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tv   BBC News  BBC News  January 7, 2024 8:00pm-8:30pm GMT

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partial results in elections in bangladesh show that prime minister sheikh hasina is on course to be reelected for a fourth term. rishi sunak confirms that the government is looking at legal options to exonerate postal staff wrongfully convicted of fraud. and hollywood rolls out the red carpet for one of its biggest nights — the golden globe awards. hello and welcome to bbc news. i'm lukwesa burak. there's been an upsurge in the fighting in gaza over the past 2a hours, with israel stepping up its attacks. eyewitnesses in the jabalia refugee camp say many people were killed in an overnight israeli air strike. israel has yet to comment. twojournalists have been killed in a strike on their car in gaza. israel has denied targeting them.
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aljazeera, whose gaza bureau chief lost his eldest son in the attack, has called for the international criminal court to hold israel accountable. there's been violence in the west bank too — nine palestinians and two israelis were killed on sunday. all this as us secretary of state antony blinken tours the region, hoping to start negotiations on gaza's future. meanwhile, at a cabinet meeting, israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu pledged to continue the war in gaza until all of their goals are achieved. translation: we are not stopping until victory. - the war must not be stopped until we achieve all of its goals — the elimination of hamas, the return of all of our hostages, and ensuring that gaza no longer poses a threat to israel. i say this to both our enemies and ourfriends.
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this is our responsibility and this is our commitment. every other consideration must be set aside and we must continue until total victory. our correspondent, wyre davies, has been monitoring events for us injerusalem. he gave us his assessment of mr netanyahu's comments. some interesting points in that statement by benjamin netanyahu, a message both to our enemies and ourfriends. and that's the clear message to the americans, to european governments, who perhaps would like israel to show more restraint in its bombing campaign in gaza, to even call for a ceasefire. but that simply isn't going to happen. israel has two goals in this war which has been going on for more than three months now, and that is to completely crush hamas and to secure the return of all of israel's hostages. with that first point, completely crushing hamas, the bombing campaign absolutely continues. there have been some horrific scenes from gaza in the last 2a hours. there was one attack on a house, a building injabalia in northern
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gaza in which around 70 people were killed. the images are appalling coming out of there. people's bodies blown to bits, children, women, other civilians. similar scenes from khan younis in the south where 63 people are said to have been killed in israeli air strikes. the number of dead in gaza is now almost 23,000 according to the hamas—run health ministry in gaza. that's since the war began on 7th of october. so it's clearly a devastating picture. israel is showing absolutely no signs of restraint at all, and that is because it says its goals simply are not yet met. the us secretary of state, antony blinken is currently on a week—long diplomatic tour of the middle east. earlier, he arrived in qatar and spoke at a news conference. the dilemma that's been posed from day one since october 7th, the dilemma that any country would face, is having been the victim of one of the most horrible attacks that i'm aware of,
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that i've ever witnessed in my 30 years, how to make sure it doesn't happen again. and any country faced with what israel had to face on october 7th would want to do just that, make sure it could not happen again. and that means dealing with the threat that hamas continues to pose. and as hamas leaders themselves have made clear, they would, if given the opportunity, do this october 7th, again and again and again. and that is not tolerable for any country, israel or anyone else. but as we've made clear also from day one, it's imperative that in dealing with this very, very difficult challenge, that it do so in a way that puts a premium on protecting civilians and making sure that people get the assistance they need.
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live now to steven simon, a professor of middle eastern studies at the university of washington — who formerly served on the national security council for the middle east. and who served on the national security council for the middle east. thank you forjoining us here on bbc news, i am sure you were listening in to that news conference in full, and other comments that have been made as part of this diplomatic tour, what are your reflections on what has been said so far? ~ ., ., , reflections on what has been said so far? ., ., ,�* ~ �*, far? well, attorney blinken's remarks in — far? well, attorney blinken's remarks in the _ far? well, attorney blinken's remarks in the very - far? well, attorney blinken's remarks in the very reason . far? well, attorney blinken'sl remarks in the very reason for far? well, attorney blinken's - remarks in the very reason for his trip now to the middle east, really
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amounts to crisis management. the united states has very little it can do to influence either israel or hamas at this stage, what it really needs to do is reduce expectations on the part of us partners, other countries from the region that the united states is going to pull a rabbit out of a hat somehow. israel has little choice but to proceed with what it is now doing, which is chewing through gaza, in the hope of eradicating the hamas leadership, and destroying its military capacity. hamas has little choice really but to proceed with what it is doing, which is holding out in the hope that the hostages they are holding be buy them a long—term ceasefire, or possibly that there
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will will be a widening of the war that will take the pressure off hamas and distract israel. neither of those is impossible, but neither also is likely, so hamas is stuck as well, in the united states needs to, antony blinken will want to make that clear in the new term there is not much thaw can be done, at the same time he will want to emphasise his tokyo principles which as far as the us yes is concerned... i wonder if i could jump _ the us yes is concerned... i wonder if i could jump in — the us yes is concerned... i wonder if i couldjump in quickly. _ the us yes is concerned. .. i wonder if i couldjump in quickly. of- ifi could “ump in quickly. of course. if i couldjump in quickly. of course. what _ if i couldjump in quickly. of course. what you _ if i couldjump in quickly. of course. what you are - if i could jump in quickly. of- course. what you are describing a a scenario of— course. what you are describing a a scenario of possible _ course. what you are describing a a scenario of possible compromise, l course. what you are describing a a i scenario of possible compromise, how long do you think it will take for us to get to that point? hat long do you think it will take for us to get to that point?- us to get to that point? not for months, us to get to that point? not for months. i _ us to get to that point? not for months, i don't _ us to get to that point? not for months, i don't think, - us to get to that point? not for months, i don't think, unless l us to get to that point? not for- months, i don't think, unless there is a truly lucky break on the hostage question. i think in the meantime, the united states isjust about lain down markers for both
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parties so in other words, there is no way it will accept the united states will accept gaza being once again a platform for terrorist activity but at the same time, they will want to make clear to the israeli it is reoccupation of gaza, it is not in the united states interest a and the united states will oppose it. the united states will oppose it. the united states will also oppose the expulsion, movement of palestinians gazan palestinians, from the gaza strip, and it lot impose blockade and it will impose a reduction in palestinian territory, you know, within the gaza strip. so those are strong principles.— strong principles. earlier, mr netanyahu — strong principles. earlier, mr netanyahu obviously - strong principles. earlier, mr netanyahu obviously was - strong principles. earlier, mr. netanyahu obviously was saying strong principles. earlier, mr- netanyahu obviously was saying that you know, this with was going to continue until he achieved his aim of getting rid of hamas and your time on the national security council, can you ever get rid of an
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organisation, a terrorist organisation, a terrorist organisation which is how it is viewed by some, can it ever be achieved?— viewed by some, can it ever be achieved? ~ ~ , ., ~ ., achieved? well, i think, you know, in theory. — achieved? well, i think, you know, in theory. the _ achieved? well, i think, you know, in theory, the israeli _ achieved? well, i think, you know, in theory, the israeli objectives - in theory, the israeli objectives are achievable, because it amounts to killing a certain number of people, a certain type of persons, and dismantling, you know, the fiscal infrastructure that, that hamas turned against israel on october 7th. that can be donef hamas turned against israel on october 7th. that can be done f the israelis, you know, can absorb the punishment they, that they themselves wills face, so, yes, i think it is, it is conceivable but the cost is extremely high, and will likely grow, so, you know, ithink at some point as a famous american economist said it will stop. in
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terms of reaction from the leaders of the regional leaders, surrounding this war, concerned with this war, in terms of o how they have reacted, the comments that i have said, is it as you would have expected or could things get a bit more heated? can they start demanding more? putting more pressure on the likes of the us? . ., , ., ., us? the countries that we are talkin: us? the countries that we are talking about _ us? the countries that we are talking about have _ us? the countries that we are talking about have an - us? the countries that we are i talking about have an important stake in the relations with the united states, and i don't think they will want to put those interests at risk, certainly for the palestinians, i don't think they have really ever done that and i don't think they are going to start now, but they do have their concerns is and they would like the you united states to address them, and what blinken is out there saying is, the united states intends to address them, wants to address them but at them, wants to address them but at the moment has rather you know, limited flexibility to do so, so
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they have got to be patient, and at they have got to be patient, and at the same time he has laid down strong markers, particularly for israel and netanyahu's government, so you know, he's trying to meet these other governments, these friendly governments half way, we will see if it works. fik. friendly governments half way, we will see if it works.— will see if it works. ok. thank you very much — will see if it works. ok. thank you very much professor. _ will see if it works. ok. thank you very much professor. i _ will see if it works. ok. thank you very much professor. i wonder- will see if it works. ok. thank you very much professor. i wonder if. will see if it works. ok. thank you very much professor. i wonder if i| very much professor. i wonder if i can show you a shot you would have seen a short time ago, and that is the scene live of the skyline of gaza, as seen from israel, and you would have seen flashes pop on the screen, a moment ago so a repeat then of those overnight strikes that last night saw a number of people killed in the jabalia camps. so military strikes continuing overnight
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the british prime minister says the government is looking at legal options to clear the sub—postmasters wrongly convicted in the post office scandal, which he called �*an appalling miscarriage ofjustice'. more than 700 people were convicted of charges including theft and false accounting, because of a faulty computer system — fewer than 100 of them have been exonerated. rishi sunak, in a wide ranging interview with laura kuenssberg, also said he was committed to the plan to send some migrants to rwanda. 0ur political correspondent damian grammaticas reports. for rishi sunak, this is set to be a decisive year, issues crowding around. first, the growing calls to exonerate those caught up in the post office scandal. the prime minister was asked if he would act to clear the hundreds wrongfully convicted or have government, not post office, lawyers handle their appeals. the justice secretary is looking at the things that you have described. it would not be right to pre—empt that process.
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obviously there is legal complexity in all of those things but he is looking at exactly those areas that you have described. it is right that we find every which way we can do to try and make this right for the people who were so wrongfully treated at the time. next up, one of his signature but stalled policies, focused on this place, rwanda, and his attempts to deport asylum seekers to have their cases dealt with by the east african country. government documents seen by the bbc suggest that, as chancellor, mr sunak thought the policy won't work as a deterrent, but as prime minister, he is pushing ahead with it. i absolutely believe in the value and importance of having deterrents. in terms of the scheme, i was chancellor at the time. myjob is to make sure that we get value for money for taxpayers, to ask questions whenever anybody wants to spend taxpayers' money. i would expect the same thing of the chancellor now. across london, in another tv studio, the labour leader, keen to put pressure on the prime minister over
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when an election might be called. mr sunak has tried to quash speculation suggesting it might be autumn. sir keir starmer says the sooner the better. it is very hard to see how him continuing in government improves the lives of anybody in the country, so there is this drift. i can't help feeling that all he really wants to do is to get two years clocked up of his own premiership and that means he is putting vanity before country. mps will be back in westminster tomorrow. some conservatives are already gearing up to challenge mr sunak over his rwanda plan. just the start of what is certain to be a testing political calendar for the prime minister. damian grammaticas, bbc news. now it's time for a look at today's sport with 0lly foster. the third round of the fa cup has been devoid of major shocks. we were never going to get one
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at the etihad stadium. the holders manchester city strolled past championship strugglers huddersfield. it was goaless for the first half an hour but phil foden started the scoring, finishing from a tight angle after the ball fell kindly for him. the england internatoinal�*s second was city's fourth, crafted a little more intentionally this time from a corner. there was a welcome sight for city fans as kevin de bruyne came off the bench after five months out with a hamstring injury. from a spell out, jeremy doku. 5—0 the final score the satisfaction to play this game like it was a final of, you know, the important competition, how humble we are, how fight each other, how comfortable the principles, what do you have to do to be a solid team, we do it again, i am really
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please to still manage this group of players. the most successful side in the history of the competition, arsenal, failed to take their chances at the emirates stadium. the 14 time winners, lost 2—0 to liverpool. arsenal dominated much of the match and it was one of their players who put the premier league leaders ahead. polish defenderjakub kiwior headed past his own keeper aaron ramsdale. despite that setback arsenal had chances for an equaliser, but got caught out in the final minute of injury time, colombian winger lius diaz sealing a smash and grab win, putting them in monday night's fourth round draw. i am really happy and really proud that we could win this game, which obviously of course arsenal could have won it as well, not a shred of doubt. but we kept the game open that long, and then in decisive moments, finished it off, so that speaks to the character of the boys. they really wanted it and so we got it.
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premier league luton and nottingham forest were held by league one sides bolton and blackpool. west ham will also have to replay against bristol city from the championship. there were wins for leeds, wrexham and west bromwich albion who knocked out non—league aldershot . chelsea and australia striker sam kerr is set to miss the rest of the season after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury. it happened during the english champions warm weather training camp in morocco. she has been chelsea's top scorer for the past three season. she is also set to miss the olympics, although australia are yet to qualify for the paris games are yet to qualify for the paris games. rafael nadal has pulled out of the australian open that starts next weekend. he's onlyjust returned from nearly a year out and he's picked up another hip injury. nadal felt discomfort in the same area during his quarterfinal loss tojordan thompson at the brisbane international. a scan has revealed a very small muscle tear. the spaniard says it's not the same
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issue that required an operation injune, but he's not ready to compete at the first grand slam grand slam of the year. he's returning to spain for treatment and rest. nadal knows he has only one relatively serious injury away from his career ending and i think he is at peace with that. he wasn't getting too light—headed. he had two match points to take his place in the semifinals and he is not getting too down about this latest setback, what we don't know yet, is whether he will be able to spend enough time on court to build up the match count he will require if he is going to be as competitive as he would like to be later in the year, especially ethiopia's tigist ketema has broken the world record for the fastest marathon debut by a woman. the 25—year—old won
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the dubai marathon in two hours 16 minutes and seven seconds. that's the eighth fastest time by a woman and smashed the dubai course record byjust over a minute and that's all the sport for now. now to bangladesh, where partial results show that prime minister sheikh hasina is on course to be reelected. that's according to the afp agency. voting took place amid tight security after violence on the eve of the poll. at least 14 polling stations were set on fire. it's set to be a fourth straight term for prime minister sheikh hasina as prime minister of bangladesh. the country's chief election comissioner has described the violence as an attempt to sabotage the vote. the main opposition, bangladesh nationalist party, asked people to follow them in boycotting the poll. and international observers including the un said the election took place in a �*repressive environment�*.
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0ur south asia correspondent, samira hussain, has the latest from the capital dhaka. we are standing outside the election commission and the commissioner has told the bbc that the awami league, that's the ruling party, has won more than 50% of the seats, but to be clear, they haven't actually declared the election a win for sheikh hasina, but it is pretty much accepted that that will be the likely outcome because as you rightly pointed out, the main opposition party, the bangladesh nationalist party, did not contest in these elections. they accuse the government of being unable to hold free and fair elections. so with really no strong opposition to oppose ms hasina and her awami league party,
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it seems there was little doubt she was going to cruise through to yet another victory. samira, so the bnp did not take part, they boycotted the elections, let's speak now to ali riaz, professor of political science at the illinois state university, and president of the american institute of bangladesh studies. thank you very much forjoining us here on bbc news. first off, i think it is worth us discussing the turn out of these elections. it discussing the turn out of these elections. . , , , discussing the turn out of these elections. ., , , , ., ., , elections. it has been very low, as a matter-of-fact, _ elections. it has been very low, as a matter-of-fact, although - elections. it has been very low, as a matter-of-fact, although the - a matter—of—fact, although the election commission claimed it is about a0%, but what we have seen since the morning, all the media reports and all the social media reports and all the social media reports that we saw, doesn't match up, as a matter of fixed—term parliaments act fact the stats that were provided midday, four hours, they said about, you know, 12% then
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about 18%, and the last hour or so, itjumped up, the whole thing about 13%, which is a remarkably, you know, high number, which doesn't match up with the what happened, so, i would say that basically the bangladeshi voters have voted with their feet, bangladeshi voters have voted with theirfeet, meaning they bangladeshi voters have voted with their feet, meaning they are actually boycotted the election, overwhelmingly boycotted it. the opposition. _ overwhelmingly boycotted it. the opposition, the main opposition party, the bangladesh nationalist party, the bangladesh nationalist party they boycotted the election, also their leader is currently under house arrest on separate charges, just how legitimate will this election how legitimate will it be views by the international community when you have observers already questioning the environment that the country was under?— country was under? absolutely, i mean they _ country was under? absolutely, i mean they are — country was under? absolutely, i mean they are rightly _ country was under? absolutely, i mean they are rightly pointed - country was under? absolutely, i l mean they are rightly pointed out, raised caution with respect to the environment, election is not a
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single day thing, what we have seen since october 289, that the bnp leaders have been arrested, they claimed 21,000 plus of their activists and leaders were arrested. some have been convicted. we have seen serious oppression against the opposition, the other political parties and as a matter—of—fact 16 political parties is boycotting, and leading to this over the years, the situation we saw has been serious erosion of democratic practises. human rights violation, all sorts of things that have taken bangladesh to a path theyia from the democracy so the selection morally how far that is legitimate, i think it is morally not a claim to be a legitimate election. is not a claim to be a legitimate election- i—
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not a claim to be a legitimate election. i- ., ., , election. is how important is the state of politics _ election. is how important is the state of politics in _ election. is how important is the state of politics in bangladesh, l election. is how important is the | state of politics in bangladesh, to neighbours, sheikh hasina was paying tribute to her good friend in india, how important is it that she, as she claims she is the guardian of democracy in bangladesh in records doesnt democracy in bangladesh in records doesn't actually _ democracy in bangladesh in records doesn't actually live _ democracy in bangladesh in records doesn't actually live up _ democracy in bangladesh in records doesn't actually live up to _ democracy in bangladesh in records doesn't actually live up to that - doesn't actually live up to that kind of claim, i mean over the years, as i have mentioned, we have seen serious violation of human right,
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good evening. high pressure has brought a welcome change to much drier weather for most this weekend, but there are still numerous flood warnings in force, around 170 during the day today. as ever, there is more detail
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on those on the weather website, including a warning for ice for the night ahead. but the high pressure that has brought the drier weather this weekend is staying put, as you can see, through the working week. just above freezing, the ground will still turn potentially frosty and icy because we have had a lot of rain. but overnight we are going to see those showers, and into monday, popping up across the east anglia region and the south—east of england, and they will be snow even at lower levels,
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it is cold air. with a few centimetres potentially over the downs, that will make things very slippery potentially because they could wash off the salt. ice is certainly an issue in the south and east but also elsewhere because it has been so damp. the fog again for central and southern scotland, northern ireland, northern parts of england and wales, it might well linger. but we will see some brightness and some sunshine as well. the wind is a little stronger again across southern parts compared to today, pushing wintry showers across other southern counties through the day. and making it feel colder still. we will see a smattering of snow in those showers further south, particularly over the hills and the channel islands. into tuesday, the high pressure system stays towards the north, those keen east winds or north—east winds continue in the south. but that might benefit, pushing the showers out of the way and breaking the cloud up a bit more for more sunshine. but still again plenty of it for north—west scotland, northern ireland, western england and wales, more in the south. might pick up a bit more cloud across north—eastern coasts but as you can see temperatures below par.
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and as we go through the rest of the week, it stays largely dry but it is still pretty chilly.
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this is bbc news, the headlines. at least 70 people have reportedly been killed injabalia. eyewitnesses in the refugee camp in northern gaza say many people
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were killed in an overnight israeli air strike. speaking in qatar — the us secretary of state, antony blinken, has said he will make clear to the israeli government that they must do more to prevent civilian casualties in gaza. his comments came on the latest stop of his regional tour. partial results in elections in bangladesh show that prime minister sheikh hasina, is on course to be reelected for a fourth consecutive term. rishi sunak confirms that the government is looking at legal options to exonerate sub—postmasters who've been wrongfully convicted of fraud because of a faulty computer accounting system. the now discredited �*horizon' software was used by the post office between 1999 and 2015. now on bbc news — click.

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