and we are watching the king's royal horse artillery, marking the first anniversary of the king's

coronation. and we will leave events there in green park in central london, marking the first anniversary of the king's coronation. that, we are going to head straight to scotland now and the snp leadership race in

the last three minutes, nominations to be the next leader of the scottish national party have closed. now, we do knowjohn swinney, on your screens that has put his name into the ring. he is the frontrunner, that the question is whether there are any last—minute opponents and also you may remember the first minister resigned as leader and first minister of the snp in scotland just last week. let's go to a reporter, ben philip. in the last couple of minutes, nominations, that deadline for nominations has closed. ~ ., ., , ., that deadline for nominations has closed. ., ., , ., ., that deadline for nominations has closed. ., ., ., ., , closed. what does that mean? that is riuht. in closed. what does that mean? that is right- in the — closed. what does that mean? that is right- in the past _ closed. what does that mean? that is right. in the past few _ closed. what does that mean? that is right. in the past few minutes - right. in the past few minutes there, nominations, the deadline for snp leadership nominations has closed, in the last few minutes. at noon. you'rejust closed, in the last few minutes. at noon. you're just awaiting an official result from the snp but, as you say, it has been widely expected thatjohn swinney would be unopposed in the leadership race to replace

the first minister who resigned last monday. we have not heard about anyone else publicly in the running to stand for snp leader. there had been a potential late challenger over the weekend in the form of the activist graham mccormick said that he had gathered enough support to enter the contest butjust late last night in a statement he said that he decided not to do so, instead throwing his support behind john swinney. of course, if he had decided to enter the contest it would have triggered a leadership battle which would have gone on for another three weeks, towards the end of may. extending the uncertainty at the top of scottish politics. but if mr swinney is indeed unopposed in this contest, as we expect, and secure as the top job as snp leader,

we are expecting him to make a victory speech later this afternoon. thank you very much for that. we will be straight back with you when we get of who art the names, if there are any other names. at the moment, that is that it is justjohn swinney but we do not have that confirms that that's a closer look now. so, who isjohn swinney? he's 60. member of the scottish parliament for perthshire north since 2011. he previously represented north tayside from 1999. mr swinney is the former deputy first minister, and led the party for four years in opposition from 2000 to 200k. he has said that if elected he would seek to govern on a "moderate centre left" platform. and said he was confident he would deliver independence, through " reasoned conversation". we'll wait to hear any confirmation from the snp, the party leadership there, for any developments, we will head back to scotland when we get them. gaza. israel's military telling people

to leave parts of rafah.look. this video from the israeli defence forces. shows rafah in south of gaza.1 million people there. telling 100,000 to move to what they call a �*humanitarian zone' in the al—mawasi and khan younis areas. idf say limited operation. these are the latest pictures that have come into us from rafah, where you can see a leaflet that the idf have been handing over to residents. some have already started leaving rafah. and here are live pictures coming into us from al—mawasi, where some people have been told to go. we are keeping across those pictures. we are keeping across those pictures. one woman who's been sheltering in rafah, says she doesn't know where she'll go.

this morning, we are working off an evacuation plan from the israeli defense forces to evacuate the neighborhoods of the eastern area of rafah. so these areas include rafah crossing, karem abu salem crossing and extended to other parts. people are starting to evacuate this area immediately. it's not far away. it's just 15 minutes away from where i am now. for me, actually, i'm not doing anything for now. i'm so confused. just to be honest, i have no place to go. this was the last place i know. and actually, if i want to come back to khan yunis, there is no place. it's all destroyed. the areas are crowded and i cannot anymore live inside tent, it's so hot and my health does not allow for me to be in such

situation. regarding other areas, still there is a lot of airstrikes there. i've been there and it's very dangerous areas. 0ur middle east correspondent yolande knell is injerusalem and gave this update. already we're seeing people fleeing from this area in the east of rafah. they're getting into their cars with their belongings, into donkey carts as well, some of them heading to the west. others may be heeding the israeli order to go to these two tent cities, al—mawasi and khan younis. and the israeli military is stressing that what is planned here is a limited offensive, that it will happen in a gradual way. now, hamas has come out already, though, saying that this is a dangerous escalation that will have consequences. we had understood that a hamas delegation had left cairo, where it had been involved in the negotiations with egyptian mediators on a new ceasefire and hostage release deal

that they were heading to doha to meet hamas leaders. although we had the israeli defense minister coming out in a statement saying he had spoken to the us defence secretary and that this military action in rafah was needed because he said that hamas was refusing to accept the latest framework for a new deal. so we're having warnings already from the un that this could have serious consequences. they're very worried about the fact that the kerem shalom crossing into southern gaza, a key crossing point for aid, has now been closed. this happened after hamas fired rockets apparently from inside rafah towards what they said was an israeli military base. they actually killed three israeli soldiers and wounded about a dozen others close to that crossing point.

and israel launched retaliatory action last night for that, for those soldiers being killed. so things do seem to be, again, at a very tense moment. and this is really an area where the international community has been so worried because you have more than a million displaced palestinians crammed up next to the egyptian border, and they've worried that a wider scale ground offensive by israel, if that was to go ahead, as israel has threatened, saying it's needed for total victory over hamas, then that could lead to high numbers of civilians being killed. let's speak to justin crump, who's a british army veteran and chief executive of the intelligence company sibylline. thank you very much for coming on the programme. what is your assessment of this announcement by the idf, with regards to rath? i think the attack into rougher, to some extent, has always been coming. israel has always said they would have to go into rougher at some

point. it's obviously been a bone of contention for all the reasons we just heard. three quarters of the population of the gaza strip. into that area, enough awful conditions and it has become very controversial for israel to launch the operation certainly without taking into account the needs of those people. what we see now some attempt to take care of those needs and expand into humanitarian areas but you've heard scepticism about those and if there are any safer for them. and of course, i think the scope of this operation, though very much likely to be smaller than the operations we saw in his real when they first went into gaza, much more targeted, so thatis into gaza, much more targeted, so that is the change we are seeing. at the moment. tail: that is the change we are seeing. at the moment-— the moment. talk to us about what kind of logistics _ the moment. talk to us about what kind of logistics and _ the moment. talk to us about what kind of logistics and operations - the moment. talk to us about what kind of logistics and operations go l kind of logistics and operations go in here? you are saying it is a smaller operation. how are the areas that have to be evacuated assessed? how is that logistically done? and what kind of assessment are there

about the risks here? it is tremendously _ about the risks here? it 3 tremendously complicated. as about the risks here? it 1 tremendously complicated. as a military operation, this is about as hard as it gets if you are going to take account of the needs of the civilian population again in that area of rafah, around one and a half million people who require sustenance, who require protection from military operations and in amongst that, the israelis assess four battalions remaining of hamas in a relatively organised fashion, of course, many other fighters. certainly, an israeli point of view, military planning point of you've got to work out how to get into that very complicated civilian environment, look for a very limited number of armed people, infrastructure, tunnel systems in which you may or may not have accurate intelligence. of course, is real also looking to release any hostages it can find and hoping that the pressure on hamas and this operation or maybe get some those hostages moved, give them a chance to get hostages back and behind all of that, protect their own forces in

a very complicated urban environment. again, multiple layers that have to be taken into account to achieve anything.— that have to be taken into account to achieve anything. thank you very much for that. _ to achieve anything. thank you very much for that. i _ to achieve anything. thank you very much for that. i am _ to achieve anything. thank you very much for that. i am afraid _ to achieve anything. thank you very much for that. i am afraid we - to achieve anything. thank you very much for that. i am afraid we have l much for that. i am afraid we have been beaten by the clock but thank you for your analysis. we appreciate your time here on bbc news. you'll have plenty more coverage of course with those live feeds from rafah and the region. to stay with us here. around the world and across the uk, this is bbc news.

relations between china and the eu have been a little strained recently, with brussels uneasy about what it sees as tacit support by beijing for russia's war in ukraine. so there's extra scrutiny on president xi jinping's first visit to europe for five years. the first big event for the, meeting france's president macron at the elysee palace in paris. they were laterjoined at the table by the european commission president ursula von der leyen.

she said that the european union council in china to lean on russia to end its war on ukraine. she gave a statement following talks there with the president. she said she was confident china will de—escalate russia nuclear threats. 0ur correspondent hugh schofield was at the elysee palace as mr xi arrived. the europeans are, in a way, increasingly aligned with the united states on china. i mean, the united states has accused the europeans for a long time now of being too soft on china and not waking up to the reality of the new china. and arguably, that's exactly what the europeans are doing. certainly, macron last week in his speech and in this economists interview was, you know, quite blatantly concerned about the rise of china and about europe's naivety and unwillingness to see china, the new china, for what it was. so there is, in a way, the possibility of an

american—european alignment here. i think what president xi is trying to do is break that. he's doing it with traditional chinese diplomatic manners, coming here, being very, very fulsome in his praise for france and its historical importance and its grandeur and the role of charles de gaulle in recognising china back in 1964 and all of this. the way they talk to the french, flattering france's sense of its own destiny. it talks to germany in a rather different way. to the germans, china talks as a purely commercial partner and promises all sorts of commercial deals if it tows the line and, for example, blocks the european investigations into dumping practices and so on. so the chinese interest, quite clearly, this is the big picture, is to split the europeans from each other and from europe. that's what's going on here. let's speak to professor kerry brown, director of the lau china institute

at king's college london. thank you very much for coming on the programme. a fascinating visit, this. lots will be read on what happened, what doesn't happen, what is said and not said. what are some of the aims and what would be a successful trip, of the aims and what would be a successfultrip, in of the aims and what would be a successful trip, in your eyes? to them successful trip, in your eyes? trr them is a very, very big partner. i do not think they're coming here, as your correspondent just said, do not think they're coming here, as your correspondentjust said, to make any divisions. i mean, they realise that the european market, technology in europe, these are important things for china and it offers it offers it a counterbalance to the united states, which it has a very tricky relationship recently and therefore it needs to have some kind of dialogue with europe on positive things like climate change and combating global warming, things like that. it also and better trading relationship. and possibly president mike from getting better access into europe for services, the european union did do a deal with

china at the end of 2019 the services into china, kind of investment deal but that has not been ratified because of political issues because there is a lot of scope of this relationship to develop. it is notjust about flattery and, you know, trying to create divisions on europe. i do not think that is what he is your full. interesting. 0k. from the other side, from europe's side, what are the kinds of conversations and messages that you think will be the priority? i messages that you think will be the riori ? ~ , . ., , priority? i think his recent tone is riuht. priority? i think his recent tone is right. reciprocity _ priority? i think his recent tone is right. reciprocity was _ priority? i think his recent tone is right. reciprocity was up - priority? i think his recent tone is right. reciprocity was up it - priority? i think his recent tone is right. reciprocity was up it has i priority? i think his recent tone is right. reciprocity was up it has to be a balance relationship and i think that europe is that it has been a big technology transfer to china over the last 30—110 years. huge amounts of technology in france has also been a big partner, big trading partner that needs to be more balance and i think europe, if it is going to be a key economic partnerfor it is going to be a key economic partner for china, it is going to be a key economic partnerfor china, in the it is going to be a key economic partner for china, in the future, has got to have a balanced relationship. i think that is what europeans one. the european union collectively but also france. there

is great deficits in china's favour, apart from germany. and so addressing those imbalances but also technology, which china is producing incredible amounts of ai under the technology useful to europe, this is important to have deals where we get access to the top europeans get access to the top europeans get access to the top europeans get access to that.— access to the top europeans get access to that. ., ~ , ., , . access to that. thank you very much for lending — access to that. thank you very much for lending as _ access to that. thank you very much for lending as your _ access to that. thank you very much for lending as your analysis. - access to that. thank you very much for lending as your analysis. thank l for lending as your analysis. thank you. for lending as your analysis. thank ou. . ~' for lending as your analysis. thank ou. . ~ , ., for lending as your analysis. thank ou. . ~ we for lending as your analysis. thank yon— we will _ for lending as your analysis. thank you._ we will head - you. thank you. we will head straiaht you. thank you. we will head straight to — you. thank you. we will head straight to scotland - you. thank you. we will head straight to scotland because | you. thank you. we will head - straight to scotland because john swinney has become the new leader of the scottish national party. he was the scottish national party. he was the only candidate in the race. this was started after humza yousaf announced he would stand down as leader. just in the last few minutes, that has been confirmed. you will take on the snp leadership so if you wear with is just 20 minutes or so ago at the top of the programme, top of the hour, 12 o'clock time, it was basically the closing point for nomination so no

one put their name forward to run againstjohn swinney so, therefore, he is the only candidates that therefore he the new leader of the scottish national party, the is snp. there was last night, 2a hours ago orso there was last night, 2a hours ago or so a potential rival and they did secure the number, the pre—requisite backing and support but they did not move forward so it always looked like it would be mr swinney as the only candidate in the race and, indeed, that is how it has turned out. so, now that that nomination process has close, now we're hearing from some of the news agencies and the news wires that that is the case, that has been confirmed as the snp's new leader. we should be due to hearfrom him and all the ceremonialfunctions to hearfrom him and all the ceremonial functions that will take place later, the official party once and, of course, what that means for the government there in holyrood in scotland. with regards to the

government there. so, john swinney, think we can see some pictures of john swinneyjust to remind you of what he looks like. he has been a big figure in scottish politics and in the snp for a long time. he is a former deputy and he is also been, well, he has been an snp memberfor a long time but he's also been an msp for a very long time, interim leaderfor the party was in opposition. and now he is taking over thejob. opposition. and now he is taking overthejob. he opposition. and now he is taking over thejob. he has insisted that he will lead from a centre—left position. he says that he will not be a caretaker leader. he will be there on a permanent basis to get there on a permanent basis to get thejob done. this there on a permanent basis to get the job done. this was there on a permanent basis to get thejob done. this was before it was confirmed but now it seems it has been confirmed for dublin to speak to our political correspondent at the financial times newspaper. thank you for coming on the programme. my pleasure. what you make of this, then? ~ ~' .,

pleasure. what you make of this, then? ~ ~ ., ., ., pleasure. what you make of this, then? 1 ~' ., ., ., ., then? well, it kind of drawing to a close what — then? well, it kind of drawing to a close what has _ then? well, it kind of drawing to a close what has been _ then? well, it kind of drawing to a close what has been an _ then? well, it kind of drawing to a close what has been an incrediblyl close what has been an incredibly turbulent and perilous period for the snp party. i think he has got a massivejob ahead of the snp party. i think he has got a massive job ahead of him to try to salvage the party. just to put this in context, we know that, you know, the party suffered massively from the party suffered massively from the scandal surrounding nicola sturgeon, the former leader and then some quite, think we can say some quite, securely, some management problems around, under humza yousaf. he struggled to kind of unite the party and unite the public and his banner and then managed to really frustrate the green party and trigger a cause for a no—confidence vote in him. so whatjohn swinney has to achieve now is to quite huge things. one is rebuild unity in the snp and he also needs to ward off a

very huge threat posed by scottish labour. in the forthcoming general election. . , labour. in the forthcoming general election. ., , . ., , election. that is the charity has politically- _ election. that is the charity has politically. tell _ election. that is the charity has politically. tell us _ election. that is the charity has politically. tell us a _ election. that is the charity has politically. tell us a little - election. that is the charity has politically. tell us a little bit. politically. tell us a little bit his political past, his political priorities, his leanings. so his political past, his political priorities, his leanings.- his political past, his political priorities, his leanings. so as you mentioned. _ priorities, his leanings. so as you mentioned, he _ priorities, his leanings. so as you mentioned, he is _ priorities, his leanings. so as you mentioned, he is a _ priorities, his leanings. so as you mentioned, he is a veteran. - priorities, his leanings. so as you mentioned, he is a veteran. he i priorities, his leanings. so as youj mentioned, he is a veteran. he is priorities, his leanings. so as you - mentioned, he is a veteran. he is 60 years old and he was a former finance minister under the former leader and snp kind of heavyweight alex salmond who was leader of the party for a brief spell between 2000 and 2004 so he has got, you know, a lot of political capital behind him and i think one of the things that has been quite interesting about his position compared to some of the other contenders for the role, including kate forbes, he is kind of very conservative figure. yet sort of said, look, what i am presenting and what i will bring is a moderate,

left of centre policy platform. and that comes after humza yousaf managed to frustrate many different wings of parliament, including the greens, most notably, which led to the challenge to his leadership and to the snp, in fact. so what you're saying is, look, iwill present to the snp, in fact. so what you're saying is, look, i will present a moderate platform and i will kind of unify the different wings of government and also of the scottish public and i think that is really important because the snp are short of a majority. it has 63 seats compared to 65 for the opposition so he needs to tow a very careful line and actually very astutely be able to bring all of, you know, at least a large number of politicians with him when it comes to putting forward policies but also signing off on important budgets. aha,

policies but also signing off on important budgets. a significant moment for _ important budgets. a significant moment for scotland. _ important budgets. a significant moment for scotland. thank - important budgets. a significant| moment for scotland. thank you important budgets. a significant - moment for scotland. thank you very much for coming on the programme and explaining it to us. thank you. you'll make pleasure. we will have plenty my reaction to that news that john swinney will now lead the scottish national party. do stay with us. hello there. some sunshine and temperatures up to the low 20 celsius. some heavy downpours and localised flooding. more of both of those to the rest of the day. spells of sunshine but some hefty downpours all driven by this swell of low pressure and a lot of cloud in the north of the uk. in between, a swathe of sunshine but that slice of sunshine filling in with some scattered showers and some

thunderstorm so by the end of the afternoon, parts of south—east england and east anglia still seeing some outbreaks of rain, perhaps with some outbreaks of rain, perhaps with some flashes of lightning. south—west england, wales, the midlands and northern england, a mix of sunny spells, feeling warm in the sunshine. 20 degrees but some hefty showers and thunderstorms. northern ireland mostly dry but often rather cloudy. some showers and storms across central and southern parts of southern scotland. dry northern scotland but rather cloudy for drop to this evening and tonight most of the showers will fade. a fair amount of cloud and when we do see some clear bakes, perhaps parts of the midlands and england, we could see mist and fog at least for a time. temperatures between seven and ten. not particularly cold. we could see spells of sunshine and there will be some showers. not as many as we have today. not as heavy either. northern ireland cloudy particularly by the

afternoon. lots of cloud for scotland. temperatures are starting to lift. down the south, 20 degrees. wednesday will see cloud and rain. frontal system moving on here. further south and east, some spells of sunshine, and some warmth. 19 degrees newcastle, 20 in cardiff, 21 in london. that is a sign of things to come. so we head towards the end of the week, there will still be some frontal systems gracing the north of the uk put up some rain at times, particularly across scotland but, for many, high pressure becoming increasingly dominant and, with some relatively one error in place, temperatures will start to climb the dollar could see highs in the south on friday 23, maybe 24 degrees but it looks like the mostly fine and one weather will last at least into the start of next

weekend.

this is bbc news. the headlines: israel's military begins what it's calling a "limited and temporary" evacuation of civilians from rafah in southern gaza. john swinney has been elected unopposed as snp leader and is set to become the next scottish first minister. china's xijinping meets president macron in paris for talks on the war in ukraine and trade relations. the wait is nearly over for the world's largest live music contest — eurovision week kicks off in style in sweden.

argentina's new president has spoken to the bbc, defending his tough economic changes. javier milei campaigned with a chainsaw to symbolise his desire to cut public spending. he says it is false to suggest the public were bearing the brunt of steep spending cuts and the devaluation of the currency. 0ur south america correspondent ione wells has been speaking to him. shejoins me now. he has slashed the value of the currency, slashed government

spending, spending on