First for you, an exclusive report on the final stages of the battle for the syrian city of raqqa, last major stronghold of the Extremist Group the so called islamic state. The current offensive by arab and kurdish fighters, with american and british support, started in june. Then, is controlled most of raqqa. Now, only a few hundred militants hold the centre of the city. The bbc is the only broadcaster to gain access to it. Our middle east correspondent Quentin Sommerville and cameraman Darren Conway sent this. You may find some of the images distressing. This is a war of annihilation, says the united states. Raqqa is the battleground, and the victim. These are western coalition bombs, targeting the fighters of the so called islamic state. More than 5,000 hit raqqa last month alone. An entire city has become a no mans land. Mile after mile, there is no life, no people. For years, is terrorised and controlled these streets. Now, hundreds of those who called raqqa home have been killed by coalition bombs made to free them. The us led mission disputes the figure, and says that this is the most precise Bombing Campaign in history. They may be young, and their army new, but the men of the kurdish Led Syrian Democratic forces are winning. Is promised a new empire would grow here. Instead, the corpses of its fighters fill the gutters. First mosul, now raqqa the caliphate is already dead. Nearby, another corpse rots, likely caused by a drone strike. The threat here is from snipers. A pause too long, or a misstep, and this female fighter would have lost her head. Instead, the shot hits the wall to the right. The danger lies around corners, and in raqqas shadows. Is rarely come out and attack. They hide and wait. There are is fighters hiding near a mosque. The kurds throw everything they have at the gunmen. Is return fire. All this to take just half a mile of road. Gunfire. When all else fails, an air strike on the is position. It might have done the trick. We wait for the all clear. The instructions are simple. Run that way, and be quick. But, as i get to the end of the street, it is clear the sniper is still there. He fires at us, but misses. The shots ricochet off the wall by the camera. 0oh, it hit right there the deeper into the city, the greater the danger. It is an improvised war. Here, arab fighters have savaged an is armoured car. Like a prehistoric beast, it rumbles through a ruined landscape. The commander knows that snipers only need a tiny window of opportunity. Even in captured ground, there is always the risk that is will appear from behind. They have dug tunnels all over the city. The steel flanks of the armour shield us through yet another sniper alley. There is a sniperjust around that corner, just at the end of the street. We have to be very careful here. This is the centre of raqqa. The very heart, if you like, of the islamic state. The roundabout is about a few hundred metres away from here. Locals call it the circle of hell. For these fighters, it is critical territory to retake. But it is much more, than that because it is there that their friends were beheaded, and there they were crucified. When they take that territory, they say, they will cleanse raqqa of the islamic state. But, before the cleansing, more blood has to be spilt. One of the fighters has been shot. Is control the rooftops and our men are pinned down. There are almost in panic. They are desperate. Their commrade is just out of reach. Again an air strike is called in, and this time it works. Finally, they can get to him. He is rushed to a field hospital, but he doesnt survive. He was 21 years old. The fighters are exhausted, theyve had too many days end like this. Translation we keep going. We will sacrifice our blood for our people inside, because theyre having a tough time, a really tough time. Yesterday daesh attacked us, with their men dressed as women, and there were big numbers, like 100. We thought they were civilians, and they also had children with them. And suddenly, the civilians and children went to the side of the road, and then they started to fire at us. In the six days we were inside raqqa, we didnt see a single civilian. Thousands, though, are still trapped in is areas. Raqqa, for them, is an iron clad death trap. They would have to go through all of this to escape. It is not clear who is friend orfoe. Raqqa was the islamic states syrian capital. Now, it is a city fit for no one. Gunfire. Quentin sommerville, bbc news, raqqa. And dont forget you can get much more detail about the battle for raqqa on the bbc website. You will also find more from quentin, including a 360 degree guide to the city. That is at bbc. Com news. Lets take a look at some of the other stories making the news President Trump will travel to puerto rico next week, amid growing criticism of his response to the destruction caused by hurricane maria. Puerto ricos governor has appealed for federal help, warning the island is on the brink of a humanitarian disaster. Most of its 3. 4 Million People are still without power. Clean water and medicine are also scarce. Twitter has announced it is considering an end to its famous ilio character limit. The firm said a small number of people were taking part in a trial allowing longer tweets. They will still remain brief, but in the future you could be allowed up to 280 characters per tweet. Chaotic scenes to show you from ugandas parliament now, as mps debated the contentious removal of the president ial age gap. Punches were thrown, and chairs, too, after it was claimed one mp had taken a gun into the chamber. The age limit is controversial because the current president is 73 years old, and the limit for re election is capped at 75. Women in saudi arabia will soon be allowed to drive for the first time. It is the only country in the world where women are banned from driving. The law will be changed nextjune. Rights groups have been campaigning about the issue for years, with some women having been imprisoned for defying the rule. Farah al sweel is from riyadh. She moved to new york in 2016 and now works there as an International Civil servant. Thank you very much for talking to us. Thank you very much for talking to us. First of all, do you think it will really happen . Thank you for having me. Absolutely, and even if it doesnt happen, this is definitely still a cause for celebration. It is still a very important moment. I only ask because i know that the king has absolute power, and this appears to come from the king, but the religious establishment is very strong, isnt it . It is, but it is not that simple. It is a little more sophisticated than that, i would say. It is all a part of a social contract and the balance, and even if it doesnt happen, like i said, it is huge, because this kind of social contract has effectively been redefined, as of today. So what does it mean, do you . To me it means, i mean, it is a historic moment, because for decades people have been asking for this. People have been speaking out, and as of today, it turns out, you know, ask and you shall receive. So just to turns out, you know, ask and you shall receive. Sojust to me it means that the social contract has been redefined, and that we should keep asking for more. Hopefully the guardianship will be next. And i know you are not an activist, a notice on your twitter feed you make the entirely reasonable factual point that so many women have been punished for driving. This has caused a lot of suffering. Absolutely. So when do you think it might happen . I am going to go with good faith, and i are going to trust the timeline. Just the fact that it was announced today, abruptly, and toa was announced today, abruptly, and to a lot of peoples this may, i think that is a huge signal to keep going, and to keep having faith. And it was noticeable in social media that women were celebrating, well, all over saudi arabia. It is a very big deal. It really is, and it is a historic moment, really. I havent been able to sit down, all day. I have just been running around. Been able to sit down, all day. I havejust been running around. I kind of wish there were more saudis in new york, so i could just go and hugged them and really celebrate. In new york, so i could just go and hugged them and really celebratem factors into the whole guardianship system, as well, doesnt it . It really impinges on womens life in the kingdom. It really is, and in many ways, a lot of people say it is just driving, you will still get from point to point b without driving yourself, etc, but it really is symbolic of mobility, and just my ability to have a little bit of ownership of my life, and the choices that i make. Just the fact that we have been heard, and we are considered just as important as the religious establishment, or whatever establishment, maybe even contradict them. That in itself is really historic. All right, thank you for talking to us. Thank you, thank you for having me. An active volcano on the Holiday Island of bali has entered a critical phase. Indonesian authorities are warning that an eruption could be imminent. More than 75,000 people have already left the area surrounding mount agung, and are being sheltered in temporary accommodation or with relatives. Tom donkin reports. The excruciating wait for disaster, which could either strike at any moment, or never at all. Bali is an island on edge, with a warning that its highest volcano may erupt. Certainly the signs are there. White smoke is now masking much of mount agung, and hundreds of tremors are being recorded daily, a sign that magma is approaching the surface. Authorities are taking these warnings seriously. In 1963, more than 1,700 people were killed in an eruption. Many homes were also destroyed. Today, for locals preparing for the worst but hoping for the best, this is home. More than 75,000 people have moved into relief shelters. These are makeshift cities in limbo, full of lives on hold. How long for is anyones yes. Translation im bored spending days and days here. At home, i can work. I have my cows and chickens to take care of. It hurts that my home has been abandoned. The experts simply dont know when, or if, indeed, mount agung will erupt. The countrys president arrives to offer support, stability. But even information from the top is uncertain. Translation it is not easy to handle a volcanic eruption, because there is no certainty when its going to happen, or if its going to happen at all. For tens of thousands of tourists, holidays continue unaffected, for now. Beaches are far enough away to be considered safe, and Airlines Continue to land. But an eruption would put ash in the sky, and keep planes on the ground. So for now, while mount agung rumbles on and predictions change, the wait continues. Stay with us on bbc news. Still to come bypassing brain damage. A pioneering implant restores consciousness to one patient for the first time in 15 years. Ben johnson, the fastest man on earth, is flying home to canada in disgrace. All the athletes should be clean going into the games. Im just happy that justice is served. It is a simple fact that this morning, these people were in their homes. Tonight, those homes have been burnt down by serbian soldiers and police. All the taliban positions along here have been strengthened, presumably in case the americans invade. Its no use having a secret service which cannot preserve its own secrets against the world. And so the British Government has no option but to continue this action, and even after any adverse judgement in australia. Concorde had crossed the atlantic faster than any plane ever before, breaking the record by six minutes. This is bbc news. The latest headlines the battle for the syrian city of raqqa, the last major stronghold of so called islamic state, is entering its final phase. Just a few hundred is fighters are holding the centre of the city. The king of saudi arabia has issued an order allowing women to drive for the first time. The french president Emmanuel Macron has set out his vision for reforming the eu, describing the Current Union as too weak, too slow, and inefficient. Hes called for a European Defence force and a common budget. Hes also suggested that the uk might wish to join the kind of reformed eu thats hes proposing in a few years. 0ur paris correspondent Lucy Williamson has more details. With the leadership of france under his belt, president macron set out today to conquer europe with a vision of the future, an eu that wassimpler, closer, less bureaucratic and, for its citizens, the only path to sovereignty. Translation the europe that we know is too weak, too slow, to inefficient, but only europe can give us the power to act in a world facing big challenges, only europe can ensure real sovereignty. Mr macron wants more european integration, a joint asylum process, joint budgets for defence and the eurozone and an Eu Intervention force, but he also imagines a europe of several speeds and saide there would be a place in the union for britain, if it wants it. Translation in a European Union focused on strong values and an efficient market the uk will find its place, if it wants, within a couple of years. I cant imagine that the uk would not find its place in a simpler, reformed europe. Emmanuel macron wants to make europe more relevant to its citizens, but also more romantic. With nationalism growing in many countries, his answer is more integration, not less. If hes successful, itll be a boost for europe, but also for france. The timing of his speech, two days after the german election, is no accident. Angela merkel is still choosing her coalition partners, some of whom may curb her appetite for integration. The time for france to put forward its eu vision was now, he elysse said, before it was too late. Mr macrons reforms can be divisive, his popularity has dropped sharply since his election in may, but hes hoping to heal divisions at home by putting europe at the centre of french identity, and france at the centre of european power. Staying in france, a man whod been in a vegetative state for 15 years has begun to show signs of consciousness thanks to an experimental therapy. The pioneering treatment involved implanting a nerve simulator in his chest. Within a month he was able to respond to simple instructions, turn his head and even follow an object with his eyes. Experts say the results are potentially very exciting but say more research is needed. For 15 years, the patient in france had been completely unaware of the world around him following a car accident and severe brain injury, until a medical team in lyon restored some consciousness. They did it by stimulating the vagus nerve which connects the brain to other organs. Surgeons implanted a nerve stimulator in the mans chest and this was linked by wire to the vagus nerve in the neck and then an electrical pulse was introduced. After treatment, the team report that the patient could follow an object with his eyes and slowly turn his head when asked, though he remains largely paralysed and unable to talk. Now, the image on the right shows three months after stimulation there is more activity in the key brain areas there than before the implant was inserted. And this is a before and after reading of electrical activity in the brain. Again, on the right, the warmer colours here show greater connections at the back of the brain. This team in birmingham measure the brain activity of healthy volunteers. So were just putting some gel into the electrodes. And in patients with severe brain injuries. They say the French Research is intriguing. I think this is a very exciting result. We have to be very cautious in the way that we interpret it, as it is only data from one patient, but i think it highlights the potential for future therapies for disorders of consciousness. What we need is a large group of patients with this stimulations so that we can work out exactly how its working. Cathy rentzenbrinks brother matty spent eight years in a vegetative state. He died after a judge agreed with the family that his feeding tube should be withdrawn. She says this research may raise false hopes. The debate will be muddied because everybody reading the headlines will say, oh, doctors have woken someone up, whereas actually, to say that someones been in a vegetative state and now minimally conscious is. Well, a lot people thinking being minimally conscious is worse. This Research Raises ethical issues about the Long Term Care of vegetative patients. Last week, a judge in london ruled that legal permission is no longer required to withdraw feeding tubes when doctors and relatives agree. A decision that is likely to be challenged. Long before the days of Motion Pictures there was the silent film. A huge library of these movies was once housed in dawson city, canada, but was eventually destroyed. In 1978, a small portion of well preserved reels from that collection were discovered beneath a swimming pool. Filmmaker Bill Morrison has turned the unearthed archive into a feature called dawson city frozen in time. I first heard about it in the late 19805 i first heard about it in the late 1980s and always thought it would be a great story to tell. The irony is that getting rid of these films is actually an inadvertent act of preservation. So its a story about the recovery of these films, but also the story principally about the town and how it got there. Most architects can recognise the city from the collections because it has these white, bingle reward the damage undersides. Fingery. Theres a sequence undersides. Fingery. Theres a sequence towards the end of my film where i put together some examples where i put together some examples where my character seems to be in some way we act into the horror of this encroaching decay. I think its a film that was at least 120 years in the making. We have footage from 1896, the same year that all was discovered in dawson city, and there isa discovered in dawson city, and there is a silent march of African Americans 100 years ago down fifth ave protesting violence towards african america ns, bob violence and lynchings. Mob violence. Theres the 1980 on world series when the Chicago White sox famously threw in exchange for some cash. Then in the silent era and go ona cash. Then in the silent era and go on a when the footage was discovered in 1978. It did take a long time to tell the story about why those wheels had sat in the archive for 38 yea rs wheels had sat in the archive for 38 years without anybody touching them is anybodys desk, but i think there is anybodys desk, but i think there is still cold down there. Theres 533 reels that for the most part dont exist anywhere else. Those represent 372 different titles and of those 372 titles i took a third. So one third glimpsed in my film. I havent even seen the entire collection myself, so i leave my film may be set a row for future filmmakers who want to explore more. Bill morrison with the treasures dawson city. A museum has opened, commemorating the artist uses dots and mirrors to create infinity rooms. They sell for some of the highest prices of any living thing 110w highest prices of any living thing now artist. More on it all of the news any time on the bbc website and myself and most of the team are on twitter. Good morning. Yet again, if you had some sunshine yesterday you probably had some warmth, and in fact in the london area we saw highs of 22 degrees, with some sunny spells, as you can see from this weather watches from twickenham. But things are set to change. This low pressure is moving in, bringing wet and windy weather by the end of the day for many of us. We start off with the west east divide across the country. A bit of patchy mist and fog slowly lifting away, but the wind will strengthen and cloud and rain gathers. Some of it quite heavy in Northern Ireland by the middle of the afternoon. The best of the weather is likely to stay into the south east corner and we could have temperatures again into the low 20s. By the end of the afternoon across the south west of england and parts of wales well start to see some rain arriving. East wales, though, you might get a bit of brightness. 17 18 degrees. The heaviest rain into Northern Ireland where it will feel dismal. Not a bad end to the afternoon in much of Northern England and eastern scotland. Cloud thickening up, the winds strengthening across western fringes of scotland. So that weather front sweeps its way eastwards through the evening and overnight and in actual fact its moving at quite a pace. There will be some rain, some of it heavy, for all of us at some point through the night, clearing away in all but eastern fringes towards dawn. With clearer skies and lighter winds we could see some patchy mist and fog forming. More favoured spots for it to linger perhaps through South West England and wales first thing. But again the further west on thursday youll see the best of the sunshine. After a cloudy and damp start there is a slow improvement through eastern fringes, but we might keep a bit of cloud across east anglia and the south east. The highest values, 14 20 degrees. Now, as we move out of thursday and into friday, things are set to change. Thats partly because of whats happening across north america, with a cold plunge of air coming out of canada, mixing with very warm, moist air in the caribbean, and thats going to strengthen the jet, which will in turn deflect these areas of low pressure across the uk. A spell of wet and windy weather moving into friday is likely, that wull sweep steadily eastwards, behind it a better clearance brighter weather to come. 14 19 degrees the high. Saturday could be a day of sunshine and showers before another significant area of low pressure brings wet and windy weather for sunday. This is bbc news. The headlines the battle for the syrian city of raqqa, the last major stronghold of so called islamic state, is entering its final phase. The current offensive led by arab and kurdish fighters, along with american and british support, started in june. Just a few hundred is fighters are holding the centre of the city. King salman of saudi arabia has issued a decree allowing women to drive for the first time. The order, which will come into force next june, follows years of campaigning by women and rights groups. Saudi arabia has been the only country in the world that does not permit women to drive. An active volcano on the Holiday Island of bali has entered a critical phase. Indonesian authorities are warning that an eruption could be imminent. More than 75,000 people have already left the area surrounding mount agung, and are being sheltered in temporary accommodation. Now on bbc news, it is time for hardtalk