america's top diplomat, antony blinken, has been holding talks with palestinian leaders in the occupied west bank — after telling israeli leaders that the toll of the war on civilians in gaza is too high. britain's ministry of defence says the uk and us navies have fought off the largest attack so far by the iranian—backed houthi rebels. hello, i'm samantha simmonds. we begin in the uk, where pressure is mounting on the government to deal with what has been described as one of the uk greatest miscarriages ofjustice. more than 700 sub—postmasters were wrongly convicted in the post office horizon scandal after faulty software made it look like money was missing. their case is in the spotlight following the itv drama mr bates vs the post office, a new four—part series telling the heartbreaking tales of bankruptcies, suicide attempts and jail sentences.

the minister responsible for the post office, kevin hollinrake, says the government is "very, very close" to announcing its plans to clear hundreds of sub postmasters who were wrongly convicted. he's due to attend a meeting of the horizon compensation advisory board this lunchtime. they have been sharing their stories on bbc breakfast this morning. here's janet skinner — she was jailed over false claims she stole thousands of pounds. she wants the post office to be removed from both the appeals process, and the compensation schemes. you are the post office minister. will the government take back control over the post office? currently, the post office, they are orchestrating convictions, who has a conviction upturned, they are in control of compensation. they are now classified as the criminals. why are they having the power to control everything? i was talking about your case yesterday with sir david davies,

who has been working on your behalf. very keen to resolve that issue and very keen to take this out of the hands of the post office. the short answer is yes, that is what we are keen to do. i cannot confirm at this moment in time but i am very keen to confirm it very shortly. you can understand why people want the post office to be taken out of the whole process. they control everything they have always controlled everything and they had been allowed to control everything. the government is sitting there saying they are taking notice. they have been aware for the past ten years and done nothing. live now to our political correspondent damien grammaticas in westminster. the government under growing pressure to make some kind of announcement on this. mil pressure to make some kind of announcement on this.- announcement on this. all the indications _ announcement on this. all the indications now _ announcement on this. all the indications now are _ announcement on this. all the indications now are that - announcement on this. all the indications now are that the i indications now are that the government is moving to an announcement. it could come today or very soon. we know that prime

minister's questions is happening soon. it is possible that the prime minister want to say something about it. we might have to wait a bit longer. as you are hearing, the minister overseeing this, her kevin hollinrake, has been saying this morning that it is very close. you had the anger directed at him from those former postmasters and post—mistresses because of their treatment. their suspicions about the post office and engaging with the post office and engaging with the post office and engaging with the post office. that is one of the reasons why the government is looking at the option of some sort of legislation to exonerate en masse all of those caught up in this. certainly that anger has been fuelled and become much more public by the delays, by also by that documentary. mr harling wake was asked all about that and what the

government intends to do. {iii asked all about that and what the government intends to do. of course it makes my — government intends to do. of course it makes my day _ government intends to do. of course it makes my day easier _ government intends to do. of course it makes my day easier as _ government intends to do. of course it makes my day easier as postal - it makes my day easier as postal minisier— it makes my day easier as postal minister to— it makes my day easier as postal minister to convince the government and opposition to do something very significant _ i welcome that. significant to say has been happening isjust absolutely not the truth. but myself and my predecessors, they have been absolutely determined to deal with this. but what you are talking about potentially, which is a blanket overturning of convictions, some legislation that does that, interferes with the courts, the courts are independent in this country for a good reason. it is a very significant legal step we may be about to take. so that's why i can't give you an answer right now but i hope to give you an answer very shortly. it was interesting that stumble that he had there that he said that step we are about to take. it sounds like we are about to take. it sounds like we they are moving to that, to take

that step. you can see and feel the political pressure coming onto the minister there, after so many years in which this whole issue has dragged on. it would be significant, and there are mps who are cautious about it, because, as he was saying, this is stepping into the whole legal arena. this is stepping into the whole legalarena. it this is stepping into the whole legal arena. it is pretty significant step for the government to exonerate en masse a group whose cases have been through the courts. but, there is a view that this is an unprecedented in its scale, this miscarriage ofjustice. still, it is worth saying, more people coming forward. hundred and 30 just sent this drama end. so this is going to continue. the head of the armed forces in ecuador says there will be no negotiations with the criminals behind a wave of violence in the country. the military has been authorised by the president, daniel noboa, to "neutralise" 22 armed groups.

he said ecuador was facing an internal armed conflict. last night, gunmen stormed a television studio in the city of guayaquil and threatened staff while they were live on air. the men, wearing balaclavas, burst into the studio taking severaljournalists and staff members hostage. the police say the attack will be treated as an act of terrorism. schools have closed temporarily, while the peruvian government has deployed police to its border with ecuador. our south america correspondent ione wells reports. a moment of utter horror broadcast live on television. armed men with balaclavas over their face broke into the set of this public television channel in ecuador while it was live on air, brandishing guns and what appears to be explosives. it comes a day after the country's new president, daniel noboa, declared a state of emergency. ecuador has been rocked by a series of attacks after the apparent escape

of a powerful gang leader, jose adolfo macias, from prison. the president ordered the military and police to intervene in controlling prisons in an attempt to tame the violence. but the violence has exploded further since then. explosions in the streets, police officers carrying out stop and search. some reportedly being abducted. for ordinary people in ecuador, terror on the streets. translation: i hope that this state of emergency yields results, - positive results for the population, not for the criminals. translation: we live in constant| fear because on a day to day basis, when we go out to work, we don't know if we'll return or if we'll come back home in one piece. the suspects tonight have now been detained, but with ecuador still on high alert, fearfor citizens there remains. ione wells, bbc news, sao paulo. our latin america regional reporter mimi swabey has been looking

at what this wave of apparently co—ordinated violence across ecuador could mean for the country — and the rest of central america. these shocking scenes have shaken ecuador to its core. many viewers have watched this horror play out in real time on their tvs. ecuador used to be a tranquil, safe country, but in recent years crime and organised violence have plagued its streets. this is because gangs are now fighting over control of cocaine routes, mainly to the us and europe. this latest eruption of violence is so great that peru has even mobilised troops to its northern border to ensure that no instability crosses over the frontier. this young president, the president of ecuador, daniel noboa, has called for an internal armed conflict. he says that no negotiations will happen with these organised groups which he has labelled as terrorists and non—state actors.

security forces have identified 22 organised crime groups and he says they must be neutralised. the post office arise in scandal. we have been told by our colleagues at westminster that there is going to be an urgent question at prime minister's question time. david davis is going to ask the question but we haven't been told who is going to answer it. in around half an hour after prime minister's questions we will get there urgent question. america's top diplomat, antony blinken, has met palestinian leaders in the west bank, in the final phase of his latest visit to the region. on tuesday evening, the us secretary of state told a news conference in tel aviv that the death toll on civilians in gaza, especially children, is too high. this is mr blinken arriving in ramallah — where he met the head of the palestinian authority, mahmoud abbas.

mr blinken's message so far has been that gazans must be allowed to return to their homes, while also reasserting us support for israel. he has also said he is focused on securing the release of all remaining hostages in gaza, and getting humanitarian aid into the territory. it comes as the hamas—run health ministry says that another 70 people were killed and more than 130 wounded in overnight attacks. the situation at israel's northern border with lebanon remains volatile, with locations on either side targeted by the idf and hezbollah. we know that facing an enemy that embeds itself among civilians, who hides in and fires from schools, from hospitals, makes this incredibly challenging. but the daily toll on civilians in gaza, particularly on children, is far too high. live now tojuliette touma, the unrwa director of communications, who is in amman injordan.

welcome to you juliet. we have pictures coming into us from age waiting to cross into gaza. bring us an update on the situation regarding aid. how much is getting in and what kind of aid? bid aid. how much is getting in and what kind of aid? �* , , kind of aid? aid is getting in but it is by far _ kind of aid? aid is getting in but it is by far not _ kind of aid? aid is getting in but it is by far not sufficient, - kind of aid? aid is getting in but it is by far not sufficient, given i it is by far not sufficient, given the overwhelming humanitarian needs. right now the whole population in gaza, more than 2 million people, almost entirely rely on humanitarian assistance. much more needs to come in. commercial because supplies need to come in because the markets in gaza are all but shut.— gaza are all but shut. paint a icture gaza are all but shut. paint a picture of — gaza are all but shut. paint a picture of the _ gaza are all but shut. paint a picture of the situation - gaza are all but shut. paint a | picture of the situation across gaza are all but shut. paint a - picture of the situation across gaza right now. picture of the situation across gaza riaht now. ., ,., right now. over all the bombardment continues, right now. over all the bombardment continues. the _ right now. over all the bombardment continues, the human _ right now. over all the bombardment continues, the human toll— right now. over all the bombardment continues, the human toll that - right now. over all the bombardment continues, the human toll that this i continues, the human toll that this is having isjust staggering. among women and children as well as among

our staff. we have lost 146 of our staff. this placement continues. multiple displacement, that's another trend that we have been seeing. some families have been forced to flee four or five times, sometimes ten times. they flee in search of safety but they have not found it because no place is safe in gaza. ,, ,, . ., , ., ,, ., , gaza. the us secretary of state is holdin: gaza. the us secretary of state is holding talks _ gaza. the us secretary of state is holding talks right _ gaza. the us secretary of state is holding talks right now, _ gaza. the us secretary of state is holding talks right now, what - gaza. the us secretary of state is holding talks right now, what do | gaza. the us secretary of state is i holding talks right now, what do you hope he had can achieve? we holding talks right now, what do you hope he had can achieve?— hope he had can achieve? we are hoinu hope he had can achieve? we are honing for— hope he had can achieve? we are hoping for several _ hope he had can achieve? we are hoping for several things. - hope he had can achieve? we are hoping for several things. a - hoping for several things. a humanitarian ceasefire as soon as possible because it is long overdue after nearly 100 days of one of the most brutal wars in history. we are hoping for more commercial supplies to come to the markets of gaza, so that they can reopen. we certainly hope for a more regularflow that they can reopen. we certainly hope for a more regular flow of humanitarian supplies because the

clock is ticking and it is digging very fast towards famine in the gaza strip, which could still be averted if humanitarian and commercial supplies are allowed in.- if humanitarian and commercial supplies are allowed in. thank you ve much supplies are allowed in. thank you very much for— supplies are allowed in. thank you very much forjoining _ supplies are allowed in. thank you very much forjoining us. - supplies are allowed in. thank you very much forjoining us. we are i very much forjoining us. we are keeping across the situation there, we wait to hear more from those talks between antony blinken and mood abbas. —— mahmoud abbas. around the world and across the uk. this is bbc news. let's look at some other stories making news. new police analysis suggests under 18s were potential offenders in more than half of all reported child abuse cases in england and wales. officers say young people taking and sharing photos are contributing to a rise in sexual offences committed by children. they say young people may not realise some

of their behaviour is illegal. the parents of a british tourist who died after a helicopter crash in the grand canyon are to receive a £79 million payout. 31—year—old jonathan udall was one of five britons, including his new wife, who died after the aircraft crashed and burst into flames in february 2018. a lawsuit brought by his parents said he could have survived had the helicopter been fitted with systems to help prevent the fire. the actor stephen fry has called for an end to the use of real fur in the bearskin caps worn by the king's guard on duties such as guarding buckingham palace. he is backing an animal welfare campaign calling for them to be made with artificial fur instead. you're live with bbc news. the uk's ministry of defence says a british warship, working alongside the us navy, has fought off what it says

was the largest attack so far by the iranian—backed houthi rebels on shipping lanes there. according to a statement from the ministry of defence. .. "overnight, hms diamond, along with us warships, successfully repelled the largest attack from the iranian—backed houthis in the red sea to date." hms diamond used sea viper missiles and guns, and destroyed multiple attack drones heading for her, and commercial shipping in the area. there were no injuries or damage sustained by hms diamond or her crew. the ministry of defence has issued these images of the live firing undertaken by the crew of hms diamond. it's understood that more than 20 missiles and drones were shot down. at this stage the ministry of defence has not said if there were any casualties among the houthi attackers. the precise location of the incident is not known, but it happened somewhere in the red sea — the body of water which separates the arabian peninsula from north eastern africa. we arejoined live now byjoshua hutchinson, managing director of intelligence & risk for the ambrey global maritime risk management firm. welcome to you joshua, good to have you on the programme. this has been

going on, the attacks by the houthi rebels have been