the un security council is due to reconvene again, to vote on "urgent humanitarian pauses" in gaza, after the previous vote was postponed on wednesday. a top eu court rules that uefa's ban on a european super league is unlawful. "an absolute catastrophe" — diplomats describe the humanitarian situation in sudan, following the suspension of aid work in some areas. christmas getaway is a ruin for thousands, as cross—channel —— as crossrail services are suspended due to an unexpected strike in france. hello. welcome to verified live. police say there has been a shooting

at university prague. a few details coming in. we are hearing there is an unspecified number of dead people and injured people. the university is called the charles university faculty of art, located centrally in central prague. authorities say the square and surrounding area is shut down and close to people coming in and out. this continuing incident is still happening, so police warning anyone in the area to stay away as possible. in an e—mail to students, the university has told them to stay put until lock offices. we think parts of the university have been locked down because of this ongoing incident. charles university is located in prague's old town, about 500 metres from the historic charles bridge, which is a tourist magnet and very well known landmark in the city. we will try and bring you more

on this as we get it. you can get the latest on what is happening if you do step away from the television on our website. but when we get more website, we will bring it to you. let's take you now to the war in gaza. despite extensive diplomatic efforts over the past 2a hours, and talks continuing in egypt with the hamas leader ismail haniyeh, there is no sign of a breakthrough to halt the fighting. hamas says palestinian groups have rejected the prospect of further hostage releases until israel agrees to end the war. a spokesman for hamas has said, "we cannot talk about negotiations while israel continues its aggression". fighting in the gaza strip has escalated. people there have described the latest israeli bombardment as one of the most intense of the war. at the united nations security council, the wording of a ceasefire resolution is still being worked on, but a vote has been repeatedly delayed.

the hamas—run health ministry says 20,000 people have now died since the start of the conflict in gaza. 1,200 israelis died — and 240 hostages were taken hostage — when hamas invaded israel on october 7th. we begin our coverage with this report from our middle east correspondent, yolande knell. in khan younis, drones and shelling are the soundtrack of this war. a new day in gaza brings no escape from the relentless bombardment. for little riyan, the attacks have taken a cruel toll. her uncle now cares for her in a local hospital. when herfamily�*s home was hit by an israeli strike last month, she lost her parents and her brother and sister. she was crushed and has had a brain haemorrhage. "her situation's very difficult," he says. "she really needs to be taken abroad for treatment, but so far, we've not managed to send her out."

deep in gaza, israeli troops take on hamas fighters in fierce urban battles. israel says the war here won't end until hamas is toppled from power and eliminated. it believes hamas leaders are now probably hiding in tunnels like these. this footage shows an underground network connecting places where they used to live in gaza city, the israeli army says. we can't independently verify these images, but they appear to show passages with blast doors and electricity. come with me. this israeli officer says new extensions were being built. deep down. a tunnel which was built for the last few months. you can see here the lift, heavy—duty lift. with such immense suffering in gaza, there are new international calls for at least a humanitarian pause that could see more aid going in and the release of more israeli hostages. hamas is insisting on a full ceasefire.

britain says it's pushing for a new un resolution. everything that can be done must be done to get aid into gaza to help people in the desperate situation that they're in. and on that level, we've been talking about the united nations security council resolution, where we are very keen to see consensus arrived at. more than 20,000 people have been killed in gaza in the past two and a half months, local health officials say. as diplomatic efforts wind on, that number is continuing to grow. yolande knell, bbc news, jerusalem. these pictures are coming into us from prague from the square i was talking about a few minutes ago. the s: uare is

talking about a few minutes ago. the square is in prague's old town as the location for charles university, a very famous university not far from the historic charles bridge. the latest from police in prague is that the shooter involved in this incident has been, in their words, eliminated. the shooter involved in this incident has been eliminated. little information we are getting is there was a shooting in the university. we know that many, many people have been injured, potentially tens of people have been injured and several have lost their lives. the latest is that the shooter has been eliminated by the czech police. the pictures on a loop are the only ones we are getting on bbc news. you can see a police car in the main square around where the university is located. the entire square, the jan palach square understandably has been closed off to the members of the public and you can see many blue and red lights,

police cars surrounding the area. this incident happened not long ago, about half an hour ago, may become a 45 minutes ago, in the university, the charles university faculty of arts. which is in the square. the latest is that a shooter opened fire, tens of people have been injured in the latest is that several have died. again, this is a developing story, we are trying to get as much information as we can from the czech police and from the university, which i believe has told students to lock themselves down in whatever building they find themselves in and not venture out, at least for the foreseeable, until everything has settled. but we believe the shooter is now dead. well, let's go back to our top story in the conflict between israel and gaza. let's cross live now to jerusalem.

live now to jerusalem and our correspondent there, shaimaa khalil. bring us up to date about pushes toward some sort of ceasefire between the sides. it is toward some sort of ceasefire between the sides.— between the sides. it is really interesting — between the sides. it is really interesting because _ between the sides. it is really interesting because we - between the sides. it is really interesting because we have i between the sides. it is really - interesting because we have been talking about talks for a very long time. to our listeners and viewers, i think it all will sound like semantics. but it's important to note the semantics, if they go through, will mean very real things on the ground. let's start with the un. the wording of the resolution in the un is still under negotiation, we are still in that fix if you will of changing and the wording from cessation of hostilities to suspension of hostilities. but i think the sticking point when it comes to the un talks is about this clause of un control of the humanitarian aid or un oversight of the humanitarian aid. the us is still concerned about whether that will mean israel won't have control over inspection of humanitarian aid. but also, of course, you have the

two sides who are very solid within their stances. two sides who are very solid within theirstances. hamas's two sides who are very solid within their stances. hamas's leader ismail haniyeh is still in cairo in talks with the head of the intelligence, who handles the gaza area. but hamas and other palestinian factions including islamichhad have said in a statement there will be no release of hostages if and until the ceasefire is complete or until there is a complete ceasefire. essentially, until the war ends. that is out of the question for the israeli government. benjamin netanyahu israeli government. benjamin neta nyahu yesterday israeli government. benjamin netanyahu yesterday said someone who thinks the fighting. is really disconnected with reality. so in the middle all of this, you have hamas officials in cairo in talks about how you budge and you come to a deal that could get into a negotiation that could get into a negotiation that could get into a negotiation that could then get into any agreement that could change the reality on the ground. from the hamas side and from the israeli side. i think the talks are furious, desperate and ongoing. lord cameron

is also on a visit to cairo. the british foreign secretary. and so the diplomacy, there is no shortage of diplomacy. i think what we are lacking is how that translate into negotiations that then changes or leads to an agreement and steps forward. . ~ leads to an agreement and steps forward. ., ~ , ., leads to an agreement and steps forward. . ~' , ., , leads to an agreement and steps forward. ., ~ i. , . forward. thank you very much indeed. our correspondent _ forward. thank you very much indeed. our correspondent live _ forward. thank you very much indeed. our correspondent live in _ forward. thank you very much indeed. our correspondent live in jerusalem. l 0ur correspondent live injerusalem. let's bring in now... michael koplow, chief policy officer at the israel policy forum — he joins us from washington. let me ask you first, what are the potential next moves for prime minister netanyahu?— potential next moves for prime minister netanyahu? prime minister netan ahu minister netanyahu? prime minister netanyahu still _ minister netanyahu? prime minister netanyahu still has _ minister netanyahu? prime minister netanyahu still has a _ minister netanyahu? prime minister netanyahu still has a number - minister netanyahu? prime minister netanyahu still has a number of - netanyahu still has a number of stated goals that he would like to see fulfilled. 0ne stated goals that he would like to see fulfilled. one is of course the secure return of the 129 hostages that remain under hamas control and captivity in gaza. and the other is ensuring that hamas's control over gazais ensuring that hamas's control over gaza is no longer possible once the

military operation is over. and i think what we are seeing now is this tension between the united states and other countries wanting to see the high—intensity phase of the fighting winds down, while the israeli government still has these goals that it has not fulfilled that it wants to carry out. find goals that it has not fulfilled that it wants to carry out.— it wants to carry out. and how do these tensions _ it wants to carry out. and how do these tensions settle _ it wants to carry out. and how do | these tensions settle themselves, what is the way forward for this particular part of the conundrum for israel? , ., , ., , ,, israel? there is lots of pressure inside of israel _ israel? there is lots of pressure inside of israel to _ israel? there is lots of pressure inside of israel to get _ israel? there is lots of pressure inside of israel to get the - israel? there is lots of pressure i inside of israel to get the hostages back and particularly the remaining women hostages, the elderly hostages and the infirm hostages. and i think that's why we are seeing now so much pressure around these hostage negotiations, where israel wants to get these hostages back, but it simply isn't willing to do it at the price of seizing its military operations completely. and i think it is likely that we will see a deal in the weeks ahead. but the next few days really going to be decisive.

and of course, the long—term issues regarding gaza and regarding who potentially would be able to control gaza, is another key element the president biden and prime minister netanyahu clearly are having talks about right now behind the scenes. right. the israeli government has been reluctant to discuss what is going to happen on the day after gaza, before it has actually finished the high—intensity phase of its military operation. and prime minister netanyahu has laid out a number of things he's not willing to see. most prominent being the return of the palestinian authority to gaza. this puts prime minister netanyahu at odds with the united states, which has consistently said that it views the palestinian authority is having a role in post—war gaza. and we are starting to see some cracks in the israeli position just today. israel's national security advisor published an up ahead in arabic in a saudi newspaper where he opened the door

to a palestinian authority role in gaza, assuming there are reforms made to the palestinian authority. he was immediately criticised by right—wing members of the government. so this is still very controversial inside of israel as to what happens the day after, but the united states is pressuring the israeli government to find out what that will look like a particular use most people expect the high—intensity phase of the fighting will end injanuary. high-intensity phase of the fighting will end in january.— will end in january. michael, thank ou ve will end in january. michael, thank you very much _ will end in january. michael, thank you very much indeed _ will end in january. michael, thank you very much indeed for - will end in january. michael, thank you very much indeed for that. - will end in january. michael, thank you very much indeed for that. us| you very much indeed for that. us political analyst from washington, it is good to get you on the programme and talk to you, thank you very much. back to our breaking news story, that there has been a mass shooting in prague in the czech republic. we have been seeing live pictures from prague. police in prague says several people have been killed in the university. it is a shooting that happened in the university. we are hearing the gunmen has, in the words of the police, been eliminated. —— a

gunman. we haven't got much more information other than there was a shooting inside the university's building, many people, you can see if you go on twitter and look, unverified video, but there is a video showing people running away across the bridge, the historic charles bridge, which is only 500 metres from this location of the charles university, people running away from a gunman who we believe opened fire on students, we now know several people have been killed and tens of people have been injured. we are trying to get more information from the czech police. as best we can. we have seen an e—mail to students from the university, which has told them to try to stay indoors as much as they can, given the situation. we know a bit more now about what happens. we are hearing that the gunman opened fire on students within the university

building. he was then eliminated by the czech police, who say that they have dealt with what is a moving story. we know that apparently, tens of people have been injured and several have been killed. we don't know exactly how many, but we are trying to get as much information as we can and what is a breaking news story. sojust we can and what is a breaking news story. so just to we can and what is a breaking news story. sojust to reiterate, these are pictures coming in live from prague. we are trying our best to get someone to speak to us from inside prague. we are hearing, as i have said, that the czech charles university has told people to stay put. the e—mail was said to have said, stay put, don't go anywhere, if you are in offices, lock them and place furniture in front of the door. turn off the lights. we also hearing that there are an unspecified of dead. and injured at the site of the shooting. i want to

cross live now to a journalist joining us from prague. thank you very much forjoining us. do you know any more about this? thank you for havin: know any more about this? thank you for having me- — know any more about this? thank you for having me. actually, _ know any more about this? thank you for having me. actually, it _ know any more about this? thank you for having me. actually, it is - know any more about this? thank you for having me. actually, it is still- for having me. actually, it is still a very developing situation. what we know so far, it was confirmed by the czech police department there are several dead and dozens of injured. we still don't know the exact numbers. but as we speak of this is actually a very surprising developing story for the czech republic. we are not used to this kind of situation. so it is absolutely, it is absolutely shocking for everyone here in prague. and the situation on the scene is still ongoing. we know that the shooter has been neutralised, we know that there are dead and injured. we have heard also from people who are on the scene that more and more ambulances are coming

to the building of the university, which is exactlyjust to give you a hunt —— a hint how it looks like. it isjust near the river and it hunt —— a hint how it looks like. it is just near the river and it is just, i would say, hundreds of metres from the charles bridge. so it is a very popular destination. very crowded place. even during the afternoon. many tourists are around. i have seen also the videos of the police just —— of the people just running through the charles bridge out from the scene. the whole nearby positions near the faculty of philosophy where the shooting took place, has been completely cordoned off, people and police department are there. we have heard that the prime minister a minister of the interior are heading to the scene. and we can see right now also ambulances from the central area are

heading to prague to help treat the dozens of injured who are right there. dozens of in'ured who are right there. �* , , ., there. i've 'ust been looking at x, formerl there. i've just been looking at x, formerly known _ there. i've just been looking at x, formerly known as _ there. i've just been looking at x, formerly known as twitter, - there. i've just been looking at x, formerly known as twitter, and i there. i've just been looking at x, l formerly known as twitter, and the police have said that the government was eliminated, the building is currently being evacuated and there are several dead and dozens of wounded people on the scenes. this sounds like it is pretty big. it is. sounds like it is pretty big. it is, it is, actually. — sounds like it is pretty big. it is, it is, actually. i— sounds like it is pretty big. it is, it is, actually. i have _ sounds like it is pretty big. it is, it is, actually. i have been - it is, actually. i have been covering this kind of story because i am the formerjournalist and i covered these kind of stories in other cities in europe. many years ago. i have to say that this is actually, this is something we didn't think it could happen, actually, in the czech republic. the czech republic is still one of the safest countries in the world. so it is a major story. i'm just trying to check twitter and also live pictures provided by the czech public tv

broadcaster and we can see more and more police department vehicles are nearby, nearthe more police department vehicles are nearby, near the building where the shooting took place. we have heard that also, you have already mentioned actuallyjust that also, you have already mentioned actually just a that also, you have already mentioned actuallyjust a minute ago that students had to look at, lock themselves up in their rooms. they put furniture in front of the doors. they were ready i've heard, i have just read a tweet of one student who was in the building during the student and he tweeted that they were ready to fight with the suspect if the suspect will come inside their room where they have been locked. so that is what we know. at this moment, i would say the most important things we know. and i would like to repeat it again that the shooter has been neutralised. we know that they are dead. there are dozens of injured. this is the

latest we have and i would expect especially right now that we have to wait i would say probably minutes or dozens of minutes to no exact numbers and to know more about the suspect. numbers and to know more about the susect. , , ., ., suspect. yes, 'ust reading about charles suspect. yes, just reading about charles university _ suspect. yes, just reading about charles university to _ suspect. yes, just reading about charles university to give - suspect. yes, just reading about| charles university to give people who may not be familiar with the university some background, it was founded in 1348, making it one of the oldest universities in the world. it is very, very well known in prague. and it situation where it is is particularly central, near that iconic charles bridge —— it situation. explain for people who may not know the mapping of prague where this university lies in terms of the city. so where this university lies in terms of the city-— of the city. so the charles university _ of the city. so the charles university is _ of the city. so the charles university is one - of the city. so the charles university is one of - of the city. so the charles university is one of the i of the city. so the charles i university is one of the most of the city. so the charles _ university is one of the most famous in my country. it is one of the best in my country. it is one of the best in europe. it is obvious that this university has many different faculties. the shooting took place

at the faculty of philosophy, which is situated on one of its buildings is situated on one of its buildings is situated on one of its buildings is situated directly on the city centre. if you imagine you want to walk from the old town square where the astronomical clock is very famous, you will walk for let's say five minutes and you will go just next to this building, of a building of charles university, and you walk nearby. and then for let's say two or three minutes, you are on the charles bridge, which is one of the most famous and iconic venues in prague. so you are speaking about the very city centre, we are speaking about the very crowded place. but what we know so far, according to the first information, but we have to wait once it is confirmed, the shooting happened only inside the building. so as we know so far, it seems that no—one on

the street was in any kind of danger. but on the other hand, we've seen pictures of people standing on the roof. we've seen pictures of people just hiding the roof. we've seen pictures of peoplejust hiding behind the roof. we've seen pictures of people just hiding behind the the roof. we've seen pictures of peoplejust hiding behind the bar on the top of the building. and we've heard that there were many shots heard that there were many shots heard in all the surroundings. you mentioned — heard in all the surroundings. you mentioned a _ heard in all the surroundings. you mentioned a little earlier and i wanted to expand a little on what you said. you mentioned that the czech republic and prague is not used to this kind of crime. 0bviously, used to this kind of crime. obviously, a mass shooting is appalling. how common is gun crime in the czech republic? specifically, how common is gun crime in prague, is it a big problem or not? it is not, definitely. _ is it a big problem or not? it is not, definitely. as _ is it a big problem or not? it is not, definitely. as i _ is it a big problem or not? it 3 not, definitely. as i said, we are one of the safest countries in the world. i am pretty sure we are the six of the seventh most safe country in the world. so this kind of gun

crime is obviously something we haven't experienced any time before. it is very surprising. yes, if you compare for example police department units compared to those in the uk, in london, it is normal that policemen on the streets, that is completely normal compared with the situation in england. but what we have heard that all the units which came to the scene were heavily armed with machine guns, they were ready to counter the attacker. and as also seen right now, there is an update, a tweet from the emergency services, from the ambulance service of our capital city of prague that there is a huge number of people and ambulances involved in the scene. there are people dead. we have

confirmed single numbers of dead. and a bigger number of injured. who and a bigger number of in'ured. who is this tweet — and a bigger number of injured. who is this tweet by? and a bigger number of in'ured. who is this tweet by? that _ and a bigger number of in'ured. who is this tweet by? that is h and a bigger number of injured. who is this tweet by? that is a _ and a bigger number of injured. who is this tweet by? that is a tweet - and a bigger number of injured. who is this tweet by? that is a tweet of l is this tweet by? that is a tweet of official ambulance _ is this tweet by? that is a tweet of official ambulance service - is this tweet by? that is a tweet of official ambulance service of- official ambulance service of prague. so that is some kind of official source. they have tweeted that at this moment, people are very, severely and critically injured and there are also just life injuries. injured and there are also 'ust life in'uries. �* ., , ., ., injured and there are also 'ust life in'uries. �* ., ., ., injuries. before i let you go, one more question. _ injuries. before i let you go, one more question. in _ injuries. before i let you go, one more question. in the _ injuries. before i let you go, one more question. in the uk - injuries. before i let you go, one more question. in the uk at - injuries. before i let you go, one i more question. in the uk at least, universities finished for the year, for the academic year. what is the situation in the czech republic come their still be a lot of students inside the building?— their still be a lot of students inside the building? yes, plenty of tteole inside the building? yes, plenty of people were _ inside the building? yes, plenty of people were inside. _ inside the building? yes, plenty of people were inside. -- _ inside the building? yes, plenty of people were inside. -- would - inside the building? yes, plenty of| people were inside. -- would there people were inside. —— would there still be. we have heard from people inside the building and we have read their tweets. what we know so far is

their tweets. what we know so far is the building was literally crowded. people were hiding inside their classrooms. inside the library. so thatis classrooms. inside the library. so that is what we know from those who were on the scene.— were on the scene. thank you very much indeed _ were on the scene. thank you very much indeed for _ were on the scene. thank you very much indeed for that. _ were on the scene. thank you very much indeed for that. that - were on the scene. thank you very much indeed for that. that is - were on the scene. thank you very much indeed for that. that is a - much indeed for that. that is a journalist based in prague. i thank you very much for keeping us up—to—date and forgiving us so much information about what is happening. just to reiterate, the main lines, a shooter at prague university has killed several people and potentially injured dozens, before being eliminated by police. we will bring you the very latest on this developing story here on bbc news. i am going to leave you with live pictures of the charles bridge in prague. goodbye for now. hello there. storm pia has been

bringing strong costs of winds and those winds have been causing problems. an overturned lorry on the barton bridge, one of the highest bridges on manchester's rain road, just by the trafford centre. so some disruption. top gusts, 81 mph is in shetland. but very strong gusts elsewhere. 76 in aberdeenshire. and over the tops of the pennines, winds gusting close to 80 mph across the very peaks. the centre of storm pia is a long way to our east and it will bring strong winds into denmark through the next 12 hours. meanwhile, strong winds will gradually begin to fade away through the afternoon. but we are still looking at gusts well into the 50s or 60s of miles an hour through the rest of the afternoon so they could still be issues in terms of power cuts and transport disruption through the rest of today. then overnight, staying quite windy. 0utbreaks overnight, staying quite windy. outbreaks of rain across the north

and west. starting to turn colder in shetland, where we are looking at snowfall. could be centimetres leading to some icy conditions and for a time with those strong winds, blizzard conditions in shetland seem likely. into friday's forecast, some rain pushing in from the north and west. still quite a blustery kind of day, the coldest air still across parts of northern scotland, where temperatures are not getting much above freezing in lowick and the mildest weather further south for northern ireland, england and wales, where temperatures typically above 12 or 13 celsius. it continues to be marked relatively mild across most of the uk on saturday. the cold air confined to northern scotland. as a weather front bumps into that cold air would probably see a spell of snow friday night and into saturday across northern scotland. even potentially down to low levels. but ultimately, the milder air will push its way and so any snow will tend to turn back to rain as we go through the day on saturday across northern scotland. and we will finish with

these kind of temperatures. 12 or 13 celsius, pretty mild for most of us. staying mild into the weekend. for christmas day itself, we might see the weather cold enough across northern scotland folsom mountain flurries.

this is bbc news, the headlines: czech police assist the government has killed several people in a

university building in central prague. the shooting happened at the charles university faculty of arts. hamas says there won't be any talks about prisoner swaps until the israeli offensive in gaza ends. an absolute catastrophe — diplomats describe the humanitarian situation in sudan — following the suspension of aid work in some areas. a top eu court rules that uefa's ban on a european super league is unlawful. 0ur breaking story this hour: in the czech republic, police in prague, you can see from this live shot of the charles bridge in prague, the iconic bridge in prague, it is shut down, but square behind it has been shut down as well. that is cisco where university is situated. several people have been killed in the university shooting according to the university shooting according to the police. it is a mass shooting. the government has been eliminated, he has been killed, i assume that is what that means. university students