diane abbott has described as frightening alleged remarks by frank hester that she made him want to hate all black women and that she should be shot. labour says the conservatives should return £10 million given in donations by mr hester. also on the programme. pet owners might be overpaying for their animals' medicines, a regulator has warned. the social media influencer, andrew tate and his brother tristan have appeared in court in romania after warrants were issued for their arrest. palestinian medical staff in gaza tell the bbc they were detained and beaten by israeli troops after a raid at their hospital last month. and surf�*s up for enthusiasts as they ride the tidal phenomenon, the severn estuary bore. and coming up on bbc news. a huge night for arsenal in the champions league as they try to overturn a first leg deficit against porto

at the emirates. good afternoon and welcome to the bbc news at one. downing street has described as "unacceptable" remarks alleged to have been made by one of the conservative party's biggest donors about the mp, diane abbott, during a business meeting in 2019. the guardian claims that frank hester said ms abbott made him "want to hate all black women" and that she "should be shot". this morning diane abbott has called the alleged comments "frightening". mr hester has admitted making comments about her which he described as "rude", but his spokesperson has said this is not a confirmation of the quotes in the guardian. henry zeffman has the story. some people who give millions to

political parties have high public profile is. frank hester didn't. until now. this is what the guardian says mr hester told staff at the health care software company he built from scratch at a meeting back in 2019. it's like trying not to be racist, but you see diane abbott on the tv and you just want to hate all black women because she there and i don't hate all black women at all, but i think she should be shot. the bbc has not independently verified those alleged remarks. in a statement last night, mr hester�*s spokesperson said he accepts that he was rude about diane abbott in a private meeting several years ago, but his criticism had nothing to do with her gender nor colour of skin. the spokesperson said this should not become an admission that mr hester used the exact words quoted in the guardian. labour have given mr hester�*s defence short shrift. well, sadly, ithink

mr hester�*s defence short shrift. well, sadly, i think they unambiguously were racist and sexist. they were clearly beyond the pale. this isn'tjust about rudeness, it's about totally unacceptable remarks. i think anyone who read them all come to that consumer ash conclusion. labour have been joined — consumer ash conclusion. labour have been joined by — consumer ash conclusion. labour have been joined by the _ consumer ash conclusion. labour have beenjoined by the liberal— consumer ash conclusion. labour have been joined by the liberal democrats | been joined by the liberal democrats are calling for the conservatives to return mr hester�*s donations which were vast, £10 millionjust last year. there is no sign of those donations being returned. this morning, mr hester�*s defence was reiterated by cabinet minister. i think the critical point here is i don't think what he was saying was a gender or race based comment, but it was clearly inappropriate. he has apologised and i think we need to move on from that.— apologised and i think we need to move on from that. kwasi kwarteng, the former conservative _ move on from that. kwasi kwarteng, the former conservative chancellor, | the former conservative chancellor, disagrees. the former conservative chancellor, disaurees. . , ., the former conservative chancellor, disaurees. . . ., , disagrees. yeah, they are clearly racist and they _ disagrees. yeah, they are clearly racist and they are clearly - disagrees. yeah, they are clearly racist and they are clearly sexist. and i_ racist and they are clearly sexist. and i think— racist and they are clearly sexist. and i think diana was right to point out that_ and i think diana was right to point out that the call to violence, even

in a flippant way, is really inappropriate. so they were very stupid _ inappropriate. so they were very stupid remarks. i don't know that they were — stupid remarks. i don't know that they were said because i haven't heard _ they were said because i haven't heard any— they were said because i haven't heard any independent corroboration. diane _ heard any independent corroboration. diane abbott was the first black woman to become an mp and has faced years of abuse. mr hester has tried to call her to apologise. she says she has been left frightened. to hear someone talking like this is worrying, all of my career as an mp i thought it important not to live in a bubble but to mix and mingle with ordinary people. the fact that two mps have been murdered in recent years makes talk like this all the more alarming. an 0be, chats with prime ministers, even a brief meeting with elon musk. now frank hester is at the centre of a political row which shows no signs of abating. henry zeffman, bbc news, westminster. iain watsonjoins me. we have had a response from downing

street this morning, what else are they saying? it’s street this morning, what else are they saying?— they saying? it's quite a carefully worded response _ they saying? it's quite a carefully worded response actually, what i they saying? it's quite a carefully| worded response actually, what a spokesperson said in the past hour orso spokesperson said in the past hour or so is what is alleged to have been reported is unacceptable. again, just to stress, the bbc had not been able to independently corroborate what the guardian said that mr hester had uttered. nonetheless, he has said he's going to apologise to diane abbott for being rude to her and i think there is renewed focus on mr hester and it will be uncomfortable nonetheless for the prime minister because he has somebody who has praised rishi sunak, he thinks he can get the whole artificial intelligence revelation. he did not donate under borisjohnson and has now donated huge sums under the current prime minister. in an election year it is unsurprising that the conservative central office do not want to hand back £10 million. but the pressure for them to do so will increase. privately some conservative mps believe they ought to do so,

publicly labour, the liberal democrats, the greens are saying the money should be handed back or given to charity. i think there are some wider issues raised here as well. these alleged comments were made in 2019 before any donations were handed over so they will be questioned on due diligence on big donors to political parties. and this highlights toxicity in modern day politics, diane abbott said she was frightened and alarmed, i thought it was interesting that the conservative minister graham stuart said earlier that we need more kindness for each other and not this denigration and attacks. mel stride said they wanted to move on from this that i think that will be more in hope than expectation.- this that i think that will be more in hope than expectation. pet owners might be overpaying for medicine or prescriptions for their animals, according to the competition and markets authority. it says it will launch an investigation into the industry. jim connolly has been hearing from some pet owners about the pressures they're facing.

ziggy, say hello. people will do anything for their pets. when they get sick that love can mean big bills. extortionately expensive, for anything. this is ziggy. he's a rescue dog, and he's very vocal. huge, huge expense. it depends which vets you choose. and you've got to shop around. who owns vets, and the effects on prices, is one of the main things the competition and markets authority, or cma, have been looking at. independent vet practices accounted for 89% of the industry in 2013. now it's the way more than half are owned by six big companies. and, go! shambhu rules the roost around here. sit. good girl. she's my baby. she's my little girl. we don't have children, so that's our child. dominic and veneeta took shambhu to a practice owned by one of the big corporates for an operation to prevent her getting arthritis.

it's very scary as well. you know, an operation, you know, they're putting a pin in the bone. the treatment cost more than £5,000. and dominic wanted to know why. i looked at the bill and there were lots of items that we didn't, not familiar with, they're medical terms. but one jumped out at me, which was paracetamol, and it was £20 for a pack of paracetamol. i pay 60 pence in the supermarket. i was shocked that we were being charged that much for such a simple item, and it makes you wonder how much they're overcharging on other items as well. and are you being exploited? that's what it felt like. the competition and markets authority is concerned pet owners are not being given basic information such as price lists online or the upfront cost of treatment before agreeing to it. it also noted that pet insurers fear customers are sometimes steered towards more expensive treatment. it's really difficult for pet

owners to get clear, upfront information about treatment options, about the cost of prescriptions. there aren't concerned many people may be overpaying for medicines that they buy from their vets. second, we're really worried about how competition is actually worried in this market. we approached the six corporate chains for comment. ivc evidensia told us they ensure that their pricing is appropriate, fair and competitive. another, pets at home, told us it disputes how it is referred to by the cma, adding they are locally owned vet practices. we've seen a lot of prices increase. i think historically vets have rather undervalued their time, and so we're trying to catch up with the situation which hasn't been supporting veterinary businesses well. all the vets i've spoken to say that because human treatment is free on the nhs, we've lost perspective on how much medical care costs. but that's little comfort for the two thirds of us who own a pet when it comes to paying the bills. jim connolly, bbc news. and jim is here.

what happens next, jim? the cma is provisionally launching what it calls a formal market investigation, you might think, another report but this is a different one with some teeth. it could intervene directly if it still considers there to be a problem out there and they have given us a fairly big hint as to what they might be looking at. there is talk of a price cap on prescription fees, forcing vets to display prices more clearly and breaking up monopolies by making chains sell apps and practices. thank you very much, jim connolly. the controversial social media influencer andrew tate and his brother tristan have been detained in romania after fresh arrest warrants were issued for alleged sexual offences. in a statement, the brothers said they "categorically reject all charges". caroline hawley reports. flanked by police, first tristan tate, then his older brother andrew, are brought in handcuffs to romania's court of appeal as their legal troubles deepen dramatically. they'd been taken into custody late

last night, these images released by the romanian police who were acting on a european arrest warrant issued by the uk. andrew tate is a highly controversial british—american social media influencer with a lavish lifestyle and several million followers. it's now for this court to rule on whether or not to act on it. the brothers are awaiting trial in bucharest on separate allegations of rape and human trafficking. a representative for the tate brothers issued this statement... in court today, andrew tate is reported to have said that romania is his home, that he wants to stay and clear his name there. the verdict on the fate of the brothers, which had been expected today, has now been postponed. both remain behind bars. caroline hawley, bbc news.

medical staff in gaza have told the bbc they were detained, beaten and prevented from carrying out vital duties after a raid at their hospital last month. they've said that some detainees were stripped, kept in stress positions for several hours, or had muzzled dogs set upon them. israel said it occupied the nasser hospital site believing it was used by hamas and that several freed israeli hostages have said they were held there. you might find some parts of this report by wyre davies distressing. not for the first time in this war, israeli soldiers have been filmed standing over stripped and kneeling detainees in gaza. but these are medical staff, detained after the israeli army overran the nasser hospital in khan yunis. most of them are still held captive. for weeks, the medics had witnessed israel's military advance closing in around their hospital.

the fighting in khan younis was fierce. thousands of people who'd sought refuge in the grounds, fled under gunfire. what should have been a place of safety was completely the opposite. 0ne nurse was shot inside a hospital operating theatre through a window. another person shot at the main entrance. the hospital was under siege. on february the 15th, after giving warnings, israeli tanks overran the hospital. there were chaotic scenes as troops took control. patients who'd been unable to evacuate were moved by medics from collapsing wards. israel says it found hamas weapons, also medication which they say supports accounts from israeli hostages that they were held there. in the idf�*s own footage,

you can see that hospital patients had their hands zip tied, detained outside in their beds and wheelchairs. this was when troops also detained the medical personnel, at least 49 of them forced to leave their posts and remove their surgical clothing. israel says it did so in case there were concealed weapons, and that among the 200 arrested at nasser were terrorists posing as medics. dr amira assouli had remained at nasser throughout the siege, before the israeli incursion, risking her own neck to save lives, as people were shot inside the grounds. she later witnessed what happened to her fellow doctors. | translation: it was tough for us to | see how the doctors, who had bravely stayed at the hospital despite the dangers, were stripped and beaten. their hands were tied behind them and they were left in the sun for hours.

his hand broken in captivity, dr ahmed sabha is one of the very few medics to have since been released. he shows the positions they were forced to adopt for hours, and says they were also tortured. translation: they forced us to kneel down with our eyes blindfolded. - there was a pit in the ground, and we thought they would execute us and bury us there. we said our prayers, but they were just intimidating us. israel says any abuse of detainees is against idf orders and is strictly prohibited. but crucially, according to the hospital manager who dealt with the israelis during the raid, the detention of so many of his staff left his hospital woefully short of doctors. translation: eight doctors and 15 nurses were left - treating 250 patients.

you can imagine the level of care we could give with no water or electricity in the hospital at that point. during this time, 13 patients and injured people died. the israeli army says it operated within nasser in a precise and focused manner, and says it provided equipment enabling it to function and treat patients. but with the war continuing, and at least 46 medics still detained or missing, the hospital has been closed for weeks. wyre davies, bbc news. earlier this morning, a ship loaded with humanitarian aid for gaza left from cyprus and is expected to arrive later this week. it's the first attempt to get aid by sea to the territory. there is no port in gaza, and it remains uncertain how the supplies which include 200 tonnes of food will be unloaded though work has begun

on a temporaryjetty. the time is 13:17. our top story this afternoon... mp diane abbott has said comments allegedly made by a top tory donor that the mp made him "want to hate all black women" and that she needed "to be shot" were "frightening." and unpeeling the issues facing bananas — as climate change affects the fruit bowl favourite. coming up on bbc news: the cheltenham festival gets under way today, with the champion hurdle to come later this afternoon. but all eyes will be on the famous gold cup, which takes place on friday. now look at this — a remote—controlled sea drone, the type that have been taking ukraine's fight to the heart of russia's black sea fleet. these weapons are widely used by kyiv to attack and destroy russian warships.

the bbc�*s abdujalil abdurasulov got rare access to a secret unit that carries out such operations — and sent this report from the odesa region. this is ukraine's new deadly weapon. a sea drone. it's become a major threat for russian warships in the black sea. this unit has destroyed five russian military vessels since it was set up last year. they are called group 13, and they're part of ukraine's military intelligence agency. this drone model is called magura after a slavic war goddess. its main advantages are size and speed. when russian sailors attack these drones it is often too late to defend their ships.

—— detect these drones. translation: the drone doesn't emit a lot of heat so it's almost _ invisible for thermal cameras. it's made from plastic, therefore even radar struggle to see it. last month, group 13 destroyed a russian warship, the tsezar kunikov. its crew members desperately tried to stop the drones but it's a very difficult target to hit, especially among the waves in the dark. last week, they sank another russian ship, the corvette sergei kotov. such frequent attacks already forced moscow to move its fleet away from crimea to safer ports further east. and these uncrewed vessels have revolutionised naval warfare because they are relatively cheap, but can destroy military ships that are worth tens and hundreds of millions of dollars. and thanks to these naval drones, ukraine can successfully resist

russia's attempts to dominate in the black sea. drones like magura can sail hundreds of kilometres long thanks to its long lasting battery and satellite connections. the war in ukraine is a war of new technologies. military innovations have helped kyiv to gain an advantage in the sea, despite all odds. abdujalil abdurasulov, bbc news, odesa region. the government has committed to building new gas—fired power stations — and warned that failure to do so would risk blackouts. the new plants will replace stations coming to the end of their lives. environmentalists argue it's a step backwards — but the government says they have to be "realistic" in the move towards cleaner energy. let's talk to our climate editorjustin rowlatt. the government says it's taking the tough decisions here?

it is saying a pragmatic approach to climate change, it will replace gas plants like folau because they come to the end of their lives. the announcement today is pretty much what most of the experts assumed was government policy anyway. the plan is to move increasingly to renewables and there has always been a recognition that back—up power is needed when the sun is not shining and the wind is not blowing and there are not many alternatives to gas when it comes to flexible power filling the gaps in renewable provision. but green groups say it's a backward step? yes, they ask why the government is not obliging providers to tackle climate change, especially when the government is investing £20 billion of taxpayer money to try to kick—start carbon capture technology in the uk. the answer was almost certainly cost, capturing and storing carbon is expensive and to make the electricity supply

available on the grid would need investment, the government does not want to pony up for that service styling that is a pragmatic choice, low prices and energy security for the country. the climate change committee, the watchdog on this, acknowledges some unabated gas will be needed even when we get to net zero in 2050. the labour party says its approach to the issue will be pretty much exactly the same as the tories. , , ., ., ., ~ , ., bananas are set to get more expensive because climate change is posing a threat to the world's supply. that's the warning from a top economist at the un's world banana forum — which is meeting today. here in the uk, some shops have recently seen banana shortages due to storms at sea. our environment correspondent matt mcgrath has been looking at some of the issues facing the well—loved fruit. in its natural yellow wrapper, the tasty, nutritious banana is the perfect portable snack.

some five billion are imported into the uk every year, mainly from ecuador, colombia and costa rica. but a key element in our love affair with this fantastic fruit is cost. bananas are a relatively cheap foodstuff, and for consumers here at cardiff market and at supermarkets all across the uk, those prices have remained relatively low and stable for the past 30 years. that could soon change, according to top banana economists. global warming is driving an increase in extreme weather events that are hitting production in tropical regions critical to supplies. increasingly powerful floods and storms are also boosting the spread of diseases, including fusarium wilt, a nasty fungus that has now mutated to attack the world's most popular banana variety, the cavendish. as well as climate change, producers are also facing increasing fertiliser and energy costs, particularly as they attempt to transition away from fossil fuels. so in that transition period, probably energy prices will remain high and that will have an impact,

of course, on banana prices. i project if supply remains what it is at the moment, if there's not a major increase in supply, i project that banana prices could remain relatively high in the coming years. another key issue that will likely impact the prices we pay for bananas is sustainability. consumers want to know that the fruit they buy is produced without harming the planet or exploiting workers. but to raise production standards will also cost money. despite the likelihood of having to pay more, these shoppers in wales say it's not going to deter them from their favourite fruit. i have one every day. just the one? just one in my porridge every morning. if they went up in price would you continue to buy them? i would, because i was told they're good for my health. so i eat one most days. most days? yeah. it'd be a shame, but if you want - bananas, you have to pay the price. it's the same as everything, it goes up and comes back down. what if they don't come back down?

well, that's life. matt mcgrath, bbc news, cardiff. blackpool's glittering history of entertainment is being celebrated with a new multi—million pound attraction. the museum, called �*show town', will open to the public on friday ? and our arts correspondent david sillito has been for sneak preview. # every year when - summer comes round. # off to the sea i go. hello and welcome to blackpool. showtown. a celebration of blackpool culture and a tour with a blackpool connoisseur. go on, do a bit of the buddy holly! i love him doing this. go on, do buddy holly! ..syd little of little and large, in the �*70s and �*80s, top of the bill. 1979. wow. your heyday. two shows a day — look at that — 6:10 and 8:50. ali bongo, norman wisdom! frank carson — look at that. and it would be fair to say

he was loving these memories of the hundreds of performers he had worked with over the years. you're enjoying this, aren't you? iblinkin' am! keith harris and orville. he hated... he hated that green duck. however, blackpool these days isn't quite what it was. it is a familiar story in seaside towns of britain, but this is a chance to remember what made this place great when it really was, for millions, the home of entertainment. look — stan laurel�*s hat. orville and his silver disc. and, of course, strictly! so how many shows are we talking about in the �*60s, �*70s? oh, you had 25 shows... so 25 venues? venues, yeah, yeah. more than the west end in london.

oh, bigger than the west end? yeah, yeah. so that you could have more bums on seats in blackpool per day than you could at the west end in london. absolutely everyone seems to have played blackpool. we've got the beatles, frank sinatra, lady gaga, cilla... sweep squeaks. oh, sooty and sweep, of course. because... what's that? yeah, you're proper blackpool talent. sweep squeaks. you're from blackpool? sweep squeaks. 19...? 1948?! sweep squeaks. # oh, i do like to be beside the seaside! and syd... you're enjoying this, aren't you? iblinkin' am! it's miles better than i thought it would be. ..he didn't want to leave. yeah, really is. david sillito... sweep squeaks. ..bbc news... sweep squeaks. ..blackpool. sweep squeaks. surfers, kayakers and paddleboarders from across the world have been drawn to the river severn this morning to experience what's been called "the greatest ride on earth". it's a six foot tidal wave of water that rushes up through the estuary during high spring tides, called the severn bore.

and today's was the first to occur in daylight for several years. phil mackie was there. this is a bucket list experience if you are a hardcore surfer. dodging each other and avoiding a mouthful of muddy water is a small price to pay for the experience of a lifetime. even if you're not up for very long before you get wiped out. the severn bore is one of a handful of similar phenomena that occur around the world. when there is a high spring tide it forms a wave which funnels up the river in gloucestershire. i'm 67 injune, i reckon i'm the oldest boy in there. richard is an old hand. it's because you're surfing the wrong way up a river inland. you're going the wrong way. and this is the one to do, it's great. i must go, because i'm going to miss it.

howard and nick have brought their paddle boards all the way up from devon. it's the experience, it's the anticipation, it's waking up at the crack of dawn, it's like a stupid adventure and quite surreal as well. here we are first thing in the morning standing around in the middle of the water waiting for some wave to appear out of nowhere, there's nothing else like it. not everyone has been able to catch the waves that they wanted to but this is one of the great sites that you can see in this country and the first daytime five star bore on the severn for a long time. because the river is winding, and the road next door is straight, you can ride it in one place, get out, drive upriver, and get in again. as the wave made its way upriver, it was difficult negotiating the hazards. these two were from canada and sweden. thousands had lined the river to watch it. it was just as wet out of the water as in, and nick and howard finally caught the wave.

it got up really quite steep and i thought, this is going to be great, and then itjust picked up high and threw me straight off. it was the third time and it's the biggest i've seen it. five star then? i'd say so, yeah. now it's going to be bought back on and back in the car. cheers, guys. and off they went for a third go. phil mackie, bbc news, gloucestershire. very dedicated. time for a look at the weather. here's elizabeth rizzini. when will it stop raining, elizabeth?— when will it stop raining, elizabeth? , ., ., ., elizabeth? there is more rain to come. but _ elizabeth? there is more rain to come, but back— elizabeth? there is more rain to come, but back to _ elizabeth? there is more rain to come, but back to the _ elizabeth? there is more rain to come, but back to the severn i come, but back to the elizabeth? there is more rain to - come, but back to the severn bore, there is a four star bore expected tomorrow, fully aided by the high spring tides yesterday. with brisk south—westerly winds blowing through the bristol channel and we have seen milderfeeling the bristol channel and we have seen milder feeling air, the bristol channel and we have seen milderfeeling air, along with plenty heavy rain, so in terms of heavy rainfall there is a lot to come, more flood waning —— flood

warnings in place through the severn