by former conservative mp lee anderson intensifies. mr anderson has again refused to apologise for saying that london mayor sadiq khan is controlled by islamists. i think i have a right — i believe in free speech — to say that i think that mayor khan, and the police, have lost control of the streets of london. good — of the streets of london. good of the streets of london. evenin- from westminst. is good evening from westminster. this is one _ good evening from westminster. this is one of— good evening from westminster. this is one of three rows here, just this week, _ is one of three rows here, just this week, relating to how politics

responds— week, relating to how politics responds to the israel hamas war. sweden is accepted as a member of nato after hungary's parliament finally voted to allow it to join the military alliance. a murderer who live—streamed herself killing a cat before fatally attacking a man on a night out in oxford has been jailed for life. and non—league maidstone bow out of the fa cup after an amazing run as they lose to coventry in the fifth round. and on newsnight at 10:30pm, we'll go deeper behind the headlines and speak live to key players on today's big stories. plus, a first look at tomorrow's front pages. good evening.

the row over comments made by former conservative mp lee anderson has intensified. mr anderson, the former deputy chair of the conservatives, was suspended from the party on friday after claiming that london mayor, sadiq khan, was under the control of islamists. this morning the prime minister said the comments were wrong and unacceptable, but stopped short of describing them as islamophobic. lee anderson today admitted his words were clumsy but again refused to apologise. our political editor chris mason joins us now. it is nearly five months since hamas's atrocities in israel and the subsequent war in gaza, and this week we stand at the beginning of a few days where there are three separate strands that emphasise how politics here is contorted, is in a state of deep, deep awkwardness, about its response to what is going on in the middle east. labourfind

themselves asking deep questions about what's going on in rochdale, there is a by—election there in greater manchester in a couple of days' time. the snp, the scottish national party, are in a profound and angry row with the speaker of the commons around questions of a ceasefire and the rules that govern parliament. more on those in a moment. but first, the rail, and it has been a big row, about a controversial backbench mp. mr anderson... hang on, we have spotted lee anderson, he is on quite a walk. the former labour councillor became a conservative mp, and then conservative deputy chairman. last month he lost one of those titles. now he has lost the other. why won't you apologise to the people you've hurt for your comments that have been dubbed islamophobic? the conservatives suspending him

from the parliamentary party after he said this... what i do believe is they have got control of khan and they've got control of london. he has told gb news, who pay him £100,000 a year, alongside his dayjob in parliament, that his words were clumsy, but he is not saying sorry. i think i have a right — i believe in free speech — to say that i think that mayor khan, and the police, have lost control of the streets of london. you have a senior conservative saying things that are clearly racist, anti—muslic, and islamophobic. that is leading to an environment where anti—muslim crime is spiralling. what they are doing is pouring petrol on the flames of islamophobia. a few weeks back the prime minister and lee anderson were a double act in a campaign video. one thing that you and i both agree on, we should be - so proud of our country. we should shout- about it all the time. now it is rishi sunak reacting to what mr anderson has said since. i have been very clear that what lee said was wrong, i

it was unacceptable, and that's why havel and that's why we have suspended the whip. it is important that everybody, j particularly elected politicians, are careful with their words i and do not inflame tensions. but listen to this muslim conservative mp who claims the prime minister has a blind spot on islamophobia. he minister has a blind spot on islamophobia.— minister has a blind spot on islamohobia. , ., x' , islamophobia. he needs to quickly and swiftly appoint _ islamophobia. he needs to quickly and swiftly appoint an _ islamophobia. he needs to quickly| and swiftly appoint an independent advisor on islamophobia, as he has one on anti—semitism, and he needs to ensure the future budget that is coming out, that funding is allocated to all faith communities fairly and equally. this allocated to all faith communities fairly and equally.— fairly and equally. this is straightforward. - fairly and equally. this is straightforward. it's - fairly and equally. this is - straightforward. it's islamophobia, and the _ straightforward. it's islamophobia, and the prime minister should call it out— and the prime minister should call it out for— and the prime minister should call it out for what it is. the reason he won't _ it out for what it is. the reason he won't is _ it out for what it is. the reason he won't is because he is so weak. but in ashfield in nottinghamshire this weekend, lee anderson's patch, people weren't quite so sure it is straightforward. he should not be punished for an opinion when it is a free—speech country. if i said what he said in my workplace, i would be sacked, quite rightly so.

i do not think the whip should have been removed and suspended, - i do not think that at all. and this isn'tjust about one mp. the two biggest political parties at westminster and parliament itself are finding themselves contorted by the furious arguments provoked by the israel—hamas war. why to make a quick update about the other two strands to all of this. a by—election in rochdale where labour have disowned their candidate over allegations of anti—semitism. and in the ongoing furious row between the scottish national party and the speaker, you might have caught some of that row last week, it is not over yet, the speaker today refusing to grant them an emergency debate to talk about gaza and a ceasefire and changing the government's stance. so that concern rumbles on, as does the question about the future of the speaker of the house of commons.

what we are seeing here is notjust the usual political battle of ideas, but one where race and religion sits prominently and awkwardly. studio: chris mason, thank you. sweden's bid tojoin nato has cleared its final hurdle after hungary's parliament voted to accept its membership. hungary, under its prime minister viktor orban, had been the last nato member to hold out against it. sweden will now become the organisation's 32nd member. caroline hawley reports. this is the moment sweden had been waiting for for almost two years. hungary's prime minister viktor orban is the closest european leader to vladimir putin. but under pressure from the us and other western countries, he paved the way for today's vital vote. translation: this is an historic day. i it makes little stronger, swedens safer and all of us are secure.

safer and all of us more secure. russia's full—scale invasion of ukraine was partly aimed at preventing the expansion of nato to its borders. but it had the opposite effect, with finland first and now sweden becoming nato members, giving the alliance almost full control over the baltic sea. for two centuries sweden had been militarily neutral, but the war in ukraine turned public opinion around. the threat from russia has always been very real. we're very close to it so we've always been very vulnerable. it's the right path for us. i think, yeah, in this era it's better to be part of an alliance standing independent and neutral. sweden will bring nato its modern air force and submarines specially adapted to the baltic sea. it gains a security umbrella backed by nuclear deterrence. the prime minister of sweden described it as a historic day for his country.

from russia so far, silence. caroline hawley, bbc news. the un secretary—general has said that nothing could justify what he called "the collective punishment" of the palestinian people in gaza. and he's warned israel against any military operation in the southern gazan city of rafah. according to the hamas—run health ministry, nearly 30,000 people have been killed in gaza since the start of the israeli military campaign in the territory following the hamas attack on israel on october the 7th. and in gaza city an attack last december is thought to have killed 103 members of the same family. lucy williamson has been speaking to one of the surviving family members, who lost his wife and three young daughters. it took ahmad al—ghuferi a decade to build the family he loved. it took a split second one winter evening to destroy it. ten—year—old tala, five—year—old lana, and najla, not yet two,

killed with ahmad's wife in a powerful strike on a residential building in gaza city. along with his mother, four of his brothers, their families and dozens of aunts, uncles and cousins. 103 relatives in all, a family obliterated. translation: i feel i am in a dream. i still can't believe what happened to us. my daughters are little birds to me. ahmad survived because he was 50 miles away in the occupied west bank, stuck outside gaza since the start of the war, working in tel aviv to fund the couple's dream of owning their own home. he was on the phone to his wife when the attack began. translation: she knew she would die, and she asked me to forgive her - for anything bad she might have ever done to me.

i told her there was no need to say that and that was the last call between us. the house ahmad built with his tel aviv salary in gaza city is still standing, just. the homes around it flattened, including his uncle's house, metres away, where the family fled for safety. translation: it was a fire belt. there were strikes here on four houses next to ours. they were hitting one house every ten minutes. the family are still searching for bodies buried in the rubble. among those killed, they say, a 98—year—old grandmother and a baby boy born nine days before. only a handful of survivors. "we were sitting in the house and we found ourselves under the rubble," she told us. "i was thrown from one side to the other. i don't know how they got me out."

two months on, israeli forces are fighting hamas in gaza city, as they were a few blocks south of ahmad's house around the time the compound was hit. the army said it wasn't aware of any strikes there that day. ahmad no longer wants to return home. last monday would have been najla's second birthday. "who am i going back for?" he said. "there is no one left there to call me darling, no one to call me dad." lucy williamson, bbc news, jerusalem. a woman who live—streamed herself killing a cat before fatally attacking a man and leaving him to drown in a river has been sentenced to life in prison. scarlet blake, who's 26 and a transgender woman, targeted jorge martin carreno as he walked home from a night out in oxford injuly 2021. she is to be held in a men's prison.

duncan kennedy reports. scarlet blake was, said the judge, someone who had an obsession with harm and death. it wasjorge martin carreno who would be her prime victim, a 30—year—old spaniard living in oxford. injuly 2021, he'd been on a night out and was walking alone. blake, who the court was told lived for violence and sexual gratification, was also out, prowling for someone to kill. she walked up tojorge, who was sitting on the floor, and led him away towards the river cherwell. when they got here, scarlet blake hitjorge over the head, strangled him and pushed him into the river where he drowned. blake thought she got away with it, even returning here to take photographs to pass on to her partners, gloating about what she'd done. four months before, blake brutally killed a cat she'd stolen,

live—streaming the attack on her phone to a partner in the united states. it's likely she was inspired by a netflix documentary that told a similar story. and, in a chilling phone call played in court, blake revealed her next move. well, one day i want to learn how to do this to a person. laughs. like, being arrested, and also... this was the moment blake was arrested two years after killing the cat and murdering jorge. it came after her former american partner phoned british police. today, thejudge gave blake, a transgender woman, a life sentence. what you did is not the fault of a society that didn't accept you. the decision to kill was entirely yours. in court, jorge's mother, carmen carreno, read out a statement in spanish, saying he was "a beloved son and brother" with "incredible affection and friendliness," and that "our days are drowned in sorrow."

the acts blake has been convicted of our barbaric and chilling. - of are barbaric and chilling. this murder was premeditated, with total disregard _ and disdain for life. tonight, the ministry ofjustice said scarlet blake will be housed in a men's prison, serving at least 23 years for killing jorge martin carreno, someone described simply as a good person. duncan kennedy, bbc news. the government will debate proposed legislation tomorrow looking at how to reform the leasehold system. england and wales are the only countries in the world to still have widespread leasehold — where owners effectively buy a lease to live in a property for a specified number of years, usually flats. anti—leasehold campaigners say it's a system rife with poor service and maintenance and should be abolished. here's phil hendry. when storm eunice struck britain two years ago,

it wasn't just the coast that took a battering — so did the roof of liz winstanley�*s top floor flat in manchester. there was just water coming in everywhere, through the light sockets, through the plug sockets. this is a funnel system that they'd erected to try to stop the water... because liz bought her flat as leasehold, she says she has had a protracted battle with her managing agent to get repairs done. all the while having to pay her service charge. you have mould, as well. yeah, really, really bad. the entire flat had to be gutted and rebuilt. she has onlyjust moved back in. while it's nice to be back home, you know, there's still issues. i've got no heating, there's various accounts that we've not been able to see, not being able to control the service charge. so i wouldn't touch leasehold again. managing agents firstport said it recognised residents like liz faced challenges, but delays were down to a structural defect in the roof.

the government says that its new leasehold legislation should make it easier for people like liz to take action against freeholders and managing agents, and provide greater transparency about the service charges they have to pay. in london's canary wharf, anna scoffin would certainly like more transparency. i'm so angry. her service charges have shot up to £33,000 a year. it's extortion, and we are being ripped off. even if you're wealthy and you want to buy a fabulous flat somewhere, please don't. anna's newly appointed managing agent says it's reviewing the service charges for her building, but a leading estate agent says leasehold flats are becoming very difficult to sell and that the government should have considered abolishing it. certainly people who are having the poor experience of seeing their service charges double with no perceived increase in service or amenity, they certainly believe that it's a toxic market. despite this, the housing secretary rejects abolition. i prefer to look at big, practical steps that will improve the lives of leaseholders. making sure that the room for

exploitation is squeezed until it no longer exists is critical. the real challenge here, though, with abolishing leasehold with a stroke of a pen is the complexity. a complexity which means that many of the millions of leaseholders in england and wales say, despite the government's proposed protections, they will remain financially exposed and trapped. phil hendry, bbc news. denmark has closed its investigation into the sabotage of the nord stream pipelines which supplied russian gas to germany. they were blown up in 2022 under the baltic sea, east of the danish island of bornholm. danish police said the sabotage was deliberate, but there was no basis for pursuing a criminal case. only germany will continue to investigate. ukraine, russia, the united states and the uk have all denied responsibility.

here's our security correspondent frank gardner. from out of the baltic depths, a sudden surge in methane gas — the result of not one, but three major explosions in 2022. they ruptured the underwater pipelines from russia to germany. baltic governments concluded it was deliberate sabotage. but now both denmark and sweden have dropped their investigations, while germany is keeping theirs open. the kremlin spokesman, dmitry peskov, has called this absurd. if it's sabotage, he said, then why a close down the inquiry? then why close down the inquiry? russia accuses the us, or even britain. it's clear that the window of opportunity to solve these mysterious underwater explosions in the baltic is closing. governments may be giving up, but last year nordic broadcasters published their own in—depth investigation. backed up by satellite data, they concluded there was unusual

activity close to the site of the explosions. activity by three russian ships. including this one, the sb—123, a vessel designed to launch and support miniature submarines. for many western experts, suspicion falls on russia. if you look at the numbers of countries that could do this, and then the numbers of countries that have the capability to do it, and then the number of countries that tick both those boxes, but also, this is within their playbook, it does dwindle very fast to just russia. western europe's undersea pipelines and cables are vulnerable. there are so many of them that navies and coastguards can't watch all of them all of the time. just who sabotaged the nord stream pipelines may never be proven, but nato countries are now at a heightened state of vigilance. frank gardner, bbc news. there were chaotic scenes on the streets of brussels today. angry farmers drove their tractors

into the belgian capital, setting fire to tyres and filling the streets with manure. police used tear gas and water cannon to try to disperse them. the farmers claim eu farming policies are putting their livelihoods at risk. our europe correspondent, nick beake reports. our europe correspondent nick beake reports. europe's furious farmers delivered their message unceremoniously — "we've been ignored for too long." well, today's planned protest in brussels did seize attention, along with the scuffles on the sidelines. the procession had rumbled into town at first light — from their muddy fields to the heart of the eu. some 900 tractors. farmers from right across europe have come here today and they're backing up their tractors as far as the eye can see right down that street.

and they're taking their message to the european commission, which is now being protected by riot police and that water cannon there. you can see that the protests continue, the fire is burning and the farmers say that they'll continue doing this until they get some sort of change that really makes their lives better. morgan from france told us she's being undercut by farmers from outside the eu who don't have to follow the same environmental rules that she does. so we understand that there is a big problem with the climate, with biodiversity, but we cannot deal with these big challenges if we are always asked to produce cheap products. in madrid too, spanish farmers filled the streets today with a similar demand — fairer prices, less red tape. back in brussels, eu agricultural ministers who witnessed all of this promised they'd be doing more to help farmers. but can it turn this rising tide of anger? nick beake, bbc news, brussels. in football, everton have

had their points deduction for a breach of premier league financial rules reduced — from ten points to six. it follows an appeal by the club. the punishment had been the biggest in premier league history and left everton fighting relegation. our sports editor dan roan reports. everton secured a valuable draw at brighton at the weekend. everton in front! but it's today's result that could just be the biggest of their season. the club's penalty for breaching premier league financial rules reduced from ten points to six after an appeal. in a statement, everton said they were satisfied and particularly pleased with the appeal board's decision to overturn the original commission's finding that the club failed to act in utmost good faith. the club therefore feels vindicated in pursuing its appeal. i'm made up. there was no way we were going to get ten points back, you know what i mean? any points back would have been a bonus, but vindicated. staying in the premier league — we're going nowhere! _ everton�*s fans were furious when their club was hit

with the biggest sporting sanction in premier league history in november after it admitted breaching rules that limit losses. the club describing the punishment as disproportionate, and arguing the cost of its new stadium were among mitigating factors. the decision means everton move from 17th to 15th in the table, five points above the relegation zone, and represents a blow to the premier league and the original commission, which was found by the appeal board to have made two legal errors. today's result could have ramifications for the outcome of a second charge that everton are facing, of breaching the same rules over a different, more recent three—year period. that case, and a charge against nottingham forest, will be dealt with later this season. manchester city, meanwhile, continue to contest more than 100 charges across several seasons. the champions deny wrongdoing. so what does today's news mean for regulations that the premier league says promote financial stability? the premier league won't be delighted, but it's not as if they've had a massive effect. the message is still there,

that everton have breached and have been sanctioned as a result of breaching their financial regulations. and therefore other clubs that are breaching or looking to breach financial regulations should take note. but with no guarantee that any appeals in the outstanding cases involving everton and forest will be heard before the end of the season, the concern is that the final table could be shrouded in confusion. dan roan, bbc news, goodison. it was one of the most famous love triangles in pop history — the model pattie boyd and rock legends eric clapton and beatles star george harrison. she married the beatle in 1966 before divorcing him and marrying his friend. now boyd is auctioning love letters from both the stars. our arts correspondent david sillito reports. i started working when i was about 17,18 as a fashion model.

then one day my agent phoned and said that i'd got a part in the beatles film. patti boyd — she first met george harrison on the set of a hard day's night, and 60 years on she's selling the letters and mementos of that relationship — and the love triangle with eric clapton. and here's this letter, with the tiniest writing imaginable... letters such as this, addressed to "dearest l". "l" stood for the name he chose for her, layla. # layla, you got me on my knees... # but it's notjust letters. this painting, which will go on public display on march the 15th, is also part of the story. what are we looking at? so we are looking at layla. this is layla ? this is layla, the original artwork used for the cover of derek and the dominos' layla and other assorted love songs. and it's notjust the painting. it's the fact that we have the letters... we have the letters — "dear layla," "dear l," that is eric clapton declaring his love for layla.

she shows it to george... she shows this letter to george harrison? she shows this letter to george harrison because she doesn't know who it's from. she says, "look at this weird fan letter." wonderfultonight, layla, something — the songs inspired by this love triangle. these letters are more than just keepsakes. this is rock history. david sillito, bbc news. # and i'll say, "yes, you look wonderful tonight... # a pod of dolphins have been spotted in the river thames near northfleet in kent. volunteers from the royal national life boat institution spotted the two adults and a calf on sunday afternoon, with one crew member describing it as an "incredible sight". they've captured the hearts of football fans all over the country, but non—league maidstone united's fa cup dream has come to an end. they were soundly beaten tonight by coventry city in the fifth round, but have left their whole town proud of their efforts. katie gornall was watching.

cheering it had already been quite the ride for maidstone united and their manager, and they've savoured every second. whatever happened here, their place in fa cup folklore was secure, but that didn't stop them dreaming of more. it's a miracle, really, how they've beaten ipswich and hopefully they can bring the same magic today. if we can do as well as we've done so far, we'll be well pleased and proud of the lads. i think it's done wondersl for the club, it really has. it's given everyone i the morale, hasn't it? where have you travelled from? i'm from bulgaria. and my football team in bulgaria are playing a game tomorrow, so i am literally travelling back to bulgaria to go an away game in bulgaria, so... it's going to be a really fun game. nearly 5000 maidstone united fans made the trip hoping to witness another giant—killing. coventry were quick to put them in their place. commentator: and the first goal. of the match, scored by ellis simms! eight minutes all it

took for the cracks in stones' defence to show. 95 places separated the two sides. two goals inside 1a minutes! a gulf for ellis simms now ruthlessly exposed. urged on by their manager, maidstone's part—timers kept working hard, but simms wasn't done yet. simms is there! a hat—trick by half—time and coventry were firmly in control. maidstone's dream looks over, but what a ride it's been. maidstone tried to wriggle from their grasp, and in the second half they and their brazilian keeper held their own, but there would be no scriptwriter�*s finish... ..as coventry added two late goals to cruise through to the quarterfinals. this is where the fairy tale ended for maidstone united. still, it's a story they'll never forget. fabio tavares, —— well, despite the

result were exterminated of rough but their heads held high. fix, but their heads held high. remarkable fa cup final one which and i were back in september and has owned the club about £700,000. as for coventry, they did a thoroughly professionaljob you tonight and they did a thoroughly professional job you fa cup quarterfinal in 50 years.