will the changes be enough for the motion to pass? police in prague release bodycam footage from the moment officers arrived at the scene of yesterday's deadly mass shooting. the head of police talks about the horror of what he saw. and alex batty — the british teenager who went missing for six years — gives his first interview as police open a kidnap investigation. —— abduction investigation. i m matthew amroliwala. welcome to verified live. we start with the israel—gaza war because in the next few hours we're expecting a un security council vote on humanitarian aid for gaza. the vote was originally scheduled for monday but has been delayed several times

since then as members wrangle over the specific language in the document. the original draft called for a �*sustainable cessation of hostilities�* but the final version calls for creating the conditions for one. the united states are the key players — having vetoed all previous un resolutions since the start of the war — but they say they are ready to support the latest draft. here's the us ambassador to the united nations, linda thomas—greenfield. we do have that resolution and we are ready to vote on it. and it is a resolution that will bring humanitarian assistance to those in need and it will support the priority that egypt has in ensuring that we put a mechanism on the ground that will support humanitarian assistance.

we will be live in new york in the next few minutes, talking to our correspondents. but so much focus on the humanitarian side of what is happening in gaza but also a tremendous amount of focus on the hostage situation that continues, injuring nine weeks of what we have seenin injuring nine weeks of what we have seen in the middle east with over 130 people still being held. live now to nabil fahmy, who was the foreign minister of egypt between 2013 and 2014. egypt is of course playing a key role in trying to negotiate some sort of formula around as a station of hostilities and hostage releases. thank you forjoining us. how much of a problem is the impasse we are currently in?— currently in? very much so, first of all let me — currently in? very much so, first of all let me say _ currently in? very much so, first of all let me say that _ currently in? very much so, first of all let me say that i _ currently in? very much so, first of all let me say that i would - currently in? very much so, first of| all let me say that i would welcome

any resolution that calls for monitoring of military aid and greater access but i want to say that i am very much disappointed that i am very much disappointed that there is any question about the conditions for a ceasefire that are already there. regarding other aspects, what is happening in the region, of course there has been discussion about the exchange of hostages and that becomes more copper coated as we move deeper into the package. the first release was humanitarian proof of life, if you want, in terms of negotiations, with women and children essentially and some elderly people. we are in the last phase of women and children, and at the top of the package or the top of the list of military personnel, here the decision is not man for man or woman for women, it

is also political, every step. you are exactly _ is also political, every step. you are exactly right _ is also political, every step. you are exactly right and _ is also political, every step. you are exactly right and sorry to cut across you, but can you see any sort of way to break the current deadlock?— of way to break the current deadlock? , .. .., , ., deadlock? yes, i can. i can see a ath to deadlock? yes, i can. i can see a path to achieving _ deadlock? yes, i can. i can see a path to achieving a _ deadlock? yes, i can. i can see a path to achieving a ceasefire - deadlock? yes, i can. i can see a path to achieving a ceasefire and | path to achieving a ceasefire and breaking the deadlock, if we try to do with this issue within the right political context. if it is about peace between palestinians and israelis, with the strong confirmation of the national identity of each, then under that it is much easier, not easy but at least more feasible to get international support as well as palestinian and israeli support for taking the difficult decisions that are involved. we do not want another interface, we want to bring this issue to closure so everybody can live in peace. the issue to closure so everybody can live in peace-— issue to closure so everybody can

live in peace. issue to closure so everybody can live in eace. ., ., , ., ., live in peace. the hamas demand that there will only — live in peace. the hamas demand that there will only be _ live in peace. the hamas demand that there will only be future _ live in peace. the hamas demand that there will only be future releases - there will only be future releases if there is a permanent ceasefire, israel has consistently said that is impossible in terms of a permanent ceasefire. how do you get around that basic position? the position we see played out at the un security council. how do you get around the basic roadblock? we council. how do you get around the basic roadblock?— basic roadblock? we listen to everybody — basic roadblock? we listen to everybody and _ basic roadblock? we listen to everybody and of _ basic roadblock? we listen to everybody and of are - basic roadblock? we listen to everybody and of are quite i everybody and of are quite contradictory, and then we try to put elements on the table with a political umbrella. the israelis have said they will not stop until they get rid of hamas so hamas will logically say that we will not stop until you stop, we will not release until you stop, we will not release until you stop, we will not release until you stop. to get them to move away from that, you have to provide away from that, you have to provide a larger context. that is what we are trying to do. it is going to be touch and go, it will be a step forward and two steps back. even if we succeed in achieving a second or

third release phase, this will not be complete and it will become an increasingly political situation as we go along. increasingly political situation as we go along-— increasingly political situation as we uoalonu. ., we go along. from the context you have, we go along. from the context you have. now — we go along. from the context you have, how close _ we go along. from the context you have, how close or _ we go along. from the context you have, how close or far _ we go along. from the context you have, how close or far away - we go along. from the context you have, how close or far away do - we go along. from the context youj have, how close or far away do you think we are in terms of egypt being successful in trying to get that second pause? the successful in trying to get that second pause?— successful in trying to get that second pause? successful in trying to get that second ause? , , ., second pause? the second pause or the second — second pause? the second pause or the second release? _ second pause? the second pause or the second release? well, - second pause? the second pause or the second release? well, both. - second pause? the second pause or the second release? well, both. i. second pause? the second pause or| the second release? well, both. i do not think we are near the second pause, the israelis have increased operations today. that is very damaging in the process. secondly, hamas have openly said that they will not pursue another release unless a complete cessation of hostilities has taken place so that is a problem and one of the reasons is a problem and one of the reasons is that israel has arrested over

4400 people since october the 7th, more than they have released. and they have said that hamas can no longer exist. some of the rhetoric raises the anti—and then you have all sides wanting to negotiate so they talk with us and the americans and other countries and possibly with jordan, and other countries and possibly withjordan, so it is touch and go but it is not a solution, sorry, a problem which will be resolved technically. this is a political issue and we need to deal with that politically and put the operational aspects into effect. you politically and put the operational aspects into effect.— aspects into effect. you have the further complication _ aspects into effect. you have the further complication of _ aspects into effect. you have the further complication of perhaps l aspects into effect. you have the - further complication of perhaps some hostages being held by islamic jihad. in terms of the wider situation because we will be watching over the next few hours what happens in new york at the security council and that vote but up security council and that vote but up to now, the us position has been absolutely in lockstep with israel.

in terms of the region, how that is viewed, the american role in this, give me your assessment. i viewed, the american role in this, give me your assessment.- viewed, the american role in this, give me your assessment. i think the american role _ give me your assessment. i think the american role from _ give me your assessment. i think the american role from date _ give me your assessment. i think the american role from date one - give me your assessment. i think the american role from date one seems. give me your assessment. i think the | american role from date one seems to be quite negative with president biden attending a work cabinet so in essence the results of the work cabinet are partially his responsibility. the continued american resistance to a ceasefire, eight weeks now after hostilities started, is another indication of bias towards israel which is not useful. america is a very important player and we need them to be part of the group of countries trying to pursue solutions through international law, so the image of america and the west, except for the few who in the last few weeks have shifted towards a more balanced position, the view in the region towards the west and america is quite negative. we towards the west and america is quite negative-— towards the west and america is quite negative. we have to leave it

there but we _ quite negative. we have to leave it there but we are _ quite negative. we have to leave it there but we are grateful - quite negative. we have to leave it there but we are grateful for - quite negative. we have to leave it there but we are grateful for your. there but we are grateful for your time, joining us here on the programme. thank you. you can see the live pictures from the un security council. let me show you the scenes. that is where the focus is and it has been there throughout the course of this week as they have wrangled over the language of this resolution. for more we can speak now to our un correspondent nada tawfiq in new york. in terms of language, where are we? in terms of language, where are we? in terms of this vote, where are we? matthew, it has been a roller—coaster this last few weeks, of basically seeing if the united states was going to get on board with this resolution. the latest draft has been modified even further to accommodate the united states. so language that had originally called

for a sustainable cessation of hostilities has been watered down to just calling for the creation of conditions for one. we also saw the key sticking point, this mechanism to deliver aid to gaza and streamline aid. there was concern from washington that that would take away israel's control of the screening process and the resolution makes clear that there will be consultation with all relevant parties. and that not all land, air and sea routes will be open butjust all available roots. those with the changes that washington needed to get on board and there is a vote at the moment scheduled for this afternoon. what i am hearing from several diplomats as there is a divide among the arab group of nations, how they feel about this resolution. it was put forward by the uae, egyptians, palestinians, the uae, egyptians, palestinians, the saudis are all on board but the jordanians and algerians are not, they feel it is better not to have

resolution at all and perhaps too much was given to the united states. but the uae has told the bbc that they think this mechanism can have real impact, it is important to create a un mechanism to really be in control of facilitating that aid they think that is necessary. serve they think that is necessary. serve the diplomacy is one factor but whether this will be voted on this afternoon or whether we will see more delays, and how this would actually work on the ground, those are separate issues. in actually work on the ground, those are separate issues.— actually work on the ground, those are separate issues. in terms of one thin ou are separate issues. in terms of one thing you mentioned _ are separate issues. in terms of one thing you mentioned at _ are separate issues. in terms of one thing you mentioned at the - are separate issues. in terms of one thing you mentioned at the start, i thing you mentioned at the start, creating the conditions for another ceasefire or another pause, that seems vague. are they in any way outlining what creating conditions actually looks like? you outlining what creating conditions actually looks like?— actually looks like? you are absolutely _ actually looks like? you are absolutely right, _ actually looks like? you are absolutely right, the - actually looks like? you are i absolutely right, the language actually looks like? you are - absolutely right, the language is very vague. i think some would say,

how does that make it enforceable on the ground? you have heard from un agencies who are very clear that the overriding issue in delivering aid is the ongoing fighting, the intensity of the fighting, israel's ongoing bombardment, and theyjust cannot reach people to deliver aid, particularly in the north of gaza. they have talked about how there will be a complete collapse of the humanitarian system and they are essentially already there are so without this resolution calling for a ceasefire, it does raise questions about what this you went mechanism is going to be able to do. it sets up is going to be able to do. it sets up a co—ordinator who will need to be vetted and that will be a process and it is unclear how long that will take on the mechanism will need to be set up and again, if the fighting is ongoing, when the un has lost more than 130 staff, how is this feasible? brute more than 130 staff, how is this

feasible? ~ . ., ., feasible? we will continue to monitor what _ feasible? we will continue to monitor what is _ feasible? we will continue to monitor what is happening i feasible? we will continue toj monitor what is happening at feasible? we will continue to - monitor what is happening at the security council, given everything you have said about that and perhaps we will get the vote and perhaps not but it will be a busy couple of hours. thank you for guiding us through that. police in the czech republic say the gunman who killed 14 people at a university in prague yesterday and wounded another 25 killed himself after seeing that police were encircling him �*from all directions�*. all those who died have been identified — the first to be publically named is lenka hlavkova, who was the head of the university�*s music department. at a news conference in the past few hours, police showed bodycam footage of officers during the operation. police said the time between receiving the first emergency call and officers stepping into the building was four minutes.

these are the live pictures from prague that we can see coming into the bbc. there you can see a vast number of flowers and candles as so many people have joined a variety of individuals there in prague. people coming all the time with pictures and candles and messages. after yesterday�*s shocking scenes that this time yesterday we were seeing at that university. so many people affected, both killed and injured and of course, who knew so many of these people and many others people there in prague are coming out to pay their respects. from prague, bethany bell sent this report. this was the moment when special forces entered charles university in prague. they were searching for the 24—year—old gunman who ran through corridors and classrooms yesterday afternoon, apparently shooting at random.

the czech police have just released this footage from their bodycams. they say the gunman, named by local media as david kozak, took his own life as they closed in him. staff barricaded themselves in rooms and the police led them to safely. i was on site. i was severely impacted. i have been with the police force for 40 years. the interior ministry said one of the dead in yesterday�*s shooting was the head of the institute of musicology of the faculty of arts, lenka hlavkova. the police are working to uncover the motive. they sealed off the area where the shooting happened. before the attacks, police had received a report that the suspect was believed to be heading to prague

from a nearby town with the intention of killing himself. the gunman is thought to have killed his father at a separate location. the czech president has appealed for unity and said the killing should not be used to launch political attacks or spread misinformation. he spoke of his great sadness and helpless anger at the totally unnecessary loss of life. prague is mourning its dead. the czech prime minister came to pay his respects to the victims of the shooting. a national day of mourning will take place tomorrow. this city and the whole country is in shock. bethany bell, bbc news, prague. 0ur correspondent sarah rainsford is in prague, and she gave us this assessment of how the attack has affected the mood there. this is the worst attack of its kind in czech history. and you get a sense of that when you talk to people who have come to some

of the university buildings here, bringing candles, lighting candles, bringing flowers, saying that they wanted to pay their respects, people talking about their shock. i spoke to one woman who�*d been at the law faculty just a couple of hundred metres from here. this is the faculty where the attack took place. this woman was a couple of hundred metres away and she was locked down in that building. she said it was terrifying. and she said, you know, it really drives home that it could have been any one of those people, any one of herfriends. she said, you know, this was so close and so scary. i�*vejust been speaking to the interior minister here in the czech republic, and i�*ve been asking him about the gunman himself and about the motives for this crime and about the police response. he was very defensive of the police response. he said that they had been extremely quick to react. they had moved very quickly to evacuate people where possible. and he said it tookjust 20 minutes from the first shot being fired before the gunman was killed. he said that the police response response was professional and he said he was proud of them. he also said that the gunman had more than one weapon

and he was ready to kill a lot of people. now, as for his motive, he wouldn�*t speculate. and in fact, it�*s interesting talking to people here. they don�*t even want to mention this man�*s name because they don�*t want to give him the fame, the infamy that perhaps he sought. but he said he believes that this was motivated, like all attacks of its kind around the world, perhaps by some personal problems of this gunman. but, yes, certainly the feeling in this city today and i think in prague, in the czech republic as a whole, is one of deep sorrow, deep sadness at everything that�*s happened here. around the world and across the uk. this is bbc news. a couple of stories making the headlines in the uk... from 31st december, american xl bully dogs will be banned in england and wales following a series of attacks this year. the scottish government has not banned the breed, creating concerns about a potential loophole. 0wners insist the dogs make lovable pets, despite their appearance.

in england, junior doctors are in the final day of their 72—hour walkout — part of a long—running dispute over pay. the strike is due to end tomorrow morning. the doctors�* union — the british medical association — is calling for a rise of 35% to make up for below inflation deals since 2008. the government says that�*s unaffordable. regulated railfares in england will rise by up to 4.9% from march. that�*s less than july�*s inflation figure of 9% — which is typically used to calculate the rise. in scotland, rail fares will go up by 8.7% from april. passengers have faced significant disruption to services, because of strikes over the past 18 months. greater manchester police say they�*ve launched a criminal investigation into the child abduction of alex batty, who disappeared while on holiday in spain when he was 11. the teenager, who�*s now 17, was found in france 10 days ago

and has been speaking publicly for the first time since his return to the uk. in an interview with the sun newspaper, he explained how he began to have doubts about his nomadic lifestyle a few years ago. 0ur correspondent nick johnson has the details. the story of alex batty, pictured here before he went missing while on holiday six years ago, has until now been rumour and hearsay. now back in the uk with his grandma, who�*s his legal guardian, 17—year—old alex describes his experience in his own words. speaking to the sun newspaper, the teenager recounts living off grid in rural france and his growing frustration with his mother and grandfather. they thought about the present. they didn�*t think about the future. 0k, yeah, i was safe and i was always healthy. but no social life, no meeting people my own age,

kind of always being isolated becomes boring, to say the least, really. even now, just talking to people, it�*s kind of hard for me because i�*ve not done it for such a long time, talking to people my own age. alex describes taking on manual labourjobs in exchange for rent and food, and that he�*d been contemplating his return to the uk for the past three years, and earlier this month wrote a goodbye note to his mum before slipping out of the french farmhouse in the middle of the night. i didn�*t really know where i was going. i was just following road signs. i�*d mostly travel at night—time just for my own safety and sleep as little as i could and then as illuminated areas as i could. alex was then picked up and taken to a police station by a french delivery driver. in his interview with the sun, the teenager recounted how he began shaking when he was reunited with his grandma in 0ldham

and how he no longer fits into his childhood bed. he described his mum, melanie batty, as a great person but not a great mother and had a message for her and his granddad. i tell them i love them. tell them i�*m sorry for leaving, but it was necessary for my future. nickjohnson, bbc news. if you haven�*t bought a christmas tree yet, you�*d better get a move on. but before you do, have you thought about the environmental impact? millions of young christmas trees are harvested every yearfrom plantations, which in most cases are being treated with chemicals to encourage growth. in france, where the growing area is the burgundy mountains, local activists are demanding that we change our habits. hugh schofield reports. for some people up here in the hills, christmas trees are not an ancient festive symbol, but an ecological danger.

in this small plantation, you can see the effects of chemical treatment. the ground beneath is dead. good for the trees — no competition, no predators — bad for wildlife, bad for rivers. for muriel, a local farmer and activist, the conclusion is clear — we must wean ourselves off our seasonal need for baby firs. translation: we all- remember our childhood - the decorations, the smell of the christmas tree. but, come on, times have changed. we are in an ecological transition, a climate transition. everything that pollutes has got to stop. more than a million saplings are being cut every year in the burgundy hills and then transported in lorries down to cities like here in paris, where there is evidence that consumers increasingly are asking questions about how christmas trees are cultivated and the potential consequences for the environment. translation: the environment is definitely part of my - decision, but it�*s tough.

do i buy a tree which will last for two weeks, or something plastic, which has to come from a factory? translation: where they grow the trees, i guarantee they're i using a heap of chemicals, and that's land that could be used for other purposes. back in the burgundy hills, that growing awareness among consumers is having an effect. here at one of the biggest producers two weeks before christmas, and it�*s the end of the rush. most of this year�*s trees have been netted and dispatched. it�*s a moment to show off what they say is the progress that has been made towards more responsible cultivation here. for example, by reducing treatments, they�*ve ensured there�*s still life among the trees. translation: we've made huge progress, and today our- plantations have become a refuge for biodiversity. there are plants and animals. it�*s out of respect for this beautiful countryside, which we love too. producers argue that christmas trees

take up only i% of viable agricultural land in this area. that�*s true, but it�*s also true that the cultivation is almost entirely non—organic and that inevitably has some consequences on the natural world all around. hugh schofield, bbc news in the burgundy hills. fascinating stuff. we will take a break and we will then have the latest from the un, remember that security council meeting that is going on. live pictures already coming to us. we will return to new york and have the rest of the headlines as well. don�*t go away, here on bbc news. hello again. whilst the vast majority of the uk have mild weather conditions at the moment, it�*s certainly not like that in shetland, where the winter solstice sunrise happened over a snow—covered landscape. now today there is extensive cloud

across the uk with the winds flowing in a northwestward direction over the high ground in the republic of ireland. we�*re getting mountain waves, these ripples, you can see, and that is helping to break the cloud across parts of wales, the midlands, southern counties of england. so you could see a few breaks in the cloud, bit of sunshine. the north and west, you�*re much more likely to see thicker cloud with outbreaks of rain at times. bright weather conditions in the northern isles, but still with the risk of those wintry showers coming and going. 0vernight tonight, for most, it stays on the mild side. but we do have this feed of cold air across the north east of scotland. and into that, a weather front moves. now, this front could bring some flooding concerns across western scotland, but as it bumps into the cold air across the north of scotland, the mainland will probably start to see some snow, initially over hills but the snow levels dropping as we go through the night. so cold across northern scotland and it�*s here where into saturday we could see some accumulations of snow, between two and ten centimetres. those larger amounts likely over the high ground. eventually milder air

will push in and so any snow will turn back to rain. so if you�*re planning a christmas commute, if you like, across this part of the world, might be worth waiting to the afternoon until the risk of snow has passed. risk of flooding across western scotland with that persistent rain, otherwise still quite a lot of cloud around. some damp weather across western coast and hills, but some breaks in a cloud across the midlands and eastern england. christmas eve could pose one or two issues as well. strong winds affecting western scotland, but also gusts 50 to 70mph over into the east of the pennines. that could bring some transport disruption. there�*s a risk that high—sided vehicles, perhaps using the aim, for example, could get blown over by winds that strong. you might see some trees being knocked down as well. christmas day, the vast majority of the uk are in this mild air mass, so forget about it being a white christmas. it�*s more likely to be grey with outbreaks of rain at times. however, we do have that cold air still loitering across northern scotland and with weather fronts around, well, there could be a few of you that see a bit of snowfall over the hills

of northern scotland for christmas day itself. bye for now.

this is bbc news. the headlines: as the warnings grow, about the catastrophic conditions in gaza and fears of famine, the un security council looks set to vote on increasing humanitarian aid.

police in prague release body cam video from the moment officers arrived at the scene of thursday�*s deadly mass shooting. these are the pictures from the capital where people are laying hundreds of flowers and candles. sudan�*s army chief vows to hold his commanders accountable after a rival paramilitary captures a strategic sudanese city. we will get the latest on the humanitarian crisis. and it�*s bin day on the international space station. is the way they get rid of waste way forward to get rid of space junk? first, a full round—up from the bbc sport centre. hello from the bbc sport centre. we�*re just a few hours away from the final of fifa�*s club world cup.

pep guardiola has really been building up the importance