standpoint as well. yes, that will be absolutely fascinating - standpoint as well. yes, that will be absolutely fascinating if - standpoint as well. yes, that will be absolutely fascinating if it - be absolutely fascinating if it happens. a big if. we will leave it there, thank you so much forjoining us on the programme. the biggest election in the world —

is underway in india — with millions queuing, to vote, despite very high temperatures. in the next six weeks — some 969 million people in the country, along with many others abroad, will vote in the country's general election. more than 13 million indian citizens, who live abroad, can also cast their ballots, but they'll have to return to india, in person, to do so. the result will be announced onjune 4th. i'm joined by our south asia correspondent, samira hussein. she's following the election from delhi. some iraq, here we go, just give us a sense of what these early hours are like? i a sense of what these early hours are like? ., , ., , a sense of what these early hours are like? . , ., , ., , are like? i am standing 'ust outside the parliament h are like? i am standing 'ust outside the parliament building_ are like? i am standing just outside the parliament building and - are like? i am standing just outside the parliament building and while i the parliament building and while these elections are very much about who is going to be prime minister, and it seems likely that it will be narendra modi will retain his position, there is still a question about how many of his party members

from the bjp will end up back there in parliament. today we saw the first of seven phases of voting. as you pointed out, it is going to go over six weeks and there were 21 states that were voting in this round. this is a total of about 166 million net eligible voters, that is the combined populations of the uk and france and then some. and that isjust one phase and france and then some. and that is just one phase of voting. so you can imaginejust is just one phase of voting. so you can imagine just what kind is just one phase of voting. so you can imaginejust what kind of in immense task it is to get the poles of the people and to get everyone to cast their ballots. the of the people and to get everyone to cast their ballots.— cast their ballots. the state of this is absolutely _ cast their ballots. the state of. this is absolutely extraordinary. cast their ballots. the state of - this is absolutely extraordinary. we have had two terms of narendra modi, what are the pulsing about the potential of a third term? it seems re potential of a third term? it seems pretty likely _ potential of a third term? it seems pretty likely that — potential of a third term? it seems pretty likely that narendra - potential of a third term? it seems pretty likely that narendra modi i pretty likely that narendra modi will win a historic third consecutive term, that i think whether question is is really about

how much control will he have in parliament? part of narendra modi's election campaign has been this ambitious goal of getting 400 seats out of the 532 that are available. and there are those that believe that actually he is not going to get that actually he is not going to get that many seats, in fact it might be a lot less than what the bjp is hoping for. narendra modi is campaigning on three really big principles. we are looking at his economic record on growth, his very successful welfare schemes and finally his hindu nationalist agenda, that has really gotten narendra modi this far and he is hoping it will carry him into his third term. of course there is an opposition, in fact the largest opposition, in fact the largest opposition is indian national congress, a very storied political party here in india. there have been criticisms against the opposition, even though they have banded together to try to create this mega—

alliance to counter narendra modi's popularity. there are those that believe that he just does not have the same charisma or the clear messaging are really the organisational power to really counter narendra modi and his party. briefly, you are absolutely right, jobs, rising prices, they will be big issues in this election, but the politics of religion, so many critics pointing out that that has led to the politics of division. absolutely, i think goes to visit politics, as the opposition has pointed out, has really led to a slow decline in terms of democratic principles in this country. it is actually something that human rights groups have also echoed, this sort of slow decline of democracy in india. there is a lot of concerns about that, if you look at the crackdown on journalists and other freedoms of speech, if you look at the crackdown on the largest minority group here in india, the muslim population, and other minorities, frankly. of course if

you put this in a wider perspective and a global perspective, what kind of an impact do these sliding scales have on the way india is regarded in the world? i would just say, look, perhaps to the united states and the uk, both of which are still supporting india with their own interests. ., ~ supporting india with their own interests. ., ,, , ., supporting india with their own interests. ., ~' , ., , . supporting india with their own interests. ., ,, , . ., interests. thank you very much for cominu interests. thank you very much for comin: to interests. thank you very much for coming to as _ interests. thank you very much for coming to as slide _ interests. thank you very much for coming to as slide from _ interests. thank you very much for coming to as slide from delhi. - interests. thank you very much for coming to as slide from delhi. let| coming to as slide from delhi. let me point you towards the live page, because a lot of really fascinating background information on these elections. one more story... taylor swift has delighted herfans — by making her new album a double whammy. the �*tortured poets department�* was released this morning — then, just hours later, she announced' a second instalment with an extra 15 tracks. perhaps less surprisingly, many of the new songs are about break—ups and heartache, as our music correspondent mark savage reports. fans were already expecting a long album from taylor swift, with 16 brand—new songs, but in the small hours of this morning she had a surprise.

the countdown is going down and we think something big is going to happen. two hours after the record was released, taylor updated it with 15 extra songs. writing online, she explained she had written so much tortured poetry in the past two years that she felt compelled to share it. many of the songs deal with her break—up from the british actorjoe alwyn. taylor swift says the end of the relationship even overshadowed the eras tour that has turned her into a billionaire. this is so... this is so good. the emotional weight of the album floored many of her fans. but taylor swift's soul—bearing lyrics have always been the key to her appeal. she just sits so fondly in the hearts of her. fans and she means... she hasjust been there at different points in their lives, _ and she still continues to be there, which i think is rare that—

a celebrity is at the peak of their fame 15 years i into their career, but that is kind of where she is at. _ she is kind of an anomaly. this is taylor swift's first new music since 2022, and presumably the latest songs will be added to the set list when the eras tour hits the uk injune. before then, fans have a lot of listening to do. mark savage, bbc news. iam back i am back of the latest headlines here in just a i am back of the latest headlines here injust a moment i am back of the latest headlines here in just a moment or two. i am back of the latest headlines here injust a moment or two. do not go away. hello. high pressure is going to be building across the uk this weekend. high pressure normally means dry weather and it will be largely dry. however, it will not always be sunny. often it will be cloudy, quite chilly too. the brightest and warmest weather to be found across the west of the uk.

here is our area of high pressure right now, sitting just to the west of the uk. the jet stream, the flow of winds high in the atmosphere, is running just to the north of that high and then diving down across continental europe. the jet really meandering across europe this weekend. actually, if anything, it's going to bend back on itself and that will allow colder air in across the eastern half of the uk. through the rest of today, an old weather front is clearing the south. a little bit of rain with that. behind it some sunny spells. quite breezy close to this east coast, making it feel rather chilly. eight degrees there in aberdeen, the highest temperatures further south and west, 15 or 16 degrees. this evening and tonight it will stay fairly breezy close to this east coast. there may be the odd shower. a bit more cloud pushing into the north of scotland, but in between some clear spells, the odd mist patch and it is going to be a cold night, a touch of frost for some as we start saturday morning. saturday should start for most of us with a decent amount of sunshine.

however, i think we will see cloud building as the day wears on. some showers potentially across these eastern parts, where it will stay quite breezy. cloud and some patchy rain as a weather front moves into northern scotland. the best of the sunshine and the warmth likely to be across northern ireland. 15 degrees here. compare that with just eight, nine or ten for some north sea coasts. as we move into the second half of the weekend, yes, our area of high pressure will be with us, but this frontal system really just gets stuck in the flow. that will bring a band of cloud, maybe the odd shower, so i can't completely rule out a showerfor the london marathon. certainly, there will be quite a lot of cloud and i think it will feel very cool, particularly given this nagging breeze that will affect south—eastern parts of england. a fair amount of cloud around on sunday. there will be some bright or sunny spells. i think the best of the sunshine across northern ireland, that could lift temperatures to 18 degrees, but further east i think it will feel quite chilly.

this is bbc news, the headlines... the us calls for �*de—escalation' after an apparent israeli attack on iran. we are committed to israel's

security and we are also committed to de—escalating, to trying to bring this tension to a close. families criticise the decision not to prosecute 15 former soldiers and an ira member — for alleged perjury — at the bloody sunday inquiry. and there's a growing backlash, a day after the football association announced it was scrapping fa cup replays — with lower league clubs demanding a rethink over the scheme. well, let's head to the bbc sports centre. for a full round—up, from the bbc sport centre, here's tanya arnold. let's start with football... germany managerjulian nagelsmann has signed a contract extension running until after the 2026 world cup. the 36 year old was appointed as hansi flick�*s successor in september 2023 and has won three of his six games in charge. his previous deal was scheduled to expire injuly after germany host euro 2024.

nagelsmann said "this is a decision from the heart.