growing panic in rafah, after israel's prime minister orders the military to prepare for an offensive in as the united nations warns of looming famine in gaza, people in isolated northern areas tell the bbc they're having to use and police in london start searching the river thames for the body of a chemical attack suspect. and... an explosion of colour as china celebrates the lunar new year and welcomes in the year of the dragon. those are the top headlines here on bbc news. housing charities have warned that new legislation could miss the chance to fix what is being called a crisis

for private renters. the government promised to ban no—fault evictions — known as section 21s. but campaign groups believe the new law won't go far enough to stop renters being forced to move. our political correspondent harry farley has more. natalie allwood has had to move 12 times in the last 20 years. natalie, hi. i'm harry. hi, harry. nice to meet you. after twice being homeless, she's trying to settle into another new flat. it was a nightmare, so i spent £350 getting my stuff. the repeated moves have put her in debt that will take years to clear, and they've affected her health. in the last 1.5 years alone, she received two no—fault evictions, or section 21s. i received a letter through my agency, saying that the landlord wanted to get their property back and i had to find somewhere new.

and that was the first section 21. and that was pretty — pretty awful. i wouldn't wish this situation on anybody. like countless others, natalie found that when she was evicted from her home here in brighton, rents had risen so much, she couldn't afford to stay. she now lives an hour outside the city, away from friends and work. the government promised to ban no—fault evictions in 2019. 11.5 years on, it hasn't happened. the housing secretary michael gove has brought a new bill that would make it happen but it still hasn't passed through the house of commons. a group of campaigners met mr gove this week, and i spoke to one of them afterwards. this bill was always going to have a rough ride from a group of tory backbenchers who are landlords.

but at the moment, the government is being far too weak in the face of that pressure. the charities want longer eviction notices and protections to stop landlords abusing new no—fault removals. itjust isn't going to offer the comprehensive set of rights for renters that most other civilised countries have and that renters in england are desperately crying out for. a government spokesperson said its renters reform bill would create a fairer private rented sector for tenants and landlords and it would abolish section 21 or no—fault evictions. some conservative mps worry that in banning no—fault evictions, the bill already goes too far and risks reducing the number of rental properties available, but people like natalie argue stability and protection is vital. it's supposed to be the 21st century and we are living in the dark ages, as far as i'm concerned. it's just beyond ridiculous that people are struggling. for a place to live.

natalie hopes this time, her new flat will be the stable home she needs. harry farley, bbc news. joining me now is tom darling. he's the campaign manager for the renters' reform coalition. thank you forjoining us on bbc news. i understand your organisation is part of the group of charities that have written to michael gove, the housing minister, warning him thatis the housing minister, warning him that is set to miss the opportunity to fix prices in private renting. what are the key issues you are raising with michael gove? thank you for having me.

we think the renters reform bill can go much further than it does currently. in order to deliver proper security of tenure for private renters it needs a longer notice periods, longer minimum tenancy, a cap on tenancy rent increases, and higher penalties for landlords who abuse the new system. that said, i think we are increasingly concerned the bill itself won't even make it on to the statute books before the general election. it was announced this week it has been overtaken by another housing bubble and the government do not seem to be interested on delivering a list despite the fact it was in the manifesto in 2019 that they would deliver a better dealfor renters. your line is slightly breaking up but we will persist. you are saying you don't think there legislation will be put forward

before the next election. considering so many in the country are affected by issues around renting, why is it not gaining political traction? i think it has gained political traction. and the fact we have a bill and the fact the government made that promise in 2019 is a sign of how it has gained traction. i think there are parts of the conservative party that are opposed to the bill, and that is holding it up to the bill, and that is holding it up which is why we are calling on michael gove today to stand up to those parts of the conservative party and deliver a better dealfor renters which they have been promised. thank you very much. the latest figures on rough sleeping in england are due in the coming weeks. but some areas are already reporting a rise. one charity in nottingham says that more than 1,300 people spent at least one night on the streets

of the city last year, an increase of 85%. jeremy ball reports. are we all right to just open up the bag a little bit? imagine spending a night like this. 5am in the centre of nottingham. we've got concerns about your health. jack and reese are checking this man is still breathing. car parks are the bane of our lives, aren't they, really? nottingham street outreach team does these welfare checks every night of the year, but there are still surprises. someone�*s left their belongings, including their dog, on the street. seeing that massive dog, without an owner was quite unusual! they mayjust have — they've probably gone to score, to be honest. at the royal concert hall, two men have moved here from out of town. they're offered what's known as reconnection, back to the local council area where they qualify for housing. hello, mate. you 0k?

it's just coming up to six o'clock here on clumber street and they've found another man sleeping, hidden behind four rubbish bins here. this man's just been released from prison with nowhere to go. we can definitely try and vouch for you. behind the victoria centre, this man said he had to leave supported accommodation because he wasn't getting the help he needed. why am i not high priority? i've got mental health issues. he wants rehab for alcohol addiction and he's turned down the council's offer of a private tenancy. i don't want private. i want supported accommodation. i need help, i need support, i need, like, a key worker or somebody. it has been really cold, hasn't it? what's it been like here on the streets? freezing but, obviously, i can't even get into, like, a emergency — you know, like, this places, yeah? because they reckon all are full. outside this charity shop, a couple who've hit rock bottom. they've been sleeping rough for months. most people that we do see, we can get them into accommodation. the problem is there is long waiting

lists at the minute. a lot of people suffer from quite complex behaviours. their behaviours can result in them getting evicted. but this man said he did have a home to go to. you miss your bus? where do you live? the buses will be starting in a minute. then reese takes the call on the street outreach hotline. someone has been sleeping at a tram stop. where were you before? the man's called the hotline, too. he's one of 50 newly recognised refugees they found in nottingham recently. and when did you get asked to leave? they've had to leave asylum hotels after being granted residence permits. this woman's alone, walking the street, so they'll try to find her somewhere safe. it's just gone eight o'clock now and we've spent the last hour driving around nottingham, responding to reports of people sleeping rough and we've just arrived at a cemetery. they've had a call from a man who set up camp inside. but with the gates still locked, getting in is going to be a challenge.

if you're an entrenched rough sleeper, paying your bills, dealing with letters can be quite difficult and it's those difficulties that people face that cause them to go back onto the streets. we can see people anywhere. at the tram stop, the person reported sleeping rough has gone. and this is about so much more than tackling homelessness — it's about rebuilding shattered lives. jeremy ball, bbc news. we wa nt we want to remind you today it is the new lunar year, these are live pictures now from hong kong. let us take a quick listen. as you can see, those festivities there in hong kong, colourful as ever, this is the year of the dragon. we were hearing from an astrologist earlier who told us there is seen as a year

of prosperity and great luck. as tradition goes this is the time when people try to have their babies at this time of year. this is a powerful year, according to chinese astrology, to have a child. a celebration that will be happening in many countries across asia but also other parts of the world with chinese communities. lunar new year celebrations in hong kong. police have begun searching the river thames this morning for the body of a man suspected of carrying out a chemical attack on a mother and her two daughters in south london. officers have been searching for abdul shokoor ezedi for nearly ten days — but say they now believe he went into the river hours after the attack as sean dilley reports. chelsea bridge at 11.30pm on the 31st january. this is the last known sighting of abdul ezedi. police believe that shortly after, he entered the thames and died.

now they say they will direct resources to confirm their theory. specialist police personnel are expected to start their search later at low tide, but strong currents and winds could make their search lengthy. our marine support unit will be carrying out some searches of the thames, but as you can imagine, at this time of year the thames is very fast flowing, and it may be some time, if someone has gone in the water at this time of year, for a person to surface. dead or alive, detectives say they believe abdul ezedi was responsible for launching a concentrated corrosive substance at a 31—year—old woman and her two daughters, before throwing a three—year—old to the ground in clapham on the 31st january. since then, officers have tracked the convicted sex offender's movements across london. police followed his suspected final hours here close to the river. oficers believe this is where he met his end.

waters below are rapid and cold. they say it could take a month for his body to show up, if it ever does. this obscured picture was posted to a fundraising page by friends of the victims. it is feared that his 31—year—old victim could lose the sight in one of her eyes. police say she is unwell and has not been able to talk to them. but detectives will only be able to close this investigation when they can be certain the suspected offender is no longer alive, and cannot face justice in court. sean dilley, bbc news at chelsea bridge. it's a week since northern ireland's devolved government was re—established — and one urgent issue for it to tackle is a new stadium planned for west belfast, to host matches in the 2028 euros. but it's far from simple. the location, history and funding of the venue are causing

controversy and debate, as our ireland correspondent chris page explains. casement park has been derelict for a decade but in four years' time, a new stadium here is due to host matches in europe's biggest football tournament. the sporting authorities think it'll be a landmark moment for northern ireland's journey out of conflict. the euro 28 competition is a wonderful example of how far both belfast and the islands here have progressed in the last 30 years. but historical divisions are still an issue. casement park is in a part of west belfast where political violence was particularly severe. the stadium's named after an irish republican revolutionary from the early 20th century. cheering and applause. this was the last match at the ground in 2013.

gaelic games are played mainly by members of the irish nationalist community. supporters of the northern ireland soccer team tend to come from a unionist background. northern ireland fans don't, day by day, go into west belfast. we're not sure how it would even be received. a majorfans group is concerned. opposition to the plans has been on display in the grandstands during northern ireland's home football matches. i think there is so much uncertainty around casement park because at the moment, we don't know how much it's going to cost, we don't know who's going to build it, we don't know how long that's going to take. we absolutely want to see northern ireland host games during euro 2028 but our first argument is why not at the football stadium? the national football stadium at windsor park has been redeveloped but it isn't big enough to meet the requirements for the euros. the governing body says increasing capacity more isn't going to be possible. there isn't any more public money available to redevelop the stadium further, so if we wanted to be part of the euros and if we wanted to have that ambition

for northern ireland as a country, to show how brilliant a place it is and what a great city belfast is, then the casement park redevelopment project was our only option to be part of that. the project's previously been delayed, not least by legal challenges brought by local residents. but the owners of casement insist the goal is now in sight. we would've liked to have delivered the project many years ago. unfortunately, there were a number of stumbling blocks that were, we would say, outside of our control. now, with the euros coming, we feel that's there is a new momentum, there's fresh impetus to deliver the project. for the first time, we do have fixed time periods. we want to get started later this summer and we want to finish by the summer of 2027. people in the area say they are looking forward to that. needs something that gets on the road. it's going to bring so much for the businesses as well, you know? i think it'll be brilliant. it'll bring a lot of people into the area and i don't know, i think i'd love to go to it!

the devolved government says it cannot talk about what the estimated cost is for commercial reasons. the uk government has said it wants northern ireland to benefit from euro 2028. the ball�*s rolling and the clock is running. chris page, bbc news at casement park in belfast. powers to ban pavement parking should be extended across england to make streets safer. that's according to a report by the local government association which warned that wheelchair users, older people and children in pushchairs are among those at risk from vehicles parked on walkways. our correspondent ellie price has the details. when is a path not a path? when it's got a car parked on it. good girl. blocked pavements can cause a nightmare for all sorts of people trying to navigate their way by foot. that's why in edinburgh,

the council decided to ban parking on pavements and dropped kerbs and double—parking from the end of last month. motorists face a fine of up to £100 if they're caught, and it's something campaigners want councils across the uk to have the power to do. good girl. we know this has a real impact on people's lives. if you've got a vehicle blocking the pavement and you can't get past that, you've got to step out into the road. of course, if you're in a wheelchair, you may not be able to get down the kerb. if you have small children, that means putting your children in harm's way to go into the road to get round the parked vehicle. and that is obviously unacceptable, it's dangerous, and it's preventing people from completing theirjourneys. according to sustrans, 73% of disabled people would find a ban on pavement parking useful for them to walk or wheel more. its disabled citizens inquiry revealed that more than two in five disabled people often experience problems reaching their destination. and proving the point in a different way, more than 200 fines were issued in edinburgh in the week after the law there came into place.

the department for transport says everyone should be able to navigate their streets without obstacles. it points out local authorities already have powers to ban pavement parking, but it has consulted on further helping them to take action. the response to that consultation, it says, will be published in due course. a new treatment which can help obese people lose weight is being used for the first time on the nhs. it's a tablet which turns into a balloon after it's swallowed, making the patient feel fuller for longer, so they eat less. amanda parr has the story. dave from yeovil is feeling pretty relaxed about this morning's procedure. it will be in and out, very simple, no endoscopy, no hospital bed, no theatre time or anaesthetic. he has worked out the best mental approach too. everybody�*s sort of like opinion is, you know, you are overweight, you need to put your fork down type of things. there's lots of different reasons

why people are overweight. it could be medical, it could be tablets, it could be a whole load of things. thank you to dave for letting us watch how it is done. here is the balloon capsule. it's attached to a thin tube, swallowed into the stomach. an x—ray checks the position, then water is pumped into the balloon, and the tube is removed. it takes up a fair bit of space. it's this big, if you hold it in your hand. after four months, a valve opens, the balloon empties, and it passes naturally. when i first looked at the possibility of any type of gastric surgery, i looked at it as a failure, i think. and i think that's what a lot of people do. you've sort of failed, so this is like a last resort. but what i look at this one is, the balloon itself is just a tool, and it's a tool that will help me lose weight. things can only get better. so, i'm feeling positive. the hope is it will change lives.

we have a tsunami, or a tidal wave, of obesity—based disease facing the nhs. and we're having to pay for that as taxpayers. we can at least attempt to try to help patients who have the problems, and we can do so by surgery very effectively. and the balloon is a bridge to help patients get fitter for surgery, and any other procedure they might need, such as hip replacement. |it's a really, really good piece| of kit and we just hope it helps l people get to the surgical part i of the pathway, and then they are able to enjoy their lives again. they say no other public health care system in the world is doing this, yet. but still we are scratching the surface. our appetites are too big for our current food environment. people are getting larger and larger. yes, surgeons can help in these amazing new ways. but they say conversations around obesity, society, the economy, need to change too, if we are to live better and for longer. amanda parr, bbc news.

to the west end next. ed larkin is a stage actor who sings, dances and even performs while suspended from wires. he's also the first actor who uses a wheelchair to play the lead in a west end musical — and that role could see him win a major award this weekend. emma ruminski has the story. my name's henry fraser. when i was 17, i had everything in front of me. then, my life changed. ed larkin is flying high on the west end. he's playing henry fraser in the musical the little big things — a show based on the true story of a teenage rugby player paralysed in an accident on holiday. he's been nominated in the best performer in a musical category for the annual whatsonstage awards. when you're in a rehearsal room, we always think, "oh,

we've got something special" but you never quite know. and some big names in there. how do you feel about being up against those big names? yeah, some really big names. i mean, yeah, the likes of the likes of nicole scherzinger, marisha wallace. you know, there's some amazing performers in there, so i just feel very grateful that i get to be in a room with them and be nominated alongside them is a real honour. nick butcher regularly performs on the west end stage but when he read henry's story, he knew he could write his first musical and that ed will be its star. we watched ed's tape and it was one of those rare moments where everyone in the room realises you have found your star player. and he had this uncanny resemblance to henry fraser but also, his warmth and his enthusiasm and you just felt incredibly safe in his hands. this is the first time an actor using a wheelchair has played the lead role in a west end musical. ifeel very, very proud but also feel a little bit frustrated that it's 2024 and we're...

you know, i'm very thankful to be the first but why am i the first? so, hopefully, the show can open up conversations and doors for myself and myself and disabled artists. people talk about actors being triple threats — being able to sing, dance and act. but ed could've been a competitor, as well as a performer. he was in the gb squad for wheelchair rugby. his team—mates say his love of rugby helped him with the part. he wasn't ed any more, he was playing henry. he was playing the role and he played it, ithink, perfectly. definitely inspire other disabled people to get| into the same sort of role, same sort of career, - and just prove it can be done. i think wheelchair rugby has helped out a lot with his career on the stage. i think it's given him confidence. i want to move on with my life! i want to go back tol the life i had before. thisjoyful and uplifting musical allows ed's acting talent to take centre stage — something he hopes to repeat at the awards ceremony in london. emma ruminski, bbc news.

now, have a look at this. this is an alligator snapping turtle. and extraordinarily it has been pulled from a small lake in cumbria. this one is a merejuvenile but an adult can weigh around 12 stone. and guess what — they eat meat. danny savage has the story. it's not a pretty sight and certainly shouldn't be living in the wild here. but this alligator—snapping turtle is now residing at a vet's in cumbria. when they get larger, they can be fairly dangerous. they do have a nasty bite to them. the armoured turtle was taken out of urswick tarn near ulverston by a local who donned three pairs of builder's gloves for protection and put it in a shopping basket. she then passed it on to the vets. it wasn't in too great of a shape. it was cold and lethargic.

they weren't able to move very well and the mouth was open, which is always what they do when they're in a sort of threat display or if they feel a little bit cornered or defensive. the alligator—snapping turtle is native to freshwater in the united states, has immensely powerful jaws, and is so—called because of its shell, which looks like the rough ridged skin of an alligator. and they can weigh up to 12 stone. so what have its carers called it? fluffy, of course. it's not illegal to own, but the suspicion is it was dumped at the tarn where it would have eaten the wildlife if left. the hope is to send it to a zoo. the plan is to make it snappy. danny savage, bbc news, cumbria. now, it's time for a look at the weather. hello again. we've got a generally quiet weekend of weather compared to the last few days.

there are still numerous flood warnings in force across england and wales, after all that rainfall we have had rushing down into the rivers. this morning has been quite serene, quite beautiful in wigan, with a few bright spells. this is the satellite image through this morning. you can see the swirl of cloud here. this is an area of low pressure, that will throw in some showers today, but you can see there are some breaks in the cloud to give us some sunshine. generally speaking, it is mild as well, but in the far north of scotland we still have some pretty cold air, so this morning there has been a bit of snow, but that will generally clear away, and for many parts of scotland it will be fairly cloudy, some showers moving in. some cloud developing with rain affecting some central and south—eastern areas, heavy showers into the south—west. maximum temperatures nine to 12 degrees, but maybe three to five in the far north of scotland. tonight, this area of rain will continue to develop and move northwards into eastern scotland. still some showers affecting the far south and south west. some gusty winds to go with those showers as well.

further north and west, it is quieter, some clear spells, maybe one or two fog patches, and overnight temperatures down to about 3—7 degrees. this area of low pressure is still with us as we go into sunday, bringing further showers. and this little feature here, running up towards the north and east, that will bring outbreaks of rain on sunday morning. it will gradually move away to the north east. then, there will be sunny spells, followed by showers moving in from the west. and maximum temperatures round about 7—11 degrees. not as cold across the far north of scotland. we lose that colder air. going for the rest of the week, that area of low pressure moves away. we still have the influence of the atlantic, so we will see some areas of rain moving their way in, with low pressure close by. but for monday, for most of us, it is looking relatively dry. there will be some sunny spells. some showers coming into the north and the west, those will be wintry, just over higher ground really, not down to low levels. maximum temperatures about 7—10 degrees celsius. just a little bit below the average for the time of year.

and then, during the rest of the week, temperatures perhaps coming up a bit — 1a celsius in southern areas. mixed, though, as we can see, with some areas of rain at times but also some sunny spells. that's it from me. bye. live from london. this is bbc news as the united nations warns of looming famine in gaza, people in isolated northern areas tell the bbc of their desperate situation. when it comes to flour people actually using animal feed however

the animal feed is starting to get scarce in the market and people are not finding it. the israeli prime minister orders the military to prepare for an offensive in rafah in southern gaza — where 1.5 million palestinians are sheltering. a six—year—old girl who begged for help after being trapped by israeli fire in gaza is found dead — along with two paramedics who tried to rescue her. pakistan's army chief calls for unity after the leaders of two rival parties both claim victory in the election. hello, i'm catherine byaruhanga. we begin this hour in gaza, where the death toll has now passed 28 thousand — according to the hamas—run health

ministry — and concern is growing over the shortage of food.