peaceful country. and putin must answerfor everything he has done to alexei. with claims the death—toll in gaza has reached nearly 30,000 — new details emerge about a potential ceasefire. in a potential ceasefire. scotland, a man sent to jailf life in scotland, a man sent to jailfor life for murdering emma caldwell, 18 years after police first identified him as a potential suspect. the red bull formula 1 team boss christian horner has been cleared after an allegation of inappropriate behaviour by a female colleague. welcome to verified live, three hours of breaking stories, and checking out the truth behind them. the widow of the russian opposition leader alexei navalny has told the european parliament that her husband had been

tortured for three years on president putin's orders — and then murdered. applause in her address in strasbourg, which received a standing ovation, yulia navalnaya said that people outside russia need to understand that vladimir putin is not a politician, but the head of an organised crime gang. she said he can't be negotiated with, and is capable of anything. she promised to continue his work towards a free russia. here's some of that speech. on his orders, alexei was tortured for three years. he was starved in a tiny stone cell, cut off from the outside world and denied visits, phone calls and then even letters. and then they killed him. even after that, they abused his body and abused his mother.

0n the one hand, the public murder has once again showed everyone that putin is capable of anything and that you cannot negotiate with him. and let's just take a moment to remind ourselves of what we know about alexei navalny�*s death. he was of course a vocal critic of president putin. he died in prison in siberia earlier this month. he'd been serving a 19 year sentence on charges which his supporters said were baseless and politically motivated. officials say he had fallen ill and passed away suddenly. his mother has previously said the official death certificate presented to her claimed her son had died of natural causes. but his wife, along with several world leaders, have directly blamed vladimir putin for mr navalny�*s death. this international blame has led to further sanctions on russia. last week, the us announced more than 500 new sanctions

against russia over navalny�*s death and the invasuon of ukraine. mr navalny�*s team had previously accused officials of trying to blackmail his mother into agreeing to a funeral without mourners. earlier today, it was confirmed his funeral will be held in a church in moscow this coming friday. david? herszenhorn is the? russia and east europe editor for the washington post in hurgada, egypt. he gave me his reaction to the speech. very depressing. she is the third member of herfamily to very depressing. she is the third member of her family to address the same parliament. alexei navalny testified before them and when he was alive said they were under underestimating vladimir putin. 0nce underestimating vladimir putin. once he was jailed, their daughter got up and accepted a prize on her father's behalf while he was already imprisoned in a brutal prison colony. his total sentence of 30

years, the maxim in russia and she told them, you are not doing enough, stop calling me pragmatic for me telling you to do more. so here is his wife now, a widow. her husband has been killed, speaking to the same members of the european parliament who still have not done enoughin parliament who still have not done enough in the likelihood that they will do anything different is virtually nil. it will do anything different is virtually nil.— virtually nil. it really is depressing. _ virtually nil. it really is depressing. where - virtually nil. it really is depressing. where do | virtually nil. it really is . depressing. where do you virtually nil. it really is - depressing. where do you see virtually nil. it really is _ depressing. where do you see her role now following her husband's death? i remember, iwas on role now following her husband's death? i remember, i was on the day his death was reported and how we saw her at the munich security conference, again commanding a standing ovation and speaking very broadly about her husband. where do you see her legacy now in continuing the work that he did?— the work that he did? there is no auestion the work that he did? there is no question she _ the work that he did? there is no question she intends _ the work that he did? there is no question she intends to - the work that he did? there is no question she intends to carry - the work that he did? there is no question she intends to carry on | the work that he did? there is no i question she intends to carry on his work. i have written a book about navalny, supposed to be profiled of

a political prisoner. a russian journalist who acted as a kind of political godmother to navalny has often said, and she said this right after his death even, that navalny the politician was not one person but two. alexei and yulia. she was his partner in every sense, constantly editing all of his material before he posted it and he was a prolific writer, helping him pick out his outfits, crafting his image. this is a man who was not only capable of carrying on his work that has been a full partner in his work over these last decades. so very potentially potent force. and outside the country... says something for putin to be concerned about. ., , something for putin to be concerned about. . , ,., , about. there have been reports the united states _ about. there have been reports the united states and _ about. there have been reports the united states and germany - about. there have been reports the united states and germany were i united states and germany were having early discussions about a potential prisoner swap with russia which could have possibly led to the release of alexei navalny and then of course he was found dead. i

wanted to get your thoughts on that. so we reported that in the washington post as well. the head of the navalny anti—corruption the navalny anti—corru ption foundation the navalny anti—corruption foundation alleging there were discussions at least under way that russians would like to free an agent who convicted of murder in berlin and it in exchange potentially for him, that trade might have also involved an american journalist accused of espionage. everyone understands that is absurd and he has a hostage. according to navalny�*s team, which alleged he was brutally murdered, no question, they think this is not natural causes but that putin unwilling to negotiate a possible release of navalny or interfere in the talks and call them of his trying to get his agent back at a different price, having removed navalny from the equation. if that is true, it is quite dastardly.

there were warnings for a long time his life was endangered. so hard to believe that he died of natural causes, especially when there was a video showing him just the day before, a video link to a court hearing and he was seemingly in good health and good spirits, joking with court staff, it would be remarkable if he was suddenly struck down like that. gaza's hamas—run health ministry says at least 29,954 people have been killed there since the 7th october. israel is continuing its bomardment of the gaza strip — these images are from deir al—balah in central gaza — where overnight air strikes killed at least 58 people, including children. negotiators are hoping to reach a ceasefire agreement that can be implemented before ramadan, which begins on march tenth. the draft framework includes a 40—day pause in all military operations, and an exchange of prisoners and hostages.

iamjoined by i am joined by daniel levy, the president of the us middle east project. welcome to bbc news. you are also a former adviser in the israeli prime minister's office as well. i wanted to first of all get your take on these reports that we are hearing of us coming closer to an agreement between hamas and the israeli government. you talk to people in the government, do you think that a deal is imminent? i wish i could say yes but unfortunately, the sense of... i don't think it reflects the reality of where the talks are, it's exaggerated. there is a so bridging proposal. it dodges the question thatis proposal. it dodges the question that is likely to dog talks which is on the one hand, an israeli insistence that any pause be just

that, not an on ramp to a permanent ceasefire but the moment of respite before israel goes back to this military operation which has led to such devastation and destruction, as you just reported. we are about to hit the 30,000 mark of palestinian losses after the israelis who were killed on october the 7th. 0n losses after the israelis who were killed on october the 7th. on one hand, israel say no permanent ceasefire, war, committed to doing this military operation in rafah, where 1.5 this military operation in rafah, where1.5 million palestinians are cattle to. the palestinian position is theirs has to lead to a permanent ceasefire. so they are trying to tiptoe around that, debt mediators, but that is going to be very difficult. there are a host of other questions, what would be the extent of humanitarian assistance let in, where will the israeli military be deployed during any pause? what will be the ratio of people being held in israel, palestinians being held in

israel, palestinians being held in israel, of any ministry of detention without trial, in exchange for the hostages being held in gaza? those are the kinds of issues that are being flashed out at the moment but the israeli prime minister seems, in his messaging and in his insistence that the war will continue, to be actively undermining those talks, which is the conclusion many israeli commentators have reached themselves. i commentators have reached themselves.— commentators have reached themselves. ~ ., , ., themselves. i think one question that also comes _ themselves. i think one question that also comes into _ themselves. i think one question that also comes into the - themselves. i think one question| that also comes into the equation themselves. i think one question i that also comes into the equation is whether or not there will be an israeli assault on rafah. we were hearing reports in the last few days that that would go ahead. if it does, regardless of any temporary truce. there you go, and this is why i think the temporary truce has the odds stacked against it, because of this insistence in increasingly vocal and strident by the israeli

prime minister, with the backing of his cabinet, one has to say, that a rafah operation will go ahead. we had seen palestinians driven from one part of gaza to the next, being told this will be a safe area. it became, everywhere became anything but that as indiscriminate israeli bombardment continued from one place to do next. that is now focused around rafah, close to the egyptian border. where can palestinians be displaced to next? there is no safe. we see the conditions there, the spread of disease and starvation which is also threatening lives. we see that you have almost a consensual international community position against israel conducting a massive ground operation in rafah, however that has not been matched, in particular on the us side, by doing what would be necessary to

prevent it. in particular here, that the provision of the weapons, their munitions, the ordinance, without which israel would be unable to enact that operation. so you have a frustrated president throwing the occasional swear word towards benjamin netanyahu, and a contentious issue for his wee but and able to use the h he has. i wanted to ask you briefly on that, you mentioned joe biden in that last answer. he seemed quite confident that there would be some sort of agreement by ramadan? yes. agreement by ramadan? yes, unfortunately, _ agreement by ramadan? yes, unfortunately, he's _ agreement by ramadan? yes, unfortunately, he's either - agreement by ramadan? use; unfortunately, he's either getting bad advice from his team or he's engaging in magical wishful thinking disconnected from reality. biden himself has been a major obstacle to

the us taking the kind of forward leaning position to try and get israel to act in accordance with us wishes, let alone international law, which israel is in violation of. until that happens, i think it will remain wishful thinking. it would be great if it happens and if it is true but there is insufficient basis on which to draw that conclusion at the moment. on which to draw that conclusion at the moment-— on which to draw that conclusion at the moment. daniel levy, thank you for sharin: the moment. daniel levy, thank you for sharing your _ the moment. daniel levy, thank you for sharing your thoughts _ the moment. daniel levy, thank you for sharing your thoughts on - the moment. daniel levy, thank you for sharing your thoughts on that. for sharing your thoughts on that story. here in the uk... prince harry has lost a high court challenge against the uk government over the level of his security protection when he is in the country. it was revealed at the high court that authorities in america have concluded there is enough evidence to arrest two people for reckless endangerment, that is after the duke and duchess of sussex said they experienced a near catastrophic car chase in new york last year involving paparazzi.

the duke of sussex took legal action when the government downgraded his security status four years ago, after he stopped being a �*working royal�*. his lawyers claimed he'd been treated less favourably than other members of the royal family. sean dilley has more. from the moment he was born, prince harry has been surrounded by armed metropolitan police protection. they used to travel the world with him and go with him wherever he went. but that was when and because he was a working royal. when he stepped down and left the country in 2020, that routine taxpayer funded protection was downgraded. government lawyers said armed security would still be provided but only when it was believed to be necessary and on a case—by—case basis. prince harry's case was that the decision made by a group known as ravec, or the executive committee for the protection of royalty and public figures, was wrong, unfair and unlawful. his lawyers pointed out that panel members had included senior members of the royal household at a time

when tensions between prince harry and some senior members of the royal family itself were incredibly high. thejudge did not agree. the court has found that there has not been any unlawfulness in reaching the decision of the 28th of february 2020. it's a judgment that will have security implications for the king's younger son. while the government may insist that protection will be provided when justified, the ruling may dictate how closely prince harry feels he can be to his family. sean dilley, bbc news. this is bbc news. around the world and across the uk. let's look at some other stories making news. ministers are... ministers are consulting backbench tory mps on watering down planned protections for renters in england.

the bbc has seen a series of draft government amendments to a bill which aims to ban landlords from evicting tenants without a reason. the proposed changes come from mps who had concerns about no—fault evictions and wanted to increase rights for landlords. new research suggests that mindfulness, group and cognitive behavioural therapy could effectively treat menopause symptoms such as low mood and anxiety. draft nhs guidelines recommend offering cbt alongside or instead of hrt. hrt replaces the hormones oestrogen or progestogen or both. the researchers, from university college london, say offering therapy could "give gps and patients more options". the rapperja rule says he has been denied entry into the united kingdom just days before his tour was due to start in cardiff. the us musician was due to kick off the british leg of his latest tour in the welsh capital on friday. you're live with bbc news.

iain packer was found guilty of the murder of 27—year—old emma caldwell. he has beenjailed for life murder of 27—year—old emma caldwell. he has been jailed for life and ordered to serve a minimum term of 36 years. emma's body was found in a remote part of southern lanarkshire in may 2000 five, five weeks after she disappeared. today a jury at the high court found mr packer guilty of her murder, along with 32 other charges against a total of 22 women. lorna gordon reports. emma caldwell had a happy upbringing but when her sister died from cancer, in her grief, she turned to drugs and prostitution. she'll always be in our thoughts. she'll always be there. she'll always be my emma. the trial heard of her mother's anguish, of how she and her late husband scoured the streets of glasgow searching for emma in the weeks after their daughter went missing. when they found emma's body and they came and told me that they had found her body,

i took this huge breath in and now i feel as if i can let it out. i can breathe again. emma's killer was this man — iain packer. packer was described in court as a jekyll and hyde—type character, a violent, obsessive it is the duty of the living to do so for them. margaret caldwell, emma's mother, has more than the feel that duty. emma was a much loved daughter and sister and when her life was cruelly taken away almost 19 years ago, her family's lives were torn apart forever. the moment she went missing, margaret's life changed forever. she has thought about her every moment of every day. emma's father died in 2011 made his wife promise never to give up the fight forjustice. many will ask margaret how she feels following the verdict. she says she

feels no joy, following the verdict. she says she feels nojoy, no relation, no closure. the loss of emma shattered her soul but finally the presence of justice allows margaret to breathe again. it is only because of the perseverance of a mother and under many women who so courageously came forward thatjustice is possible today. today, margaret caldwell wishes to honour those women, some of whom were sex workers who spoke up of whom were sex workers who spoke up notjust for emma but there are many unknown victims of iain packer. but margaret also wishes to acknowledge those who have been lost due to illness, overdose and other forms of harm. those women were a part of our communities. they were important to their loved ones, to theirfamilies and important to their loved ones, to their families and should have important to their loved ones, to theirfamilies and should have been important to the police. a toxic culture of misogyny and corruption meant that the police failed so many women and girls who came forward to speak against packer. instead of receiving justice and compassion, they were humiliated, they were dismissed and in some instances,

they were arrested, whilst the police gifted freedom to a predator to rape and rape again. we now know packer carried out rapes, sexual offences and assaults nearly 20 times after emma's murder in 2005. margaret believes that officers systematically sabotaged an investigation into packer for systematically sabotaged an investigation into packerfor a decade and had blood on their hands. forfar too long, they decade and had blood on their hands. for far too long, they have remained in the shadows but must now answer for their betrayal. today, margaret caldwell calls on the scottish government to order an independent judge led public inquiry into what went wrong. the scale of the crimes and the failures are so catastrophic that nothing less than a judicial public inquiry will suffice. neither the police nor crown 0ffice public inquiry will suffice. neither the police nor crown office can be allowed or trusted to investigate themselves and their former bosses. margaret, that many women who testified at the public must have faith that any investigation will be robust and transparent. ultimately,

emma's family put their trust in the lord advocate. today, margaret caldwell is truly grateful to the lord advocate for keeping her promise and to crown counsel richard goddard, kat mcqueen and the crown team, including lynne reid and tony botnar. the crown 0ffice team, including lynne reid and tony botnar. the crown office has today shown itself that its very finest. emma's family wish to thank police scotland's murder investigation team, who for some eight years have been unwavering in their commitment and dedication to delivering justice. they are the very best of policing. margaret is grateful to the trialjudge lord beckett and wishes to personally thank the 15 men and women of the jury, they have shown us why they are an essential foundation stone of ourjustice system, the filling one of the most important duties that any citizen in this country can be called on to do. margaret is grateful also to the legal team who acted without fear or

favour to campaign alongside the campaign forjustice. without favour to campaign alongside the campaign for justice. without the work of journalists such campaign for justice. without the work ofjournalists such asjim wilson and brendan mcginty of the sunday mail in 2015, this campaign would never have built the momentum required. credit is also due to their bbc�*s samantha poling for her work that gave us more damning evidence against iain packer. today, police scotland will finally apologise to emma caldwell, her family and many other victims let down by the police in 2005 in the decade that followed. police officers stand accused of a shameful betrayal of these women to protect their own careers and of alleged criminality that allowed one of the uk's were sex offenders to evade justice for 18 years. injuly 2000 seven, four turkish men appeared in court. i acted for one of the accused. in 2007, as lawyers, we were told this was the most expensive and complex investigation ever, with ea expensive and complex investigation ever, with £4 million spent on accusing four innocent men. we very

quickly discovered that surveillance conducted over the course of the year proved absolutely nothing but the translation was deeply flawed and at times imaginary. we also learned that iain packer was interviewed for the sixth time in march, 2007 and it took officers to the spot, he took officers to the spot where emma's body was discovered, telling them he took other women there. those police officers were told to shut down that line of inquiry and to pursue the turks. for overten line of inquiry and to pursue the turks. for over ten years, the police perpetuated a line, shutting down an investigation into the real killer, spying onjournalists of down an investigation into the real killer, spying on journalists of the sunday mail and persecuting detectives who had done their duty and going after packer. when the case collapsed in 2008, the police chose not to do anything further other than maintain a lie to emma's parents, to william who was dying, that the turkish men were guilty. in 2016, i was instructed by emma's mother to act on her behalf to bring

her daughter's killers to justice. no grieving mother should ever be forced to set up a campaign to get justice, let alone a campaign that lasts nearly 19 years. margaret believes she was betrayed by strathclyde police and by sir stephen howes and his senior detectives. he was formerly the police because the bill and now the deputy commissioner of the metropolitan police and i understand presently suspended. 0n metropolitan police and i understand presently suspended. on his watch in 2015, the counter corruption unit unlawfully spied on police officers who blamed iain packer and try to uncover the sunday mail sources. when the police should have been more concerned with taking a serial rapist and killer of the streets. we were told that it may 2016, that investigation called operation montay left by a chief superintendent was to reconcile a series of complaints received in connection with the investigation of the murder of emma caldwell. the

family have no trust in the police or crown 0ffice investigating themselves in the coming days we have been told we will meet with the first minister, with the lord advocate and the chief constable. if there is no time limit on justice, then any officers retired or not, suspected of criminality must be prosecuted and those are our criminaljustice prosecuted and those are our criminal justice system prosecuted and those are our criminaljustice system who gave iain packer his freedom should finally be held to account. whatever a woman's job, whatever finally be held to account. whatever a woman'sjob, whatever a finally be held to account. whatever a woman's job, whatever a woman's status or addictions or vulnerabilities, it should never be used as a reason to ignore sexual violence or to treat them as second—class citizens. the homicide rate for sex workers is 12 times higher than for other women and in glasgow it's the largest single group of unsolved murders. emma caldwell mattered. the 25 women who spoke up mattered. six of whom are dead and the many whose voices which we never heard in this courtroom mattered. today, margaret caldwell and herfamily are no mattered. today, margaret caldwell and her family are no them mattered. today, margaret caldwell and herfamily are no them all, thank you. —— honour them all. that

thank you. -- honour them all. that was the family _ thank you. —— honour them all. that was the family solicitor for margaret caldwell, the mother of emma caldwell. a very strong statement there from the solicitor. he was damning of the way that police handled the investigation at the time. he also talked of a toxic culture of misogyny and officers who systematically sabotaged the investigation. he also said that emma's mother is calling on the scottish government to start an independent inquiry into what went wrong and what led to those catastrophic failures at the time. he said emma's mother once a robust and transparent investigation but she also thanked the murder investigation team and the other 25

sex workers who spoke up at the time. the family solicitor also spoke of the high homicide rates for sexual workers in the uk and said emma caldwell mattered. this is the second longest sentence in scottish legal history and a reminder that iain packer has beenjailed for legal history and a reminder that iain packer has been jailed for life for the murder of 27—year—old emma caldwell in april, 2005. he has been ordered to serve a minimum of 36 years in prison before he can apply for parole. as we also heard mentioned there in the family solicitor�*s statement, the bbc journalist samantha poling' interviews were consequential in bringing him to the stand. they were used in court as evidence of his lies with sam being sighted herself as a witness. some of the women raped and assaulted by packer came forward as a result of the bbc programme in 2019.

this is iain packer, about to be confronted by me in 2019. i don't believe you have been telling me the truth. we discovered evidence he was a prolific sexual predator, a violent rapist and a killer. did you kill emma? _ violent rapist and a killer. did you kill emma? i _ violent rapist and a killer. did you kill emma? i never. _ violent rapist and a killer. did you kill emma? i never. emma - violent rapist and a killer. did you - kill emma? i never. emma caldwell's killer. i kill emma? i never. emma caldwell's killer- i said — kill emma? i never. emma caldwell's killer. i said no, _ kill emma? i never. emma caldwell's killer. i said no, i— kill emma? i never. emma caldwell's killer. i said no, i had _ kill emma? i never. emma caldwell's killer. i said no, i had nothing - kill emma? i never. emma caldwell's killer. i said no, i had nothing to - killer. i said no, i had nothing to do with it _ killer. i said no, i had nothing to do with it whatsoever. _ killer. i said no, i had nothing to do with it whatsoever. all - killer. i said no, i had nothing to do with it whatsoever. all lies. l do with it whatsoever. all lies. this interview _ do with it whatsoever. all lies. this interview was _ do with it whatsoever. all lies. this interview was used - do with it whatsoever. all lies. this interview was used in - do with it whatsoever. all lies. | this interview was used in court do with it whatsoever. all lies. - this interview was used in court as evidence against him. today, the verdict, guilty. but why did it take so long? it started here, in 2005. emma's body found in these remote words an hour from glasgow. body found in these remote words an hourfrom glasgow. grief stricken after her sister's death from cancer, emma had turned to drugs, becoming a sex worker to fund her habit. the murder inquiry, the largest in scottish history. for years, justice alluded her killer

but the bbc can reveal that information linking iain packer to emma's murder was available to police from the start. detectives who worked on the inquiry in 2005 have broken their silence. the girls were describing _ have broken their silence. the girls were describing this _ have broken their silence. the girls were describing this guy _ have broken their silence. the girls were describing this guy who - have broken their silence. the girlsj were describing this guy who would go were describing this guy who would 9° up were describing this guy who would go up and regularly use prostitutes, almost on a daily basis. he would have a van. he would be particularly rough with them. they would all identify him as someone they knew. that someone was iain packer. police would speak to packer six times between 2005 and 2007. the evidence against him, these officers say, was undeniable. packeradmitted against him, these officers say, was undeniable. packer admitted to taking women to the words for sects. he admitted to taking emma there, he even directed police to the crime scene and various women identified iain packer as a violent rapist who had attacked emma in the months

prior to her death. yet senior officers repeatedly dismissed him as a suspect. i officers repeatedly dismissed him as a susect. . ., . . officers repeatedly dismissed him as asusect. . ., ., ., a suspect. i am told at that point, when ou a suspect. i am told at that point, when you get _ a suspect. i am told at that point, when you get iain _ a suspect. i am told at that point, when you get iain packer - a suspect. i am told at that point, when you get iain packer and - a suspect. i am told at that point, | when you get iain packer and bring him in, it doesn't matter what he tells you. it doesn't matter what he tells you. it doesn't matter what he tells you, you won't get accused in this case. , ., .,, , ., this case. instead, those senior officers spent — this case. instead, those senior officers spent millions - this case. instead, those senior officers spent millions wrongly | officers spent millions wrongly pursuing four turkish men for her murder. when the case collapsed, the inquiry when cold. we asked police scotland for a statement. they said this... a significant number of women and girls, who showed remarkable courage to speak up at the time, also did not get thejustice to speak up at the time, also did not get the justice and support they needed and deserved from strathclyde police. the trial at the high court in glasgow has found packer to be

one of the most