and provincial elections. the government is criticised for temporarily suspending mobile phone services. a us drone strike kills an iran—backed militia leader in baghdad. iraq says the strike is a threat to regional stability. this is the scene live in iceland where a volcano erupts for the second time this year. for the first time, global temperatures exceed 1.5 degrees celsius across an entire year. new figures show last month was the hottest january on record. hello, i'm sarah campbell, welcome to bbc news now, three hours of fast—moving news, interviews and reaction. polling stations have closed in pakistan where people have been voting in general and provincial elections — after a campaign period frequently disturbed by violence.

less than 2a hours before the polls opened, 28 people were killed in balochistan, with the islamic state group saying it carried out two bombings. on election day, five security personnel were killed in an attack while patrolling in the north—west of the country. security was therefore tight and while some polling stations were largely empty, because of security threats and cold weather, in other areas of the country people turned out in large numbers, leading to queues at polling stations as people headed in to vote. polls opened at eight in the morning local time, and closed about two hours ago. the vote took place without the former prime minister imran khan. he has been imprisoned on charges including corruption and was prevented from contesting. and in a widely criticised move, the authorities unexpectedly cut mobile phone and mobile internet services because of what they call "deterioriating security".

more now from south asian correspondent samira hussain. this is a real key moment for pakistan. it's currently a country that's in crisis and it's in desperate need for some kind of political stability. but the problem is that there's already questions being raised about the legitimacy of these elections. and key to pakistan's future is people being able to accept and respect the legitimacy of the newly—elected government. the moment polls opened this morning, all mobile services across the country shut down. despite assurances communications would not be cut, the government said security was deteriorating, citing yesterday's twin bomb blasts in the balochistan province. but critics say it was just

another attempt to stifle the electoral process. shutting off the internet today means that political parties can't share information or even get their supporters out to the polls. and with no clear indication of when mobile services may be restored, it could have an impact on when and how results come out. and finally, none of this alleviates the concerns that these elections may not be free nor fair. "these elections are fair," assures former prime minister nawaz sharif. he's had the job three times before and is back on the ballot, having just returned to pakistan from self—imposed exile. the last election, when imran khan won, mr sharif was in prison. this time it is the cricket superstar—turned—politician that is in prison. despite his exceptional popularity, he's not on the ballot, disqualified from running. members of his party

continue in his absence, running as independents, barred from using the party symbol — a cricket bat. significant given 40% of the population is illiterate. also not on the ballot, but wielding an incredible amount of influence is pakistan's military. it is widely believed winning the military�*s support almost guarantees a pathway to victory. pakistan is mired in an economic, political and security emergency. key to the country's success is a government that can rescue it from its current crises. so samira, the polls closed, what, about an hour ago, so could you just take us through the timetable when you would expect to get some idea of the results? and i mean, you were saying there about the turbulence in pakistan politics. whatever the result, is it likely to be accepted?

well, i think there's already sort of an idea in terms of where the election is likely to go, but because of electoral rules, there's prevention in terms of what i can actually reveal on air right now. i think in terms of when we're going to get those results. i mean, the electoral commission here in pakistan actually expects that we're going to start getting some of those preliminary results within the next few hours. and i think really what's key to remember is that because there have been these questions about the legitimacy of these elections, and because you saw that internet shutdown, you've seen that there's a lot of human rights groups that against, you know, transparency and trying to keep elections free and fair. i think there are going to be some questions being raised about, well, how accepted will this political outcome be for the electorate? and a lot of analysts, in fact, were saying that a big part of what happens in today's elections

will depend on voter turnout. and that's also something that we're going to find out within the next few hours as polling or as counting starts to starts getting underway. that was samira hussain reporting from islamabad. as the fighting in gaza continues — and a new round of negotiations due to start later in cairo, sponsored by egypt and qatar — the us secretary of state has said hamas�*s proposals leave a window open for a truce. antony blinken has been touring the region, where he met the palestinian leader mahmoud abbas. our middle east correspondent, nick beake, has more. a senior palestinian official has told the bbc that a new round of talks are now under way in cairo. and egypt is a really important country, along with qatar, the gulf state, because those two are intermediaries in what are indirect conversations between israel and hamas. the united states are also involved as well, and what we're hearing from anthony blinken, the us secretary of state, the top diplomat from the united states who's

still here in israel, is that there is some common ground and that there is still an avenue to pursue some sort of ceasefire. certainly the palestinian official who's been talking to us this morning said that the talks would be extremely difficult and extremely complicated. the thing is, if you look at the press conference last night at which benjamin netanyahu, the prime minister here, was speaking, he said that the peace proposals that have been put forward by hamas were completely unacceptable and, in fact, he said israeli forces would be advancing in gaza and moving towards rafah, which is a city of more than a million people. of more than a million people now, lots of them had come to this place because they've been forced to leave their homes elsewhere.

so you've got the prospect, according to the prime minister here, of an increased and more intense military operation. of course, that isn't going to lead to an imminent breakthrough in the peace talks. interestingly, from what mr blinken was saying last night, he said he absolutely supports the goal of destroying hamas, and he said he also thinks 7th october. but he also said the wider picture here needs to be addressed, particularly within israel, and he says that although hamas, to use his word, dehumanised the people of this country on 7th october and that hamas continues to dehumanise the hostages, he says that is not a licence to dehumanize other people. and of course, he was referring to the palestinians in gaza and their ongoing suffering. we can now cross live to gather and speak to a journalist who lives there. can you tell me what the situation is like where you are?

more pain, more horrifying scenes, thatis more pain, more horrifying scenes, that is the update which is so usable here in the gaza strip. in raffaele north of gaza, the places they seen intensive bombardment and unfortunately yesterday was one of the word assist —— in rafah and in the word assist —— in rafah and in the north of gaza. there have been tens scratch my people killed and tens scratch my people killed and tens of injuries and any variety of neighbourhoods hundreds of palestinians were killed and wounded by israeli raids, and unfortunately, the war against muslims continues as a mosque was destroyed just a few days ago. people suffering continuously and decreasing cold temperatures continue to hit those

displaced and intense and unpredicted shelters —— intense, not provided with anything, food or water, so the situation is really dire. sorry to interrupt you, we're just watching pictures of food being handed out, young children, families queueing up forfood. just handed out, young children, families queueing up for food.— queueing up for food. just tell us about reality _ queueing up for food. just tell us about reality of _ queueing up for food. just tell us about reality of how— queueing up for food. just tell us about reality of how you - queueing up for food. just tell us about reality of how you get - queueing up for food. just tell us | about reality of how you get food, how you get medicine and supplies. how can i get food or water if it is so scarce and water is polluted and how can i get medication if it is so scarce? at the same time, we are talking about food aid not reaching as regularly and it is not enough for people. sojust as regularly and it is not enough for people. so just to try to get some food, some water, every single day it is a venture. and even trying

to go out and seek those things is a really, really big risk in your life. so it is all about you can't find anything and you really can't find anything and you really can't find enough food and water for those people because you're talking about more than in half a million displaced so the water and food is not enough. unfortunately, the diseases that are spreading right now are because, due to the continuous lack of food and water, the pollution that has been spreading, the weather conditions that have been killing people, so all conditions right now are against us. and people can't really... people are really fighting for their existence. and they really, really can't find anything to do with this war because her dreams, they are very simple, what we wanted a permanent ceasefire where we can have clean water and some fresh

food. that's our dream. so it'sjust like... i don't know why people think that palestinians should not have just one day of tranquillity and peace because politicians think it is so much. being palestinian sometimes too much, but i will always be proud to be a palestinian boss of how difficult is it to keep across what is going on in the outside world, if you like? i aware are peeple — outside world, if you like? i aware are peeple of _ outside world, if you like? i aware are people of the _ outside world, if you like? i aware are people of the diplomatic- are people of the diplomatic negotiations going on at the moment, the recent visit of the us secretary of state, the negotiations carrying on today in egypt? between egypt and qatar? how aware people of that? they were by the first time the talks were held, they were celebrating in march is the news of the agreement and they still hope and are seeking out a glimmer of

hope that this war will end because 125 days, more even are too much for people. because they have been suffering a lot and every day what they see is truly unbearable. so they see is truly unbearable. so they are still watching very closely during the dark and dangerous nights on tv news, wherever she is coming out, they are trying to see some hope that there will be a ceasefire agreement reached very soon. they are just watching the news because people have really had enough and even at the reality of existence inside gaza is a truly heartbreaking, so they are trying their very best, they are hoping a ceasefire agreement will be reached very soon. they hope the negotiations will be very successful and they can have one day of tranquillity on monday back before october 70 normal life they were

having those of the latest from the israeli military is the focus of their focus will move to the south. we are just hearing the un secretary—general antonio guitarist saying that pushing on the border with rafah would increase what is already humanitarian nightmare —— antonio guterres. what would it mean if those forces move towards rafah? they have nowhere to go for, even the attempt to seek refuge, it is in fact being sold, so this is the better factor of finding existence in gaza. these forces move to rafah, we are talking about more than i we are talking about more than 1 million displaced in those areas, so where can they move a? if they move,

to dorabella, the normal capacity is around 25,000 people. and now there are more than happy millionaire displaced and seeking refuge. if this happens, where candice 1.9 people displaced find refuge? —— where can this 1.9 million people displaced. even the places here in the gaza strip are not saved. not a single zone is safe in this gaza strip. so i'm just wondering if these forces move, where they can go? and even at the prices at the border to escape from here to go past the border, the egyptian birders costs too much. that is why we are really paying too much money, really paying unaffordable sum just to leave. in fact, families trying just to stay alive and the reality they are in rafah, the continuous problem of people in civilian houses

is so terrifying, so it is notjust about the situation deteriorating if ever israeli forces going, but it has in fact deteriorated and it is already worth more than people can think, so it'sjust really indescribable. �* , a ~ , indescribable. abubaker abed, in central gaza, _ indescribable. abubaker abed, in central gaza, thank _ indescribable. abubaker abed, in central gaza, thank you - indescribable. abubaker abed, in central gaza, thank you so - indescribable. abubaker abed, inj central gaza, thank you so much. indescribable. abubaker abed, in i central gaza, thank you so much. it is important to hear voices like yours and your experience of what you're living with at the thank you. you're very welcome, thank you. around the world and across the uk, this is bbc news. let's look at some other stories making news. the co—op retail chain is urging mps

to make assaulting or abusing a shop worker a specific criminal offence in england and wales. the company said there'd been a 44% increase in incidents of shoplifting and violence in its stores within the past year. it's already a criminal offence in scotland. madeleine mccann is expected to stay silent at his forthcoming trial in germany on unrelated sexual offences. christian bruckner is due in court next week, accused of five offences between 2000 and 2017 in portugal. he is already serving a jail sentence for rape. bruckner has denied any involvement with mccann�*s disappearance. the prince of wales has thanked the country for its support, after his father, king charles, was diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer. william's public engagements mark a return to his royal duties, after taking a step back last month when his wife, princess catherine, had abdominal surgery. you're live with bbc news. we have a little bit of breaking news from the states. we told you earlier about the five us marines who have died in a helicopter crash. there has been a statement from the

president, joe biden, and he said, jill and i are heartbroken at the loss of five us marines while the aircraft crashed flying from california to nevada during a routine mission. as the department of defence continues to assess what occurred, we send our deepest condolences to their families. their squadron and the us marine corps as we grieve the loss of five of our nation's finest warriors. he added that he is deeply grateful to the local county sheriff department and other federal state and local agencies. he finishes with, our service members represent the very best of our nation and at these five marines were no exception. today, as we mourn this profound loss we honour their selfless service and sacrifice and a firm of the sacred obligation we bear to all of those who wear the uniform and their families. a statementjust released by presidentjoe biden after a crash involving the loss of five us marines in california.

let's return to one of our top stories today. the earth has hit another significant and worrying milestone — for the first time, global temperatures have exceeded 1.5 degrees above pre—industrial levels, across an entire year. the european union's climate service copernicus released new evidence measuring temperatures between february 2023 and january 2024 to record the highest 12—month global temperature average on record. this year—long breach doesn't break the 2015 paris agreement to limit long—term temperature rise to 1.5 degrees but it does bring the world closer to doing so. global warming was believed to be the main driver behind the amazon rainforest experiencing its worst drought on record in 2023, killing wildlife and leaving many villages unreachable by river. meanwhile, in east africa — kenya, as well as neighbouring somalia and ethiopia, experienced their worst

flooding in recent history. many scientists say a combination of greenhouse gas emissions and dramatic sea temperature rises are to blame. but in recent months, a natural climate—warming phenomenon known as el nino has also given air temperatures an extra boost. researchers warn, though, that, ultimately, human activities — such as burning fossil fuels — mean temperatures will continue rising at a concerning pace, unless urgent action is taken. scientists are calling this a "warning to humanity". our climate dditorjustin rowlatt explained the significance of the 1.5 degree figure. it's the boundary that was set, as you say, in paris, by world leaders. the reason it was set there became very clear in 2018 when the un published a kind of landmark scientific study which said if you look at two degrees of warming, the climate impacts are just much more significant, giving powerful reasons to stick to the 1.5 target that the world had set for itself.

so that's why the higher the temperatures rise, the more dramatic the impacts are. it's not a linear thing. they become increasingly more dramatic with each increment of temperature. and that's why scientists keep urging us to recognise the need to keep temperature increase as moderate as possible, keep it down as low as we possibly can. of course, these figures are showing just how close we're getting to that boundary. as you say, one year isn't enough to breach the paris target, but what it does show is just how close we're getting to that target. and we've got a whole kind of outpouring of statements about how urgent it is that action is taken from climate scientists from all over the world as a result. and we said in the introduction that obviously human activity is very much behind the figures, but also el nino, which was big in 2023. do we have any idea how much of an impact el nino has? and is that continuing into 202a? let's just be clear on what's happening. so the underlying increase in global temperatures is driven by the greenhouse gases that

human activities produce. that's what's also warming the sea temperatures, and as a result of el nino, some of that temperature that has been absorbed by the ocean is being radiated back into the atmosphere this year. el nino is a kind of, as you say, recurring weather fluctuation. it began at the end of last year. we're expecting it to end, its beginning to weaken already. we're expecting to end in the next couple of months. that delivers an extra kind of punch of heat radiating, as i say, from the pacific ocean — about 0.2 degrees celsius, the average el nino accounts. this has been quite a strong one. it could be a little bit more than that. but what that shows is that was enough to push us into these record temperatures. but the reason we're up there is because the steady increase of temperatures, which, as i say, is driven by greenhouse gases created by human activity. that was our climate editorjustin

rowlett. now to iraq. iraq's army has said an american drone strike in baghdad last night has threatened security and stability in the region. the target was the leader of a powerful iranian—backed militia. this funeral has been taking place there today. from baghdad, our correspondent, hugo bachega, sent this report. evening rush hour in baghdad — this was when the us chose to strike. this car was carrying three members of a top iranian—backed militia, kataib hezbollah. all three were killed instantly when a us drone hit their car last night. as news spread of who was behind the explosion, people began to arrive and the protests soon became angry. "america is the biggest devil," the crowd chanted. after the relative calm of the last few years in iraq, a strike in the heart of the capital is a huge escalation and brings back painful memories. this man was the main target of the strike — abu baqiral—saadi, a majorfigure in kataib hezbollah, in charge of the group's

operations in syria. the pentagon said the target was a high—value individual and that they were responsible for directly planning and participating in attacks on us forces in the region. the most high—profile of those attacks came two weeks ago, when a drone hit a us base injordan, killing three american soldiers. the us has vowed to hit back at those responsible. iran has a wide network of allies and proxy groups across the region. they are all opposed to israel and the united states. iran calls them the axis of resistance. pro—iranian militias operate in lebanon, gaza in the west bank plus iraq and syria. and far to the south, there is also the houthis in yemen.

the us faces a balancing act between responding to attacks on its troops, while also not widening the conflict in the region. we are in this sort of tit—for—tat world. neither the iranians nor the americans particularly want this to escalate to a major conflagration between the two, but whether it... and it probably won't happen, but it's very difficult to actually contain these exchanges, so at some point everybody decides that honour is served. here in central baghdad, we heard the blast echo across the city last night. to strike during rush hour is a step that surprised many. now the world is watching to see how, or if, the iranians will respond. hugo bachega, bbc news, baghdad. just before we have a break, let's go back to iceland. the eruption continues, the second time this volcano has erupted this year. in south—west iceland. you can watch these pictures on the bbc news website. stay with us here on bbc news.

hello, thanks for joining hello, thanks forjoining me. the weather has been present for us today, it believe there is no picture out there and we have had snow across the hills of northern ireland. it has been snowing across northern parts of wales, northern england two and into southern scotland. this is the radarfrom earlier on. it is mostly hills know, at least where it is following heaviest. not exclusively. we have had a wet covering of snow on the ground as well, but let's focus on the amber warnings from the met office valid for this afternoon across northern parts of wales and into this evening across the pennines so that some of the higher rates could get as much as 25 centimetres of snow. the transpennine roots could be very tricky, so take it steady during the rush hour. on top of that, we have some strong winds blowing out of the east and this is a picture around for pm. temperatures just a picture around for pm. temperaturesjust a a picture around for pm. temperatures just a couple of degrees above freezing, but to the south much milder, 12 in london, and similar values there. rain in the

south bringing similar problems, 45 possibly —— possibly 45 millimetres. the night will be quite a messy picture, particularly in the north. a mixture of rain, sleet and snow, temperatures are bigger towns and cities territory celsius. for the south, a lot milder. as we headed through friday, what is left of the wintry weather does transfer for the north, but there could be significant snowfall across at the scottish hills, particularly central and worrisome parts of scotland, rain in the north—east of england, and to the south, we are talking about extensive cloud, showers, some heavy. but mild. 12 in plymouth, 13 in london, a living in hull, and much colder as you get into the north of scotland, so this is where the colder air setting, hints of wintry weather there to the south of that. it is much milder. into friday night and saturday in the low pressure to stay with us for the weekend, but the areas of cloud a

lot more broken, so perhaps injan coming through, but at times heavy showers expected as well. the outlook, will it be mild or cold? well it looks as though it will stay on at the mild side and the weather could be settling down as we head into tuesday. goodbye.

china's deflationary spiral. as millions head home to celebrate the new year — falling prices are a worry for the rest of the world. changing the script. disney entertains investors with new ideas, including cash hand—outs and better numbers — as it battles to win support for its turnaround plans. let's start with china where the price of goods is continuing to fall, raising alarm about the state of the world's number two economy. china's consumer price index forjanuary was 0.8 % lower than a year ago — the biggest contraction since 2009. the pace of deflation is accelerating too. chinese consumers are struggling with high youth unemployment and the fallout from a real estate

crash — hitting demand for goods and pushing down prices.