tv BBC News BBC News March 17, 2024 2:00pm-2:31pm GMT
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a deal to free them before it's too late. a state of emergency in iceland after a fourth volcanic eruption in as many months. the these are live pictures. the village of grindavik is evacuated, only weeks after residents were allowed to return. and different man of cockney rebel, steve harley, has died at the age of 73. -- the steve harley, has died at the age of 73. —— the front man. hello, i'm rich preston. large queues have suddenly formed at some polling stations in russia on sunday, in an apparent show of dissent during elections designed to confirm vladimir putin in the presidency. allies of the late opposition leader, alexei navalny,
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had called on people to turn out at midday in moscow and other cities to spoil their ballots or vote for any other candidate. these were the scenes in moscow. there've been no protest chants — the authorities warned that activists could be arrested. a rights monitoring group in russia says more than 70 people have been detained. vladimir putin is almost certain to win, giving him another six years in power. the kremlin has ensured he faces no credible opponent. protests were also held at russian embassies abroad. mr navalny�*s widow, yulia, was among those queuing outside the russian embassy in berlin to vote. there have been demonstrations in the uk, france, tokyo and georgia. with me is the bbc�*s vitaly shevchenko. thank you for being with us. third and final day of voting, give us a sense of the picture in russia. people are voting and queues did
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form at a greater number of polling stations, as far as we can tell. the opposition had called for its supporters to come at noon to polling stations, and the way it looked, i hesitate to call it a protest because it looks like use with people just standing there, not chanting any slogans or holding any posters. —— it looked like queues. the only available way for them to protest without being arrested is writing protest messages on ballot papers and such pictures of these messages are being shared widely on social media. four hours left to vote in the russian election. the authorities are posting record—breaking turnout numbers come up record—breaking turnout numbers come up more than 70%, but the opposition, it looks like they have been to polling stations and they will go home now and the kremlin
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will go home now and the kremlin will be hoping that the people who had called for these events, associates of alexei navalny, that they go home and the kremlin will be able to safely ever forget that alexei navalny existed. we able to safely ever forget that alexei navalny existed. we can see these live pictures _ alexei navalny existed. we can see these live pictures from _ alexei navalny existed. we can see these live pictures from the - alexei navalny existed. we can see | these live pictures from the russian embassy in berlin, yulia navalnaya in amongst the crowd protesting. for others to go in voting, has vitaly shevchenko said. let's go to the russian embassy in west london. give us a sense of the picture there. i think it is a very different picture here, actually, because while you are not allowed slogans or placards or anything like that, of that kind in russia, it is very different here in russia, it is very different here in london, actually, and if you have a quick look over my shoulder i would say we have something like well over 1000 people at the moment, it is hard to get an exact figure,
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but that q stretches back for well over a mile, but that q stretches back for well overa mile, probably but that q stretches back for well over a mile, probably two to fall deep at a time and it is significant and a lot of the people we spoke to today confirms they are here for the midday protest and we have obviously only spoken to a sample so it is difficult to to say just only spoken to a sample so it is difficult to to sayjust how many are here for that protest but a lot of people said they wanted to turn out in solidarity and confirms they wanted to be there for the midday protest and confirmed that and some were a bit is guided in what they were a bit is guided in what they were saying but did confirm that is exactly the intention they had today and that is why they were hit today. —— two to fall deeper. the idea is that these protests at noon were put forward by the wife of the opposition leader alex in a valley he would suggest it two weeks before his death and many people here didn't want to support that and are doing that in all time zones across russia but here at midday in london
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as well of course and i think that is white lots of people have turned out today. —— two and four deep. francis read outside the embassy in london. thank you. it hasjust francis read outside the embassy in london. thank you. it has just gone 5pm in moscow and we will keep you posted on this story as it develops. let's speak to dan storiev, who's with 0vd—info, an independent media and human rights group focused on russia. thank you for being with us. let's talk about arrests, protests and demonstrations. how many people to be no have been arrested inside russia for demonstrating and what have they been arrested for? —— how many people do we know have. right now, we many people do we know have. right now. we know _ many people do we know have. right now, we know of _ many people do we know have. i mt now, we know of people detained just today, so people detained preliminarily, prophylactically, as they put it in because quite a few
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activists detained. and they are detained for all sorts of reasons. these slogans, this protest vote is very much still a protest, these are people putting protest slogans on the ballads and throwing them in the ballot boxes and the authorities are so terrified of the meaning or the power of these slogans because the authorities have been finding and detaining people for exactly that. —— protest slogans on the ballots. there was a woman detained and st petersburg for writing no to war on her ballot. let me just paint you a picture there. in a small town in the moscow region, 0dintsova, basically a suburb of moscow, imagine 0xford relative to london, the cops are standing around the ballot box and checking the ballots before the person comes in and froze
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their ballot into the box, and they can check whether they voted for vladimir putin although it is the right way, and if they don't like the ballot, they seize it. —— comes in and froze their ballot. this is the level of repression right now. and still thousands... find the level of repression right now. and still thousands. . ._ and still thousands. .. and that is when peeple _ and still thousands. .. and that is when people even _ and still thousands. .. and that is when people even get _ and still thousands. .. and that is when people even get to - and still thousands. .. and that is when people even get to the - and still thousands. .. and that is i when people even get to the ballot box and you are talking about their boats being scrutinised but on top of that, there is this extra layer of that, there is this extra layer of control by the kremlin in a sort of control by the kremlin in a sort of carrot and stick approach. —— talking about their votes. there is this incentive to go and vote, when a motorbike or a trip to moscow or a cash prize, but talk about the administrative pressure on people to make sure they go to the polling station in the first place. yes. station in the first place. yes, what we talk _ station in the first place. yes, what we talk about _ station in the first place. 1&1: what we talk about administrative resources, thank you for bringing this up. that's how we got
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impractical science. this up. that's how we got impracticalscience. 0f this up. that's how we got impractical science. of course, these individuals might win something and women were promised a pre—examination by a gynaecologist for going to the polling station but more than often than not, these are people who are working for state affiliated enterprises, state—co ntrolled affiliated enterprises, state—controlled enterprises and they are basically told, hey, if you don't go and vote, we are going to fire you. if you don't go and vote, we will dock your pay, and you have to keep in mind as a western observer, whenever you see the supposedly large rallies in the port of vladimir putin or any kind of outpouring of support for the kremlin, more often than not, these people have been essentially forced to go there. —— large rallies in support of leading a putin. dan storiev from _ support of leading a putin. dan storiev from 0vd—info. thank you very much. i want to bring you some breaking news now.
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sources in ukraine have confirmed to the bbc that its drones hit an oil refinery in slavyansk—na—kubani in southern russia overnight. it comes as the governor of the belgorod region says one person was killed and 11 wounded in ukrainian shelling there. ukrainian sources said refineries were being targeted to undermine the russian economy and its oil exports. we now go live to our eastern europe correspondent, sarah rainsford, who is in ukraine for us. tell us more about the strikes on these russian oil refineries.— oil refineries. this was a confirmation _ oil refineries. this was a confirmation we - oil refineries. this was a confirmation we got - oil refineries. this was a i confirmation we got earlier oil refineries. this was a - confirmation we got earlier today from an official here who told us that yes, this strike overnight on an oil refinery in krasnodar in southern russia was indeed conducted by ukrainian drones and they say that the aim is to undermine the russian economy and is to undermine oil exports and ultimately to damage the russian war machine, of course.
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this came at the same time as president of volodymyr zelensky talks about the success of long—range ukrainian drones. yesterday, russia's defence ministry said five drones were shot down around moscow also so we know these drones go far and they go deep and we know that ukraine says they are specifically trying to target in particular fuel de—pose and oil refineries. we also know there has been shelling across the border of belgorod, that russian town in the south of russia, close to the ukrainian border and of course there is shelling and missiles fired in the other direction every single day at places like kharkiv and 0desa here in ukraine so ukraine is making the point that whilst russia is accusing it of disrupting the election, ukraine has pointed out very clearly that it is defending itself against two years of vladimir putin's war of aggression against ukraine, his full—scale invasion of this country. —— fuel depots.
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ukraine, his full-scale invasion of this country. -- fuel depots. people castina this country. -- fuel depots. people casting their — this country. -- fuel depots. people casting their minds _ this country. -- fuel depots. people casting their minds back _ this country. -- fuel depots. people casting their minds back to - this country. -- fuel depots. people casting their minds back to the - casting their minds back to the early days of this conflict will remember how russia impacted ukraine's economy with those grain exports and how that hit ukraine's finances. how big a deal is it that we are seeing the strikes on these refineries? are they symbolic or are they actually going to have a noticeable impact on russia's finances? i noticeable impact on russia's finances? ., _ noticeable impact on russia's finances?— noticeable impact on russia's finances? ., , , ~ ., , finances? i honestly don't know, but i know they — finances? i honestly don't know, but i know they are _ finances? i honestly don't know, but i know they are happening _ finances? i honestly don't know, but i know they are happening and - finances? i honestly don't know, but i know they are happening and we i i know they are happening and we have seen 12 of them in the last week or so, i believe six in the last week and 12 in recent times. i think it is part of ukraine's broad strategy and in a sense making up for a short pause on the front line as well, and we know there is a shortage of ammunition at the moment for ukrainian troops fighting and engaging with russian forces on the front lines are using drones is a way to try to attack russia and take the fight to russia inside the country. —— making up for shortfalls. it is also part of the
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psychological warfare because the more you can show russia at that this war can be damaging to that country, then the more favourable thatis country, then the more favourable that is to ukraine itself because at the moment, you know, all the talk has been of ukraine on the back foot is just holding the line and i think that's totally presentable edina zelensky once to have that much more positive attitude and so that ukraine in defending itself is taking the fight back to russia and attack its economy if not more within russia itself. —— volodymyr zelensky. i5 within russia itself. -- volodymyr zelens . , ., , within russia itself. -- volodymyr zelens . , . , within russia itself. -- volodymyr zelens . ., zelensky. is always good to get your anal sis, zelensky. is always good to get your analysis. sarah _ zelensky. is always good to get your analysis, sarah rainsford. _ zelensky. is always good to get your analysis, sarah rainsford. thank- zelensky. is always good to get your| analysis, sarah rainsford. thank you very much. the israeli prime minister, benjamin netanyahu, has reaffirmed his determination to mount a military operation in the city of rafah in southern gaza, where more than a million palestinians are taking refuge. mr netanyahu said that no international pressure would stop israel from achieving all the aims of its war against hamas. translation: no international- pressure will stop us from achieving all the goals of the war,
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eliminating hamas, freeing all of our hostages and ensuring that gaza will no longer pose a threat to israel. in order to do that, we will operate in rafah too. meanwhile, health officials in gaza say more than sixty palestinians have been killed in israeli bombardments overnight. the health ministry, controlled by hamas, said 12 members of one family were killed when their house in deir al—balah in the centre of the territory was hit. ceasefire talks are expected to resume in qatar today, with an israeli delegation likely to join the negotiations, but it's not yet clear when it might leave. let's go live to our correspondent injerusalem. let's let's go live to our correspondent in jerusalem. let's first of all injerusalem. let's first of all talk in jerusalem. let's first of all talk about injerusalem. let's first of all talk about prime minister netanyahu's pushed back against the international community, including many of his own allies. yes. international community, including many of his own allies.—
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many of his own allies. yes, it is a trademark — many of his own allies. yes, it is a trademark defiance _ many of his own allies. yes, it is a trademark defiance really - many of his own allies. yes, it is a trademark defiance really of - trademark defiance really of benjamin netanyahu which the more he is criticised in this war the more he seems to be digging in, and really hitting back at his critics who are calling him particularly not to launch an israeli offensive into wrapper in the south of gaza where more than half of guys are's by collision is now sheltering, and you had a snippet of his remarks at the cabinet meeting today when he vowed to push onto total victory with the return of israeli hostages. —— rafah. as many western governments are saying this is too much of a risk to send the israeli army into rafah and 0laf scholz, the german chancellor, said today that achieving these would be very difficult if israel sent his army into rafah and president biden said a week or so ago that an israeli offensive there would be a red line for the us administration and yet benjamin netanyahu says those who are urging israel to pull back after getting the second of —— seventh
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0ctober hamas attacks and in his words, they have lost their moral conscience and are trying to deny israel from defending itself. aha, israel from defending itself. a delegation from israel to you on their way to cation forecourt talks there to resume. —— on their way to cation forecourt courts to resume. want to resume. what we know about that? we want to resume. what we know about that? ~ ~ ., , ., want to resume. what we know about that? . ~ ., , ., ., ., that? we know the israeli delegation will be led by — that? we know the israeli delegation will be led by the _ that? we know the israeli delegation will be led by the head _ that? we know the israeli delegation will be led by the head of— that? we know the israeli delegation will be led by the head of mossad, i will be led by the head of mossad, the israeli intelligence agency, but there are still talks to determine there are still talks to determine the mandate and exactly what they will discuss on the ground and already the prime minister's office has accused hamas of making unfair and unreasonable demands. —— on their way to qatarfor and unreasonable demands. —— on their way to qatar for talks to resume. the proposalfrom hamas seems to be a six—week pause in hostilities and the release of israeli hostages in return for hundreds of palestinian prisoners
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being released from israeli jails and talks to end the war. it seems that hamas is slightly loosened its demands because it was previously saying it wanted a total ceasefire before any talks on hostage release and prisoner exchange. so that store to those communications and negotiations for some ten days but it now seems hamas is now willing to accept a six—week stoppage of hostilities in which there would be the prisoner exchange but also talks on ending the war. —— so that stored. we would have to see if israel would accept that but already intimate netanyahu has said he would not accept a total ceasefire which would leave hamas in place. —— that bird back. given his remarks today about his determination to push on into rafah it would seem israel is determined to push on with its offensive and probably confident in these talks is quite low. —— that stalled.
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meanwhile in israel, families of the 130 or so hostages are urging the government to do a deal to free them, before it is too late. 0ur senior international correspondent, 0rla guerin, spoke to one israeli mother about the agonising wait for her son, who was taken when hamas attacked israel on october seventh. as soon as i turned my phone on, two consecutive messages came in that had arrived at 8:11 from hersh. the first of the messages said, "i love you." and the second one immediately after said, "i'm sorry." this is rachel's son, hersh goldberg—polin, 23 and much missed. here he is in happier times with his parents. the american—israeli is still a hostage in gaza. five months on, his mother still in anguish. every morning when i wake up,
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i make a concerted effort and say to myself, "now pretend to be human," so that i can get up and try to save hersh, my son, and the other remaining 133 hostages. what i want to do is lay in a ball on the floor weeping, but that won't help them. hersh was caught up in this horror when a music festival became a killing field on october seventh. he sought refuge with friends inside a bomb shelter. but hamas was at the entrance, throwing in grenades. allahu akbar! he was last seen surrounded by gunmen, his left arm blown off, as hamas loaded hostages onto a truck. do you believe you will get him back? i really do. hope is mandatory. and...
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..i believe it — and i have to believe it — that he will come back to us. that's what all the families cling to, the belief that their loved ones will be back. they keep protesting, keep pressuring the government to do a deal. a sombre count in hebrew of every day the hostages have been held. rachel wants an end to the agony and not only for israelis. i feel that so many people are suffering, notjust those families of the 134, but there are thousands and thousands of gazan... innocent civilians in gaza who are suffering.
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there is so much suffering to go around. and i would love for our leaders, all of them, to say, "we're going to do what we have to do "so thatjust the normal people can stop suffering." everybody�*s going to have to give in. there's no perfect scenario. and we need the suffering to stop. and that was one mother telling us her story. her son was taken hostage on the 7th of october. she was speaking to the bbc�*s 0rla guerin. now it's time for a look at today's sport with hugh ferris. there's a blockbuster fa cup quarter final to look forward to later on sunday. the stakes are usually high when manchester united meet liverpool, but this time there's also a place in the last four and a trip to wembley
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on the line at old trafford. before that, a repeat of the 2016 final, won famously by leicester over chelsea. that started around half an hour ago at stamford bridge. there is about a0 minutes to go and it is two—two at stamford bridge. there's a blockbuster quarter final to look forward to later on sunday. the stakes are usually high when manchester united meet liverpool, but this time there's also a place in the last four and a trip to wembley on the line at old trafford. patrick gearey is there. this is always a huge game but for these to cite it were quite different reasons. for liverpool, it is part of a quest when four trophies this season because they already have the efl cup in the back and they are hoping to give manager jurgen klopp the perfect sendoff when he leaves liverpool at the end of the season but manchester united it is their only hope of silverware from what has been a difficult campaign and manager erik ten hag will want an fa cup win to show
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proof of progress to the blood's new part owners. in terms of personnel, united should be stronger than they have been recently with harry maguire and wan—bissaka or likely to be available but liverpool should be able to count on mo salah, and he has this remarkable record against manchester united with 12 goals in 13 games and one that all nodes to illustrate how big this game is, aside from the final, there has been more broadcast interest in this from around the world than any other fa cup tie. manchester united versus liverpool always matters. bayer leverkusen will attempt to take their lead at the top of the bundesliga to ten points later, with xabi alonso taking his team to freiburg. bayern munich reduced the gap to seven with a win at darmstadt on saturday. elsewhere, the fight for second place continues in serie a behind runaway leaders inter, who play napoli later. juventus failed to go above milan after only managing
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a 0—0 draw with genoa. milan are in the first half of their match at verona. that is currently goalless. while atletico madrid — barcelona is fifth against third in la liga. it's finals day at indian wells. the world number one iga swiatek will play greece's maria sakarri later. meanwhile in the men's draw, the two time grand slam champion carlos alcaraz has ended jannik sinner�*s19—match unbeaten run to reach the final. the defending champion dropped the first set 6—1 in a match that was interrupted by rain, but took charge of the second and third. this was the long rally on match point. alcaraz is aiming to win his first title since wimbledon last year, and is the first man to beat the australian open champion sinner this year. and that's all the sport for now. much more on our website, of course. steve harley, the frontman of cockney rebel, has died at the age of 73, his publicist has
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confirmed to bbc news. # you've done it all, you've broken every code — # you've done it all, you've broken every code # _ a statement from the family reads, "we are devastated to announce "that our wonderful husband and father has passed "away peacefully at home, with his family by his side. "the birdsong from his woodland that he loved so much "was singing for him. "his home has been filled with the sounds and laughter "of his four grandchildren." ijust want i just want to bring you ijust want to bring you live pictures from berlin where protests continue outside the russian embassy and juliet never layer, the wife of the late opposition leader alexei navalny, is with the crowds there. —— yulia navalnaya. there have been protest outside russian embassies around the world, and in particular, people were called out at noon local time to vote against president putin on the third and final day of
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russia's presidential elections and i also want to bring you these live pictures from iceland. a state of emergency has been declared after another volcanic eruption. it is the fourth since december and residents of the town of grindavik have been evacuated and had only recently returned after a previous evacuation order. the nearby popular tourist resort of the blue lagoon has also been evacuated and we will bring you much more on that story and all our other stories right here on bbc news. do stick with us. i will be backin news. do stick with us. i will be back in a minute. goodbye. after a lot of cloud, rain and drizzle in england over the past couple of days we are starting to see things improving but before we see things improving but before we see further bands of rain coming from the atlantic, there is some sunshine for the rest of the day and
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temperatures higher than yesterday, could make 17 degrees in the south—west of england and in the sunshine in the marie firth, possibly 15 degrees here. still a few showers around as we go into this evening particularly around scotland and we have another band of rain coming into northern ireland and moving eastwards over night and we will have clear skies on either side of that so it may be a bit chillier than last night for england and wales and some early mist and fog patches in the south—east. this band of cloud and what is left of the rain dies out as it moves eastwards early on monday morning so a lot of drier weather following up with some sunshine and then the winds pick up irish sea and northern islands in the far west of scotland also where we start to see rain arriving. a still mild on monday with temperatures widely1a or 15 degrees and we have southerly winds ahead of that weather system there which will bring more rain mostly for the northern half of the uk overnight, clearing away quickly is that low pressure moves away on tuesday morning and we are left of this trading band of cloud and
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patchy rain moving down toward southern parts of england but brightening up elsewhere with some sunshine, and each hours will tend to fade away. a bit cooler full scotland and northern ireland on tuesday, still 1a or 15. eastern areas but a bit of rain later in the day for the south—east of england and that will move northwards overnight and into wednesday, perhaps across england, northern england, wales and south is scotland. hardly a breath of scotland. hardly a breath of scotland and northern ireland will be dry and so to for south—eastern parts of england where we have that marginal conditions hanging on here but there is another weather system to continue this very unsettled to beam as we head overnight into thursday. this one coming in from the atlantic and bringing wetter weather from the atlantic and bringing wetter weatherfrom northern the atlantic and bringing wetter weather from northern areas and should have cleared much of scotland and northern ireland with some sunshine for a while and then this increasingly light and patchy rain heads down across england and wales before it turns damp and cloudy later in northern ireland and western scotland. we have
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this is bbc news, the headlines... yulia navalnaya, the wife of the late russian opposition leader alexei navalny has been in berlin at a protest against vladimir putin on the final day of voting in the presidential elections. there are queues at some polling stations in russia with opposition supporters taking part in a silent ballot box protest.
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a mother's plea for her son — as the families of 130 israeli hostages being held in gaza urge the government to broker a deal to free them, before it's too late. as gangs tighten their grip over haiti's capital — the us says it's chartering a plane to evacuate its citizens. but it warned there would only be a limited number of flights out of the country. and a state of emergency in iceland — after a fourth volcanic eruption in as many months. the village of grindavik is evacuated, only weeks after residents were allowed to return. now on bbc news...living between enemy lines soldiers sing. behind the barbed wire of korea's demilitarised zone sits a tiny village... this village represents the hope of one day reunifying the korean peninsula. ..nestled in the heart of what's otherwise a no—man's land.
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