that a support package is being developed. also on the programme: all children in london between one and nine will be offered a polio booster vaccine, after the virus was detected in wastewater. as the heatwave continues, we report on the extreme problems faced by farmers and the agriculture industry. and the storyteller who enchanted millions the author and illustrator raymond briggs has died. and coming up on the bbc news channel: a night to rememberfor will smeed, scoring the hundreds first ever century to inspire birmingham phoenix to victory over southern brave. welcome to bbc news at ten. higher energy bills for millions of households could be on the way sooner than expected, according to the energy regulator ofgem and the industry body energy uk. earlier this evening, they confirmed that it was possible for suppliers to put up direct debits in advance of the new price regime in october. ministers, who ve been widely accused of doing too little to help households, are
from hong kong have taken up the british government s offer of a new visa route to start a new life in the uk. the world s fifth oldest zoo, bristol zoo gardens, is set to close its gates to the public for the final time, with the animals on the move to a new location. hello and welcome if you re watching in the uk or around the world. president biden has made an impassioned speech in defence of american democracy. he warned that donald trump and what he termed maga republicans represent a form of extremism that threaten the american way of life. he also urged all americans to come together to defend american democracy, regardless of their ideology. 0ur north america correspondent peter bowes has this report. an historic setting for a speech that pulled no punches, a prime time address from philadelphia, the birthplace of american democracy. a way of life thatjoe biden says is under threat from donald trump and his supporters. we must be honest with each other and with oursel
nicolas cruz pleaded guilty to gunning down 17 people, at his former high school. live from our studio in singapore, this is bbc news it s newsday. welcome to bbc news, broadcasting to viewers in the uk and around the world. we begin in western france which is facing what experts are calling a heat apocalypse , as extreme temperatures continue to hit much of europe. they say temperatures could reach record levels in 15 regions of the southwest, with firefighters battling wildfires and thousands forced to evacuate. wildfires in spain, portugal and greece have forced thousands more to flee. our europe correspondent jessica parker has the latest. into the forest and the front line of an exhausting battle, and one that, today, we were given special access to. up in the woods, you can see guys tackling the fires. there s a huge amount of activity down here, and it is hot, it is smoky just look at the haze in the trees. the smoke thickens the further in we go the flames sudd