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tv   BBC News  BBCNEWS  February 20, 2024 5:00am-5:31am GMT

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live from london, this is bbc news. the united states has put forward a draft resolution at the un calling for a temporary ceasefire as soon as feasible. the houthis in yemen claim to have sunk a british—registered ship in the gulf of aden — there's been no confirmation. the row deepens between the business secretary and the former post office chair over the timing of compensation payments to victims of the horizon scandal. and scientists in australia say they've identified the brightest object ever recorded, a quasar more than 12 billion light years away
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hello, i'm sally bundock. welcome to the programme. we begin in the middle east. in a sign of toughening language on the war in gaza, the united states has proposed a draft resolution at the un security council calling for a temporary ceasefire was soon as feasible. washington has previously avoided using the word "ceasefire" during votes on the war between israel and hamas. but it still intends to veto another measure calling for an immediate pause to the fighting. the us resolution also opposes israel's plans to attack the overcrowded city of rafah. it says the assault would harm civilians and push them into neighbouring countries. it's not clear when or if the text will be put to a vote. our north america correspondent, david willis, has the latest.
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this draft resolution calls for a temporary ceasefire in gaza as soon as is practicable and bonds that are planned israeli ground offensive into the city of rafah could have serious implications for regional peace and security. it also calls for the release of all the hostages held by hamas and the lifting of barriers on the delivery of humanitarian aid into the region. but it is a shift in the stance of the biden administration which has previously vetoed to un calls for a ceasefire gaza and has defended the right of key ally, israel, to defend itself, but as the conflict in the region has ground on and president biden and members of his cabinet have grown increasingly frustrated with benjamin netanyahu, members of his
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cabinet, overthe netanyahu, members of his cabinet, over the grey death toll in gaza, us diplomats plan toll in gaza, us diplomats plan to discuss the draft resolution in the coming days. more than i million palestinians are said to be hold—up in the city of rafah and the un has warned that an israeli ground offensive that they could lead to a slaughter. meanwhile, the un security council is due to vote later today on the resolution put forward by algeria which calls for an immediate ceasefire in gaza. the united states seeking to give its ally israel the time has said it plans to veto that resolution. yemen's houthis say that a british registered ship which they attacked in the gulf of aden on sunday has sunk. but, there's been no independent verification of the claim. earlier, the uk government said the rubymar had been abandoned as it was taking on water, and 24—crew had been rescued.
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the houthis also say they've carried out further attacks on two us—owned cargo vessels — the sea champion and the navis fortuna — in the region. the group says it's been targeting merchant shipping in the red sea in solidarity with palestinians in gaza. british and american forces have responded by striking houthi bases in yemen. let's speak to hisham al—omeisy, senior advisor at the european institute of peace. joining us live from washington. welcome to the programme. give us your take on the escalation in the red sea and what has been happening in the last day or so. the and what has been happening in the last day or so.— the last day or so. the houthis have also _ the last day or so. the houthis have also downed _ the last day or so. the houthis have also downed a _ the last day or so. the houthis have also downed a us - the last day or so. the houthis have also downed a us drone. | have also downed a us drone. they did it also back in november and they will continue to do the same thing. what you
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are seeing is an escalation. we have nine they had these surface and subsurface drones for a while but they have not user. they also have more weapons in their arsenals provided by iran but the fact they are using them now indicates that they are willing to escalate. they are under a lot of pressure likely to deliver on their promises, damaging the coalition forces in the gulf of aden, in the red sea and that trying to make good on their word and to put a dent in the coalition. h0??? good on their word and to put a dent in the coalition.— dent in the coalition. how do ou see dent in the coalition. how do you see this _ dent in the coalition. how do you see this playing - dent in the coalition. how do you see this playing out - you see this playing out because so far deterrence put in play by the us, the uk are now also the european union this week are seemingly having little impact on blood the booties are doing. houthis. it
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is actually galvanising the houthis an enticing everyone to test their weapons through the houthis end the red sea. this is what you will see more technology transferred from the iranian revolutionary guard to yemen where they are trading, and also providing their latest weaponry to the houthis with small concessions from the americans, and uk and saudi so expecting further escalation not deterrence from the houthis. not deterrence from the houthis-_ not deterrence from the houthis. ~ ., , �* houthis. what impact isn't havinu houthis. what impact isn't having economically - houthis. what impact isn't having economically from | houthis. what impact isn't - having economically from that benefit a lot from this trade route? , . , route? --is it having. it is forcing — route? --is it having. it is forcing a— route? --is it having. it is forcing a lot _ route? --is it having. it is forcing a lot of _ route? --is it having. it is forcing a lot of ships - route? --is it having. it is forcing a lot of ships to i forcing a lot of ships to regrout, paying an additional million dollars and extra days
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re—routing their ships but it is impacting yemen itself with sanctions. i tried to send money back home and it was blocked through western union and it yemen has gone through humanitarian crises for the past ten years so it is creating catastrophes locally. it is notjust the international community paying the price but also the local yemen community but the houthis could not care less. right now they and the iranians are using this opportunity to flex their muscle and extend their reach and leverage the power and extract more concessions from the region and the international community. the region and the international communi . , . international community. expect further escalation. _ international community. expect further escalation. we _ further escalation. we appreciate your perspective on this. thank you for talking to us. just to say, of course, when things do erupt further or
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when things do erupt further or when there is an escalation of attacks on vessels trying to pass through the red sea, it does have an impact on financial markets. oil prices have not moved significantly in the last 2a hours and we will be looking at that in more detail in our business coverage. alexei navalny�*s family now openly accuse the authorities in russia of deliberately keeping his body from them. the russian opposition leader died suddenly in a prison camp in the arctic circle on friday. his family have been told they won't get access for another two weeks, as more tests are needed. that means no funeral, and no way of checking for any obvious signs of abuse, or taking samples for toxicology tests. navalny�*s widow, yulia navalnaya, who's been meeting european union officials in brussels, has already accused vladimir putin of killing him. she has has promised to carry on her husband's life's work. yulia navalny said she sees no other reason for russia keeping his body,
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than to let traces of nerve agent disappear. the kremlin has called such accusations unacceptable. our eastern europe correspondent sarah rainsford has more. yulia navalny has really stepped deliberately and dramatically into the political spotlight with this speech. her grief at times was so raw that it was sometimes quite difficult even to watch. but it's her fury that she says is driving her on, and that leads her to say she can continue her husband's cause. and i think for many in — many supporters of the russian opposition watching that, people who are feeling very despondent, they will have found it uplifting. i think she does have a certain moral authority and she clearly is a strong woman, but can she put herself forward as a new political leader? well, first and foremost, of course, yulia navalny is abroad. and i think after she's called vladimir putin a killer, she would find it very difficult and dangerous, in fact, to go back to russia now. as for navalny�*s own political organisation, well, it's been banned as extremist
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and all of his allies, his close allies, are either in prison, like he was, or they're abroad for their own safety. basically, vladimir putin has spent the past two decades systematically crushing all political opposition in the country. but now, of course, over the past few days, we have seen people bringing flowers and leaving tributes to alexei navalny. these are people who do want change in russia, who are sympathetic to navalny�*s cause. and yulia navalnaya has now called on them to unite in a fist and to punch vladimir putin's regime. but i think people really — the fear is very strong and the sense of pointlessness. and of course, it was alexei navalny who punched the hardest in his lifetime, and he paid an extremely high price for that. speaking on a visit to the falklands islands, lord cameron — the uk foreign secretaty — said russia will face consequences for the death of alexei navalny.
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there will be consequences. what we do anything situation is we look at how someone's human rights have been damaged in the individual people that because of that and we are able to go after those people with particular measures. whenever preannouncement sanctions in advance, i cannot do that, but what i can tell you, and the g7 foreign ministers meeting in munich, i pressed that the united kingdom will be doing that and i urged other countries do the same and i believe very much both those things will happen. let's get some of the day's other news now. ukrainian officials say a russian pilot who defected to ukraine last year has been found dead in spain. maxim kuzminov�*s body was reportedly discovered in an underground garage near alicante. kyiv had portrayed his defection as a major coup. ajudge investigating the assassination of haiti's former president, jovenel moise, has brought charges against his wife. a court document says martine moise conspired with the former prime minister, claudejoseph, to kill the president, nearly three years ago. she denies involvement.
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an online site run by a major criminal gang who organise ransomware cyber attacks appears to have been taken over by law enforcement agencies from the uk, us and europe. the site belongs to a group known as lockbit, which sells tools to carry out ransomware attacks. nearly the entire us state of california is under threat from yet more dangerous weather, including periods of heavy rain, snow and thunderstorms. an evacuation warning has been issued for the topanga canyon area, and a flash flood warning was issued for parts of los angeles county. it's the second storms to hit california in recent weeks a row has deepened between the uk business secretary, kemi badenoch, and the former post office chair, henry staunton,
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whom she sacked. he'd claimed in a sunday times interview that he'd been told to stall compensation payments to victims of the horizon it scandal. ms badenoch said the claims were completely false, mr staunton says he's standing by his statements. it is another instalment in the post office drama, this time starting henry staunton, the recently sacked chairman and kemi badenoch. he became chair of the post office at the end of the post office at the end of 2022 but was sacked by kemi badenoch last month in the aftermath of the horizon scandal. he's not going down without a fight. he says kemi badenoch told him someone had to take the rap for the post office a scandal. this weekend he gave an interview saying...
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yesterday, kemi badenoch hit back hard. yesterday, kemi badenoch hit back hard-— yesterday, kemi badenoch hit back hard. , ., back hard. most people reading the interview _ back hard. most people reading the interview yesterday - back hard. most people reading the interview yesterday sunday | the interview yesterday sunday times would sever what it was, a blatant attempt to seek revenge following dismissal. and there was a follow—up punch from the business secretary. i should also inform the house that while he was imposed, a formal investigation was launched allegations made regarding henry staunton�*s condo, including serious matters such as bullying. the former chairman _ matters such as bullying. the former chairman was flawed. a statement released last night on his big enough said... ——on his behalf said...
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post office sup postmasters and sub— post messages were rob lee prosecutors between 1999 and 2015 after faulty computer system, horizon, made it look like money was missing from their accounts. they want to know why so many still have not been compensated.— been compensated. what mr staunton says _ been compensated. what mr staunton says it _ been compensated. what mr staunton says it rings - been compensated. what mr staunton says it rings true. l staunton says it rings true. why they extended the deadline. but at the end of the day, they are still not paying the postmasters. they can shut at each other all they like, but they are still not paying people. they are still not paying --eole. , . ., , they are still not paying --eole. , , ., people. they could be a few more rounds _ people. they could be a few more rounds to _ people. they could be a few more rounds to go. - people. they could be a few more rounds to go. henry i more rounds to go. henry staunton has been asked to appear before mps next week. aruna iyengar, bbc news.
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you can also find this story on our website. david cameron's government knew the post office had ditched a secret investigation that might have helped wrongly accused postmasters prove their innocence. the secret investigation was uncovered through a bbc analysis of confidential government documents. find all the detals at bbc.com/news or the bbc news app. around the world and across the uk, this is bbc news. let's look at some other stories making news. police have released the names of three children who were found dead at a home in bristol on sunday. fares bash was seven, his sisterjoury was three, and their brother mohammed was 10 months—old. they were discovered by police officers responding to a welfare call. a 42—year—old woman has been arrested on suspicion of murder. campaigners have lost a legal challenge over a proposed road tunnel that would be built close to stonehenge,
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the world heritage site that's thousands of years old. 0pponents to the project have raised concerns, after planning officials said construction could cause permanent and irreversible damage to the site. the government says the project's benefits outweigh the harms. the former eintracht frankfurt boss, 0liver glasner, has been named as the new manager of crystal palace. he takes over from roy hodgson who stepped down on monday. you're live with bbc news. the high court in london will hear today what could be the final bid by the wikileaks founder, julian assange, to avoid extradition to the united states. mr assange, an australian citizen, is wanted in the us for leaking secret military files over a decade ago. he's been fighting extradition
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on espionage charges for five years. nicky schiller reports. for the past four years julian assange and his supporters have been fighting extradition to the united states, his wonder that on espionage charges, gives a break the law and endangering lives after licking classified military files over a decade ago. in 2010, we collect is posted video of iraqi civilians killed by us forces, just one of thousands of american secrets. two years later he fled into the ecuadorean embassy in london and granted political asylum. in 2018 the us prepared a prosecution against him. the next year, he was removed from the embassy and has been in jail ever since. the embassy and has been in jail eversince. in the embassy and has been in jail ever since. in 2021 the high court ruled he should be
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extradited under the supreme court upheld the decision a year later. then home secretary priti patel confirmed the order. mr sandra has been held in prison and seeking permission to review that decision and to try to challenge the original ruling. ——julian assange. challenge the original ruling. —— julian assange. he insists the case against him is politically motivated. his wife says he will not survive been extradited and that he is now physically and mentally extremely weak. she told the bbc this case will determine if he lives or dies essentially. if convicted, his lawyers say he will face up to 175 years in prison, howeverthe he will face up to 175 years in prison, however the us government says a sentence of between four and six years is more likely. nicky schiller, bbc news. we will be across the story as it develops. astronomers have discovered what could be the brightest object in the universe. the quasar shines about 500 trillion times brighter than our sun and has
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the fastest—growing black hole ever recorded at its centre. the australian—led team said the discovery had been staring them in the face. let's speak to professor rachel webster, who was part of the team that discovered this. what a discovery, rachel! welcome to the programme. tell]! welcome to the programme. tell us more. thank _ welcome to the programme. teii us more. thank you. yes, it is a very bright but of course these objects are very rare so it is quite difficult to find them. �* ,., it is quite difficult to find them. �* , ., them. at the same time, you also say _ them. at the same time, you also say it — them. at the same time, you also say it was _ them. at the same time, you also say it was staring - them. at the same time, you also say it was staring you i them. at the same time, you also say it was staring you in | also say it was staring you in the face. talk us through the process of discovery. bi; the face. talk us through the process of discovery.- process of discovery. by that we mean _ process of discovery. by that we mean it _ process of discovery. by that we mean it is _ process of discovery. by that we mean it is bright - process of discovery. by that we mean it is bright in - process of discovery. by that we mean it is bright in the i we mean it is bright in the night sky but there are billions of bright objects, just like stars, we have to sift through all those objects to find this very special one.
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it was a combination of an all sky survey conducted by a telescope at coonabarabran in australia, it is quite a small telescope but it surveyed the entire southern sky in multiple colours and then we sifted through those to look for these rare objects called quasar which have supermassive black holes. because of other infrared and optical satellites and we were able to isolate this particular object is being very unusual. this particular ob'ect is being very unusual.— this particular ob'ect is being very unusual. very unusual and a new discovery _ very unusual. very unusual and a new discovery about - very unusual. very unusual and a new discovery about what - very unusual. very unusual and a new discovery about what is l a new discovery about what is out there in space. what does this mean in terms of its significance? it this mean in terms of its significance?— this mean in terms of its significance? it is not quite the most — significance? it is not quite the most massive - significance? it is not quite the most massive black . significance? it is not quite i the most massive black hole significance? it is not quite - the most massive black hole we have ever seen but it is right up have ever seen but it is right up there. what is unusual is the rate at which it is digesting other material. you
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know, swallowing mass, and that is at the rate of one son, one solid mass per day... whale. and that makes it very, very luminous because quite a lot of that material is turned into light. that material is turned into li . ht. ., that material is turned into light- they - that material is turned into light.- they are - that material is turned into l light.- they are very light. -- wow. they are very famous _ light. -- wow. they are very famous equation _ light. -- wow. they are very famous equation by - light. -- wow. they are very famous equation by albert l famous equation by albert einstein, mass turning into energy which we see. but einstein, mass turning into energy which we see. but it is a lona , energy which we see. but it is a long. long _ energy which we see. but it is a long. long way _ energy which we see. but it is a long, long way away. - energy which we see. but it is a long, long way away. it - energy which we see. but it is a long, long way away. it is i a long, long way away. it is just something out there, it is not going to cause harm or be an issue? you will not see any of our satellites followed into this hole?— this hole? no, no, it is about three quarters _ this hole? no, no, it is about three quarters of— this hole? no, no, it is about three quarters of the - this hole? no, no, it is about three quarters of the way - three quarters of the way across the other side of the universe so it will not impact on us at all.— on us at all. how far away? what you — on us at all. how far away? what you need _ on us at all. how far away? what you need to - on us at all. how far away? what you need to discoverl on us at all. how far away? i what you need to discover this and together detail you have been sharing with us today? we found been sharing with us today? - found the object and got a
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rough spectrum of it, which is how we decide how far away it is. and we got that on a small telescope in australia and then we went to the very large telescope which is part of the european southern 0bservatory european southern observatory in chile and got a much more detailed spectrum of the object and we were able to analyse that quite carefully to get all the facts and figures that we have been able to put together in the announcement today. you. in the announcement today. you, rachel, is — in the announcement today. you, rachel, is this _ in the announcement today. you, rachel, is this the _ in the announcement today. you, rachel, is this the most - rachel, is this the most incredible thing you have discovered so far?- incredible thing you have discovered so far? well, it is u . discovered so far? well, it is up there. — discovered so far? well, it is up there. it _ discovered so far? well, it is up there, it is _ discovered so far? well, it is up there, it is up _ discovered so far? well, it is up there, it is up there i discovered so far? well, it is up there, it is up there with l up there, it is up there with the most exciting things, yes. well, congratulations to you and your team. thank you for sharing, it is really fascinating what is out there. thank you. i want to show you this remarkable image, showing a free diver examining whale bones on the sea bed, off remote greenland. it was taken by swedish photographer alex dawson who won underwater photographer of the year, against more than
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6,500 other entries. he's been talking to us about his work. it's all amazing. i feel so honoured that somehow my image managed to make it to the top. we dived under thick ice that's close to a metre thick and my model, the free diver, she was swimming on one breath from the surface, trying to find me under the ice among these whale bones. it's a minky whale on the bottom that she's swimming by and yeah, it's a very challenging environment. —2 degrees in the water, its pitch black down there. yeah, it's a privilege and it's been a long, hard journey. i mean, i've been educating myself also in diving, in very advanced systems, very advanced cave diving, with vehicles that push you deep into the caves. it takes me to places that very, very few people have been able to go. the more people that can see my underwater
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photography and cinematography, the happier i am because it's such a different world and people need to know about it. we need to take care of what's under the surface, we need to think from environmental perspective, so think this is all very relevant in many perspectives, as much as i'd like to show beauty. i like to show the beauty of the world, like, it makes me happy. alex dawson. there you go, we have been to outer space, to the bottom of the seabed and there is more to come. a washington man who thought he had won a jackpot worth $340 million has sued the lottery companies, powerball and the dc lottery, who claim they published his numbers by mistake. john cheeks said he felt "numb" when he first saw the winning numbers matched his ticket but that when he presented his ticket his claim was denied.
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according to court documents, the companies involved claim the confusion arose from a technical error. computer says no. i will be backin computer says no. i will be back in a moment. hello. this round of incredibly mild weather continues as we go through the next few days. on monday, we saw temperatures reach 15 degrees almost in parts of london. that makes it seven consecutive days of seeing the temperatures 01:14 degrees or more and well above the average of 6—8 celsius. but that kind of weather will be back later this week — feels much more like february with temperatures 6—9 degrees for many, which will actually be higher than many have been by night recently. and if that's the case, we start tuesday — 7—9 degrees in western scotland, northern ireland. but it's here where we start to see the rain arrive, first of all. in fact, a spell of at times heavy rain sweeps across scotland, northern ireland during the morning, followed on by sunshine more extensively for the afternoon, a few showers in the highlands and ireland. through the afternoon, though, northern england and wales turn
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increasingly wet and windy. to the south and east of that, many will stay dry during daylight hours, but fairly cloudy, some sunshine and again, 14—15 celsius will be possible. the patchy rain will, by the end of the afternoon and evening, edge its way southwards. it looks like it starts to fade, but then regains strength. after some clear skies for a time in the north with a touch of frost. cloud and rain will surge its way northwards later in the night on wednesday and mild weather fights back once again. so it will be a very mild start to wednesday but a thoroughly wet one. these weather fronts bring in outbreaks of rain quite extensively, pushing its way eastwards with some strong and gusty winds throughout the day, too. wettest in the morning for many, and particularly so on hills exposed to those southerly gales brining up from the west later — sunshine and showers — but rain will hold on across shetlands into the middle part of the afternoon and it may never fully clear the channel islands and the english channel. in the sunshine, it's going to be mild. southerly winds, a0 mile an hour winds, if not more. and temperatures again in double figures, if not low teens
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for the most part. but that milder weather is eventually pushed out the way. this area of low pressure to the north of us, as it works its way eastwards, introduces winds from the north atlantic, and that brings a drop in temperature. clears away the rain slowly, though, that we see again across england, wales, eastern scotland on thursday. bright conditions into the west, but the showers will be a mixture of rain, hail and on the hills a bit of sleet and snow on the tops, too. temperatures dropping as we go through the day. and that cooler run continues through the rest of the week and into the weekend with further spells of wind and rain at times.
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live from london, this is bbc news. planes grounded — more than 100,000 passengers disrupted as lufthansa workers strike for the third time in three weeks. but it's take off at the singapore airshow, where big names are gathering during turbulent times for the industry. we'll be live from the runway. also in the programme, rishi sunak is set to announce a package of measures to help uk farmers. but will it be enough to save an industry in crisis? and are they worth it? as beyonce launches her own haircare line, we look at the world of celebrity beauty brands.

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