hello, i'm nicky schiller. we start this hour with the tensions in the middle east. iran's foreign minister has downplayed israel's involvement in the recent attack on his country describing the weapons used as more like children's toys, rather than drones. hossein amir—abdulaharni made the comments in an interview with us media. he said israeli micro—drones used in the operation had caused no deaths or damage, and dismissed it as a "desperate attempt" by israel to "make a victory out of their repeated defeats". he said iran would respond at the �*maximum level�* if israel acts against its interests. tehran�*s muted response to friday morning's events has raised hopes that tensions between the countries can be dampened, and a wider escalation averted. our first report is from our north america correspondent will vernon.

it's been just over 2a hours since iran came under attack. us officials say israel fired at least one missile into iranian territory, no major damage or casualties were reported. this was a relatively small scale strike by israel. earlier, the us secretary of state antony blinken would not comment on reports the white house was informed in advance about the israeli assault. the united states has not been involved in any offensive operations. what we are focusing on, what the g7 is focusing on and it's reflected in our statement and in our conversation is the work to de—escalate tensions. and this is why the us and its allies want to calm tensions. last sunday iran attacked israel with more than 300 missiles and drones causing little damage. the fear in the west is that a cycle

of retaliation between israel and iran could ignite a wider war. and there is hope too that the limited nature of the israeli attack will allow the iranians to walk away from any further response. officials in tehran have been downplaying the significance of the israeli strike. the president of iran did not even mention it in his speech yesterday. but tensions are running high in the middle east and diplomats will be working hard behind—the—scenes on de—escalation. the key question now, what will these two well armed adversaries do next? and a reminder you can get much more on the middle east tensions on the bbc news website, including this analysis from our chief international correspondent lyse doucet who says there's an audible sigh of relief in the region. check it out online or on the bbc news app.

a base used by pro—iranian militias in iraq has been damaged by a large explosion, a day after israel's presumed strike on iran. one person was killed in the blast and intense fire at the base, south of the capital baghdad. iraqi security sources have described the incident as a "bombing" that had hit weapons and vehicles. the base is used by the popular mobilisation forces — an umbrella organisation linking several pro—iran militias who've recently attacked us personnel in iraq. the pentagon says it has not carried out any new strike in iraq. the six—month—long war in gaza continues. nine people — including four children — are reported to have been killed in an overnight israeli strike on a residential building in rafah, in the southern gaza strip. the hamas—run health ministry says more than 3a,000 people have now been killed in the territory since the war began.

an estimated 2.3 million people are sheltering in rafah, where israel's prime minister benjamin netanyahu remains committed to a big military offensive to defeat hamas, which is designated a terrorist group by many western governments. the us and other allies have warned mr netanyahu against such a full—scale assault on rafah. i've been speaking to our middle east correspondent wyre davies and he gave this update on the overnight air strikes in rafah. for more than six months, there has been an intense war in gaza, more than 30,000 people killed, most of them, many of them civilians, according to the hamas—run health ministry and there were casualties overnight, israeli airstrikes both in central gaza and most notably in the south, around rafah. rafah is a big town, a city almost, in southern gaza, where israel alleges that hamas, or the remnants of hamas

and its leadership, is still based. the israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu has avowed on many occasions that there needs to be and will be a full—scale military operation in rafah, and americans in particular, even yesterday, were warning israel against that, but those warnings are falling on deaf ears. and i think once this religious holiday of passover has finished in about a week, i think there will probably be a nod towards much greater israeli military operations in southern gaza, but we saw some of that last night with reports of several civilians being killed. meanwhile, the humanitarian situation in gaza isn't improving either? no, that is one reason and perhaps the main reason for the american and british warnings to israel, because they know a full—scale military operation in rafah where there are more than i million internal refugees, it will lead to further displacement and hardship and further humanitarian crisis. and there is already a humanitarian crisis in gaza, people dying from injuries

because they cannot get the right medical intervention, dying from hunger. more food and more aid is getting through, america acknowledges that, and there was a development with the world food programme saying it would get involved with some american pier building to bring in aid, so there is positive news on aid getting in, but there is a desperate humanitarian crisis and asjoe biden has said, not enough aid is getting into gaza to alleviate the crisis. let's speak to ibrahim isbetah. he and his family have managed to get out of raffle. please explain to us how you managed to leave. thank

ou. the us how you managed to leave. thank yom the peeple _ us how you managed to leave. thank you. the people from _ us how you managed to leave. thank you. the people from on _ us how you managed to leave. thank you. the people from on the - us how you managed to leave. t�*ia'if. you. the people from on the egyptian side, in rafah, you have to wait a number of days but i had money and i paid for me and my family and some of my family is in cairo but still other members of my family like my brother, sister and their kids are still travelling.— still travelling. what is the situation — still travelling. what is the situation like _ still travelling. what is the situation like in _ still travelling. what is the situation like in rafah? - still travelling. what is the situation like in rafah? iti still travelling. what is the | situation like in rafah? it is still travelling. what is the - situation like in rafah? it is very dire, actually. _ situation like in rafah? it is very dire, actually. the _ situation like in rafah? it is very dire, actually. the israeli - situation like in rafah? it is very l dire, actually. the israeli defence forces all across the gaza strip, we are afraid about what is happening and the media was focusing on the iranian response but at the same time behind—the—scenes in the past couple of days, we are talking about

an area that was destroyed and nobody talked about this because the media was focusing on the iranian response to the israeli attacks in syria so right now all of the people in rafah, at the beginning we flee from gaza and we flee to rafah and the israel defense forces inform the people on social media and leaflet drops that rafah is a safe place and there is no battlefield and right this moment it is where we should go. right now we are not allowed to go. right now we are not allowed to go to the north. this moment, just before ten minutes, it was discovered 100 killed persons, a mass grave inside a local hospital. they are thinking what we should go

and no one can answer this question. how concerned are you about the plans of the israeli prime minister to carry out more of an offensive in rafah and what it will mean for the people you have left?— rafah and what it will mean for the people you have left? actually, what makes me scared _ people you have left? actually, what makes me scared and _ people you have left? actually, what makes me scared and other- people you have left? actually, what makes me scared and other people, | makes me scared and other people, president and other leaders in the world are talking about the operation in rafah but a number of days ago they were saying the message we are not supporting a wind operation in rafah but the message has changed and we are concerned about a ground invasion in rafah and what we witnessed in khan younis and the al—shifa hospital, we are great and we are scared and traumatised and we are scared and traumatised

and we are scared and traumatised and we understood and what does that mean? nobody will be safe is the first thing. secondly we are talking about 2 million persons, each space, they are building shelters, and you loss of sound. if you are going to use missiles et cetera, et cetera, 311,000 people have been killed in this war and if there is a ground invasion, in one week the number will be the same because it is overcrowded and we are fully understanding about a ground invasion. . ~ fully understanding about a ground invasion. ., ~ , ., fully understanding about a ground invasion. . ~' , ., ., fully understanding about a ground invasion. ., ~ , ., ., ., , invasion. thank you for “oining us and explaining h invasion. thank you for “oining us and explaining your _ invasion. thank you forjoining us and explaining your story. - invasion. thank you forjoining us and explaining your story. we - and explaining your story. we appreciate your time. to the latest now on the ukraine war. a russian official says a ukrainian drone strike has killed two people in the belgorod region,

which borders ukraine. the governor says a residential building and a barn in the village of poroz were completely burned down. the governor of smolensk, just north of the belgorod region, says a ukrainian drone hit a fuel depot there overnight, setting it on fire. it comes as the us house of representatives has moved a step closer to approving a much delayed $60 billion package of military aid for ukraine. democrats backed a procedural measure that will allow a vote on the bill later on saturday. the republican house speaker, mikejohnson, who's long blocked the aid, still faces some resistance from the right of his party. let's speak to david dunn, a professor of international politics at the university of birmingham. thank you forjoining us. i wonder if you could give us an outline of what will happen in the house of representatives today and how likely you think that the money will get

approved? you think that the money will get a- roved? ~ . .,, you think that the money will get auroved? . ., ,, you think that the money will get auroved? . approved? what has happened here as there is a number— approved? what has happened here as there is a number of— approved? what has happened here as there is a number of votes _ approved? what has happened here as there is a number of votes taking - there is a number of votes taking place and for israel, asia, and for ukraine, crucially. and what that is about is making sure that democrats are supporting the bill and it would not get through with just republican votes but because they are supporting it across the aisle, that will break the logjam that has been there for six months and as a consequence, allow the aid to go forward. d0 consequence, allow the aid to go forward. ,, ~ consequence, allow the aid to go forward. i. ~ ., forward. do you think it will go throu~h? forward. do you think it will go through? the _ forward. do you think it will go through? the biggest- forward. do you think it will go through? the biggest hurdle . through? the biggest hurdle yesterday. _ through? the biggest hurdle yesterday, with _ through? the biggest hurdle yesterday, with that - through? the biggest hurdle yesterday, with that out - through? the biggest hurdle yesterday, with that out of l through? the biggest hurdle l yesterday, with that out of the through? the biggest hurdle - yesterday, with that out of the way, the democrats have made clear there is enough support for that to go through and it was a small minority of republicans who were holding this up of republicans who were holding this up and they were putting pressure on

speakerjohnson and threatening him with hisjob but he responded to that rather skilfully and now he has been assured he will be allowed to see out his tenure until the end of november with democrat support and as a consequence he is acquiescing and allowing this vote to happen. if the bill passes as you suggest how long will it take for the money to get to ukraine? the long will it take for the money to get to ukraine?— get to ukraine? the american military wants _ get to ukraine? the american military wants to _ get to ukraine? the american military wants to expedite - get to ukraine? the american military wants to expedite the get to ukraine? the american - military wants to expedite the said, they are sitting in poland and germany with stocks of patriot missiles and artillery shells waiting for the word from washington to supply ukraine with those. and so we can expect that to happen fairly quickly. this is a massive aid budget, $68 million, in context, thatis budget, $68 million, in context, that is more or less the equivalent of the uk defence budget, and it is

a huge injection of cash or supplies. it's also actually it will include new equipment so longer range attack missiles will be part of this. and there is a recognition without american aid and by drip feeding at the way the allies and americans have done over the last two and a half years, russia will win so there has been a realisation that aid needs to be massive and quick and include comprehensive systems and it needs to be delivered to an airport that has been coordinated so america and europe and nato and the eu are looking to see what they can supply to ukraine from their existing water stocks, patriot missiles are front and centre of that as a way to make sure

that the advance of the rations of late and the actions of the american aid or put right by giving ukraine the material it needs. professor, thank ou the material it needs. professor, thank you so _ the material it needs. professor, thank you so much. _ to the united states now, and a man who set himself on fire outside the manhattan court where former president donald trump's hush—money trial is being held has died, according to us media. the man doused himself in a liquid before throwing conspiracy—theory pamphlets into the air. he was taken to hospital, but later died. as our north america correspondent nada tawfik reports, it happened as the jury selection for mr trump's trial was completed. journalists here had just learned thatjury selection had concluded slightly after 1:30 in the afternoon, when the man, later identified as a florida resident in his mid 30s, entered the park. he threw coloured pamphlets in the air, doused himself in lighterfluid and set himself on fire. and we here could see the blaze, could feel that heat.

now, officials later said that he wasn't targeting any individual, any group or, in fact, this trial. their investigation is ongoing, but they believe he was a conspiracy theorist. now, they say they are going to be reviewing security protocols around this courthouse in light of the high—profile nature of this trial and whether, in fact, to close that park down to the public. but nevertheless, court resumed. it remained on schedule. and opening statements in this trial will now begin on monday. donald trump leaving the court today again slammed this case as a hoax, as a witch hunt. he is charged with falsifying business records to hide a so—called hush money payment to the adult film star stormy daniels in order to influence the 2016 election to hide a potentially damaging sex scandal. he denies all wrongdoing and the extramarital affair. and again, opening statements

will begin on monday. and we will have full coverage of that trial on monday. the focus in recent days has been on tensions between israel and iran, but let's take you inside iran now, where the clerical regime appears to again be cracking down on women. there's been a renewed presence of the morality police on the street as videos verified by bbc persian show. parham ghobadi has more, and a warning that there are vivid accounts of violence contained within his report. iran is fighting on two fronts simultaneously — launching missiles and drones at israel and flooding the streets with police to force women to wear the mandatory headscarf. but could the two campaigns be linked? it seems very likely that they are related because of the timing of the campaign against women, and many believe that the real

reason behind that move is that the regime is very fearful about the possibility of another uprising against it, especially if iran is weakened by a possible israeli attack. in this video, verified by bbc persian, a woman is violently arrested by the morality police in tehran, as bystanders argue with them. in another video that shocked the nation, a girl is seen having a seizure after she was confronted by the police over her refusal to wear a headscarf. another woman who was beaten by the morality police shared her experience with bbc persian. to protect her identity, a journalist reads her account of events. translation: a big male officer | kicked me very hard in the back. | later, i began urinating blood. the doctor told me my kidney was partly torn. the court fined me $50. the judge warned me that if i am detained again, i will go to prison and will be

banned from travelling abroad. despite the threats, many iranian women are refusing to cover their hair. their campaign started after the death of mahsa amini nearly two years ago. the kurdish girl, who was detained by the morality police for allegedly not wearing her hijab properly and died in custody. protests swept the country, and over 550 people were killed in the government crackdown. according to the un, the reappearance of the morality police in such numbers follows an orderfrom iran's commander in chief. translation: everyone must obey the hijab law. everyone. i believe the government and the judiciary should carry out their lawful and religious responsibilities in this regard. despite such warnings, iranian women are refusing to give up on their dream of freedom.

members of the scottish green party are to be given a vote on whether to continue its power—sharing agreement with the snp. it follows an outcry about the scottish government's decision to ditch key targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions, a move which is said to have angered green party colleagues. the vote will be held at an extraordinary general meeting, and officials say it will be binding on the party. lancashire police says it's "reviewing information" about allegations against the suspended conservative mp, mark menzies. mr menzies lost the whip after the times newspaper reported that he had asked a party activist for thousands of pounds, to pay what he described as "bad people" who had locked him inside a flat. he told the newspaper he strongly disputed the allegations. the author of a landmark review into gender identity services for children in england, has called criticism of her report "inaccurate" and "unforgivable", and revealed she's been advised not to travel on public transport

due to safety concerns. in an interview with the times, dr hilary cass said she wished to address the "disinformation" circulating, saying it put children at risk. she has claimed even before her review was published incorrect allegations about her conclusions surfaced online. she also hit out labour mp dawn butler, who questioned health secretary victoria atkins over the cass review. some roads in wales will revert to 30—miles per hour following a backlash against the welsh government's default policy to reduce speeds to 20—miles per hour. wales' transport minister said the changes would address concerns many people had about the £34—million project. our wales political correspondent cemlyn davies reports. it's the clearest the new transport secretary ken skates has been about his thoughts on the controversial 20mph policy. earlier this week he talked

about wanting a truly targeted approach with the policy focused on built—up areas where you have schools, parks, hospitals and so on. and he said that there would be some changes. and we have had a bit more detail from him in an interview he has given to north wales live where he also admits that the welsh government has got things wrong on this policy. "we have put our hands up to say the guidance has to be corrected," he said. and he's also said that he wants communities to play a more active part in deciding what speed limits should be, rather than having speed limits imposed upon them. and on the potential timescale, well, he said he will give more detail on that when he gives a statement to the senedd next tuesday. in the meantime, councils have welcomed these comments and have said that mr skates has brought a more pragmatic approach compared to what was previously the case.

it's about making sure we have got the balance right and that those commuter routes and those streets that are probably caught up by the 20mph criteria, but at a local level, people will say is that actually the right speed for the road? but of course any changes to the guidance will inevitably lead to further questions about the way this policy was introduced in the first place back in september, and may well be met by opposition from road safety campaigners who are urging ken skates to hold his nerve and keep the policy as it is. with a whopping 3,200 megapixels it'll be the world's largest digital astronomy cameras — and it's finally been built. the camera can produce a thousand images per night — it'll allow scientists to study dark energy, dark matter, and the distribution of galaxies. it'll now be sent from the united states to chile, where it'll arrive in a month. the public will see its first images in 2025.

a chess master has broken the record for the longest marathon of the game ever played. tunde onakoya, who is from nigeria, has played for 58 consecutive hours in new york's times square. he is trying to raise1 million dollars for charity to support chess education for children — and was cheered on by supporters from the city's nigerian community. i can't process a lot of the emotions i feel right now. i don't have the right words for them, but i know we did something truly remarkable. i mean, in documented human history, no—one has ever played chess for this long, you know, 56 hours nonstop, and we just break that record and i think we can keep going for a few more minutes or hours, so the next person finds

it extremely difficult to break the new record as well. we are hearing that lots of people tuned in nigeria and watched him break that record. you can find out how he did that. i have never been able to do chess, it is way beyond me! stay with us here on bbc news. it's been a lovely day so far but there is a bit of a chill out in the sunshine, the blue colours and the temperature charts across eastern parts of the uk and europe show temperature is below average this weekend, a big departure for europe when we have seen record heat, in the south and east low pressure dominating. quite stormy at times. to the north and west a rare glimpse

of high pressure. that means for most of us we continue with a dry story through today, some isolated showers in eastern counties of england, a cold breeze and thick cloud pushing into northern scotland. but across sheltered western areas it stays semi—unpleasant in the sunshine, temperature 13—15 compare to actually maximum of ten in the east. across the north and east, tree pollen levels are slow tomorrow but creeping up to high this afternoon across the south—west. this evening and overnight you've got showers across the south—east but many places dry, the exception is central and eastern scotland for cloud thickens, outbreaks of rain or drizzle. cloud generally through tonight, not as cold as “4 at last night but there will be an isolated frost in the west to begin with. plant across central and eastern

scotland, rent pushing into the isle of man and north lancashire during the afternoon. cloud will be variable across england and wales, some sunny breaks but a breeze to the south—east, the wind blustery denmark blustery around canary wharf and those taking place in the marathon. caught on eastern coast but northern ireland could reach 18 degrees in the west. internet monday after a chilly start cloud will spread south across the country, rain to begin with the northern england, northern wales. the rain spreading south and east of the day and further north we see sunshine breaking through, some showers, in and around central scotland but actually 9—13 across parts of england wales. staying cool throughout the next week.

this is bbc news, the headlines: iran's foreign minister has downplayed israel's involvement in the missile strike on iran. he said the operation had caused no deaths or damage. he also warned of an �*immediate response�* if israel acts against his country�*s interests. new york city police say the man from florida who set himself alight outside the courthouse where donald trump is being tried has died. police said he threw pamphlets promoting conspiracy theories in the air before dowsing himself. us lawmakers have moved a step closer to approving a much delayed $60 billion package

of military aid for ukraine. the republican house speaker, mikejohnson still faces some resistance from the right of his party. and the world�*s largest digital astronomy camera is now complete. it�*s capable of producing approximately 1,000 images a night. scientists hope to use it to study dark matter and the distribution of galaxies. in exactly two weeks�* time, we�*ll be raking over the results of the local and mayoral elections in england, and the police and crime commissioner vote in wales, for what they might tell us about the coming general election. there are 11 mayoral contests taking place from london to liverpool and beyond. tees valley is currently held by a conservative mayor — but the result there is likely to be significant for the two men vying to be prime minister. newsnight�*s nicholas watt reports from tees valley.