respects to kremlin critic alexei navalny. iranians float in the first election since the country was rocked by nationwide protests. also coming up on the road today. —— world. could this be a eurovision winter? revealing the song that is this years uk entry. welcome to the world today. growing international pressure from a full investigation now more than a hundred palestinians died as they crowded around an aid convoy in northern gaza yesterday. the uk foreign secretary david cameron described yesterday's events is horrific and is called the aids situation in gaza unacceptable. israeli army is that the soldiers opened fire at one point but most of

the deaths are caused by a crush of lorries running people over. our special correspondent working with bbc verify has spent the day piecing together more details of what happened and i should warn you, this contains distressing images. shots cracked through the night. people start to move. then run to get away. in this section of the crowd there is panic. as casualties streamed into local hospitals, the testimony of witnesses. translation: situation was unimaginably crazy. i if aid is going to come to us in this way, we don't want it. we don't want to live on the blood of our children. the israelis say that at 4:40am, the convoy left here under an israeli tank escort and began to move towards the crowds waiting for food.

the army supplied drone footage but there is no way of telling the sequence of the images because there is no timestamp. at 4:16, the israelis say, crowds began to surge around the tracks. in this sequence, bodies can be seen lying on the ground. so others can be seen crawling away. here, so it looks as if they are dragging themselves using their upper body. what we do not see is exactly what caused these casualties. in its first statement, the idf said people had been trampled rushing the trucks and also that shots were fired by soldiers who felt threatened by the crowd. this tank is seen withdrawing from the scene. later the military blamed people in the crowd for the chaos. thousands of gazans descended upon the trucks.

some began violently pushing and even trampling other gazans to death, looting the humanitarian supplies. the unfortunate incident resulted in dozens of gazans killed and injured. the israel defence forces operate according to the rules of engagement and international law. no idf strike was conducted towards the aid convoy. a doctor we spoke to in gaza said the dead and wounded he saw were all gunshot victims. drive byjordan air force into northern gaza. —— dropped. the

hungry rush towards food but nearly five months into this conflict, there is still no operation to deliver aid on the scale that is neededin deliver aid on the scale that is needed in a place where most of the population is displaced.— population is displaced. people are so desnerate _ population is displaced. people are so desperate for _ population is displaced. people are so desperate for food _ population is displaced. people are so desperate for food and - so desperate for food and desperation and for any supplies that they risk their lives in getting any supplies to support their children and support themselves.— their children and support themselves. ., . , their children and support themselves. ., ., , , ., ., themselves. how many were shot and how many trampled _ themselves. how many were shot and how many trampled in _ themselves. how many were shot and how many trampled in a _ themselves. how many were shot and how many trampled in a desperate - how many trampled in a desperate crush, it is not possible to say but without a secure aid operation, in the midst of continuing war, the people of gaza which for the next tragedy. that is speak to a diplomatic correspondent who is injerusalem now. paul, obviously more than a hundred palestinians killed in this

aid convoy. international condemnation calls for some kind of investigation and how might that have been in practice? i investigation and how might that have been in practice?— investigation and how might that have been in practice? i don't think it will happen _ have been in practice? i don't think it will happen with _ have been in practice? i don't think it will happen with because - have been in practice? i don't think it will happen with because from i have been in practice? i don't thinkl it will happen with because from the international community although clearly, the calls are coming from a number of israel's close allies including the united states and britain, particularly strong statement from the foreign secretary who said that in connection to the events yesterday in gaza, this must not happen again. but he put these remarks in a wider context and this is the result that this cannot be separated from the wider situation with regard to the provision of humanitarian aid who pointed out that half the number of trucks had gone into the gaza strip in february as they did injanuary and called for israel to remove bureaucratic obstacles and open more crossing points and to protect palestinian lives and concluded that this

tragedy only serves to underscore the importance of securing an immediate humanitarian pause. find the importance of securing an immediate humanitarian pause. and on that oint, immediate humanitarian pause. and on that point. lengthy _ immediate humanitarian pause. and on that point, lengthy discussions - immediate humanitarian pause. and on that point, lengthy discussions of - that point, lengthy discussions of the last few months and at the start of this week, the us presidentjoe biden saying is hopefulfor a deal by monday but that is not looking likely right now, is it? ihla by monday but that is not looking likely right now, is it?— likely right now, is it? no and he was sounding — likely right now, is it? no and he was sounding distinctly - likely right now, is it? no and he was sounding distinctly less - was sounding distinctly less optimistic yesterday in the wake of the events the awful events down in gaza city and we do not quite know where the negotiations are at the moment and they may well have been complicated by the events in gaza but also possibly by an announcement tonight by a spokesman for hamas who said that they have now established that seven more israeli hostages are dead. they do not name, the name three of those when they do not name for, we do not know if those that

they name are among the 31 who the israelis already believe have died since they were taken hostage on october the 7th and it is not quite clear where this leaves the total number of hostages but there is a line at the end of the hamas statement where they say they seem to indicate that they still want to go ahead with a hostage deal which would see the release of hostages alive and dead in return for palestinian prisoners held in israeli jails. whether that is on the cards of the moment is very difficult to tell. in the last hour, rishi sunak, has made a statement outside ten downing street, in which he called george galloway�*s victory "alarming" and spoke more generally about the need to defend british democracy: let's speak to our deputy political

editor, vicki young: we have seen a shocking increase in extremist disruption and criminality. it started as protests is descended into intimidation, threats and planned acts of violence. jewish children fearful to wear their school uniforms unless they reveal the identity and muslim women abused in the streets for the actions of a terrorist group they have no connection with. now, our democracy itself is a target. council meetings and local events of been storm. mps do not feel safe in their homes. long—standing parliamentary conventions of been upended due to safety concerns and it is beyond alarming that the bye election returned the candidate who dismisses the horror of what

happened on october the 7th. who glorifies and is endorsed by nick griffin, the racist former leader. this is a statement released part way and he heard a flavour of it and what was the message that the prime minister was sending out and why was the timing key? i minister was sending out and why was the timing key?— the timing key? i think it was very hastily arranged _ the timing key? i think it was very hastily arranged in _ the timing key? i think it was very hastily arranged in the _ the timing key? i think it was very hastily arranged in the prime - hastily arranged in the prime minister had already given his response and interviews with broadcasters to the result of the rochdale by election and he talked about the fact that it'd been a very divisive campaign and had praised a positive message that his tory candidate had put forward and i was his response to the by election but then you have him just a few hours

later outside of downing street with the government emblem and basically talking and taking aim at george galloway by name and suggesting that his election was the catalyst for making this speech and he talked a lot about extremism and there was a lot about extremism and there was a lot of tough rhetoric on extremism and hostile forces and his words and people are trying to hijack protests and tariffs apart and threaten british values and there was a lot of tough talk on all sides but no repeat interestingly of the phrase mob rule which notably used earlier this week when he had a meeting with police and downing street in a statement released after that meeting saying there'd been mob rule threatening democracy and he had dialled down the rhetoric on that and talking about smaller groups in smaller groups hijacking protests

and appeal to protesters and marches hijacked by french units but i think it was interesting that he notably tried to talk about far right extremism and islamic extremism and make call that anti—semitism as well as anti—muslim hatred because there's been a lot of debate on the relative emphasis that has been put on both of for red extremism in contrast to islamic extremism and anti—semitism on one hand and anti—muslim agent on the other hand. i think he was careful to show some equivalent on those two and in one sense, it was consolatory and try to unify or reach out and say that extremists are the ones with threatening our way of life. but at the same time, as he warned about democracy being targeted, democracy being under threat, the prime minister himself was also taking aim

at a democratically elected politician, briton possibles newest mp george galloway and i think it's an interesting message in his late night address of downing street. let's get a little more on the rochdale by election and the result. here's our political editor, chris mason. bizarre, colourful, angry. a by—election like no other. as polls closed, ballot boxes opened. the counting began. and at around 2:a5am... i do hereby declare that— george galloway is duly elected... he'd done it again. the fourth time town or city in his third party that has led mr galloway to parliament. keir starmer, this is for gaza. you have paid, and you will pay, a high price.

from crowd: george galloway, you want to burn our future! - punctuated by protest — he's used to that. a climate campaigner is led away. keir starmer and rishi sunak are two cheeks of the same backside. and they both got well and truly spanked tonight here in rochdale. down the road, in the middle of the night, in a car showroom, a victory rally. this is the beginning of a rochdale revival. that's our project. george galloway isn't an overnight success, but a politician with decades of controversial heritage. a labour mp, until he wasn't. a tormentor of america's political establishment. now, i know that standards have slipped over the last few years in washington...

an early reality tv star... pussycat, yes. oh, and he metand praised iraqi president saddam hussein, too. what was it about george galloway that made you think, you know what, he's our man? it's his experience. he's had 40 years of political experience, hasn't he, - so he's seen it, - he's bought the t—shirt. i thought it was disgusting, and i'm very disappointed in the voters of rochdale. i didn't vote this time, not because i'm not interested, but because ijust guess there was nobody really pulling along with the policies that i agreed with. what do you make of it? quite a result. astounding. politicians fear the word genocide. i think as a layman i can. stick my neck out and say what's happening now is genocide. and so, today, questions for labour's keir starmer in particular. watch this — he is so angry he wouldn't use george galloway�*s first name.

galloway only won because labour didn't stand a candidate. i regret that we had to withdraw our candidate and apologise to voters in rochdale. but i took that decision, it was the right decision. and when i say i've changed the labour party, i mean it. well, it was very concerning to see the reports of intimidation through the by—election, and by all accounts one of the most divisive campaigns we've seen in recent times. mr galloway wasn't the only candidate that thrashed the big beasts of politics here. so did this guy, who runs a local garage and came second. has it given you a taste for this politics malarkey? yeah, again, i'll come straight to it. i'm going to have to reflect and see where we are. i'm not politically minded, i've no political agenda, ijust wanted the best for my community and the people in it. tonight, though, it's george galloway walking back towards westminster. we'll be hearing

plenty more from him. still to come on the world today. paying their respects to alexei navalny. and you can find out why prince william has been pulling pranks in wales. pulling pines. pulling pints. let's look at some other stories making news here in the uk. a man who murdered his ex—partner and her new boyfriend after lying in wait for them at a house in huddersfield — has been told he will never be released from prison. marcus osborne was handed a whole life order for the killings of katie higton and steven harnett in may last year. the government's spending watchdog says the uk will pay at least three—hundred—and—seventy million pounds to rwanda as part of its plan to relocate asylum seekers there. up to a hundred—and—fifty thousand pounds will also be paid for each person sent to the east african

country — over a five—year period. labour says the new figures are a "national scandal". scientists have discovered a new species of sea slug in uk waters. the tiny marine creature — named pleurobranchaea britannica caught off the southwest of england ljy caught off the southwest of england by research ships found in warmer waters in spain extending its habitat due to climate change. you're live with bbc news. the russian opposition leader alexei navalny has been buried at a cemetery in moscow. he was laid to rest two weeks after his death in the arctic penal colony where he was serving a long—term sentence for "extremism". his parents were at today's funeral, but not his wife yulia and children, who were abroad. or his brother, who is himself facing fresh criminal charges from the russian authorities.

earlier, a funeral ceremony was held on the other side of the moskva river, at the church of the icon of the mother of god, in the maryino district, where navalny used to live. despite there being a heavy police presence outside the church, large crowds of his supporters, risking arrest, chanted "russia without putin" and "russia will be free". our russia editor steve rosenberg reports from moscow. they came to say goodbye to the man who had given them hope but died in prison. and outside the church, longer and longer, the queue of russians wanting to pay their last respects to alexei navalny. he was our hope, anna tells me. ifeel like i am burying my own son. he is the only person i could trust, and i was dreaming of him to become our president, and it's a huge tragedy for me and for my people.

the kremlin had called mr navalny an extremist, criminal, but listen to the reaction when his coffin arrived. by now, the whole street was watching. in chanting the name of vladimir putin's fiercest opponent. navalny! we will not give in, they cry. and suddenly, the climate of fear that has descended on russia seemed to clearfor a time, despite all the police that were here. no to war, they chanted. in the church, alexei navalny�*s parents sat by the open coffin. as an orthodox priest recited prayers for the soul of their son.

mr navalny�*s death first and foremost a family tragedy. in the service was over the coffin was carried back to the hearse. then from his supporters, a spontaneous show of respect for the man who had challenged the kremlin. with carnations and roses, they sent him on his finaljourney. and the crowds followed. as they walked towards the cemetery, they chanted the kind of anti—government slogans unheard on russian streets for two years. freedom to political prisoners in russia will be free. the authorities didn't want the funeral to become a very public event, a public display of sympathy for the man who was a vocal critic of the kremlin. but that is what it is turning into. lots of flowers, but one tribute

today came in a message from mr navalny�*s wife who is abroad she may be arrested if she returns. she said farewell by posting, i don't know how to live without you, but i will try my best to make you opt they're without you, but i will try my best to make you up there happy for me and proud. as alexei navalny was laid to rest a band played music from terminator two. and the sinatra classic my way. he had been to challenge the kremlin and he had lost. it will make one of the biggest protests that we have seen in recent years and the question is what happens next and the climate of fear and they also think that the kremlin will have taken every step to make sure this is not repeated and i

think it will probably be looking at the cctv footage and matching faces to names and seeing whether they can have a picture of fragments of the opposition really are. and i think there's a danger that while respecting the enormous courage of alexei navalny and the legacy of his wife and his mother and the overemphasize the fragmented opposition in russia and forget that the real story is actually ukraine and the opposition in the armed forces of ukraine and although alexei navalny�*s deal was gruesome, thousands and thousands of ukrainian prisoners of war are suffering as far as the depths and thousands of ukrainian children have been kidnapped as well and we need to keep a sense of proportion. find kidnapped as well and we need to keep a sense of proportion. and when

she talks very — keep a sense of proportion. and when she talks very publicly _ keep a sense of proportion. and when she talks very publicly since _ keep a sense of proportion. and when she talks very publicly since her - she talks very publicly since her husbands death about continuing his work. what chance does she have of affecting change in russia? titer? affecting change in russia? very little, i'm afraid, _ affecting change in russia? very little, i'm afraid, despite - affecting change in russia? - little, i'm afraid, despite her grace and dignity shown and the organisation used to be very big anti—corruption foundation and over russia, is been smashed by the kremlin and the patriotic frenzy in russia and many feel they are an existential struggle against the west and nazis and other enemies and putin really has the country in a tight grip and i think we can hope for better times and the only real chance of change in the battlefield setbacks on the front lines

everywhere and change within the regime but less likely a change of the regime and the grassroots and i believe it is really low. airdrop humanitarian aid in the gaza strip and the coming days in washington will be doing everything it can to get more aid into the enclave. there and air drops of data but they have all been done by the jordanian air force and the trapped aid provided by different countries but it has always been thejordanian so far. of the us military are now going to start doing some air drops as well and he said in the oval office that aid flow into gaza was not nearly enough in his words and that hundreds of more aid trucks will get in and that nears the

statement of the uk foreign secretary lloyd cameron earlier today and talking about the deaths of people waiting for the aid convoy yesterday and described it as horrific in colour did for an urgent investigation and in accountability. we cannot separate this from the inadequate aid supplies and israel has an obligation to ensure is significantly more humanitarian aid reaches the people of gaza. stay with us on the road today here on bbc news. —— on the world today. hello there. february in england and wales was the mildest on record, but the first day of march has brought something quite chilly. a lot of showers, too, for england and wales. and in norfolk, we had some hail in those showers as well. and again, we've seen a bit more snow over some of the higher hills — here in derbyshire, a very slushy mix earlier on today. we've got cold air in place right the way across the uk. we're going to stay in cold air

through the weekend as well. and with that cold air, we've got low pressure in charge, which is why we're seeing this wet weather with some winteryness over the hills. that weather front has been taking some rain and hail, snow across northern england. that's moving away, but heading its way into scotland overnight tonight. the same time, we'll see a northerly wind bringing showers into northern ireland and some wet weather developing in the south east of england, pushing into the midlands and other eastern parts of england. that could keep temperatures just above freezing. but it's touch and go. it will be a cold and frosty start for many, i think, on saturday morning, especially where we have the clearer skies. but through the weekend, we do stay in this cold air, and it's on saturday that will see most of the showers or longer spells of rain. drier picture on sunday,

but more mist and fog around. and there will be some frosty mornings, as we've seen already. we've got this wetter weather on saturday across the south east of england, moving through east anglia, the midlands, up into northern england. also some wet weather and some hill snow for northern parts of scotland. that northerly wind keeps those cold showers across northern ireland, wales in the southwest, the midlands and the south east of england should improve during the afternoon with some sunshine, but those temperatures aren't really improving from today. again, we're going to be around 7—8 degrees fairly widely. that low pressure is still with us. it's tending to drift northwards and weakening, hence something a bit drier. but this weather front is not far away. it looks like at the moment it's bringing rain through the north sea and up towards the northern isles. we're going to start with a bit more mist and fog, central, southern england, the midlands and northern england lifting and brightening up with some sunshine. a bit cloudy though, i think, for scotland and the odd shower out

across these western areas. but many places will have a dry day, i think, on sunday with some light winds, hence the mist and fog. those temperatures still struggling to seven or eight degrees — below par for this time of the year. now, heading into next week, we start with a bit of rain around, particularly towards western areas. but crucially, it does become drier, but it also becomes less cold as well.

this is the world today from bbc news, the headlines president biden says that us would begin humanitarian aid drops in gaza and the humanitarian situation there is worsening. the uk foreign secretary calls

for an urgent investigation and accountability — after more than a hundred palestinians were killed during an aid delivery in gaza. thousands of mourners defy the russian authorities to pay their respects to kremlin critic alexei navalny — at his funeral in moscow. as india prepares to head to the polls this month , we'll look at why prime minister narendra modi remains so popular with some. as india prepares to head to the polls this month , we'll look at why prime minister narendra modi remains so popular with some. could this be a eurovision winner? olly alexander unveils his song which is this year's uk entry. some breaking news to renewal, the metropolitan police have said three people have been injured after issue is in south london. officers were chasing a moped when a shotgun was fired from it, two people suffered shotgun pet injuries and work

treated in hospital, and a third was